Jia Zhuangyuan chuckled, "That requires us to put our heads together. Think about how this thing pursued me and Cai Qingchong in the water. We need to lure it back into the water near the shore, trap it in the shallows there, and then take it out with gunfire."

The moment Jia Zhuangyuan finished speaking, Young Master Liu shook his head. "That thing is too fast in the water. Who dares to go back in there to bait it? Besides, even if we manage to drive it to the edge of the lake, we still won't be able to contain it. The instant a shot rings out, it will sink, and just as Fan Debiao said, it'll never show its head again." Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, continuing, "You are correct, which is why our plan must be foolproof. I have an idea, though it’s rather risky. I’ll explain it, and you can tell me if it’s feasible." He smiled at us, as if holding back a secret.

Upon hearing this, everyone urged him to hurry and share his thoughts.

Jia Zhuangyuan said, "The heavy burden of luring the creature will fall to me, but I will need you to ensure my safety. Once I’ve guided it into the shallow water by the shore, I'll need you, young man Liu, to figure out how to restrain it. You are a master of Daoist arts, a successor of the Celestial Masters; holding it captive with spells for a while should be no problem for you. Then, your firearms can finally come into play to rid the people of this menace."

With that, he shot a cunning glance toward Young Master Liu with his small eyes. Everyone else heard this and looked at Liu Da Shao with great excitement.

At this moment, Young Master Liu knitted his brow. "I can certainly use my Daoist magic to hold the water monster for a time. But what about your safety once you’re submerged? Once we enter the Wuji Demon Repository, we’ll need an expert like you to guide us. If that water beast gets you in the volcanic lake before you can even lure it out, won't all our efforts be wasted?"

Jia Zhuangyuan leaped down from the rock with a loud laugh. "Pah, pah! Don't curse me, kid! A man surnamed Jia like me doesn't have such a short lifespan."

"Then how do you plan to lure the thing out?" Liu Da Shao asked. "Tell the others."

Jia Zhuangyuan smiled and replied, "I can descend into the water with a rope tied around my waist. As long as I move through the water, the rope on the bank will certainly follow me in. If I encounter that Plesiosaur, I’ll quickly retreat, and the rope on the shore will stop advancing. At that moment, you all immediately pull the rope and yank me back."

He paused, offering a strained smile before continuing, "I know this is also dangerous, but someone has to take the risk. We can't just be stalled here, can we? There might be many ways into the Wuji Demon Repository; we don't necessarily have to use the true entrance. Those five individuals might have already located the entrance using precision instruments and forced a breach."

Hearing this, everyone was shocked. If those fellows had truly managed to enter the Wuji Demon Repository, it would be a disaster. Concern and anxiety began to grip them.

Noticing their expressions, Jia Zhuangyuan quickly waved his hands. "Don't panic. Based on my observations along the way, this place possesses the most mysterious and exquisite burial methods, with unparalleled security measures found nowhere else in the world. Those people won't grasp the subtleties of ancient Chinese civilization. In truth, the safest and quickest way into the Dragon Tomb is through the genuine entrance. Relying on so-called modern instruments to force open the tomb will inevitably come at a tremendous cost. Moreover, the person who built this place might not even be from our planet. Our technology, in their eyes, is like the ridiculous building blocks in a child's hand."

This explanation finally brought a measure of relief to the group. Young Master Liu then walked over to Jia Zhuangyuan. "Senior Jia, let's proceed with your plan to lure and kill the Plesiosaur. But you must be extremely careful."

Jia Zhuangyuan looked up at him and chuckled, his expression relaxed. "Kid, in my decades, I, Old Jia, have faced death countless times. Have no fear!"

Liu Da Shao nodded and signaled Fan Debiao to fetch the rope for Jia Zhuangyuan.

After Jia Zhuangyuan and Cai Qingchong secured the rope, he nodded to everyone. "Gentlemen, your old man is setting off. You all need to keep your eyes peeled. The moment the rope stops advancing into the water, pull back with all your might! My old life is now in your hands."

