Chapter 33: "The Lost Civilization: A Hidden World 4,000 Meters Below"

Jiang Chen chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, I was just analyzing it. Nothing set in stone."

Debi, however, had a different idea. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Should we catch one and study it?"

The moment she said it, the live chat exploded.

[EXCUSE ME?! DID SHE JUST SAY CATCH ONE?!]

[Debi, that thing is the size of a BUS. What's she planning to do? Wrestle it?!]

[I knew she was fearless, but this is straight-up insane.]

Even Jiang Chen was momentarily stunned.

"Sister," he said, wiping his forehead, "this thing could swallow a dinosaur whole. It's aggressive as hell. Let's not get ourselves killed, okay?"

Without waiting for her response, he quickly grabbed Debi's arm and led her toward the rock passage nearby.

The last thing he needed was for her warrior instincts to take over and turn this into a battle for survival.

Debi followed, though she looked disappointed. "Fine," she sighed. "But it would've been an amazing study."

As they approached the narrow passage, Jiang Chen adjusted the settings on the Omnipotent Camera Eye, making sure it followed Debi as she walked into the cave.

"Go ahead," he told her. "I'll stay back for a bit and check something."

Debi hesitated for a moment but then nodded and continued forward. The Omnipotent Eye hovered after her, capturing everything in high-definition for the live stream.

From the viewers' perspective—Jiang Chen had just stayed behind to scan the area.

But in reality—

He had other plans.

—

BOOM.

A deep tremor rumbled through the cavern.

Inside, the prehistoric giant salamander stirred.

Its massive body shifted, sensing the disturbance.

Jiang Chen's heart pounded.

He had seconds—maybe less—before it woke up completely.

He had to get close before it fully activated its predatory instincts.

Ten meters.

Six meters.

Three meters.

Two meters.

One.

He was close enough now to see every razor-sharp tooth inside its monstrous jaws.

Suddenly—

Its eyes snapped open.

A low, guttural growl vibrated through the air.

Then, its mouth opened wide—an abyss lined with rows upon rows of jagged fangs, like the gates of hell itself.

Jiang Chen didn't hesitate.

He jumped.

Straight toward the beast.

And just as its head lowered, preparing to snap him up in one devastating bite—

Jiang Chen reached out—

And placed his hand directly inside its gaping maw.

Jiang Chen didn't hesitate.

"Receive!"

The command echoed in his mind.

Whoosh—

A soft, almost imperceptible sound filled the cavern.

And then—

Silence.

Jiang Chen landed on the ground with a light thud, his body tensed, his breath shallow.

He looked up.

The prehistoric giant salamander—was gone.

The massive cave that once housed the ancient beast was now eerily empty, save for the lingering, pungent scent of raw flesh.

Jiang Chen exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to his chest to steady his heartbeat.

Quickly, he accessed his mobile storage space.

Inside, the colossal creature was trapped, suspended in a state of stillness.

Jiang Chen let out a relieved chuckle. "That was way too close..."

No time to waste.

He turned on his heel and sprinted toward the rock fissure, moving as if nothing had happened.

No one could know about the mobile space.

Not even Debi.

—

By the time Jiang Chen emerged from the crack, he immediately spotted Debi standing just ahead.

Something was wrong.

She wasn't moving.

She wasn't speaking.

She was just—staring.

Jiang Chen's brows furrowed. He stepped forward cautiously, following her line of sight.

And then—

He stopped.

His eyes widened.

In front of them—

A vast underground cavern stretched into the darkness.

But this wasn't like the other caves they had seen.

This one—

This one looked human.

Jiang Chen moved first, stepping inside.

The cavern walls were smooth, the ground beneath them unnaturally level—almost as if it had been paved.

Debi followed, silent with shock.

And then they saw them.

Tables. Chairs.

Hewn from solid rock.

The craftsmanship was crude but unmistakable. Despite the passage of time—tens of thousands of years—these objects had remained perfectly preserved in the underground stillness.

Jiang Chen ran a hand over one of the stone surfaces. "This was built by humans…"

Debi stepped forward, her breath uneven. "That's impossible. Humans never lived this deep underground. Right?"

Neither of them had an answer.

As they moved deeper, something else caught Jiang Chen's eye.

Pottery.

Small, delicate bowls and cups, covered in a fine layer of dust but otherwise intact.

Debi let out a sharp gasp.

"Jiang! Look at this!"

She rushed over, holding something in both hands.

Jade.

Smooth, polished jade ornaments, still shining faintly under their headlamps.

Jiang Chen took one of the pieces, turning it over in his palm. His mind raced.

"Pottery. Jade craftsmanship. This… this isn't just some random cave."

He took a slow breath.

"This is a Neolithic human settlement."

—

The live chat went insane.

[WAIT. WHAT?!]

[Neolithic humans?! 4,000 METERS UNDERGROUND?!]

[Bro just found an entire lost civilization.]

[This isn't just an expedition anymore. This is rewriting history.]

—

Jiang Chen's words hung heavy in the air.

They had uncovered something far bigger than they had ever expected.

But the biggest question of all remained—

How did an entire civilization end up this deep underground?