Chapter 3: The Gates of Hell
However, although Jiang Hai had little experience in the past, he is not foolish. When venturing out, while some large cities may be manageable, in remote areas, it is essential to be cautious of people, which is only natural. One cannot fully understand another's heart, and he is not a naive good person, nor does he harbor such naive thoughts.
If all goes well, it is said to be one of the perilous places of Huaxia, the Gate of Hell
Using flint to ignite the fire once more, he collected a considerable amount of dry firewood along the way, and Jiang Hai sat down in front of the bonfire
After allowing his body to sink a little further, Jiang Haicai finally opened his eyes. Indeed, what lay before him was no longer mud, but water—very clear water. Unfortunately, there was not a glimmer of light here, and he could see nothing at all. He untied the ropes.
After approximately three hours, Jiang Haicai felt that the mud around him was becoming increasingly thin, and he knew that the dark river was approaching
"Hoo! Let's give it a shot!" Taking a deep breath, although Jiang Hai felt somewhat uncertain, he was still prepared to take a risk, relying on his ability to breathe underwater. He understood the principle that fortune favors the bold.
Jiang Hai walked about 5 kilometers further in, glanced at the sky, and then looked at the watch on his wrist
He took out the waterproof flashlight that he had prepared long ago from his clothing pocket. As the light illuminated, a special underwater world appeared before him. Generally speaking, wherever there is water, even at the depths of the ocean, there are fish. However, while there might be fish here, Jiang Hai did not see any. Looking down, he only saw the riverbed of the dark river beneath him, covered with various bones, both animal and human. Only a few worm-like creatures, resembling earthworms, were wriggling around, which immediately diminished his interest in diving down to take a look. Following the direction indicated by the Dragon Ball, he swam forward.
Many people once entered here and never came out again, and the country has also conducted scientific research here
Thus, he could only slowly walk forward. Relying on the limits of human endurance, after two days of walking, he finally arrived at the gates of hell. Looking at the warning monument erected in front of him, it stated that beyond this point lies the realm of the Valley of Death.
After approximately two more days of travel, Jiang Hai arrived at the place recorded in the Dragon Ball that he remembered
In fact, the local herdsmen have yet to mention one more thing: here, one must not only guard against wolves, but also against people
After considering for half a day, reflecting on the novels he had read in the past, it seems that buying a piece of land abroad is a good choice
However, these places are basically either inconvenient for transportation or too dangerous. Given Jiang Hai's current level, he neither wants to live like a wild man nor get involved in some strange disputes.
Now the question arises, going abroad is possible, but where does he get the money from
Especially after a large number of herbivorous animals are struck dead by lightning, many charred corpses will be left on the ground. These corpses are the best food for the wolves in Kunlun Mountain, so one must be cautious of these creatures when coming here
Took out compressed biscuits and beef jerky from the backpack, boiled a small portion of water, and prepared everything to soak and eat
The moment he entered the swamp, he felt his body suddenly obeying his commands, beginning to sink rapidly
Holding a hiking pole, he slowly reached forward and found a piece of relatively dry land
Upon reaching the Blue Sea, he essentially confirmed the location of the Ancestral Dragon's Cave based on the position in his mind
Even though Jiang Hai, whose physical strength has reached the limits of human capability, is in such a situation, he is fortunate to have been mentally prepared for it and does not pay too much attention to it. He simply holds onto the filter on his face and, relying on his body weight, allows himself to be pulled down into the swamp.
Upon entering the tent, Jiang Hai directly crawled into the sleeping bag, placing a machete he had specifically purchased locally beside him
First, pull out the grass, and then sprinkle a circle of insect repellent powder around. This stuff is quite effective; at least for these days, he has not been bitten by insects. Then he began to set up his makeshift tent. By the time everything was ready, it was already past eight in the evening
Indeed, less than an hour later, as his body suddenly accelerated, Jiang Hai felt himself sinking into a pool of water
If it were not for the fact that Jiang Hai can now breathe freely underwater, he would not dare to come here
This golden finger is indeed useful, but there is one issue. To collect scales, it is necessary to find a picturesque and less polluted area. The current problem is that within the country, there are many such beautiful places, and some undeveloped areas also have low pollution.
The flowers nourished with dragon's blood are quite valuable. The pot of flowers he experimented with was purchased by a businessman from the south for three hundred thousand. However, it takes three dragon scales to exchange for one pot. If he wants to go abroad, he should not even think about it without tens of millions. Thirty million equates to one hundred pots. He has to wait for nearly two years. Will he still be able to upgrade? He certainly does not have that kind of patience
When the muddy water was brought before him by the filtration device, Jiang Hai tried it out. The filtration device, which had cost him over 20,000 yuan, proved to be quite effective; what lay before him was essentially clear water, with only a few grains of sand that he did not mind. This allowed him to relax a bit. As the water continued to flow in, he could feel his body being pulled deeper into the swamp by the force of gravity. No one knew how deep this swamp was, and beneath the swamp lay the dark river, which was Jiang Hai's target. He did not mind the occasional grains of sand, which allowed him to relax further. As the water kept flowing in, he felt his body being drawn deeper into the swamp by the force of gravity. No one knew how deep this swamp was, and beneath it lay the dark river, which was Jiang Hai's goal.
