The scene below now lay completely exposed to everyone's eyes.

Just as Bai Cheng had expected, something else did indeed exist directly beneath Cloud Heaven Sea.

Yet as the clouds fully dispersed, Bai Cheng realized the train was tens of thousands of meters in the air; the objects on the ground looked far too tiny to make out any details.

“Rugged mountain terrain?” Bai Cheng arched an eyebrow.

But stretching as far as she could see, the entire surface showed not a speck of green, and from her vantage the earth was a deep brown.

More importantly, though the ground was uneven, it looked strangely smooth.

Like the rust-pitted surface of metal, reflecting sunlight in dazzling, star-like glints.

Bai Cheng was about to send Qing Niao down for a closer look when she heard Leng Ningxue's surprised voice ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) in her ear.

“Bai Cheng, the scanner's changed!”

At those words, Bai Cheng immediately turned to check.

The scanner was essentially radar, but black-and-white and two-dimensional, offering very little information.

Yet now, when Bai Cheng glanced over, the map on the scanner had become a full three-dimensional image.

It included not only the sky but also the ground ten kilometers below.

As the picture sharpened, both of them held their breath.

Beneath the clouds, a colossal metallic structure could be glimpsed—some forgotten industrial facility.

“This is...” Bai Cheng narrowed her eyes and zoomed in on one section.

The scan clearly showed a familiar silhouette: huge, unidentifiable mechanical wreckage piled together, surfaces long since corroded, perfectly matching the ground she had just looked down upon.

“Looks like this world once hosted some kind of cyber-mechanical civilization?”

Leng Ningxue studied the map, surveying every patch of terrain the scanner could reach.

Within range, as expected, everything was a wasteland of assorted metal parts.

There wasn't a single green plant, not even a trace of soil.

Bai Cheng frowned slightly. “From the looks of it, this ruin is the terrain we'll actually have to cross.”

“I wonder if anything inside those huge abandoned machines is still usable?” Yu Nian said curiously. “Come to think of it, the mechanical parts we need for upgrades might just—”

All three of them had the same suspicion.

The parts required for upgrading might come from down there.

“Let's hope the core components are intact,” Leng Ningxue sighed, then added, “and if we can find an internal-combustion engine, even better.”

“In that case, we absolutely have to go down and take a look.”

Yu Nian glanced at the absurd height beneath them and cracked, “So how exactly are we getting down—do we even have parachutes?”

Among all the crew, only Qing Niao could fly.

Of course, with Purple Iris's current King-tier strength, she could leap straight down without the slightest problem.

But the trouble was, once she jumped, she wouldn't be able to come back up.

What worried everyone more was the possibility that the ground might be system-designated forbidden territory, harboring some irresistible force or danger.

“Qing Niao, scout ahead,” Bai Cheng ordered at once.

“Yes, Miss.”

With that, Qing Niao sprang from the carriage; wings slicing the still air, his form flashed like lightning and vanished.

From on high they watched his figure shrink until he landed steadily on the ground.

Several minutes passed—nothing happened.

When Qing Niao returned, he held a palm-sized metal gear.

It was black, slick with oil, and gave off a strong reek of rust.

“Could this be...?”

Bai Cheng glanced at the gear, grimaced in disgust, and left it in Qing Niao's hand, turning instead to the screen.

With Qing Niao now inside the carriage, if the object were a resource the system would definitely notify them.

【You obtained Decayed Metal Part ×1!】

“So it really is a metal part!” Bai Cheng and Leng Ningxue beamed at the on-screen message, unaware that Yu Nian had slipped away.

“But this looks like an unprocessed item—it can't be used directly.”

Bai Cheng rubbed her chin; no matter how she scrolled the screen, she found no prompt that obtaining the item had unlocked a new facility.

Without a new building, how could the part be processed?

Clearly, tossing it into a furnace would do nothing.

“Seems we'll have to visit the ground ourselves,” Leng Ningxue said calmly. “Maybe something else is hidden down there.”

Bai Cheng nodded in agreement.

According to Qing Niao's reconnaissance, the ground appeared safe—no sign of life anywhere nearby.

As Train Conductor, Bai Cheng naturally intended to investigate personally; Qing Niao could carry the two of them down, which should be sufficient.

But Purple Iris volunteered, “Miss, I'd like to go too.”

Before Bai Cheng could answer, she continued, “I can jump straight down—no problem.”

Just then Bai Cheng looked back at Purple Iris—and happened to see Yu Nian returning downstairs with two backpacks in hand.

“Haha, Xiao Cheng, Ningxue, guess what I got?!”

She raised the backpacks in front of them. “Ta-da! I actually found parachutes!”

“Only two, though. They're built from a special blueprint; with my talent I still can't copy them,” she added regretfully.

“No matter—perfect,” Bai Cheng said, already certain from Yu Nian's excited face that she wanted to reach the ground too.

Bai Cheng turned to Leng Ningxue. “Ningxue, you're coming as well.”

With both Purple Iris and Qing Niao going down, only Guardian-tier strength would remain aboard, so it made little difference who stayed behind to guard the train.

“All right,” Leng Ningxue agreed.

“But,” Bai Cheng rubbed her chin, “do any of you actually know how to skydive?”

Yu Nian slapped Bai Cheng's shoulder with an easy grin, signaling there was nothing to worry about.

“Hey, how hard can it be? Just jump and pull the cord!”

Though this would be her first-ever jump, Yu Nian wasn't the least bit nervous.

Bai Cheng silently glanced at Qing Niao.

Right—with Qing Niao around, nothing could go wrong.

“All right, Qing Niao and I go first; then Nian Nian, you jump with Ningxue.”