Chapter 703: Keep moving forward

Bai Ye led the soldiers, his steps were heavy and firm, and every step seemed to be on invisible pressure, passing through the twisted road paved by the strange insect corpses. The air was filled with an indescribable stench and corruption, mixed with some unknown metallic taste, which made people's stomachs churn involuntarily. But none of the soldiers retreated, and their eyes were only filled with the exploration of the unknown and absolute obedience to orders.

As the last insect corpse was left far behind, a seemingly ancient and heavy stone door slowly appeared in front of everyone. The door was carved with complex totems, and each symbol seemed to contain ancient power and secrets, which made people feel awe involuntarily. Bai Ye raised his hand and gently touched the cold stone surface. A weak electric current seemed to flow along his fingertips, but his expression did not change. He just waved it gently, and the stone door made a dull sound and slowly opened to both sides, revealing a passage leading to the depths of darkness.

The soldiers followed Bai Ye closely, the beams of flashlights swaying in the dimness, barely illuminating the distance of a few meters ahead. The chill in the air seemed to be even worse than outside, and even breathing became a little difficult. They stepped into this unknown secret room carefully, and every step was extremely cautious, for fear of disturbing the ancient souls sleeping here.

The walls of the secret room were covered with various paintings, each of which revealed weirdness and ominousness. These paintings were not made by human hands, with twisted lines and mottled colors, as if they were painted with the blood of some unknown creatures. In some pictures, huge eyes stared at the void, with endless desire and despair in their eyes; in others, there were twisted human forms, which were incompatible with any creature on earth. They were either floating in the air or crawling on the ground, with different postures, but all of them revealed pain and struggle.

Bai Ye walked slowly in front, his eyes wandering among these paintings, trying to interpret some clues from them. But the more he stared, the more he felt an indescribable sense of oppression enveloping his heart, as if these paintings were not just paintings, but some kind of curse, quietly eroding the soul of everyone who stepped into this place.

"Everyone be careful," Bai Ye's low voice echoed in the secret room, "Everything here is weird, stay alert."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers tightened their weapons and looked around vigilantly. But there was no other sound in the secret room except their heavy breathing and the occasional rustling of the flashlight across the wall. This dead silence made people even more uneasy.

Suddenly, a subtle sound broke the silence. The soldiers immediately became alert, and the beams of their flashlights swept around, trying to find the source of the sound. However, the sound seemed to come from all directions at the same time, and it seemed to be just an illusion of their excessive tension. At this moment, the eyes on a painting suddenly lit up with a faint green light, and then the eyes on other paintings also lit up one by one, and the whole secret room seemed to be shrouded in a layer of strange green light.

"Not good, these paintings..." Before Bai Ye finished speaking, the images on the paintings began to distort, as if something was breaking out of the paintings. The soldiers retreated in fear, but the retreat was blocked by the rapidly approaching darkness.

For a time, the secret room was filled with screams and chaos. The creatures that emerged from the paintings were of various shapes, some were like huge tentacles, waving in the air; others were translucent ghosts, silently shuttling through the crowd. They had no entity, but they could touch people, bringing a piercing chill and endless fear.

Bai Ye knew that only calmness could find a way out at this time. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner panic, and loudly ordered the soldiers: "Keep the formation, don't disperse! Use your weapons, but remember, these may not be ordinary enemies!"

The soldiers barely stabilized their minds and began to organize to resist these attacks from unknown areas according to Bai Ye's instructions. But their weapons did not seem to have much effect on these creatures. Every attack seemed to hit the air, which could only arouse waves of nothingness.

The battle gradually reached a stalemate, and the air in the secret room became heavier and heavier, as if even breathing became difficult. The soldiers' physical strength and will were being worn away bit by bit, while the creatures pouring out of the paintings seemed endless, their numbers were increasing, and their attacks were becoming more and more fierce.

