Just then, the entire wall suddenly vibrated violently, cracking open amidst flying sand and gravel!
The dormant Ghost Ant colony, awakened by the sound, stretched their millstone-sized bodies, almost completely blocking the cave. Darkness descended once more, thick and impenetrable.
Pairs of blood-red eyes fixed on Zhang Qiling and Hei Yanjing, the source of the sound. Corrosive green liquid dripped from their gaping, dark mouths, hitting the ground with a pungent odor.
"Go!"
Zhang Qiling uttered a soft command and turned to enter the fissure, but stopped abruptly!
The cracking of the wall had ceased, but the opening revealed was only wide enough for two fists side by side!
Hei Yanjing glanced at it, certain he couldn't fit. But then he saw the little turtles he had drawn and couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"Mute, you go first."
He drew his twin pistols, his demeanor as casual as if this were nothing.
The Ghost Ant colony was indeed not much for Hei Yanjing, but...
Zhang Qiling looked up at the ceiling of the ant nest. With the opening of the stone fissure, the sand and soil layer above had cracked, and was now slowly falling.
If Hei Yanjing lingered too long here, he would be buried by the collapsing sand.
And then, the Ghost Ants would pose a fatal threat.
But Zhang Qiling said no more. He gave Hei Yanjing a deep look, and with a series of crackling sounds from his bones, he reduced his body to half its original size.
Just enough to pass through the fissure.
"How is it, Mute?" Hei Yanjing chuckled from the other side, the suppressed gunfire from his pistols continuous.
"Retreat?"
"No need," Zhang Qiling replied calmly.
The moment he had arrived, he had used his Faqiu Finger to probe the back of the stone wall, discovering a hidden mechanism that would further widen the crack!
This was a secret door that required someone to enter and operate it before it could be fully opened!
"Alright!" Hei Yanjing asked no further questions, abandoning his plan to retreat first.
As Zhang Qiling began to disarm the mechanism, a piercing screech of grinding stone echoed from behind!
He turned to see two thick stone walls slowly extending from the sides of the passage behind him, about to seal off the path!
With this kind of door, as long as there was a gap, he and Hei Yanjing could force it open. But if it closed completely, it would truly be a dead end!
With this thought, Zhang Qiling instantly drew his Black Gold Ancient Blade with his left hand and hurled it. The blade shot out like an arrow, precisely wedging itself between the two stone walls, emitting a grinding sound under the pressure!
The sand and soil continued to collapse faster, and Hei Yanjing was already covered in sand, his movements becoming increasingly hindered.
"About three minutes left~"
Zhang Qiling did not respond. He knew this was the time until Hei Yanjing ran out of bullets.
Hei Yanjing had not brought any long weapons, and his dagger was at a disadvantage against the Ghost Ants' extremely long limbs.
The Black Gold Ancient Blade, their only long weapon, was currently holding the door shut.
The mechanisms behind the wall were intricate and constantly shifting, one interlocking with another.
Once Zhang Qiling's Faqiu Finger began disarming it, he couldn't stop. If he did, all his efforts would be in vain!
One minute...
Two minutes...
Time ticked by. The sand and soil beneath Hei Yanjing's feet had accumulated into a thick layer, and he could barely stand upright.
The Black Gold Ancient Blade tilted under the pressure, touching a protrusion on the stone wall with a sharp *clink*.
Zhang Qiling didn't notice. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his cheek as his attention was entirely focused on the mechanism!
Almost there, almost there...
Just then, Hei Yanjing let out a sudden, loud shout.
"Mute, don't move!"
Zhang Qiling instinctively looked towards Hei Yanjing, his Faqiu Finger still working.
A bullet whizzed through the air, heading directly towards him!
Hei Yanjing had actually fired at him!
Zhang Qiling immediately tensed, almost instinctively wanting to dodge!
But before he could move, he forced himself to stop.
The trajectory of the bullet indicated it wouldn't hit him.
The bullet tore through the air, grazing his hood and meeting something behind him with a metallic clang!
Zhang Qiling then realized that the Black Gold Ancient Blade had triggered a mechanism, and a dark short sword had just been launched at him from the stone wall behind!
"Be careful~ I'm still counting on you~"
Hei Yanjing's nonchalant voice reached him. The shot he had just fired had caused a Ghost Ant to slash through his clothes, leaving him slightly disheveled.
But his voice gave no hint of this.
Calming himself, Zhang Qiling accelerated his movements.
Just two more steps, and this mechanism would be disarmed!
But at that moment, two empty *click* sounds echoed, and the hissing of the Ghost Ants became unprecedentedly frenzied!
Hei Yanjing's bullets were depleted!!
The dense swarm of ants surged forward, and in moments, Hei Yanjing's figure vanished!
Zhang Qiling didn't look up. His hands moved like lightning, blurring into afterimages!
Finally, with a resounding *boom*, the mechanism was completely disarmed!
The fissure widened again, to a width that an adult could pass through!
"Hei Yanjing!!!"
Zhang Qiling straightened up and shouted fiercely!
Instantly! The packed mass of Ghost Ants exploded outwards!
As if seeing something terrifying, they scattered in a panicked frenzy, fleeing in all directions. Only Hei Yanjing, holding a dagger in the center, remained amidst a pile of ant corpses!
By now, the sand had accumulated so much that it was impossible to stand upright. Hei Yanjing crouched down and practically flew over!
Zhang Qiling moved aside to let him pass, feeling a rush of blood-scented air as Hei Yanjing entered the fissure.
"Thanks, Mute~"
Hei Yanjing sheathed his dagger, brushed the sand off himself, and slowly raised the strip of cloth in his hand, giving it a shake.
It was the temple powder Zhang Qiling had ground.
"This stuff is quite useful."