Chapter 97 – Black Tortoise Island

Chapter 97 – Black Tortoise Island

Liu Xiyue naturally knew what a rule-constructed road was, as there was one in Phoenix Fall Village. Every villager was aware of its existence.

She stopped asking further questions, knowing the immense difficulty of road construction. Even building a road between Phoenix Fall Village and East Mountain Village, despite their proximity, was an arduous task, let alone constructing one across cities or provinces.

Two hours later, Cheng Yang had scoured the area three kilometers east of East Mountain Village, eliminating any large groups of demonic beasts he encountered.

Though he had slain numerous demonic beasts, the dungeon entrance remained elusive.

*Might as well keep going. It’s less than four kilometers from the altar,* Cheng Yang muttered to himself as he continued battling through the thorny undergrowth.

Just as Cheng Yang was enthusiastically clearing the path, Liu Xiyue suddenly pointed to the left, “Lord, look! What’s that?”

Cheng Yang paused and followed her gaze. Through the dense foliage, about seventy meters away, a faint white light flickered intermittently.

“Found it!” Cheng Yang sighed in relief. Though he couldn’t see the light’s full form, he knew it had to be a portal. Nothing else in this area would emit such a glow.

“Let’s check it out,” Cheng Yang said, leading Liu Xiyue toward the light.

After advancing forty meters, Cheng Yang confirmed his suspicion. It was indeed a dungeon portal, identical to the Bloody Church dungeon entrance in their territory.

“What kind of dungeon is this?” Liu Xiyue asked, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Cheng Yang chuckled wryly, “I don’t know. I’ve never been in this one before.”

“But… they said you know everything,” Liu Xiyue replied, skepticism evident in her voice.

“I know a lot, but not everything,” Cheng Yang explained. “The world is vast. Even immortals can’t know everything.”

Liu Xiyue nodded, “True. So, what now? Should we inform Yu Kai or just enter the dungeon?”

She didn’t doubt Cheng Yang’s ability to solo the dungeon. He had mentioned it was a beginner-level dungeon with only normal difficulty available for first-time clears, which posed no challenge to him.

Cheng Yang glanced at the sky, “There might be unexpected situations during the first clear. Yu Kai might not handle them well yet. Let’s inform him and bring him along. It’ll help them in future dungeon runs.”

Liu Xiyue agreed, and they headed back to East Mountain Village. The return journey was much easier, taking less than twenty minutes to cover the four-kilometer distance.

Upon arriving, they found Yu Kai wasn’t in the village. He had left with his entire team three hours ago to continue scouting. Cheng Yang decided to find them himself, leaving Liu Xiyue behind to move faster.

The path was clear, thanks to the large group that had passed through earlier. Cheng Yang soon found Yu Kai’s group battling a horde of seven hundred demonic beasts.

Yu Kai, now a high-level archer, was holding his own, effortlessly taking down mid-tier demonic beasts. However, with over six hundred beasts remaining, Cheng Yang joined the fray.

Cheng Yang’s efficiency was unmatched. His Ice Spike skill mowed down the demonic beasts in droves, leaving the onlookers in awe.

Minutes later, the battle ended. Yu Kai wiped the blood from his body and approached Cheng Yang, “Lord, what brings you here? Did you find the portal?”

Cheng Yang teased, “Old Yu, you need to work on your combat skills. As an archer, you shouldn’t be covered in blood. You’re a ranged class, not a melee fighter.”

Yu Kai retorted, “I learned from you! With 4 points of defense, the highest in the camp, who else should take the front line?”

Cheng Yang laughed, “Enough of that. I found the dungeon portal and came to inform you. Pick two people to join me. We’ll familiarize ourselves with the dungeon for future runs.”

Yu Kai quickly selected two deputies: Liu Cheng’en, the deputy village chief, and Huang Mu, an A-tier summoner.

The group, now including Liu Xiyue, returned to the dungeon entrance. Confident in their abilities, they entered without hesitation.

The scene shifted, and they found themselves on an island no larger than ten thousand square meters. The surroundings were barren, with no trees or tall structures, offering a clear view of the sea stretching to the horizon.

They now knew the dungeon’s name: Black Tortoise Island. The name suggested the island itself was the dungeon’s core.

Cheng Yang surveyed the island but found no signs of life, demonic or otherwise. *Where are the enemies?* he wondered.

“I’ll check the center. Stay alert,” Cheng Yang instructed, heading toward a small hillock. Behind it, he discovered a man-sized cave emitting a faint glow.

Peering inside, Cheng Yang saw a narrow passage leading to what appeared to be an underground palace. “Over here!” he called to the others.

Cheng Yang led the way, with Yu Kai bringing up the rear. The narrow passage was uneventful, but what lay beyond was shocking: an abandoned underground prison.

The chamber was lined with iron-barred cells, some containing skeletal remains of both human and non-human origins. Roaming the area were pangolin-like creatures, each the size of a small calf.

“What are these?” Yu Kai whispered.

“Ironclad Beasts,” Cheng Yang explained. “High physical defense, around 3 points. Beginner warriors can barely penetrate it. But their attack and speed are low, making them easy to kill.”

Yu Kai nodded, “Shall we start?”

“No need for caution here. Just eliminate them. There’s only one mid-tier leader here. There must be more chambers ahead,” Cheng Yang said, hurling an ice sphere at the largest beast in the center.