binnovel Chapter 158, The Black Tower Complex
Chapter 158, The Black Tower Complex
And so, the group busied themselves inside Jumang Cave for almost an hour, smashing the floor, walls, and ceiling to pieces, leaving the entire cave unrecognizable. Unfortunately, after all that effort, they still found nothing.
Well, it can't be said that they found nothing; they did find two wooden treasure chests. Lin Yue was quite excited before opening them, but after opening them, she found a chest of water and a chest of coarse bread, which Xiao Bing said were food they had left for Ju Mang.
Once the oppressive force of the white frost was lifted, the exhausted little animals immediately took off running and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The remaining three members of Lin Yue's group, covered in dust and dirt, along with the rest of the Shadow Thief clan, sat around the ruins of Jumang Cave, munching on dry bread and exchanging bewildered glances. It took them quite a while before they began to discuss the matter.
Lin Yue spoke first, looking in Xiao Bing's direction with a hint of expectation in her voice, "If it's not in this cave, where do you think it's most likely? Ju Mang was the island lord before, there must have been a place like the island lord's mansion on the island, right?"
"If it weren't for the island lord's mansion, we would have gone there long ago." Everyone shook their heads.
Lin Yue thought for a moment and then asked in a different phrasing: "So, is there anything special or a landmark on this floating island?"
Upon hearing her mention this, Xiao Bing's eyes, which had been somewhat dimmed due to his lack of results, immediately lit up. He excitedly slapped his thigh, his voice rising several decibels: "Yes!"
The other members of the Shadow Thief Clan also perked up immediately, and several of them shouted almost in unison, "Black Tower Cluster!"
"The Black Towers?" Lin Yue pondered these three words, her mind racing. Then, she remembered the strange buildings she had vaguely glimpsed when Xiao Bing's dark cloud brought her back to the island. Could it be that what she saw back then was the Black Towers?
Now that they had a next goal, the group didn't linger. They stood up, dusted themselves off, and left the cave without hesitation.
The Shadow Thieves' flying vehicles all seem to be clouds, but upon closer inspection, subtle differences can be found between them. Some clouds are extremely black, like ink, as if they can absorb all the surrounding light; while others are relatively lighter in color, with a hazy gray tone, like a watercolor painting that has been washed many times.
With these tools, Lin Yue no longer needed to struggle to fly herself. She, along with Bai Shuang and Xuan Ye, still rode on the dark cloud summoned by Xiao Bing. The other members of the Shadow Thief Clan also rode in groups of a few on their respective dark clouds.
Suddenly, dark clouds filled the sky, like a herd of black horses carrying everyone at breakneck speed toward the Black Tower complex.
Soon, the towering black towers came into view.
Although it's called a group of black towers, there are actually only three. But these three black towers are all different in appearance, height and size, looking as if they were randomly placed here, making it really hard to figure out what principles were followed when they were built.
Once everyone was close, Xiao Bing cleared his throat and explained to Lin Yue, "This group of black towers is an old building that has existed on our floating island for a long time. It seems to have been there since my great-grandmother was still alive, and it feels like it has become part of this island."
Xiao Bing paused, frowned slightly, and looked somewhat solemn. He continued, "It is said that this black tower complex contains resources that can make someone rich overnight, such as rare medicinal herbs, powerful weapons and equipment, and countless precious gems. As long as you can bring one of these out, you will never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of your life."
Lin Yue and Bai Shuang's eyes lit up when they heard this, but then Xiao Bing said, "However, our family has always strictly forbidden us from going near this black tower complex. If they find out that any of our children have sneaked over here, they're sure to get a good beating when they get back!"
"Why?" Lin Yue and Bai Shuang asked almost simultaneously.
Xiao Bing smiled helplessly and continued, "Because it is said that there are many dangers in here. If you are not careful, it will not be just a matter of being injured. You may very well be completely destroyed and not even be able to leave behind a complete corpse."
At this point, a flicker of fear seemed to flash in Xiao Bing's eyes. He swallowed hard and continued, "There was a time when news spread like wildfire that treasures were hidden within the Black Tower complex. It quickly spread, and many people were blinded by the lure of overnight riches. They recklessly gathered together, wanting to venture into the Black Tower complex to find out what was inside and make a fortune. And then…"
Xiao Bing shook his head slightly, his voice lowered, tinged with regret and lingering fear: "In the end, no one came back. There were quite a few of the most powerful figures on our floating island back then, each with exceptional skills and a renowned reputation. It's said that the strongest among them was over level 10!"
"Hiss..." Lin Yue couldn't help but gasp. "Can't even pass level 10?"
She hasn't even accumulated enough experience points to level up to level 4 yet! If even level 10 experts are defeated, she'll really have to reconsider.
Xiao Bing nodded seriously: "Otherwise, why do you think no one has dared to start a business for so many years? Money may be tempting, but you have to be alive to take it!"
At this point, Xiao Bing seemed to hesitate again. He looked at Lin Yue, hesitated several times, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "How about we just forget about it? If the island lord's order is really in this Black Tower complex, I think it would be more practical for us to consider moving."
Lin Yue frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly asked, "Did you hear all these things from others?" Her gaze swept over the group of young men from the Shadow Thief Clan in front of her, her eyes revealing a hint of inquiry.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bing nodded subconsciously at first, then turned to look at his companion next to him, as if wanting to confirm again, and asked, "Right? That's what Grandpa told us back then."
“Yes!” Several young men from the Shadow Thief Clan nodded vigorously in agreement. One of them, who was a bit more lively, couldn’t wait to add, “Whenever Grandpa tells us stories, he always tells us this one.”