Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The stone gate slammed shut behind us, completely cutting off the last glimmer of light from the outside sea.

Instead of the expected raging torrent or dark waterway, what lay before me was a dry, sloping, narrow passageway. The air was cool, carrying a heavy, salty smell of earth and sea salt, but it was definitely breathable. Underfoot were rough, carved stone steps, thick with dust.

Everyone froze, instinctively touching their masks to make sure they were still underwater. Breathing was easy, vision was clear, and ear pressure was normal. The dive computer showed the external environment had switched to "air."

"This..." Fatty Wang was the first to rip off his mask, took two deep gulps, and said, "No water? Damn it, did I wear this whole outfit for nothing?"

Wu Xie also took off his glasses, looking around in surprise. The walls of the passageway were natural rock, inlaid with moss that emitted a faint glow, providing dim lighting. Although the air was stale, it didn't feel stuffy. "A drainage system? Or... a pressure barrier?"

"It's a combination of Qimen Dunjia (a form of divination) and water pressure mechanisms," Xie Yuchen carefully observed the stone wall and the ceiling, where traces of intricate bronze pipes and valves could be vaguely seen. "It utilizes tidal power to create an airtight isolation layer. Wang Zanghai's work is indeed unfathomable."

"Stop with the supernatural stuff," Black Bear said, removing his gear and stretching his shoulders. "Hurry up, this place doesn't look like it's welcoming guests. Dumb Zhang, lead the way?"

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" had already removed their bulky air tanks and flippers, leaving only their close-fitting wetsuits and essential equipment. The two stood at the top of the stone steps, shining their flashlights ahead. The passageway was deep, and darkness still stretched at the end of the flashlight beams.

"Let's go," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded and took the first step.

The group quickly followed, unloading unnecessary diving equipment as they went, carrying only weapons, lights, and a small amount of supplies. The passageway continued upwards, the stone steps slippery and covered in slick moss. After climbing about a hundred steps, a platform appeared ahead, connecting three forked paths.

All three paths were identical, consisting of dark, gaping holes with no signs whatsoever.

"Which way?" Fatty Wang scratched his head. "A muster of troops?"

"There's a wind on the left." Zhang Qiling stood at the left entrance of the cave and sensed it.

"The middle part is damp," Zhang Qiling said, pointing to the middle.

"The right side..." Black Bear leaned closer to the right entrance of the cave and sniffed. "There's a... rusty and musty smell, mixed with a strange, fishy odor. That's it! Exciting!"

Wu Xie was speechless: "Brother Hei, we're here to find clues, not to seek thrills."

"You have to go inside to find clues, right?" Black Bear said matter-of-factly. "Besides, smell this; it tells a story. Right, Dumb Zhang?"

Zhang Qiling glanced at him, said nothing, and walked directly to the right entrance of the cave. "Zhang Qiling" followed.

"Alright, the boss has spoken, let's go!" Black Bear grinned and followed him inside.

Wu Xie and Fatty Wang exchanged a glance and had no choice but to follow. Xie Yuchen shook his head and walked behind with Huo Xiuxiu, A Ning, and Jiang Xun Gu.

The passageway on the right was narrower than before, requiring one to squeeze through sideways in some places. The glowing moss on the rock walls was dwindling, and the light was dim, relying entirely on flashlights. The rusty and musty smell grew stronger, mixed with a cloying, unsettling fishy odor.

"I'm saying," Fatty Wang whispered in Wu Xie's ear, "this smell is starting to resemble... blood? Blood that's been sitting out for a while?"

"Don't scare yourself." Wu Xie was also a little uneasy, but he stubbornly insisted.

"My nose is most sensitive to the smells of treasure and danger!" The fat man sniffed. "This smell is almost certainly bad."

"Then why did you come along?"

"Nonsense, those two guys are up ahead, what are you afraid of?"

As they were talking, "Zhang Qiling," who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and raised his hand in a gesture. Everyone immediately fell silent and gripped their weapons tightly.

The flashlight beam shone directly ahead. The passageway widened slightly here, and the ground and walls on both sides were covered with large patches of dark brown, dried stains, their shapes grotesque. Scattered in the corners were some broken pieces of cloth and leather goods, unrecognizable from their original state, as well as a few grayish-white fragments that looked like bones.

"Struggle marks." Ah Ning crouched down and poked at a piece of cloth with the tip of her dagger. "Judging from the fibers, it's old-fashioned canvas or thick cotton, similar to the material of the diving suits found on the underwater skeletons."

