Mei Niang spoke so quickly that before Li Chonglou could fully process her words, she had already moved on to the next point.
"But this paradise is also hell as the words suggest. Due to long-term closure, the spiritual energy within is so dense that merely breathing it in, for those whose cultivation is insufficient, could cause them to explode on the spot."
Li Chonglou's eyes widened in surprise.
"This is also easy to understand. It's like how we breathe oxygen from the air without issue, but if the oxygen concentration is too high, we can get oxygen intoxication, and severe cases can be fatal. Spiritual energy is inherently more potent than oxygen, so this shouldn't be hard to grasp, right?"
Li Chonglou nodded.
"Second point, well, let me combine it with the third. Precisely because of this situation, although we've known about the underground world for a long time, the area we've actually explored is estimated to be less than one ten-thousandth. About ninety percent of the places remain a mystery to us."
"And of the remaining ten percent, it's not entirely safe. Within that ten percent, perhaps only one percent is habitable for us, which is the camp the captain mentioned earlier."
Li Chonglou's brow furrowed slightly as he asked, "Then what about those so-called invaders you mentioned earlier?"
Mei Niang glared at him again, clearly displeased at being interrupted.
"Why are you in such a hurry? I was just about to explain!"
Alright, Li Chonglou spread his hands, indicating he would remain silent. Mei Niang then continued, "Those invaders were originally people like us, but their ideals differed from ours."
As she spoke, Mei Niang suddenly pointed to the stone door nearby. "You see those markings? The seal on the surface was left by our ancestors, but in reality, there's another layer within that is naturally formed."
"Simply put, the underground world and our surface world are fundamentally incompatible, much like fresh water and seawater. Our intention is to use the seawater only when necessary, but those lunatics aim to transform the entire world into a world of the sea."
Li Chong楼 instantly understood.
"So, the so-called invaders are essentially a faction of madmen who stayed inside? They've been trying to break through this seal and release the spiritual energy from within?"
Mei Niang nodded. After all, the person who spoke earlier had mentioned a few things, so Li Chonglou's quick understanding didn't surprise her.
"Therefore, to protect the seal, we voluntarily established an organization whose sole purpose is to guard against these individuals year-round. The Red Coast came into being this way."
Li Chonglou expressed some confusion. "Then what about the General Bureau? Shouldn't the General Bureau be responsible for something like this?"
Mei Niang chuckled. "Do you think this first door just disappeared on its own? In the past, it took considerable effort to open it. It was an inside mole from the General Bureau who broke the seal of the guards, leading to all the subsequent events."
Li Chonglou fell silent, having never anticipated this.
"However, the higher-ups in the General Bureau were not complicit. To compensate, they not only relinquished control over entry and exit but also voluntarily dispatched personnel to establish the camp, where the environment is a hundred times more dangerous than outside! It's like that, I suppose. With the camp's existence over the years, those individuals have basically been unable to break out."
Li Chonglou was about to speak again, but Mei Niang cut him off. "Alright, enough with the unnecessary talk. Your first mission upon entering is to obey orders and repel those invading fellows."
"After completing the mission, there will be a period of free activity. You can seek your own opportunities, or you can court death by leaving the safe zone."
As she uttered the words "court death," Mei Niang actually showed a hint of anticipation towards him. Li Chonglou couldn't help but inwardly grumble.
Court death? You won't see me doing that in this lifetime!
Seeing Li Chonglou's lack of response, Mei Niang immediately turned and urged him, "Alright, if there are no more questions, follow me in now. Remember, I am your guide. You are not yet qualified to act independently. You must listen to me in everything. Do you understand!"
"Oh."
Mei Niang chuckled and headed directly towards the cave entrance. Li Chonglou naturally followed.
Inside was an ordinary cave passage, but it was not equipped with any lights. Navigation relied entirely on sensing the path ahead.
Mei Niang's voice suddenly rang out again. "Kid, I hope you don't have any wicked ideas. If you violate the rules, at best, you'll be permanently barred from entering the underground world again. At worst, you'll become a target for everyone in our alliance until you disappear from this world completely!"
Li Chonglou's eyebrows immediately shot up.
"Mei Niang, I'm serious too. I'm really not the type to court death."
"I hope so."
Li Chonglou thought for a moment and then asked, "Mei Niang, can I ask you one more question?"
"Pay up."
Li Chonglou immediately shut his mouth.
Although he hadn't possessed blood crystals yet, they seemed like incredibly valuable items, possibly holding a higher status than jewelry and gold in reality!
He had already accumulated a debt of ten units before even obtaining them, so he figured he should at least recoup his initial investment first!
This passage seemed very long, or perhaps it was because he couldn't see the path, that Mei Niang proceeded with extreme caution and slowness. This gave Li Chonglou time to organize his thoughts.
Anyone else suddenly presented with this information would not be able to fully process it immediately. Fortunately, Li Chonglou had considerable experience, and piecing together the previous events gradually brought clarity.
Firstly, there was the forbidden zone that Wu Long had mentioned to him. If nothing went wrong, Li Chonglou guessed it was this ancient underground world. However, there was a contradiction.
According to Wu Long, one had to compete for a spot to enter. But why could he simply come along and participate in a mission?
The only explanation Li Chonglou could think of for this contradiction was the Wu family. It seemed that the driver who brought him here was likely from the Wu family, and his ability to enter might be related to them.
This was precisely what he had wanted to ask earlier, but as Mei Niang kept demanding money, he hesitated to ask casually.
Even so, this contradiction couldn't be fully explained. Wu Long was also from the Wu family, and theoretically, it should be much easier for him to enter directly than for an outsider like Li Chonglou. Why would he need to contend for a spot?
This question was currently an unsolvable puzzle for Li Chonglou, and he had to set it aside for now.
Besides this, several other points remained difficult to comprehend.
For instance, for such a significant place with such responsibilities, why was it only after he entered the East District and arrived at the port that he learned of it? Why was there no information about it within the circles of Shangjing?
Crucially, as an outsider, he knew all this without having done anything. Was there some hidden reason behind it?
Furthermore, had all the experts of level seven and above in Shangjing also entered? Why was there no news of this in the circles?