Misty Rain of the Old Times

"Master, the food is ready. We've used up most of what we brought, so I've cooked all the remaining ingredients. Four dishes and a bowl of rice," the little maid reminded him from a short distance away.

Having learned from her previous experience, she knew she could go out anytime, so she wasn't too worried; otherwise, she would have to be frugal.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Brother Jiang, please have a seat. Let's eat something before we go."

Smelling the aroma of the food, Jiang Hao's mouth watered instantly. He felt a pang of sadness; what kind of life had he been living lately? Look at these other people, eating and drinking like it was nothing. Embarrassed, he said, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Chen. I won't stand on ceremony then."

Although he desperately wanted to eat it, he still had some pride and couldn't take it for granted.

After everyone sat down, Chen Xuan said with a smile, "No need to be polite. The conditions are limited, so please make do. We've finished the wine we brought, otherwise we could have had another drink."

Jiang Hao, who was secretly swallowing his saliva, said, "That's enough, that's enough. After we get out, I'll definitely treat Young Master Chen to a good drink. I hope Young Master Chen will do me the honor."

"Sure, sure."

Then the group started eating. Jiang Hao wasn't very hungry, but he hadn't had any proper food in a while and was itching to wolf it down. However, he still had to maintain his image, so he restrained himself. The little girl was a very good cook, and he almost cried after taking a bite of her food.

Chen Xuan was used to being casual and didn't even feel comfortable with the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping. During the meal, he asked curiously, "What does that creature that Brother Jiang mentioned earlier look like?"

He took a moment to reply, "It's about five feet tall and over ten feet long. Its head is like a rat's, its body like a lizard's, and its entire body is covered in scales like a pangolin. Its scales are incredibly tough, and ordinary swords and knives can hardly hurt it. It has sharp claws and can split rocks and dig holes as easily as drilling into tofu. It's extremely ferocious. Even if you encounter one, whether you can beat it or not is another matter, but catching it is really difficult. To this day, I haven't caught a single one."

"It seems there's more than one of those creatures Brother Jiang mentioned?" Chen Xuan asked, speechless.

He nodded and said, "Yes, I've been trapped underground for a long time, especially after coming to this dead end. There was a water source, so I stayed here and explored the surrounding area to find a way out. I've seen at least five of those creatures within ten miles, so I strongly suspect that the countless caves in the Wanku Mountain area were dug out by these creatures over countless years."

That makes sense. What if it's a special species living in this area? Different sizes of creatures have dug caves of different sizes, and combined with the chaotic mines from many years ago, it has created the complex terrain we see today over the years.

After listening to his introduction, Chen Xuan said thoughtfully, "It sounds a bit like an earth-walking armor."

"Earth-walking armor?" Jiang Hao was taken aback. He had seen that kind of creature before, but he didn't know the specifics.

Chen Xuan, having followed Xiao Gao for over ten years and read many books, coupled with the numerous strange tales left by Lao Liu, possessed a wealth of knowledge. After a brief recollection, he said, "The Earth-Walking Armor's appearance is similar to what Brother Jiang described earlier. It is a true exotic beast, averse to sunlight and preferring shady places. It typically lives underground, is an oviparous creature, and can grow to over ten zhang in length. Even ordinary innate masters would avoid its sharp edge. It is adept at digging burrows and burrowing through mountains, and usually feeds on various minerals. Its bones, blood, scales, and armor are also rare medicinal materials. It is said that consuming it enhances male virility, and it is difficult to find outside the world. What Brother Jiang is referring to is most likely the Earth-Walking Armor."

While Chen Xuan was speaking, Jiang Hao listened attentively at first, but when he heard that the thing could enhance male virility, his eyes suddenly lit up. Finally, he said admiringly, "So that thing is called Earth-Walking Armor. Young Master Chen is very knowledgeable. I admire you. I'm just a rough man, and I've made a fool of myself in front of you."

"Brother Jiang, you flatter me. I only happened to see a description of it in a book; I've never actually seen it myself," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

But at this moment, Jiang Hao's eyes burned with desire as he said, "I've seen those things many times before, but I've never caught one. I wonder if I'll have a chance to get one and taste what it's like?"

