From the crowd, a short, thin man showing off two prominent buck teeth answered Uncle Diao, "Yes, Master Diao," and walked toward him.

The man named Rat took a close look at the large opening. Without saying much, he took a leap and disappeared into the hole.

Young Master Liu couldn't help but suck in his breath. Damn, what exquisite lightness skill! He realized that among Uncle Diao’s crew, there truly were hidden masters.

A while later, Rat’s voice echoed from inside the hole: "Master Diao, no immediate danger, just terribly damp—no wonder the cold smoke couldn't catch fire."

Hearing Rat’s report, everyone visibly relaxed. Lin Miaoke jumped up with joy, and old man Klama knelt down excitedly, thanking Hu Da profusely.

Uncle Diao instructed Rat to lower several ropes from above, then ordered everyone to climb up in turns.

The group split into two batches; the first consisted entirely of Uncle Diao’s men, who ascended in no time.

Next, it was everyone else's turn. Young Master Liu grabbed a rope, leaped up, and began to ascend. The environment here favored a dynamic of stepping and pulling, which saved energy.

The initial section went smoothly; it was merely damp, just as Liu expected. However, the further they climbed, the more intense the moisture became, until soon, his feet slipped immediately upon landing.

Liu began to doubt Rat’s judgment. A little damp? This is practically a swamp growing on the walls! The thought alone made him shudder, realizing how terrifying that man Rat was to scale this treacherous ascent using only his bare hands.

Fan Debiao, nearby, spat out a string of curses. "Damn it! This is truly a place meant for suffering!"

The initial climbing method was now useless. They could only secure the rope between their feet and use sheer friction to pull themselves up. Hearing Fan Debiao’s complaints, Liu told him, "You have enough energy to talk; put it into your legs instead."

What followed was an arduous climb. After much effort, they finally scrambled out of the cursed hole. The water in the pool had long since dried up, leaving only a large pit.

Panting heavily, Young Master Liu collapsed into the pit, closing his eyes to catch his breath and regain his composure.

Just as his breathing steadied, Wang Zhicai's voice wailed from below, "It’s no use, I can’t do it anymore."

Hearing this, Liu remembered that Wang Zhicai and Lin Miaoke were still down there. Judging by Wang Zhicai’s breathless cries, if they delayed any longer, he might perish.

Liu forgot about resting. He shouted down the opening, "Manager Wang, Sister Lin, hold tight! Everyone, help pull them up!" Liu immediately called over Fan Debiao and Jackson. Each grabbed several ropes, and with a united heave, the ropes, and the people attached, were hauled out.

As soon as they were pulled out, Wang Zhicai and Lin Miaoke collapsed by the entrance, gasping. Lin Miaoke seemed slightly better; her breathing, though labored, was rhythmic, her chest rising and falling, compounded by being soaked to the bone. A group of men stared intently. Seeing the impropriety of the situation, Liu helped her sit upright. Wang Zhicai was in worse shape. Everyone had struggled mightily to get out, and for an old man like him, it was a miracle he hadn't perished.

Considering Wang Zhicai's condition, Liu suggested to Uncle Diao and Wang Feifei that they rest for the night before proceeding. Observing the situation, Liu knew resting was essential.

All their superior gear was located above the pit. Liu, supported by Fan Debiao, helped Wang Zhicai, while Fan Debiao supported Lin Miaoke, as they slowly made their way toward where the others had paused to recuperate.

Midway there, they heard old man Klama shrieking above like a slaughtered pig. Liu found it strange, wondering what drama Klama was staging this time. He quickened his pace, and upon arriving, he froze—the scene before him could only be described as brutal.

Klama's camel train had been reduced to a skeleton train. Camel blood pooled everywhere. Liu noticed small black dots moving intermittently over the remains of the camels. A closer look revealed they were black ants.

Desert Man-Eating Ants! That phrase instantly flashed into Liu’s mind.

It was merely an immediate, subconscious label triggered by the horrifying sight; he actually had no idea how the camels had been reduced to that state. In such a gruesome scene, faced with bloody remains swarming with ants, anyone’s mind would conjure up the terrifying image of desert man-eaters.

