Chapter 107: Underground Desert

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

Ye Mo didn't want to give up after chasing something for a whole day and night. But now, knowing it was underground, he felt helpless.

If only he were in the 3rd Stage of Chi Gathering; he wouldn't hesitate to enter the desert. In the 3rd stage, he wouldn't fear thirst, possessing the vital Water Ball Art.

With the Water Ball Art, he could convert spirit Chi into water, eliminating the risk of dehydration. Furthermore, in the 3rd stage, he could survive a month without breathing in the desert. Unfortunately, one level made a huge difference—a significant milestone.

This black shadow was targeting him. Ye Mo concluded it was his Purple Heart Vine that attracted it; he carried the same supplies as everyone else, except for the vine. The shadow was sneaky, prioritizing killing Ye Mo before taking his possessions.

Then, Ye Mo had an epiphany. He'd chased the black shadow all day, yet it only burrowed deep now. Its cunning suggested it should have done so earlier.

This meant it could only enter at specific locations. This realization elated Ye Mo. The desert seemed uniform, but numerous mysterious remains were buried beneath, including lost ancient cities.

Perhaps this was a tunnel to an underground city, possibly connected to the whirlpool he'd fallen into earlier.

“Sigh…” The thought of not being in the 3rd Stage again disappointed him.

Ye Mo checked his bag. He had ten water bottles, the water the yellow-clothed woman gave him, and all the pills he'd made.

This would sustain him for half a month buried under the sand.

What was he afraid of? He sought the Purple Heart Vine; the shadow also sought it, implying prior knowledge. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so persistent.

“Let’s go inside!”

Decisive, Ye Mo took a shovel from his bag and dug where the black shadow disappeared.

Sand flew as he dug deeper, exceeding ten meters. Suffocation was starting, but inconsequential to Ye Mo. As a cultivator, even in the 2nd Stage of Chi Gathering, he could breathe internally with sufficient water.

Ye Mo dug quickly, reaching over 100 meters in three hours. He dug a large chunk, sent it back, then cleared the sides. A larger bag would have added another 200 meters to his progress. The tunnel behind him was likely blocked.

After another 200 meters, his shovel hit something hard. Overjoyed, he believed he'd arrived. It was a large green rock, nearly a meter in diameter. Cautiously, Ye Mo rested, taking a pill and water to recover his Chi. Digging diagonally placed the stone approximately 200 meters underground.

After an hour's rest, Ye Mo recovered. He channeled Chi into his metal spade and hacked at the stone. Rubble flew; the stone was like mud under his spade.

In under half an hour, he'd dug a meter-deep hole.

As Ye Mo crawled in, the sand outside quickly filled the hole.

He landed in a spacious area resembling a street, but a strange, indescribable odor—like, yet unlike, rot—pervaded the air.

He walked tens of meters, expanding his spirit sense. It wasn't a street, but a stone block road.

Ye Mo proceeded cautiously, maintaining his spirit sense, sure the black shadow was nearby, though its location was unknown. He suspected other entrances existed, perhaps without needing to dig.

After a while, he saw no houses, more like a valley; this wasn't an underground city.

Sensing something, Ye Mo stopped. Even as a cultivator, the atmosphere felt eerie.

Rows of Hu Yang tree roots lined the sides. One root gave him goosebumps; his spirit sense revealed a metal nail—one marked with his spirit sense.

His nail was on a Hu Yang tree root. Unbelievable, but undeniable. Even in the cultivation realm, he'd never experienced such an eerie feeling.

He wouldn't believe a Hu Yang tree root could evade his tracking for a day and night and move so fast. This root appeared anchored.

Ye Mo remained vigilant, studying the root with his spirit sense. His speculation seemed correct. It was his metal nail, but for confirmation, he used his torch. His spirit sense was accurate.

How could a Hu Yang tree root move so fast? He pondered instead of touching the nail.

Suddenly, he remembered hitting the black shadow near its shoulder two days prior, but the nail was on the root's upper body—the position was wrong. He noticed the nail was slightly exposed.

With his strength, the nail should be lodged completely. This meant he hadn't inserted the nail; someone or something else did.

Who would place a nail in a Hu Yang tree root? Ye Mo frowned, carefully removing the nail. He found blood and a long strand of hair.

Something else placed the nail. The hair suggested a monkey-like animal. Strange for a desert, but monkeys and apes are intelligent; this explained their actions.

Understanding the animal, everything became clear. It was intelligent and elusive.

Only one road existed under the desert; besides Hu Yang tree roots, there were sand and stone blocks. Long ago, someone created this road, planting the Hu Yang tree roots along the way.

Ye Mo increased his speed, knowing the shadow had fled this way. Following the road would lead him to it.

Disappointingly, after half a day, he hadn't seen the shadow, nor the road's end. If it wasn't a one-way road, he'd think he was lost.

He likely wouldn't catch the shadow. The escape route was absurd; the animal was too clever.

Ye Mo abandoned the chase, ignoring the surroundings and rushing forward.

After another half-day and several turns, he found a stairway—only 20–30 meters. His spirit sense revealed another open space, but a large stone blocked the entrance.

He'd spent an entire day on this stone road, tricked by some hairy animal.

The road was likely over 10 kilometers, winding enough for contemplation. “Who planted these Hu Yang trees? Why is the road so long?” This was a massive undertaking.

“Could a Hu Yang tree grow underground?” He wasn't sure if it grew above ground and sank.

Unsure, Ye Mo shook his head and reached the stairway's end. He moved the stone; no sand fell, meaning it wasn't covered by the desert. He entered, discovering an immense underground desert.

Scanning with his spirit sense, Ye Mo was shocked.