"I think you're trying to boost your virility," Chen Xuan thought with a smile. He didn't need that; otherwise, wouldn't it be simpler to just make a pill and take it by hand?
Instead of pointing it out, she said, "Those kinds of things are usually used in medicine. They don't actually taste good. After all, they are animals that live by gnawing on minerals. How delicious can they be?"

“That’s true,” Jiang Hao nodded, but the longing in his eyes did not diminish. As the saying goes, what can be eaten is food, what cannot be eaten is medicine, and what’s left can be used as building material.

When people are trapped, their only worry is to see the light of day again and survive. But once they see hope, they have many more thoughts. That's human nature.

After eating and drinking, most of the food ended up in Jiang Hao's stomach, which made him quite embarrassed.

Chen Xuan wasn't that stingy. After tidying up, he said, "Let's go. Brother Jiang, please lead the way. Let's see if we can get more of this ore."

“Alright, Young Master Chen, follow me closely. The terrain is complicated, so don’t get lost,” he said, leading the way and reminding them that he probably wouldn’t be coming back here again. He didn’t have much to pack, and he couldn’t wait to leave this place.

Taking a step to catch up, Chen Xuan secretly concealed his aura so as not to scare away the creature Jiang Hao had mentioned.

Actually, when he asked him for details earlier, Chen Xuan had already paid attention to the surroundings. There were indeed many creatures active within a radius of several thousand feet, and several of them were similar to what he had described. Now that he had some clues, that was why he wasn't in a hurry.

With Jiang Hao leading the way, things were much easier for him.

At this moment, Chen Xuan felt both amused and exasperated. If he had realized earlier that the location of the Earth-Walking Armor would likely lead to the discovery of the Earth Magnetic Essence, it probably wouldn't have taken so long. After all, they had approached this creature quite a few times before, but they hadn't realized this at the time.

It wasn't that Chen Xuan was slow to react; it was just that knowing something was one thing, but only personal experience could truly transform it into one's own knowledge.

Following Jiang Hao through the intricate underground caverns, after two or three miles, he slowed his pace and whispered a reminder: "It's nearby. I found those kinds of stones in this area last time. If we're lucky, there should still be some left. Hopefully, those earth-walking beetles haven't dug them up. I wonder if we'll ever encounter those things again."

It seems he's still obsessed with the Earth-type Armor that can enhance male virility; finding the Earth Magnetic Essence for himself is secondary.

Looking around, Chen Xuan said in a daze, "There are traces of artificial excavation, but it hasn't been completely weathered and destroyed. It seems that the rumors that Wanku Mountain was a mine a long time ago are true."

“A mine? What kind of mine could this dump have, and why would they dig so deep?” Jiang Hao was deeply surprised.

Who knows? After all, it's been a long time since then, and the mine almost caused a major disaster after it was discovered in that strange place. As a result, the mine was completely sealed off, and even those who knew about it were all killed. Anyway, it couldn't be the Earth Magnetic Essence, that kind of thing is extremely rare.

Chen Xuan dismissed this, saying, "Who knows? That's what people outside are saying. As for digging so deep, as long as there's profit to be made, it's no big deal."

In a world where immense power is at play, human effort is often more convenient than machinery. Take a master of innate abilities, for example. If they want to, they can dig as deep as they want; it's just a matter of time. Once they reach a certain depth, they can have the weaker ones dig outwards.

Without dwelling on it too much, Jiang Hao led them to wander around and explore for a while, then said with frustration, "There aren't any stones like the ones Young Master Chen wanted. Besides, there are quite a few traces of earth-walking armor around here. Even if there were, they've probably been taken and eaten. Why don't we go to the next place? I know a few more that aren't far away."

The facts were pretty much as he said. Chen Xuan didn't have X-ray vision and couldn't see the location of the geomagnetic essence directly through the rock strata. If there weren't so many channels underground, he could use his true essence to explore and determine the location of the geomagnetic essence based on the density of different substances. But with so many channels, it became inaccurate.

He then laughed and said, "No need for all that trouble. Let's just go find that creature directly; we might even get a pleasant surprise."

