Chapter Twelve: The Forbidden Depths of Mount Tai – The Ancient Hall

After hearing “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine,” Ye Yu suddenly understood the meaning behind his words.

“You can control shadows to amplify your abilities and attributes, and even create areas of shadow yourself. Although this reduces the attribute boost somewhat, it still offers a clear advantage. Even the black flames of your current ‘Witch Armor’ cause burning damage around you, which can be enhanced through shadows. Moreover, your domain-like area shadows can be converted into physical skill damage. In essence, you have mastered both physical and magical attacks. This design capitalizes on the strengths of the witch system while compensating for its obvious weaknesses—truly a clever approach.”

“I didn’t expect you to see through it at a glance. It’s hard to imagine what your mind is made of. I can tell others follow your lead; you’re clearly the leader of this team.”

Inside, “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” was shocked by Ye Yu’s words, but seeing the calm expressions of those beside Ye Yu, he could clearly infer Ye Yu’s status within the group.

“Honestly, you string-class player is incredible. You easily saw through my basic style—I must admit, I admire you!”

At this, a wave of awkwardness swept through the group. Huang Hong stepped beside Luo Feng, nudging him with his elbow, then slapped his own forehead with a wry smile. “My head hurts. I think this guy might be a bit unhinged.”

“Now that you mention it, I feel like he’s missing a screw too. But we can’t deny he’s truly formidable. If you faced him one-on-one, what would you do?”

Luo Feng nodded thoughtfully and then asked Huang Hong.

Huang Hong, along with Qu Zheng, Tan Cong, and Luo Wei, fell silent. It was clear that when faced with this ‘Witch King’—whether in one-on-one or group PvP—they weren’t confident in their chances, given the impressive skills he had displayed.

“Only a direct clash could match him. It’s just a matter of who falls first.”

After a moment's silence, Huang Hong shrugged and said bluntly.

Ye Yu, with his back to the group, couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly upon hearing Huang Hong’s words—an expression tinged with helplessness.

He wasn’t worried. The current techniques “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” had shown weren’t particularly effective against ranged attacks. Judging from his skill setup, it was nearly perfect, so he must have another set of skills designed specifically to counter ranged opponents. Earlier, “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” had mentioned adapting his combat style based on the opponent’s angle and environment.

After “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” demonstrated his prowess, naturally, Ye Yu took the initiative. Facing the cultists of the evil church before them, Ye Yu had already devised a plan. With his string-class skills combined with his customized talent tree, handling the situation was effortless—and he used even the most basic methods.

At that moment, “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” sat cross-legged beneath a large tree, leaning against its trunk.

“I’m curious. Your team’s level and coordination already surpass many others on the server. You’re so strong, yet this game seems to hold you back somewhat. What do you seek by playing ‘Divine Ruin’?”

Luo Feng answered calmly, “We don’t have specific goals in ‘Divine Ruin’ right now. We play mainly for fun, to entertain ourselves and improve our skills. Of course, if our skills reach a high level, competing isn’t out of the question.”

“Goals? ‘Divine Ruin’ is currently the hottest game, number one worldwide in online players. That’s why we chose it,” Huang Hong said, arms crossed.

“I just like the game, so I play. At first, we played just for fun, wanting to master the game. Later, we all thought competing would be a good shared goal,” Luo Wei smiled, arms folded as he leaned against the tree.

“I don’t have any special reason. I just want to play alongside everyone,” Tan Cong replied calmly, clearly stating that as long as Ye Yu and the others played, he would too.

Qu Zheng grinned. “I like playing ‘Divine Ruin’ as well. I gave up games in high school, but always kept an eye on ‘Divine Ruin’ with anticipation. So now that I can play it, especially with the old crew, I’m excited.”

“I’ve always looked forward to the day I could play ‘Divine Ruin.’ I play now because of them. Games don’t last forever, but brothers do. Whether I continue playing later, I don’t know. Also, I was influenced by my sister,” Ye Yu said casually, shrugging with a somewhat nonchalant tone. He added, “Thanks to my sister’s influence, I admit I really like this game. Improving my skills and playing better lets me experience the endless fun ‘Divine Ruin’ offers.”

“Is that why you play?” “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” pondered after hearing them.

At that moment, the previously gray, misty air around them gradually shifted to a faint red. Though pale, a subtle scent of blood lingered within.

