The nine-story demon tower was forever buried deep within the Kunlun glacier, along with countless fireflies and giant salamander corpses.
Endless snow fell, filling the great glacial canyon.
With a narrow escape, everyone returned safely to the military outpost.
The extent of this disaster wasn't very large, which was the fundamental reason they returned safely.
This made Xu Lang realize once again that in the face of nature's power, human strength seemed so insignificant.
Xu Lang ate the food from the army, reminiscing about the previous events. If he had directly used the Qing Yuan Sword Glow to kill the prehistoric giant salamander the moment it appeared, perhaps there wouldn't have been the subsequent crisis of the fireflies chasing them.
It was quite a coincidence this time. If it hadn't been for Xu Lang carrying Gawa with enough speed, and the timely collapse of the ice and snow, he would definitely have exposed his special abilities. He couldn't have held back in the face of death.
Then there was the issue of the ice and snow collapse. Xu Lang knew that being able to remain safe without being exposed was due to a lot of luck.
Compared to the crisis brought by the fireflies, natural disasters were even more fatal to Xu Lang. After all, he could completely deal with ordinary dangers, but he currently didn't have the ability to confront natural disasters.
A familiar graceful figure approached, interrupting Xu Lang's contemplation, it was Shirley Yang, his employer for this trip.
Shirley Yang sat down opposite Xu Lang and said, "Mr. Xu, can we talk?"
Xu Lang looked at Shirley Yang's figure and replied, "Can't we just not talk? If you want to thank me for saving you in the underground river, then don't mention it. After all, you're my boss, it's all part of my job."
Shirley Yang's expression remained unchanged as she said, "Mr. Xu, you have excellent skills. No matter how you look at it, being able to hire you is a gain for me. Thank you for this time. If it weren't for you, the archaeological team wouldn't have been able to return safely."
"Mr. Xu, even in the face of life and death, you didn't choose to abandon Gawa. I admire your character very much."
"Although I was taken advantage of in the underground river, I still have to thank you for saving my life."
Xu Lang laughed and said, "I'm not used to being called Mr. Xu. Although I'm not old, you can call me Lao Xu. We've gone through life and death together, no need to be so polite."
"Actually, I didn't expect that in that moment before the avalanche, no one abandoned me and Gawa, and no one left first. For this alone, I'll do my best to help you find the City of the Moon, and I'll also do my best to take care of everyone else."
"Actually, I'm not as great as you think. I save people naturally because I'm confident. If I faced a certain death situation, I'd probably choose to leave. I know myself best. I have a clear understanding of myself."
Shirley Yang smiled and said, "I like your honesty, Lao Xu. No matter what, I still have to thank you. We don't have much time, and we might have to rest on the road next."
Xu Lang said, "We'll listen to your arrangements. I'll go inform Lao Hu and Fatty later."
"Actually, I wanted to try to persuade them, suggesting they not go on an adventure in the desert, but seeing their determination, I know it's useless."
"They have to go deep into the desert to find the City of the Moon. I can't stop them. Lao Hu is good at finding places, so I don't have to worry."
"I don't know the route to the City of the Moon, nor the specific contents of your notebook, otherwise I would definitely go with Lao Hu and Fatty. It's not that I think Professor Chen and the others are burdens, but I know the dangers of going there. I don't want to see them die in the desert."
Xu Lang really didn't have any good solutions for this group of people who dared to risk their lives.
Even if he didn't go with them, they would definitely go into the desert themselves. This experience was very dangerous, but they didn't seem to care.
Shirley Yang smiled. In fact, as Xu Lang said, this group of people had been researching ever since they came back.
Shirley Yang asked, "Can I ask why you want to go to the City of the Moon? You can choose not to answer if you don't want to."
Xu Lang said, "Because it's interesting. I like to explore the unknown parts of this world. Okay, that's the reason..."
Looking at Xu Lang's perfunctory look, Shirley Yang rolled her eyes, got up, and walked away, her graceful figure twisting.
There was one thing Xu Lang found very strange. It was about the flash on the nine-story demon tower. Lao Hu had indeed seen Sadipeng turn off the flash with his own eyes. There was no doubt about this. After returning to the outpost, they checked, and the camera was fine.
Did he turn off the flash and then secretly turn it on again, or was it due to something else?
The specific reason couldn't be figured out now, and even if it could, it wouldn't be meaningful. Just be prepared in the future.
In a place like the nine-story demon tower, anything strange could happen. No one knows the specific situation.
They set sail again. The garrison sent a military truck specifically to pick up the archaeological team. It was a bit crowded, but they could still accept it.
Lao Hu and Fatty were very relaxed, leaning against the truck bed, covered in blankets, sleeping and enjoying the wind.
Shirley Yang was studying the map, occasionally taking out her notebook to compare routes, and occasionally chatting with Professor Chen. She had a faint smile on her face. She was confident about this operation.
Ye Yixin was sitting opposite Xu Lang, holding her head, not knowing what she was thinking about.
Xu Lang knew that this girl had been sneaking glances at him. He had absolute confidence in his face.
Xu Lang knew very well that a man not only had good looks, but also outstanding skills and extensive knowledge, plus the mysterious aura he displayed. All of this had made Ye Yixin fall for him unknowingly.
It wasn't just Ye Yixin, even Shirley Yang had developed feelings for him. Maybe it was because of the Kunlun glacier experience, or maybe because of what happened in the underground river.
Xu Lang wasn't stupid. He could naturally feel the changes along the way.
The rest were either reviewing materials, resting, or studying the ghost cave script.
At this time, Shirley Yang said, "Professor Chen and I have discussed, and we plan to set out from Bosten Lake and head south to find the course of the Peacock River. We will enter the depths of the desert from the river course, then go south along the Zidu An River to search for the ruins of the City of the Moon."
"Of course, this is just a preliminary decision. We still need to find a good guide. Survival experience in the desert is very important."
"The notebook says that the City of the Moon can only be found during the wind season. This is exactly the same as what Mr. Xu said earlier. We're going to enter the desert soon, so we need to discuss the route ahead."
Xu Lang took over the conversation and said, "We've already discussed it, and there are basically no problems. There are just a few requirements. First, we must be equipped with firearms. We can't be sure what dangers exist in the desert."
"No matter how urgent the time, we must rest for at least two days after arriving. We must be well-rested before entering the desert."
"We need time to rest, and so do the others, especially Professor Chen and Xiao Ye. Without sufficient physical strength, entering the desert will definitely drag down the entire team. This is not a matter of persevering through grit and determination."