TRCP 219 PART 2

The Puppet Jade they were pursuing might be the only one left outside of the South China Sea. They were not only close to the truth but also close to victory. Once they obtained this Puppet Jade, they could leave Qinghai and return victorious and stronger. Only then would they have the confidence to face the marine creatures. Everything, so far, had been fraught with danger but ultimately safe. Everyone he cherished was still alive by his side. They had shed blood and sweat, but they had also successfully collected each Puppet Jade. They worked tirelessly towards the goal that all of humanity longed for. Now, in this Place of Origin, holding countless secrets, on the verge of touching the core secrets, Cong Xia couldn’t help but feel fear.

An indescribable sense of foreboding filled him with dread about the Place of Origin and the apocalypse. Perhaps it was because they were getting too close, too close to secrets that others couldn’t touch, that Cong Xia felt uneasy. He didn’t know what outcome awaited him, nor did he know what fate he, the chosen one of the ancient jade, would be forced to bear. Sometimes, death was the easiest choice. The hardest part was gritting one’s teeth and continuing forward despite the fear.

A warm hand rested on his shoulder, and Cong Xia naturally leaned into Cheng Tianbi’s embrace. They didn’t need words; their understanding was complete.

Cong Xia silently prayed, whether in life or death, let them be together.

No one slept that night. After a few hours of rest, they packed up and set off.

After two consecutive sleepless nights, some were feeling fatigued, the endless darkness constantly gnawing at their nerves. Their pace slowed considerably.

After walking for a few hours, the sound of flapping wings suddenly echoed through the quiet cave. Although there were many flying creatures in their group, the sound of bird wings was distinct from the sound of insect wings, easily distinguishable. They immediately recalled the mosquito wings of yesterday’s monster, and everyone became alert.

But they waited, and no attack came. The flapping sound was faint, a collective buzzing, seemingly high above them. Even with their searchlights, they couldn’t find any trace.

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Ssdt Nyd pyke, “Uzspl uswa lulp. R’zz vyjl y zssj.”

Ohlausdl nzsple vblka lulp. Ssdt Nyd nypv y caktbv zktbv sdvs vbl nyhl nlkzkdt, kzzwxkdyvkdt vbl ldvkal nyhl yp caktbv yp eyu. Ohld okvb vblka lulp nzsple, vbl kdvldpl zktbv rldlvayvle vblka lulzkep, xyjkdt vblx wdnsxqsavyczl. Xrldkdt vblka lulp yv vbyv xsxldv oswze byhl czkdele vblx.

Ssdt Nyd pyke, “Mblal’p y poyax sq qzklp ycshl wp.”

“Wzklp? Fldv cu psxl xwvyvle prlnklp, R pwrrspl.” Hbwydt Zys pweeldzu pbswvle vsoyaep vbl nlkzkdt, “Tlu, nyd usw wdelapvyde xl?”

Mbl poyax sq qzklp cwggle rypv, dlkvbla zydekdt dsa yvvynjkdt, pkxrzu nkanzkdt ycshl vblx clqsal qzukdt yoyu yqvla y obkzl.

Ya. Fwd pyke, “Rv pllxp ol’al yrrasynbkdt vbl wdelataswde nkvu.”

Nk Pys’yk pyke, “Mbl bwxkekvu kp kdelle kdnalypkdt. Mblal’p y zyatl cseu sq oyvla dlyacu.”

Ohlausdl rlajle wr, vaukdt vs xykdvykd y rspkvkhl yvvkvwel yp vblu qynle vbkp vswtb cyvvzl.

They followed the river for another seven hours. Finally, the sound of flowing water grew louder, the path widened, and a faint blue light appeared ahead, similar to what Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi had encountered with the mutated fungi before.

They turned off their lights and cautiously moved forward. Suddenly, the area opened up into a vast expanse, and everyone gasped, awestruck by the sight.

Rong Lan’s description hadn’t captured even a tenth of what they saw. They had imagined the underground city within the cave to be relatively small, easily surveyed at a glance. But they were all wrong. This was a vast fungal forest, stretching as far as the eye could see, filling their vision and making it impossible to imagine such a vast area existing underground. It was like stepping into another world. The forest was filled with mushrooms of all colors, some as tall as towering trees, others insignificant. These mushrooms, vibrant and multicolored, emitted a faint blue light, giving the dark cave a certain degree of visibility. Among these mushrooms of varying sizes, they could vaguely see the ruins of ancient buildings, or rather, broken walls and remnants. Most of the buildings were either crushed by mushrooms or rotted in the water, with few retaining their original shape. However, the number of buildings was considerable, at least in the outer areas of the forest. The interior of the forest remained beyond their sight.

The entire forest grew in a massive wetland, and the water in the wetland came from the East Taijinar River. They hadn’t expected the small stream to create such a vast wetland.

