Volume One: Lord of the Infernal World Chapter 22: The Might of Time

“Prohibited from opening the gates?” Having retreated to the surface, Chen Gu summoned Allen and inquired about the situation. After a brief silence, Allen finally gave an answer.

“It’s true. To prevent anyone from deceiving their way in, during wartime, unless you’re a hero of the city, even other heroes cannot open the city gates.

But this is actually a good thing—it means Silverpine Valley hasn’t fallen to the undead.”

“What level of security are we talking about?” Chen Gu was more concerned with this point.

“The city gates are sealed tight, flying creatures cannot enter, underground passage is impossible, all sewers are barred. Apart from air, nothing can get into the city.” Allen knew very well how completely the elves could seal their cities.

“Does that consume a lot of energy?”

“No. Once sealed, the energy cycles internally. It was designed to ensure long-term defense, with food and water already prepared.”

Listening to Allen, Chen Gu felt somewhat disappointed.

Yet he remained unwilling to give up and wanted to try again.

“Let’s give it a shot. Maybe after all these years, the wartime decree has been lifted.”

“No, I’m not going through the valley side. I plan to try at the top of Silverpine Valley.”

Relying on the coordinates he’d made earlier at the main gate, Chen Gu calculated the topmost point of the city and brought his subordinates there by carriage.

“Corpse-eating vines, dig down—keep digging,” he ordered.

At his command, nine corpse-eating vines began drilling deep into the earth.

Allen kept an eye on Chen Gu’s reaction. Hearing the command, Allen sighed.

“There’s no need for this; you don’t even know to what lengths the elves will go to defend their city.”

“I may not know that, but I know one thing: the greatest magic is time, and the greatest force is nature,” Chen Gu replied with certainty. “No one can escape the erosion of time, and nothing can avoid the weathering of nature.

Silverpine Valley is underground, carved by an underground river—just as you said. That proves the earth itself is subject to nature’s influence. I don’t know how many years the undead have been around, but after so long, no matter how tight the defense, something must have changed.”

Allen, hearing this, said no more.

Chen Gu watched the spot where the vines burrowed for a moment, then turned to the Bloodshadow Wolf and the Fire Spirit Crow.

“Go find food on your own. I’ll wait in the carriage. Fire Spirit Crow, pay close attention—if you spot any enemies, first observe and then report back.”

With that, Chen Gu returned to the carriage.

As soon as he sat inside, countless vines quickly spread around the carriage, concealing him completely.

This was the carriage’s camouflage mode, enabling it to blend into the local scenery and masking the scent of its occupants.

Unless someone possessed some extraordinary vision, an average person would never notice the carriage’s presence.

Chen Gu knew the corpse-eating vines wouldn’t complete his plan quickly.

He would have to wait several hours.

Until then, he could get some proper sleep.

“You know, I think you could try going upstream—maybe you’ll find a way into Silverpine Valley through the river,” Allen suggested after entering the carriage.

But Chen Gu had no intention of listening.

“I know the river’s a way in. But do you think no one’s thought of that over all these years?

I suspect both the upstream and downstream passages are rigged—maybe a labyrinth that traps people, maybe waterfalls with lethal drops. It’s possible to find Silverpine Valley from the underground river, but it’s terribly hard to pinpoint. My plan is more feasible—at least we know the city is right beneath our feet.

All we need to do now is wait for the corpse-eating vines to return.”

Allen had no objections. After all, in his soul state, he didn’t need to worry about time, rest, or food.

If Chen Gu wanted to try, let him.

With Allen finally quiet, Chen Gu contentedly set the crystal aside, sprawled on the makeshift bed, and closed his eyes.

He slept for about six hours.

He awoke only when he heard a tapping from outside the carriage.

Refreshed from his long sleep, Chen Gu didn’t open the door immediately. He sat up, cleared his mind, and then stepped outside.

Once out, he saw that the one tapping on the carriage was a corpse-eating vine.

Seeing its condition, Chen Gu’s eyes lit up.

“Have you found the entrance to Silverpine Valley?”

The vine couldn’t speak but had its own consciousness. At his question, it nodded.

Chen Gu glanced at it again and noticed only one of the nine vines he’d sent out had returned.

“Have the others already gone down?”

The vine nodded again.

“Can the carriage pass through?”

This time, the vine didn’t answer.

Seeing this, Chen Gu said directly, “Never mind—lead the way, I’ll go see for myself.”

He returned to the carriage, this time taking the front seat.

“Follow the corpse-eating vine. Activate underground travel mode.”

At his command, a coachman appeared in the driver’s seat.

With a flick of the whip, the carriage sank into the earth.

From inside, Chen Gu watched the soil part, creating a tunnel for them.

This was their underground stealth ability.

Of course, unlike traveling above ground, their speed underground was only thirty kilometers per hour—but that was enough for Chen Gu.

Under the vine’s guidance, the carriage delved ever deeper into the earth.

Gazing out the window, Chen Gu saw his guess was right.

Nothing escapes the might of time and nature.

Over the years, wind and rain had greatly affected the land.

Rainwater, seeping along tree roots, partially nourished the trees but also penetrated deeper.

Over time, this formed a layer of water between the soil and the rock.

This was the opportunity Chen Gu had been seeking.

Water, trickling through cracks in the stone, dripped into Silverpine Valley—one drop, two drops, three...

Perhaps a drop or two meant little, but over time, it wore through the elven magic sealing the ceiling of Silverpine Valley.

Because to the elves, a few drops of water weren’t worth defending against—there was no need to guard against it.

That lack of vigilance had, over time, created a gap above Silverpine Valley.

A gap just large enough for the corpse-eating vines to slip through.

And now, Chen Gu’s carriage was passing through that very opening.