CHAPTER 449: Going In Alone

Han Shuo, Elizabeth, Cecilia and the others were all keen to find out what was going on in the depths of Tarrag Canyon. Even Han Shuo, who didn't care much for such matters, was interested and decided to join the investigation.

With his mind on the task, Han Shuo led the team of over a dozen people into the depths of the Tarrag Canyon.

Half an hour later, a herd of five or six hundred magical beasts of all kinds, led by several vicious manticores, charged towards them.

At the back of the herd were some weaker creatures of ranks four and five, while at the front were a hundred high-level beasts, with about ten Manticores in the lead. Compared to the first wave of magical creatures that had attacked Cecilia and her party, this wave was vastly larger.

The expression on Cecilia's beautiful face suddenly changed and she ordered her subordinates to immediately take up a defensive position, fearing that the magical beasts would trample them into meatballs.

"No need for that. These magical beasts seem to be fleeing for their lives. They probably won't attack us!" Han Shuo explained calmly. Through his mystical demons, he could see into the great distance. Three of those demons soared into the depths of Tarrag Canyon and discovered that they were not alone. Several other teams of explorers had made their way past Han Shuo and Cecelia. He also observed that as the magical beasts charged forward, they made no effort to attack the humans as they had done before.

After hearing Han Shuo's advice, Cecilia hesitated for a moment and shouted, "Alright then, let's stay together to avoid the beasts coming our way!"

At her command, the group of Dark Mantle members rushed to join her. Only Elizabeth turned a deaf ear to Cecilia's words and stood firmly behind Han Shuo.

The so-called heretic of the Church of Light soon realised that Cecilia was not particularly strong. Even with the help of her twelve subordinates, Elizabeth did not feel that they could be of any help. Having witnessed Han Shuo's terrifying strength, Elizabeth, the lesser heretic, had long regarded Han Shuo as a man who could keep her safe.

Cecilia and her party soon discovered that Han Shuo was indeed right. The charging herd of magical beasts had obviously spotted their tracks when they arrived in the area. The beasts just continued on their way, passing by as if they had not noticed them.

"Huh? What's going on?" asked Cecilia as if talking to herself, but her eyes were fixed on Han Shuo. One thing was clear to Cecelia, Han Shuo definitely knew something.

Shaking his head, Han Shuo replied, "I'm not sure either. We'll find out when we get closer."

As soon as he finished those words, Han Shuo took charge and strode off into the depths of the Tarrag Canyon, unconcerned about the magical beasts flying by. Elizabeth followed closely, not wanting to be left behind.

"Let's move!" Cecilia ordered tactfully. Along the way, more and more herds of magical beasts ran out of the Tarrag Canyon, including some super-ranked magical creatures. Just like the first group, when they saw Han Shuo and the others, they wasted no time in attacking, but were busy running away as if they were fleeing from some disaster.

Suddenly, Han Shuo's body stopped moving. His three mystical demons deep within Tarrag Canyon seemed to be blocked by a strange energy that resembled boundaries. The mystical demons came to a halt, unable to move an inch forward.

"Stop!" Han Shuo shouted. The others were startled and froze beside Han Shuo.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked.

Han Shuo's eyebrows furrowed intensely. His powerful consciousness was expanding outwards. An invisible field undulated in the air, like ripples on the surface of water, with Han Shuo at its centre. As his consciousness unfolded in all directions, every living thing around him was projected into Han Shuo's heart.

When his consciousness reached outside the region where the three mystical demons were blocked, Han Shuo used his demonic arts; his consciousness changed into a form that the energy could not detect and easily penetrated. He continued to venture deeper.

In this region, the elements that filled the space between heaven and earth were all strangely absent. He felt no trace of the elements of light, fire, water or wind. Even the air was gone. The place truly felt like a vacuum, where one would be overcome by a terrible sense of suffocation.

As his consciousness continued forward, he suddenly felt some enormous presences. These presences were as huge as that of the ancient lizard king Dagassi, and gave Han Shuo a deep sense of threat.

Startled, Han Shuo's consciousness stopped exploring deeper and suddenly receded like a tide. Shortly after, he opened his eyes and said to Cecilia, "It seems that you will have to give up on exploring deeper this time!"

