Volume One: The Soul-Enticing Gourd, The Flame of the Spirit Chapter 96: Crucial Intelligence

The scorching sun baked the surrounding air.

Under the unbearable heat, Xiao Yulou and Li Hetang crouched in the shade of a tree, studying a hand-drawn map while listening to Min Wenhua’s explanations.

Meanwhile, the barely conscious Gu Mo leaned nearby, breathing weakly...

“The two areas adjacent to the cave are quite peculiar. To the east lies an entire desert, and to the south, the ocean!”

Upon hearing this, Li Hetang immediately furrowed his brow. “What? There’s a desert and an ocean here too?”

He looked anxiously into Min Wenhua’s eyes and asked, “Brother Mao, could those two areas also be microscopic worlds?”

Min Wenhua shook his head calmly, then squeezed out a meaningful smile and said, “It’s even more troublesome than microscopic worlds.”

At those words, both Xiao Yulou and Li Hetang, the intruders, tensed up instantly. Almost in unison, they asked, “What kind of trouble?”

Min Wenhua pointed to the desert region in the east. “This desert is like a death zone. On foot, it takes about three months just to reach its boundary. In the heart of this bizarre desert lies a submarine and several warships. Judging by their appearance, they’re not from my era!”

Li Hetang’s curiosity was immediately piqued again. “Brother Mao, have you ventured inside those warships and the submarine?”

Min Wenhua looked up and met Li Hetang’s gaze. “Inside, there are only some firearms, ammunition, and supply cans. I didn’t find a single living soul, not even a corpse.”

That statement unleashed a flood of questions in Li Hetang’s mind. Whose warship and submarine could be stranded in the middle of a desert? Were the demons of the White Lotus Sect truly so arrogant back then?

Thinking of this, Li Hetang looked at Min Wenhua and asked, “Brother Mao, can you still make out the serial numbers on those ships?”

Min Wenhua shook his head faintly. “The desert’s sandstorms are ruthless, and the corrosion on the submarine and warships is severe.”

Li Hetang was somewhat disappointed but resolved that these strange relics deserved a thorough investigation.

Then Min Wenhua pointed towards the ocean area. “This sea stretches endlessly. Strange creature carcasses often wash up on the shore. At night, massive dark shadows rise from the surface. So I only fish for seafood in the nearshore waters during the day.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yulou pointed at the next region on the map and asked, “Brother Wenhua, what about this area?”

Min Wenhua frowned, sighed, and spoke with a puzzled tone. “This area is similar in size to the city you live in, but it’s a desolate ruin, utterly lifeless. I’ve scavenged most of the supplies there. But...”

He suddenly paused, as if some terrifying creature lurked within that ruined city.

“Brother Mao, why are you hesitating?” Li Hetang probed.

Min Wenhua sighed again, licked his lips, and slowly said, “During the day, the city is alright. But at night, hordes of the undead roam about. These dead things go berserk at the sight of the living and attack frantically. They’re called zombies, but they all run!”

“Zombies?” Li Hetang frowned, uttering the word suddenly. Min Wenhua nodded in agreement.

“Something like that.”

At that, the ethereal Xiao Yulou began forming a mystical seal with his fingers and said softly, “I didn’t expect the ecological environment here to be so rich — zombies actually exist! No matter what, I must see them for myself.”

Min Wenhua shook his head at the brash Taoist priest. “Daoist, I’m not questioning your cultivation, but those things won’t die unless you chop off their heads. Apart from the undead, there’s no living creature in that city.”

---

After discussing the strange ruined city, Li Hetang turned his gaze to the next area.

“Brother Mao, what is this place?”

Min Wenhua stared at the small section adjacent to the ruined city and replied slowly, “This area isn’t large. That white laboratory is located there, surrounded by barbed wire. But it’s not unoccupied.”

Li Hetang was puzzled. “Brother Mao, didn’t you say when you escaped, you saw no one?”

Min Wenhua gave a bitter smile, a smile heavy with meaning and unspoken stories. “In the first few years, indeed, I saw no one. Later, when I ventured there to gather supplies, I saw a group of people dressed in white shirts and pants.”

White Lotus Sect!

Those three words flashed through Li Hetang’s mind. He then looked at Xiao Yulou, whose expression was equally surprised.

Min Wenhua continued, “Those men in white looked like the ‘strange beings’ you mentioned. Their supernatural abilities were dazzling and varied.”

Upon hearing this, Li Hetang’s suspicion was confirmed. That damned White Lotus Sect was surely plotting some earth-shattering conspiracy.

