Only I Walk Alone

The development of technology requires curiosity and a spirit of exploration. The British Empire became the empire where the sun never sets during the steam era because they continuously sought to understand the unknown and ventured into uncharted territories. This quest for discovery led to the invention of new technological products, which in turn made Britain a powerful empire.

Although this does not excuse their acts of invasion and colonization, it’s undeniable that progress is hard to achieve without exploration.

Thus, under Wu Ge’s proposal, Xiao Chao began to explore underground. The Soviet Union once dug down to 10,000 meters, but they abandoned the project due to financial, public opinion, and technological reasons.

However, with Xiao Chao’s level of technology, continuing this great project was feasible, making digging no longer a difficult task.

So, during a time when Xiao Chao’s technological development was nearly stagnant, a grand project began, known as the Digging Project.

Massive resources were allocated to this project, countless robots tirelessly worked, and numerous experts, scholars, and scientists rushed to the digging sites to conduct scientific research.

Now, they aimed to deeply analyze Earth’s composition, from the atmosphere to the surface, and from the surface to the underground, to thoroughly understand the home they lived on.

The Digging Project commenced with great fanfare. Xiao Chao established fifty-two digging sites across the seven continents, each equipped with underground research stations. It was a massive project, but for Xiao Chao, who had mastered controlled nuclear fusion engines, digging was not a difficult task.

Within just three years, Xiao Chao had excavated pits 10,000 meters deep at each site. At this point, strange phenomena occurred. Some werewolf scientists began hearing faint noises underground, akin to the wails of evil spirits from hell, yet Xiao Chao’s equipment detected no sound waves.

Moreover, as the pits grew deeper, many paranormal events occurred. For example, near a digging site in Z country, a white shadow appeared.

This shadow would manifest under the moonlight at night. Many werewolves saw the white shadow wandering under the moon, but it would vanish as they approached.

Xiao Chao’s cameras and radars captured nothing of this white shadow.

Faced with such situations, Xiao Chao was powerless and had to wait for Wu Ge to take action.

After hearing about these incidents, Wu Ge discussed with the Fox Immortal and others, pondering, “Does the Underworld exist in this world? Could there be a second world beneath our feet, like the fox cave or the Demon Empire?”

The Fox Immortal replied, “I have only heard tales of the Underworld and reincarnation.”

Xiao Chao seemed to have searched through myths and legends from around the world, then said, “Tales of the Underworld, Hell, the Netherworld, the Abyss, the Demon World, and Subterranean Worlds have existed since ancient times. Back then, people from different countries and regions had not communicated, but they independently reflected the existence of such a world in their literature. After verification, the myths about the underground world from different regions have similarities, and there are even accounts of people who have been to the Netherworld and returned, with their descriptions being almost identical.”

This method of proof was something only Xiao Chao could achieve, as it held thousands of years of human records and documents. This approach to verification was intriguing.

For example, if two infants were raised separately in different places, without letting them meet or access any means of communication, they would eventually become aware of objective realities like the sun, the moon, and the wind. They might use language or drawings to describe these realities. Though their methods of description and the names they assign might differ, they are describing the same phenomena.

Xiao Chao utilized this method to assert the existence of concepts that science cannot prove, such as the soul. In ancient times, people from various parts of the world believed in the existence of the soul without any form of communication between them. Their unanimous belief indicates that the soul exists objectively, just like the sun, the moon, and the wind. Even without communication across the oceans, we are bound to discover these entities and describe them in our languages.

According to Xiao Chao’s reasoning, the Underworld might exist, resembling a second world hidden beneath the surface, similar to a barrier, undetectable with current technology but accessible to certain individuals.

Xiao Chao said, “After searching through myths about the Underworld from various countries… the search is complete. The legends all describe it as a place that harbors human souls. If we can open the gates to this Underworld, perhaps we can reconstitute the Nether Race!”

Xiao Chao highlighted a crucial point: the Nether Race cannot be manufactured, and its emergence is not understood. If they could open this place and recruit those souls, could they form an army of the Nether Race?

Wu Ge thought of the mighty powers of the deities described in myths. He said, “If we could inform them about the current situation of humanity, tell those like Yama King, Ox-Head and Horse-Face Guardians, and the Heibai Wuchang (Black and White Impermanence), perhaps we really could obtain a powerful Nether Race army. After all, their descendants have all been taken away. Under such circumstances, they wouldn’t just sit idly by, right?”

Wu Ge was filled with anticipation but also had concerns. Are the deities of the Underworld really so approachable? Does the Underworld truly exist beneath us?

To verify the existence of the Underworld, Wu Ge made a decision: “I’ll go down to the Underworld myself!”

Wu Ge decided to go alone. The Fox Immortal and the others had their responsibilities, and their identities were not suitable for such a journey. The Fox Immortal was a demon, Xiao Luo a foreign vampire, and Sister Mei a spirit. Their trip to the Underworld could potentially be a one-way mission.

Xiao Chao suggested, “Based on legends, I recommend you bring enough pumpkins. It is said that when Emperor Taizong of Tang visited the Underworld, the denizens asked him to present pumpkins from the living world.”

This story is recorded in “Journey to the West.” Legend has it that Emperor Taizong once went to the Underworld and was told there were no pumpkins there, so he ordered someone to commit suicide with a pumpkin on their head to bring pumpkins to the underworld. Whether this is true or not, no one knows.

Wu Ge had robots prepare several fine pumpkins, and he also carried the Star Core Flying Sword, which he named “Star Space Sword” because its blade was as dark as the night sky yet as dazzling as the stars.

With everything ready, Xiao Chao added, “With the True Dragon Qi upon you, the Underworld’s spirits should not obstruct you. Moreover, you have not killed anyone in this life, making you sinless, so you should not be apprehended by Ox-Head and Horse-Face Guardians. However, robots may not be able to follow you into the Underworld, so you must be cautious.”

Wu Ge nodded, taking the matter seriously. He said, “Then, I’m off.”