Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 225 Cave Space, Active Pollution!
Magic Eye Sponge, internal cavern, conch shell space.

The collector's analytical capabilities were once again demonstrated to their fullest extent!
Even without personally entering the cave, the true appearance of the celestial creature is clearly presented before our eyes solely through the perspective of the Netherwater Cave Crab.

What's even more remarkable is that, unlike Liu Kun's Flaming Eagle, the Wanling Earth Conch is not something that can be seen or approached. It seems to be the master of this secret realm, openly exposing itself to the public eye without any intention of isolation.

Cheng Ye stopped when the camera zoomed in to about two meters.

If he were in a real cave right now, this distance would be more than enough for him to complete the containment. He would only need to open the special containment box, put the conch shell inside, and the polluting area it emitted would instantly dissipate.

By then, even if the elders don't intervene, the superhumans and military forces of Happiness City will arrive immediately, and the underwater crabmen and the remaining tentacles of the Demon Eye Sponge will no longer be able to stir up any waves.

Unfortunately, everything in the intelligence space is just an illusion; no matter how realistic the scene is, it cannot touch the real immortals.

Cheng Ye forced himself to concentrate and carefully observe the entire conch shell with his naked eye.

Its shell spirals upwards, its rounded curves unlike those of a naturally growing creature. Instead, it resembles an object crafted according to a precise mathematical model, with each curve exuding a near-perfect sense of rhythm.

The pale purple color throughout is not evenly distributed, but deepens slightly at the turns of the spiral, forming layers of varying shades, as if the nebula of twilight has been incorporated into the shell.

What is most amazing is the pale purple runes on the surface of the shell. Each rune is small and exquisite, but it is not floating on the surface. Instead, it seems to "grow" out of the shell and is integrated with the shell. At the top of the spiral, all the runes converge into a small star-shaped symbol, which emits a faint light that is brighter than the surrounding area.

Is this really just a fragment?

Cheng Ye couldn't help but mutter to himself. This fragment alone already exuded an indescribable mystery. He couldn't even imagine how powerful the complete Wanling Earth Conch would be.

Of course, since the analysis is not of the characteristics of the Wanling Earth Conch itself, even if you see the shape of the runes clearly, the impression in your mind will immediately become blurry the moment you look away, and you can't even remember the specific shape of the conch shell. You can only barely remember its position where it floats above the lake.

Only by turning our gaze back to the image can we reconfirm its existence and location.

"No wonder humans can't actively locate and find these magical artifacts; they can only rely on luck to encounter and contain them."

Cheng Ye clicked his tongue in amazement. "Even I, a superhuman, can't remember the details. An ordinary person probably wouldn't even have a vague impression after just one glance."

Infer from this.

Liu Kun could remember the Flaming Eagle perfectly, but he couldn't remember the details of the immortal creature, which meant that the immortal creature was of a higher level than a supernatural being.

However, the fact that the location of the celestial object can still be barely remembered means that the level of the runes on the shell is higher than that of the celestial object itself. After all, even the celestial object is affected by the runes, making it difficult for the observer to remember.

Having figured this out, Cheng Ye stared at the conch shell for a long time before pressing the play button again.

The perspective was instantly pulled back to the Darkwater Cave Crab, which began to display the rules of the "Command Patterns," but the next second, an even more amazing change occurred!
On the surface of the Wanling Earth Conch above the lake, the pale purple runes suddenly began to flow slowly, as if they were alive, moving along the spiral trajectory of the shell. Each turn emitted a scattering of purple light, which fell on the lake surface, giving the clear lake water a dreamy purple halo.

Even more miraculously, as the Netherwater Cave Crab was guided by the Mianwen towards the lake, Cheng Ye suddenly heard a soft buzzing in his ears. This sound did not come from the outside world, but seemed to echo directly in his mind.

At the same time, he felt a slight tingling sensation in his fingertips, as if tiny fragments of energy were being "transmitted" through his vision, a sensation highly similar to that he felt when he touched the eyeball of the Magic Eye Sponge!

"what happened?"

Cheng Ye shook his head violently, trying to confirm whether the buzzing in his ears and the tingling in his fingertips were hallucinations.