Bai Ye knew that if this continued, all of them would be buried here. He had to find the key to cracking all this. His eyes swept over the paintings again, and suddenly, he noticed a different painting - it was a blank canvas, which was out of tune with the other paintings full of horror elements.

A thought flashed through his mind: Perhaps the source of all this was hidden behind this blank canvas. He rushed to the painting without hesitation and used all his strength to tear it off the wall. As the canvas fell off, a dazzling light shot out from behind the wall, instantly illuminating the entire secret room. Under the illumination of the light, the creatures that were originally rampant screamed miserably, and then turned into dots of light and dissipated into nothingness.

The terrifying scene in the secret room finally disappeared, and the soldiers collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their faces full of relief for surviving the disaster. Bai Ye stood in front of the blank canvas, staring at a secret passage behind the wall. He knew that this was just another difficult hurdle in their journey, but no matter how many unknowns and dangers were waiting for them ahead, they had to keep moving forward, because their mission was far from over.

As the light faded, the air in the secret room seemed to become much fresher. The soldiers slowly stood up and supported each other. Their eyes showed both fear of what they had just experienced and determination to explore the unknown. Bai Ye did not say much, but just waved his hand gently, signaling everyone to continue moving forward. They passed through the secret passage and soon came to the entrance of the next secret room.

This secret room was completely different from the previous ones. There were no heart-pounding paintings, no strange sounds and breath. It was spacious and bright, and the walls around were made of smooth marble, reflecting the faint light, making the whole space look mysterious and peaceful. The footsteps of the soldiers echoed in the empty secret room, which was particularly clear.

Bai Ye walked in front, his eyes swept through every corner of the secret room, trying to find any possible clues or dangers. But to everyone's surprise, this secret room seemed to be empty, except for a small display cabinet placed in the center.

This small display cabinet was made of exquisite metal, with a faint luster on the surface, and it seemed to remain in perfect condition over the years. The glass door of the display case was closed, and inside lay a seemingly ordinary lighter model. The lighter model was not big, silver-white, and carved with fine patterns. Although it was only a static display, it seemed that one could still feel its former warmth and power.

The soldiers gathered around and looked at this sudden "treasure" curiously. Some of them couldn't help but whisper, guessing the origin and purpose of this lighter model. But Bai Ye remained silent, his eyes were deep, as if he had seen through the secret behind this lighter.

"Don't let your guard down," Bai Ye finally spoke in a low and powerful voice, "Everything here may hide unpredictable dangers. This lighter model may be the key to our next mission."

The soldiers heard this and immediately restrained their curiosity and ease on their faces, and resumed their vigilant posture. They knew that Bai Ye's words were never groundless, and every reminder could be the key to life and death.

Bai Ye slowly walked to the display case, stretched out his hand, and gently touched the glass door. With a slight mechanical sound, the glass door slowly opened, revealing the silver-white lighter model inside. Bai Ye did not hesitate, and took it out of the display case and looked at it carefully.

Although this lighter model looks ordinary, it is extremely heavy in the hand, as if some unknown metal is hidden inside. Bai Ye gently pressed the button on the lighter, but no flame was ejected, only a faint sound of electricity echoed in the air. He frowned slightly, as if he was not satisfied with the result.

"It seems that this lighter is not used for ignition." Bai Ye said to himself, his eyes scanning back and forth on the lighter model, trying to find more clues. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a tiny groove at the bottom of the lighter. The shape of this groove was strange, and it was very similar to a symbol they had seen elsewhere before.

"Could it be..." Bai Ye's heart moved, and he immediately took out a map from his pocket, which was the only guide they brought on this trip. He carefully compared the symbols on the map with the grooves at the bottom of the lighter and found that they matched perfectly.

"Found it!" Bai Ye exclaimed, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face. He quickly pointed the lighter model at a specific location on the map and turned it gently. Suddenly, a faint light appeared in a certain area on the map, and then a hidden mechanism slowly appeared.

