Uncle Ming noticed something strange about Gu Cai’s tattoo on the small boat; the 'Water-Penetrating Chart' of the Longhu surprisingly depicted mountain peaks from the Sea of Gui Xu. Astonishment was evident on his face, and he urgently relayed this information to everyone.

The chaotic, vast water surface churned with surging waves. Upon hearing that the tattoo actually portrayed the conditions within the sea's eye, I had no choice but to stop paddling, let the others bring the two small boats closer, and secure them together with ropes. Uncle Ming couldn't wait to tell me, "The Dan people were the sea barbarians of the Pre-Qin era. The tattoo patterns of the Longhu and the Ta family have been passed down from their ancestors. The Gui Xu beneath the coral spiral is likely the ancestral lair of the Dan people. Come quickly and take a look—can Zi’s tattoo help us find a way out?"

We used the light filtering down from the Dragon Fire rock strata overhead to gaze intently at Gu Cai’s back. The Dan people were tattooed all over with fish, dragons, and ocean waves, signifying their self-identification as the Scaled Clan, allowing them to gather clams and pearls without harm when foraging at sea—a practice commonly known as 'Water Penetration' (Tou Hai). The tattoos depicted scenes of whales, strange fish, and merfolk chasing fire pearls in the wind and waves. The needlework and secret medicines used for these tattoos had always been closely guarded secrets. Furthermore, unlike adult tattooing, the Dan people started tattooing their faces and bodies from the age of ten. Once the Water Penetration array was embroidered, it signified that the child was officially part of the Longhu or Ta family and could descend into the sea alone to seek out the Dragon’s Embrace. As they aged, the patterns covering a Longhu’s body became increasingly intricate and distinct, and the colors grew more vibrant and dazzling. However, when the tattoo patterns faded and dimmed with the passage of years, the Longhu could no longer venture into the sea to make a living.

I had paid close attention to Gu Cai’s back tattoos before, but looking now, I noticed many more changes than before. Amidst the flowing patterns of fish, dragons, and the Scaled Clan chasing the waves, there was another faint, blurred design. Fixing my gaze, I stared for a long time before discerning a mountain peak rising above the sea. The mountain was hollow, encircled by a massive, slanted pillar, beneath which lay a grim-faced zombie. Human bones were piled all around, and the base of the mountain resembled a labyrinthine coral reef—possibly a Merman’s tomb, with several strangely depicted dead merfolk tattooed there. Deeper still were segments of coiled dragon skeletal remains.

Gu Cai was unaware that his tattoo held another dense, hidden image, nor did he grasp his connection to this mysterious Gui Xu. His parents had died young, perhaps before they could pass on certain Dan secrets to him. Seeing nothing else remarkable in the Water Penetration tattoo, I patted Gu Cai’s shoulder and told him not to worry, "Kid, you’ve basically come home."

After speaking, I raised my telescope to examine the mountain range several hundred meters away. The jagged, steep, lead-gray peaks were strikingly visible against the undulating waves. Gusts of sea energy pulsed within Gui Xu, and the space was filled with turbulent air currents and mist formed from the sea vapor. Even through the telescope, I could only make out a general outline, suggesting scattered ancient ruins spread across the mountainside, with many indistinct figures interspersed among them.

After a few glances, I handed the telescope to Fatty so he could look too. This place felt eerily familiar to both of us. Over a decade ago, in the Hundred Eyes Cave between the Mongolian steppe and the desert, we had seen a phantom marketplace woven by a Turtle Slumber ground. Those dim, gray ancient structures were instantly recognizable, bearing a striking resemblance to this location. If this mountain wasn't an illusion on the water's surface, it was highly likely connected to our experience from long ago. I had always possessed a strong premonition that the ancient city seen in the mirage of the Hundred Eyes Cave was the place I was fated to reach in this lifetime, yet I never expected it to manifest today.

At this moment, Uncle Ming asked Shirley Yang, "Among our group, Miss Yang is truly the one who understands things best. Do you think the tattoo on Zi’s back is a sea chart of Gui Xu? With its guidance... can we go home?"