"Were the Xisha archaeological team attacked here?" Huo Xiuxiu asked softly.

Zhang Qiling walked to a stain on the wall, rubbed it with his finger, brought it close to his nose, and then rubbed it again. "It's blood, mixed with something else." He looked at the fragments on the ground, "It's not a tear caused by a sharp weapon, it's like... it was torn and crushed by a tremendous force."

Zhang Qiling discovered several deep, parallel scratches at the base of the wall on the other side, as if left by something huge and sharp. "It's not small, and its claws are very sharp."

The levitating live-streaming sphere flew closer, providing a close-up of the shocking marks. Comments scrolled across the screen:

Prophet: There was a fight here! It was brutal!

To refute those so-called experts: Look at the claw marks, it's not a sea monkey.

The male fan club: Husbands, watch out!

"Keep going, be careful," Xie Yuchen said in a deep voice.

Passing through this chaotic area, the passageway ahead began to slope downwards. The cloying, fishy stench grew even stronger, almost nauseating. After walking a few dozen meters more, an arched doorway appeared at the end of the passageway, with a faint, dim light filtering through.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stopped in front of the doorway and listened intently. It was very quiet inside, with only a very faint "rustling" sound, as if something was slowly rubbing together.

The two exchanged a glance. Zhang Qiling gestured for the others to wait, then slipped silently into the cave. "Zhang Qiling" followed closely behind.

A few seconds later, two extremely short, sharp "plop" sounds, like leather being pierced, came from inside, followed by a muffled thud as something heavy fell to the ground. Then, Zhang Qiling's voice came out: "Safe, go in."

The crowd filed in.

Inside the door was a small, circular stone chamber. In the center was a stone platform upon which sat an ever-burning lamp, its oil nearly exhausted, the flame flickering weakly and casting a dim, yellowish light. The walls of the chamber were covered with densely packed ancient seal script characters and star maps. In one corner lay two dark, indistinct figures.

They were two monsters. Nearly two meters long, they resembled giant lizards, but their bodies were covered in dark blue, metallic scales. Their limbs were thick, and their claws were black and sharp. Their heads were flat, and their mouths were enormous, containing rows of barbed teeth. Most bizarrely, their eyes had no pupils, only two murky, faintly glowing gelatinous masses. At this moment, each monster had a hole running through its neck, from which a dark green, viscous liquid gushed. They were motionless, clearly dead.

"What is this thing?" Fatty Wang leaned closer for a look, then quickly pinched his nose and backed away. "Uglier than a sea monkey!"

"It looks like some kind of amphibious variant," Xie Yuchen frowned, "Living in a dark, high-pressure environment for a long time, its vision has degenerated, and it relies on other senses. Judging from its scales and claws, it's very aggressive. The marks outside were probably left by them."

"Those guys took me down in a second." Jiang Xun Gu clicked his tongue as he looked at the two precise, fatal wounds.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" had already reached the stone platform and were looking at the inscriptions. Wu Xie also went over and raised his flashlight.

The inscription is obscure, interspersed with numerous feng shui terms and astrological descriptions, but the core information is roughly as follows: This is the "Star Gazing Room," and the entrance to the "True Ruins" can be located through specific star chart correspondences and mechanism calculations. Next to it is a complex, multi-layered nested star chart pattern, along with a few incantations.

"This astrolabe..." Huo Xiuxiu examined it carefully, "It corresponds to the star positions marked on the silk chart inside the Snake-Eyebrow Bronze Fish. Look here, the position of this main star needs to be adjusted according to the current time..."

"What time is it now?" Xie Yuchen asked.

Ah Ning glanced at the multi-functional watch and gave a precise time. Huo Xiuxiu and Xie Yuchen immediately began mentally calculating and comparing the star chart, their fingers hovering over the stone-carved star plate.

"You need to rotate this," Xie Yuchen said, pointing to a movable bronze axis in the center of the astrolabe. "Align it with that mark. But the mechanism might be connected to something else, so be careful."

"I'll do it." Zhang Qiling stepped forward, grasped the bronze shaft, and glanced at Zhang Qiling. Zhang Qiling nodded and placed his hand on the short dagger at his waist.