From their current vantage, the gray mist was slowly stained red, and the floating red fog became increasingly distinct.

Ye Yu frowned slightly, his eyes filled with solemnity as he spoke cautiously, “I think there’s something wrong with this ‘Mount Tai Forbidden Zone.’ We should leave immediately and return to ‘Tai City.’ When the cultists died, red smoke continuously rose from their bodies, forming the red mist we see. This must be a trap. Let’s retreat first.”

As Ye Yu spoke, the surrounding mist deepened into a blood-red hue, quickly darkening to a shade resembling fresh blood. Without hesitation, Ye Yu’s group turned and sprinted back the way they came.

...

Divine Ruin Mythology Technical Department

“They’re already deep inside the ‘Mount Tai Forbidden Zone.’ These players have guts. I didn’t expect players on the rookie server, capped at level 40, to enter the Forbidden Zone,” Guo Yuan said with a hint of admiration and intrigue, watching Ye Yu’s group in the Xuantian server.

“Minister Guo, based on the environment and data of ‘Cool Night’ and his team, the success probability is only twenty percent. And that’s based on their past individual performance,” a technician reported on the survival rate of Ye Yu’s group in the Forbidden Zone.

“Heh, I’m eager to see if this group can carve out a legendary tale,” Guo Yuan smiled.

...

As Ye Yu’s group sprinted back, something felt increasingly wrong.

They had been running nearly forty-five minutes but still remained within the blood-stained mist of the Forbidden Zone.

“What’s going on? It feels like we haven’t moved from this area at all. And isn’t that the formation on the ground we destroyed earlier?” “Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” pointed toward the formation nearby—one used by the cultists during their ritual, damaged earlier by Huang Hong’s spear.

Upon hearing this, Ye Yu and the others nodded thoughtfully.

Ye Yu then said, “Let’s try teleporting back to the city formation.”

Everyone agreed, retrieving scrolls emitting a shimmering blue glow. Unfurling the scrolls revealed the map of Mount Tai and their position within the Forbidden Zone. They tapped the location marked ‘Tai City.’

They had unlocked this map segment, so teleporting to Tai City should be possible.

However, as each person activated their scroll, the shimmering light flickered briefly before dimming, losing its brilliance.

Clearly, they couldn’t use the scrolls to leave the Forbidden Zone.

Meanwhile, the blood-red mist thickened, obscuring their surroundings until visibility shrank to about three meters. They instinctively huddled close to avoid getting lost.

“Stay close so everyone remains within sight. If we get separated, we might never leave this place. Only together can we escape safely,” Ye Yu instructed.

The others nodded, exchanging glances to confirm they were all within each other’s view. Being pressed together meant that any sudden absence would be immediately noticed.

The blood-red mist turned into a deep, unsettling crimson, with a shimmering, almost liquid blood-like appearance that made them uneasy, even alarmed.

They felt submerged in a vast sea of blood. The dense mist altered their senses, and the pungent metallic scent of blood filled the air. No one dared move recklessly; they remained alert to every sound and movement.

A quarter of an hour passed in tense silence.

Just as their nerves tightened to a breaking point, a mighty roar echoed through the Forbidden Zone. The primal, earth-shaking bellow seemed to shake the very heavens and terrify all around.

“Whoa! Monster! Everyone, be careful!”

“Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” instantly entered combat mode. Turning to Ye Yu’s group, he saw they too had readied themselves, clustered tightly and watching the limited three-meter range, prepared to activate ‘Overtime Mode’ at any moment.

Yet the terrifying roar faded after several minutes, replaced by echoes from all directions. As the sound died away, the lingering vibrations gradually vanished.

“Look at the mist!” Qu Zheng exclaimed.

At that moment, the blood-red fog, as if dispersing in response to the roar’s end, began to retreat rapidly in all directions. The group’s visible range widened quickly, and within moments, the surroundings reappeared before their eyes.

However, they were no longer in the same place where they had confronted the cultists.

The blood-like mist had fully dissipated, revealing they were deep within the Forbidden Zone, in an uncharted territory on the map—still marked as part of the Forbidden Zone.

“Where is this?”

“Hero Trapped by a Cup of Wine” looked around. The area was desolate and barren. Ahead stretched a straight staircase, leading to an ancient temple shrouded by rolling layers of cloud sea.

...