The group chimed in, assuring him and repeatedly cautioning him to be safe once submerged.

Jia Zhuangyuan, with the rope secured, slowly approached the lake's edge and cautiously slid into the water. As he entered, everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats. Liu Da Shao positioned himself behind Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong, intently watching the water's surface.

The end of the rope had already been unwound by the group. Except for Liu Da Shao, everyone else gripped a section, and the coils gathered on the ground steadily fed into the lake as Jia Zhuangyuan moved deeper.

Liu Da Shao slowly walked to the water's edge, ready to cast his spell the moment the Plesiosaur appeared. Meanwhile, Yang Weidong wondered: What kind of magic would this young man use to control the water beast? Was Chinese Daoism truly that miraculous?

Time crept by. The sapphire lake water remained placid. The rope was significantly shorter now, causing some anxiety among the watchers, yet because the line continued to feed slowly into the depths, they presumed Jia Zhuangyuan was still safe.

Suddenly, Liu Da Shao gasped softly. The others saw the lake surface ripple slightly, and the rope instantly halted its progress. Fan Debiao roared, "Damn it, pull the rope!" The group tightened their grip and began hauling back furiously.

The rope in the water snapped taut, and a visible line of disturbed water shot swiftly from the lake's center toward the bank. The water suddenly churned, and a massive whirlpool erupted from the surface. Every heart clenched—it seemed the Plesiosaur was about to surface.

Just then, at the end of the rope pulled rigid by the two men, Jia Zhuangyuan burst onto the surface with a splash, rapidly closing in on the shore as the others pulled. The enormous whirlpool tracked his ascent, moving with terrifying speed, almost glued to his heels.

The men strained, pulling the rope hand over hand. Just as Jia Zhuangyuan neared the bank, the colossal whirlpool let out a deafening roar. The enraged Plesiosaur broke the surface, extended its long neck, opened its jaw lined with jagged teeth, and lunged ferociously at Jia Zhuangyuan. In that instant, everyone turned ashen; all they could do now was pull the rope with desperation.

The monster’s head smashed down into the water with a heavy thud, instantly obscuring Jia Zhuangyuan from view, leaving only a spray of chaotic water. A chill ran down everyone’s spines: Could it be…...

Fortunately, no one stopped pulling. They continued to drag the line with all their might.

After the water settled, Jia Zhuangyuan’s figure finally reappeared within their sight, the Plesiosaur roaring in fury close behind him. As both neared the bank, Liu Da Shao, who had been standing by the shore, let out a sharp cry. His sleeves lifted without wind, his hands formed the True Martial Sovereign Seal, and he thrust them toward the monster, shouting, "Bind!"

The enraged Plesiosaur instantly seemed to lose its bearings, shaking its head and beginning to circle in place while roaring. This maneuver instantly created distance between it and Jia Zhuangyuan. The group collectively sighed in relief and quickly increased their hauling strength, dragging him ashore.

The men dropped the rope and rushed toward the edge, readying their weapons.

At this moment, the Plesiosaur seemed to sense something was wrong, shaking its head violently, attempting to dive back into the water. Suddenly, Liu Da Shao sprang forward and plunged headfirst into the lake. The others, running toward the shore, cried out in alarm at his sudden action, uncertain of his purpose.

Jia Zhuangyuan stood on the bank and shouted to the group, "That kid is going down to set up a barrier! Everyone, start shooting now and kill that Plesiosaur!"

"A barrier?" they thought, not understanding the term. They figured they should just focus on shooting the water beast first. So, Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong raised their guns and unleashed a torrent of fire toward the Plesiosaur. Bullet holes immediately peppered the monster’s hide, blood oozing from the wounds. It shrieked in agony, twisting its massive body in place, constantly trying to dip its head underwater, but for some inexplicable reason, it could not sink. It seemed Jia Zhuangyuan's so-called "barrier" was working—an invisible wall seemed to confine it above and below.