"It seems that this lighter model is a key." Bai Ye explained, with a hint of excitement in his voice, "It unlocks the route we are going to go next."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers gathered around and looked at the newly revealed route on the map, with expectation and curiosity in their eyes. They knew that the discovery of this lighter model meant that they were one step closer to uncovering the secrets of this mysterious underground world.

Bai Ye did not waste time. He quickly put away the lighter model and then led the soldiers to continue along the newly revealed route. They passed through one secret room after another, facing one challenge and test after another, but their hearts were filled with unprecedented firmness and faith. Because they knew that as long as they were united, nothing could stop them from moving forward. And the seemingly ordinary lighter model will also play an increasingly important role in their journey, leading them step by step to the truth hidden in the depths of darkness.

Bai Ye stood in front of the door unlocked by the lighter model, his eyes deep, as if he could penetrate the thick stone wall and see the secrets hidden behind the door. He waved his hand gently, signaling the soldiers to prepare to enter. As the mechanism slowly opened, a cold and damp breath came to the face, mixed with the smell of soil and water vapor, foreshadowing that the journey ahead would be an unusual one.

Behind the door, there is a winding underground river, the river water is dark and deep, as if it can swallow all the light. The water is turbulent, and from time to time it makes a low roar, echoing in the empty cave, adding a bit of horror and uneasiness. Bai Ye did not hesitate. He knew the purpose and importance of this trip. Even in the face of unknown dangers, he must move forward courageously.

The soldiers responded quickly to Bai Ye's instructions. They took out the inflatable boats and necessary equipment from their backpacks. These inflatable boats looked particularly pale and weak in the dim light, but the soldiers knew that they would be their only reliance. They quickly assembled the boats and checked every detail to ensure that everything was safe.

As the last inflatable boat was ready, the soldiers boarded the boats one after another. They sat on the boats, keeping a certain distance from each other to maintain the balance of the boats. Bai Ye stood on the front boat, holding the tiller tightly, with a sharp gaze, ready to lead everyone through this unknown underground river.

"Are you ready?" Bai Ye's voice was low and powerful, penetrating the surrounding noise and reaching the ears of every soldier.

The soldiers nodded one after another, indicating that they were ready. They knew that this river not only tested their courage and perseverance, but also tested their tacit understanding and cooperation.

Bai Ye said no more. He pushed the tiller hard, and the inflatable boat rushed into the turbulent water like an arrow from a string. The force of the current instantly rolled up the boat, and the soldiers held on to the side of the boat tightly, fearing that they would be thrown into the river if they were not careful. Their faces were full of fear and anxiety, but more of curiosity and desire to explore the unknown world.

As the boat went deeper, the scene of the underground river gradually appeared in front of everyone. The cave walls were covered with moss and vines, and occasionally some strange creatures could be seen swimming in the water. Most of these creatures were large in size and in various shapes. Some had sharp fangs, and some had transparent bodies, as if they could hide in the water. They were full of hostility towards intruders, and from time to time they roared in an attempt to scare the soldiers away.

However, the soldiers were not intimidated. They held their weapons tightly, vigilantly observed the situation around them, and were ready to deal with possible dangers at any time. Bai Ye, with his extraordinary wisdom and courage, led the boat to flexibly shuttle between the water and the reefs, avoiding crises again and again.

But the good times did not last long. As the river went deeper, they encountered greater challenges. A huge waterfall lay in front of them, with water pouring down from a height, forming a white curtain of water. The roar of the waterfall was deafening, as if it was going to swallow up all living things. The soldiers looked at the surging water and couldn't help feeling desperate.

"What should we do? We can't get through!" a soldier shouted in horror.

Bai Ye didn't answer, his eyes were fixed on the top of the waterfall. There, he vaguely saw a faint light. Although the light was weak, it gave him endless hope and courage. He took a deep breath, stabilized his mind, and then said loudly to the soldiers: "Don't panic! I see hope! We will definitely find a way to get through the waterfall!"