He changed Tiwat

"The 'black mud' has already invaded the upper layers of the Layered Rock Abyss. I must record this situation and report it to Sister Jinwu. Damn it, I should have realized it when I smelled the asphalt..." Zhiqiong muttered to herself.

Just then, Han Fulai noticed a faint blue light.

The light was extremely faint, easily overlooked if not carefully observed. But in a place filled with black mud, that faint blue glow was exceptionally striking.

“That…is it ‘Luminite’?” Han Fulai pointed to the spot emitting a faint blue light.

Zhiqiong examined it carefully, "...maybe it is, but we obviously can't cross the black mud to bring it back."

Jinwu did indeed say that they should collect some raw "Luminite" ore and bring it back to her when they had the means. But the current situation is not a good time for mining.

"Wait a minute." Han Fulai stepped forward, holding the "Luminite" catalyst.

Sure enough, he felt the catalyst in his hand vibrate; it was the resonance produced when the catalyst met the "lumenstone".

It seems that the closer you are, the stronger the resonance will be.

Zhiqiong just said that "black mud" will corrode everything, but why does "Lumen Stone" still shine here? Does this mean that "Lumen Stone" has some special power that prevents it from being corroded by "black mud"?

He remembered that Jinwu had also said that the "lumenstone" catalyst in his hand was essentially the same as "lumenstone". So, would the "lumenstone" catalyst in his hand, which was used as a miner's lamp, also be resistant to black mud erosion?

This seems worth a try.

"Miss Zhiqiong, I remember you said that the illumination limit of this 'lumenstone' catalyst is as wide as 500 meters?" Han Fulai suddenly asked.

“Yes. But it can’t last long. Just like a crystal mining lamp, the light energy in a ‘lumen’ is also limited and cannot be wasted.” Although Zhiqiong didn’t understand why Han Fulai was asking her these questions, she still answered truthfully.

The "lumenstone" catalyst that Han Fulai is holding now has its power adjusted by Jin Wu, and it can only illuminate a range of about twenty meters around him—of course, in ordinary exploration operations, such a range of illumination is already large enough.

But Han Fulai has now decided to turn the "Lumenite" catalyst to full power.

Since this thing can absorb the immortal power in his body and convert it into light energy, as long as he has enough power, it shouldn't be a big problem to squander a little.

Han Fulai secretly channeled his immortal power and gave a soft shout.

Suddenly, a bright light shone from his hand. The "lumen" catalyst, like a man-made miniature sun, instantly illuminated an area of ​​500 meters in radius. The scorching white light made Zhiqiong, who was standing nearby, unable to resist covering her eyes.

The light lasted for less than a few seconds. As Han Fulai cut off the supply of immortal energy, the "Lumen Stone" catalyst immediately dimmed, becoming even dimmer than before it was at full power. Now it could only illuminate a distance of about ten meters.

But the effect was very obvious.

With a "poof," the purplish-black mud slab burst open like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun, turning into wisps of blue smoke.

Chapter 134 Rescuing the Missing Miners (Part 3) [4k]

When Han Fulai discovered the faint light in the black mud, which was the "Lumen Stone", he began to ponder a question: What is the power of the "Lumen Stone" to resist the erosion of the black mud?

Many properties of "lumenstone" are still unclear. Even Jinwu, the researcher from back then, did not know the specific principles of "lumenstone" formation, but he still managed to analyze some information that can be used for reference.

Jinwu had said that Lumenite is essentially just a local mineral from the Layered Rock Abyss, with a composition similar to local ores, but it has been reconstructed into a special crystal by external forces. The "Lumenite" they found in the camp earlier was transformed from white iron ore.

Her report also mentioned that this power, which transforms ordinary minerals into "lumen stone," is impartial. No matter what kind of mineral it is, after being affected by the thing at the bottom of the Abyss of Layered Rocks, it will all become the same lumen stone. Whether it's pyrite, amber, or nephrite, under this power, all things are equal—they will all become "lumen stone."

So what are the criteria for determining whether an ordinary mineral has been transformed into lumenite? Appearance? Shape? These are not the essence.

—It is light energy.

What makes Lumenite special is that it possesses light energy.

The power to resist the erosion of black mud comes from the light energy contained in "Luminite".

Light and darkness, "light energy" and "black mud"... they seem like natural enemies, making it impossible for Han Fulai not to make the connection.