As the barrage continued, the Plesiosaur's cries weakened, and the rate of its thrashing slowed. Finally, its long neck drooped, its body listed, and it collapsed onto the water. Perhaps because of the "barrier," it didn't sink but lay still on the surface, surrounded by a startling expanse of red where its blood had stained the lake.

Just then, with a splash from the lake, Liu Da Shao burst from the water, landing wetly on the bank. He then stood facing the Plesiosaur's corpse, murmuring a few low, solemn words. Following this, everyone watched as the monster’s body slowly sank to the bottom.

Jia Zhuangyuan walked from the water’s edge back to the group, wearing a look of mild displeasure. "Have you youngsters not eaten enough during your break? You pulled that rope with the energy of a dying breath. That beast nearly took a bite out of my backside."

With the water monster vanquished, the mood brightened considerably. Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan's complaint, Liu Da Shao, wringing out his shirt, grinned. "Senior Fei, isn't your backside perfectly intact where it belongs? We all used every ounce of strength we had, no one held back. Please stop grumbling, Old Man."

Fan Debiao chimed in with a laugh, "That's right, that's right, Senior Fei! No one dared to slack off."

Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, glancing at the group before speaking, "Guess what else I discovered underwater?"

Intrigued, everyone crowded around, urging him to reveal what he had found beneath the waves.

Jia Zhuangyuan said, "I managed to feel around for that demon-like thing where I first descended. Just as I was about to try manipulating the figure to see what would happen, I unintentionally spotted a large area of colored patterns on a square black rock to the demon figure's right. I swam over immediately. The moment I landed on the rock, intending to examine it closely, that cursed Plesiosaur showed up. Old Jia had to make a quick getaway."

The listeners were engrossed until the last sentence, which made them chuckle despite themselves.

Liu Da Shao asked, "Senior Jia, did you get a clear look at what those patterns on the rock depicted?"

Jia Zhuangyuan nodded. "I saw the general outline. It seemed to depict a place, perhaps a monastery or a temple structure, and a statue of a monk was very prominent. This monk was seated atop a strange, monstrous beast. It appeared that the surrounding patterns were all carved around this monk."

"A monk?" Liu Da Shao muttered, frowning.

Jia Zhuangyuan continued, "If my guess is right, the pattern on the submerged rock is Kṣitigarbha (Dizang Wang). And the place depicted in the carving should be the Ten Thousand Ghosts Temple."

The others looked confused. Fan Debiao was the first to ask, "Senior Jia, who the heck is this Kṣitigarbha?"

Jia Zhuangyuan laughed heartily. "Watch your tongue; Kṣitigarbha is a famous protector of the Buddhist faith, so it's no wonder you don't know him. Very well, I'll tell you the legend of Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha!"

Fan Debiao quickly said, "Senior Jia, please tell us quickly! I love legends the most."

Jia Zhuangyuan smiled. "Fine, I'll tell you all. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is one of the five great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism, holding a very high status. However, unlike Manjusri, Samantabhadra, or Guanyin, he doesn't often appear in person, which is why people know less about him. Do you know that after Śākyamuni entered nirvana, before the successor, the Future Buddha Maitreya, descends, who is responsible for guiding the beings in the Śūraṅga World (our current world)? Śākyamuni entrusted this task to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. You can see just how high his position is."

"Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s primary workplace is in the harshest realm—hell. His merits are limitless; he has long reached the sea of Buddha's wisdom and is fully accomplished, deserving to become a Buddha. However, he once vowed: 'I will not attain Buddhahood until the hells are emptied; I will not become a Bodhi until all sentient beings are saved.' Therefore, he conceals his true merits and, through the power of his original vow and his innate supernatural abilities, manifests and preaches everywhere to save all beings. Legend says that countless eons ago, Kṣitigarbha was a filial daughter named Guangmu. Her mother, during her life, loved to eat fish roe, committing the grave sin of killing. Guangmu knew her mother would fall into the evil realms after death. She asked an Arhat to meditate and observe, and indeed, he confirmed her mother was suffering greatly in hell. Guangmu concentrated on reciting the Buddha's name and made offerings with reverence. Through the power of her sincere filial piety, she saved her mother from suffering in hell. Afterward, she vowed to rescue all beings burdened by grave sins and went to hell to save them."

