The air inside the Mine Cave was so thick it felt as though water could be wrung from it. Ning Xiaochuan walked ahead, Sacred Source Power gathering in his palm into a gentle orb of light that illuminated the rugged tunnel. Su Linger followed closely behind, her Ice Crystal Longsword glimmering faintly, ready for any sudden danger. The Sacred Spirit Dragon had its scales raised as it vigilantly scanned every dark corner.
"These markings..." Ning Xiaochuan brushed the red veins spreading across the rock wall. "They look like some kind of Organic Tissue."
Su Linger lifted a small piece of red matter with her sword tip and examined it carefully beneath the light. "Not a plant, nor any known mineral. Looking at these branching structures, it seems more like..."
"Blood vessels." Ning Xiaochuan finished, his brows tightly furrowed. "Something is turning this entire mountain into a living organism."
The Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly let out a "Goo Chu," pointing its little claws toward the depths of the tunnel. A faint thudding sound came from there, steady as a heartbeat, yet clearer and louder than before.
The two exchanged a glance and instinctively softened their footsteps as they advanced. The tunnel gradually sloped downward, and the temperature rose with it. The Red Markings on the walls grew denser until they completely covered the original ore surface, feeling eerily soft beneath their feet.
"Where exactly are we going?" Su Linger asked quietly. "We've already gone deeper than an ordinary mine tunnel should reach."
Ning Xiaochuan searched his childhood memories. "We should be close to that natural cavern. Father once said it connected to an underground river, but no one dared explore too deeply."
As he spoke, the tunnel suddenly opened up, revealing a huge underground space before them—the cavern was many times