Yet, at the same time, a thread of astonishment ran through me; deep within this subterranean hollow, there were carved stone statues. This suggested that this place might well be the ruin of an ancient civilization.

I didn't know much about the cultures of the Western Regions. During the prosperous era of the Silk Road, the composition of the Western Regions was incredibly complex. The historical "Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions" didn't actually refer to only thirty-six nations, but was rather a collective term for the countless small states there. Some states, like the ancient kingdom of Loulan, existed half in legend and half in reality; no one could say for sure whether they truly existed.

Although the geographical location of Lop Nur had shifted southward, countless Western Regions states had established regimes here in the past. To say which country carved the statue underground was truly difficult for me to ascertain.

After pondering for a while on the spot, I decided that * and I should go take a look first.

had more experience in field expeditions than I did. He used his sharpened wooden stick to poke at the dead leaves on the ground first, then led me forward. This was to prevent us from falling into a Dàyānpào (Big Puff of Smoke).

Dàyānpào is a term from the Northeast. The Northeast region has many forests. In primeval forests, fallen leaves accumulate over long periods. When it rains, they become damp, and the decaying, fermenting wet leaves generate flammable marsh gas within the piles. The expanding gas forms cavities under the leaf litter, and if someone steps on it, they can fall in, much like quicksand. Without help, it is extremely difficult to escape. Many forest explorers have gone missing and died this way.

We slowly moved towards the statue. * held the flashlight in his mouth, then used the stick to brush away the fallen leaves covering the sculpture.

Because the light from our torch was quite dim, our vision was concentrated on the bright spot illuminated by the flashlight. We saw that the stone statue was covered in thick, vibrant green moss, which reflected a blinding green under the beam of the light.

As the spot of light moved, I gradually saw clearly from behind that this was actually a rough, primal human figure.

For some unknown reason, this statue had toppled here, and due to the erosion of time, its specific form was unclear. Furthermore, half of its body was already buried beneath the layer of leaves.

However, even from the ancient and rustic craftsmanship, I could discern that what was exposed above the leaf layer was a human arm.

This figure did not have an overly exaggerated posture. Its left hand rested very gently against the outside of its thigh, as if it were asleep, imparting a sense of tranquility.

By the light of the torch in *’s hand, I saw that the statue's face was severely weathered. Yet, I could vaguely make out eyes delineated by two lines, and a soft nose. On the back of the statue's head, I saw long, shoulder-length hair. Based on this, I concluded the statue must depict a woman.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but admire the ancient carving skills. With simple lines, even after such severe weathering, the statue still managed to convey a natural and soft beauty. I believed that any civilization capable of carving such a sculpture must have been highly advanced in its thinking.

clearly shared my sentiment. As a Mojin Xiaowei (Grave Robber Captain), he must have seen quite a few relics, yet he nodded slightly at this moment.

Although we gained no valuable information from the statue—we couldn't even discern the clothing, nor whether the figure was Eastern or from the Western Regions—its artistic quality compelled us to clear away the part buried under the leaves.

was quick and efficient. He retrieved his entrenching shovel from his lower back, squatted down, and began carefully clearing the leaves.

But soon, I heard a ding sound as the shovel struck stone.

frowned slightly and murmured, "Something's not right. In this direction, we shouldn't be hitting the statue’s body."

I also crouched down, curious, and whispered, "Keep digging..."

nodded, clearing the surrounding leaves. Then we saw a conical stone protruding from the statue’s abdomen, perhaps a dozen centimeters long.

We initially assumed it was some kind of decorative element on the statue, but as we dug further to the side, we discovered more conical objects emerging from the belly area.

buried his head and continued digging, but by now, cold sweat was trickling down my forehead. I said slowly, "Stop digging. I think I know what's going on..."

paused, turning back to look at me with a perplexed expression.

I swallowed with difficulty, gathering my thoughts, and said, "I think this statue is depicting the birth scene of those long-spined monsters..."

When * heard this, he dropped the shovel and stood up, cursing, "Damn it, this... this is too bizarre. Are you saying those spiky monsters are also born from a mother's womb?"

I nodded, saying, "I'm afraid so..."

frowned, unsure what to say; he was clearly deeply shocked.

I stood still, looking at the statue before us. Its smooth lines, its slightly closed eyes, and its natural, gentle expression now seemed twisted and strange, possessing a chilling, eerie quality.

asked me, "Why does this woman’s expression remain so serene after giving birth to something like that?"

I shook my head and replied, "I have no idea."

gave the statue a look of disgust, bent down to pick up the shovel from the ground, and said, "Let's go. The longer we look, the weirder it gets..."

I glanced sideways at the statue and nodded in agreement.

took the lead, holding the torch aloft, and we moved past the sculpture to continue deeper.

After walking just a few paces, * pointed at the ground and said, "Look here..."

I looked in the direction he pointed and saw signs of footsteps on the leaf litter, some of which were turned over.

turned back to me and said, "Boss Wu probably walked this way."

I examined the marks on the ground. They felt somewhat strange, but I couldn't pinpoint why. I could only silently follow * as we moved on.

Fortunately, the leaves on the ground were only damp, not too thick, and * and I soon plunged back into the dense woods.

Looking at the towering and lush trees surrounding us, I finally couldn't help but ask *, "Hey *, I thought you said this place has neither sunlight nor ample soil nutrients. How are these trees growing so large? I estimate the youngest among them are decades old."

glanced back at me, his expression one of surprise, and said, "I thought you were the paleontologist. Why are you asking me this? I’m curious too."

I coughed dryly and said, "Well, I only graduated recently. My experience in the field is certainly not as rich as those of you who specialize... specialize in underground work."

shrugged his shoulders—I couldn't tell if he was smiling—then said, "In my opinion, this might be what’s called a Yǎngshī Dì (Corpse-Nourishing Ground) in legend. The earth veins contain so much Yīn Qì (Negative Energy) that they can sustain the dead, let alone these trees..."

I chuckled inwardly, not wanting to expose him, and temporarily stopped doubting whether a place like a Yǎngshī Dì existed. Even if it did, it would be a place intensely saturated with Yīn Qì, where all things would wither. Moreover, being underground with no sunlight, plants couldn't photosynthesize. Even if they could survive, they wouldn't have chlorophyll, and their leaves would turn a withered yellow.

Could the mysterious red orb we saw earlier have provided light for the plants? But sunlight cannot be artificially replicated. I had never heard of artificial light that could enable plant photosynthesis.

If that were the case, only one possibility remained: the technology of this ancient civilization surpassed modern levels, enabling them to use artificial light sources for the photosynthesis essential to plant life.

That was utterly impossible. Even the most advanced ancient civilization, the Maya, could not surpass modern technology.

Just as I was racking my brain trying to figure it out, the trees ahead gradually thinned out. We could see the dark silhouette of some structure lurking in the dense darkness not far away.

and I quickened our pace, walking toward the shadow of those buildings.

Soon, we arrived before a vast expanse of crumbling ruins. I guessed this might be an architectural complex belonging to that ancient civilization.

I stood beneath a broken wall more than five meters high, with * standing behind me holding the torch. The firelight cast a vague shadow on the wall, making me feel incredibly small.