Chapter 129: Chapter 126: How did he get in?

[Since Old Fang said so, I know it’s a sure thing now.]

[Although I’m really worried, I still have to jinx it by responding with “it’s a sure thing!”]

[Last time you said the same thing, and woof, the bear just ran away.]

[But I feel like it’s really dangerous this time, not on the same level as the previous times.]

[We believe in you, Old Fang! Rock-solid support!]

[Grand Commander Wolf Fang has sent the host Spaceship*™—charge! This wave is my bonus for you!]

Bi Fang: “???”

What’s going on, why are the responses different from before?

Shouldn’t there be a bunch of people jumping out to say I’ve gone crazy, turned foolish, or am courting death?

How am I supposed to set the mood with you guys like this?

This generation of netizens is getting harder to lead.

Bi Fang, resigned, realized that the audience’s trust in him had only deepened, making it increasingly difficult to create simple show effects.

Shaking his head, Bi Fang examined the surroundings of the cave and continued to move forward.

“Getting lost is the most common problem cave explorers encounter because underground caves are likely to be interconnecting, and there are no reference points here. Once we lose our direction, it can be quite troublesome. So, always remember to mark the path we’ve passed, and never proceed recklessly. Even if we encounter danger, we must remain calm!”

“In the cave, the oppressive darkness all around can make it hard to breathe, and in such conditions, it’s easiest to lose one’s way. According to statistics, the majority of cave exploration disappearances around the world have been caused by getting lost.”

“For this reason, we must make sure to mark our path clearly, to constantly remind ourselves whether the route forward is repetitive.”

Touching a stalactite that formed a column, Bi Fang found a stone on the ground, used his Hunting Knife to carve a markon it, and placed it beside the stalactite.

This stalactite was the thickest one nearby, very noticeable. Leaving a mark here would serve as a clear landmark.

“Caves are generally rare geomorphological features; ecologically speaking, they are irreplaceable. Yet they are extremely fragile, and once damaged, it is very difficult for them to return to their original ecological state. Therefore, when choosing a marker, it is best to use methods that are less destructive to the environment.”

“Impressive!”

Gu Qingyuan watched intently while continuously taking notes in a small notebook.

Wu Gang glanced over and saw it was full of descriptive words, with records of the living environments of various species.

It was clear that Gu Qingyuan greatly admired Bi Fang now.

To prioritize environmental protection despite the danger was a quality rarely found in young people these days.

[But you still need to be careful. In such a place, almost isolated from the world, and vastly different from our familiar external environment, it could have developed a unique ecological system. There might be dangerous creatures, and I can’t judge what they are.]

“Don’t worry, Professor, I’m well aware of that,” Bi Fang nodded, saying it was precisely for this reason that he had chosen to walk along the bank where there was more light, to avoid stepping on any dangerous creatures.

“Catching a live Tiktaalik might have to wait a bit. I want to understand the surroundings better before making a move. Otherwise, carrying a big live fish would make my exploration very difficult.”

[No problem, no problem, it’s okay if you don’t catch it. What matters is that you come back safely.]

Gu Qingyuan repeatedly expressed that there was no rush, and if anything happened to Bi Fang, he would feel remorseful for the rest of his life.

Now, no matter how many bullet comments there were, Professor Gu’s comments would always stand out. To avoid Bi Fang missing them, many netizens spontaneously copied and pasted them, over and over, ensuring that Bi Fang could see them.

They might not be able to give Bi Fang much encouragement, but they sure wouldn’t be a drag on him.

Bi Fang went deeper into the cave, the sound of running water gradually weakened, and the once-turbulent underground river began to slow. Gradually, the sound of watery trickles became faint.

In the tranquil cave, with not a single human voice, water droplets ticked and tocked.

Every time Bi Fang spoke, his voice would echo through the vastness of the cave.

After a long time, Bi Fang gradually relaxed. It seemed that most of the dangerous creatures in this part of the cave were underwater, and there weren’t any monsters on the riverbank.

What followed was a fatigue of both body and mind. Those first few minutes into the cave hadn’t been without cost; his energy was nearly depleted, and he was already starting to feel sleepy after walking only a short distance.

Bi Fang reached up to touch the wound on his forehead, which was a result of being hit by the rushing water. The injury wasn’t serious, so he hadn’t bandaged it, and by now it had scabbed over, conveniently sparing him that trouble.

“How do I get out?”

In the pitch-black cave, Bi Fang asked himself. Survival required skill as well as luck. He watched the glowing fish casting their luminescent light onto the ceiling, shimmering like multicolored stars.

This test was so severe that even Bi Fang felt a lack of confidence.

Perhaps he was too tired, causing his brain to stop functioning properly. Maybe he needed to rest for a while.

Bi Fang rubbed his eyes, which were trying to close, when suddenly, a subtle noise woke him. Although it was faint, it was very clear.

In a place where the monotony was only broken by the sound of water, it was strikingly distinct.

But when Bi Fang leaned in to listen, he felt like it was just a slightly distorted dripping sound.

Maybe just water droplets falling into an indented stone trough, he suspected he was experiencing an illusion.

Bi Fang moved his feet again.

“Crack!”

This time the sound was clearer, causing Bi Fang to freeze, for the noise came from under his foot.

The audience members who also heard the strange noise instantly tensed up. Bi Fang slowly squatted down, shifted his shoe aside, and picked up a yellowed fragment.

Bi Fang turned his head aimlessly as the drone also flew to his side, turning in the direction away from the river. Without any light, it switched from normal to night vision mode, but at the moment when everyone could see clearly, a scream pierced through the whole dormitory building!

Wu Gang staggered backward, trembling. He saw an upside-down human face with hollow eyes staring straight at him, the mouth seemingly laughing soundlessly, and two rows of ghastly white teeth pressing against his face, as if to bite through his neck.

“What the hell are you doing!”

Gu Qingyuan, too, was startled by Wu Gang’s scream and yelled furiously, “It’s just a skeleton!”

“Ah!” Wu Gang, still in shock, was befuddled as he looked at the screen again, indeed seeing nothing but a skeletal head!

At this moment, it wasn’t just him; similar scenes were happening all over the country. No one expected that a pitch-black cave would contain a skeleton!

Even Bi Fang himself was startled, nearly tumbling into the river.

(Damn, that scared the hell out of me!]

[That sudden night vision nearly scared me to death! ]

[My grandpa, who just got out of the hospital, was sent back again, wuu wuu wuu, grandpa, my grandpa!]

[Ah, may he rest in peace…]

[Watching livestreams is risky, be careful with your donations!]

[But why is there a skeleton here?]

The last comment voiced everyone’s confusion. Yeah, why was there a skeleton in here?

At that moment, Bi Fang shook his head; he was also at a loss about the cave’s layout.

However, discovering this skeleton was an unexpected blessing.

The route through the water pool to enter the cave was incredibly difficult, requiring not only exceptional breath-holding skills but also facing monsters’ attacks. It was a life-and-death situation even for an ordinary person, let alone for Bi Fang himself. So, where did this skeleton come from?

And where was the entrance it used to get in?