Dark, damp, cramped depths of an underground cave.

Here, an ecosystem vastly different from the surface has evolved.

Under the influence of subterranean rivers and geological disasters, countless branching paths and caves have formed a massive, chaotic underground labyrinth.

There is no sunlight here; perpetual darkness reigns, with only faintly glowing moss and fluorescent mushrooms providing meager illumination.

Deep underground, the temperature and humidity remain constant year-round, changing only in areas with active geothermal resources due to the presence of hot springs.

Although the underground world is scarce in food and resources, it harbors miraculous lifeforms like chemosynthetic bacteria, the foundational layer of the food chain.

They rely on decomposing inorganic substances like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia in the caves, converting them into organic matter, which is then consumed by tiny crustaceans and insects, laying the most solid groundwork for the ecological cycle of the underworld.

"Crunch!"

A water strider had just crawled out of a puddle when it was crushed under a boot.

Xiao Wu adjusted the backpack on his back, his brow slightly furrowed as he carefully examined the path ahead.

He meticulously identified any potential dangers.

He had to be cautious. Although he had been here many times, his previous entries were through the shattered passages deep in the mine. This narrow crevice path he had only taken a few times.

Not only was the terrain complex here, with accidents waiting to happen at the slightest misstep.

This area was also the territory of the Phantom Bat.

The Phantom Bat was a Spiritual Creature. Not only was its flight silent and incredibly fast, but its perception was also exceptionally sharp. It possessed special attack abilities and had an extremely strong territorial instinct. Once discovered, it would come to attack, making it a very troublesome foe.

Xiao Wu had clashed with the Phantom Bat several times. He had always wanted to capture and tame it, but each time, he was forced to flee in haste, leaving behind the corpses of a few Blood Slaves.

Based on Xiao Wu's estimation, that Phantom Bat's strength had likely already reached the peak of Bronze-tier.

His reason for choosing to come here this time was to use a borrowed knife to commit murder.

Wasn't Yu Yuan very strong?

Then let him taste the power of a peak Bronze-tier creature.

Xiao Wu looked at his still-bleeding fingertip.

"Less than a hundred meters ahead is where I encountered the Phantom Bat before. You'll come looking, right?"

Boom—

Right at that moment, an explosion suddenly erupted from behind.

Xiao Wu looked back, his eyes gleaming slightly.

"He's coming fast, already in the crevice passage. Hope you like my gift."

Immediately, Xiao Wu quickly turned back and continued forward.

He understood that this single Tripwire Mine wouldn't deal a fatal blow to Yu Yuan, but injury was certain.

Because this was a specially customized fragmentation grenade he had commissioned, with shrapnel lethality 1.5 times that of an Ordinary grenade.

It was effective even against Bronze-tier creatures.

The explosion damage was secondary; provoking the other party was Xiao Wu's plan.

He wanted to wear down Yu Yuan's patience and agitate his emotions.

Xiao Wu was certain his older sister would definitely send people to invade the world where the Yu Yuan Shelter was located. For Yu Yuan to return quickly, he had to come pursue him.

But the pursuit path was threatened by tripwire mines. To advance or to wait, each choice was torment.

Every second of delay meant facing the potential fate of his shelter being destroyed.

As long as he grew anxious and his mindset shifted, openings would appear.

Then he would have the chance to wear him down to death.

Along the way, Xiao Wu had set a total of three tripwire mines. One had just detonated, leaving two remaining.

And that explosion just now would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Phantom Bat.

He had to take advantage of the distraction caused by the explosion to hide himself.

"How exciting!"

He just didn't notice that not far from him, two rats about ten centimeters in size were hidden in crevices between rocks, moss, and mushrooms, occasionally casting watchful glances his way.

Very cautious, very careful, their glances were fleeting.

So immersed in his fantasy of imminent revenge, Xiao Wu simply didn't notice them. Even if he had, he would have just thought they were two little creatures foraging.

Because this scene was just too normal.

And just as Xiao Wu thought, as the explosion echoed through the deep underground space, in a completely dark, vast, and deep cave, a bat's ears twitched slightly. Its previously still head slowly turned, searching for more information.

Then, an extremely faint "ying" sound came from within the cave.

"Flutter flutter"

Amidst the sound of flapping wings, dozens of bats the size of fists flew out of the cave, heading towards the direction of the explosion.

Yu Yuan advanced swiftly within the shadow dimension.

"You're saying he advanced another few dozen meters and then hid?"

"Yes, Master. He was smiling very sinisterly." Zhi Zhi said with an air of seriousness.

Yu Yuan chuckled softly.

After traveling a distance, Yu Yuan had to admit that the route Moss Cottage had chosen was indeed complex.

Along the way, there were not only several branching paths but also a relatively complicated environment.

Underground rivers, puddles, massive boulders, stalagmite forests, and intersecting rock wall terrain. If he weren't in the shadow dimension, allowing him to move recklessly through such an environment, his movement speed would definitely be severely reduced. Coupled with the earlier tripwire mines, his speed would likely be further hampered.

Truly a good tactic.

After advancing a certain distance, he also saw the second tripwire mine.

Zhi Zhi detonated it as before.

Another explosion sounded.

"Trying to wear down my patience... tsk tsk..."

He was just about to continue forward when he saw dozens of fist-sized bats appear deep in the passage. These bats had dark red fur and sharp canine teeth.

Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if these bats were native underground creatures or under Moss Cottage's control.

After all, the association between bats and Vampires ran too deep.

These bats circled and searched around the location of the tripwire mine explosion for a full two minutes before flying back in the direction they came from.

Yu Yuan immediately followed.

He soon arrived at the location where Zhi Zhi had discovered Moss Cottage. Here, the third tripwire mine was also found.

However, Yu Yuan didn't trigger it immediately. Instead, he continued following that group of bats forward.

"Master, that person is about two hundred meters ahead," Zhi Zhi reminded.

These bats entered a branching path about fifty meters from Moss Cottage's hiding spot. Yu Yuan continued tracking into it. After delving another hundred meters, he arrived at a vast, open cave.

There, he also saw the giant bat hanging upside down from the cave ceiling at the center.

This bat's entire body was covered in blood-red fur. Its two ears were as large as elephant ears, and the fangs in its mouth were like daggers.

At this moment, the blood-red bat's ears twitched left and right in sync with the returning bat swarm, as if receiving information.

Yu Yuan's gaze fell on the dense, white bones littering the cave floor below.

These bones included humanoid shapes and beasts. Yu Yuan had also seen some humanoid skeletal remains on his way here.

Yu Yuan understood that this bat was likely the dominant creature of this region.

And Moss Cottage's purpose in hiding here became abundantly clear.

Having figured this out, Yu Yuan let out a scornful laugh.

"You little bastard, playing this trick on me! Tsk tsk~~"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com