The dark night was sinister, and the giant rock looked even more hideous.
Bamboo Pole, who was sitting under the rock, looked even weirder. His empty pants swayed beside the wheelchair, which made Ding Meng even more nervous.
Leopard, Machine Gun Sadler, and the others were vicious and cruel, but that could be seen from the surface. People like Bamboo Pole were not like that. You couldn't tell what he was really thinking from his appearance.
After staying in Black Gold Base for a long time, the real danger was not the harsh environment, the cruel mercenaries, or the incurable diseases. It was the complex and sinister human heart. Recently, Ding Meng had a deeper understanding of this.
He wasn't wrong. Just as he was ten meters away from the exit, Bamboo Pole on the wheelchair flew up without warning, like a spinning top suddenly spinning into the air.
Even though Ding Meng had already mentally prepared himself, he still didn't expect Bamboo Pole to have such a movement technique. What was even more unexpected was that Bamboo Pole's left leg suddenly swept across the air. The empty leg of his trousers suddenly trembled and straightened. When the leg swept over, there was even a strong sound of wind breaking. This was clearly the effect of origin ability.
Ding Meng stretched out his right hand to block it. Who knew that the straightened pants would suddenly become soft, and like a snake, it coiled around his wrist and then quickly circled around it a few times, making his right hand unable to move. At this time, Bamboo Pole's killer move was revealed — his right leg swept over with an even more ferocious momentum.
This wasn't some kind of martial arts technique. It was just a simple Total Annihilation, but the power of this sweep couldn't be underestimated. The leg hadn't even arrived, but the shock wave it set off was enough to make people stop breathing.
Ding Meng was taken aback. His left palm formed a knifehand and quickly backstabbed the opponent's ankle. This knifehand was neither fast nor fierce enough, but the timing and position were perfect. It was as if the bamboo pole had voluntarily delivered the ankle to him.
"Peng — —"
The two forces collided, and there was a muffled sound in the air.
Ding Meng didn't move. Bamboo Pole, on the other hand, flew back and sat firmly in the wheelchair. He looked like a half-dead old man, leaning on the chair without moving.
If it weren't for the fact that Ding Meng's palm was still shockingly hot, he wouldn't have believed that this sickly old man's kick could be so powerful.
Bamboo Pole suddenly said, "Very good. It seems that you also cultivate Origin Energy related to heat. This makes things much easier."
As he muttered to himself, he pulled out a bundle from behind the wheelchair and casually tossed it over. "Here, take this."
Ding Meng took it and opened it to find another large bundle of nutrient solution. However, upon closer inspection, other than the nutrient solution, there was also a small bundle of pale yellow medicine.
"What's this?" Ding Meng couldn't help but ask.
Bamboo Pole's expression was very calm. "The nutrient solution should be enough for you to use for a while. The yellow medicine is also a steel mixture, but it's not the kind you think it is. Using it will temporarily increase your resistance to high temperatures."
Ding Meng stared at the medicine in deep thought. "You don't seem to have any ill intentions."
Bamboo Pole calmly replied, "If you had it as well, then the power of that palm strike would have been enough to shatter this chair."
A look of praise appeared in Ding Meng's eyes. Bamboo Pole's kick had seemed fierce, but in reality, he hadn't used his full strength. Thus, Ding Meng hadn't used his full strength either. All he had done was send Bamboo Pole back into the wheelchair, and he hadn't used any more or less strength.
After going through the construction of the Origin, Ding Meng's judgment, understanding, and control of power had clearly reached a new level.
"I just don't understand. You've always been a fair trader, so why are you giving me these supplies for free this time?" Ding Meng slowly asked.
"For free?" Bamboo Pole suddenly laughed. "Who says I'm giving you these for free?"
Ding Meng stared at him. "Then what do you want?"
"Perhaps we both want the same thing," Bamboo Pole replied as he took out a metal storage device. A ray of light quickly shot out from its port.
This time, the map couldn't be any simpler. A red dot, a green dot, and a blue line connecting the two dots.
"What does that mean?" Ding Meng didn't understand.
Bamboo Pole explained, "The green dot is where we are right now."
"Then what about the red dot?"
Bamboo Pole slowly said, "That's where I want you to go."
Looking at the map, Ding Meng seemed to understand. "You want me to pass through this invisible thing?"
"It's not an object." Bamboo Pole also looked at the distant chaos. "It's a barrier."
"A barrier?" Ding Meng finally found a more reliable explanation.
Bamboo Pole's expression was somewhat serious. "Normal people can't survive in this place because the temperature is too high. Normal Origin Ability users can't survive in this barrier because the temperature is even higher."
Ding Meng suddenly realized that Bamboo Pole knew more inside information than Machine Gun. "Then what's the point of this barrier?"
Bamboo Pole turned to look at him. "This barrier separates the outside world from the inside world of the base."
"This … this place isn't the outside world?" Ding Meng found it hard to believe.
"Absolutely not!"
Bamboo Pole answered him firmly, "Everything you see now is an illusion. I know you must want to ask what the truth is.
I can guarantee that you'll see the truth. "
Ding Meng lowered his head in thought. "Where is the red dot?"
"It's exactly 102 kilometers from here."
Bamboo Pole began to manipulate the map again. A curved 'barrier' appeared between the two dots. Not far from the barrier, a yellow dot appeared. Then, starting from the yellow dot, another curved line connected to the red dot from below. "The yellow dot is only eight kilometers away from the barrier. With your current strength and the resistance provided by the steel mixture, you'll be able to find the entrance in one hour."
"What kind of entrance?" Ding Meng stared at him again.
Bamboo Pole replied calmly, "An entrance that can save our lives. Of course, once you enter, it might also take your life. Whether you can return safely will depend on your luck."
Ding Meng took a small breath and continued to ask patiently, "What should I do after I reach the destination?"
Bamboo Pole seemed to sigh as well. "I know you must have a million questions in your mind, but I can only answer you this way. Only when you get out and see the real world will you know why and what to do. Some things don't need to be taught. A smart person will know what to do."
This time, Ding Meng was silent for a long time before he said, "I'm only curious about one thing."
"What is it?"
Ding Meng said, "Why don't you do it yourself? Why do you insist on having me do it?"
Bamboo Pole said seriously, "Fine. Since you've asked, I can also tell you. Based on the current situation, no one in the entire base can pass through this barrier except for you."
Ding Meng stared at him. "Your Origin Energy seems to be of the thermodynamic system as well. Why can't you pass through?"
Bamboo Pole didn't answer his question directly. Instead, he asked, "I also have something to ask you. Do you feel safe hiding in this place?"
"This …" Ding Meng was stunned. The exit of the warship was definitely located outside the base. Compared to the main mining area and the base's surface area, this place was undoubtedly safer.
However, this type of safety was only relative. If the Grand Marshal and the others were willing to put in a lot of effort to find him, they would still be able to find him.
Bamboo Pole didn't wait for him to answer. He continued to ask, "You've been hiding here for almost half a month. Don't you think it's strange?
The people who ambushed the mercenaries couldn't find you. "
Ding Meng's heart sank. He finally understood what Bamboo Pole meant. If Bamboo Pole could find his way here, how could the Grand Marshal and the others not be able to find him?
Something must have happened to the mercenary corps in the base while he was cultivating.