But the next second, the conch shell in the picture suddenly changed. The runes on the shell flowed faster and faster, and the originally dim golden patterns lit up. Amidst the interweaving of purple and gold, a few wisps of light purple mist appeared above the lake.

The mist quickly condensed into blurry patterns, resembling winding mountains or twinkling stars, fleeting in an instant, as fast as an illusion.

But this brief change ultimately did not escape the collector's detection.

The light blue panel popped open gently.

[Unknown biological activity detected, recorded by the collector, and currently being analyzed.]

Analysis successful; the characteristics of the Wanling ground snail have slightly increased!

"Features added?"

Cheng Ye's eyes widened suddenly, and his heart began to race uncontrollably.

He had previously slaughtered thousands of crabmen, yet he hadn't even broken through the single-digit mark of the Ten Thousand Orders Earth Conch's characteristics. How could he collect characteristics just by glancing at it in the intelligence space?
No, does "characteristics" mean...?
Cheng Ye immediately realized that the so-called characteristics were essentially the deconstruction of information about the target organism.

The rhythms collected from the crab-man are information, and the purple mist fluctuations emitted by the conch shell just now are also information.

This did provide him with a new perspective.

If you encounter an extremely powerful creature that cannot be directly analyzed, you might be able to start by examining the related organisms and environment to gather information indirectly, and gradually piece together its characteristics.

Open the encyclopedia and go to the entry for the Myriad-Tailed Conch.

Ocean currents, rivers, and mountains—none of these three characteristics have changed.

The characteristics of ? ? ? remain mysterious and have not been deciphered.

However, the progress of the aquatic laws has jumped from less than single digits to 19%. Although there is still a long way to go to reach 100%, it is no longer an unattainable dream.

"I wonder if repeatedly entering the intelligence space would allow me to repeatedly collect this fluctuation?"

Cheng Ye suppressed his excitement and patiently continued to analyze the command patterns.

In the scene, the Water Cave Crab had already entered the lake and was about to approach the central area where the Conch Shell was located when the cotton-like markings on its body suddenly flashed with a bluish-purple light, tightening around its body like a chain.

"Squeak-"

The Darkwater Crab let out a painful howl, and bound by the cotton-like pattern, it could only clumsily turn around and hide to the left.

But after taking only two steps, the cotton weave tightened even more, forcing it to turn to the right again.

The cotton-like pattern gradually disappeared and stopped tightening until it retreated to a hollow in the lower right corner of the lake where the water had overflowed.

But just as it was about to step out of the pothole, the cotton pattern immediately lit up again, pulling it back with excruciating pain.

"This instruction is too brutal. It actually uses pain punishment to control people?"

The intelligence space shattered to Cheng Ye's astonishment.

The command threads were far less powerful than he had imagined; they did not possess the ability to "control all sources of infection with a single thought," and were merely restrained by the most primal form of pain.

This is definitely good news, meaning that the SpongeEye can no longer micromanage the Crabmen's army and allow them to wreak havoc on the shore. It can only drive the Crabmen ashore, after which they can only rely on the infected's own instincts to act.

"If I were to decipher the command patterns, would I also gain this binding ability?"

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Cheng Ye immediately replayed the information from the command pattern.

Unfortunately, it seems that the fluctuation of the Wanling Conch can only be collected once. Even if the mist appears again, there is no new prompt on the panel, and the characteristic progress is stuck at 19%.

"That ripple might represent the core information of the Water Law, and repeated information cannot be collected a second time."

The intelligence space shattered, and the analysis of the command patterns came to an end once again.

Cheng Ye leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on his knees, his mind rapidly processing the information he had gathered.

The characteristics of the Magic Eye Sponge have now been completely explained.

The cotton room has two floors.

The first layer is its digestive and absorptive organs, which are used to absorb biological energy and also to screen out candidates who cannot pass the test and directly convert them into nutrients.

The second floor is a captive space. The blue sponge that was previously analyzed occupied the cliff space, while this magic eye sponge obviously occupies a huge cave that was formed in an unknown way.

