Jiang Hai's mysterious ability, his "golden finger," had proven incredibly useful. However, there was a significant problem: to collect dragon scales, he needed a place with pristine mountains and rivers, somewhere free from pollution. The issue was that although China had many such locations, most of them were either difficult to access or fraught with danger.
Given his current circumstances, Jiang Hai wasn't about to live like a hermit in the wilderness, nor did he want to get entangled in strange local disputes. After thinking it over for a long time and recalling some novels he had read, he came up with a solution — buying a plot of land abroad seemed like a good idea.
But there was one major obstacle: money.
Flowers nourished with dragon blood were incredibly valuable. The experimental pot he had grown was purchased by a southern businessman for 300,000 yuan. However, it took three dragon scales to cultivate one pot of flowers. If he wanted to relocate abroad, he would need tens of millions of yuan. Thirty million yuan meant selling 100 pots of flowers. At that rate, it would take him two years. Jiang Hai wasn't willing to wait that long, nor did he have the patience for it.
Fortunately, Jiang Hai still retained the last memory from the Dragon Pearl. He clearly remembered that the cave where the ancestral dragon had been imprisoned held many treasures — sparkling trinkets that seemed quite valuable.
With a determined heart, Jiang Hai sold two pots of flowers for a total of 600,000 yuan. He left 400,000 yuan in the house for his wife, along with the divorce papers he had applied for through the court. After signing the agreement, he placed it on top of the money.
Before leaving, he called Qi Li. Unfortunately, she didn't answer. In the end, Jiang Hai realized there wasn't much left to say. From that moment on, they would be strangers.
Without further hesitation, he boarded a plane bound for Blue Sea Province.
When Jiang Hai arrived, he followed the memory in his mind and pinpointed the location of the ancestral dragon's cave. Based on the description, the place was one of China's most infamous dangerous zones — the Gate of Hell.
The Gate of Hell, also known as the Great Death Valley, was situated in the Kunlun Mountains, at the border between Qinghai and Tibet. The valley was a place of fertile grasslands and abundant water, making it ideal for grazing. However, local herders would rather let their cattle starve in the Gobi Desert than enter this eerie place. The area was notorious for its mysterious and deadly reputation.
Many who ventured into the Gate of Hell never returned. Even the government had conducted scientific research on the area, but the results were far from reassuring.
There were three known dangers in the Gate of Hell:
Magnetic fields — The valley was riddled with underground magnetic fields that disrupted all forms of technology. Mobile phones, radios, and even satellite signals were rendered useless. Compasses spun uncontrollably, making navigation impossible.
Sudden lightning strikes — The magnetic fields triggered sudden discharges from the clouds above. Even on a clear day, a rogue thundercloud could appear, striking down anyone in the valley. With no trees or tall structures in sight, any person walking through the area became a prime target for lightning.
Treacherous swamps and underground rivers — The valley was filled with hidden swamps and underground rivers. Anyone unlucky enough to fall into one would struggle to escape. Animals and people alike would vanish without a trace in these natural death traps.
Despite these dangers, Jiang Hai pressed on. The ability to breathe underwater gave him a unique advantage. If not for that, he wouldn't have dared to venture into such a perilous place.
When Jiang Hai arrived at the entrance of the valley, he found it nearly impossible to hire a guide or rent a vehicle. Locals refused to take him to the Gate of Hell, even after hearing his generous offers. With no other option, he embarked on the journey on foot.
After two gruelling days, Jiang Hai finally reached the entrance to the valley. He stood before a weathered stone tablet that marked the boundary of the Death Valley. Beyond that point lay a desolate land where life seemed to have no place.
Glancing at the sky and his watch, Jiang Hai noticed the stark contrast between time zones across China. It was only five o'clock in the evening, yet the sky was still bright. In his hometown of Ice City, it would already be dark by now.
Deciding it was time to set up camp, Jiang Hai carefully selected a patch of dry ground. He pulled out the grass and sprinkled a circle of insect-repellent powder around his campsite. The powder was surprisingly effective, keeping him safe from bug bites during his journey.
With the camp set, he pitched a simple tent and gathered some dry firewood along the way. By the time he finished, it was past eight in the evening.
Using flint to start a fire, Jiang Hai sat by the flames and prepared a modest meal. He took out compressed biscuits and beef jerky from his backpack, boiled a small pot of water, and soaked the food to make a warm, if bland, dinner.
Although his body was now in peak condition thanks to the dragon's power, Jiang Hai knew he still needed food to maintain his strength. Calories were essential. After eating, he ventured a bit farther to gather sticks and tied bells to them as an alarm system. The local herders had advised him to do this, warning that wolves from the Kunlun Mountains roamed the area, especially at night.
Entering his tent, Jiang Hai slid into his sleeping bag, keeping a machete close at hand.
The herders had also hinted at another danger: people.
While Jiang Hai had little experience with wilderness survival, he wasn't naive. In remote places like this, it was essential to stay vigilant, not just against wild animals, but against humans too.
Fortunately, that night passed without incident. When the sun rose the next morning, Jiang Hai quickly packed up, boiled some water to freshen up, and resumed his journey deeper into the valley.
After two more days of trekking, he reached the spot from his Dragon Pearl memory — the location of the ancestral dragon's cave.
Before him lay a vast swamp, eerily still and deceptive in its calmness. No one knew how deep the swamp went, but Jiang Hai was certain it wasn't as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.
Taking a deep breath, he murmured to himself, "Alright, time to go for it."
Jiang Hai had no choice but to take the risk. His ability to breathe underwater gave him a sliver of hope, but he still needed equipment to survive the murky depths. He pulled out a filtration device he had prepared in advance, strapped on a respirator, secured a rope to the ground, and stepped into the swamp.
The moment his body entered the muddy water, he felt himself being dragged down.
Swamps were treacherous. Unlike water, which had buoyancy and allowed people to swim, the thick mud offered no such grace. The moment his feet sank, the surrounding mud clamped down, trapping him. Even with his enhanced strength, Jiang Hai couldn't break free from the swamp's grip.
Thankfully, he was prepared. Holding the filtration device tightly, he let his body sink further into the swamp.
The mud crept up over his face, and he took one final look at the blue sky before submerging completely.
Three hours later, Jiang Hai noticed the mud around him thinning out. He was getting closer to his target — the dark river beneath the swamp.
Soon, he plunged into a hidden underground river.
Taking out his waterproof flashlight, Jiang Hai illuminated the water around him. The scene was surreal. Skeletons of animals and humans littered the riverbed, their bones covered in wriggling worms. The eerie sight made Jiang Hai shiver.
He averted his gaze and swam forward, following the Dragon Pearl's guidance.
The deeper he went, the closer he came to uncovering the treasures hidden in the ancestral dragon's lair.