Shirley Yang replied, "The outline of the Water-Penetrating Chart strongly resembles a giant whale, very similar to the terrain of Gui Xu. The emergent mountain peak is also identical to the etching in the drawing. However, the tattoo is too abstract; at best, it’s a marker, not a precise map. Moreover, I believe... this isn't a mountain peak or the ruins of an ancient city, but the tomb of the Hentian Clan."

Uncle Ming was shocked, "The ancient tomb of the Hentian Clan? This scale is too immense. What about the body crushed under the giant pillar, and these messy markings at the base of the mountain? Would there be dragon bones beneath an ancient tomb?"

Shirley Yang turned to Uncle Ming, "The Hentian culture has always been regarded as a lost civilization in history; the world knows too little about the ruins of Gui Xu. What we are doing now is mere speculation; it's too early to say anything definitive. Look at the surging waves in the sea intensifying. If we stay on the surface, the life raft will likely be overturned by the surge. Regardless of whether what lies ahead is fortune or disaster, we must venture in to investigate."

Fatty and I both agreed. The water of the boundless Gui Xu rose and fell erratically; we didn't know when the sea surges would rage. If the rubber dinghy capsized and someone fell into the water, they would immediately be fed to the vicious fish. With no solid ground in sight, our only option was to seek temporary refuge from the storm in the ruins of the Hentian people. Thereupon, everyone grabbed their wooden oars, paddling through the waves, steering the life raft forward.

Full of doubt, I couldn't help but ask Shirley Yang aboard the boat, "Gu Cai's Water-Penetrating tattoo is so bizarre; has he really become a visitor from the depths of the Atlantic?"

Shirley Yang speculated, "The Hentian Clan lived isolated overseas, smelting copper with Dragon Fire, far removed from Chinese civilization, which is why many disbelieved that their bronze civilization was once so prosperous. They likely perished toward the end of the Warring States period, and their descendants drifted to the sea, designated as Dan people by the Qin and Han rulers. Gu Cai is a descendant of the Hentian Clan; his familiarity with water and the legends of the Hentian Kingdom depicted on the Water Penetration array tattoo are the best proof."

In the ancient arts of the Mountain-Moving Daoists, the Mountain-Moving Split-Armor Technique included the art of Hidden Images: using secret medicines to tattoo onto human skin, which, when soaked in salt water, would reveal hidden pictures. The Dan people likely possessed many secret formulas, including the use of special objects from the sea as medicinal inks for skin tattooing, concealing the ancient secrets of the Hentian people within the Water-Penetrating Chart, preserved through generations to this day. The Longhu's facial tattoos would only reveal the truth when soaked in the waters of Gui Xu; otherwise, outsiders would never know about the legend of the Hentian ruins hidden within the Water-Penetration diagram.

Hot springs bubbled and churned in the deep ravines beneath the waters of Gui Xu, accompanied by low-frequency pulses that interfered with electronic signals, emitted by some unknown source. This chaotic water was neither salty nor fresh, likely containing substances absent in regular seawater, which probably increased with the changing depth. This is why the shark repellent, mixed according to a secret formula, was instantly neutralized upon reaching that depth. Furthermore, the medicinal components that had permeated Gu Cai's skin from his tattoo reacted simultaneously in the deep water, forming a hazy shadow. Only then did the tattoo hidden within the etching become visible. But what exactly lies at the bottom of Gui Xu? And where is the Gate of Life?

As we spoke, the life raft approached the stone mountain rising from the water. Ten meters ahead, several stone gates stood upright in the water, their sheer walls imposing; the colors on the broken stone beams were distinctly different, making it momentarily impossible to determine where to enter. I raised my hand, signaling everyone to slow down, and the life raft eased its pace. At that moment, the light of the Yin Fire from the whale-belly-like rock strata was obscured by dense sea vapor, turning the Yin Fire blood-red, like streaks of plasma slowly flowing across the vault, dyeing the water surface a dark crimson.

As we watched our surroundings from the rocking small boats, we shared a similar sensation: the mysterious topography of Gui Xu was increasingly resembling the true belly of a giant whale. The Yin Fire in the heavens seemed to be the ceaseless circulation of the great whale's blood vessels. A blood-sea churned within the whale's belly; the seawater rose in waves without wind, and the life raft drifted like two scattered leaves, facing peril at every turn.

