At that moment, Top's world and mine were plunged into complete darkness, with only the rumbling mudslide outside still unleashing its terrifying power.
However, this time it didn't last long. About two minutes later, the roaring outside gradually subsided.
It's estimated that the mudslide has now reached an even lower level, and we are safe for now. However, there's also bad news: we're trapped inside the crypt.
Right now I only have some tinder and carbonized fiber for starting fires, but that's fine for lighting.
But I would never do that right now. Before coming in, I could roughly see that this was not a cave, but rather a rectangular box inserted horizontally into the mountain.
The outside is now completely covered by mud and rocks, and the stone box we are in has become a stone coffin.
In a sense, we have been buried alive inside this mountain.
If we were to light the fire now, it would only accelerate the consumption of oxygen inside, and then Top and I would be just one door away from the King of Hell's office.
Now I can only force myself to calm down; time is precious. I don't want to wait until I come up with a solution before implementing it, as that would waste time and deplete the limited oxygen available.
The best course of action now is to take immediate action, trying to rescue ourselves while also figuring out how to get out.
I called Top over and had him take my machete and start digging away the mud and rocks blocking the exit.
I took out my spear and started digging in one spot, rotating it as I went to create as deep a cavity as possible.
My goal now is not to escape immediately, but to first open a small hole to let in some air.
Excavating these muds and rocks certainly can't be completed in a short time. The advantage of the spear is that its triangular spearhead can drill holes in the soil like a drill bit.
The principle is somewhat similar to the Luoyang shovel used in tomb raiding, but my spearhead is sharp, making it easier than the Luoyang shovel.
However, these premises are based on the condition of a soil layer. The mudslide blocking our entrance at this moment is not just a simple matter of soil.
My spear hadn't gone very far when I felt something hard. I knew what it was without even thinking—it had hit a rock in the soil.
With the stone blocking my way, my spear could not advance even an inch further.
So I had to try shifting the spear upwards a little further before continuing to poke the soil out. But after a short while, I felt the mud and rocks inside slide downwards.
Not only was the spearhead blocked again, but even the previously cleared section was blocked by mudslides. These flowing mudslides were impossible to stabilize; they would start to move again with the slightest force.
"Hold!"
At that moment, I was feeling depressed and couldn't help but swear. But I quickly forced myself to calm down; the intense emotional fluctuations would only speed up my breathing and increase oxygen consumption.
Such pointless emotions won't help me solve any problems; on the contrary, they'll only hasten my and Top's death.
Knowing this method wouldn't work, I started clearing away the clogging debris with Top. As I worked, my mind raced.
Are there any methods in our existing knowledge that can quickly clear a blockage of mud?
Countless options flashed through my mind like lightning, but soon, I rejected most of them again.
Finally, I focused my thinking on the structure of an insect's nest. As for how I came up with this method, it was entirely based on a profound saying from Taoism:
Reversal is the movement of the Tao, weakness is the function of the Tao.
The meaning of "reversal is the movement of the Tao" lies in the transformation of things into their opposites: "reversal" here can be understood as opposite or opposition.
This means that when anything develops to an extreme, it will develop in the opposite direction, which is the principle of "things will turn into their opposites when they reach an extreme".
For example, things that are too powerful will gradually decline, while things that are weak may slowly rise.
Just like in nature, daytime is followed by nighttime, and nighttime is followed by daytime, in a continuous cycle.
This reflects the existence of opposing and transformative forces within things.
The use of the Way in the weak means that when the Way is in effect, it exhibits the characteristic of gentleness and weakness.
The Tao does not exert its influence directly and obviously like a strong force, but rather nurtures, nourishes, and guides all things in a seemingly gentle and subtle way.
For example, water is soft and weak, yet it can wear away stone with dripping water, demonstrating how softness can overcome hardness. This reflects the role that Tao plays in the softness and weakness of water.
My situation is the same now; it's almost impossible to open it by brute force. If we keep digging like this, we probably won't get out even if we run out of oxygen.
At that moment, the insect that came to mind was the wasp, whose nests have several distinctive features. One is that they can create the largest living space in nature using the least amount of materials.
Moreover, the hexagonal structure can also help reinforce the nest.
What I need to do now is to cause destruction, so I have to borrow the Taoist saying that "reversal is the movement of the Tao" and use reverse thinking to deduce the truth.
Since building using this hexagonal method is the fastest and least labor-intensive way, wouldn't it be more efficient to use the reverse method—building in this way and then destroying?
This also aligns with the philosophical concept that "the interplay of Yin and Yang constitutes the Tao," meaning that everything has two sides, Yin and Yang, which can transform into each other.
I told Top to stop what he was doing. The exit wasn't very big, about half a person's height and a little over a meter wide, and you could roughly feel its outline by hand.
I found several places with large stones, which looked like bricks used for laying bricks, and the soil was the adhesive used for laying bricks.
Therefore, these prominently distributed stones form a honeycomb-like structure, supporting the stability of the entire mud mound.
They are now scattered haphazardly throughout, and what Top and I need to do is disrupt the balance of this structure, make the soil more fluid, and prying these stones is the only way to break through.
"Top, now we just need to focus on digging those rocks out."
As I spoke, I touched a spot where a stone was located and placed Top's hand on it to sense its location.
Then I picked up the spear and began to dig around the rocks, feeling my way along. Top and I had worked together many times, and now it understood what I wanted it to do.
Top quickly got to work, using his machete to dig and pry around the rocks.
Before long, we dug out four irregularly shaped rocks about the size of basketballs in the adjacent area.
Just as I suspected, these stones formed the main supporting framework. As soon as the four stones were dug out, the weight of the mudslide itself immediately lost its balance, and part of the mudslide collapsed instantly.
As the debris inside collapsed, the balance outside was disrupted, creating a butterfly effect. The previously calm debris flow pile slid down a significant distance again.
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