Chapter 132: Someone Underground

The mountain shook, and I quickly retreated. Fortunately, the peak did not collapse; only a few cracks appeared in the soil on the surface. It seemed that to find this golden stone, one must begin excavating from the very top of the peaks. Each of these mountains is quite tall—some stand vertically, others form massive, solid masses stretching for kilometers, and some are slender at the bottom and thick at the top. It was clear that before starting the work, we needed a brief meeting. With over four hundred thousand Avian people, we had no reason to fear failing to bring down these mountains!

Moreover, felling these peaks had its advantages: first, it would create more space, and second, we could build a city wall here, much like the World Alliance. Beyond the perimeter of Wanyou Valley, there were countless other mountain ranges, so there was no risk of running out of peaks to excavate. I headed toward the plaza. Upon arriving, I saw the dense crowd of Avian people already gathered, whispering and discussing among themselves. As soon as they saw me, they fell silent, much like students in a classroom upon the teacher's arrival.

The strategist stood on a platform in front of the crowd. I walked up, and he stepped aside to make room for me. Without a microphone, I was worried the Avians in the back wouldn't hear me, so I channeled my inner energy and cleared my throat. Surprisingly, it worked—the volume was far higher than any microphone, and a few birds in the valley were startled, flapping their wings as they flew away.

I cleared my throat again and addressed them: "I have gathered you all here because there is an important announcement. The strategist and I have discovered a golden stone that produces powerful explosions. We must collect as much of this stone as possible to manufacture weapons."

I paused, and the Avians began whispering again. One asked, "King of the Avians, why do we need weapons? Didn't the strategist say you had subdued the demon fox?"

"That is correct; the matter of the demon fox is resolved. However, reports from the strategist's scouts indicate that external forces intend to annex our tribe, so we must grow stronger to resist our enemies!" It seemed the Avians lacked any sense of caution, perhaps due to their long, mundane lives. If someone lives in peace for too long, they lose sight of danger. To instill a sense of vigilance, they would need to experience a battlefield, but now was not the time. Given their current physical condition, I feared they wouldn't even be able to defeat a Level 3 zombie.

The Avians fell silent, waiting for me to continue. The strategist chimed in, "Indeed, if we do not strengthen ourselves quickly, the Avian tribe will likely face annihilation in the near future!"

I nodded. "As the strategist says, now that I have assumed the position of the Avian King, I will never watch my people be slaughtered. Give me half a month, and I will train you into an elite force. Before then, everyone must take action: dig up the mountains and find the golden stones."

As the Avians began to murmur again, I told the strategist, "You arrange it. Have them start digging from the peaks. I am going to the Myriad Demon Grotto and will return before noon."

The strategist acknowledged this and continued to instruct the crowd: "The King has business elsewhere; I will now arrange how we shall proceed."

I utilized the 'Dancing Mountains and Rivers' technique, moving rapidly through the intricate ravines of Wanyou Valley. While not as fast as wind-flight, it was significantly quicker than pushing my base abilities to their limit; at this speed, I could arrive in about ten minutes. The wind roared in my ears, stinging my eyes, so I quickly condensed a protective barrier. The barrier could change into any shape I desired, so I formed it to fit my eyes like goggles.

Before long, I reached the Myriad Demon Grotto. The Reincarnation Cauldron was still there, but my master was gone. I assumed the problem with the demon had been thoroughly resolved, and he had returned home. I left the grotto and went to the cave where he lived. The wooden door was wide open, and he was nowhere to be found. I figured he was likely hunting in the mountains or catching fish by the river. Since the demonic threat was handled, I decided to move him to Wanyou Valley; he was getting on in years and deserved to enjoy some peace.

I went to the spot where we usually fished, but he wasn't there either. Looking at the endless layers of mountains in the distance, I sat on a rock, feeling a bit sullen, and lit a cigarette. Should I wait for him, or return to Wanyou Valley to check on the progress? I was impatient to acquire the golden stone. If I could forge it into bullets and arrows, and have these Avians attack from the air, I could easily annex other factions. How many warriors could withstand hundreds of thousands of air troops?

At this thought, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Long ago, I had wondered if I could establish an armory on the Continent of Gods and Demons. I had over two thousand rounds left for my revolver, but they would run out eventually. Although the handgun’s base attack power was low, its power became formidable when infused with inner or demonic energy. Now that I had discovered this strange stone, I had to seize the opportunity to build a powerful force of my own.

A grand ambition to dominate the world began to sprout in my heart. I flicked away the cigarette butt and decided to head back to Wanyou Valley, planning to pick up my master later. I had run less than a kilometer when I heard faint, chaotic noises coming from afar. I stopped and pricked up my ears; indeed, people were talking.

But the sound seemed to be coming from underground. That was impossible—how could there be people beneath the earth? I listened carefully for a while, but the sound was intermittent. Even with all my attention focused on my hearing, I could barely catch a trace of it. I laid down and pressed my ear against the ground. The sound was confirmed: it was definitely coming from below.

I knocked on the ground, but it felt solid. How could this be? Was I hallucinating? It was a shame I didn't have X-ray vision. Strange things happened every day, but today was especially odd—first the explosive stones, and now voices from underground! I had a strong curiosity, and I wanted to see if there really were people down there.

I released my spiritual sense, using the same method I used to probe my own body. I pushed a sliver of my consciousness into the earth. I wasn't sure if it would work—I had never tried this before, nor had I ever heard of anyone else using 'spiritual sense.' I had always suspected I might be the only one who possessed it. At first, the sense couldn't penetrate the soil, but I stubbornly pushed harder, and this time, I succeeded. My vision followed the consciousness into the earth, going deeper and deeper. About two fathoms down, the sense broke through the soil. It was indeed hollow beneath. When I saw what was down there, I knew my guess was correct: there were people underground.