Since the Earth-walking Beetle feeds on minerals, it's normal for it to hoard food due to its biological instincts, right? We'll deal with it if necessary.

"Young Master Chen, do you know where that thing is?" Jiang Hao was quite surprised. He had been trapped underground for so long and still couldn't figure out the thing's activity patterns.

To this, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Come with me."

With his powerful senses, he could detect even the slightest movement in a large area. He concealed his presence as he moved along the intricate caverns, quickly approaching the nearest location where the earth-walking armor was entrenched.

If he weren't worried that making a slightly loud noise would frighten the Earthwalker and cause it to run away with its stockpiled geomagnetic essence, he would have already broken through the rock layers and advanced in a straight line.

After many twists and turns, the air was filled with a complex smell of animal feces mixed with the rust of metal. They had reached their destination, and the sloping, upward-facing tunnel led them to a wide-open space surrounded by numerous broken passages. When they arrived here, the gleaming dagger in Azalea's hand illuminated everything within a clear view.

The space, about half the size of a basketball court, is surrounded by a network of passageways. In the center is an animal nest with a diameter of over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), resembling a bird's nest. However, it is not constructed of branches but rather filled with various ores, including gold, silver, copper, and iron. Under the light, it faintly gleams with a metallic sheen. Copper and iron make up more than 90% of the material, while gold and silver are scarce. However, there are also some extremely high-quality nuggets.

The ore used to build this nest would be a considerable fortune if taken to the outside world.

After a brief inspection, Chen Xuan was delighted, realizing that his idea was indeed correct, because he saw a lot of geomagnetic elemental ore among the many ores used to build the nest.

That was not only the den of the Earth-walking Beetle, but also its granary.

"Hiss... hiss... hiss..."

The moment they stepped into the area, a slightly piercing hiss rang out, and a rather large creature in the nest bared its teeth at Chen Xuan and his companions, poised to attack.

It was quite large, nearly two zhang long, and it lay crouching in its nest. Its appearance was just as Jiang Hao described: its head was like a rat's, its body was like a lizard's, and it had sharp claws and teeth, and its whole body was covered with dark black scales.

At this moment, its scales bristled, and as they shook and collided, they faintly emitted a clanging sound like metal clashing.

Upon the unexpected encounter, Jiang Hao's expression changed and he said nervously, "Young Master Chen, this is the thing. It's quite large, the biggest I've seen in a while. I never expected to come straight to its lair. Although we've encountered them occasionally, I really can't keep up with them. It's very dangerous. I'm afraid even if I use all my protective techniques, I can't stop those sharp teeth and claws!"

His words were tinged with fear, and he was on high alert, using his internal energy to protect himself. He had grown a size larger, and his skin was iron-gray with a faint metallic sheen, indicating that he was already considering retreating.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan secretly thought that not only was his Devouring Yuan Technique extremely superior, but his body-protecting technique was also quite extraordinary.

The sudden appearance of the enormous creature startled the little girl. She approached Chen Xuan, her face filled with panic, having never seen such a ferocious beast before. She asked nervously, "Master, is this the Earth-Walking Armor? It's terrifying!"

“That’s right, this is the Earth-Walking Armor. Don’t be afraid, I’m here,” Chen Xuan nodded.

Du Juan immediately stepped forward to face the rather large creature and said in a deep voice, "Master, shall we kill it?"

Jiang Hao and Du Juan were afraid of each other, but she wasn't. With her cultivation level, killing it was no more difficult than killing a chicken. Although the Earth-Walking Armor was so strong that even innate masters would avoid it, this one in front of her wasn't that powerful.

Amidst his fear, Jiang Hao asked in bewilderment, "Strange, these things either attack or run away when they see people, but why is it neither running away nor approaching us, except to show hostility towards us? Could this be its lair that it's reluctant to leave?"

At this moment, Chen Xuan patted Du Juan on the shoulder and said, "Sister Juan, there's no need to harm it. Let's take what we need and leave."

Upon hearing this, Du Juan nodded and retreated behind Chen Xuan. Without asking why, she did whatever her master instructed.

