Chapter 51: Underground Mountains
As this spiral underground river continues to deepen, the people in the team can feel it with just a physical sense that the temperature in the cave corridor is constantly increasing.
When the temperature rises to around 15 degrees Celsius, a fork begins to appear in front of you.
Because Lin Shuo led the way, these forks did not confuse everyone, just follow Lin Shuo.
Before we knew it, everyone had walked ten hours in this weird and complex underground river channel, and the journey was nearly thirty kilometers.
At seven o'clock in the evening, a light finally appeared in front of me.
It was a dark red light, like a mysterious invitation.
Seeing the light ahead, everyone was excited and their steps quickly got up.
Unexpectedly, Lin Shuo stopped moving forward and waved his hand: "Everyone will rest here tonight."
"We will reach the entrance of the cave in two or three steps, why not take a look first?" Wei Xingshan said in confusion.
"Of course I have to go and see it." Lin Shuo replied, "but it's not about dragging the large army to go there. At present, the cave itself is a good refuge, so I'll take a night off first."
"Okay, listen to you." Wei Xingshan quickly agreed.
Everyone stopped five or six hundred meters away from the entrance of the cave and began to rest on the spot.
After hiking for thirty kilometers a day, not to mention the two scholars, He Zihong and Yang Tuo, even the mercenaries felt very tired.
Before, because we entered an unfamiliar environment, we were very nervous and physical fatigue was more or less ignored. After stopping, we realized that all the strength in our bodies was exhausted.
"I didn't expect this underground river to be so long." He Zihong sat down and rubbed his calves with his hands and sighed, "Our discovery today is enough to shock the whole world."
"But obviously, such an underground river channel cannot enter the Black Water Dragon Nest with the size of a Black Water Dragon King or a hook snake." Yang Tuo said while laying a sleeping bag for He Zihong, "There must be another wider passage."
"Before, I had asked the Russian Gronas satellite system to scan the area near here." He Zihong said, "At least, no similar hole was found on the ground. It seems that this other secret passage is hidden very secretly. Fortunately, Miss Anne has a unique skill, otherwise we wouldn't have found it."
"I just know some fur." Anne shook his head, "If Dr. Yang hadn't used Chinese resources, we wouldn't have been able to do this."
"So, unity and cooperation are very important," said He Zihong. "Although our final goals may be slightly different in this action, the cooperation is still very pleasant."
Speaking of this, He Zihong looked at Yang Tuo and asked, "Xiao Yang, have you confirmed your future development route? Should you continue to be a scholar or..."
"Teacher, I have always been a scientific researcher," said Yang Tuo. "The nature of this incident is special and it is not convenient for China to directly send people, so I can only entrust me temporarily."
"Okay, just make it clear." He Zihong nodded, "It would be the best way to do this."
"Teacher, I'm sorry." Yang Tuo lowered his head slightly, "It made you worry."
"It's okay, I was too confused before, and it was too simple to think about things." He Zihong waved his hand and then said to Lin Shuo, "Mr. Lin, starting tomorrow, I want to divide the troops into two groups."
Lin Shuo was slightly stunned and asked, "Why?"
"Because of the current situation, in terms of scientific research and investigation, the nature of this matter has changed." He Zihong explained, "Before, our inspection goal was the hook snake. But now, what we are facing is a brand new ecological system. This meaning is actually no smaller than a hook snake.
Once I leave the cave entrance and enter this ecological system, I need a certain amount of time to conduct an on-site inspection. In this way, it will definitely cause serious delays to your itinerary.
So I think we have to divide the troops into two groups.
Yang Tuo follows you to investigate the whereabouts of the hook snakes and the missing lumberjacks.
And I stayed near the entrance of this cave for investigation and research.
How do you think this is going on?”
Before Lin Shuo could speak, Wei Xingshan shook his head like a rattle: "Professor He, where are you going to sing again? Our security forces are already stretched. Isn't it even more dangerous to divide your troops? You can do your research next time!"
"Ha." He Zihong smiled, "I am already sixty-nine years old this year. I know my own body. I will never be able to do it next time."
Wei Xingshan frowned when he heard this. He looked at Lin Shuo: "Old Lin, please advise him."
"It's OK." Unexpectedly, Lin Shuo nodded to He Zihong, "Professor He, you can stay near the entrance of the cave, and Captain Liu leads other mercenaries to protect you."
"I think it's possible, too," Anne said. "In fact, compared to continuing to go deeper into the Black Water Dragon Nest, this river channel is safer. If there is any danger, you can just hide in the cave and use firepower to block the entrance of the cave, and there is a way out behind it.
