Chapter 2346 – Tracking
As the cave entrance was smashed open, a vigorous oceanic aura rushed out, carrying the fresh scent of the sea breeze and the sound of tides. The Yellow King believers were greatly alarmed. They had been standing less than ten meters away just moments ago but hadn’t detected the slightest trace of magic or aura.
“How is that possible? Divine Envoy, how did you discover it?” the Troupe Leader asked in surprise, as he had always been confident in his sensory abilities.
“I didn’t discover it either; I already knew you were here,” Jayad said ambiguously, revealing only half his intentions. “Let’s go in.”
The other Yellow King believers could only enter the cave with their hearts full of doubt. Upon entering, they felt as if they had stepped into water, surrounded by salty mist that dampened their clothes.
“Be careful with protection. This place is not like the outside; there’s a possibility of being eroded by Sea Monster Cells,” Jayad warned.
The Yellow King believers’ hearts tensed. The Divine Envoy had just arrived, and without seeing anyone, he cautioned them about erosion by Sea Monster Cells. This indicated that he already knew what they would encounter here.
Their bodies then emitted a dark yellow light, followed by tattered yellow robes that draped over them. Some details differed; for instance, some wore white masks, others donned crowns, some had sashes, and some wore belts.
Although there were individual variations, these were merely the effects of personal subjective consciousness influencing the spell. The yellow robes conjured by Divine Spell offered the most effective defense while being appropriate for their status, a common practice among Yellow King believers.
Since the Divine Envoy had stated their purpose was a surprise attack, a fight was inevitable. They no longer needed to hide their identities and directly manifested their yellow robes, which exuded an aura of terror and mystery.
However, Jayad continued to walk at the front, clad in a casual, loose robe, appearing as if he were merely on a tour. This greatly surprised the other Yellow King believers, yet it also gave them a sense of returning to simplicity.
The scenery within the cave was dreamlike and enchanting. It was so bright that no artificial lighting was needed. Shells, coral, and anemones on the walls emitted a faint bioluminescence, creating a colorful spectacle that made it feel like stepping into an underwater theme park.
But the cave was not deep. Soon, they arrived at a stone chamber, only to find it deserted when the Yellow King believers broke in.
The room was filled with signs of hasty packing. Some unimportant pots and bowls were discarded on the floor, and partially destroyed documents and books could still be seen. These weren’t burned but dissolved by some corrosive solution.
“We’re late again! He’s escaped, damn it!” The Troupe Leader, enraged, slammed his palm on a nearby coral table. Even though the Divine Envoy had led them to such an accurate surprise attack location this time.
They were too slow. Those believers were too careless. Although they followed the Divine Envoy’s commands, they hadn’t taken this matter seriously. Based on the situation, the master of this place couldn’t have gone far. If they pursued at their fastest speed, they could surely catch him.
Furthermore, the other party actually knew they were coming. There must be a traitor among them. They shouldn’t have informed everyone; only three to five elite believers should have accompanied the Divine Envoy.
No, it would have been best if only the Troupe Leader and the Divine Envoy had come. Anyone else could be a traitor, the Troupe Leader thought to himself.
Just as the Yellow King believers were feeling somewhat dejected about missing their target again, Jayad suddenly spoke, “No, he hasn’t gotten far. Follow me and pursue him!”
“Huh?” The Yellow King believers looked at the stone cave in confusion. Although there were a few rooms, they couldn’t find any other exits at the moment, and they didn’t even know which way the person had fled.
However, the Divine Envoy seemed to have a fixed direction, charging directly towards a room. Then, he flicked his sleeve, and a tentacle shot out, smashing a bookshelf and the wall behind it.
Behind the wall, a passage was revealed. Originally, it would have required pulling a lever to move the bookshelf and expose the passage, but Jayad had forcefully breached it.
How did the Divine Envoy discover the escape tunnel so quickly? The other Yellow King believers were secretly astonished. Not a single one of them had noticed the secret passage, and it was hidden so well that it would have taken at least a few minutes to find.
While they were still pondering how the Divine Envoy had discovered it, Jayad had already charged into the secret passage. The General Manager shouted, “Divine Envoy, be careful! We don’t know what the situation is inside!”
These escape tunnels usually contained traps. If one entered carelessly, it was very likely to trigger them.
“Boom!” As soon as the General Manager finished speaking, an explosion occurred in the tunnel. The violent blast caused the secret passage to collapse, raining down debris. The Yellow King believers cried out anxiously, “Divine Envoy!”
“I’m fine…” Jayad’s voice came from underground. They only saw several ethereal tentacles rush out from the smoke-filled cavern, clearing the collapsed passage.
These tentacles even remained in place, propping up the nearly collapsing stone cave. It seemed the Divine Envoy was indeed in good condition. The Yellow King believers exchanged glances and, with gritted teeth, followed him into the passage.
The secret passage led downwards, as if it were heading to the center of the earth. Along the way, they indeed triggered various traps, such as water suddenly flooding in from behind them, trying to drown them; a large number of bone spurs shooting from the surrounding walls; and blades suddenly popping out from both sides.
But the Yellow King believers were not to be trifled with. They cast spells to create a wall of wind behind them, repelling the inflooding seawater. Their bodies flickered between ethereal and solid states, evading the bone spurs. The Troupe Leader even waved his hand, turning the blades into blunt props.
Of course, more traps had already been dismantled by Jayad, who was leading the way. Not by triggering them, but by disarming them in advance. All along the path, they could see traps that had been violently destroyed, as if the Divine Envoy had known their locations beforehand.
As they finally emerged from the secret passage into a wide-open area, they were met with a vast ocean. Above them was a thick layer of rock; this was an underground sea.
By the sea, Jayad intercepted an old man wearing a pale green robe. The old man had a white beard and long hair, his face filled with wisdom and kindness, and he held a wooden staff.
What was most striking was his clothing, which didn’t seem to be made of fabric. It glowed faintly, appearing almost like organic matter, adorned with mysterious patterns.
If the Divine Envoy hadn’t descended so decisively, this man would surely have jumped into the sea and escaped, the Yellow King believers thought with relief.
Meanwhile, outside the secret chamber, my Valkyrie stood in a hidden corner, her God’s Eye open, continuously monitoring the mysterious old man. I had been watching him long before Older Brother Jayad arrived, and I was relaying his location to Older Brother Jayad in real-time.
