Chapter 225: Exploring the Ruined City

The tunnel leading to the Ruined City was long.

The discovery of Senluo Ruins City happened purely by accident.

A few years ago, Iron Furnace Abyssal City teamed up with Wuzhi Abyss City.

After exploring, they started digging an Underground Passageway to connect to Blackwater Underground City.

But during the work, they broke through the rock wall of Senluo Ruins City.

This underground city, sealed away for who knows how many years, was revealed to the world!

Because of this unexpected find, Iron Furnace Abyssal City decided to stop the tunnel work for now.

They put out a task with the Yuancheng Alliance to explore Senluo Ruins City.

A large Ruined City definitely held great value, but it also hid countless dangers.

Negative energy built up easiest in the underground world.

Areas filled with negative energy always gave birth to undead creatures.

In many Abyss Cities, clearing negative energy and undead was just part of the Shamans’ daily work.

Wraiths, Specters, Skeletons, Zombies, Nightmare Beasts, and Demon Ghosts, and so on.

Since the Underground Passageway already stretched into its territory, Iron Furnace Abyssal City took a big interest in Senluo Ruins City.

But Iron Furnace Abyssal City wouldn’t risk sending its own people to clear the Ruined City.

That could weaken its forces, threaten the city’s safety, or give enemies an opening.

“As I know, Senluo Ruins City has plenty of Specters, Zombies, and Nightmare Beasts,” Kui Bao said in a serious tone.

“So far, several teams have disappeared inside. We must be careful. Protecting ourselves is the most important thing. Finishing the mission comes second.”

Everyone nodded together.

Gao Jing also thought the team leader was right.

No matter how big the mission reward, how could it be more precious than your own life?

Iron Furnace Abyssal City made it clear; they were treating Adventurers as expendable.

They tempted Adventurers with rewards to clear the Ruined City for them.

But for Adventurers, well, it was like that Zhouyu beating Huang Gai story—exactly what both sides wanted.

Where there’s no risk, there’s no reward.

Kui Bao’s attitude was clear too: Stay safe, don’t show off.

They walked further, and suddenly, the space ahead opened up.

A huge underground city suddenly appeared in front of everyone’s eyes!

Senluo Ruins City was totally different from Blackwater City.

It was much bigger, and its setting felt more like how people imagined the underground world: dark, cold, silent, and mysterious.

Countless Luminous Mushrooms growing on pillars and rock walls gave off a soft blue-purple light.

They probably had a different name, but besides looking similar, their surface colors and spots were very different.

The buildings in Senluo Ruins City were also very different from Blackwater City’s style.

All the houses here had pointed roofs.

Most stood four or five stories tall, with some even seven or eight, like swords stuck point-down into the ground.

Their sharp tips aimed straight at the huge, hundreds-of-meters-high dome above!

Building after building stood packed together, row upon row.

From afar, it looked like a thick, dark forest.

It gave a feeling of being creepy, scary, and bottomlessly deep.

The most eye-catching thing was definitely the black tower standing in the very center of the city.

A Sorcerer Tower!

Gao Jing estimated this black tower reached one hundred and forty or fifty meters tall. He couldn’t help but feel surprised inside.

After all, this was the underground world.

Outside the tunnel exit now, several Adventurer teams had already gathered.

More were arriving behind Kui Bao’s team.

Kui Bao took several vials from his pack and handed them out to Gao Jing and the other four team members. He told everyone to drink them.

This specially made Spiritual Energy potion could help Adventurers resist the intrusion of negative energy.

It greatly reduced the drain on Battle Qi.

While walking through the tunnel earlier, Gao Jing sensed a cold, grim feeling filling the air around them.

The leather armor he wore couldn’t block this feeling at all.

It crept silently into his skin.

It stubbornly kept pushing deeper toward his organs and bones, making him feel deeply uncomfortable.

Also, the closer they got to the Ruined City, the stronger this feeling became!

This was so-called negative energy.

You could only block negative energy outside your body by using Battle Qi Empowerment on yourself.

But Battle Qi isn’t endless; keeping up the protection used a lot.

It would weaken fighting strength and meant you couldn’t stay active long in the Ruined City.

The Spiritual Energy potion Kui Bao brought out was obviously the solution to this problem.

Gao Jing drank the potion in one gulp.

Immediately, his whole body felt warmly comfortable.

The effect of the outside negative energy feeling lessened greatly.

His energy and spirit quickly returned to peak condition.

A good potion.

But judging by Kui Bao’s pained expression, it probably wasn’t cheap.

This reminded Gao Jing of the potions he’d found in the basement of his old house.

He decided to get someone to look them over when he returned.

“Let’s go,” Kui Bao said.

He noticed that the team led by Kui Yang had caught up.

He didn’t want another run-in and so led the way, heading to the right.

Everyone followed close behind.

Kui Bao was being very careful.

Even though many roads led into the Ruined City,

he only led his teammates searching along the city’s outer edge.

The Scout led the way ahead.

Two archers stayed protected in the middle by the warriors.

They moved step by cautious step.

At first, the team didn’t run into any danger.

No Wraiths, Specters, Skeletons, or Zombies showed themselves.

All they saw were buildings left empty for who-knew-how-many years,

and dark vines and wild grass growing on the ground.

Not even insects!

After a while, Ying Qi started getting impatient: “Leader, shouldn’t we head inside?”

He felt Kui Bao was being too careful.

With so much hesitation, when could they possibly gather enough mission items?

When undead monsters were destroyed, they might drop Tear of the Undead or you could gather it from them.

This material was the stuff negative energy concentrated into; it was the item needed for the Ruined City exploration mission!

The Yuancheng Alliance’s task needed each person to collect at least ten of the lowest grade Tear of the Undead.

Otherwise, the reward got slashed, or worse, punishments applied!

Any gathered beyond ten earned extra rewards.

So, basically, the more you fought, the more you earned.

Being new here in Senluo Ruins City, just like Gao Jing, Ying Qi didn’t find it as terrifying as the stories said.

His restless heart felt eager, wanting to prove itself.

Kui Bao frowned.

He kind of regretted recruiting this guy into his team.

Just as he started to speak, the Scout’s voice called out from the front: “Everyone, watch out!”

Without anyone noticing, fog had risen within Senluo Ruins City.

White mist filled the streets and alleys silently.

Like pushed by an invisible force, it spread quickly toward the outer area.

In the blink of an eye, it closed in on where Kui Bao’s team stood.

The ever-present negative energy in the air suddenly thickened violently.

This weakened the effect of the Spiritual Energy potion they’d taken much faster!

Kui Bao’s face changed.

He shouted in a low voice: “Everyone, close in on me!”

The moment his words fell, a sudden change swept over them!