Ronald indeed turned back in the direction of the expedition team.

But his true goal in doing so was not these companions that he had just recently parted from.

He merely greeted them as he passed by, and Ronald continued further back.

He didn't stop until he returned to the oasis he had left earlier.

"..."

"This is it..."

Coming to this place.

Ronald looked around, his gaze becoming extremely serious.

The reason Ronald decided to return to the oasis at this moment was that he remembered the information he had received earlier.

The unpleasant air within the oasis once recorded by that explorer;

Kea's information that Ling Guang Mountain would periodically appear and disappear over time, along with the miasma within the oasis that appeared and vanished in sync;

And finally, the thin pipelines he discovered under the ice just moments ago...

Ronald believed that there was definitely a high probability of some special connection between the two.

So, with the goal of reaching Ling Guang Mountain unattained.

Perhaps here at the oasis, he could see some glimmer of hope.

Thinking this, Ronald continued maintaining the spell of the [Astrolabe] and began examining the terrain beneath the oasis.

In the time he spent walking here.

Ronald hadn't stopped casting the spell, thus confirming one thing.

The thin pipelines beneath the ice fields disappeared very quickly below the surface after leaving the ice fields, so during the process of returning to the oasis, the ground beneath Ronald completely reverted to the typical ice sheet structure found in the arctic.

And advancing all the way here, gradually getting closer to the oasis.

The ice sheet's thickness gradually thinned beneath his feet, and the arctic continent originally hidden beneath this massive ice sheet was finally captured by Ronald's [Astrolabe] spell.

Then.

This oasis's true appearance was thus unveiled.

Like the peak-road leading to the arctic atop the sea earlier, this place was actually a mountain as well.

Enveloped entirely by ice sheets, this peak that aligned perfectly with the height of the ice sheets became the base of this oasis. After all, no soil suitable for plants to take root existed in other nearby locations.

Slightly focusing on the current scenario ahead, Ronald's search of the terrain continued without pause.

Soon enough, his earlier speculations were proven correct.

In this oasis, Ronald found a tunnel leading further downwards — the water source.

Other areas of the oasis were indeed solid mountains, soil, and rocks.

Yet, directly beneath the oasis's lone water source, a vertical waterway wide enough ran all the way to an extremely deep underground. Its depth exceeded the limits of Ronald's [Astrolabe] spell, comparable to the slender pipelines beneath the ice fields.

"..."

"I knew it; this is indeed the place!"

With this discovery, Ronald's mood naturally improved.

He immediately moved next to the oasis's water source, ready to dive in and continue seeking out hidden things underground.

But just then.

Ronald suddenly realized something quite amusing.

Despite being buried beneath the ice sheet, the oasis here was actually a peak. At the summit of this peak was a recessed spot that could gather lake water, and directly below it, a straight vertical tunnel reached deep underground.

This...

This was the shape of a volcano!

So now he was preparing to dive headfirst into the volcanic conduit!

"..."

Instantly, Ronald's expression became quite vivid.

He thought of many intriguing hypotheses, but most of all, he felt somewhat excited by what he was about to do.

It wasn't his first time entering a volcano such as this.

Whether during his travels on Earth or in the infinite negative realm's Barrier Mountain, he had experienced the unique environment inside volcanic craters.

But to find a volcano from the arctic continent and descend directly into an unexplored world...

Such a thing.

Was indeed an unprecedented new experience!

"I must thank this world."

"If it weren't for coming here, no matter how many experiences I had, I'd never experience something this interesting!"

Ronald's expression lifted with excitement.

Thanks to this discovery, all his previous gloomy expressions were swept away, and at this moment, he felt invigorated.

Then, Ronald leaped forward with all his might.

With a splash, he plunged into the water, diving downward as effortlessly as an agile fisher.

Considering Ronald's athletic capabilities.

At least when it came to swimming skills, he certainly couldn't compare to professional athletes or any other water-dwelling creatures.

But Ronald was a Caster.

The spell abilities from "The Origin of Species" were providing him with impressive support.

Adapting to the environment, removing the troubles of breathing underwater, while allowing him to swim through the water as smoothly as if he were flying in the air.

With an all-encompassing boost of this scale, Ronald gained a speed far exceeding ordinary humans; while overcoming water's buoyancy, his speed continued piercing downward like a sharp sword.

Meanwhile

The [Astrolabe] spell was constantly working its magic.

With the depth continuing downward, Ronald discovered more closed-off or still open volcanic channels that were merely hidden beneath the ice sheets from within the volcanic wall conduit.

Even providing a bit of light would allow him to see the distinctive wall surfaces within the volcanic conduit.

This was indeed a volcano!

And such a vertical path led to depths unimaginable by ordinary human excavation!

Thus, continuing downward for several minutes.

Ronald, while maintaining this fast pace, nevertheless sharply noticed a difference as he neared the north.

Amidst the originally intact volcanic wall, a seam due to what appeared to be an earthquake appeared in the soil, an abrupt passage filled by water that slanted northward, piercing downward.

In this direction...

As long as its length extended sufficiently.

Ultimately, it would lead directly below the previous ice fields and converge with those slender pipelines.

Yes, this is the place!

Within the volcanic conduit's water flow, though unable to speak, Ronald's gaze immediately confirmed that this was indeed the correct path.

He promptly steered himself and dove into the fissure.

...

Continuing deeper.

Ronald moved further and further away, distancing himself from the initial volcanic conduit.

Eventually, within a bend in the crack.

But Ronald made two turns here, and after continuing forward.

With the sound of splashing, he finally left the water within this underground fissure and arrived in an underground world dominated by soil below, with the surroundings wholly controlled by ice above and around.

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