"There should be the underground river below..." Cheng Shen couldn't get too close. The effect of the lightless candle was already very weak here, and the light could only be maintained on his body surface, forming a thin isolation barrier.

.

The strong smell of pollution surges upwards like a column of smoke from the entrance of the cave and disperses into the air, aggravating the surrounding darkness. Just by looking at this scene, you can tell that this is the source of all the polluted energy in the entire mine.

"But the real source of pollution is the corpses."

Cheng Shen reasoned in his mind.

The custom of worshiping death among the abandoned people of the temple began more than 700 years ago, when they built this place.

Or even longer ago.

If it is simply because of their ignorance and their own secret reasons that they have caused such terrible pollution here.

Actually it makes sense.

But I'm afraid that a group of unbelievers are also involved in the plan...

Cheng Shen can't imagine the purpose of the unfaithful person in doing this for the time being, but he does not rule out the possibility. But now that the trouble has fallen on his side, it is not easy to clean up the source of the pollution.

What's more.

He has no particularly effective method for cleaning up the pollution in the abyss.

"..."

After thinking briefly, Cheng Shen put the matter aside and picked up a few dropped objects at his feet. Among them, a palm-sized black fragment of a broken sword had already resonated with the two fragments in his backpack.

【Broken Exile All Long Sword 4】

…

He now has three pieces of 134, and he is still two pieces away from getting the long sword together. There are still two unexplored areas left.

Put away.

Cheng Shen glanced at the properties of several other dropped items.

There is a level 30 purple shoulder pad, but neither he nor Aljieka can use it.

What is more valuable is another material and a prop.

【Corruption Poison Sac】

【Material】

[Level: Perfect]

[Explanation: Spider venom sacs that have mutated due to pollution remain active after being separated from the body, providing them with meat to continuously produce venom and spider silk containing pollution and extremely toxic substances]

…

The poisonous sac was the size of a washbasin. Cheng Shen was holding it with both hands. It looked like a huge placenta, writhing with warmth. Its gray-black surface was covered with circles of dark green texture, and there was a mouth full of jagged teeth.

device.

"Creak!"

He noticed that Cheng Shen's arms were moving forward and his ferocious mouthparts were constantly rubbing against his teeth, making a horrifying sound.

Just looking at this thing makes people feel waves of discomfort.

But what I have to say is.

If you compare it with monsters that have been corrupted by pollution and distortion, it not only appears to be very normal.

even,

And a little cute...

Rather than saying it is a material, it is a resource point that can produce materials. As long as you provide it with food, it can continue to produce two materials, venom and spider silk, like a tireless factory.

However, this item must be cleared of contamination before it can be used. I don’t know how much of its quality and effect can be retained after it is purified.

Keep it.

Cheng Shen looked at the last mask.

【Evil Ghost Noodles】

【Props】

[Level: Perfect]

[Explanation: After wearing it, it will continue to swallow the negative emotional perceptions in the holder's soul. Each emotional perception swallowed can enhance the holder's strength. This effect will be preserved until the mask is taken off]

…

The shape of this mask is exactly the same as the totem mask shaped by the strange beliefs of the temple abandoners.

But the refining process incorporates the production methods of emotional props.

The entire mask seemed to be alive, lying in his hand, and the ferocious mouth seemed to be slowly making chewing movements.

Cheng Shen suddenly felt something deep in his soul being pulled.

"It has the same effect as the butcher mask, but the effect is stronger and the side effects are more terrible."

It is still unknown whether emotional perception can be restored after it is removed.

Cheng Shen has never tried it.

However, he thought of the two lucky people who had already been tortured by his soul-stripping technique.

It is expected that such a degree of mental damage cannot be easily recovered.

Even negative emotions are an indispensable part of being a normal person.

Cheng Shen had no intention of using this prop.

Just keep it first.

After picking up all the drops, he returned his attention to the entrance of the cave in front of him that was constantly spewing out the smell of pollution. "As long as this entrance is sealed, at least the pollution in the mine can be initially controlled."

Although blocking this hole is a temporary solution rather than a permanent solution, while facing the threat of the Old City, Cheng Shen at least does not have to worry about the pollution smell leaking out of the mine in a short period of time.

As for underground pollution sources, it will take an extremely long time to clean them up.

If he can't solve the problems in the Old City, there's no need to think about it at all.

Thinking in his mind, Cheng Shen had already started to try, and he chose the simplest and most effective method.

block.

As the spiritual energy spread out, the ground in front of him suddenly changed slightly. The rocks that had been severely eroded by the contaminated energy gradually changed in shape, and the one-meter-wide hole began to slowly close.

There are no external obstacles.

Cheng Shen basically encountered no problems during this process.

Soon, the cave entrance from which the polluted fog continued to pour out disappeared without a trace.

The ground is flat as if it has always been one piece.

"That should be enough."

Cheng Shen nodded, and after solving this problem, he returned to the other side of the underground world where the Temple of Sacrifice was located to check. The situation here was still stable, and there was no fog floating on the gently flowing underground river.

"It's the result of that resentful one..."

Cheng Shen was thoughtful.

He had already learned from the goddess the origin of the monster entrenched in the underground river.

It was a special monster raised in a deserted village.

Resentment.

It can grow by swallowing the energy of the abyss, and the temple raises it in the underground river precisely to control the abyss pollution concentration in this area so that it does not exceed the standard, causing them to be unable to survive normally here.

But the resentment cultivated in the deserted village could only swallow up the pollution of the abyss.

After arriving here, I was inevitably affected by the dark atmosphere.

In the end, the distortion turned into an existence that even they couldn't control.

However, for hundreds of years, this evil creature has lived peacefully with the people worshiping at the temple. As long as you cross the river in a psychic boat made in the deserted village, you will not be attacked by it.

Over time.

People who worship the temple are accustomed to ignoring its existence.

"The entrance to the cave where the temple's abandoned residents performed death rituals should be in the upper reaches of the underground river..."

Cheng Shen stood on the steps and looked at the far end of the dark river.

He looked at the ghost coffins floating on the river like countless ghost ships, and then gave up the idea of ​​exploring upstream.

There is no other reason.

The goddess mentioned that they were also curious to explore upstream.

But the psychic ship they boarded inexplicably brought them to a very terrifying place. This underground river seemed not to be a river in the conventional sense, but a road leading to the "netherworld".
To be continued...