If the large army really wants to enter the Black Water Dragon Nest, there will be too many people Mr. Lin has to take care of.
Rather than doing this, we might as well not put the eggs in a basket.”
Wei Xingshan was not a stubborn person. When he heard it, he really felt it made sense and he couldn't help but nod.
"Captain Wei." He Zihong suddenly stretched out his hand and patted the back of the strong man's hand. "Mr. Lin wants to deal with the hook snake, and Miss Anne wants to assist Mr. Lin. I will entrust you with the safety of my student Yang Tuo. Please believe me, his life is priceless."
"Teacher..." Yang Tuo was moved, his lips trembled and could not speak.
At this time, Yang Tuo had realized that He Zihong had completely handed over the hook snake project to him.
Although this so-called new ecosystem has great research value, it cannot be compared with the hook snake because of its unclear application prospects.
At the same time, the old man also saw clearly that when facing a strange creature like the hook snake, whether he or these mercenaries, it was actually Lin Shuo's burden.
So he chose to leave most of the burden at the entrance of the cave, so that the most elite power of this trip could penetrate deep into the Black Water Dragon Nest.
His remarks almost take care of everyone's psychological feelings and are extremely wise.
And his trust and attention to Yang Tuo also moved Yang Tuo very much.
Wei Xingshan nodded heavily: "Professor He, I can't guarantee anything else with you, but even if Dr. Yang dies, he will die behind me."
He Zihong smiled, took out a special mobile phone from his arms and handed it to Anne: "In order to reassure Mr. Lin, I will leave my satellite phone to Miss Anne for your safekeeping. When you come back, I will return it to me."
Anne glanced at Lin Shuo, then took the phone.
...
That night, Lin Shuo did not rest with the main force, but sat down at the end of the river, leaning against the cave wall.
Anne and Wei Xingshan were also walking here with him.
Outside the entrance of the cave, there is a completely unfamiliar scene.
This is a vast space, vast enough to accommodate a mountain range.
The entrance of the cave where the three of them were located was just in the valley of this mountain range. Looking out, there was a huge mountain. Looking up, it was a dome made of rocks.
The top of this mountain range is connected to the dome, forming a huge hourglass shape to each other.
The entire space is filled with a kind of red light, and the light source is on the back of the mountain and cannot be directly seen.
Below the cave, at the lowest point of the terrain, there is a river, which is very clear and almost transparent, about two or three meters deep.
This underground mountain range is not deserted, with all kinds of plants growing on the mountain.
These plants are strangely shaped, with large shrub-like short and tall trees-like individuals. Their leaves are not green. They are mainly purple, and some are between or among cyan and red.
Based on Anne's knowledge reserves of doctoral in biology, we can only roughly judge that these should be relatively primitive ferns.
These plants grow very densely, just like the tropical rainforest on the ground. If they were in the sun, they would definitely be very beautiful, but at this moment, under the red light, it was a bit strange, and it looked spectacular.
Lin Shuo and the other two stared at the world outside the cave, feeling as if they were on another planet.
"You guys say, will these plants be poisonous?" Wei Xingshan murmured.
"You can try cooking a pot tomorrow." Lin Shuo suggested.
"Am I crazy about hunger or what?" Wei Xingshan curled his lips.
"These should be ferns. The reproduction of ferns depends on spores. Spores are scattered in the air and will enter the human body with the respiratory tract." Anne said. "If these plants are poisonous, we would have reacted long ago."
"Look, Miss Anne is still explaining her professionally." Wei Xingshan smiled, "Lao Lin, you hunter, have no professional knowledge."
"I'm not a hunter of the Cao family, why do I know so many things?" Lin Shuo gave Wei Xingshan a blank look, "Our hunter of the Lin family can only catch prey."
"Hey, I said Lao Lin, there are no outsiders here now, you and your brothers are in a good mood." Wei Xingshan asked, "If you face the hook snake head-on, how sure are you?"
Lin Shuo said: "You are just remembering to ask this now, is it a bit late?"
"Hey, this isn't it? If you are not sure, I will turn around and protect Yang Tuo and let it go." Wei Xingshan said carelessly, "Right, Miss Anne."
Anne shook his head: "Captain Wei, maybe it's not what you imagined?"
"Ah? What should that look like?"
"If you really encounter a hook snake, life and death will be a matter of a moment." Anne said softly.
"That's right." Lin Shuo said, "The hook snake is the strongest alien among strange creatures, and its speed can also rank among the top five. To deal with such beasts, one encounter is just a meeting."
Chapter completed!