I looked up at the massive hole overhead, which seemed to lead to the surface, but it appeared to be over a hundred meters deep, and the sheer walls were impossible to climb. If we were to get out from here, we’d need a helicopter, and a wave of deep disappointment washed over me.

Daxiong took a deep breath, then waxed lyrical, "This fresh air is sweet, sweeter than candied hawthorn! We’re frogs at the bottom of a well now, and I wonder if this curved hook moon will cast even half its crescent shadow beneath our feet."

With that, he looked down at the ice surface and suddenly froze.

Noticing the strange expression on his face, I asked what was wrong. His mouth hung open, speechless. After stammering for a moment, he pointed at the ground and managed to say, "This... this is, what is that thing!"

I thought to myself, what could have scared the guts out of Wang Dadan like that? I quickly looked down, and oh my god, I immediately plopped down onto my rear, muttering, "This... this is... holy hell!"

Jie Yuting was also staring at the ice with a pale face, clicking his tongue repeatedly. "This is impossible. How could something like this exist in the world..."

The ice layer beneath our feet was remarkably transparent, perhaps only two or three meters thick. Moonlight pierced the ice, shining down into the water below, where a massive, unparalleled entity lay.

I could only describe it as some kind of animal, nearly a hundred meters long, entirely black, resembling a giant serpent. However, on its underside, we could make out what looked like limbs—four of them.

My first thought was that it was a Jiao (flood dragon), but compared to the traditional image of a dragon, it seemed lacking. This creature only possessed a single horn on its head, and its skull was flattened, much like a crocodile’s.

Could this be the legendary Jiao itself?

What shocked us most wasn't this Jiao-like creature, but what its body was coiled around: a colossal metallic disc. Its metal skin reflected an eerie glow under the moonlight. Since the ice layer obscured a clear view, I couldn't make out the details, but seeing two holes in the center of the disc, I realized this must be the same type of disc we had seen before—the thing the Weiguo people called their god...

We were all stunned, speechless. What lay before us was both bizarre and terrifying, leaving us utterly disoriented.

I felt how fragile the ice beneath our feet truly was. If that thing were alive and decided to burst through, this ice wouldn't hold for a second. Facing this leviathan, I felt the sheer insignificance of humanity for the first time. After watching for a while, a primal fear began to surface. Humans believed they knew every blade of grass and tree on Earth, but now, seeing the sheer variety of strange things in this world, humanity seemed no more significant than an ant.

After a moment, Daxiong spoke up again, "Look, there seem to be patterns on this ice surface, as if they were carved by hand."

I looked and saw that it was true. When we were on the side earlier, we hadn't noticed any carving marks at all, but now, standing in the center of the ice, we saw that the entire surface was inscribed with exquisite murals, depicting figures and landscapes with stunning lifelikeness.

After observing for a while, I discerned the sequence of these paintings. Stretching from west to east, they illustrated the major events that had once occurred among the Weiguo people.

The first painting showed a great mountain, dense forests at its base where deer, elephants, and other animals dwelled—the carving was incredibly vivid.

The next image depicted two groups of people, armed with long spears and axes, charging in from opposite sides of the forest. One side was covered in long hair, wearing eerie, smiling masks, while the other wore feathered headdresses and tiger-face masks.

I knew this depicted a tribal war. The long-haired side must have been the Weiguo people, and the tiger-masked opponents were likely ancestors of the ancient ethnic minorities in Sichuan, perhaps the Yi or Tibetan peoples. (Note: The content of this text is unverified, and it carries no intention of reflecting upon or belittling any ethnic group.)

The third painting showed a scene of brutal combat: limbs severed, torsos pierced, blood flowing like a river. Casualties were heavy on both sides.

Seeing the fourth painting, I was genuinely shocked.

That painting still showed a scene of carnage and flowing blood, but a tall Weiguo figure holding a coral staff stepped forward. I noticed his mask was slightly different; it bore a massive gemstone between his brows. It instantly reminded me of the golden mask I had seen earlier in the room.

That tall Weiguo man pointed his finger toward the sky, and in the heavens appeared a huge, luminous object, shaped like a disc with two symmetrical holes in the middle.

The content of the next painting showed two beams of light shooting down from that immense disc, enveloping the dead bodies lying on the ground. Many of the deceased slowly began to rise from the earth.

I sucked in a sharp breath, thinking, Could this be the legendary resurrection? And doesn't that disc look exactly like the UFOs often reported in the news? Could the god of the Weiguo people actually be an extraterrestrial civilization?

I continued looking, and the subsequent paintings grew increasingly bizarre.

Those resurrected people did not retain their original forms; instead, their necks had become unnaturally elongated, and they all sported ferocious faces.

At a signal from the golden-masked person's coral staff, these long-necked monstrosities charged toward the enemy. They possessed immense strength, tearing their opponents apart, some even digging out internal organs and devouring them whole.

Soon, the Weiguo enemies were completely annihilated. Then, the enormous metal disc descended to the ground, and the long-necked mutants filed into it through one of the holes.

Upon reaching this point, the three of us exchanged glances. Daxiong was the first to curse, "This is too damn surreal! Those little green aliens used our human ancestors for some kind of bioweapon experiment—that’s inhumane!"

I shook my head and said, "I don't think the content of these paintings is necessarily true. Ancient people loved exaggeration. Back then, humans were quite ignorant; whenever they encountered an inexplicable phenomenon, they’d make up stories. Look at the generals in old wars—any truly formidable ones were always said to use sorcery, making them seem like heavenly soldiers..."

Jie Yuting looked at me seriously and asked, "Then what were those long-necked monsters we saw in the stone cave?"

His reminder instantly brought back the memory of that terrifying creature. Didn't it look exactly like the resurrected dead in the painting? The thought made my face turn white; could all of this actually be true?

Daxiong grumbled, "If the Weiguo people were so powerful, why did they mysteriously vanish afterward? Don't get sidetracked, you two, let's keep looking."

The next painting showed the golden-masked man seated on a massive stone throne, surrounded by numerous oddly dressed people kneeling before him. Some held animal hides, while others held seashells and jewels; all displayed attitudes of utter submission.

The following murals depicted scenes of communal hunting, singing, and dancing—a carefree life. The final painting showed the golden-masked man standing on a high point in the city-state, overlooking slaves hauling massive stones and constructing buildings.

Daxiong swore when he finished reading this section, "That’s the end of the comic strip? It didn't mention the huge disc or that Jiao under the ice at all!"

I laughed, "You wouldn't know, would you? Ancient murals have themes. I think these ice surface paintings were primarily created to sing the praises of their rulers. As for how their civilization was lost, we might need to look elsewhere..."

Daxiong scratched his head and asked, "Where do we look?"

Before I could answer, Jie Yuting pointed his flashlight toward a stone hall at the far end of the plaza and said, "We've arrived. This must be the Weiguo Temple... all the answers are here."

Following the beam of his flashlight, I saw a stone hall built in a primitive and rugged architectural style. Calling it a hall was generous; most of the structure was carved deep inside the mountain—opening the door meant entering the belly of the great stone.

The facade was very simple: two colossal stone pillars supported a massive triangular capstone. Between the pillars was a stone doorway, approached by more than a dozen steps leading up from the plaza.

Daxiong hoisted the unconscious Liang Qian onto his back. The three of us walked carefully across the ice to avoid slipping. Above us were the vast cavern roof and the ethereal starry sky; beneath our feet was the mirror-like ice, and under that, the giant, unknown creature. If viewed from above, this scene would certainly have been a spectacular vista, one that inspires a profound sense of smallness.