Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After a short while, the group had entered the depths of the forest. Yan Jiao turned around and could no longer see the path they took earlier.

The old professor was still talking at the front of the line, but Yan Jiao was a little far from him, so she could not hear him clearly. Yan Jiao was not listening to him. She was drowning in her own thoughts.

Su Qing could tell that Yan Jiao was acting out of the ordinary. After all, Yan Jiao would always drag her to the front of the group when they went on an archaeological expedition. However, this time, she was only following at the back of the group and did not seem to want to explain, so Su Qing tactfully refrained from asking.

As this forest was far away from human habitation, there were almost no traces of living people in the depths of the forest.

Before Yan Jiao entered the forest, she had heard from the old professor’s assistant that the nearby villagers lived close to the forest, and they were unwilling to enter the forest to hunt. Instead, they went to the other side of the mountain to hunt.

After people who understood the local language asked them, the answer they got was that they were afraid of angering the Snake King Meng Hui. Some of them did not even dare to say the Snake King Meng Hui’s name out loud and looked terrified.

The reaction of these villagers solidified the existence of Snake King Meng Hui, which made the archeologists more excited.

The deeper they went into the forest, the more difficult their path became. It could not even be called a path anymore, because it was covered with plants that were as tall as people.

The men in the team spontaneously took turns to cut down the plants blocking the road.

With the help of a compass, the group of nine people reached the center of the forest at dusk.

They had originally thought that the plants in the middle of the forest would be extremely dense, but what they saw made the hair on the back of their necks stand up. In the middle of the forest, there was actually a clearing!

With the forest as the center, there were no signs of plants growing within a 10-kilometer radius. This scene was so outlandish that even the experienced captain Luo Jie had never seen it before.

More eerily, the center of the forest had been terrifyingly quiet ever since they had entered.

Other than the sounds they made and the rustling of the leaves in the wind, there was no other sound.

They could clearly see and hear some birds chirping on the way here, but they had pretty much vanished.

This situation made everyone indecisive, but they were all experienced archeologists and were very brave. Team leader Luo Jie laughed and said, “Isn’t it quite convenient for us to set up tents here? Don’t overthink it. It’s getting dark. Hurry up and set up the bonfire and tents.”

After all these things were done, everyone sat on the ground after walking for a whole day, enjoying this moment of peace.

“Okay, everyone, have a good rest tonight. I just had a discussion with the professor. The ruins should be near us, not too far from our camp. We will explore it tomorrow.”

“Also, the assistant that the professor left at the research institute just sent us new information about the remains of Snake King Meng Hui. It’s said that there’s an altar in the middle of this forest that serves as the entrance to the snake realm. About a thousand years ago, a group of villagers lived here, and they worshipped the Snake King Meng Hui. ”

“They believe that the Snake King Meng Hui is an omnipotent God who can ensure their safety. They lived on the outskirts of the forest, but every September, they would enter the center of the forest and assemble at the altar. They would use the prepared sacrifices to worship the Snake King and send the winter offerings to the Him. These offerings not only included food, but also some utensils and ornaments made by the villagers. Therefore, if we can find the Snake King’s altar, traces of those ceremonies would prove the existence of the Snake King Meng Hui, and that period of history would also be confirmed. This will add a new and magnificent stroke to the history of mankind.”

Everyone took out the prepared dry food from their backpacks and sat on the ground near the bonfire, listening to Luo Jie as they ate. Laughter and chit-chat filled the space.

Suddenly, someone took out a big bag of rice from their backpack. The people in the team were even more excited when they saw the bag of rice. Some of them stood up in anticipation.

The men went to the river a little further away to get water, while the ladies gathered some firewood nearby.

Yan Jiao was no exception. After gathering enough firewood, she sat not far away from the crowd and joked with everyone.

After entering the center of the forest, Yan Jiao’s heart had been filled with an inexplicable fear. At the same time, there was also a voice of eager excitement inside her which urged her to quickly enter the remains of Snake King Meng Hui.

These two conflicting emotions intertwined, and Yan Jiao was at a loss.

Moreover, the image of the black python in her dream would always flash across her mind.