He quickly ate some dry rations, then stood up and walked to the edge of the deep pit, peering cautiously down before immediately recoiling. The pit remained bottomless. He couldn't fathom why this tomb had been built directly above such a massive chasm. He carefully considered their geographical location. If they had been traveling through a tunnel about ten meters underground since the beginning, then this lower pit was likely a naturally formed cavern. He wondered where it led, what its purpose was, and how deep it went. Whether the tomb's placement was intentional or accidental, only the tomb's creator would ever know.

He glanced at the others. Everyone was now full, satisfied, and squatting on the ground, preparing for a nap. He didn't stop them. They deserved a short rest; they had been truly exhausted these last few days, and it was remarkable they had lasted this long.

He sat down too, intending to snatch some sleep himself. Yet, sleep wouldn't come. His mind was too cluttered. He kept turning over the Fatty’s words: "This place could very well be a volcano, and that legend of the Ice Crystal Jade Fetus might actually be true."

He didn't know if the legend was real, but he felt profoundly uneasy. Regardless of its veracity, it was one of the immediate obstacles they had to face. Undeniably, there was something wrong with the Ice Crystal Jade Fetus, otherwise, they wouldn't be trapped here, unable to leave.

Just then, he sensed movement nearby and looked up sharply. He saw Ma Xiong’s mature face watching him with a slight smile. Ma Xiong said, "Still worried about Lu Sha and Han Chong? I can’t sleep either. I’ll keep you company for a while."

Lu Zong looked at his bloodshot eyes and urged him immediately, "You should go rest for a bit. You’ve been through too much these past few days."

Ma Xiong waved it off. "Forget it, forget it. I’d rather keep you company. Look at you now. You’re crumbling over such a minor setback. Remember when we were completely out of ammo and supplies during the border war? We never thought about giving up, so why are you so despondent?"

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong, surprised that despite his outwardly carefree demeanor, Ma Xiong was so perceptive, aware of what burdened his heart. A surge of gratitude washed over him. His nose stung, and he felt a sudden urge to cry. But then he thought about how ridiculous it would be to sob into Ma Xiong’s arms, so he suppressed it.

He said, "Ma Xiong, I’ve actually been thinking a lot about that Ice Crystal Jade Fetus."

To his surprise, Ma Xiong replied dismissively, "Stop dwelling on it. It’s just a legend; we don’t even know if it’s real. Why take it so seriously? However, since you think there’s something fishy about it, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you figure it out."

At that moment, the sound of the Fatty snoring echoed over, proving that he was not only physically fat but also mentally robust—both clearly belonging to the pig sign, falling asleep the moment they lay down.

He signaled Ma Xiong to keep his voice down, then continued, "I feel like ever since we entered, we've been controlled by this Ice Crystal Jade Fetus. Haven’t you noticed how strange everything we’ve encountered has been? Don't you vaguely feel a connection to it?"

Ma Xiong pondered for a moment, then said hesitantly to Lu Zong, "You know, Lu Zong, now that you mention it, I really do feel like something is off. Look at it: first, we ran into the monkeys, then after we split up, we saw different versions of each other, and then Fatty and I saw the souls of many people. Are these just hallucinations caused by our psychology? I don’t think so."

Lu Zong responded, "You think the same way I do. I feel the same way. I feel like ever since we came in here, our thoughts have been controlled by that so-called Ice Crystal Jade Fetus. Perhaps all the hallucinations we’ve experienced were manufactured by it."

Ma Xiong frowned and looked at the equally troubled Lu Zong. "But the problem is, why would the Ice Crystal Jade Fetus appear in the tunnel we dug? Was it buried underground before it could hatch? Is it natural? But why does it resemble the mummified corpse of the Loulan Beauty we excavated so closely? I have a feeling there’s a serious trick to this."

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong and admired, "As expected of someone from the CIA; your mind works wonders. You’ve analyzed even such a complex issue. Yes, that is exactly what worries me. Could the Loulan Beauty also be an Ice Crystal Jade Fetus? But why would it be found on human soil? And do you think there’s any chance that Jade Fetus might wake up? If that happens, we are truly doomed."

Ma Xiong forced a smile. "How is that possible? That Jade Fetus has been around for at least three thousand years. Even if it were perfectly preserved, it would be dead. Even if the physical body survived, what did it eat or drink all those years? Its own nutrients couldn't possibly sustain its growth. You can relax about that point."

Lu Zong conceded that Ma Xiong was right; without sustenance, how could it survive? He let go of that specific worry. Looking at the two sleeping figures, he said, "Ma Xiong, I think we should go back right now to the tunnel we dug earlier and retrace our path. I refuse to believe we can't get out of this corridor. I absolutely won't believe we ended up back in this same corridor; I distinctly remember walking straight ahead. How could we have doubled back?"