So he decided to conduct an experiment to use the light energy contained in the lumen stone to dispel the black mud—and the results of the experiment told him that his conjecture was correct.

"...The basic premise of light defeating darkness seems to be the same everywhere," Han Fulai chuckled.

Han Fulai already had some vague ideas about the famous but never seen "spirit stone" and the "black mud" he had just seen.

Zhiqiong's expression right now can be described as her eyes shining – the "lumenstone" catalyst can dispel the "black mud", which is no less than discovering a new continent for her.

“This is ‘light triumphing over darkness’!” Zhiqiong exclaimed excitedly.

This means that humanity has a way to combat the "Black Mud"! The anomalies in the Layered Rock Abyss may indeed be solvable!

Moreover, the method used was a realistic "light triumphs over darkness"—which perfectly matched Zhiqiong's expectations for adventure.

She felt like the protagonist in an adventure story... a minor supporting character. But the companions of the protagonist in an adventure story can also become famous along with the protagonist!

Regardless, this was a discovery that excited her. She was now sincerely grateful to the spirit of Lord Yan in heaven for sending Hero Han to the Layered Rock Abyss.

If it weren't for the ongoing search and rescue work, she would have loved to rush back to the camp right now to tell Sister Jinwu about this great discovery.

Jiang Xue seemed completely unsurprised, maintaining his solitary and chivalrous demeanor. However, his expression was hidden beneath the black veil covering his face, and no one knew what he was thinking at that moment.

Although Han Fulai was satisfied with the experimental results, he still maintained his usual caution and examined the "lumenstone" catalyst in his hand.

After brightly shining and dispelling the "black mud," the brightness of the "lumenstone" catalyst noticeably dimmed, like a flashlight with a low battery—which is not surprising, since the light energy contained in the "lumenstone" is used, some loss is inevitable.

The key question is whether the battery of this "flashlight" can be "recharged".

Han Fulai tried to infuse the catalyst with immortal power again to adjust the brightness of the "Lumen Stone". As his immortal power was transmitted, the brightness of the "Lumen Stone" slowly returned to the visibility of about twenty meters... But at the same time, he also discovered something else - a tiny crack appeared on the "Lumen Stone".

This shows that dispelling "black mud" is not without cost; in addition to energy loss, the equipment will also suffer wear and tear.

When Jinwu handed the catalyst to Han Fulai, the brightness he set was not the maximum power, which obviously took this into consideration.

This makes perfect sense. The massive amount of light energy output just now clearly far exceeded the brightness of a "lumenstone." It's like overclocking a machine; it would be surprising if it didn't cause any wear and tear.

However, this also means that there is a limit to the number of times you can dispel the "black mud" like before. Having a "Luminite" catalyst is not enough to solve the anomaly under the Abyss.

However, Jinwu also said that if you collect enough Lumenite ore and give it to her, she can enhance this "Lumenite" catalyst.

This means that Jinwu and the others had already conducted related experiments before, and at least knew that pushing the "Lumenite" catalyst to its limit would cause damage to the equipment. This is also why she instructed Han Fulai to collect Lumenite ore when he had the capacity.

But Jinwu hadn't explained to him beforehand that the light energy of the "Luminite" could dispel the black mud. Was it because Jinwu didn't know, or was there another reason? Only by asking Jinwu could they find the answer.

In short, during this journey to rescue the miners, he had to use his "light energy" resources rather sparingly—if he damaged the catalyst while using it, it would be a fatal problem, let alone dealing with the black mud, as the dark environment of the layered rock abyss alone would be quite deadly.

"Gentlemen, let's search this camp ruin. On one hand, we'll confirm whether the black mud has been completely dispelled, and on the other hand, we can see if there are any clues here, either about Old He or about the anomaly in the Layered Rock Abyss..." Han Fulai said to the two.

Jiang Xue and Zhiqiong had no objections.

The three of them kept a distance of less than ten meters, using the light emitted by the catalyst in Han Fulai's hand as a boundary, and carefully began to explore the ruins of the camp.

The ground that had been eroded by the black mud had now returned to its original state—though saying it was the original state wouldn't be entirely accurate, since no one knew what the place originally looked like.

The ground was now remarkably smooth, as if it had been leveled by a road roller or as if a piece had been sliced ​​off out of thin air. In any case, it was distinctly different from the uneven ground elsewhere. All the various rocks and gravel that could be found everywhere in the Abyss of Layered Rocks, as well as the ruins of the miners' camps, had vanished where the black mud had passed.

