Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Helping Out
“`
Underground, ten feet deep.
In the long tunnel, Wang Chen was energetically digging forward.
Large chunks of mud and stones, excavated with a specially made tool, disappeared without a trace.
Once the mud filled a storage bag measuring a cubic zhang, Wang Chen would stop, apply the Mudstone Technique to solidify the newly dug tunnel walls into firm, thick rock.
Then he would return to the surface to empty the storage bag.
In this repeated cycle, the tunnel grew longer and longer.
The passage connected to a previously constructed underground chamber and, according to Wang Chen’s plan, its exit would be in a forest some six to seven hundred meters from his home.
But it wasn’t meant to be a real escape route.
The sudden appearance of Lv Defang that day had caused Wang Chen to suffer from severe “persecutory delusions.”
He felt that the “Doomsday Bunker” he had envisioned was no longer as safe as he had thought.
So, Wang Chen altered the blueprint.
He planned to continue digging down, going dozens of meters deeper to create a second or even a third chamber.
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One layer within another, like a cunning rabbit’s multiple burrows, mixing the real with the false!
As for the tunnel he was currently digging, it would serve as a temporary escape route, and later as a means to confuse any enemies.
Not only that, he planned to dig several more tunnels just like this one.
To create a labyrinth!
In this way, should he ever encounter an unstoppable danger, and if enemies pursued him underground, his present efforts would become his capital for future self-rescue. He deemed it wholly worthwhile to invest time and energy for this.
Crack!
Suddenly, the pickaxe struck something hard.
Wang Chen scraped away the soil and discovered what seemed like a large rock buried in front of him.
Blocking his path.
Immediately, he swung his palm out with a “Petrify to Mud” to forcefully dig through it.
Changing direction was out of the question, for even the hardest rock could not withstand the might of the Great Achievement-level Mudstone Technique!
Under the influence of his mana, the originally solid rock instantly became crumbly.
And Wang Chen easily dug through it.
However, to his surprise, his next strike hit an empty space!
Dirt crumbled away to reveal a pitch-black tunnel.
Huh?
Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.
He quickly grabbed a luminous stone lamp and shone it around, discovering that this tunnel was both long and narrow.
Its walls were clearly solidified using the Mudstone Technique.
Holy shit!
Wang Chen slapped his forehead hard.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this tunnel must have been dug by his neighbor Old Sun.
The exit was probably in the woods over there.
Could this be any more coincidental?
Wang Chen was speechless—how could they have stumbled upon each other like this?
The odds were almost like winning the lottery!
While feeling a mix of amusement and disbelief, he also felt a bit guilty, as if he had accidentally discovered someone else’s big secret.
After pondering for a while, Wang Chen backed out of the tunnel.
He took some soil from the storage bag to refill the passage, then solidified it back into rock.
Retreating about ten meters, Wang Chen continued to dig downward.
Passing underneath Old Sun’s tunnel.
The forest area was large, after all, so having several exits was no problem.
Dig! Dig! Dig!
He was like a diligent mole, continuing his excavation in the underground darkness.
Time passed day by day like this.
As the cold fronts from the north began to affect the Heaven Cloud Mountain range and the weather grew colder.
Wang Chen’s subterranean construction project finally came to a temporary halt.
The foundational work of the redesigned “Doomsday Bunker” was complete.
There were still many details that needed filling in.
But Wang Chen was quite satisfied with his own work.
He hoped that this would allow him to spend the winter safely and peacefully!
“`
As the rice planted in early autumn was nearing maturity, he devoted some of his time back to the Spirit Fields.
Lately, Wang Chen had no extra income, and Spirit Stones were not known to last.
The winter rice harvest was still very important.
One day, as Wang Chen was working in the fields, a horse-drawn carriage came down the path.
The bearded driver shouted, “Immortal Master Wang!”
Wang Chen waved and smiled, “Brother Wei.”
It was Wei Xiong.
Since their paths had crossed twice before, this Innate Martial Artist from the Outer Domain made regular visits every now and then.
To help him with some farm work and such.
Of course, Wang Chen didn’t allow Wei Xiong to work for free and had him bring things from the city.
Although Cloud Sun City was open to Loose Cultivators.
Entering the city required a fee of one Low Spirit Stone.
For many Loose Cultivators, this fee was undoubtedly a heavy burden.
As an Outer Sect Disciple of the Cloud Sun sect, Wang Chen could enter the city for free, so it was a mutual benefit.
Thus arose their frequent interactions, and the two were now quite familiar with each other.
Wang Chen felt that Wei Xiong’s personality suited his taste well, and it was nice to have such a friend.
However, Wei Xiong rarely brought his sister along.
But today, he saw the young girl sitting in the back of the carriage.
Wang Chen went over to invite the brother and sister to sit at his home.
“Ahem!”
Wei Xiong then coughed twice and said to the girl, “Lotus, keep an eye on the carriage and don’t run off. I have something to discuss with Immortal Master Wang.”
The girl nodded, appearing very well behaved and obedient.
It was then that Wang Chen learned her name was Lotus—a pleasant-sounding name.
After settling down inside the house, Wei Xiong seemed to have just made an important decision and said gravely, “Immortal Master Wang, I have a favor to ask of you.”
Seeing his serious expression, Wang Chen earnestly asked, “What is it?”
Wei Xiong took out a dusty small bag from his chest and placed it in front of Wang Chen.
Wang Chen was momentarily startled, “A Storage Bag?”
He was all too familiar with this bag; it was the most commonly used Storage Bag by Cultivators.
“Yes.”
Wei Xiong licked his lips and said, “I’d like you to help me open it. You can pick one, no, two things inside.”
His gaze towards Wang Chen held a tinge of nervousness.
Wang Chen smiled, “That’s easy. I’ll open it for you, you don’t need to give me anything.”
Storage Bags qualified as Magic Artifacts, which only Cultivators who had cultivated Mana could fully open.
Since Wei Xiong was an Innate Martial Artist, he couldn’t retrieve the items within.
Unless he destroyed the Storage Bag forcefully.
But if he did so, the Storage Bag would be completely ruined, and the contents might also be damaged in the process.
Wang Chen didn’t know where Wei Xiong had gotten the Storage Bag from.
But he was certain that Wei Xiong must not have wanted to damage it, hence bringing it to him for help.
There must have been some intense internal debate beforehand.
This was entirely understandable.
As the saying goes, wealth moves the heart, and an unclaimed Storage Bag could contain untold treasures.
Their friendship also wasn’t very deep.
Wang Chen felt that Wei Xiong had a considerable amount of trust in his character.
Or perhaps he was willing to take a gamble.
Wang Chen reached for the Storage Bag, injected Mana to break the seal, and took out all of the contents one by one.
Spirit Stones, Spirit Rice, dried meat, Talismans, weapons, clothes…
An assortment of items!
Wang Chen handed the emptied Storage Bag back to Wei Xiong, “Everything is here now.”
Wei Xiong had a strange look on his face, “Aren’t you going to ask where I got this Storage Bag from?”
Wang Chen, “Where did it come from?”
The two looked at each other, one with wide eyes and the other with small ones, and both laughed.
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