Though I had long heard from Andre how advanced the Kingdom of Durban was, what I had mostly seen since arriving on the island was desolation and decay.

It was only when the old woman told me there were Four Great True Gods here that I realized the Kingdom of Durban truly possessed a high civilization.

However, seeing this massive automated elevator now, I further understood that the Kingdom of Durban truly possessed many surpassing abilities.

I had heard that when the ancient ancestors built the Egyptian pyramids, they had already invented a type of lift to raise people to high places.

But that was achieved by human power pulling pulleys, whereas the world's first automatic elevator only appeared in modern times, so the one I was riding now had completely broken convention.

While the elevator was descending, I moved around the room, first listening intently and detecting the kaka sound of gears above, which must have been the elevator’s automatic machinery.

Immediately afterward, I wandered around the room again and noticed those brand-new silver ornaments still displayed in the counter.

So I asked the old woman with curiosity, "Say...

um, Old Woman, these wares in this silver shop are so new; do people still buy things here?" The old woman, who was tending to Long Jia's wounds, glanced up at me and stated flatly, "You'll know soon enough." Hearing her say that, I could only shrug helplessly, knowing her attitude toward me was never very good, so I didn't bother to press further.

The elevator descended for about ten minutes before stopping with a clack.

I estimated the speed and time, feeling the descent was about two hundred meters, placing me precisely at the very center of the mountain's core.

Just then, the door slowly opened, and I instantly froze.

Because the moment the door parted, I saw countless golden rays shooting in through the gap, almost to a blinding degree.

When the door fully opened, I beheld the most luxurious scene I had ever witnessed in my life.

Innumerable pillars made of white marble were inlaid with gold, soaring upward to connect with the dome thirty meters high.

Surrounding these gold-inlaid pillars were piles of gold and jewels.

At regular intervals, there stood a pure gold candelabra, its shade made of completely enclosed crystal, housing a wick the size of a soybean, emitting a dazzling radiance.

I knew that anything still glowing after thousands of years must be the same kind of luminous stone we discovered in the giant tree cave dwelling in Black Bamboo Gully.

I just hadn't expected there to be so much of it here.

I only took a cursory glance, yet I noticed these gold-inlaid pillars stretched far into the distance; I couldn't guess the actual size of this golden palace within the mountain.

The countless reflections of gold bounced off the strange stones, refracting multiple times, making the entire hall magnificent and splendid.

Yet, despite such vast wealth, there wasn't a single human figure in sight, and everything looked brand new, giving it an eerie and unsettling stillness.

I thought to myself that if Da Xiong were alive, he would be ecstatic; any one of those gold and silver ornaments—jewelry, tableware, crowns—could sustain one for a lifetime if sold.

"Don't wander around; don't underestimate this empty great hall.

One wrong step here can mean death," the old woman told me calmly.

I looked and indeed saw hundreds of blackened, desiccated corpses huddled in several corners of the vast chamber; it would have been hard to notice them without looking closely.

The old woman continued while bandaging Long Jia’s wound, "This is the place you mentioned where Zeus lives.

Too bad I’ve never seen him." I nodded, signaling that I wouldn't stray, but I couldn't help staring at every detail of the hall.

Recalling what Andre had said earlier, he mentioned that the secrets of the Yakyā people were hidden within this underground city inside the mountain.

The old woman exerted considerable effort to finish bandaging Long Jia’s wound before helping her down from the stone bed.

After the dressing and taking a few pills, Long Jia's spirits lifted considerably; she could walk freely once off the bed.

The old woman seemed pleased and smiled slightly, saying, "There, child, now you can tell me why you came here.

Surely you didn't come specifically to find an old woman like me who’s about to die?" Long Jia shook her head and replied, "Actually, although the villagers said they saw you arrive at Relic Island by boat, I didn't know you were still alive.

I came this time at the behest of a friend to protect someone." I felt a bit perplexed by this, but then a sudden understanding dawned on me.

Andre said that decades ago, Zoya, Lauren's master, sailed alone to Durban Island.

Could this old woman be that very Zoya from all those years ago?

Does that mean Lauren’s master, whom he sought so tirelessly, is still alive?

With this thought, I couldn't afford to be tentative anymore and asked, "Old woman, are you Zoya?

Lauren’s master?" The old woman looked at me with astonished eyes and asked, "How do you know about Lauren?

And my name." Long Jia also looked at me with extreme surprise, momentarily speechless.

I said with a touch of smugness, "Sometime in the future, after today, I went to your Durban village, met Andre, and even brought Lauren to the island to find you.

See?

You wouldn't believe me when I said I was a time traveler." "You said you visited Durban Village?" Hearing this, Zoya’s face showed even more astonishment, and she continued, "How are the villagers?" I found her question baffling and casually replied, "Everyone is fine, living quiet and peaceful lives." "Impossible!

The village was...

thirty years ago..." Zoya stopped abruptly halfway through, looking thoughtfully at Long Jia.

Then both of them fell silent.

After a long while, Zoya sighed and said, "Well, what was destined to happen has finally happened." Zoya pointed and said, "The person you mentioned needing protection—could it be him?" Long Jia nodded and said, "Yes, it is him." "What's so special about him?

He's just dull-witted," Zoya said dismissively.

I thought Long Jia might interject a compliment on my behalf, but in the end, she only said, "That person asked me to protect him; I don't know why either." "You mean the Wu family?" Zoya frowned and asked.

Long Jia just nodded without speaking.

Zoya looked back at me and said, "Alright, since the Wu family wants this, tell me what you are here for; perhaps I can help you." I pointed at my own nose and said, "Me?

You mean you can help me?"