Fatty gripped the iron rings securing the oars on the boat and cried out, "Commander Hu, if we don't go in soon, the rubber dinghy will be done for. After coming this far, what are you hesitating for?"

A thought struck me, and I told everyone, "I don't think these stone gates are simple; the different colors seem to correspond to the Five Elements and directions. Today, the branch and stem are both associated with Fire. We fell into Gui Xu along with that giant sea snake; it lost its life then. I suspect it's because its entire body was covered in white scales—white represents Metal, which clashes with Fire. Anyone who wants to live should follow me and paddle the boat into the cave where the black beams hang on the side."

The others agreed, striking the water with their oars. Taking advantage of the pause between surges, under the dark red light of the crimson sky, we steered the rubber dinghy into the cave entrance. Once inside the mountain belly, half-submerged in seawater, the surge immediately lessened, and the life raft stabilized. Shirley Yang held up a searchlight at the bow to illuminate the way, revealing that this lead-gray cave was actually the main hall of a structure submerged and eroded by seawater; the cave was merely the hall's entrance.

The structure of the hall was simple and ancient, lacking the extravagance of overhanging eaves and brackets, but its scale was magnificent, constructed from exceedingly large stones, conveying a powerful and solemn atmosphere, possessing a certain air of "the ultimate solemnity of the world." Entering it, the vast, dark, and deep space made us intensely uneasy and oppressed. We had only seen half of the interior; much of the ancient structure was still submerged in the deep, dark, blue-green water. Ancient people valued grandeur and magnificence in beauty, often undertaking the feat of carving mountains into images. Many architectural marvels around the world are products of millennia ago; the devout faith and tenacious willpower of ancient people to move mountains and fill seas far surpass what modern people can achieve.

We drifted with the current into the center of the hall on our rubber dinghies, awestruck by the majestic hall, marveling at its grandeur weathered by a thousand years of vicissitudes. The seawater outside pounded against the stone walls, creating booming echoes like the roar of a sea beast or thunder, filling us with terror and a sense of impending doom. Even the usually carefree and indifferent Fatty remained silent for a long time.

The searchlight beams from the two rubber dinghies swept across the water surface, revealing numerous tall and imposing bronze statues within the hall. Each one had a fierce, ugly face, glaring downward with solemn and grave expressions. These statues were entirely bronze; some were partially submerged, and many had already collapsed, leaning askew against the surroundings, having damaged some walls and pillars. However, the hall's structure remained solid, showing no signs of total collapse.

In the Bronze Age, bronze was a crucial national treasure; the level of copper smelting technology and the scale of copper ore resources determined the rise and fall of national strength. Shirley Yang once said that forging a bronze vessel as large as the Si Mu Wu Ding required burning down nearly several hundred acres of primeval forest just for fuel. Resource limitations made bronze artifacts extremely precious, reserved only for important domains like religious sacrifices or warfare and diplomacy. But witnessing the countless bronze statues in this hall, one could imagine that the Hentian people, thousands of years ago, understood how to harness and use the undersea Yin Fire. They could manufacture bronze ware without relying on human or heavenly fire, and their unique craftsmanship ensured that these bronze figures remained untarnished after millennia submerged in seawater—feats unimaginable to later generations.

I noticed something moving high up on the ceiling, so I asked Shirley Yang to raise the angle of the searchlight. Everyone gasped in unison. Hanging from the hall's pillars by copper chains, at varying heights, were over ten bronze human heads. Each bronze head likely weighed no less than several hundred pounds—a sight reminiscent of public displays after beheadings. The headless torsos of the bronze figures stood silently in the corners. What kind of weapon could sever such heavy, massive bronze figures?

Shirley Yang also found this very peculiar. The assumption that this was the tomb of the Hentian Clan was based on inference, but seeing the figures lying scattered, severed, and dismembered within the hall, it certainly didn't resemble a tomb. At this moment, the rubber dinghy slowly moved forward, and one bronze statue lay leaning obliquely in the water, its head resting against a giant pillar, with the water reaching its shoulders. Shirley Yang directed the searchlight beam onto the statue's fierce face.