As he spoke, Chen Xuan reached out and beckoned, and a dozen or so pieces of geomagnetic elemental ore flew over from among the many ores that the earth-walking armor had used to build its nest. He figured that was enough, so he put them in a bamboo basket and gestured for them to leave.

Whether it was the time he went to Misty Marsh to find White Cloud Wood or this time he sought the Earth Magnetic Essence, Chen Xuan's mindset was that he only needed what he had. He never thought of digging three feet into the ground to take everything away. The search was troublesome at first, but now that he knew the exact location and how to obtain it, it would be convenient to get it next time he needed it.

After they left, the Earthwalker slowly relaxed its guard and continued to lie prostrate in its nest. After all, it was a strange beast with a certain degree of intelligence, and its eyes revealed the fear of surviving a disaster.

"Phew, that thing was really terrifying, but even you, Young Master Chen, didn't dare to provoke it?" Jiang Hao breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously after getting away.

To this, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "No, that's not it. It's enough to get what you want. There's no need to harm it. Besides, if you need it again next time, you can just come and get it. It saves you the trouble of looking for it elsewhere."

"I see. I thought you couldn't do anything about it, Young Master Chen," Jiang Hao nodded, still somewhat unsatisfied, remembering what Chen Xuan had said about eating that creature to enhance male virility, though he couldn't have that pleasure now.

Actually, there was something else Chen Xuan didn't say: the Earth Pathfinder he had seen earlier was incubating eggs. Although he wasn't exactly a good person, he respected the continuation of life. It wasn't an emergency situation, so there was no need to harm it.

This creature incubates its eggs inside its body, using a pouch similar to a kangaroo's. People unfamiliar with this creature have no idea about it, but there's no need to say such things out loud; he wasn't trying to appear virtuous in front of others.

Without paying much attention, the little girl, still shaken, asked, "Master, now that we've gotten what we wanted, shall we go straight home?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao disregarded whether consuming the Earth-Walking Armor would enhance his virility and looked at Chen Xuan with anticipation. Having been trapped in the underground cave for nearly half a year, he desperately wanted to get out, and nothing else mattered under that premise.

Just as he was about to nod in agreement, Chen Xuan suddenly made a shushing gesture and said, "Did you hear people talking? Quite a few, actually?"

"Really?" Jiang Hao listened attentively and then shook his head in confusion, as he genuinely hadn't heard anything.

Du Juan didn't hear it either, but she didn't doubt her husband's senses. She hesitated and said, "Quite a few people have come to this depth. Could it be that the people outside have come to this deep place based on the map?"

"Map? What map?" Jiang Hao was a little confused. Having been trapped underground for half a year, he had no idea what was happening outside.

At this moment, Chen Xuan listened to the conversation of the people in the distance, looked around and laughed, "A few days ago, someone outside was spreading a map of Wanku Mountain. It seems they really have come deep underground. It looks like they are close to the entrance of that strange place. Come to think of it, I hadn't noticed before, but thinking back carefully, many of the cave passages around here match the map."

"The entrance to that strange place is nearby?" Jiang Hao suddenly exclaimed in surprise, no longer in a hurry to leave. After all, he was trapped underground in Wanku Mountain because of that place.

If he were alone, he would naturally want to escape as soon as possible, but now that many people have arrived and there is hope of reaching that place, he naturally wants to have his wish fulfilled.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Judging from their conversation, and recalling the map now, it is indeed like that. They even brought along people who were fortunate enough to visit that place to confirm it."

"Master, should we go home now, or should we go with them to take a look?" the little maid asked hesitantly.

Chen Xuan wasn't necessarily going to that place, so he looked at them and asked, "What do you think?"

Jiang Hao was the first to speak up, saying, "I'll listen to Young Master Chen."

Du Juan replied, "Wherever Master goes, I will go."

The young maid also said, "As long as it's not this dark and gloomy underground, I'm fine with anything. Actually, sir, you don't need to worry about our feelings; you can make the decision yourself."

“I see. Since so many people are curious about that place, and we just happened to run into it, and we don’t have anything urgent to do after we leave, we might as well go and take a look. Consider it an opportunity to broaden our horizons,” Chen Xuan nodded and smiled.

Then he led them towards the people who were deeper underground... (End of Chapter)