The suffocating pressure and the sensation of falling descended, making it difficult for Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei to breathe.
Their brains were severely deprived of oxygen, and mid-air, they were unable to react.
Were they... going to die?
If Jiang Fan were still by their side, would it... have been less terrible?
In their final moments, this was Zhou Niannian's only thought.
"Splash—"
"Splash—"
The two fell into a small lake, creating huge splashes.
The lake seemed to open its massive maw, swallowing the two people, and then fell silent.
The calm, unrippled water surface looked as if no one had been there.
"Falling into the water from such a height is like hitting concrete. They..."
Lele felt an extreme sense of pity and sadness. After all, they were contestants she had watched all along.
But before she could finish speaking, movement occurred in the lake.
Two heads suddenly emerged from the water, gasping for air.
Supported by their waterproof parachute bags, Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei managed to float on the surface, struggling to swim forward.
Just seeing their heads was enough to know they were fine!
"They're fine!!!"
Lin Yang shook Zhou Ye, shouting excitedly.
He had been too worried just now, fearing that this glance would be their last.
Zhou Ye's eyes were red, and he dared not watch the subsequent scenes.
Fortunately, in the end, both Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei survived.
"That's great,"
Zhou Ye murmured softly, relieved.
In the studio, Lele was speechless, feeling as if all the preparation she had done was useless.
It wasn't that she couldn't bear to see others do well.
It was just that falling into water from a height of twenty meters, how could anyone be unharmed?
Bear Grylls carefully examined the lake, speculating.
"Falling into water from a height causes injury due to surface tension."
"But at this depth underground, the water here is not like ordinary water."
"There must be other substances in the water that make the surface tension close to zero, which is why they were not injured."
This explanation was somewhat acceptable to everyone. As they watched the two swim ashore, they still worried about the other person.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness, it's good that they're fine. In such a deep place, rescue teams probably won't arrive anytime soon; they can only rely on themselves."
"They're relatively lucky, at least they have cameras following them to ensure their whereabouts and safety. I just don't know how Jiang Shen is doing."
"Wasn't Jiang Shen entangled by monsters before? Zhou Jie and the others didn't encounter any monsters, does that mean Jiang Shen has already eliminated the monsters?"
"No way, is Ultraman going to be born? Is Jiang Shen the new generation of Ultraman?"
"Don't joke around, people. Rescue teams, hurry up and save them! They're not professionals; being down here is suicide!"
The viewers watching the live broadcast had different thoughts.
More than anything, they were worried about the safety of the missing Jiang Fan.
Glancing at their bullet comments, the director couldn't help but mutter.
If they could go down, they would have gone down to rescue them already! Would they wait to be scolded by fans?
It was just that even the army, when they arrived, could do nothing about that mine.
Because they didn't understand the underlying principles, they couldn't take any forceful measures, fearing they might harm the people inside.
"What do we do now?"
"We can only take it one step at a time. I just don't know if that prophecy is really going to come true."
"I heard that many places have started to have earthquakes recently."
"Maybe it really is the end of the world."
The middle-aged man chuckled self-mockingly, perhaps thinking of something.
In the past, they always thought they were the most outstanding beings on this planet, arrogant and complacent.
Until they were slapped hard by those ancient ruins.
The anomaly of Blue Star might be happening soon.
The one who can save them...
.......
Meanwhile, Jiang Fan, who everyone was thinking about, had already climbed out of the lake before Zhou and Dai entered the mine.
With his clothes still wet, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Ha....."
He let out a long sigh, and his strength slowly returned to his body.
Jiang Fan rested for a while and finally managed to regain his senses.
He quickly checked the items in his bag.
The parachute bag had not leaked, and the contents inside were slightly deformed from compression, but their use was not affected.
Jiang Fan never expected that the supplies he had prepared to prevent getting separated from his teammates at night would be useful at this moment.
He had also experienced being stranded in unknown places in his previous life, so he was not flustered.
After replenishing some water, Jiang Fan silently surveyed his surroundings.
This was an underground cave. The cave walls had numerous small holes from which springs flowed, constantly pouring into the lake.
The ceiling was filled with scattered, faint blue dots, which looked like the Milky Way, like stars in the night sky.
It was beautiful.
But how could there be a night sky deep underground?
Jiang Fan would not be fooled by this sight.
"It must be some kind of luminous substance,"
He murmured, confirming there was no exit above, and then withdrew his gaze.
After a brief rest, the system's inorganic voice suddenly sounded.
[Settlement for viewers who watched for over one hour today.]
[Settling...]
[Settlement complete. 10,392,839 viewers, awarded 10 Survival Points.]
The system's report not only informed him that it was past midnight but also made him realize—
He had unlocked the store!
Given the close relationship between this system and Hu Caro, the items in the store might offer him some answers.
With this thought, Jiang Fan's attention returned to the system.
The hidden mission 'Obtain the Secret of the Mine' had not yet been completed.
But after absorbing those eyeball monsters and cameras, the store had been opened.
The interface displayed an old shelf, with one item after another placed upon it.
Besides the items at the top that could be bought in supermarkets.
Scrolling down, things became increasingly abnormal.
"Pistols, rifles, annihilation rounds, star-destroying cannons, light particles..."
"Nine Provinces Cold, Ten Ghost Spears, Chi You's Dance, Heaven Burning Art..."
"Wind Summoning Technique, Holy Light Technique, Blazing Flame Technique, Time Rift, Gate of Demons, Doomsday Judgment, Crimson Lotus Blaze..."
High-tech, Xuanhuan cultivation methods, and even magic spells.
From beginner to advanced, everything was available.
The required Survival Points ranged from as little as 10 to tens of thousands.
For him, who currently only had the daily settlement as a fixed source of income, he couldn't afford any of them.
Even though Jiang Fan had been prepared, his mouth twitched when he saw the items in the store.
When the novel content mirrored reality, he truly felt like he was playing a game.
His fingers itched to redeem something, but he finally gave up.
After all, he had no idea if he would need them later on the road.
Even if he could exchange 10 Survival Points for a Wind Summoning Technique!
Temporarily putting aside his exploration of the store, Jiang Fan turned his attention back to reality.
Deep within this cave, a passage lay before him.
A tributary branched off from the lake, extending into the boundless darkness ahead.
To go or not to go?
Without even thinking, Jiang Fan made his choice.
He stepped into the darkness.