Jiang Fan thought for a moment and quickly ascended to the summit of the volcano.
Along the way, he encountered no obstacles. The venomous snakes and fierce beasts seemed to prefer hotter environments and did not venture to this dormant volcano.
Upon reaching the peak, Jiang Fan bent over and peered into the crater of the dormant volcano.
This one glance was astonishing; it startled Jiang Fan.
What he saw was a bottomless abyss stretching endlessly towards the center of the earth.
There was nothing in the dark abyss; he could not sense any pulse of life or surge of energy.
Other than the slight moisture detectable by [humidity detection], there was nothing else.
Just by looking at the dark abyss, Jiang Fan felt as if a pair of evil eyes were staring back at him from within the depths.
He recalled the famous saying:
"When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
The longer he gazed, the more his heart felt dragged into this bottomless darkness, trembling and quivering within it.
Jiang Fan seemed to fall into a deep sleep, and his body gradually leaned towards the abyss without his conscious knowledge.
Just as he was about to fall, Jiang Fan let out a shout and woke up.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. How close!
This abyss seemed to have the ability to mesmerize people's minds.
Fortunately, his intuition for danger was several times sharper than that of an ordinary person; otherwise, he would have truly plunged headfirst into the abyss.
The netizens in the live stream also let out a series of cries.
"My god, there's something strange about this abyss."
"I just fainted! I only woke up after bumping my head on the screen."
"So you fainted too? I thought I was just dizzy from watching the stream for too long."
"I thought it was just my low blood sugar."
"This place is too terrifying, don't explore it anymore, let's go back quickly."
Jiang Fan did not give up. He lit a torch and peered into the abyss, immediately noticing something peculiar.
On the inner walls of the abyss, there were indentations.
They resembled the simple climbing paths chiseled into cliffs in some desolate mountain wilderness.
Jiang Fan attempted to climb a few steps. The indentations were deep enough to accommodate a person's feet.
Even a panda would not find it difficult.
Furthermore, unlike the incredibly smooth cave walls, these walls had many rough protrusions.
Even if he missed a foothold for a moment, he could compensate by stepping on another spot.
Was this an indication for him to go down?
After considering, Jiang Fan climbed back up. He then threw the torch into the abyss and quickly jumped aside, wary of a potential volcanic eruption.
Nothing happened. There was not even the sound of ignition and explosion from the torch contacting hydrogen sulfide gas.
Jiang Fan quickly leaned over the edge of the cave again and could still see the faint light of the torch disappearing.
Regardless, Jiang Fan confirmed that this was a standard dormant volcano; he could not feel any volcanic pulse.
Wiping his sweat, Jiang Fan began to descend the mountain.
After moving away from the dormant volcano, Jiang Fan couldn't help but look back.
Amidst the active volcanoes shrouded in red mist, this dormant volcano appeared particularly isolated.
A short while after Jiang Fan returned to the camp, Yao and Panda also returned.
They both wore expressions of dejection and exhaustion. Upon returning to camp, they lay down sprawling on the ground.
It was evident they had exerted themselves to find a way out but had achieved nothing.
Dai Xiao Mei poured them some water. Panda gulped it down in one go and then lay down again.
The atmosphere was eerily silent. Panda, who usually made "wu wu" noises constantly, was now completely still.
Dai Xiao Mei tried to pet Panda, but Panda lay there like a corpse, allowing her to pet him as she pleased.
Yao's face was usually expressionless, but now it was filled with confusion.
He had searched with great effort, covering almost the entire area within a hundred li, yet he had found nothing.
He had even caught a venomous lizard with his bare hands, only to find that its cave was just an ordinary crack in the rocks.
Dai Xiao Mei tentatively asked,
"Did you not find a way out?"
Yao shook his head and lay down on his side.
Upon hearing this, Dai Xiao Mei's face tightened, and tears welled up in her eyes.
If they continued for a few more days, they might die in this volcanic region.
Zhou Nian Nian encouraged everyone, saying,
"Don't be afraid, we will definitely find a way out."
Her voice was very soft and lacked conviction.
Especially when speaking, she dared not make eye contact and her body trembled slightly.
Just then, Jiang Fan spoke.
"I might have found a way."
Upon hearing that Jiang Fan had found a way, everyone leaped up and gathered around him.
"I found a dormant volcano, it's the only volcano in a hundred li that hasn't erupted."
"On the crater wall, there are traces of steps."
"I believe that might be the way out."
Dai Xiao Mei almost jumped up upon hearing Jiang Fan's words.
"No way, you mean we have to go down into the crater?"
Jiang Fan nodded heavily.
"Exactly. We can't find any other way, so why not take a gamble? Gamble that the crater is the way out."
"That's... too unbelievable. An exit inside a volcano? I've never heard of such an absurd thing."
Even Zhou Nian Nian was scared.
"I've estimated that our food and water can last at most three to four days."
"Yesterday, we only walked ten kilometers. It will only get slower from here, not faster."
"From what I can see, this volcanic region spans at least forty kilometers, and it's not the end."
Upon hearing that the volcanic region spanned forty kilometers, despair flashed across Dai Xiao Mei's face.
"Otherwise, let's pool our food and water and give it to Jiang Fan. Let him go out for help."
"Only Jiang Fan's speed can get him out. We can stay here to conserve resources."
Zhou Nian Nian proposed a plan.
Jiang Fan shook his head. It was a valid idea, but the success rate was too low.
Many times, by the time rescue teams arrive, the starving people have already begun to fight amongst themselves.
Besides, this is a secret realm, who can you ask for help?
"This is absolutely not the way. Haven't you noticed that the number of observers has decreased?"
Upon hearing Jiang Fan's words, everyone was stunned. They then realized that only one observer was following them now.
"This indicates that even the observers feel the danger and might not be able to get out."
"Therefore, only one observer is tailing us."
Everyone was speechless. In their understanding, observers were omnipotent, capable of traversing heaven and earth.
Wherever they went, whether it was into the clouds or into the sea, observers would cling to them, impossible to shake off.
Even in heavily trapped secret chambers, a horde of observers would appear from unknown origins.
Observers could even enter illusory and seemingly real teleportation channels.
This place was so terrifying that observers were retreating, leaving only one to monitor them.
"Let's go to the volcano! I trust my intuition, that is definitely the only way out."
Jiang Fan stood up and said with absolute certainty, his eyes shining!