Immediately following the first "pop," several more sharp "pops" echoed behind me. The light vanished in an instant. Damn it, the lighting equipment was completely destroyed! As I fumbled to find my small flashlight in the bag, a sudden, violent gust of wind surged all around us. The wind was so strong that it lifted me off the ground, tossing me wildly through the air. My head spun from the relentless swirling. Thankfully, the ceiling of this space was tall, sparing me from smashing into it. However, there was no guarantee I wouldn't crash into the opposite wall; at this speed, I'd be flattened into a pulp.
"Don't panic, everyone! Quickly chant after me: Qi Chi Shen Wang, Chi Lei Qu Feng!" Pei Long's voice echoed through the darkness.
This sounded like part of the Zhenjun Tianpeng incantation. I had barely uttered half a line when Little Blade shouted, "Wrong! It should be: Fa Ling Dong Tian Di, Qu Feng Zhao Gui Shen!"
"Damn you all! Stop chanting nonsense. The proper chant is: Tian Di Zi Ran, Hui Qi Fen San!" Big Mouth Rong cursed loudly.
What the actual hell? Three different masters of paranormal expertise, and they couldn't even agree on a chant. Each stuck to their own methods. Meanwhile, Xiao Ying was already following her cousin's lead, chanting his incantation. I, on the other hand, paused mid-chant, unsure whom to follow. Annoyed with Pei Long, I shouted in frustration, "You're all wrong! The real chant is: Wan Li Feng Yun He, Qian Shan Cao Mu Ping!"
I was just stirring up trouble, but the chant I recited was legit. Xiao Ying exclaimed, "Huh?" and immediately echoed my line.
"What's the point of chanting without burning talismans?" Little Blade cursed, and then, all of a sudden, a brief flicker of light illuminated the space. It was Little Blade, spinning in the wind nearby, clutching a burning talisman. But just as quickly, the flame was extinguished.
"Burning talismans is useless. My talismans are meant for suppression and sealing! Once we locate the source of the Yin Ghost Array, just slap on a Soul-Sealing Talisman, and it won't dare make a peep..." Big Mouth Rong started to retort, but before he could finish, Little Blade cut him off:
"Then go find the Yin Ghost Array, you braggart!"
Amid their bickering, the wind suddenly stopped, and we four plummeted to the ground like free-falling elevators. My heart leaped into my throat. Falling from this height, I was sure I'd end up a splattered mess.
Splash! Splash! Splash! We all landed in a pool of water. Relieved, I started to catch my breath—only to be dragged down by the momentum, sinking fast. Luckily, I'd learned to swim before, so I managed to close my mouth after swallowing a gulp of water. The icy coldness pierced my body, causing my muscles to cramp painfully. And as I sank deeper, I realized the pool seemed bottomless. I must have gone down over ten meters, yet my feet hadn't touched the bottom.
Trying to resurface was futile. It felt as though an immense force was pulling me downward. A chilling thought crossed my mind: Could it be that the jujube-wood boat failed to suppress the malevolent spirit? Was that seductive specter dragging us all to the depths?
Just as I felt I could no longer hold my breath, my feet finally touched soft mud. But the downward pull was relentless, yanking me to the left. I panicked. Even with solid ground beneath me, I couldn't escape the force. Was I doomed to drown here?
Suddenly, there was a loud splash, and my head burst above the water's surface. Unable to hold back, I took a deep, desperate breath—only to be hit by a stench so foul, it nearly knocked me unconscious. The air reeked of damp decay and sour rot. As disgusting as it was, at least I could breathe.
With arms flailing, I paddled toward what felt like a slope. The mysterious force dragged me upward, rolling and tumbling along the incline. I guessed this might be the entrance to an underwater cavern, where the source of the mysterious pull originated. My heart raced with dread. What kind of power lay within the cavern? Would it rip me apart if I went in?
Terrified, I clawed at my surroundings, desperately searching for something to hold onto. My hand caught a jagged rock protruding from the slope. I clung to it with all my strength, pulling myself against the relentless suction. My feet braced against the rock, and I hugged it tightly, turning it into my personal "island" of safety.
But my chest pressed directly against the sharp edge, sending waves of pain through my body. I grimaced and almost let go. Grasping at my backpack, I found a pair of pants and stuffed them between my chest and the rock to cushion the pressure. Finally, the pain subsided.
Breathing heavily, I stayed motionless for a while. Everything around me was pitch black; I couldn't see a thing. I rummaged through my bag, hoping to find a flashlight but only managed to retrieve a lighter. Striking it produced a faint flame, but the suction force immediately extinguished it.
In that brief moment of light, I glimpsed my surroundings. The slope stretched out as I'd imagined—steep and narrow, about five to six meters wide. The rock I clung to was the only solid hold in the area. It seemed I'd gotten absurdly lucky. My streak of bad luck must've finally run its course.
After catching my breath, I suddenly thought of Xiao Ying and the others. I remembered hearing their voices when we first entered the water, but after sinking, I hadn't seen or heard them. Of course, I hadn't expected to see anything in such utter darkness. But why hadn't I heard them after surfacing? Was I the first to escape the water? Were they still below?
I reduced my breathing to listen intently. For a long time, there was nothing but dead silence—like a tomb. A wave of dread washed over me. Could they have been pulled into the cavern ahead of me?
What should I do? Should I go after them or stay here and wait for help? Either way, clinging to this rock indefinitely meant certain death by starvation.
As I wallowed in despair, a soft voice called out from above, "Wang Lin... Wang Lin..."
I froze. It was Xiao Xiang's voice. She was alive! At that moment, tears welled up in my eyes. No matter how many times I'd been tricked, or how many life-threatening dangers I faced, I'd done it all for her. As long as she lived, I could face death without regret.
"It's me! Don't move. I'm coming to find you!" My voice trembled with emotion.
But Xiao Xiang didn't seem to hear me. She continued to softly call my name, "Wang Lin... Wang Lin..."
I leaned out cautiously, trying to shift toward her direction. The moment half my shoulder left the rock, the force yanked me violently forward. I scrambled back, clutching the stone. If I tried to climb up recklessly, I'd surely lose my life before I even reached her.
As I sat there, thinking hard, a sudden idea struck me.