While there is currently no detailed information about the runes in the Cotton Chamber, the fact that the Netherwater Cave Crab shrinks in size after entering the second level suggests that there must be a rune capable of altering the size of creatures.

Only in this way can a large army of crab people be accommodated.

The logic of the cotton pattern gradually became clear: the three cotton patterns of passage, instruction, and commonality do not exist independently, but are fragments of different functions in the entire spiral cotton pattern system.

The Co-Emboss pattern is the foundation, used to capture thugs and food. Once co-evolved, it becomes an appendage of the Magic Eye Sponge and can never break free.

The Passing Cotton Pattern is more like an auxiliary privilege of the Common Cotton Pattern. Only by carrying it can one pass the judgment of the Ruler and freely enter and exit the Cotton Chamber.

Command stripes are a form of restraint, using pain as punishment to force enforcers to follow rules and execute commands.

As for the "rules and regulations," they are the gatekeepers who protect the inner chambers and the stewards who manage internal order.

"All I need to do now is get inside the cotton room and fool the guards. I don't need to use the abilities of co-transformation and commands for the time being."

Once the plan was decided, Cheng Ye immediately opened the encyclopedia panel and prepared to exchange for items related to the Common Cotton Pattern.

The progress of the Cotton Pattern's special effect is exactly 200%, enough for two exchanges.

He tried investing 25% of his energy and choosing to generate a physical item.

Lines of prompts flashed across the panel in an instant:

[Feature redemption successful!]

The item generated for this exchange is: Commoner's Cotton Robe.

The item has been automatically stored in your inventory.

After the prompt disappeared, Cheng Ye picked up the pendant and, sure enough, saw a phantom image of an item in the lower right corner.

He silently recited "extract," selected a location, and a garment resembling a ghillie suit fell from the void, laying flat on the truck floor.

Unlike the grass green of the ghillie suit, this general-purpose cotton suit is covered with light purple spiral patterns. It feels exceptionally light, like a thin sheet of paper, and you can hardly feel its weight.

Even more amazingly, when he put the cotton coat on his arm, it seemed to come alive, instantly clinging to his skin and quickly forming a layer of light purple cotton texture that blended perfectly with his skin, making it virtually undetectable unless you looked closely.

Taking it off is also simple; just pinch one corner of the cotton pattern on your arm and gently pull, and the cotton pattern will recombine into the shape of clothing and peel off your body.

"Great, the wearing experience far exceeded my expectations!"

Cheng Ye nodded in satisfaction, immediately used the remaining progress points to exchange for a second travel suit, stuffed both into his backpack, pushed open the truck door and headed towards the river.

The rain outside didn't intensify; it was still just a few scattered raindrops that felt slightly cool on my cheeks, exactly as predicted.

Rokuk was already warming up by the water when he saw Cheng Ye take out two strange pieces of clothing from his backpack. He was both surprised and delighted: "Are we going to go into the water wearing these big things?"

"You'll see the effect once you try it." Cheng Ye smiled as he first put on the obsidian armor and then attached the travel-sized cotton-padded clothes to the surface of the armor.

The cotton-padded garment instantly clung to the armor, quickly forming rings of light purple cotton patterns. It looked almost identical to the cotton patterns on the crab-men they had seen before, only lighter in color and slightly narrower in width, like an exquisite "ribbon" tied around the outside of the armor.

Seeing this, Rokuk immediately followed suit, putting on his own obsidian armor and then attaching another piece of common cotton clothing to it.

The same change occurred; the cotton clothing smoothly transformed into a cotton pattern that adhered to the battle armor without any discomfort.

But precisely because of this, I've become accustomed to the painful torment of each struggle against the source of infection.

He couldn't help but wonder, "Can this thing really help us get into the Magic Eye Sponge's chamber?"

Since the two were the direct discoverers of the Magic Eye Sponge, they didn't have any problem naming it.

Therefore, after Cheng Ye proposed the term "Mian Shi," Rokuk quickly accepted it and formed a clear concept of it.

"Come on, let's go down and try it, then we'll know."

Cheng Ye took out his defense communication device and glanced at the time. It was exactly 16:01. "There are still more than two hours until it gets dark. There is still plenty of time."