Zhang Qiling slowly turned the bronze shaft. The mechanism made a soft "click-clack" sound. The moment the shaft tip aligned with a specific mark, the entire stone chamber trembled slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a hidden door silently slid open in the wall opposite the stone platform. Behind the door was a downward spiral of stone steps, seemingly bottomless, from which a damp wind blew up, carrying an even stronger fishy smell and an indescribable low-frequency hum.

"I'm going down," Zhang Qiling said.

"Wait!" Wu Xie suddenly pointed to the corner below the stone platform, which had been hidden by the monster's corpse. There was a half-collapsed canvas backpack there, a very old-fashioned style. He walked over and carefully opened it.

Inside were several soaked notebooks, some rusted tools, and a tin box. Wu Xie opened the box; inside, wrapped in oilcloth, were several photos and a folded, hastily written letter.

The photo was a black and white group picture with a beach and wooden boats in the background, showing a dozen or so young people in old-fashioned clothing, all with bright smiles. Wu Xie immediately spotted the handsome young man in the middle with his unruly eyes—his third uncle, Wu Sansheng. Next to him was a girl with braids and a gentle smile; that must be Chen Wenjin. The back of the photo read: "A group photo of all members of the Xisha Archaeological Team, Summer 1984."

Wu Xie's hands trembled slightly. He picked up the letter and unfolded it. The letter began, "To be opened by San Sheng," and was signed "Wen Jin," dated July 28, 1984—shortly after they entered the underwater ruins. The letter was short, the handwriting hurried and messy:

"Sanxing, I know you doubt me. But some things are not as they seem. What lies behind that 'door' is more than we imagine... It is neither in the past nor in the future. The bronze fish is the key, but also a trap. Do not believe what 'it' says. If you see this letter, I will no longer be here. Take care, do not look for me. Wenjin."

The letter was incoherent, yet it conveyed immense unease and urgency. Wu Xie was deeply troubled. Who was "it"? What was behind the door? What did his Third Uncle know? Where had Chen Wenjin gone?

"Tianzhen, what are you daydreaming about?" Fatty Wang nudged him. "Found a picture of your third uncle? Hey, he was quite handsome when he was young, much more dashing than you."

Wu Xie carefully put away the photos and letter without saying a word. His mind was full of questions.

"Go down." Zhang Qiling glanced at him and repeated himself, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority.

"Zhang Qiling" has already taken the lead in walking up the spiral stone steps.

Wu Xie took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his chaotic thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on these things. He put away the iron box and followed.

The spiral stone steps were steep and deep, descending in circles as if leading straight to hell. The surrounding stone walls grew increasingly damp, seeping water droplets. The low-frequency humming sound became clearer, like some giant machine slowly turning, or perhaps... a massive heartbeat.

The levitating live-streaming sphere followed, the camera capturing the deep, endless spiral and the solemn profiles of the crowd.

The comments section seemed to sense the oppressive atmosphere and became sparse:

Prophet: It's getting deeper and deeper...

This is a killer for experts: This voice sends chills down your spine.

Brother's fan club: Husbands, please be careful!

After walking for an unknown amount of time, light finally appeared ahead. It wasn't lamplight, nor the light from moss, but a hazy, ethereal blue glow that seemed to emanate from underwater.

The stone steps have come to a close.

Below lay an unimaginably vast underground space. The dome soared to the heavens, the walls seemingly endless. At the center of this space stood a colossal tower, entirely cast in bronze, as imposing as a mountain. Its surface was weathered, covered in verdigris and thick layers of marine sediment, yet its imposing grandeur and intricate structure remained evident. The tower comprised nine stories, with flying eaves, bracket sets, and complete doors and windows, exactly like the miniature model seen underwater, only magnified a million times. At this moment, the entire bronze tower emitted a rhythmic, ethereal blue light, its glow flickering in sync with the deep, heart-pounding hum.

Before the main entrance at the very bottom of the tower lies a vast plaza paved with black stone slabs. Nine towering bronze pillars stand in the plaza, arranged according to some ancient formation. Each pillar is engraved with different constellations and mythical beasts, and atop each pillar burns a silent, flickering, eerie blue flame.

The tower gate was tightly shut, and on it was a colossal "Eye of the Ruins" pattern that occupied the entire door panel. The vortex at the pupil seemed to connect to an endless abyss.

Everyone was so shocked by the sight before them that they were speechless.

This is not a tomb at all.

It's more like an ancient temple from the mythical era that has sunk to the bottom of the sea.