“Brother Mao, are all these areas within the White Lotus Sect’s sphere of influence?”

Min Wenhua frowned and asked, “White Lotus Sect? Are you sure all those people belong to them? It sounds a bit incredible to me.”

Li Hetang nodded seriously. “Brother Mao, you heard right. Those men in white are all from the White Lotus Sect. Even outside, the White Lotus Sect is deeply rooted, hiding in all levels of society.”

After hearing this, Min Wenhua nodded and shared more information.

“Basically, the forces here are divided into three factions.”

“What?” Li Hetang was dumbfounded.

Earlier, in the small bamboo hut, although Li Hetang had investigated much of Min Wenhua’s memories, he had found no clues about the White Lotus Sect.

The reason was simple.

At that time, his mind was solely occupied by the code name ‘O’.

Moreover, Min Wenhua’s memories spanned seven or eight years — missing those White Lotus Sect clues was understandable.

Feeling a bit guilty for not digging deeper, Li Hetang pondered briefly and asked again, “Brother Mao, how come there are three factions? Besides the White Lotus Sect and you, who’s the third?”

Min Wenhua looked at Li Hetang’s surprised expression and calmly explained, “The other group is quite laughable, even downright heretical.”

Xiao Yulou burst out laughing. “Is there a faction more sinister than the White Lotus Sect?”

Min Wenhua tilted his head slightly and said slowly, “Those people dress like underworld ghost guards or spirits, calling themselves the Netherworld Sect. Their clothing is wildly varied.”

He paused again.

“To me, they’re like shamans playing superstitious tricks.”

Seeing Xiao Yulou nearby, Min Wenhua awkwardly apologized. In his eyes, this Taoist priest was quite formidable — after all, Li Hetang had said Xiao Yulou tore apart thick spider cocoons with brute force.

No need to think twice — this Taoist was a tough character!

---

Suddenly, the curiosity of Li Hetang and Xiao Yulou was fully ignited.

They hadn’t expected the Well of Gods and Demons to be so chaotic, filled with all manner of strange and mysterious phenomena.

“Brother Mao, what are the territories of these three factions?”

Min Wenhua pointed to the hand-drawn map on the ground. “The Netherworld Sect mostly hides underground in the microscopic forest and rarely appears. The White Lotus Sect regularly patrols the regions. When that happens, these two factions often clash violently over resources.”

Hearing that the Netherworld Sect was underground in the microscopic forest surprised both Xiao Yulou and Li Hetang.

No matter how you looked at it, though they had been in the microscopic forest a short time, they hadn’t noticed any signs of other people.

But judging by the forest’s scale, it might be the largest area within the Well of Gods and Demons.

Suddenly, Li Hetang looked up from the map and asked, “Brother Mao, have you explored the entire microscopic forest?”

At this, Min Wenhua gave Li Hetang a strange look. “Brother Hetang, do you really think I’m a god?”

The three men sitting there laughed.

After this brief moment, Min Wenhua cleared his throat and spoke earnestly about the microscopic forest.

“I once spent an entire year exploring it. In the end, I only covered a small portion. This damn place is just too dangerous.”

Li Hetang gasped. The microscopic forest’s terrain was complex, inhabited by many social creatures.

If it weren’t for Min Wenhua’s exceptional combat skills, how could he have explored so much in such limited time?

This made the danger level of the code name ‘O’ multiply several times over.

Thinking this, Li Hetang couldn’t help but show a hint of impatience.

“Brother Mao, haven’t you ever thought of escaping this damned place?”

Min Wenhua’s face showed a trace of embarrassment.

“I once tried building hot air balloons and long ropes, but the Netherworld Sect shot them down. To avoid wasting resources, I gave up on that idea.”

Hearing this, Li Hetang felt a surge of pity.

Finally, Xiao Yulou looked at Min Wenhua with puzzlement. “Brother Wenhua, how did you explore these regions?”

Min Wenhua smiled, a rare expression after so long.

“At first, I stumbled around by chance. After a few days, I realized the junctions between regions were relatively safe, so I explored along these borders for months and gradually drew this map.”

Hearing this, Li Hetang and Xiao Yulou were enlightened.

They hadn’t expected this iron-willed man to be so clever. No wonder he thrived in the military!

“You mentioned the White Lotus Sect appeared once six months ago…”

Li Hetang looked into Min Wenhua’s eyes and nodded slowly.

At this point, everything that needed to be said was said.

After Min Wenhua brushed the dirt off the hand-drawn map with his foot, he led Li Hetang and Xiao Yulou toward the rainforest...