Chapter 218: Giant Rock Dragon |
"Because it was too dark inside at the time, I didn't dare go too deep. However, I can confirm there was definitely an underground river inside. Moreover, I even heard a sound similar to snoring. That sound was very loud inside the underground karst cave. I didn't dare stay longer and came straight out."
The student speaking recalled the previous scene, his face pale and still somewhat shaken.
"But you said you saw that monster." Qin Ziwen was taken aback.
The student looked a bit awkward. "I only said I heard the monster's sound. I don't know who spread it around incorrectly, turning it into me personally seeing some giant monster. But this can't be considered a rumor either, right? I heard the sound, and it felt like it shouldn't have been too far from me. Maybe it was just too dark underground that I didn't see it clearly."
Qin Ziwen felt this student was also quite a character. "What's your name?"
"My name is Wei Yu."
Qin Ziwen said, "Alright. Wait for me to verify the information. If it's true, I owe you a favor."
Wei Yu's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Great, thank you, Brother Qin! I'll guide you there!"
As someone living in the residential complex, he clearly understood how significant a favor from Qin Ziwen could be.
Although among his classmates, many privately called those who joined the Qin Alliance traitors, whether they were actually envious or not, only they themselves truly knew.
Qin Ziwen brought Zhao Pu along, leading the team himself. He gathered some members of the Qin Alliance who remained in the residential complex, carrying hoes, mining picks, shovels, and pushcarts. The large group marched grandly towards the southern Great Rift Valley.
The location of the fissure discovered by Wei Yu was on the western side of the Great Rift Valley, about four or five miles west of the Altar.
If not for Wei Yu, Qin Ziwen probably wouldn't have been able to find this place even by the time this map stage ended.
The surrounding ground was piled with thick sand. One area near the wall had been dug open, revealing a fissure entrance large enough for one person to squeeze through.
Perhaps due to the damp, cold air from underground, the sand and soil near the entrance were moistened.
"Can this be expanded here?" Qin Ziwen pointed at the entrance.
A man who had worked in construction stepped forward to observe it, then said, "Guild Leader, it's possible. As long as the cave isn't dug too large, it's no problem."
"Okay, then I'll trouble everyone."
With everyone working together, the entrance was chiseled open, and the surrounding rock area grew larger and larger.
Suddenly, a low, deep, and resonant sound came from deep within the cave, like a bovine groan, carrying a hint of warning.
"Moo~"
The sound was weighty.
The man who was holding a pick and mining the rocks paused his movements, turning his head with surprise and doubt to look at Qin Ziwen.
"Stop for now."
Qin Ziwen waved his hand. It seemed their commotion had disturbed the existence hiding in the underground cave.
He thought of three possibilities.
First, either the other party was startled and fled, leaving along the depths of the underground cave.
Second, it comes out from the entrance.
Third, it continues to stay where it is; the sound just now was merely a warning.
"Everyone, move back."
Qin Ziwen had everyone retreat backward, moving farther away.
The Crowned Eagle descended from the sky, ready to receive its master at any moment.
After the existence inside called out once, there was no further movement.
After waiting for over half an hour and seeing it remained quiet inside, Qin Ziwen said, "Continue digging."
Someone came over to continue chiseling open the entrance.
With the clinking and clanging of strikes, the entrance area grew larger and larger.
From initially barely accommodating one person, it became able to accommodate three.
"Moo—"
A low groan came again from deep within the cave.
This time, the sound carried a trace of anger, accompanied by approaching footsteps.
Through the "window," they could hear the heavy footsteps getting closer and closer.
Many people showed fearful expressions.
The team became somewhat restless.
Qin Ziwen said, "Don't be afraid. Everyone retreat in an orderly manner. This cave entrance isn't large. If it can come out, its size definitely won't be large. If it can't come out, then there's even less to worry about."
Hearing his words, the team stabilized. One by one, they retreated along the path they came from.
Listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer, Qin Ziwen turned to look at Wei Yu. "What's the terrain like inside?"
Wei Yu hurriedly said, "After entering the entrance, there's a large gentle slope. I couldn't see farther, I don't know."
Finally, the footsteps inside stopped behind the stone wall.
Qin Ziwen and the other party were now separated only by a single mountain wall.
Suddenly, right before Qin Ziwen's eyes, this wall, like agitated clay, gradually became soft, emitting ripples of waves.
Qin Ziwen was stunned for a moment, then quickly roared in a low voice, "Quick! Retreat! I'll hold it off for you!"
Not far away, Zhao Pu, upon hearing Qin Ziwen's voice, immediately reacted. "Everyone evacuate in an orderly manner, don't panic."
Fortunately, everyone had already retreated to a distance of forty or fifty meters away earlier.
Because they were separated by a distance and couldn't see what was happening over here, although somewhat nervous, the team still didn't fall into chaos.
As for Qin Ziwen here, he witnessed with his own eyes how the hard mud and rock, like mud encountering water, gradually collapsed, "melting" downward layer by layer.
Then, a huge hole was revealed.
The hole was a full four meters high and five meters wide. Behind the pitch-black hole, a giant beast with a yellow-brown body, its spine covered in crystalline prisms, standing on all fours, somewhat similar to an Ankylosaur, stood quietly inside the hole.
Giant Rock Dragon!
Qin Ziwen recognized its appearance at a glance.
This was the only Level 3 mission target on the Hunting Ladder leaderboard.
It stared at Qin Ziwen for two seconds, then slowly opened its mouth.
Inside its mouth were densely packed, diamond-shaped sharp teeth.
"Moo!!!"
"Go!"
Qin Ziwen grabbed the Crowned Eagle's claws.
A powerful airflow swirled around them. Man and eagle instantly flew toward the sky.
The Giant Rock Dragon took heavy steps, slowly walking out from behind the wall.
"Whoosh—"
From the top of the rift valley, a sharp arrow crossed a distance of several tens of meters, accurately landing on the Giant Rock Dragon's eye.
It was like hitting a hard stone.
The arrowhead of the Arrow had a small section embedded into the eyeball.
The pain caused the Giant Rock Dragon to instinctively close its eye. Its eyelid clamped and broke the arrowhead. With a clatter, the broken Arrow fell to the ground.
"Moo!"
The Giant Rock Dragon's sounds grew increasingly agitated.
It laboriously lifted its neck, trying to see the direction from which the Crossbow Bolt flew. However, due to its physiological structure similar to an Ankylosaur, its neck movement was exceptionally difficult.
Because it essentially had no neck.
The Crowned Eagle pulled Qin Ziwen and landed at the top of the rift valley.
He steadied himself beside Du Yu.
Looking out, at the bottom of the rift valley, the Giant Rock Dragon had already revealed most of its body. However, due to the narrowness of the rift valley bottom, it was having some difficulty turning its body around.
At this moment, it was like a large truck trying to make a U-turn on a narrow road.