Ancient Ruins

Looking at the mountain peak that pierced the clouds, a sense of heroic spirit welled up in Uchiha Zhuang. Estimating its height at several thousand meters, he wondered what it would feel like to stand atop such a majestic summit. As the sky slowly darkened, the campfire crackled, casting a warm glow. Just as Uchiha Zhuang finished dinner and prepared to sleep, he heard a rustle in the leaves nearby. Focusing his gaze, he saw a figure slowly approaching; only when she drew near did he realize it was Balaxia. Once she reached the camp, Uchiha Zhuang channeled natural energy, placed a hand on her forehead, and slowly transferred energy to her while asking what had happened. Covered in scratches, Balaxia answered tremulously. It turned out that during the day, she had sensed a giant monster, the Centipede King, in the vicinity. To prevent Uchiha Zhuang from encountering it, she had quietly gone ahead to lure the beast away. By the time she returned, Uchiha Zhuang was gone; she couldn't track his scent (as he had been leaping across the treetops), and after finding nothing at yesterday's campsite, she had circled back to the foot of the great peak, where she finally spotted the fire.

Rationally, Uchiha Zhuang did not believe her; there was no such thing as kindness without reason in this world. Was someone who trusted him so unconditionally even real? Yet, emotionally, he sensed her purity. Unable to make a judgment, Uchiha Zhuang could only continue forward. Looking at Balaxia, he asked about the history of the mountain, and her series of responses left him deep in thought for a long time.

This great peak was the ruin of Balaxia (an ancient kingdom), containing cities, mines, and wind tunnels within its belly. Long ago, a world-shaking riot caused by a strange fruit tree that did not belong to this world had drawn human attention, nearly destroying the world in the process. Balaxia had used the divine power within the mountain to protect it, as well as the vast surrounding forests, animals, and plants. However, the Balaxia people within the city suffered from aftereffects, and no new Balaxia life was ever born again. The Balaxia gradually withered away, and eventually, no living creatures appeared in the mountain (Balaxia referred to the mountain exclusively as the God Peak). Such an aftereffect was truly unsolvable, Uchiha Zhuang mused. "How do you know this history?" "Creator, we..." "Why did you bring me here?" "Life, exploration..." "What do I gain by helping you?" "Very good, we..." Through a conversation of guessing and intuition, Uchiha Zhuang understood that she wanted him to enter the interior of the God Peak to investigate the situation. As for why she chose him, Uchiha Zhuang understood that his constitution as a Child of the Forest made him naturally close and compatible with the wild. In terms of natural affinity, perhaps even those "clap hands and get whatever you want" players couldn't surpass him (though they likely wouldn't care about this anyway).

"Can I trust you, Balaxia?" Uchiha Zhuang asked, staring into her clear, emerald eyes with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan activated. The defenseless Balaxia fell completely into Uchiha Zhuang's mental world, merely repeating the words "We," "We," her eyes hollow and devoid of reason. He canceled the genjutsu and reached out to channel chakra to Balaxia. Upon waking, she was weak and looked at Uchiha Zhuang with a hint of fear, curling her body up and closing her eyes. Uchiha Zhuang walked over, sat beside her, pulled the blanket up to tuck her in, and then laid down on his own blanket next to her. He stroked her smooth, resilient green hair, which carried a faint, refreshing scent of grass and trees, and patted her forehead. Uchiha Zhuang closed his eyes to cultivate natural energy (yes, lying down), and amidst the flowing natural aura, Balaxia slowly relaxed. Uchiha Zhuang used the natural energy to express his concerns. "I fear the Creator," Uchiha Zhuang said directly. Balaxia opened her eyes, stirring the natural energy to express comfort: "Creator, likes, we." "I fear the God Peak," Uchiha Zhuang said again. "Balaxia, we, friends," Balaxia comforted him. Under her reassurance, Uchiha Zhuang actually drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, dew and frost dampened their clothes. Uchiha Zhuang and Balaxia set out early, heading toward the Balaxia God Peak. Climbing the mountain from the foot was not as difficult as the forest below; at least there was room to move, and the view was open. As they climbed the craggy, weed-choked mountain, using both hands and feet, Uchiha Zhuang's long-term physical training proved its worth. After two hours of climbing, he was only slightly sweaty, while Balaxia was already panting heavily; forest spirits, after all, were not adapted to mountain climbing. Seeing that Balaxia could no longer walk, the two found a sheltered spot to rest. Uchiha Zhuang pondered that inside such a high mountain, there must be a vast space; if there were truly ancient ruins, it wouldn't be strange. The route in should be the wind tunnel Balaxia mentioned. Since they hadn't seen it yet, it must be higher up. The purpose of the wind tunnel was likely for ventilation or connecting to the outside world. After resting, the two continued their journey. The higher the altitude, the stronger the wind; the winter gusts stung their faces and hands. Uchiha Zhuang put on his hood, and Balaxia's pretty face was frozen red. Uchiha Zhuang had no choice but to find a windbreak, drape the blanket over her, and secure it with rope to prevent it from blowing away.

By the afternoon, the ground and low grass were covered in frost and snow, and the breath from both of them was white. At this point, Uchiha Zhuang began to grow anxious, as he didn't know if they would find an entrance further up. Moreover, they were already at a dangerous altitude; without professional mountaineering gear or skills, reaching this point was only possible due to his powerful constitution and extraordinary endurance. Looking at the numb, frozen Balaxia, Uchiha Zhuang made a decision: if they didn't find a wind tunnel entrance within the next fifty meters, they would immediately turn back. Balaxia was already swaying, so Uchiha Zhuang supported her as they stumbled forward. Finally, just as Uchiha Zhuang was about to give up, a black, man-sized hole appeared before him. The two reached the entrance, and Uchiha Zhuang released the ninjutsu Great Fireball Technique to burn away the weeds and debris on the cave walls before they slowly entered the wind tunnel.

The deeper they went, the darker it became, though Uchiha Zhuang's Two-Tomoe Sharingan was not significantly affected, allowing him to see clearly. He noticed vine-like objects appearing on the inner walls of the cave. Uchiha Zhuang dared not use a torch for light, as cave-dwelling creatures were typically sensitive to light; if he were to rashly light a torch, he would only make himself a massive, moving target, and something unknown might set its sights on him. His eyes were his most powerful weapon at this moment. Uchiha Zhuang used a rope to tie himself and Balaxia together, and they walked one after the other. They walked for nearly half an hour through the winding, undulating cave. Although dark, it was not damp but rather slightly dry, and the temperature was slowly rising, returning to the level it had been at the foot of the mountain.

Throughout the journey, Uchiha Zhuang had not found a single trace of common cave-dwelling creatures, which was highly abnormal. There were no bats, mice, snakes, or insects—not a single one. Furthermore, it seemed as though the vines were moving slowly. Uchiha Zhuang focused his gaze to observe carefully, and indeed, the vines were moving.