"In Chinese Buddhist monasteries, the image of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is quite distinct. Other Bodhisattvas are usually depicted as heavenly beings wearing jeweled crowns, celestial robes, and ornaments. Kṣitigarbha, however, is often shown as a shaven-headed monk or wearing the Vairocana Crown, clad in a kasaya robe. He holds a pilgrim's staff in one hand and a lotus in the other, or sometimes a banner, a jewel, etc. It was based on this specific feature that I recognized the statue's origin."

As Jia Zhuangyuan spoke smoothly, everyone fell into deep contemplation. Fan Debiao quietly remarked, "Senior Jia, I never knew a monk could have such a rich history."

Jia Zhuangyuan smiled faintly. "Now you know. The pattern underwater depicts a Buddha statue, and coincidentally, it's Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, the one who suppresses hell. This strengthens my conviction that the entrance to the Wuji Demon Repository lies at the bottom of the lake. Now, if we simply dive down for a proper search, we are certain to find the entrance."

Liu Da Shao spoke up then. "Then let's not delay, Senior Jia. How shall we proceed?"

Jia Zhuangyuan replied, "Cai Qingchong and I will dive back in to locate the exact entrance to the Wuji Demon Repository. Then, we will all go down together."

Liu Da Shao nodded. "Agreed, we'll follow Senior Jia's instructions."

Jia Zhuangyuan stood up and stretched, saying, "I never thought I'd have to enter the water three times just to find the entrance to the Wuji Demon Repository. Damn it, that Plesiosaur has caused me no end of trouble. Cai Qingchong, come keep this old man company for another dive." With that, he started walking toward the lake again.

Cai Qingchong agreed and followed Jia Zhuangyuan to the shore. The two slowly descended back into the water.

As the pair disappeared beneath the surface, Fan Debiao suddenly blurted out, "Do you think there might be another water monster in there?"

The others paused, then couldn't help but laugh. Fan Debiao glared at the others in mock anger. "I'm just worried about Senior Jia and Chongzi. Besides water monsters, who knows what other traps or beasts might guard the entrance to the Wuji Demon Repository?"

They were momentarily silenced again, realizing the truth in his words. The entrance was so deeply hidden; they had a Plesiosaur, an animal extinct for forty million years, guarding it. No one could rule out the possibility of other defensive mechanisms or creatures guarding the threshold.

With this thought, worry crept back in. Liu Da Shao intervened. "What kind of person is Senior Jia? What sort of tombs hasn't he entered? While the Wuji Demon Repository is extraordinary, Senior Jia will be cautious and meticulous. We need not worry. If he can't get in, then none of us stand a chance."

Hearing Liu Da Shao, the others felt somewhat reassured. Jia Zhuangyuan was a top tomb-raiding expert of his time, intimately familiar with tombs and mechanisms; surely, nothing would go wrong.

Waiting is a grueling affair. Though they trusted Jia Zhuangyuan’s abilities, as time stretched on, anxiety mounted. Ten minutes had passed, and the lake surface remained calm.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the shoreline, hoping to see Jia Zhuangyuan and Cai Qingchong suddenly surface to deliver good news. Fan Debiao even walked to the water's edge, crouched down, and stared intently into the depths.

Several more minutes ticked by, exceeding the twenty-minute breath-holding limit Jia Zhuangyuan had mentioned. The water was still unperturbed, and genuine alarm began to set in. Even Liu Da Shao stood up, unexpectedly showing a look of profound concern.

Yang Weidong walked over to Fan Debiao. "Brother, I think I should go in and check. The Yellow River is right by my home; though my swimming skills don't match Senior Jia's or Brother Chongzi's, I can manage about ten minutes."