Chapter 16: The Gate of the Underground Chamber

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Thanks to the help of the cyclops, their journey progressed at a remarkably swift pace. As they conversed, they soon neared their destination. At last, after passing through a dense thicket once more, a small clearing came into view.

“This is the place!” the Whispering Grimoire exclaimed excitedly.

The cyclops gently set the two down and grumbled, “Dagang’s a bit hungry. I’ll go find some food and be back soon.”

Rising to its massive feet, it strode toward the forest on one side.

Qin Yuan watched the enormous silhouette of the cyclops gradually fade into the distance.

“Let’s go,” the Whispering Grimoire floated ahead, taking the lead in a determined manner.

Guiding Feather, Qin Yuan followed closely behind, with the grimoire scouting ahead, occasionally glancing around their surroundings.

They had now reached the heart of the forest. Along the way, Qin Yuan had even spotted a wild beast of level five from afar.

They would need to exercise utmost caution...

Qin Yuan thought silently.

Throughout the journey, the Whispering Grimoire appeared to be searching for certain landmarks from its memories, keeping its gaze fixed on the ground as it meticulously sought something.

After a while, it stopped moving.

Then, standing beside it, Qin Yuan heard the grimoire begin to chant in a low, sonorous voice, reciting words he could not comprehend.

Moments later, a patch of earth on the ground started to emit a faint glow.

After flickering briefly, the light vanished into thin air, revealing a stone staircase leading downward.

“Once we go down, we’ll arrive at the ‘Gate of the Earthhole,’” the grimoire said.

Hearing this, Qin Yuan stepped forward and descended the stairs.

The interior space was somewhat narrow, yet it did not feel gloomy.

Embedded in the stone walls on either side were luminous stones that emitted a gentle, warm light.

These stones radiated a soft, soothing glow.

Later, he thought, he might as well take a few to keep at home—there were plenty here, and a few wouldn’t be missed...

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Looking downward along the glowing path, the view was enveloped by layers of descending steps, stretching beyond sight.

“By the way, what’s the story with that cyclops earlier?” Qin Yuan recalled the earlier encounter and glanced at the Whispering Grimoire.

“That involves a core secret of this forest,” the grimoire replied slowly after a moment’s reflection.

“Oh?” Qin Yuan’s interest was piqued.

“The world we live in, besides the main realm known as the Soul Spirit Land, also has several companion worlds, such as the Elven Realm, the Undead Realm, and the Elemental Realm.”

“This forest, in fact, lies at the boundary between the Soul Spirit Land and the Cyclops Realm.”

“The Cyclops Realm is a decaying world on the brink of destruction. Its root cause is the corruption of its ‘World Tree’ by a certain ‘Abyssal Overlord,’ which led to severe afflictions.”

“The old man originally established a base here to study the current state of the Cyclops Realm. He once brought me through a rift in space-time to visit there.”

“That place is heavily polluted; the land is rife with mid- to high-level abyssal creatures. Any wild beast encountered is easily above level ten.”

“Cyclopes, as high-level beings, reach levels above twenty when fully matured. They were once the royal lineage of the Cyclops Realm. Due to the contamination of their world, they had no choice but to seek refuge in the Soul Spirit Land. Eventually, under the guidance of the ‘Sacred Dragon,’ a new small world was carved out for their survival.”

“As part of the price, generations of cyclopes must take turns guarding this place, monitoring the barrier between the two realms.”

“Dagang is one such guardian. When he was young, his father brought him here. At the time, the old man was also here, so they became acquainted.”

“As a watcher, he must guard alone for at least three centuries before another cyclops arrives to relieve him. Of course, cyclopes have an average lifespan exceeding fifteen hundred years, truly a long-lived species. This rotation is but a small segment of their lives.”

“Furthermore, to protect the forest’s ecosystem, Dagang is forbidden from actively harming other creatures.”

“Cyclopes rarely consume flesh; they favor wild fruits instead. Moreover, once such advanced beings reach their first stage of growth, they no longer require food as a necessity—simply absorbing certain elements from the air suffices to sustain their energy needs...”

As they spoke, an archway finally appeared at the end of their sight.

This must be the so-called “Gate of the Earthhole”...

Qin Yuan braced himself and gently pushed the gate open.

Before him unfolded an immense underground chamber.

Ahead lay a vast, bright subterranean rainforest, lush with verdant foliage.

The sky above was not dull or gray but instead adorned with countless tiny points of light resembling stars.

If one didn’t know better, they might believe themselves beneath a beautiful rainforest night sky.

“What are those star-like lights in the sky?” Qin Yuan asked.

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Qin Yuan felt like an insatiably curious child, with questions coming one after another.

He couldn’t help it—his knowledge of this world was scant, and having finally found someone willing to patiently explain, it was natural he would ask many questions.

That said, though the Whispering Grimoire had answered so much, it showed no sign of impatience.

“They are creatures called Radiant Starbugs, common in underground regions,” the grimoire said, casting its gaze toward a gently flowing stream nearby. There, a creature somewhat akin to a sika deer was resting and drinking.

“All the life here is friendly. They won’t provoke you, and there’s no danger. Let’s proceed—the Magic Spring lies at the center.”

Qin Yuan also noticed the small animal.

...

[Meiyi Deer (LV 0): A common ornamental creature.]

...

Level zero... Did that mean it provided no experience points? Or just a negligible amount?

Following a stone path through the rainforest, Qin Yuan ventured deeper.

He saw many wild beasts living here; none feared humans. Even when encountering him, they would only glance over before continuing on their way.

He also noticed that Feather seemed quite fond of this place, circling overhead for a while. After confirming there was no danger, it soon disappeared without a trace, leaving him to wonder where it had gone.

For now, Qin Yuan paid it no mind.

At the path’s end, they finally arrived.

It was a small pool, its water a faint milky white. Under the glow of the fireflies above, it shimmered softly.

Visible to the naked eye was a faint white mist, rising continuously from the pool’s surface toward the sky.

Just a distant inhalation of the drifting vapor filled Qin Yuan with a refreshing serenity, as if his entire body relaxed and much of the fatigue from the journey melted away.

Here was the Magic Spring the Whispering Grimoire had spoken of all along.