When the water level in Gui Xu is high, the entire mountain is submerged. The bronze figures, corroded by the seawater for a thousand years, were encrusted with the tiny skeletal remains of various reef organisms, but the contours of their faces were still vaguely discernible. Uncle Ming told Gu Cai, "Zi, this is what your ancestors looked like. Pay your respects sincerely and ask for their blessing to return safely." Gu Cai just stared blankly, looking deeply unsettled at the towering bronze figures, and asked Uncle Ming, "Uncle... why are my ancestors’ heads all chopped off?"

Uncle Ming was momentarily stumped by Gu Cai's question, but as a mentor figure, he couldn't let his apprentice see him at a loss. He told Gu Cai to stop speaking nonsense, explaining that whether it was tomb robbing, corpse retrieval, or clam gathering, all these life-threatening trades had two universal taboos. The first was not to be curious; if you see something strange, you must pretend not to see it and never ask why.

Gu Cai asked curiously, "Why? Are there ghosts?" Uncle Ming slapped him on the head in exasperation, "You unlucky brat, still asking why! Didn't Hu Bayi already tell you? What he said relates to the second great taboo: never mention ghosts!"

I paid no mind to Uncle Ming imparting his rich experience to Gu Cai. I just wanted a clearer look, so Fatty and I paddled continuously, bringing the boat closer. Using a diving knife, I scraped away the surface erosion, revealing the bronze figure’s blue-green, tusked face. The others gathered around with flashlights. The faces of the bronze giants were bizarre; the more we looked, the stranger they seemed, prompting everyone to wonder: "Who exactly were the Hentian Clan? And what is the meaning of 'Hentian' (Hating Heaven)?"

In traditional Chinese concepts, North is supreme, the center is proper, and Heaven is revered. Even in casual conversation, people dared not easily offend the Heavenly Lord. However, the name 'Hentian' completely subverted this concept of honoring Heaven as a deity. What did the ancestors of the Dan people actually do? Everyone offered confused guesses, but none reached the core meaning.

Fatty said, "I remember there was a Southern Overlord in the South China Sea, who was apparently wiped out by the Red Detachment of Women long ago. The Southern Overlord was a landlord who only made trouble for the common people, but I never heard of anyone daring to cross the Heavenly Lord. The Red Guards back then had the spirit to challenge Heaven, but they didn't have that many airplanes to ascend, so they gave up. Still, their ambitious aspirations are proven in poetry—'Dare to command the sun and moon to change the sky.'"

Hearing Fatty speak nonsense, and looking at the tusked bronze giants, I felt their imposing presence was extraordinary, carrying a subtle air of wickedness mixed with their solemn majesty. I said to the group, "Comrades, have you heard the Western legends of God and Satan? The devil Satan in the West seems to be a professional rival of the Heavenly Lord. Could the Hentian Clan be related to Western religious legends? In Chinese tradition, the King of Hell and the Dragon King of the Sea are merely local administrative leaders appointed by the Jade Emperor in Heaven—a superior-subordinate relationship where they usually get along. In the traditional worldview of Eastern people, the concept of hating the Heavenly God doesn't seem to exist; it's a firmly established worldview."

Fatty responded, "Hey, Commander Hu, what you said actually makes some sense. Satan and the Hentian Clan might indeed be the same thing. I heard Satan fell out with the higher-ups in Heaven, gathered a force, and set up his own faction down below, constantly antagonizing the white-bearded old man above. And listen to the name—Satan, he must have some connection to the Dan people. Maybe when he was young, he was also a craftsman gathering 'eggs' in the sea."

Uncle Ming, Gu Cai, and Duoling were somewhat bewildered by the ambiguous analysis offered by Fatty and me, unsure of what to say. Only Shirley Yang remained relatively clear-headed, carefully scanning the surroundings with the searchlight. She suddenly said to me, "Old Hu, you two stop talking nonsense..." then pointed toward the bronze heads above the hall: "The mystery of Hentian is hidden in the heads of the bronze giants. Do you know that besides being the enemy of God, the West also fears blood-sucking vampires who are afraid of the sun?"