Chapter 437: New Discovery! Mammoth Tusks Beneath the Permafrost?

At this very moment, the crew from World Geography, the most renowned documentary film company on the globe, was filming emperor penguins in Antarctica.

They were preparing a special documentary feature on the species.

They had already familiarized themselves extensively with the penguins' living habits.

Adult emperor penguins paid no mind to humans. They would waddle past as if nothing was there, occasionally throwing a curious glance.

The chicks, however, were terrified of strangers. They would scatter at the sight of a person and refused to come anywhere close.

Yet now, Ning Fei had suddenly strolled into their frame, happily playing with a flock of chicks as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The entire crew was stunned.

"How is that Asian guy doing that?"

"Could emperor penguins have some trait we don't know about?"

The two white cameramen exchanged bewildered looks from behind their lenses.

They were heavily camouflaged to avoid disturbing the flock's daily life.

They had even planted a bionic penguin as an "undercover agent" among the colony to film their behaviors up close.

Ning Fei had followed the little ones and unconsciously drifted right into the center of the colony.

To the penguins' eyes, he was currently just another dusty-gray chick. This was the formidable power of the Disguise Card.

"Why does it look like those penguins can't even see him?"

"That's impossible. Don't tell me he's invisible to them and only we can see him?"

"We're in Antarctica, man. Don't creep me out."

The two cameramen continued to mutter to each other.

Ning Fei mingled within the flock. Watching groups of penguins waddle proudly past him like shoppers in a bustling market was incredibly amusing.

Just then, a large bird plummeted from the sky.

Recognizing it, Ning Fei cried out:

"It's an Antarctic skua!"

"The Antarctic skua is a fiercely aggressive bird native to Antarctica. It's quite rare, a precious species carefully safeguarded by the International Animal Protection Organization."

"These birds generally feed on fish and krill, but they'll hunt emperor penguin chicks too!"

The viewers followed the stream's camera angle.

They watched as a massive, brown, seagull-like bird descended and landed on the snow.

The emperor penguin colony treated its arrival like a dire threat. Countless adults immediately surged forward.

"Penguins lack offensive capabilities, so they can only mount a passive defense. But the Antarctic skua can't do anything to adult emperor penguins either, leaving it no choice but to stare helplessly."

Barely had Ning Fei spoken when the Antarctic skua charged toward a chick that had tripped.

Penguins often slipped in the frozen landscape, and sometimes it took them ages to get back on their feet.

Spotting this, the adults swiftly formed a tight circle, completely enclosing the chick to protect it.

The Antarctic skua circled the group. The adult emperor penguins honked occasionally, warning it to back off. The skua ignored their threats entirely—penguins had no way to attack, anyway.

Is this what hunting in Antarctica looks like? It feels a bit casual!

These adult penguins are so responsible!

Good lord, if Temple Master Ning hadn't said this was a hunt, I would've thought they were playing a game.

The viewers found the scene absolutely fascinating.

Just then, the Antarctic skua spotted the cluster of chicks gathered around Ning Fei and rushed over eagerly.

Once again, a wall of adult emperor penguins scrambled to surround the young ones.

Only this time, Ning Fei was standing in the middle of the group as well.

Terrified, the little chicks pressed tightly against Ning Fei's calves, seeking his protection.

Ning Fei couldn't help but laugh helplessly.

Hahaha, Temple Master Ning is being treated like a penguin chick!

This is just too adorable!

Do emperor penguins protect humans too?

Maybe they're just using Temple Master Ning as their muscle.

Ning Fei stood amid the emperor penguins. They performed their duties flawlessly, using their own bodies to build a barricade for the chicks, totally unfazed by the ferocious-looking skua.

The Antarctic skua stalked around them twice more, but finding no opening to strike, it eventually flapped its wings and flew off.

Only when the skua was gone did the adult penguins break formation.

Overjoyed, the chicks bounced and hopped excitedly around Ning Fei's feet.

After watching the penguins for a while, Ning Fei gazed out over the endless stretch of pure white snow. Struck by a sudden whim, he activated his Treasure Seeking Technique.

Antarctica was the world's most mysterious continent, and he wanted to know what sort of treasures might lay hidden here.

"Ding! Item discovered: Mammoth Tusks."

The Treasure Seeking Technique had been upgraded, allowing the System to provide audible notifications.

Hearing this, a flicker of astonishment crossed Ning Fei's face.

'Mammoth Tusks? Aren't those only found in the permafrost of Siberia?' he thought to himself.

'Why are there some in Antarctica too!'

