Traps [4]

Chapter - 15

In the right tunnel, the remaining Immortals found themselves beset by an unexpected situation, something they had not expected. They faced no traps, no visible threats, nothing that suggested immediate danger as they pressed forward through the winding passage.

And pretty soon, the end of the tunnel loomed ahead, and the Immortals couldn't help but praise Li Mingzhi for his discerning choice of paths.

"Do you think all the other paths were this easy to traverse?" one Immortal asked, his tone laced with incredulity.

"I doubt it," another Immortal replied, shaking his head. "I think we were favored by fortune."

"I agree," another chimed in, sharing his thoughts. "From my experience, there is usually one correct path. It seems we were the fortunate ones to tread upon it."

"And the other two tunnels..." an Immortal mused aloud. "Do you think the others are faring well? Will they manage to make it through?"

"I am confident they will," another responded firmly. "They have the Moon God, the Sun Emperor, the Water King, the Phoenix Lord, and Elder Li Mingzhi with them. Even Chen Haoyu would find it challenging to best them."

"Yes, that is true," another nodded. "At the end of this tunnel, Chen Haoyu will face the wrath of all the Immortal Realm warriors he has wronged..."

The Immortal seemed confident, bu before he could finish, the tunnel trembled violently, taking the Immortals by surprise.

"What is happening?" they cried out in shock. In the span of a single breath, massive stones crashed down in front of and behind them, sealing their path and trapping them within the confines of the tunnel.

"What the Fuck? What in the heavens is happening?" Panic surged through the ranks of the Immortals. They rushed to the stone barriers, striking them with all their might.

"Keep it together, everyone!" commanded an Immortal from the rear, his voice tinged with desperation. "We need to find a way out!"

"Find a way out? We don't even know what just transpired!" another Immortal yelled, his fists pounding against the massive stones. Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

"Chen Haoyu must have set this trap," another Immortal snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. "That bastard is always one step ahead."

"How could he have known we would be here?" a younger Immortal questioned, his voice quivering with fear. "We were so careful!"

"It does not matter now!" another barked, frustration evident in his tone. "We should focus on getting us out of here. Strike those stones harder!"

"It is futile," an elder Immortal sighed, stepping back and surveying the chaos. "These stones are imbued with powerful enchantments. They won't break easily."

"Then what? Are we to sit here and await our doom?" someone cried out, panic spreading through the group like wildfire.

"No, we must persist," one of the Immortals insisted, though his voice carried the weight of his own doubts. "There must be a weak point. Everyone, spread out and search."

"Easy for you to say," a younger one muttered under his breath, his frustration palpable, "Not like you are going to be any useful. Fucking Wimp."

"What... What did you say? You Bastard. Do you want to fight it out with me? Right here, Right now?" The Immortal pulled up the sleeves of his robes, ready to settle it out with the young Immortal.

"I said you are a fucking Wimp, you coward. Do you think I am afraid of you?" The young Immortal was not going to back down so easily as well. He was ready for a fight as well.

But before the two of them could throw punches at one another, suddenly, a low, rumbling sound echoed through the tunnel, and the ground beneath their feet vibrated ominously. A thick, swirling smoke began to seep through the cracks in the stones, filling the air with a pungent, metallic odor.

The air grew thick with a toxic miasma, seeping ominously from unseen fissures in the walls.

"What is this now?"

They caught a whiff of it before they saw it, a sickly sweet odor that made their heads spin and their stomachs churn. Hastily, they covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves, but the gas was insidious, creeping relentlessly into their lungs like a venomous serpent.

"Something is amiss," An Immortal muttered, his voice muffled by his sleeve. "This noxious fog... it is making my head spin."

"Stay close," commanded an old Immortal, who was managing the group, the de facto leader of the group, his voice resolute though his eyes betrayed a flicker of worry. "We need to locate the source and seal it."

They moved cautiously, the toxic gas swirling around them like a malevolent spirit from the darkest depths of hell. One by one, they started coughing violently, the toxic air searing their throats and eyes. The venerable Old Immortal squinted through the haze, struggling to keep his vision from blurring as the noxious fog seemed to tighten its grip on them.

But it was too late. The smoke enveloped them completely, and strange, eerie whispers began to echo from within the cloud, wrapping around their minds like serpents.

"What are those voices?" an Immortal asked, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. "It sounds like... they are speaking directly into my mind."

The whispers grew louder, each word a claw raking at their sanity, threatening to unravel their minds.

"It is some kind of insidious spell," someone shouted from within the haze, desperation lacing their voice. "Everyone, cover your mouths! Do not inhale it!"

"It is Chen Haoyu," another Immortal said, his voice trembling with dread. "He is trying to break us down from within. We need to stay strong, hold our ground!"

"Over here!" the Old Immortal croaked, pointing to a larger crack in the wall where the gas seemed to be gushing out in thick, malevolent waves.

"We need to block it," another Immortal said, his voice strained as he struggled to breathe. "But how can we get close enough?"

"We cannot get too close," the Old Immortal warned, already on his knees and coughing hard. "It is too potent. It is like the breath of Yama himself."

Just then, one of the younger Immortals, driven by a desperate courage, stumbled forward, his hand outstretched as he attempted to press against the wall. "Perhaps... I can seal it with my qi," he said, his voice shaky and uncertain.

"No!" the Old Immortal shouted, grabbing his arm with what little strength he had left. "It is too perilous!"

But it was too late. The young Immortal had already ventured too close to the source, and the toxic gas hit him with full force. He gasped, choking, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed to the ground. The group rushed to his side, but the gas was overpowering, making their heads swim and their limbs feel leaden as if filled with molten lead.

"Retreat! Fall back, all of you!" the Old Immortal ordered, his voice urgent and commanding despite his weakened state. "We need to withdraw and find another way."

"But we cannot abandon him!" one Immortal cried out, his eyes red and streaming with tears. No one could tell if it was from sorrow or the gas that stung his eyes like a thousand needles.

"We need to find a way out of here first. Otherwise, we will all end up as lost souls in this accursed place," the Old Immortal tried to reason with the others. "We must survive if we are to save anyone. Our mission cannot end here."

The Old Immortal's mind raced, his thoughts clouded with the urgency of their dire situation. "We must find a way to seal that fissure," he said, determination hardening his voice. "Our lives depend on it."

"Perhaps we can use the jade tokens," an Immortal suggested, his voice trembling with fatigue but filled with a spark of resolve. "The ones Elder Li gave us for emergencies such as this."

The Old Immortal nodded, hope kindling in his eyes. "Yes, the tokens. They might be our only chance."

He looked at his weary comrades, and with a voice that brooked no dissent, he spoke with determination, "All of you, break your jade tokens, all at once. Summon the power within, and let us end this nightmare."

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