In this vast desert, the Soviets invested fortunes to build such a thing.

What on earth were they planning? As the final flare died out, darkness reclaimed the space.

No one spoke; only the faint beams of a few flashlights trembled in time with their heartbeats.

by my side took a deep breath and said, "Alright, we'll rest here for a bit, then proceed downwards to see if we find anything." I knew what he meant.

Since we couldn't be sure if Da Xiong and the others were deep within this cavern, there was no need to venture too far down.

No matter how mysterious this sinkhole might be, their objective was an ancient tomb belonging to one of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions, not exploring the pit itself.

If Da Xiong wasn't here, this chasm was merely a refuge from sandstorms.

No one present objected.

We followed * down for a stretch, stopping only when the layer of ground above us was thick enough to shield us from falling sand and debris.

Only then did he allow everyone to sit and rest.

Though these tomb robbers were young, they were disciplined.

Each found a spot against the wall, sitting down to drink water, eat biscuits, and some even pulled out their PSVs to play games.

But I couldn't relax my guard.

Perhaps it was the subterranean environment; I constantly lacked a sense of security, always feeling as if something might happen.

I glanced at my phone—the battery icon remained full.

I couldn't help but frown; a strange, ineffable feeling settled in my chest.

The space we occupied was decidedly unusual.

Looking up toward the shaft entrance, I noticed the cables I had seen earlier descending into the pit.

Following the helical path of the ground beneath us, they coiled around and extended into the deep.

I assumed these cables must be channeling energy from within the cavern out to the laboratories above, so I didn't pay them much mind.

After confirming there were no immediate unstable elements around, I returned to the meeting point and leaned against the wall to rest.

I closed my eyes to gather my strength.

After only a few minutes, someone tapped my shoulder.

I immediately snapped my eyes open to see the guide, Old Ni, sitting beside me.

His face was as pale as paper, and his entire body seemed to be trembling slightly.

I quickly asked what was wrong.

He glanced around furtively, acting like a thief, and whispered to me, "Boss Nie, you mustn't go further down this pit.

If you insist on going, please return this to Boss Wu, and I'll take my leave." I took the item he held out: a check for a five-figure sum.

At first, I worried Boss Wu might be planning harm against Old Ni, but now it seemed Boss Wu was quite shrewd.

That much money was certainly enough to buy the silence of a small guide like him.

However, based on Old Ni's current demeanor, it seemed no amount of money would convince him to accompany us further.

I asked if there were any local legends or taboos concerning this sinkhole in Xinjiang.

He replied, "It’s not like that.

I just don't want to trade my life for money.

You people are tomb raiders—whether that's against the law is one thing—but ancient tombs in pits like this are inherently dangerous.

I have two children in school back home, and I don't want to take this risk.

Besides, now that you’re here, I suspect you no longer need a guide.

I plan to leave tomorrow when the sandstorm subsides." Seeing his sincere expression, I said, "Understood.

This truly has little to do with you.

You risked your life to bring us here, which was already a great effort.

This check is yours.

You can leave tomorrow; I will explain things to Boss Wu." Old Ni expressed immense gratitude. "Really? Boss Nie, you are a good man.

May the True God bless you.

Rest assured, I won't say a word about your business.

Oh, I will be nearby for the next few days waiting for you.

If you come out, I can escort you back." I smiled. "That would be wonderful.

Stay here tonight; you don't need to descend with us." Old Ni looked at me gratefully, speechless, simply gripping my hand, his eyes slightly moist.

After a moment, he pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me. "This is the claw of a sacred bird of the desert, passed down from my grandfather's generation.

It wards off evil.

I’ve carried it for years, and it has kept me safe.

I give it to you now.

This pit is eerily strange; perhaps there truly are demons here.

I hope it keeps you safe, Boss Nie." I took the intricate ornament, which resembled an eagle’s talon, and slipped it into my pocket, thanking Old Ni.

We then chatted about other matters for a while, before * called everyone to move on.

I briefed * on Old Ni's situation.

* frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Alright.

Make sure you explain it clearly to Boss Wu when we get back; he probably won't argue." Then he turned to Old Ni, walked over, and clapped him on the shoulder, saying, "Friend, thank you.

Be safe on the road..." I had expected * to be difficult about this, given his usual stern demeanor, but I found him to be quite reasonable, which surprisingly improved my opinion of him.

Da Xiong’s friends, I thought, couldn't be truly bad people.

I had always believed that.

I left Old Ni some food and water, along with a helmet lamp, a flashlight, and ropes, then followed *'s team deeper into the cavern.

We were prepared for a long trek, but spiraling down along the cavern wall quickly led to numbness, though we hadn't descended many meters.

Along the way, we meticulously examined the path and the walls, making discoveries—for instance, finding tracks in the thin sand covering the floor, and noticing that some dust had been wiped clean from the cables adhering to the walls, clearly indicating Boss Wu and his crew had been here.

During a brief rest, the group pooled their observations.

Everyone agreed that Boss Wu’s group was somewhere below, necessitating further penetration into the depths.

However, * proposed that we stop walking the path.

He suggested securing ropes to the edge and rappelling down, finding a ledge to rest on whenever we felt tired.

This method certainly increased our efficiency, but for me, the weakest link in terms of stamina, it was nearly a death sentence.

After climbing down for just a short while, my hands were nearly raw, my feet dangling from the rope were trembling uncontrollably, and my clothes were already soaked through with sweat.

Seeing my state, * offered a slight smile and suggested he could carry me down.

But I am, after all, a man.

Even if I were to die, I couldn't bear that shame, so I politely refused.

We continued rappelling for three or four hundred meters, yet the darkness beneath our feet remained incredibly deep, seemingly endless, inducing a sense of despair.

As I climbed down, I looked upward.

The faint daylight filtering from the entrance had become tiny, instantly giving me the feeling of a frog at the bottom of a well.

Just then, I thought I saw a dark silhouette flicker past the entrance, startling me.

That shadow was large enough to cover half the opening.

By normal proportions, it would have to be an enormous creature.

But how could such a colossal creature exist in the desert? The size of the giant lizard I had seen earlier already seemed unbelievable.

As I began to doubt whether my eyes were hallucinating due to the constant shaking of the flashlight beam, a point of light suddenly began to flicker above me, near the entrance.

I braced my legs against the rope and looked up closely.

It was a person waving a flashlight erratically, as if signaling something to those below. "It must be Old Ni.

What’s happening?" I thought, slightly shocked.

Judging by Old Ni’s frantic motion, something significant must have occurred.

Before I could dwell on it, a strange, intermittent sound drifted down from above, making my scalp prickle.

It was an excruciatingly unpleasant scraping noise, like dragging a thumbtack across a blackboard, repeating in jarring bursts.

The others around me had also noticed the light above and craned their necks up in curiosity.

* seemed to know something, shouting from below, "Stop gawking! Get down here quickly! Get back onto the path!"