"Why?" When Cecilia heard Han Shuo's words, her heart grew anxious.

"I can sense that something strange has happened in the deepest part of Tarrag Canyon. However, there are some beings of tremendous strength present. True, even for an expert like Sacred Knight Blount, there's no doubt that he would have died had he entered. So unless you want to die, I suggest you all evacuate immediately, just like those magical creatures," Han Shuo told them as it was.

There wasn't just one powerful presence in the depths of Tarrag Canyon. Otherwise, Han Shuo would still have had the courage to take them deeper. Considering that there were a few of those presences in there, Han Shuo could only ensure his own safety and certainly could not take care of them all.

"So you are saying that there are very powerful beings in there?" Cecilia was greatly alarmed and questioned again closely.

"I can't be sure if they're human or not. But what's certain is that they are very powerful presences. You will not be able to handle them!" Han Shuo explained. He turned to Elizabeth and instructed, "Go back to Tariq City. I will look for you after I take a look inside. I will be able to find you as long as you are in Tariq City. If you don't do as I say, you'll be digging your own grave!"

Elizabeth became frightened at the sound of this and replied, "Master, rest assured, I will be waiting for your return. Elizabeth stayed no longer and left immediately, not even looking back at Cecilia and the others.

After Elizabeth left, Han Shuo shot Cecilia a look and gave her a final warning, "I have said all I have to say. It's up to you to listen. But if you go in there, be forewarned that none of you will come out alive!"

As soon as he finished his words, without waiting for a reply, Han Shuo transformed into a flash of black light and disappeared into the Tarrag Canyon.

It was only when even Han Shuo's shadow was barely visible that Cecilia called out, "Hey! Can you take us inside to have a look?" but obviously Han Shuo did not hear her.

"my lady, what should we do?" Karey watched as more magical beasts rushed out. Among them was a magnificent silver dragon over ten metres long. He felt a slight sense of apprehension, for it was obvious to him that if a super-ranked magical creature like the giant silver dragon had to flee, then there must be something truly dangerous in the depths of the Tarrag Canyon.

"My Lady, why don't we go back too? Bryan would never lie to us!" Bandits had an innate ability to sense danger. Although he couldn't clearly sense the powerful existences deep in the canyon like Han Shuo could, the suffocation in his heart was too hard to bear. With his many years of experience as a bandit, this sensation indicated the presence of an overpowering force.

When the bandit opened his mouth, Cecilia, a companion of many years, finally turned to look at the few, and her gaze landed on the bandit. With a solemn voice she asked, "You felt something, didn't you? I know that after so many years your senses have always been accurate."

"Yes, my lady. It is very dangerous in there. Considering our strength, it is not advisable for us to enter," the bandit replied hastily.

"Very well then, we will withdraw immediately!" Through her years of experience with the bandit, Cecilia finally made a decision, and a wise one at that. She turned around and planned to return to Tariq City by the original route.

A dashing young man appeared where Han Shuo had stood like a ghost. He had long silver-grey hair and wore a matching elegant robe with large embroidered lily flowers around the edges. He was empty-handed and his feet hovered above the ground as he smiled and asked, "Excuse me, the young man who just left, who is he?"

"Wh... who are you?" Karey was shocked by the young man's sudden arrival. He didn't even know how he had got there. It was as if he had materialised out of thin air in Han Shuo's absence.

Cecilia glanced at the young man and the corner of her eye twitched. "I don't know," she replied bluntly. "Come. We will leave here at once."

She began to march away, somewhat frenetically and hurriedly. Although Karey and the others sensed that something wasn't quite right with Cecilia, as mere subordinates they didn't question her, nor did they respond to the young man, but immediately followed Cecilia and left.

"What a bunch of illiterate children. Kids these days know nothing about respecting their elders!" the charmingly handsome young man sighed reluctantly, as if lamenting the ways of the world. Then he walked off in the same direction as Han Shuo and into the depths of Tarrag Canyon like a ghost.

"My lady, who was that person? It felt like you knew him?" Only after he had sprinted off into the distance, far away, and Cecilia had slowed down slightly, did the clever bandit open his mouth to ask.

"He is the protector of the current seven Grand Duchies, state preceptor of the former Verdun Dynasty - Stratholme, the old monster!" Cecilia replied with a bitter smile.

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