Liu recalled reading materials that mentioned numerous dangerous desert creatures that, while not always present, were disastrous when encountered.

He distinctly remembered one particularly vicious species known as army ants, about which very few who saw them ever returned from the desert alive.

Fortunately, Liu observed that the ants before him were far too small to be army ants.

Klama, seeing his camel team, which had followed him for years, reduced to a pile of bones overnight, nearly fainted. After grieving briefly before the pile of camel skeletons, old Klama suddenly bolted straight toward the bones.

Liu had no idea what he intended to do, but regardless of any discovery, he couldn't let him charge in there. If these camels had indeed been devoured by those ants, and judging by the situation, the ants hadn't entirely retreated, Klama rushing in rashly wouldn't even be enough to clean their teeth.

Liu immediately shouted to stop him. Klama was running with the speed of a madman; before the words were fully out of Liu’s mouth, Klama was already kneeling among the bones.

A cold sweat instantly broke out all over Liu. He thought, Klama is finished. If he provokes those ants, we’ll all suffer.

After a long pause, Liu’s assumption was completely overturned. All he saw was Klama weeping inconsolably, with no ants emerging to devour him down to the bone.

The others slowly approached. Wang Feifei consoled Klama nearby, assuring him that it was fine and they would help him acquire another caravan. Liu realized this woman was surprisingly generous.

Liu placed Wang Zhicai into a sleeping bag, and Fan Debiao helped Lin Miaoke over. Liu told Fan Debiao and Jackson to watch them while he went to investigate whether the camels had truly been killed by man-eating ants.

Fan Debiao refused, insisting he didn't believe Liu's intentions were purely academic research; he insisted on going along. Liu, slightly bewildered—perhaps the young man suspected he was hunting for hidden treasure—agreed, thinking he could tease him later when he was inevitably disappointed.

Liu and Fan Debiao reached the bone pile. Liu squatted down to examine the remains, while Fan Debiao aimlessly kicked sand and scattered debris.

After observing for a while, Liu’s gaze caught a black speck. He turned his head and saw several tiny ants perched on a nearby camel leg bone—the very "desert man-eating ants" he had imagined. Liu watched them; they weren't feeding, merely resting there.

This observation made Liu pause. These camels weren't destroyed by these ants. What, then, could annihilate an entire caravan of over a dozen camels overnight, leaving only bones, with no apparent struggle—the camels seemingly paralyzed where they stood? That was impossible. The only explanation was that the attacker moved with unimaginable speed. A chill traced down his spine.

These matters were beyond Liu’s comprehension, exceeding his known knowledge. Since the situation was what it was, it seemed they would have to trek to the Golden Ancient City. It was time to prioritize rest.

"Debiao, any findings? If not, let's go back and rest," Liu said, standing up and addressing Fan Debiao.

Fan Debiao shrugged. "Findings? Didn't even see an egg."

Liu wasn't in the mood to tease him and waved him back toward the resting area.

When he returned, Uncle Diao and his men had also climbed out of the pit. They were sitting in a circle, smoking. Jackson, being socially adept, had already mingled well, laughing and chatting with the burly man who had mentioned explosives below and the man named Rat.

Lin Miaoke and Wang Zhicai had regained some strength and were sitting up, drinking water. Klama and Wang Feifei were deep in a strained conversation, seemingly still grappling with the loss of the camel train.

Old Wu beckoned Liu and Fan Debiao over, quickly offering cigarettes to everyone. Liu lit his, took a few puffs, then glanced at Wang Feifei and old Klama. He felt Klama had suffered a severe blow on this expedition, but offering condolences felt somehow inadequate. Liu took two more deep drags, flicked the butt away, and approached Wang Feifei and Klama.

Liu inquired about the situation. Klama said he refused to go any further inside and wanted to return. Wang Feifei argued that without the camels and the guides, reaching the Golden Ancient City seemed impractical, and she tried to persuade him to stay, but Klama adamantly refused.