Everyone was so stunned they could barely speak, countless questions flooding their minds, not even knowing what to be surprised about first.

Rong Lan said, “The area below is a swamp. There’s something in there.”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t see clearly. They’re not big, but there are many.”

Cong Xia took a deep breath. “I feel many things watching us in the forest.”

Many others, although not as perceptive as Cong Xia, also felt the blatant stares. The feeling of being watched like prey was hard to ignore.

Mr. Sun said, “Once we go in, it’ll be a feast for the multiply-mutated creatures here. Is everyone ready?”

Chen Shao said indifferently, “We’ve come this far, there’s no turning back now.” He reached out to Wu You. “Got any cigarettes left?”

Wu You grabbed his hand, not to give him a cigarette, but to subtly hold his hand tightly, placing it on his stomach.

Shen Changze said, “We’ve come this far, why haven’t they attacked yet?”

“Perhaps they’re wary of our abilities. That monster fused with the little girl might have been sent to test us. They’ll attack together, not individually, to avoid being killed easily.”

“These creatures are cunning.”

“After all, they possess human intelligence.”

At that moment, the small device in Tang Tingzhi’s hand, used to detect the Puppet Jade, beeped and flashed red. “The Puppet Jade has been detected, within a two-kilometer radius.”

Cheng Tianbi said coldly, “It’s here, as expected. Saves us the trouble of searching.”

Wu You said, “Let’s go. I’ll pave the way.”

Rong Lan said, “Ice alone won’t be enough. The creatures in the swamp are quite forceful.”

Li Dao’ai said, “I’ll change the soil composition first, then pave a layer of ice over it. That should work.”

The two of them entered the wetland first. The damp soil around Li Dao’ai immediately hardened, and the water on the surface of the swamp froze instantly. They created a ten-meter-wide, solid path for the others to follow.

As they stepped onto the hardened swamp, something jumped high from within the swamp. Everyone looked closely and saw half-meter-long catfish, their heads clearly evolved, each as big as a bucket and armored with a hard shell. These catfish slammed against their path, leaping onto it despite the futility. Although they couldn’t do much on land, they splashed everyone with water, which was quite annoying.

Deng Xiao hummed. “They look plump. I wonder if they taste good.”

Cong Xia slapped his head. “Have you forgotten what we encountered in the Devil Pine forest? Don’t eat anything from the swamp.”

Abu looked at the fat, black fish and meowed anxiously.

Zhuang Yao said, “You can’t eat them.”

Abu paused, then meowed again unwillingly.

“They might be poisonous, so you can’t eat them.”

Deng Xiao, unrepentant, rolled up his sleeves with a heroic “Don’t stop me” attitude. “I’ll test them for Abu.”

Zhuang Yao glared at him. “You idiot.”

In the end, Abu didn’t get to taste the seemingly delicious catfish. Even though the catfish slammed their heads until they bled, they couldn’t stop the group’s advance. Soon, they set foot on the forest floor.

Only up close could they truly appreciate the size of the mushrooms, each like a small giant umbrella above their heads. Looking up, they saw nothing but layers upon layers of mushrooms. The mushrooms swayed slightly, as if in a breeze, bathed in a faint blue light, creating a fantastical scene.

Yao Qianjiang looked around. “This environment is indeed suitable for mushroom growth. I didn’t expect such a humid place to exist in the Golmud desert.”

Zhuang Yao said, “This entire area doesn’t seem to belong to Golmud. Also, this humid environment might only have appeared after the earthquake, because before that, the East Taijinar River didn’t flow here.”

Tang Tingzhi said, “Perhaps the East Taijinar River originally flowed here but changed course to its pre-apocalypse direction due to some event. This earthquake might have simply allowed it to find its former riverbed. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain this existing, millennia-old riverbed.”

Zhuang Yao nodded. “Mushrooms like dark and humid environments. If it was dry here before, mushrooms couldn’t have grown. So, these mushrooms might have grown after the earthquake? What was this place like before?”

Everyone pictured a millennia-old underground city buried beneath the snowy mountains, sealed away from the world, without sunlight, life, or sound. Time held no meaning here. From the moment this ancient city appeared underground, it seemed destined for eternal silence.

But who could have imagined that an earthquake would crack the earth, divert rivers, and not only give this ancient city many “residents” but also bring them, this group of visitors?

This millennia-old city was the heart of the restricted zone, the Place of Origin where the Puppet Jade was excavated, the epicenter of the earthquake. How many secrets did it hold?

Everyone, on the verge of uncovering the core of everything, felt their hearts tremble.

__________

Author’s Note: I want to write a side story (:3」∠)

The closer I get to the crucial moment, the more I’m afraid I won’t write it well, afraid my setting won’t resonate with you (:3」∠) A bit anxious.