He pulled out his mobile phone to check the coordinates marked by the System. The tusks weren't far. They lay in an open clearing about a kilometer away, though they were undoubtedly buried deep underground.

Mammoth Tusks weren't exceptionally rare; tens of thousands of them had been unearthed over in Siberia, and many people back in Huaxia collected them.

But finding evidence of a mammoth in Antarctica completely surpassed his expectations.

Since the Treasure Seeking Technique had locked onto something, Ning Fei naturally had to go check it out.

Of course, he couldn't make his intentions too obvious, otherwise the viewers in his live stream would start suspecting he had some supernatural knack for unearthing treasures.

Ning Fei left the penguin colony and took his seat back on the sled.

The sled dogs were thrilled to see his return, swarming around him and wagging their tails to curry favor.

"Let's go find a spot to eat. We'll head a bit further away so we don't disturb the penguins."

Ning Fei snapped the reins. Little Dog immediately charged out, leading the pack of sled dogs as they sprinted forward.

The broadcast was imbued with a distinct aesthetic beauty.

A sled and its team bounding through a frozen world always felt like something out of a dream.

It didn't take long for Ning Fei to reach his destination.

Here, there was nothing but an expanse of pristine white snow.

"Time to eat!"

The dogs hadn't been fed yet on this outing. Ning Fei's pack contained plenty of canned dog food brought specifically for them.

Even "coolies" needed a meal.

When traveling long distances by sled, it was customary to pack ample survival gear to deal with unexpected emergencies out in the wild, such as blizzards or hidden crevasses.

Therefore, Ning Fei's pack also held an ice chisel and an Ice Axe.

Brushing the snow aside, he pulled out the cans of dog food, cracked them open one by one, and set them before the pack.

Tails wagging, the dogs immediately dug in with gusto.

It was a very soothing scene.

Ning Fei took out his thermos, sipping hot tea before snacking on some muffins and dried fruit.

Beneath the snow lay a dense layer of ice.

The land here had been frozen solid for countless centuries.

The ice offered poor visibility, but Ning Fei's eyesight was exceptional. Peering through the frost deep into the earth, he spotted the faint trace of a dark shadow underneath.

'They must be fossils by now,' Ning Fei thought to himself. 'Mammoth Tusk fossils.'

After finishing his meal, Ning Fei stood up, retrieved the Ice Axe and a shovel from his bag, and spoke to his viewers:

"There's something buried under the ice!"

"They say the Antarctic ice conceals countless secrets. There might even be perfectly intact dinosaur fossils down there."

"But they're all buried incredibly deep. Humanity might never uncover them."

"This object, however, is buried relatively shallow. I'm going to see what it is."

With that, Ning Fei swung his Ice Axe into the frost.

The netizens watching the stream were wildly curious.

What did Temple Master Ning discover?

Good lord, he just stopped for a quick lunch and somehow made another discovery?

How come I can't see anything under the ice?

I heard that scientific expedition teams doing research in Antarctica spend their days digging through the ice all over the place, yet they rarely find ancient fossils.

Don't tell me the research teams search every single year without success, while Temple Master Ning makes a massive discovery on his second day here!

Every time I watch Temple Master Ning go treasure hunting, I get so hyped!

Calling it right now: that's definitely top-tier loot!

Ning Fei hacked steadily at the ice layer.

The treasure his skill had pinpointed wasn't buried too deep—only about three meters down.

While Ning Fei chipped away at the surface, Little Dog trotted over curiously. Watching the ice shards fly, the pup looked like it wanted to help him dig using its front paws.

"Little Dog, go play over there. Don't cause trouble here."

Ning Fei unfastened the sled dogs' reins and said this to Little Dog.

Little Dog was very obedient and immediately dashed off to play in the snow with the rest of the pack.

Ning Fei, meanwhile, stayed entirely focused on his excavation.

Blessed with exceptional physical stamina, every swing of his axe forced the ice layer to crack further, digging a little deeper into the earth.

Gradually, the viewers could also make out the two dark silhouettes beneath the ice.

What in the world is that?

There actually is something down there!

What massive, thick sticks!

My God, did Temple Master Ning genuinely unearth a treasure on the Antarctic Continent?!

The live stream chat dissolved into absolute shock!

At that moment, Ning Fei revealed the truth to his audience:

"Judging from the shape, these appear to be the tusks of an ancient mammoth."

"It seems the Antarctic Continent truly does hide many miraculous things below its surface."

Upon hearing his words, the netizens were collectively stunned to stone.