066 Covering Her Eyes

Buzz! A black blade of light sliced through the air.

A tremendous humming explosion resounded as the blade struck the massive stone, producing a fierce blast. Xiu Nan, pressed against the rock, felt himself jolt forward violently.

He almost got flung away by the force.

His head rang, and dust clouds erupted all around, mingling with a haze of dark mist. The ground bore terrifying, deep sword scars, plowing the earth into chaos, with explosion marks flanking the gashes.

Turning in astonishment, Xiu Nan saw the stone he’d sheltered behind had endured a direct blow without suffering the slightest damage. Only a spiral layer of black shell had peeled away, revealing an inner hardness as white as bone.

“Is this stone, or is it bone?!”

The thought flashed through his mind, but his escape reflex didn’t falter. He immediately began another meditation sprint, racing toward the mountains not far ahead.

Behind him, a colossal figure gave chase. The monster barreled forward, cleaving through trees and boulders with its light saber; each explosion shook the heavens and the earth.

No matter how Xiu Nan tried to shake it off, it was futile. The “Guardian Monster” seemed able to lock onto Xiu Nan’s aura, pursuing its target directly. All diversions were useless, mere wasted efforts.

Wind howled past his ears, and the strange trees and giant stones on either side blurred like fleeting shadows. Statues occasionally appeared along the roadside, their poses solemn and dignified.

But he had no time to observe them closely.

Bursting out of the forest of dead leaves, he found himself on a broad meadow dappled red and green, the foliage swaying gently in the wind.

Floating above the vibrant grass was a cluster of pale white dandelions, resembling a cloud.

Xiu Nan was about to rush in when the Jessica pendant on his chest suddenly issued a warning. He immediately shifted his path to circle around, but the Guardian Monster charged straight ahead.

It crashed into the meadow like a tank, triggering sudden change. The delicate-looking red and green plants revealed their true forms: thick, thorny vines twisted into root systems broader than tree trunks, slamming the monster down hard. Ugly mouths sprouted from the vines, now ferociously gnawing at its skin.

The whole meadow writhed and trembled; Xiu Nan shuddered with revulsion and ran even faster.

This black domain was riddled with danger!

A furious howl echoed behind him.

Dozens of black blades of light tore across the sky, slashing into distant lands. Explosions erupted ceaselessly, accompanied by a stench of burning.

Xiu Nan glanced back: the twisted meadow had been utterly destroyed. The Guardian Monster’s light saber surged to ten meters, its edges flashing rapidly, brimming with explosive power that reacted violently with the air.

---

It was still covered by a writhing mass of “dandelions,” seemingly a cloud formed of countless insects—bloodthirsty, savage creatures crawling within.

But now black flames flowed over its armor like water, incinerating every insect to ash.

As the Guardian Monster ran, insects screamed and fell, turning to gray dust on the ground.

Xiu Nan looked into its blood-red eyes and forced himself to quell the foolish urge to turn and fight.

Even within this black domain, this creature was a formidable monster. It was best not to throw his life away...

He kept his head down and ran, eventually entering a steep canyon. On both sides towered jagged black rocks; the wind whistled through, producing eerie cries.

Xiu Nan sped through narrow passages, surrounded by winding rock walls, all blurring behind him. He lost track of time in the crevices, only hearing the Guardian Monster’s pounding footsteps behind.

At last, Xiu Nan burst out at the canyon’s end.

The sight before him struck him deeply.

He faced a black rock wall hundreds of meters high, carved with five massive statues. From left to right: five giants. The first covered its eyes with both hands; the second covered its ears; the third pinched its nose; the fourth covered its mouth; and the last had no hands at all.

“These are... the five senses?”

Above the rock wall, the statues represented form, sound, smell, taste, and touch—the organs of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

All five statues were half-squatting, half-kneeling, each with a huge circular ring before them.

Within the ring was a recessed channel, pitch black, leading deep into the mountain.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Pressing footsteps thundered behind him, each one striking Xiu Nan’s heart with dread.

Clenching his teeth, he sprinted toward the statues.

Soon, he reached the first statue. Beneath it, at the ring’s base, was a deep passage. Its original diameter must have been immense, but now much of the space was blocked by stone.

Only a person-sized opening remained.

Without hesitation, he squeezed through. The Guardian Monster crashed into the entrance, but its bulk was blocked by the stone. It immediately raised its light saber.

---

The black blade, crescent-shaped, slashed against the stone wall.

Great showers of golden sparks exploded.

Clang! The blow had no effect.

Clang! The wall’s surface peeled away, revealing pale, jade-like bone beneath—this was a colossal bone?

Clang! The black blade shattered, dispersing into motes of light like fireflies, fading away.

Helpless, the Guardian Monster paced angrily at the entrance, letting out frustrated, low roars.

Inside the passage, Xiu Nan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Though he was trapped inside, at least the Guardian Monster couldn’t get in. Remembering his journey, Xiu Nan realized he must have entered an extremely dangerous ancient ruin.

The statues and stone tablets along the way confirmed it.

Low roars echoed outside. Xiu Nan exhaled breaths tinged with blood, then turned to look around.

It was a black corridor, lined with grooved, strange stone walls. The floor was solid, and glowing, damp moss climbed along the corners. Thanks to the moss, Xiu Nan could barely see a few meters ahead.

Scanning his surroundings, he suddenly caught sight of a shadow in his peripheral vision. The figure was humanoid, standing silently in a corner.

Xiu Nan instinctively wanted to turn and look.

At that moment, the Jessica pendant on his chest blazed with unprecedented heat, like a miniature sun!

A bolt of lightning flashed through his mind!

What was the pose of the first statue?

Covering the eyes!