PFC Chapter 322 We Are Out
Chapter 322 We Are Out
Seeing everyone's blank expressions, Li Xiangyang continued, "When Er Gou and I came in, we encountered a mirage-like scene on a stormy night, witnessing an ancient sacrificial ceremony. Now that I think about it, your two teammates also saw 'ghosts' on a stormy night and successfully escaped. This is no coincidence."
Shen Chengye's expression shifted between light and dark: "You mean, we can only leave this place if we see those...things on a stormy night?"
Li Xiangyang nodded: "That's very likely. Perhaps the lightning interfered with the magnetic field, recording various scenes of life for people who had returned to ancient times. To get out, they could only find a place without the phantom image."
Although the explanation sounds utterly absurd, no one objected in the current bizarre situation.
"So what do we do now?" one of the team members asked, his voice filled with unease.
Li Xiangyang looked around and made a decision: "Let's set up camp here and wait for the thunderstorm. Meanwhile, Er Gou and I will continue to explore the area to see if we can find any other clues."
So they chose a sheltered mountain hollow and set up a simple tent.
Wang Ergou and Li Xiangyang found a secluded corner and talked quietly.
"Xiangyang, do you really think we can get out by waiting for the thunderstorm?" Wang Ergou frowned, clearly not very confident about this method.
Li Xiangyang sighed, "To be honest, I'm not sure either. But right now, this is the only method that we can follow."
"What if we don't get a thunderstorm?" Wang Ergou asked worriedly.
Li Xiangyang was silent for a moment: "If we can't wait a week, we'll have no choice but to break through in the opposite direction of Black Mountain."
Wang Ergou nodded, although he knew in his heart that if Li Xiangyang's guess was correct, then there was almost no chance of successfully breaking through by force.
Time ticked by, and everyone's tension grew.
On the first day, everyone managed to stay optimistic and tell jokes to ease the tension.
The next day, food began to dwindle, and some people started to complain and doubt Li Xiangyang's judgment.
On the third day, an argument broke out. Shen Chengye and two teammates insisted on leaving immediately, unwilling to wait any longer for the thunderstorm that might never come.
"We're starving!" Shen Chengye said angrily. "What's the use of finding a way out if things continue like this?"
Li Xiangyang remained calm: "Give me two more days. If there are still no thunderstorms, we'll proceed as you suggested."
Just as the argument reached an impasse, a muffled clap of thunder came from afar.
Everyone was stunned, and then they all looked up at the sky.
Thick clouds had somehow enveloped the entire mountain forest, and the distant sky appeared an eerie gray-green.
"It's going to rain!" Wang Ergou exclaimed excitedly, his voice trembling. "It's really going to rain!"
Everyone began frantically packing their things and reinforcing the tents in preparation for the impending downpour.
Soon, large raindrops began to pelt down, turning into a torrential downpour in the blink of an eye.
Thunder roared and lightning flashed through the clouds, illuminating the entire mountain forest.
Li Xiangyang stood at the tent entrance, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, waiting for the phantoms to appear.
However, nothing appeared except for the swaying shadows of the trees and the rain curtain illuminated by lightning.
An hour passed, then two hours, and the downpour gradually subsided, the thunder fading into the distance.
Li Xiangyang's heart sank. Was his guess wrong?
Just when he was about to give up hope, Wang Ergou suddenly tugged at his sleeve: "Xiangyang, look over there!"
Li Xiangyang looked in the direction Wang Ergou was pointing and saw some blurry figures moving in the distant woods.
The figures, dressed in ancient attire and carrying torches, were slowly moving in one direction.
"They're finally here! Trust me, everyone, let's go after them," Li Xiangyang said firmly. "As long as we catch up, we'll definitely get out."
After saying that, he picked up his backpack without further ado and strode towards the direction in which the phantoms were moving.
Wang Ergou followed closely behind, and although the others were skeptical, they had no choice but to follow.
The rain soaked their clothes, and the chill seeped into their bones, but no one complained.
As Li Xiangyang got closer to the phantoms, he discovered that these ancient people seemed to be performing some kind of ritual.
They stood in a line, holding torches, chanting incomprehensible incantations.
What's even stranger is that these phantoms seem to be able to see them, because whenever Li Xiangyang and his group get too close, the phantoms stop, which makes people feel uneasy.
After traveling for about half an hour, the phantoms suddenly stopped in front of a steep cliff.
There was a hole in the cliff face, dark and gaping, like a giant mouth that devours everything.
The phantoms lined up and entered the cave one by one. When the last phantom entered, it suddenly turned around and waved to them as if it had seen everyone.
"It seems this is the only way out; they want us to follow them inside."
Li Xiangyang's voice trembled slightly, whether from the cold or nervousness, he didn't know.
Shen Chengye shook his head in horror: "No, it's too dangerous! Who knows what's inside?"
Li Xiangyang did not argue, but walked straight to the cave entrance.
“I’ll go in and check,” he said calmly. “You can wait outside. If I’m not back in an hour, you can either continue waiting for the thunderstorm, or try heading in the opposite direction from Black Mountain.”
Wang Ergou stepped forward without hesitation: "I'll go with you."
Seeing that the two of them were heading into the cave, everyone's eyes turned to Shen Chengye.
"Wait. If there's no danger, they'll naturally return. If there is, perhaps other shadowy figures will appear next rainy night. Besides, even if they leave, there's still the Gold Mountain, isn't there? It's better if they don't come back; we can go back and continue alchemy."
"But..."
"No buts, it'll be about an hour..."
……
The cave was pitch black, with only the beam of a flashlight illuminating the narrow passage ahead.
An ancient atmosphere permeated the air, as if it had traveled through thousands of years.
Li Xiangyang and his companion proceeded cautiously. The cave passage was sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, sometimes ascending, and sometimes descending.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead.
The light grew brighter and brighter until they finally reached the end of the cave.
Before them lay a wide-open valley, bathed in sunshine, filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers—a stark contrast to the eerie mountain forests they had previously experienced.
"We... got out?" Wang Ergou asked incredulously, his voice filled with hope.
Li Xiangyang looked around and confirmed the direction: "Yes, we're out. This should be the other side of Black Mountain."
"Great!" Wang Ergou was overjoyed, almost jumping for joy. "We have to hurry back and tell the others!"