Chapter 99: Amariken

A hollow knocking sound was found behind the wall. Everyone exchanged glances—it was really a hidden room, a secret compartment.

“What should we do? Should we break it open?”

Liu Changding stopped them. “Don’t be so rough. Every inch of land here is an important cultural heritage. It might hide many unresolved historical mysteries.” After saying this, he glanced back at Zuo Zhicheng, who was sitting behind him. Seeing that the other was still eating and ignoring him, Liu Changding breathed a sigh of relief, as if afraid that someone would start breaking the wall again.

Under Liu Changding’s direction, everyone began searching for possible mechanisms nearby. However, after a thorough search, they found nothing.

“How is this possible?” Liu Changding examined the area and showed a puzzled expression. “It’s sealed shut? Why would they build a passage here and then seal the wall?”

“Maybe it’s a way out.”

“At least we should open it and take a look.”

“Could it be sealing some kind of monster inside?”

At this, everyone grew a bit nervous. Thinking about all the monsters they had encountered along the way, they looked at the wall as if some fierce beast were truly sealed behind it.

After all, sealing a passage like this seemed very suspicious.

“I’ll do it.” Zuo Zhicheng stuffed the remaining half of the fruit into his mouth and stretched his arms. “After eating, it’s good to do some post-meal activity.”

Qingyue Qiu reminded him from the side, “Be careful not to make too much noise.”

“Don’t worry.” Zuo Zhicheng placed one hand on the wall. He did not punch or slap it—he simply pressed his hand against it and pushed with force.

Like a human bulldozer, Zuo Zhicheng exerted strength throughout his entire body. In Qingyue Qiu’s eyes, he seemed like a blazing torch, releasing intense heat and light in an instant.

With a soft sound, the area where Zuo Zhicheng’s hand touched was directly pierced open—the bricks were pushed aside by sheer brute force.

After a hole was made, the entire wall became even more fragile. Zuo Zhicheng quickly broke apart the remaining bricks, revealing a hole large enough for one person to pass through.

Zuo Zhicheng sniffed the air and said, “This doesn’t seem to lead outside. Let’s wait for the air to circulate before going in.”

No one objected, so they had to wait inside the underground palace for a day. During that time, they hastily ate some Spiritual Energy Food and took turns sleeping.

Although Tang Yuan and Tang Xianghui knew that exercising Authentic Transmission Martial Arts after eating Spiritual Energy Food yielded the best results, neither of them felt like practicing at this moment. Only Zuo Zhicheng continued his daily routine, practicing the Northern Peng Hanging Heaven Style.

However, after consuming the Psychic Energy Fruit this time, his practice session was greatly extended. From the moment he finished eating until the next day, Zuo Zhicheng did not stop practicing the Northern Peng Hanging Heaven Style. Streams of warmth and Spiritual Power continuously flowed through his body, and with the help of his Authentic Transmission Martial Arts, they transformed into nutrients that strengthened his physique.

After an entire night of training, Zuo Zhicheng could clearly feel that his purple Innate Primordial Breath had reached 79%. He did not mind others seeing his Authentic Transmission Martial Arts—without the specific techniques and visualization methods, merely watching would not allow them to learn it.

Tang Yuan, who had been sleeping nearby, woke up and saw Zuo Zhicheng still practicing his martial arts move by move. He couldn’t help but shake his head. “Now I understand why this guy is so strong. But if I had to train as hard as he does, I’d rather stay an ordinary person.”

Tang Xianghui sighed. At first, she felt motivated by him and practiced her own Authentic Transmission Martial Arts alongside Ghost Fist. But after about four hours, she was too exhausted and had to stop. Now, watching him repeat his martial arts practice like a machine, she could only feel sincere admiration.

“I remember my master once said that all experts are a combination of hard work and luck.” Tang Xianghui nodded. “I understand that saying now. Even with Spiritual Energy Food to support us, we probably can’t surpass him in martial arts. His willpower is almost inhuman.”

Tang Yuan gazed at Zuo Zhicheng’s figure, filled with emotion. He had once felt envy and jealousy toward Ghost Fist, thinking that under the same conditions, his own martial arts would not be weaker.

But now he knew that was impossible. The other’s effort and willpower far surpassed his own. Under the same conditions, the other would only become stronger than him.

Although Qingyue Qiu and the others did not voice their thoughts, their expressions showed similar feelings.

Finally, Zuo Zhicheng finished his practice of the Northern Peng Hanging Heaven Style. He took a deep breath and said, “The air should have circulated enough. I’ll go down first to check. If I don’t come back within five hours, abandon this hole and seal it up.”

The others trusted Zuo Zhicheng’s abilities and said nothing more. Then they watched as Zuo Zhicheng stepped into the black hole and disappeared.

However, the depth of the hole was much shorter than Zuo Zhicheng had imagined. Because it had been sealed for so long, the ground and walls were still in good condition. But what surprised him was yet to come.

At the end of the passage was a steel door, but it had been twisted into two halves by something. Yet the symbol on it sent a chill down Zuo Zhicheng’s spine.

“NASA…”

It was a symbol that should never have appeared here—the emblem of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Although the pattern was faded and damaged, Zuo Zhicheng was certain he hadn’t misread it.

“Amariken… America?”

Scenes from since he arrived in this world flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath, pushed aside all distracting thoughts, and slowly walked through the steel door.

It was a vast space about thirty meters high. Broken walls and twisted metal frames were everywhere, but aside from that, everything else had been taken away, as if nothing had been left for those who came after.

“Launch Silo…” The structure was all too familiar—Zuo Zhicheng had entered such buildings many times before.

Seeing this, his mind became somewhat chaotic. Why would the symbol of America appear in this world? Why was there a launch silo here? Why had everything been removed? What was the relationship between the so-called Amariken and America?

He thought of the same starry sky. Could this be Earth? But why was the continent’s terrain completely different, and why was the history entirely unlike what he knew? Was this another planet or a different world? Had Americans once come here?

Why was the launch silo sealed? What was the connection between the underground palace above, the underground space, the tunnels, and the cultivated Spiritual Energy Food?

There were too many questions, and Zuo Zhicheng could not find perfect answers for any of them.