Ma Xiong readily agreed and then kicked the Fatty and Ganda, shouting roughly, "Wake up! Move it! The Ice Crystal Jade Fetus is resurrecting!"

Because Ma Xiong’s voice was naturally booming, the acoustics of the corridor amplified it to a terrifying degree, startling the other two awake amidst shrieks. Seeing Lu Zong and Ma Xiong looking half-crying and half-laughing, they immediately understood what was happening. They yawned and started walking. They followed Lu Zong, unsure where he intended to lead them.

The Fatty finally asked, "Lu Zong, where are you going?"

Lu Zong replied, "I’m going to find the tunnel we just dug. I want to walk that route again to see exactly what’s happening."

The Fatty grunted, then lowered his head in silence, seemingly deep in thought.

After walking for about ten minutes, they still hadn't found the tunnel they had dug, causing Lu Zong to break into a sweat. He muttered repeatedly, "No, this isn't right. We definitely dug the tunnel right here, so why is it gone now? Was the hole covered up?"

He walked to the spot where they had been digging and tapped the wall. A dull thud sounded, indicating the wall was solid, with no hollow space inside.

Ma Xiong also found it extremely strange. They had definitely dug right here just moments ago, so why couldn't they find the tunnel now? Buried? Impossible. If it had been buried, there should be some subtle difference, yet this spot looked completely untouched.

He pulled the Fatty over and asked, "Fatty, you dug the tunnel. You were the one doing the work—you’re the tunnel's father! Find it! If you call out, maybe it’ll answer you."

The Fatty was groggy and didn't quite grasp what Ma Xiong was saying, only hearing something about shouting for the tunnel and calling himself its father. So, yawning profusely, he shouted, "Tunnel, where are you? I’m your dad! I’ve come for you!"

There was no reply, not even an echo. Everyone was extremely disappointed, especially Lu Zong, who hung his head, scratching his hair, completely bewildered by how to explain this.

He looked at the Fatty's muddled face, and a sudden realization flashed through his mind, like a lightning strike. He looked at Ma Xiong and stated slowly, word by word, "Ma Xiong, I think I know what’s going on."

Ma Xiong eagerly asked, "Tell me quickly! What is it? Damn it, this is driving me crazy! It's too bizarre."

Lu Zong said, "Look, if the Ice Crystal Jade Fetus in this ancient tomb can control us back in the lab, it means there is some connection between this tomb and that laboratory. Even though the two are vastly separated in age, we can’t pinpoint the exact relationship, but that’s not important. What matters is that a connection does exist. I figure, since they are connected, if the laboratory could rotate, why can’t this corridor rotate as well? Or perhaps we could say that the rotation of the corridor is what drove the rotation of the laboratory. It sounds supernatural, but it’s the only logical explanation for our current predicament."

Ma Xiong was utterly confused. "What are you saying? This corridor rotates too?"

Lu Zong nodded. "You got it. That’s exactly what I feel. Furthermore, the rotation isn't complete. This corridor is likely circular, with the start and end connected. There is only one exit leading to the main chamber, and it must be incredibly concealed. This circular corridor rotates around its center point, but the center point itself remains stationary. The center point here is probably the inner wall of the corridor—the side where we were digging the tunnel. Think about it: when we started digging our tunnel from this side, the opposite, sealed side of the corridor had already begun to turn. By the time we dug through to the other side, the section of the corridor facing us had rotated precisely into that position and opened up. That’s why we entered the corridor we were just in before, making us think we had doubled back."

Ma Xiong nodded. "That makes sense."

Just then, the Fatty and Ganda woke up fully. Listening to their deduction, they were filled with silent awe. These two indeed had sharp minds, but sharp minds always seemed destined for trouble, and now it was their turn to suffer.

Lu Zong declared, "Our immediate priority is to find that tunnel entrance again, and then we can figure out how to leave this place. As long as we can stand still at the center point, we won't have to worry about finding the exit."

Saying this, he took the lead in searching the walls for the tunnel they had just dug.

Although the corridor was rotating, they couldn't feel it because the surrounding walls were identical; they couldn't sense the walls changing or moving backward. However, this simplicity saved them considerable trouble. Now, as long as they stood quietly on the floor, their bodies would rotate with the corridor, making it much easier to examine the walls without the hassle of moving back and forth.

The four of them sat down on the ground, spaced about five meters apart. This arrangement ensured that each section of the corridor wall would pass by their inspection four times, making it impossible to miss the tunnel entrance.