China is indeed vast, and using a single time zone has led to instability in timekeeping. In the east, during summer, it becomes light around 3 a.m., and it gets dark before 7 p.m. In contrast, in the west, it is not light until after 7 a.m., and it is still light past 9 p.m. This illustrates the differences between the two regions
Fortunately, there was no conversation that night. The next day, when the sun rose, he emerged from the tent, boiled some water to wash his face and brush his teeth, and then he continued deeper into the area.
Fortunately, in the final memories of Dragon Ball, Jiang Hai still remembers clearly that the cave where the ancestral dragon was imprisoned contained quite a number of treasures, those sparkling items seemed to be quite valuable
He motivated himself and took out the equipment he had specially prepared, which was essentially a filtering device. Although he could breathe in water, he could not breathe in mud; he needed to separate the moisture from the mud.
Feeling the mud, it gradually covered his face. Finally, he took one last look at the blue sky, and Jiang Hai exerted himself, sinking down.
The Gates of Hell and Death Valley are indeed desolate areas akin to a dead zone in a *picture* book, yet they are not entirely devoid of life that can survive here
The Gates of Hell, the Great Death Valley, is located in the region of the Kunlun Mountains at the junction of Qinghai and Tibet. Here, the grass is lush and the water is abundant. Although it cannot be compared to the rich pastures of Inner Mongolia, it is undoubtedly the best grazing location. However, these herders would rather let their cattle and sheep starve on the Gobi Desert than set foot here even once! Because this place is truly sinister
Before him lay a considerable expanse of marshland, the depth of which remained unknown to anyone. However, it could be anticipated that this place was certainly not as tranquil as it appeared on the surface
When he arrived here, not to mention being a guide, even when he wanted to rent a car, others would not rent it to him upon hearing that he was going to the Gate of Hell
In addition to these two points, the most intimidating third point is that this area is filled with swamps and dark rivers; once one falls in, whether human or animal, it is nearly impossible to escape death. It can be said that this place is a natural forbidden zone for life
However, the results are not quite satisfactory. There are three dangers that the country can clearly understand. The first is the underground here, which contains a large amount of magnetic fields. These magnetic fields can incapacitate all technology; not to mention mobile phones, telephones, and satellites, which would also be ineffective here. Even compasses merely spin in circles. The second danger is that these magnetic fields can induce charges within the clouds, leading to discharges of electricity. Moreover, there are no trees or tall structures here, so a person walking in this area becomes the best lightning rod. It is very possible that on a clear day, a cloud may suddenly drift by, and a lightning strike could hit a passerby, which is truly terrifying. Satellites would also be ineffective here, and even compasses merely spin in circles. The second danger is that these magnetic fields can induce charges within the clouds, leading to discharges of electricity. Moreover, there are no trees or tall structures here, so a person walking in this area becomes the best lightning rod. It is very possible that on a clear day, a cloud may suddenly drift by, and a lightning strike could hit a passerby, which is truly terrifying.
He re-secured a rope to the ground, then donned a respirator, shouldered his backpack, and leaped into the swamp.
Swamps, like water, indeed cause one to sink quickly when one falls in. However, it is important to remember that water has buoyancy, and a person's hands and legs can paddle through it, allowing them to swim. In contrast, swamps are filled with mud. While the buoyancy here may be greater than that of water, the issue is that one cannot move through it. Once a foot sinks in, the mud surges in from all directions, instantly trapping the foot. No matter how strong a person is, once they are in the swamp, they cannot rely on themselves to escape.
Glancing at the watch on my wrist, it is only a little past 5 o'clock; here, it is still as bright as day. However, in Ice City, the sky should have darkened somewhat by now. According to Jiang Hai's schedule, it is time to find a place to rest.
Although the taste was rather ordinary, there was no time to be particular about such things now. A large bowl of beef soup with biscuits was consumed as soon as the water boiled, both the solid and the liquid. Although he was in excellent physical condition now, one must not forget that humans require food and energy, which are indispensable. After finishing the meal, Jiang Hai deliberately gathered some small sticks from the grass nearby, tied a line to them, and hung a bell on the line. This was a method taught to him by the local herdsmen after they learned of his arrival here. Humans require food and energy, which are indispensable. After finishing the meal, Jiang Hai deliberately gathered some small sticks from the grass nearby, tied a line to them, and hung a bell on the line. This was a method taught to him by the local herdsmen after they learned of his arrival here.
Thus, he gritted his teeth, sold two pots of flowers, earned six hundred thousand, and left four hundred thousand for his wife in the room. At that moment, he had his loan, as well as the divorce agreement he had applied for from the court, and after signing it and placing it on top, he called Qi Li. Unfortunately, he did not hear Qi Li's voice. However, thinking that from now on they would be strangers, he had nothing more to say and boarded the plane to Blue Sea Province.