Chapter 2724: Props Beneath the Giant Vine

So the metal box is used in this manner...

However, just as the Snake Vines retreated, a massive explosion erupted deeper underground, accompanied by a violent quake. Larger Snake Vines surged from the depths, not only shattering the tunnel floor but also piercing through the rock walls above. In an instant, the underground tunnel collapsed, burying the area in darkness and turning it into a death trap.

Xu Huo pulled Yan Jiayu along, using a Spatial Barrier to block the pressing rocks while grabbing hold of the ever-ascending Snake Vine—being trapped beneath the rubble is the most dangerous, regardless of whether the Snake Vine can pierce through the underground rock.

Feeling the spatial secant lines and Spatial Barrier shrinking, Yan Jiayu said, "We can’t go above, follow the Snake Vine underground; there must be a larger space beneath that crevice!"

Otherwise, the Snake Vines wouldn’t be residing below, and the Golden-Eyed Players seem to know that, attempting repeatedly to provoke the Snake Vines—likely aiming to draw them out to act freely!

The Snake Vine is covered in hard scales, each movement causing deep grooves in the stone wall. It’s not hard to imagine their association with these underground tunnels. If its nest is deeper underground, there might be a shelter before it settles down.

Xu Huo nodded to Yan Jiayu. Just as they were about to make an opening in the Snake Vine, a dull roar came from the depths below. As it shook people to the core, rocks began converging upon them within a hundred-meter radius, forming a mound overhead. In a flash, layers of hard-scaled sepals closed over them, forming a ball that quickly sank underground!

Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu were buried in the rocks for nearly a minute before feeling solid ground. They sliced open the sepals and crawled out, immediately surrounded by serpent-like vines. Giant branches, some tens of meters thick, spiraled around them, addressing the entire perceptual range of Xu Huo—though this is only a small part of the Snake Vine body.

"That metal box!" Yan Jiayu quickly spotted the box rolling towards the depths of the vine nest, "It must be Super Props for them to risk so much!"

Despite Xu Huo’s Spatial Evolution and Spirit Evolution, he hasn’t found anything resembling Super Props within his search range. Yet the spiritual energy in the vine nest is undoubtedly higher.

"I’ll take the box down," Yan Jiayu insisted, lying on the metal box. "We can’t let them get ahead."

Xu Huo nodded, noticing the Snake Vine didn’t react to the box’s aura, nor to the spiritual power within. Hence, he let Yan Jiayu carry the box, while he expanded his Spiritual World, quickly descending along the gaps made by the Snake Vine.

Several kilometers down, he encountered the real source of the Snake Vines, past branches extending tens of meters. The main vine trunk, thick as a python or dragon, spanned hundreds of meters near an underground water source. Covered in pitted scales and less appealing than the branches’ scales, they presented a monumental pressure akin to an old tree or a breathing beast.

Unfathomable if it’s fully awakened—20,000 meters deep below. Besides tickets or inter-district Teleportation Props, there’s seemingly no better escape option.

Gazing at the vine branches buried in the underground river, Xu Huo ascended to retrieve Yan Jiayu. She, controlling the box’s descent speed, arrived at the underground river more swiftly than the Golden-Eyed Players hidden inside the box.

"Have you found it?" Yan Jiayu asked.

"The strongest energy source is the Snake Vine trunk, buried deeper underground. Once extracted, we’ll need to leave this district immediately," Xu Huo replied.

"An experienced guide is essential," Yan Jiayu pointed to the underground river, "Shall we wait for them?"

With this intention, Xu Huo agreed.

The two huddled by the riverbank behind a protruding rock with the box.

Shortly afterward, another box rolled down, snagged by a crevice before falling into the river. Within seconds, it resurfaced, with the Golden-Eyed Players paddling to the shore. Equipped with new Protective Suits and carrying mental interference instruments, they dared not linger, moving towards the Snake Vine trunk with urgency.

After tracking around half the perimeter, the Broken Finger Player asked, "It’s grown so large over years; where’s the Prop? If it’s within the Scale Vine, how do we extract it?"

"Being a Prop, mutant plants benefit from Prop energies but can’t devour them, or it couldn’t grow this big," the Golden-Eyed Player stated. "My distant relative died here, unwilling to leave the Prop to the game or later players, burying it beneath the mutant plant roots."

"Unexpectedly, the Prop suited this district so well, aiding the Scale Vine’s massive mutation."

"Focus on finding the thing," the third Player, still recovering, snapped, "Delays could leave lasting effects even after leaving!"

Not wasting time, the Golden-Eyed Player unveiled a prepared Detection Instrument. Being similar devices, activating it nullified their mental interference shields, offering limited Prop positioning time.

"Beep, beep!" The instrument buzzed, leading them along the Scale Vine before halting, swiftly shutting it down then.

"It’s underground," the third Player noted, "Beneath the Scale Vine’s main body with no gaps; box or not, touching it risks crushing death!"

However, worse news awaited. Their instruments couldn’t retrieve items from 5,000 meters deep, and attempting long-distance Spatial Prop teleportation would rouse the Scale Vine and incur energy interference—potentially failing midway, trapping them above and below—a genuine dead end.