### Chapter 9: The Change at Flowerless Palace (11) (Extra Update)
A gust of damp wind slammed into Fatty’s face, making him shudder and take two steps back.
What lay before him was a rather vast pit, roughly the size of four basketball courts, filled with all sorts of natural stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Flickering flames danced among them, creating a bizarrely surreal atmosphere.
But what truly astonished him wasn’t just the weird formations; it was the rows upon rows of motionless bodies sprawled across the ground, both young and old, male and female. From one end to the other, they nearly covered the entire pit.
This gruesome sight made him almost wince away from looking too closely.
If it weren’t for his clear memory of falling through the coffin’s bottom, he would have suspected he had unintentionally been teleported to some fantastical hell.
Could it be that beneath the Flowerless Palace lies the entrance to hell?
This was a game world, where anything is possible after all.
If he could somehow stream this terrifying scene, he’d probably get a staggering number of viewers.
At that moment, Fatty, with his back pressed against the damp wall, found his legs weaker than ever after spotting this shocking sight.
Despite repeatedly telling himself that all of this was just an illusion, programmer-generated data, the horrifying realism was enough to make him tremble uncontrollably, as if he was sinking into despair.
He thought briefly about turning back, but once he saw the path he came from completely engulfed in darkness, the courage to return evaporated.
Fatty pumped himself up, convincing himself, “It’s just a bunch of immobile corpses! Just pretend they don’t exist and slip right between them!”
The wavering flames cast a glow on what seemed to be an exit directly opposite him. No matter what awaited beyond, it seemed like that was the only viable option he had left.
Like a level in a side-scrolling game, he had to conquer his fear and overcome the obstacles; no one could complete this for him.
Determined to save White Peach, he first had to crack this level to qualify for the finish line.
Fatty had mentally prepared himself.
But when he stood before the rows of bodies, he realized that knowing was easy, but doing was hard. Especially when the flickering firelight illuminated their faces; their shadows danced around, making it feel like they were collectively eyeing him with sinister squints.
Counting hastily, he figured there were at least four to five hundred bodies in the pit.
And here he was, the only one standing, being silently scrutinized by a sea of eyes. The prickling sensation on his back was enough to make him feel like he’d burst from anxiety, a powerful urge to just give up surged within him.
Just as his fear peaked, he suddenly felt something brush against his ankle.
Fatty trembled and looked down to find a hand tightly gripping his pant leg. Before he could scream, a ghostly face, as pale as if waterlogged, jolted into his view.
At that moment, the tense string of his mind finally snapped.
He screamed and dashed towards what looked like the only possible escape.
The gaps between the bodies were already small, and with the shock still fresh, he ran in a panic, practically tripping over the fallen bodies.
Muffled groans and gasps echoed in his ears as those he touched began to sluggishly rise, like zombies shambling behind him.
Fatty was on the verge of tears.
He had never sprinted so fast in his life, pouring every ounce of strength into it.
He glanced back to see a wobbling horde of dozens trailing behind him. Fatty dared not stop, even as he dashed into the dimly lit, narrow passage, he kept running like it was the 100-meter dash.
Fearful of being caught by those creepy guys from behind and potentially facing a scenario straight out of a zombie flick where he’d be bitten and join their ranks.
The tunnel beneath him was a puzzle he had no clue how to solve, twisting and turning with several branches along the way.
Fatty was completely lost, unsure of what to choose, unable to predict the consequences of making a wrong turn.
But as far as he was concerned, if he could momentarily shake off those spine-chilling creatures behind him, he was winning.
Fortunately, just as he felt completely drained, barely shuffling along while bracing against the wall, the only sound echoing behind him was his own footsteps – the unsettling stillness had returned.
Phew! Finally, a moment of safety.
At that instant, he felt a refreshingly cool breeze coming toward him, along with the faint sounds of seabirds calling in the distance.
Fatty felt his eyes well up with tears of joy.
Since dropping down the tunnel, every struggle he faced was implausible enough that no one would believe it if he told them.
To think that beneath one of the Seven Great Immortal Gates, the Flowerless Palace, there were so many zombie-like humans held captive.
It was just too bizarre.
Desperate for answers, his mind raced back to the organization, Ji Shen.
The Great Palace Master was indeed part of Ji Shen’s faction. Though he didn’t know why she would hand the sect leadership over to White Peach before her d*ath, it was clear that Ren Dan, as a line from the Great Palace Master, wasn’t too happy about it, hence the earlier scheme against White Peach.
For now, he just had to escape and regroup with Master Sister and Lin Nan before plotting further.
But just then, he heard a chaotic rush of footsteps behind him.
Fatty’s heart sank; this was not good.
If he got caught now, it would all be for nothing.
He pushed his weary body forward with all his might.
But the footsteps were closing in.
He even caught a woman’s voice shouting, “There he is! Grab him!”
cr*p, it’s the Flowerless Palace folks.
No doubt about it; it had to be Ren Dan’s minions. This meant White Peach was in trouble.
He couldn’t afford to be caught. Who would save the Master Sister? Who would rescue White Peach? Who would expose their dirty dealings lurking in the shadows?
“Ahhh!”
Fatty yelled as he charged forward.
He spotted a bright circular outline ahead – the morning sun slanted in, casting a halo over the ground’s gravel.
So close, so close!
“Boom boom…”
Suddenly, the sound of bowstrings releasing echoed behind him.
“Swish swish…”
Just mere meters away from the exit, Fatty felt a sudden, sharp pain in his back as arrows struck him, sending him off-balance and tumbling out of the pit.
“Ah…”
cr*p!
The exit was hanging precariously on a cliff, right above a tumultuous sea below.
In utter despair, Fatty plummeted, splashing into the ocean with a loud “splash,” creating a massive wave!
