"...Did you understand? That's the experience I had during the three months I disappeared, though it only felt like a few days to me. This proves that I had already adapted to the time distortion when I was outside the mountain range."

Wu Liang casually explained the situation with a few words.

Considering that this Stone Slab could attract the Ghost Compendium, it makes sense that someone like me, possessing the Ghost Compendium, wouldn't succumb to the time distortion.

But there's no way to explain the existence of the Ghost Compendium to them, so I can only say that I've adapted to the time distortion.

"Besides, if I want, you absolutely can't stop me from snatching this thing, so why bother?"

Swoosh—

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of Mist erupted from Wu Liang's body, and he instantly vanished in front of everyone.

The next second he reappeared, standing next to the burly team captain, holding that peculiar Stone Slab Fragment in his hand.

Patting the captain on the shoulder, Wu Liang sighed and said, "Sigh... Don't worry, we're on the same side. Lead the way to that cave. Maybe we can get you out of here."

He was currently eager to find a method for leaving this Space.

After all, the murder of those ten lunatics in the village made Wu Liang worried about whether Taohua Village would soon become unsafe too. The longer his mother stayed there, the more dangerous it became.

Seeing his indifferent demeanor, the exploration team exchanged glances.

"Uh, whether or not to say it, if Director Long's words before the departure about 'doing his own thing' were true, then this reporter comrade is most likely the real deal," Xiaoling sighed.

She could tell that even if they didn't lead Wu Liang, he would definitely leave them in the forest, carrying the Stone Slab on his own to find that cave.

The decision was actually up to them alone.

Wu Liang didn't care at all whether they followed along or not.

"Let's go then. He's already said so much, we can't be stubborn anymore, right?" The burly team captain shrugged.

He didn't mind that Wu Liang had snatched the Stone Slab from his hands, after all, he knew more and was stronger.

With that, he quickly stepped forward.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Wu Liang, he guided him towards the cave where the Stone Slab was found.

......

......

This journey took them from day to midnight.

After all, the exploration team had not died upon entering; they had genuinely explored this seemingly endless forest for some time before approaching close to the vicinity of Taohua Village, where the incidents occurred.

So the distance to the cave from here was already quite far.

"That tree up ahead is the one," Xiaoling pointed at a tree towering above its peers not far away.

Her PDA had a feature for recording routes, which she had modified to help them map paths in the absence of clear markers.

"A tree hollow? A cave?"

Getting closer, Wu Liang was astonished.

The towering tree's circumference required at least a dozen people to circle it; standing next to it, one was as tiny as an ant. In the center was a dark hollow entrance, ominous and unsettling.

The tree hollow was over three meters tall, but the edges weren't just tree bark; they bore marks reminiscent of artificially excavated structures found in caverns or mines. Looking up, the interior was indeed a stone cave.

What seemed like a tree hollow was actually a mountain cave.

No wonder the exploration team referred to it as a strange cave; it probably defied the same physical Laws as the cave Wu Liang entered on Bogda Peak.

"Reporter Comrade, there's something we must warn you about." The burly team captain approached, seeing Wu Liang's eager posture. "Once inside, your mind becomes progressively slower, and if you stay too long, even your memory will be affected."

The team members all nodded in agreement.

They remembered that shortly after entering the cave, their minds began to lag, hesitating for several seconds even to decide which foot to step with first.

Just as they were about to head back, they noticed an odd Stone Slab embedded in the wall ahead. Despite their increasingly dulled senses, they managed to extract it with great effort.

Unfortunately, after much research, they found no use for it aside from being unbreakable.

They decided to bring it back as an unusual material, perhaps for the research institute to test, which inadvertently provided them the opportunity to meet Wu Liang again.

"Then you wait by the entrance, don't become a burden; I'll go in alone," Wu Liang said casually, turning to enter the cave.

The plump man immediately stopped him, saying, "Reporter Comrade, it's too dangerous to go alone. At least tie this on if you don't want us to follow."

He pulled out a bloodstained nylon rope from his backpack and handed it over.

Tying it around Wu Liang's waist, he explained, "This rope is a Supernatural Object, extending up to a thousand meters. It will lengthen as you advance. If it stops growing, it indicates that you're not moving."

"If you haven't moved in over three minutes, we'll assume you've lost consciousness and pull you out immediately."

Once precautions were in place, the entire exploration team resolutely saluted Wu Liang.

A sign of respect for the brave.

Having entered once, they understood the danger of not having a companion in such circumstances.

The reporter comrade not letting them follow was ostensibly due to concern about hindrance, but in reality, it was likely out of concern for their safety.

Turns out he's not as heartless as Director Long claimed!

"Alright then, I'm going in."

Wu Liang shrugged somewhat inexplicably, not understanding why this group suddenly saluted him.

Concerned? Not at all.

He truly thought they'd be a nuisance, especially concerning the Ghost Compendium — they absolutely couldn't be allowed to follow.

Crunch—

He turned and stepped into the cave, hearing the familiar crunch of footfalls on thick snow.

Looking around, he found the pitch-black cave was indeed blanketed with snow, identical to Bogda Peak!

As he walked further, observing the surroundings, the sounds around him gradually faded. It was as if all external interference was removed from the world, leaving only his footsteps, heartbeat, and breath.

Wu Liang could feel it—

The source that had been attracting the Ghost Compendium, the source of the Attractive Object, lay at the deepest part of the cave!

This time, it's not leading somewhere else!

It's waiting for him right there!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.