After the black mud is dispersed, the things that were swallowed by the black mud will not return to their original state, but will disappear along with the black mud.

However, this was to be expected. Even if there were any clues left here before, they would have been destroyed long ago after being eroded by the black mud. The main reason Han Fulai proposed to explore this place was to confirm whether there were any remnants of black mud and what kind of impact the areas eroded by the black mud would have. As for finding clues, that was just a formality.

But perhaps Zhiqiong was very lucky, or perhaps Lao He was very experienced, because Zhiqiong found a tent that hadn't completely collapsed at the edge of the camp. Inside the tent was a rather eye-catching wooden box wrapped in brightly colored cloth strips. Next to the box, stones were arranged in the shape of an arrow.

In short, the idea is to make it immediately clear that there are clues inside the wooden box.

They opened the wooden box, inside which was a small booklet that looked like an account book.

Although the wooden box was relatively well sealed, the Abyss of Strata had been closed for several years, and the relatively humid environment was very unfavorable for the preservation of paper. The paper used for this booklet was also not of very good quality; it had already become moldy and rotten.

Zhiqiong put down the birdcage in her hand, squatted down, and picked up the booklet.

As soon as she picked up the booklet, rotten pages immediately fell off. Zhiqiong quickly loosened her grip, afraid of tearing the booklet apart.

Although the cover of the booklet is already blurred, the character "何" can still be made out.

"This is Old He's miner's log! Old He really isn't dead!" Zhiqiong exclaimed.

"...This only proves that he was still alive when he left the log." Although it was unpleasant to hear, Han Fulai still rationally said this to Zhiqiong.

“Old He has been missing for several years, and the hope that he is still alive is already slim, not to mention that ‘black mud’ has appeared in this camp. Even if Old He has the ability to fill his stomach at the bottom of this giant rock abyss, there’s no guarantee that he won’t encounter black mud somewhere else…”

This was Han Fulai deliberately trying to dampen Zhiqiong's spirits.

Qi Ding had only been missing for a little over ten hours, while Lao He had been missing for several years. It was obvious which one had a better chance of surviving.

Furthermore, when they took the elevator to the Blackrock Factory camp, they didn't see Old He or any clues he left behind. If Old He really had been living under this giant rock abyss all along and was capable of leaving a miner's log here, why didn't he go to the main area of ​​the Blackrock Factory mining area to leave clues that he was still alive?

They could hold onto hope that Lao He was still alive, but the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Right now, they still needed to find Qi Ding and couldn't afford to spend too much time on Lao He. If Zhiqiong acted impulsively because of this discovery and thought about searching for Lao He, not only would it cause trouble, but more importantly, it could easily lead to danger.

The discovery of Lumenite and Black Mud in this abandoned camp proves that the Layered Rock Abyss underwent a far-reaching transformation during the period of mine closure, even affecting the original Blackrock Factory mining area.

Whether the path in Zhiqiong's memory is safe is now a big question mark.

“…I know.” Zhiqiong bit her lip. “Don’t worry, I know what I should do.”

She gently flipped through the miner's logbook, using the light from the lumen stone to examine its contents.

The beginning of the log was filled with mining records. Zhiqiong flipped to the last few pages, where the last part of the log contained a few paragraphs.

Although some content was missing due to paper damage, Zhiqiong managed to read out the more crucial parts:

"...The light is dimming...My crystal lamp will probably last for another four hours...We don't have much food left. I can still find the water filter by memory, but we need to find a light source as soon as possible."

"...Seeing fluorescent light floating, or even moving? It might be a hallucination caused by lack of oxygen..."

The log ended abruptly there, the latter half of which had been torn out. If it was Old He who did it, it was clearly to save paper—Old He probably left his record here and then took the rest of the log to look for a light source and a water filter.

Jinwu's words were true; Lao He was indeed a survival expert in the mines, with a wealth of experience. Even when trapped inside a mine, he was able to plan his survival resources in a remarkably organized manner and leave clues for any potential rescue teams.

But why didn't he try to leave some records at the main mining area of ​​Black Rock Factory?

If Lao He still had food and his miner's lamp could last for four hours when he left the message, he could have gone to the main mining camp to find resources and left similar messages there as well. That would have greatly increased his chances of being rescued.

