Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 25

Although Set is a den of money, its geographical environment isn't very good. Due to its location on the borders of several countries, the terrain is quite rough. The land here is relatively fertile, so Set is essentially a large plantation. However, what's grown here isn't necessarily valuable. The main reason for the poor transportation is the many mountains that cut off roads. Between the mountains are either deep valleys or fast-flowing rivers, creating various transportation dead zones. As a result, the local people are generally quite poor, making Set a place of extreme wealth disparity.

Yao Ziqing had been training for nearly a year, so his physical strength and agility had improved significantly. Otherwise, navigating through the dense forest with no roads would have been extremely challenging. Lei Xiao had slowed down the pace, but seeing that Si'er was getting used to keeping up, he was quite satisfied. The progress compared to before was like night and day.

After taking a few sips of water, Yao Ziqing sat on a rock to catch his breath. Set is in Southeast Asia, where the temperature is already high. Trekking under the blazing sun made him sweat profusely. Lei Xiao took the water bottle Yao Ziqing had used and drank the rest before telling Si'er to hang on.

"We're almost there. Hang in there."

Yao Ziqing nodded, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and got up to follow Lei Xiao deeper into the forest. Although everything around them looked the same, Lei Xiao seemed to be walking with purpose, hardly stopping to check directions, which made Yao Ziqing curious.

"Second brother, did you mark the route? It feels like you're walking in your own backyard."

"No markings."

Even the most hidden mark would be a leak, exposing one's position. For international smugglers, marks are highly avoided. The most reliable way is to rely on one's own memory, as changing the terrain dramatically in a few years isn't easy.

Yao Ziqing was very attentive to the surroundings. With his current eyesight, he could see even the smallest details. He hadn't noticed any markings along the way and thought it might be due to his lack of observation.

"So, second brother, you're relying on memory? What if you get lost in this complex terrain?"

Lei Xiao glanced back at him. "Your stamina is good?" It seemed like he had too many questions.

Yao Ziqing immediately fell silent, realizing the previous quiet was probably better. However, he soon noticed that Lei Xiao really did speed up, so he had to quicken his pace to keep up.

After walking for about another hour, it was already noon, and they had been trekking through the forest for over five hours since 7 a.m. Even though Yao Ziqing was constantly absorbing the dense elemental energy around him, his physical stamina was reaching its limit.

Just as Yao Ziqing was about to call for a break, Lei Xiao stopped. "We've arrived."

Yao Ziqing perked up. "Really? Where?"

All he saw around were trees and mountains, with no signs of buildings or warehouses. He couldn't imagine what Lei Xiao had found.

Lei Xiao moved aside some dense grass and took a few steps into the depths. Yao Ziqing immediately felt a cool breeze and realized there was a cave here. The supplies were inside this cave! It was indeed well-hidden!

As they moved deeper into the forest, Yao Ziqing guessed that the items Lei Xiao had obtained must be unusual, otherwise, they wouldn't be so concealed. Even if the origins weren't legitimate, hiding them in the deep mountains seemed excessive given the manpower required for such an arduous trek.

Lei Xiao, noticing Si'er's curiosity as he peered inside, advised, "The path is rough. Be careful and don't make any noise."

Yao Ziqing was puzzled since it was just the two of them. Seeing Lei Xiao's caution, he wondered if there were guards around. He quickly used his spiritual power to scan the area.