"Aren't you bringing the containment box?"

"No need for now. Let's go down and check the situation first. As for the magical artifact..."

Recalling the image of the Wanling Earth Conch floating above the lake in the intelligence space, Cheng Ye gently shook his head.

Discovering the debris is one hurdle, but containing it is even more difficult.

Not to mention him, even seemingly invincible elders couldn't stop the targeted pollution from the conch shell.

This requires further research and analysis of the conch shell in order to derive a corresponding containment strategy.

Pfft!
The two jumped into the water one after the other. Cheng Ye reached out and grabbed Rokuk, activating the acceleration energy.

An invisible energy erupted from their waists, enveloping the two as they swiftly descended like fish. They quickly reached the bottom, where the purple-glowing barrier still enveloped the Demon Eye Sponge, protecting it completely.

Seeing that the Destroyer Infector had shrunk into a ball and even retracted its tentacles, Rokuk immediately looked as if he had seen a ghost.

It's unheard of for humans to push a destructive infectious agent to this extent!

From now on, whenever he goes to the neighboring sanctuary city, or when inspectors from other sanctuary cities come to visit Happiness City, he will no longer have to worry about having nothing to brag about.

The fact that he forced the Demon Eye Sponge to retreat was enough for him to boast about for ten years and become an unforgettable achievement.

Lost in their fantasies, the two continued their descent and soon reached the barrier.

Just as Cheng Ye was pondering how to get through the barrier, one of the tentacle eyeballs on the Demon Eye Sponge's main body suddenly opened slowly, its pale purple pupils sweeping over the two of them.

But after only a few glances, it drooped softly again, as if it didn't take them seriously.

boom!
Rocouk tapped his armor and gestured.

His hand, covered in cotton patterns, slowly stretched forward and landed on the barrier. Surprisingly, it was not blocked by the purple barrier and could be reached directly through.

Huh, it's that simple?
Cheng Ye was both surprised and delighted. He immediately accelerated with Rokuk, and the two passed through the barrier without any hindrance, entering the "protective circle" of the Magic Eye Sponge.

Almost simultaneously, a gap appeared on the main body of the Magic Eye Sponge, exactly the same as the opening the crabmen had used to enter and exit, as if it had been specially opened for them.

"You just sneaked in like that?"

Cheng Ye suppressed his surprise, but his mind was racing.

While past experience cannot be fully applied, one ironclad rule has been proven once again: regardless of the level of the source of infection, it will abide by its own rules.

As long as the rules can be deciphered, a breakthrough can be found, even for infection sources that are destructive or even annihilating.

The key to measuring a prosecutor's competence lies precisely in the speed and accuracy with which they discover rules.

The two looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

The most difficult part of getting in has been completed; now that we've reached this point, there's absolutely no reason to back down.

Cheng Ye activated his acceleration energy again, and with Rokuk in tow, they made a steady dash into the gap in the cotton chamber.

Wow!
Upon entering the room, a warm feeling enveloped the two of them, like rushing into a bathroom on a cold day and turning on the hot shower.

The coldness of the river and the feeling of water pressure disappeared without a trace, and even breathing became easy, as if I had returned to land.

Cheng Ye immediately became alert, sensing the changes brought about by the runes inside the room.

To his surprise, the runes on his body surface suddenly glowed with a pale bluish-purple light, like a protective film that isolated the influence of the runes on the first layer of the cotton chamber.

Does the cotton-like texture have this advantage?
Since the cotton pattern can block the influence of the runes, what would happen if you spoke or released your aura inside it?
A question popped into Cheng Ye's mind, and he tried to open his mouth slightly and exhale a breath of stale air.

He was prepared to activate the Size Manipulator immediately and rush out from the inside if the Magic Eye Sponge showed any unusual movement.

But a few seconds passed, and the room remained quiet; the Magic Eye Sponge did not react at all.

"It seems that the cotton pattern is like an 'identity card'; as long as you don't do anything too outrageous, it won't be detected."

Cheng Ye breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "You can speak normally now, no need to hold it in."

