Scholar Jia rolled his eyes, composing his expression, and said, "I can't be certain what this mechanism is. Everyone, be cautious. I'm going to manipulate it."

The group nodded. Scholar Jia slowly reached his hand into the indentation, placed it on the round sphere, and pressed down gently.

At that moment, a faint stirring seemed to come from beneath the ground, a sound that gradually grew louder, culminating in a deep, muffled rumble.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot, a tension gripping them, unsure what kind of situation was about to unfold.

Suddenly, Young Master Liu gasped, "Everyone, look quickly into the Heavy Water Lake! What is that?"

As the others followed the direction of his pointing finger, they saw something emerge from the bottom up within the azure, transparent Heavy Water Lake—a long, black, rod-shaped object accelerating rapidly towards the surface.

Yang Weidong shouted, "Everyone, alert!"

The group quickly retreated a few steps from the lake's edge, raising the rifles they held, watching the Heavy Water with strained attention. Young Master Liu wondered what manner of thing would appear this time.

The black, elongated object shot out of the Heavy Water with a whoosh, wobbled a few times on the surface, and then floated there. Only then did everyone clearly see that the black, strip-like object was actually a small boat crafted from some unknown substance.

And as the crowd stared intently at this small vessel, a sudden chill pierced their hearts. Seated inside this pitch-black boat was a person! A living person dressed in foreign attire! A young woman who appeared fluid as water under the serene, pale-blue glow of the Heavy Water!

The group exchanged startled, bewildered glances. Just then, the young woman slowly moved an oar, rippling the water, and began to paddle the small boat toward the shore where they stood.

Suddenly, Scholar Jia let out a loud burst of laughter that startled everyone into a cold sweat. He laughed and exclaimed, "Ingenious craftsmanship, truly marvelous artistry! If this small boat were taken to the surface, it would undoubtedly be an astonishing treasure."

When he finished speaking and saw the annoyed looks directed his way, Scholar Jia offered an embarrassed smile. "I was momentarily overcome with delight, my comrades, please forgive me." Then, with a cunning chuckle, he added, "Do comrades not realize the woman in the boat is merely a dummy?"

Everyone blinked, looking at him in confusion. Fan Debiao gaped, "You're saying the woman in the boat is a fake?"

Scholar Jia nodded with a faint smile. "Were you all so startled by the sudden appearance of this boat that your minds clouded? Can you not see that the woman rowing remains utterly motionless, only her right hand mechanically circling the oar? Look closer at her expression—is it not perpetually one of lowered gaze and compliance?"

By now, the small boat was almost at the shore. Listening to Scholar Jia’s description, everyone looked more closely. Indeed, the woman's facial expression remained unchanging; she was merely operating the oar in a mechanical fashion.

Despite this realization, the group remained hesitant and uneasy on the spot. Scholar Jia glanced at them with a hint of disdain, walked to the edge of the Heavy Water shore, acting as if he were greeting the woman rowing the boat.

When the small boat drifted right up to Scholar Jia, he gripped the bow, reached out, and pressed a spot on the woman’s right forearm that held the oar. He then turned back to the group with a playful grin. "Comrades, come aboard. I shall serve as your boatman."

Seeing him press a spot on the figure's arm, causing the boat to stop while the figure remained frozen, they finally relaxed and confidently stepped forward.

Once at the edge of the boat, seeing up close that the dummy was actually a wooden figure, they could only marvel at the exquisite carving skills of the ancients and their ingenious mastery of mechanical arts.

After gesturing for everyone to board, Scholar Jia pointed to the wooden woman’s arm. "Do you all see this triangular button? This is the mechanism controlling the boat. Twist it left, and the boat turns left; twist it right for a right turn. Twist it all the way to the triangle’s tip, and it moves forward. Pressing it down stops it."

After demonstrating for them, he looked up and sighed profoundly, "The ingenuity of these ancient people is simply incredible. My journey through Tibet this time, Old Jia, has truly opened my eyes wide."

Scholar Jia had now turned the bow and was slowly paddling toward the palace. Suddenly, Young Master Liu addressed him. "Senior Scholar Jia, what material is this boat made of? It feels strange to the touch—it has resilience but also elasticity? It doesn't feel like rubber, nor does it feel like wood."

Scholar Jia smiled faintly. "I noticed that when I first pulled the bow, but I don't know what this substance is either. What matters now is that the appearance of this small boat is our sole means of crossing the Heavy Water."

Young Master Liu nodded and said no more.

The small boat drifted slowly toward the palace situated in the center of the Heavy Water Lake. Everyone gazed at that mysterious edifice, unsure what awaited them inside. In truth, everyone was somewhat numb by now; the Golden Ancient City, the Shore Flower, the Water Monster, the Yin Residence—they had encountered too much wonder and strangeness along the way.

Fortunately, the Heavy Water remained placid, still emitting its soft, ethereal glow, with no abnormality present.

The boat drew nearer to the palace, and a long stretch of white marble steps extended down from the palace entrance high above. Young Master Liu looked at this magnificent palace, slumbering perhaps for millennia underground yet remaining so grand and beautiful, and a sudden sense of gravity settled upon him. He wondered if they, strangers appearing millennia later, were disturbing the tranquility of this pure sanctuary, and what kind of reward this subterranean palace would offer them, the unwelcome intruders? Welcome or unwelcome? Would it open its doors for them to unveil its mysterious veil, or would it mete out a punishing disturbance?

Under Scholar Jia's guidance, the small boat stopped before the white steps. While maintaining their vigilance, the group filed out and ascended the stairs.

Scholar Jia stated, "Everyone should have seen the illusions earlier—the bubbles rising from the Heavy Water that transformed into white women—they flew toward this palace. I feel this was not without reason. Once we enter the palace, everyone must be extremely careful; do not wander or move about recklessly!"

They acknowledged him with a sound and slowly began to ascend the steps.

Scholar Jia, leading the way, appeared exceptionally cautious now. He would pause slightly every few steps. It took a considerable amount of time to traverse the several hundred steps to their summit.

Stepping onto the platform before the palace, the group was instantly dwarfed. The massive palace was resplendent with gold and jade, breathtakingly beautiful. Truthfully, Young Master Liu had seen Zhu Youjiao's underground mausoleum and visited the Golden Ancient City, but for some inexplicable reason, he felt both paled in comparison to this palace above the Heavy Water. A thought suddenly struck him: this palace did not seem to belong to the mortal realm; it seemed to shift in response to one’s own stirring emotions. This sensation terrified Young Master Liu! It felt like a living thing! Abruptly, Young Master Liu snapped out of his reverie, his tongue striking his palate, and he let out a solemn, booming cry: "Immeasurable Celestial Venerable!" Then, turning to look at his companions, Young Master Liu observed that they too seemed to be blankly waking from some deep contemplation or fanciful trance.

At that moment, Scholar Jia suddenly cursed in a sharp voice, "Damn it, this palace is spooky; I thought I saw it move just now."

Fan Debiao also chimed in, "I felt something sinister too. I felt like my soul was almost snagged away, but thankfully, hearing Young Master Liu’s loud cry woke me up."

The others also offered a few confirming remarks, sharing a similar feeling.