The spring thunder awakens the hibernating insects.

During the Awakening of Insects, the first spring thunder rumbles. It wakes the small creatures that hibernated underground all winter, and they now begin to stir.

Li Xiang set out as well. It was a good time to scour the mountain.

He rose at two in the morning and set out without a sound. His figure was like a phantom; not even the dogs or the Little Fox noticed.

Passing the mountain peak of his previous "secret base," Li Xiang stopped. He moved aside the massive, seven- to eight-hundred-pound Stone that blocked the entrance and slipped inside.

’As expected, just digging a hole like this won’t work. It’s too damp.’

It was still very dry when he’d come last year. But after the continuous spring rain these past few days, water was now seeping through in many places inside the cave.

In fact, water seepage in caves and tunnels is quite common. A typical mountain isn’t a single block of rock. It has soil, trees, and more on its surface, with fissures between the rocks, or even cracks within a large boulder itself. If there’s excessive rainfall, the mountain absorbs too much moisture, and seepage will occur.

Many natural limestone cave attractions feature stalactites that constantly drip water, which is also a form of seepage. In fact, seepage is one of the primary causes of stalactite formation.

’I’ll put this on hold for now. I’ll deal with it during phase three.’ Li Xiang decided to shelve the issue after a quick inspection. He could handle digging the cave himself, but preventing seepage and waterproofing it required professionals.

The third phase of the underground Shelter attraction project would likely extend to this location.

His plan was to use a small train to connect these Shelters built deep within the mountains.

A small train would wind through the mountain forests, occasionally passing through tunnels. The entire route would be scenic. This kind of attraction is very popular, and many tourist sites have one.

These sightseeing trains, whether retro-themed or cartoonish, are a huge hit with children. Of course, plenty of adults enjoy them too.

And children are often accompanied by their parents.

’If the kids want a ride, aren’t the parents going to buy tickets? The easiest money to make is from children and women.’

Of course, he would still do some digging on the side, trying out different spots. What if he stumbled upon another mineral deposit? The chances were slim, though. The last time was just a stroke of outrageously good luck.

’Then again, as a Child of the Plane, the Chosen One, it’s only natural for my luck to be a little better in this life.’

As he was inwardly mocking himself, a thought crossed Li Xiang’s mind, and the Black Mountain Profound Armor materialized over his body. It even included a faceplate, completely encasing him except for his deep, dark eyes.

The Armor was jet-black. It didn’t just protect him from the elements; it could also "lock down" his aura and body heat, making it the perfect gear for moving at night.

SWOOSH! Li Xiang shot forward. He activated Extreme Speed and felt he was much faster than right after he’d broken through to Tier Three.

Previously, his Extreme Speed was merely sixty to seventy meters per second. Now, it had increased to around one hundred meters per second. That converted to roughly 360 km/h, nearly the speed of a high-speed train.

High-speed trains can actually be faster, but for safety reasons, their top speed is mostly maintained at around 350 km/h.

After seven or eight minutes at Extreme Speed, Li Xiang was panting heavily. His heart rate was through the roof (at least 260 bpm), forcing him to stop and recover. This was his sprinting pace.

If he slowed down a bit, say to 120 km/h, Li Xiang felt he could maintain a steady pace and run for five or six hundred kilometers without a break. At that constant speed, his heart rate wouldn’t exceed 150 bpm. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

For an ordinary person, a heart rate over 120 bpm can be dangerous, and over 160 bpm is extremely dangerous. But as an Extraordinary Being, Li Xiang didn’t have to worry in the slightest as long as it was below 200 bpm.

Sichuan Province actually has many primeval forests. Last time, he went to a conservation area over seventy kilometers from his home. His destination this time was a place called Hailuogou, about three hundred fifty to three hundred sixty kilometers away.

The Primeval Forest there covers an area of over 70 square kilometers. It’s not huge, but its geography is quite unique. The elevation change within the valley is around 6,000 meters, which has created distinct, multi-layered climate zones, vegetation types, and soil belts. This allows more than 2,500 species of wild plants, ranging from subtropical to frigid, to be concentrated within a single conservation area.

The outer areas have been developed into a scenic park, but the deeper regions are largely untouched and rarely visited.

The Hailuogou Primeval Forest is one of the regions in China with the highest concentration of ancient and primitive species. It is home to over 400 types of wild animals, including 28 rare species, such as black bears and red pandas. There are also plenty of wild boars, but they are so rampant now that they no longer count as a notable species.

There are also all sorts of treasured mountain delicacies, such as white mushrooms, matsutake, Snow Lotus, and Rhodiola rosea.

It was just over three hundred kilometers. Li Xiang alternated between sprinting and slowing down, "pulsing" his speed seven or eight times. In an hour and a half, he reached the edge of the forest.

He didn’t charge in recklessly. Instead, he hid in the shadows and observed, discovering numerous hidden cameras. He chose a "gap" far from the cameras on either side—a likely blind spot—and with a flicker of movement, he dashed into the jungle.

In the dead of night with no Moon, he was dressed in black and moving as fast as a phantom. The Black Mountain Profound Armor also concealed his aura and sealed his body heat, making him invisible even to infrared cameras.

’He’d managed to move freely through the Primeval Forest last time without the Black Mountain Profound Armor, so this was even easier now that he was fully protected.’

Once inside the jungle, the dense trees provided endless cover. He could move with absolute freedom. While there were some infrared thermal imagers designed for forest surveillance inside, there were far fewer than on the perimeter—hardly worth mentioning.