Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The underwater light was dim, making the specially treated waterproof diary feel exceptionally heavy in Wu Xie's hands. Chen Wenjin's signature: July 15, 1984. This date, this familiar name, was like a block of ice thrown into a still lake of his heart, stirring not ripples, but a bone-chilling cold. His third uncle, Wu Sansheng, was one of the leaders of the Xisha archaeological team back then.

Wang Pangzi's muffled voice came through the communicator, accompanied by the gurgling sound of running water: "Tianzhen, what did you pick up? Why aren't you moving?"

Wu Xie snapped out of his daze and carefully handed the diary to Xie Yuchen, who had approached. Xie Yuchen took it, shone his headlamp on it, and quickly flipped through a few pages, his expression turning serious. He gestured to the others, pointing to the skeletons and scattered equipment, then to the diary, meaning: There's something going on here, deal with it first.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" had quickly searched the surrounding area. Apart from the skeletons, they found no other obvious dangers or anomalies. The small bronze palace model stood silently, its eerie blue light flickering rhythmically from the cracks in the doors and windows, like the slow breathing of a deep-sea monster.

"First, gather the remains and belongings together," Xie Yuchen said into the communicator, his voice carrying a metallic quality through the electrical current. "Take them back to the ship for a more thorough examination. Be careful not to disturb the scene; try to photograph it as it is."

Hei Xiazi, Jiang Xun Gu, and A Ning carefully collected the scattered items and packed them into waterproof bags. Huo Xiuxiu used her miniature underwater camera to photograph the skeletons and surrounding environment from different angles. Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi also helped, moving as gently as possible. Touching the rusted equipment and the stiff, twisted skeletons, Wu Xie felt a pang of unease. These might be his Uncle Three's former teammates, who had silently disappeared here until today.

"Look at this," Ah Ning said, picking up something from beside a skeleton's tightly clenched hand. It was a small, brass fish-shaped pendant, no bigger than a thumb, with smooth lines on its body. Two tiny, dark red stones were inlaid in the fish's eyes, faintly gleaming even in the dim water. The most peculiar part was the fish's eyebrows, which were carved with extremely delicate, serpentine patterns.

"The Snake-Eyebrow Bronze Fish." Xie Yuchen swam closer and examined it carefully. "It's here after all."

"This little thing?" Fatty Wang leaned closer. "It doesn't look worth much."

"Its value lies not in its material," Xie Yuchen carefully placed the bronze fish into a waterproof bag, "but in the information it records and its potential uses."

The collection was completed quickly. Several skeletons were carefully placed on a relatively flat stone slab, marked with buoys, and left for further processing if necessary. All the found items, including the diary and the snake-browed bronze fish, were carefully stored away.

"Now, look at this." Xie Yuchen swam to the central stone tablet and once again brushed away the text area below the "Eye of the Ruins" pattern. There, besides the phrase "Connecting to the Netherworld," were several smaller lines of text, almost completely covered by sediment. He gestured for Huo Xiuxiu to come over, and the two of them carefully cleaned it with a soft brush and a miniature suction device.

As the sediment was removed, several lines of clear ancient seal script characters were revealed:

"Eyes survey the four cardinal directions, heart embraces the eight directions. Nine orifices are linked, the water palace is wide open. Tides are the key, stars are the balance. Those who act rashly will be forever imprisoned and returned to nothingness."

"Nine interconnected orifices..." Xie Yuchen pondered, "This refers to the key mechanism. The tides are the key, the stars are the balance... This indicates that the opening method is related to the tide time and the position of the stars. This is very likely the way to enter the real tomb chamber."

"And this model?" Zhang Qiling pointed to the glowing bronze palace model.

"It could be part of a mechanism, or... a miniature demonstration," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling swam to the model and examined it closely. The model was cast with extreme precision; even the carvings on the doors and windows were clearly visible. He tried to push the model's doors, but they wouldn't budge. After swimming around the model, he discovered a very small, keyhole-like structure on the bottom back of the model.

"I need the key," he said into the communicator.

"Could it be that bronze fish?" Wu Xie asked.

"Try it." Xie Yuchen took out the waterproof bag containing the bronze fish, took out the bronze fish, and handed it to Zhang Qiling.

Zhang Qiling brought the bronze fish close to the small hole. The shape of the fish's tail seemed somewhat similar to the outline of the keyhole. He adjusted the angle and slowly inserted the fish's tail into the keyhole.

Perfectly fitted.

The moment it was inserted, the dark red stones inlaid in the bronze fish's eyes suddenly lit up, the red light shining through the seawater, appearing somewhat eerie. Immediately afterwards, a series of extremely faint but unusually clear "clicking" sounds came from inside the entire bronze palace model, as if countless tiny mechanisms had been triggered.

The model's tightly closed doors and windows slowly opened a crack inwards! More eerie blue light poured out from inside, illuminating a small patch of water around it. At the same time, the model's base emitted a deep, ancient hum, resonating strangely with the flow of the seawater.

"It's reacting!" Fatty Wang exclaimed excitedly.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

The previously relatively calm waters began to become turbulent and rapid. The sediment deposited at the bottom was stirred up, and visibility decreased sharply. At the same time, several swift, dark shadows darted out from the shadows of the surrounding reefs!

The shadowy figures were nearly adult-sized, with long, slender limbs covered in slippery, dark green scales, and webbed toes. Their heads were pointed, and their protruding eyes reflected a ghastly green light in the dim glow. Their mouths were filled with countless sharp teeth. They swam incredibly fast, shooting towards the group like arrows!

"Sea monkey!" Ah Ning warned sharply, drawing her underwater-specific short blade from her waist.

