After a moment, he nodded and walked over to the group, saying, "Then this Taoist statue must depict Zhang Daoling. Legend has it that Celestial Master Zhang had an extraordinary appearance: a ruddy, square face, and stood seven chi and one cun tall—that’s about two meters and twelve centimeters. Judging by that, this statue is indeed the Celestial Master."

Understanding dawned on everyone. It seemed the legendary Celestial Master Zhang truly existed in the long river of history.

At this point, Fan Debiao spoke up, "We're currently at a crossroads. Which way should we head?"

Young Master Liu said, "Senior Jia, we'll have to rely on you for the decision."

Zhuangyuan Jia spoke then, his voice somewhat weak, "That’s obvious. In ancient cities, since the Emperor faced south from his seat in the north, the main city gates were always on the north side. Given our current position, heading straight north should take us to the center of the city, the imperial palace, and further north would be the main gate."

Then, he pointed at the statue and continued, "Judging by the direction this Taoist is facing, that direction is North."

Young Master Liu said, "Since the direction is settled, we proceed north." With that, he waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue their march.

Just then, Fan Debiao suddenly interjected, "Young Master, where exactly are we going? And what is the secret? All this way, I feel like a lost lamb, not knowing where we are supposed to go or what we are supposed to do."

His sudden question echoed the very uncertainty in Young Master Liu's mind. He was first startled, then paused in thought before replying, "To be honest, I don't know the destination, nor what we are looking for."

Fan Debiao seemed to have held this in for a long time, pressing on, "Then why are we moving aimlessly right now? Don't tell me it's for Miss Wang and Uncle Diao; they couldn't possibly be here."

Cai Qingchong also chimed in, "Yeah, I also feel completely lost right now, that feeling of not knowing where we're going or what we're doing."

At this, Yang Weidong, who had been standing silently to the side, finally spoke up, "I was assigned as a member of this operation. I will answer everyone's questions."

He paused, letting out a low sigh, and continued, "The Guge ruins in Xinjiang were the fuse for this entire mission, but they are not the crucial entry point for our task. To stop the Americans' conspiracy at all costs, and to unravel the earth-shattering secret of this ancient civilization—that is our true objective."

Seeing Yang Weidong pause, Fan Debiao immediately pressed again, "Then what exactly is this earth-shattering secret?"

Yang Weidong was silent for a moment before finally revealing, "The secret is the Wuji Daozang (Daoist Canon of the Infinite). Because this place is very likely not constructed by humans."

"What?" Upon hearing Yang Weidong reveal this earth-shattering secret, everyone was profoundly shocked. These mechanisms and wondrous structures were actually the work of extraterrestrials! It was too absurd, too bizarre!

A subtle, strange expression flickered across Yang Weidong's face as he went on, "According to our investigation, this place was actually built by a highly intelligent, unknown humanoid race. Something must have happened to them, causing their race to gradually die out, so they dispatched Zhang Jiao to the surface, hoping to establish their own surface kingdom. This, in turn, became the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty."

The others were too astonished by Yang Weidong's account to speak. Yang Weidong let out a long sigh and added, "I know this is hard to believe, but it is the truth. You can look into the beliefs of Taoism—the so-called ascension to immortality, achieving the Dao through cultivation, even some of the miraculous Taoist arts, and the deities and totems they venerate—all of it is somewhat peculiar."

Zhuangyuan Jia let out a sound of awe from the side, "The world is vast, full of the strange and wonderful. So, legends might not just be legends, and myths might not just be myths; it is merely human ignorance."

Yang Weidong continued, "To truly uncover the ancient secrets, we will have to excavate them piece by piece. Finally, I must share one more important piece of information: hidden at the core of the Wuji Daozang is an artifact as important as the alien race itself. It should be the ultimate goal of our mission."

Young Master Liu tossed out the doubts in his mind as well, asking, "If this place was built by an alien race, and you say they were highly intelligent, why didn't they unify the world? And what about Zhang Daoling and Zhang Jiao? Are there any living aliens in the Wuji Daozang now? And how do we explain the bizarre incidents we encountered earlier?"

