Chapter 1614: Chapter 1609: Netherworld River Severed (Part 4)

"That thing outside?"

The wooden door was mottled and decayed, the stone walls exuded a dim, eerie glow, complemented by the spiked white bones—a scene truly horrifying.

But for Lisa, the first sensation she felt was a sense of relief that this silent place was finally disturbed. She quietly looked at Fu Qian for confirmation.

"Yes, the reports from Linghui didn’t lie, these things do indeed wander in."

Fu Qian didn’t mince words and made a judgment offhandedly.

"Should we strike first and take it out?"

"After all, based on previous experiences, their aggression is consistently high, even if we wanted peace, it might not agree."

With no worries left, Professor Lisa became bold, eager to give it a try.

"Makes sense, but is it possible it hasn’t noticed us and just happened to crawl out?"

Fu Qian nodded but remained still.

Ah?

Fu Qian’s perspective was somewhat unexpected, but Lisa still diligently observed again.

She saw countless thin limbs already fluttering in the air, gradually pulling out the rest of its body.

It was indeed those things from outside.

Accompanied by this change, she confirmed her assessment once more.

Because the limbs were connected to a long, rib-cage-like body.

Through gaps in it, she could clearly see a greenish glow inside the long body.

Just like those outside, a blend of spirit and bone.

Even the structure of its body vaguely confirmed Fu Qian’s judgment—it had no apparent head or eyes.

The nearly fully emerged body looked like a beheaded White Bone Centipede.

After coming out, it paid no attention to them but drifted in another direction.

However, Lisa’s surprise was not about that—when did Demigod Fu become so peaceful?

Refraining from attacking until provoked was a principle hard to imagine adhering to.

Pulling back her gaze, she expressed this doubt openly.

"What do you think it’s doing?"

To this, Fu Qian casually responded with a question and stepped forward while speaking.

...

"Is it looking for corpses too? Do you think following it might help us find them sooner? But why is it searching for them?"

Keeping pace swiftly to stay under the protection, Professor Lisa’s insight shone brightly at that moment as she asked in a low voice.

"I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like ordinary wandering."

Fu Qian nodded in a certain direction, where the creature had entered through another door.

"Besides, could it explain why it’s hard to find corpses despite so much empty space?"

Indeed...

His manner was surprisingly congenial, with a tone of discussion.

But even without evidence, one felt the innate plausibility of his suggestion.

"But is it possible it sensed our threat and is using this appearance to deceive us?"

Of course, this didn’t stop Lisa from raising another hypothesis.

"Missing a target isn’t a big deal; following futilely in such a case might waste time."

"If that’s truly the case, I find it even more worthwhile."

Fu Qian indicated that there was no need for excessive worry.

"A creation with that level of intelligence, I’d be more inclined to see what it’s doing down there."

...

Without much resistance, Lisa, after a brief thought, agreed with Fu Qian’s plan.

Though theoretically, he didn’t need her agreement.

Without his protection at this depth, she couldn’t take a step further.

"Do you think this place was once inhabited by lost souls?"

The two had reached the door the White Bone Centipede first appeared from.

Peering through the gap, they saw an oddly styled yet seemingly residential setup.

Although undoubtedly, there were no people or corpses, prompting Professor Lisa to ponder aloud.

"It’s indeed hard to imagine this place operating as complexly as our living world."

Scanning around, Fu Qian shook his head.

"However, if an afterlife exists, I’d find a place like this more endearing than the many fabled judgments of sin—Professor Lisa, any thoughts?"

Halfway through, he glanced at her, whose expression was peculiarly misinterpreting his lack of concern for sin judgments.

"Rest assured, this has nothing to do with personal concerns. I should skip the judgment process altogether."

Before she could respond, Fu Qian sighed with misunderstood exasperation.

"Got it—but wait, something seems off."

His self-deprecating ease left Lisa to marvel, yet she suddenly felt a jolt of alertness.

The White Bone Centipede had emerged soon from the second room, continuing its aimless drift.

However, as she was prepared to follow as planned, she noticed something strange—her skin rapidly dulling.

"That deathly sensation is back, still mild, but—"

She turned to look at Fu Qian.

"Have you called off the protection?"

"No."

Fu Qian shook his head.

"Then why... Could it be this Withering force is too strong to fully block?"

Furrowing her brows, Lisa cautiously scanned the surroundings and quickly spotted something.

"Could it be that?"

The next moment, she gestured to a stone pillar not far away.

The pillar wasn’t particularly large, nor did it bear any distinct markings, yet atop was perched a statue with a human face on a beast’s body, its facial features and wings at the back crudely aligned.

"Yes."

Fu Qian’s response was equally succinct.

"A Stone Gargoyle? But it looks like a mere statue to me?"

Lisa found herself doubting her judgment.

"It’s indeed a statue, but not an ordinary one."

Fu Qian assumed a mentor-like stance and warned her to be cautious.

"Ever since we entered a certain range, it’s been absorbing vitality in a specific manner."

"I see... should we find a way to destroy it?"

Without questioning Fu Qian’s judgment, Lisa focused intently on it, approaching rapidly.

"We can try, but be careful. Even after absorbing vitality, it shows no signs of coming to life."

Fu Qian remained indifferent.

"Isn’t that good?"

Lisa was momentarily puzzled.

"Just feels like it’s absorbing for nothing; if it doesn’t animate, there must be a way to release it."

Fu Qian, sticking to his verbal over physical effort approach, posed a wise demeanor, almost as if stroking a non-existent beard.

And true to his words, almost immediately a burst of ghostly green flame shot from the statue’s mouth, heading straight for Lisa’s face.

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