Four or five sea monkeys pounced from different directions, their movements cunning and their targets clearly aimed at Wu Xie, Wang Pangzi, and Huo Xiuxiu, who appeared to be the weaker ones and were protecting the equipment.

Wu Xie felt a sudden rush of water to his side, and a cold, slippery, scaly hand reached for his mask! He instinctively leaned back, but underwater movements were slow, and he was about to be grabbed.

A dark shadow flashed by from the side. It was Zhang Qiling. He had already moved to Wu Xie's side without anyone noticing. Despite the resistance of the seawater, his movements were still incredibly fast. His right hand shot out like lightning, not to block, but to precisely grab the wrist of the sea monkey that was grabbing at him, and twist it with force!

"Crack!" The clear sound of bone breaking became muffled in the water. The sea monkey let out a sharp, piercing screech, like metal scraping, as its entire arm twisted at an eerie angle. "Zhang Qiling" seized the opportunity and kicked it in the chest, sending it flying backward, crashing into the rocks behind it, convulsing and sinking into the muddy bottom.

Another sea monkey attacked Wang Pangzi's ankle from below. Zhang Qiling didn't even turn around. He swung his hand behind his back, and a short, jet-black dagger, almost invisible in the water, appeared in his hand. He precisely pierced the sea monkey's bulging eye socket, twisted his wrist, and the sea monkey instantly stiffened and slowly sank.

As the sea monkey charged at him, the bear suddenly switched his underwater flashlight to maximum brightness the instant it opened its mouth to bite, shining it directly into the monkey's eyes. Stimulated by the bright light, the sea monkey froze, and the bear's other hand's short blade sliced ​​across its throat, drawing out a cloud of dark green blood.

Jiang Xun Gu and A Ning stood back to back, using their short blades and water-splitting spikes to parry the other's attack. Their perfect teamwork allowed them to quickly defeat it as well.

The battle lasted less than a minute from start to finish. All five sea monkeys were killed, their dark green blood spreading in the water before being dispersed by the turbulent currents.

"Are you alright?" Xie Yuchen quickly swam over to Wu Xie and Fatty to check on them.

"N-nothing." Wu Xie's heart pounded as he looked at the lifeless sea monkey carcass lying in the mud not far away, still shaken. "Those things... they were so strong, and so fast!"

"The underwater world is their home turf." Zhang Qiling shook off non-existent dirt from his short spikes and retracted them into the sheath on his leg.

"It seems the movement of the bronze model attracted them." Xie Yuchen looked at the model. The model's door was fully open, the internal light was stable, and the buzzing sound from the base gradually subsided. However, the turbulence of the surrounding water flow did not stop, but instead showed a tendency to intensify.

"The tidal mechanism has been partially activated," Huo Xiuxiu said, looking at the water flow data and depth changes displayed on the diving computer. "The pressure field and current patterns here are changing. The model might be a trigger, or... a navigation beacon?"

The levitating live-streaming sphere hovered slightly higher, recording the brief but thrilling battle and the sea monkey's ferocious appearance, as well as the eerie sight of the bronze model activating. The signal seemed to be more severely interfered with by the water flow and changes in depth, making the comments extremely choppy and sparse, with only one or two words occasionally catching the eye.

"……monkey!"

"...This guy is handsome!"

"...The door opened!"

Zhang Qiling swam to the fully opened model door and shone his headlamp inside. The model was hollow inside, with a small, rotating bronze compass-like structure at the center of the bottom, its pointer pointing in a certain direction. Above the compass, a bead the size of a pigeon's egg floated, emitting a soft white light, with faint star-like glimmers flowing within it.

"Give me directions." Zhang Qiling swam to his side, looking at the bead and the compass.

"Follow the direction," Zhang Qiling said. He noted the compass needle's position, then looked at the glowing bead, but didn't rush to take it.

"The diary, go back and read it." He turned to Xie Yuchen and pointed to the waterproof bag containing the diary.

Xie Yuchen nodded. This place was not safe to stay for long; the current was becoming increasingly turbulent, and the sea monkey attack indicated that the vicinity was not safe.

"Return along the same route, paying attention to the water flow and the distance between you," Xie Yuchen ordered.

The group checked their equipment and air levels again before retracing their steps along the passageway they had come from. The return journey was more difficult than the way there; the turbulent currents constantly battered their bodies, requiring more energy to maintain balance and direction. Fatty Wang was struggling to swim and was barely keeping up, supported by Black Bear and Jiang Xun Gu on either side.

Finally, the hole we had emerged from led us back to a relatively open rocky area. The fog wall was still there, but visibility seemed slightly better than when we had come. Following my memory and the compass, I swam towards the approximate location where the boats were moored.

Old Hai's muffled, intermittent voice came through the communicator: "...Received...signal...return..."

A signal had arrived, meaning they were close to the ship. The group's spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace.

When the blurry silhouette of the "Sea Eagle" pierced through the thick fog and appeared above, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. One by one, they surfaced, grabbed the rope ladders thrown down from the ship, and with the help of the sailors, painstakingly climbed onto the deck.

Once out of the sea, the heavy equipment and exhaustion overwhelmed them instantly. Fatty Wang collapsed on the deck, panting heavily, oblivious to the cold and wetness. Wu Xie was also exhausted, but his mind was preoccupied with the diary.

Old Hai looked at them, especially at the several large waterproof bags that were clearly filled with things, but didn't ask any questions. He simply gestured for the sailors to help unload the equipment and pointed to the cabin: "Hot water, ginger tea, all prepared."

"Thank you, Uncle Hai," Xie Yuchen said, then instructed, "Move the items to the equipment compartment first, handle them carefully. Everyone, quickly take a hot shower and change into dry clothes, don't catch a cold. Meet in the conference room in half an hour."