What was his reason for being unable to return to the main mining area? Or was it related to the "moving fluorescence" mentioned at the end of the log?

Han Fulai pondered silently.

“Water filter… water filter…” Zhiqiong put down the logbook and took out a map from her backpack. “I remember the water filter is in this location. There should also be an ore warehouse over there, where there might be spare headlamps stored… Hmm, this is it.”

Zhiqiong tapped another location on the map, and judging from the direction, it should be on their route.

Liyue has many underground water veins, and the Laminaria is no exception. In fact, they had crossed an underground river on their journey.

However, the groundwater in the deep abyss contains many impurities and is not drinkable directly; it must be filtered. The miners installed water filters near the water source in the mining area. Without surface support, Lao He had no choice but to rely on the filters to obtain drinking water.

There's no water source in the main mining area, so there's no water filter either. It seems Old He didn't go to the main mining area because he needed to secure a water source. Looking at the map, the water source is located deeper within the Layered Rock Abyss, and also closer to the location of the "Spirit Stone."

"This is the next place we'll explore." Zhiqiong silently confirmed the route in her mind, then put Lao He's log and map into her backpack. "Let's go!"

Zhiqiong picked up the birdcage from the ground and was about to take a step when Han Fulai grabbed her shoulder.

"and many more."

He held up the lumenite catalyst and walked in front of Zhiqiong.

“Ms. Zhiqiong, you can just give directions. I’ll lead the way. I’ll decide how to proceed after that.” Han Fulai’s tone left no room for argument. “Also, I think it would be best if we kept a loose formation, a few meters apart.”

"I'll cover the rear," Jiang Xue replied simply.

"...I know you want to protect me, but I'm an adventurer after all! And I'm actually very alert. Even if monsters appear again, I can spot them in advance!" Zhiqiong was somewhat dissatisfied. After all, she was the guide who knew this Rocky Abyss best, and she was also an adventurer. How could she be considered an adventurer if she was being protected by others the whole time?

"It's not because of the monsters." Han Fulai shook his head.

"Huh?" Zhiqiong tilted her head in confusion.

"It's to keep people away," Han Fulai said.

"Who?" Zhiqiong was even more puzzled. Apart from the two missing miners who might still be alive, there were only the three members of their search and rescue team in this giant rock abyss. Who was he wary of? It couldn't be Sister Jinwu, could it?

“Qi Ding. And also, who might be with Qi Ding?” Han Fulai replied.

Chapter 135 Rescuing the Missing Miners (Part 4) [4k]

"Beware of Qi Ding... and... people who might be with Qi Ding?"

Zhiqiong was full of questions. They came to search for Qi Ding, so what were they worried about with Qi Ding? Besides, only Qi Ding was missing. Who else could be with Qi Ding?

"There are countless rules for going down the mine, but safety is the most important. Make sure you have the right equipment, and bring your miner's lamp and a hawk." Han Fulai suddenly recited the miner's safety rhyme that Ke Qing had taught him.

“Uh…” Zhiqiong was even more confused.

“Safety equipment is necessary when going down into the mine, especially in the Abyss of Layered Rocks.” Han Fulai shook the “Luminol” catalyst in his hand and pointed to the birdcage in Zhiqiong’s hand. The little magpie in the cage seemed to agree and flapped its wings, making a “chirp chirp” sound.

Zhiqiong didn't understand, but she still nodded.

"Without a miner's lamp, Miss Zhiqiong, could you find the location of the 'spirit stone' by relying on your memory in the dark?" Han Fulai asked.

“Impossible.” Zhiqiong shook her head. “The environment of the Layered Rock Abyss is complex. In addition to the tunnels dug by miners to mine ore, there are also many naturally formed cliffs and underground rivers. Without light, let alone finding a way, a slight misstep could lead to instant death.”

"Yes, that's why Lao He mentioned in his log that he was going to find a new light source."

Han Fulai nodded and asked another question: "Miss Zhiqiong, you have a very keen sense of smell, so why do you still carry a magpie with you at all times?"

"Because some toxic gases in the mine are odorless, even the most experienced miners may not be able to smell the problem. But the condition of these little magpies... can provide warning signs for the miners."

Zhiqiong glanced at the birdcage in her hand. Although it sounded cruel, the reason the miners fed these little finches and took them down into the mines was because their deaths could serve as a warning to humans.