"Iron Palm" Wu Zhong, "Iron Flute Scholar" Xiang Kun, and "Flying Eagle Detective" Xie Wen, along with the disciples of the Heroic Sakura Association, formed a search team, trudging arduously through the valley.

The valley seemed to be enchanted by rainwater, the ground turned into a quagmire. With every step forward, their boots sank deep into the mire, making a muffled and dragging "splosh" sound, like the earth's heavy sigh, adding a sense of oppression to their difficult situation.

The group strained their voices, desperately calling out Gong Simeng's name, "Madam Shi—Madam Shi—" The shouts echoed back and forth in the valley, like an invisible hand trying to clear the thick fog of the valley, but it was always like a stone sinking into the sea, without the slightest response, only the echo of the valley, repeating their call in solitude.

The valley's walls towered into the clouds, jagged rocks forming fierce outlines, like dormant giant beasts lurking, watching vigilantly from the shadows.

Occasionally, droplets seeped from the crevices in the rocks, making a crisp yet endless lonely "滴答" sound in this silent valley, each sound seeming to strike the tense hearts of the group.

Wu Zhong's brow furrowed into the character for "river", the anxiety in his heart like a raging fire, burning recklessly in his chest.

His eyes were like searchlights, constantly scanning the surroundings, not missing any detail, even a leaf lightly moved by the breeze, he would examine for a long time, afraid of missing a single clue that could relate to Gong Simeng's whereabouts.

Just as the group pressed on with difficulty, a sudden, piercing scream came from the back of the team, slicing through the air like a sharp dagger, piercing into everyone's hearts.

They quickly turned to see a snake as thick as an arm, like a black lightning bolt, darting swiftly from the bushes.

Its triangular eyes gleamed with a ghostly cold light, like ghost fires in the cold night, its tongue flicking continuously, hissing, the air instantly filled with a sense of danger. Just now, it had viciously bitten that brother's ankle.

Wu Zhong's face turned as dark as ink, shouting loudly: "Everyone be careful!" His voice thundered, echoing through the valley.

At the same time, he harnessed the Six Harmonies True Scripture inner power, his palms intersected, and a strong gust of wind surged around him, "whooshing" as if it could disperse the gloom in the valley.

He cautiously approached the snake, his steps light yet determined, each step falling as if on the edge of a blade. His eyes locked onto the snake's every move like a leopard eyeing its prey.

The snake, sensing intense threat, raised its head high, its body contorting into an "S" shape, poised to strike at any moment, the scales on its neck opening with a "rustling" sound, as if threatening Wu Zhong.

Wu Zhong seized the moment, swinging his palm down fiercely, "swish," like a black lightning bolt, with overwhelming momentum.

The snake was promptly chopped into two parts, its severed body struggled on the ground for a moment before going still, leaving only a puddle of fishy blood.

But at this moment, the bitten brother's face had already turned as pale as paper, devoid of blood, the wound quickly turning black, the venom rushing through him like a torrent, spreading rapidly inside his body.

Wu Zhong hurriedly took out the Antitoxic Pill from his bosom, his actions urgent yet careful, his hands trembling slightly as he fed the pill to the brother.

Then he looked at the two disciples, his expression solemn as he said: "You must be careful, quickly take him back to the camp for treatment, don't delay for a second!" The two disciples nodded heavily, lifted the wounded brother, and quickly rushed towards the camp.

After handling the snake incident, the group took a brief rest and continued moving forward.

Not far ahead, a low rumbling suddenly came from the valley, the sound like muffled thunder, yet coming from deep underground, making everyone's hearts tremble with fear. "Rumble, rumble," the sound grew louder, as if a giant hand was stirring in the depths of the valley.

Wu Zhong's heart tightened, instantly realizing it might be a landslide.

He immediately shouted at the top of his voice: "Quick, run to the hillside!" As soon as the shout ended, everyone immediately broke into a run towards the hillside, muddy water splashing underfoot, "splat, splat." The rumbling behind them grew louder, like a thousand horses galloping, gravel and mud like a raging flood, rushing down, "crash, crash" sweeping everything away.

A huge boulder came whistling down from the mountain, with the force of a thousand junctures, directly towards Wu Zhong. Wu Zhong reacted quickly, sidestepping in a flash, the boulder brushing past him, crashing heavily onto the ground with a "bang," rising a cloud of dust, choking people's breath.

Once the landslide finally stopped, the group, still shaken, looked at the road blocked by the mudslide, full of helplessness and reluctance.

But thinking of Gong Simeng and the Auspicious Beast still missing, they gritted their teeth, supporting each other, bypassed the landslide area, continuing to venture deeper into the valley, their steps firm and persistent.

Not long after, a strong wind suddenly swept through the valley, "whoo, whoo" howling, blowing everyone into a stagger. Branches creaked under the wind, seemingly ready to break at any moment.

Soon, dense clouds gathered in the sky, raindrops as large as beans pelted down "pitter-patter," hitting everyone painfully.

The rain quickly collected on the ground, forming a rapid current, the group struggled to move through the water, slipping underfoot, and a disciple almost got washed away. Wu Zhong shouted: "Everyone hold hands, stabilize your stance!" The group complied, pulling each other, trudging forward in the wind and rain.

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