Accompanied by the increasingly clear and distant footsteps, a figure rushed towards them like a whirlwind.

As it approached, Xi Xi took a closer look and saw the dark figure flash past her eyes. The newcomer had long, straight legs, like two exquisitely carved jade pillars; a round and full body with smooth and natural lines; and a long and elegant neck, like a noble swan.

The dark figure swept past Xi Xi's hiding place in an instant, bringing a cool breeze, and then rushed forward with lightning speed.

That unique body shape and running posture gave Xi Xi an inexplicable sense of familiarity...

Xi Xi took out the azure stone hidden in her clothes and pointed it at the departing figure. Sure enough!

"Damn, the ruins are something else, huh? Ostriches running underground..." Xi Xi couldn't help but complain in her mind.

In any game in the original world, such a spectacle would be criticized with thousands of negative reviews.

The ostrich seemed to fly, galloping forward with incredible speed.

Its movements were swift and skillful, each step light and powerful, easily traversing the various loose stones and obstacles on the road, clearly indicating its great familiarity with the area.

Looking at the white markers disappearing at the edge of the map, Xi Xi breathed a long sigh of relief.

Logically speaking, as long as you don't deliberately provoke neutral creatures, you won't be attacked for no reason.

Therefore, Xi Xi felt it was better to avoid trouble and simply stay far away from any neutral creatures with white dots.

With that thought in mind, she composed herself and continued walking along the path.

Before long, Xi Xi arrived at the end of the path. Originally full of hope of finding a way out, Xi Xi now felt somewhat lost and confused.

She wandered around, her eyes scanning her surroundings, before tentatively pushing against the rock wall at the end, trying to find the hidden cave like she had done in the Dark Canyon that day.

However, after several attempts along the way, they all came up empty-handed.

Did I choose the wrong path? Xi Xi couldn't help but doubt herself, after all, there was another path to walk on the left side of the cliff.

Xi Xi, who had gone through so much trouble, was a little discouraged. She sat down on the ground, took out drinking water from the golden lucky bag, and drank it in big gulps.

Xi Xi broke out in a cold sweat. Could she have seen the ghost of the ancient city's ostrich?!

Just as Xi Xi was lost in thought and filled with anxiety, the little white duck flew off her shoulder and pecked at the plastic bottle, trying to get a drink of water.

Xi Xi poured some water onto the bottle cap and then pondered to herself. After drinking the water, the little white duck paced around a few times, then, as if it had discovered something, gently pecked at the stone bricks under its feet with its beak.

Upon hearing the sound, Xi Xi seemed to remember something and quickly turned around, her attention immediately drawn to the little white duck.

She slowly bent down, carefully observing the little white duck's behavior, and then cautiously reached out and gently tapped the stone slab under her feet a few times.

Upon hearing the dull sound, Xi Xi's face immediately showed an undisguised look of surprise.

Because the sound clearly indicated that the area beneath the stone slab was not solid sand, but hollow!

Realizing this, Xi Xi immediately stood up. She drew her light-blade scythe, pried up the heavy stone slab, then gripped the edge of the slab tightly with both hands, gritted her teeth, and used all her strength to move it away little by little.

As she listened to the low, grating sound of the stone slabs scraping against the ground, a narrow passage finally came into view.

She gestured for the little white duck to return to her shoulder, and then walked down the tunnel.

The steps in the passage are uneven and very steep, and the stone walls on both sides are mixed with some sand.

Xi Xi reached out and touched it, and was surprised to find that the sand was slightly damp.

Had someone passed by here recently? Or was there someone else hiding here? She frowned, a strange unease rising in her heart.

After struggling up the rugged stairs, Xi Xi finally arrived at the underground. What appeared before her was a cramped basement room, as narrow as an air-raid shelter.

Just then, a small figure came running towards her with a soft sound, rubbing affectionately against her feet.

"Aura!" Xi Xi exclaimed in surprise. She bent down to hug Aura, but unexpectedly, Aura suddenly opened her mouth, grabbed her trouser leg, and then dragged her forcefully deeper into the room.

Xi Xi instantly understood what Aura meant. She walked inside and found an old woman with white hair and a haggard face quietly leaning against the wall in the corner of the basement.

Even more surprisingly, a huge ostrich was nestled beside the old woman. The moment it saw Xi Xi, the ostrich immediately stretched its neck, its eyes revealing an expression of disbelief.

"Mimi, is this your master?" The white-haired old woman looked at Aura, who was meowing incessantly, and asked in a weak voice.

Her pale face was etched with exhaustion, and her withered lips were cracked in several places.

The white-haired old woman laboriously turned her head to look at the ostrich beside her and continued, "Didn't you say you'd checked everything and found no one else?"

Upon hearing this, the ostrich looked as if it had been caught doing something wrong, revealing a guilty expression. It first rubbed against the white-haired old woman sheepishly, then obediently lay down.

Xi Xi was somewhat confused. Just then, her gaze fell on the familiar hiking backpack in the corner.

The backpack's zippers were all open, and its contents were scattered all over the floor. Xi Xi frowned, feeling a sudden discomfort, and involuntarily took a step forward.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!