Yang Weidong gave a wry smile and shook his head, "I've pondered those questions too, but I cannot explain them either."

Zhuangyuan Jia suddenly remarked, "From the Guge ruins, the volcanic lake, and the minor ghosts in the gloomy residences, it seems the three great hidden treasures have now borne traces of human involvement. It looks like the Americans really have arrived."

Young Master Liu felt his mind becoming increasingly muddled. Seeing the confusion etched on everyone else's faces, he said, "There are too many mysteries right now. I think no amount of guessing will solve them. We might only understand things by experiencing them firsthand."

Everyone nodded in agreement. So, Zhuangyuan Jia stated, "Let’s continue forward. Regardless of the objective, all we can do now is take it one step at a time."

Thus, the group passed the crossroads and headed north.

Along the way, the entire Fengdu Ghost City remained deathly silent, without the slightest sound or movement. Moving northward, the surroundings were still filled with countless unevenly sized gloomy residences—some grand estates of the wealthy, others low and simple common houses—but without exception, all appeared dark and menacing.

After walking for about ten minutes, a faint sound of running water reached their ears. Moving further, the sound grew louder, gradually becoming a rushing noise. Everyone felt a deep sense of strangeness. How could running water suddenly appear within the city? And judging by the sound, it seemed to be quite extensive. Could a river suddenly appear before them?

Fan Debiao whispered, "Running water might imply the presence of living things; everyone needs to be vigilant." All nodded in understanding.

Continuing forward, the sound of the water grew even louder, deepening their doubts. Zhuangyuan Jia mused, "Are we reaching the front of the city? Some ancient cities had moats around their central districts, though that was rare."

Young Master Liu said, "No need to guess, we’ll understand when we get close enough."

Everyone increased their pace while remaining alert. As they drew nearer, the scene ahead was illuminated by their flashlights. Zhuangyuan Jia and Cai Qingchong, who were at the front, couldn't help but make sounds of admiration.

All flashlights instantly converged straight ahead. At that moment, everyone saw clearly—Good heavens! Before them lay a massive fountain.

In the center of the fountain was a black column soaring into the sky, made of an unknown substance. Around the black column were carved eight black dragons soaring upwards—no! They should be described as creatures with dragon heads and snake bodies, because these eight strange sculptures lacked the dragon's whiskers and claws, possessing only sleek serpentine bodies.

Water jetted violently from the mouths of the eight dragons. Beneath the black column and the eight black head-and-serpent sculptures was a huge circular pool. The water flow created a thick mist, making the eight black sculptures appear as if they were writhing through the water vapor, incredibly lifelike and realistic. On both sides of the pool were two long, curved canals that followed a circular arc, into which the fountain's overflow drained away to either side.

The group was struck with awe. This gigantic fountain felt almost unbelievable; who would have thought someone would construct such a massive water feature a thousand meters underground?

Just then, another exclamation came from Zhuangyuan Jia: "Everyone look! Behind the fountain, there is a palace!"

The others quickly followed the direction of Zhuangyuan Jia's pointing finger and, indeed, through the mist of the fountain, they vaguely discerned a palace that seemed to float upon the water.

Young Master Liu instructed, "Everyone look for a path; let's go see that palace ahead."

They acknowledged the order and split into two groups—one of three people, the other of two—heading toward the sides of the fountain to search along the canals for a way across.

After only a few steps, the flashlight beam from Young Master Liu, Cai Qingchong, and Yang Weidong's group illuminated a white stone arch bridge spanning the canal.

Young Master Liu called out to Zhuangyuan Jia’s group not far away, "We found a way over here—it’s a stone bridge." As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Debiao’s voice came from the other side, "We found a stone bridge on our side too. Let's meet in front of the palace behind the fountain."

Young Master Liu agreed, "Alright." The two groups then ascended the white stone arch bridges on either side of the fountain and proceeded toward the palace behind it.