Rokuk was startled and immediately stopped peeking around, looking left and right. "Is this room really that big? I don't see any fragments of the immortal artifact. Where did those crab people go?"

"follow me!"

Although it was his first time entering the Magic Eye Sponge's room, thanks to the analysis of the information space, Cheng Ye already knew the layout of the place like the back of his hand, and walked around as if he were in his own home.

This is the benefit of intelligence!

He didn't waste time studying the runes on the wall, and led Rokuk straight to the entrance to the second floor.

A circular groove, level with the ground, covered with faint cotton-like patterns, was the entrance to the second-level cavern that the previous Netherwater Cave Crab had passed through.

Reaching the recessed area, Cheng Ye lightly stamped his foot.

The ground immediately came to life, the cotton-like texture rapidly shifted, and the grooves slowly sank.

hum!
An invisible wave swept over the two of them, and suddenly their feet lost their footing, followed by an instant feeling of falling.

Experiencing it within the intelligence space is somewhat like the thrill of a drop tower.

But after experiencing it firsthand, you realize it's more like riding a "biological elevator," where you're slowly transported by the internal structure of the Magic Eye Sponge.

About three or four seconds later, the light in front of me became clearer and clearer, and a pale purple water barrier appeared below.

At the same time, a mysterious fluctuation enveloped the two of them.

Cheng Ye looked down sharply and was shocked to find that his body was shrinking rapidly. His 1.8-meter height shrank like a deflated balloon, 80 centimeters, 50 centimeters, 30 centimeters. Finally, he stopped at the height of an adult's forearm. He felt no discomfort at all, as if he had just passed through a tunnel of varying sizes.

boom.

A gentle push came from behind, propelling the two forward and sending them straight through the purple water barrier.

An intense purple light exploded instantly, and Cheng Ye subconsciously squinted. Before his vision could recover, an extremely refreshing scent rushed into his nostrils.

Just a light sniff, and most of the fatigue in my body disappears, leaving me with a blissful, ethereal feeling.

"You've come in?"

Cheng Ye slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the lingering purple light.

Once the view cleared, the scene before them was exactly the same as in the intelligence space: a huge cavern, but without any dark or dampness.

Above you are shimmering rock walls, under your feet is soft moss, and all around you grow strange plants taller than a person. Thick tree trunks reach straight into the sky, looking like giant trees hundreds of meters high. It is a completely magical secret realm.

"Is this inside a cave?" Rokuk was completely stunned, his mouth agape.

Humans in the post-wasteland era have long been accustomed to desolation and ruin.

Especially for the humans living in the Stone Province, although they are not lacking in green plants, after being affected by the petrification curse, these plants are covered with a strong sense of death. They never thought that there was such a vibrant place in the world, as if they had stumbled back to the extraordinary era of the past.

Cheng Ye did not answer, but turned to look behind him. The purple light gate was still standing in the same place, extending all the way to the top of the rock wall. It seemed that its location could be seen from anywhere.

Only after confirming that there was still a way out did he feel at ease enough to immerse his consciousness in the intelligence space and open the analysis screen of the command patterns again.

Comparing the two, the current location is exactly the same as the landing point where the Netherwater Cave Crab entered the second floor.

"The rest is simple. Just follow the route of the Darkwater Cave Crab, and you will find the lake and the conch shell."

Cheng Ye quickly marked several feature points in his mind, then closed the panel and gave a low shout:
"go!"

Rokuk immediately followed. The two of them had shrunk to six times their original size, but their physical abilities remained unchanged, and they were still swift when running.

After running through the dense "jungle" for about four kilometers, the vegetation gradually thinned out, and the moist air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, rushed towards us.

A vast lake could be seen peeking through the gaps in the trees, its water shimmering with a faint fluorescence, exactly like the scene in the intelligence space.

After running a few hundred meters further, the view suddenly opened up.

Viewed from a scale of six, this lake resembles an endless ocean, its surface calm and still, with only fluorescent lights shimmering gently underwater, a beauty that is breathtaking.

Rokuk was completely stunned, standing there muttering to himself, unaware that Cheng Ye's face suddenly darkened beside him.

His gaze was fixed on the sky above the center of the lake, where it was empty, without even a trace of purple light.

What about the conch shell?
What about the Wanling conch shell floating above the lake?

The lake was empty; there was no sign of the myriad-ringed conch shell.

The information space clearly showed that the conch shell was floating in the middle of the lake, so how could it have disappeared?
Was it due to incorrect timing? Did it miss the conch's dwell period?
Or does this magical object itself move, like an ocean current flowing through the cave?
A series of questions exploded in Cheng Ye's mind, and the unexpected event beyond the intelligence made his heart sink.

But soon, Cheng Ye's heart tightened, and an even more terrifying possibility surfaced in his mind.

He abruptly turned to look at Rokuk, only to see Rokuk's eyes glazed over, a faint purple light reflected in his pupils, and a foolish smile on his lips, as if he were completely captivated by something.

pollute?

Do we have to be corrupted by the Conch Shell spirit before we can see its exact location?

Realizing this terrifying possibility, Cheng Ye suddenly reached out and slammed his hand heavily on Rokuk's helmet.

Korokuk showed no reaction, his eyes remained vacant, and the purple light in his pupils grew stronger, as if his soul had been completely taken away. He didn't even move a finger.

"Grass!"

Cheng Ye's heart sank, and he instantly banished the thought of finding the conch shell from his mind.

If Rokuk were to perish as soon as he entered the cave, he would be left alone for the rest of the exploration, doubling the risk.

"Wake up!"

"Wake up!"

He reached out and slapped Rocuk across the face repeatedly.

However, the obsidian armor's protective layer was incredibly tough; slapping it only produced a dull "bang" sound, and it couldn't even break through the armor.

Should we destroy his armor to forcibly awaken him?

It can cause mental pollution...

After being alerted, Huang Liang was forced to become a vegetable.

Cheng Ye took a deep breath, paused, then gritted his teeth and opened his personal page.

If you don't enter the tiger's lair, you won the tiger.

Spiritual pollution doesn't kill people instantly; only a large-scale outbreak of pollution can be fatal. Since only being polluted can break through that "invisible boundary" and reveal the true Dharma, it seems there's only one path left to take.

His gaze settled on the crimson heart-protecting fire, then flashed over the evaluation at the bottom.

The extraordinary is also a walled city; for every gain, there is a loss. For ordinary extraordinary individuals, there is never the opportunity to freely jump out and enter this walled city like he does.

Just like Liu Kun, even if he could come here, he would never abandon the extraordinary Flaming Eagle forever just to see the immortal treasure.

Since the panel suggests that some sacrifices are worthwhile in order to explore more areas and gain more rewards, it is important to be mindful of the options.

Cheng Ye no longer hesitated and silently recited "uninstall" in his mind.

Wow.

The connection between the flame and the Heartfire was instantly severed as the Heartfire disappeared from the skill bar.

Ignoring the next notification that popped up on the panel, Cheng Ye felt a wave of dizziness, as if he had just woken up from a hangover. His five senses became blurred, and a cold mental force surged into his brain from between his eyebrows, distorting the scene before him.

"Hold on!"

He bit his tongue hard, using the stinging pain to barely stay awake, and dazedly raised his head to look at the lake again.
This time, the missing Wanling Earth Conch Shell reappeared in the middle of the lake!

However, its size was countless times larger than what was seen in the intelligence space, reaching tens of meters in height. The shell, shimmering with a faint purple light, resembled a small mountain or a purple sun suspended in mid-air. The golden patterns on the shell flowed, and each shimmer caused ripples in the surrounding air.

What alarmed Cheng Ye even more was that the ground around the lake was densely covered with kneeling crab-men.

Arranged in neat rows, they stretched from the lakeside into the depths of the dense forest, with no end in sight.

All the crab-men had their heads down, with only their two claws trembling slightly, as if they were on a strange "pilgrimage".

A soft murmur came from beside him. Cheng Ye turned his head again and saw that Rokuk was no longer in that foolish state, but had also turned his head, a surprised smile on his face:
"The fragments of the immortal artifact are right there!"

(End of this chapter)