Only Fatty and I had ever heard of the "Fish Formation." We’d often heard legends of it in the coastal waters off Fujian, and even in the inland freshwater lakes, though for some inexplicable reason, it had become exceedingly rare over the last two decades. The "Fish Formation," also known as the "Fish Wall," is a supernatural piscine behavior that even biologists in Dazhou remain unable to explain. Vast schools of the same species of fish gather, latching onto each other’s tails, connecting head to tail, coiling tightly into circular arrays. Regardless of size, all the fish stack layer upon dense layer, sometimes spanning several li in scale.

When fish in a freshwater lake form a "Fish Formation," it serves two purposes: first, to guard against capture by Wugui (Black Ghosts); second, to defend against large underwater predators. From a distance underwater, the "Fish Formation" appears as a gigantic, slow-moving black monster, enough to frighten away any natural foe. It is also possible that a sudden change in climate or environment causes the school to panic, leading them to form the array for self-protection.

Everyone ate something by the riverbank to build up strength for swimming, taking the opportunity to plan how to pass the "Fish Formation" beyond the Crystal Wall—a matter that proved deeply vexing.

Inley Yang took a sheet of paper and sketched out the underwater situation Fatty had described: beyond the "Gate of Calamity," there was an underwater passage seven or eight meters wide, extending for about twenty meters. Beyond that, the terrain opened up like a trumpet horn, narrow at the entrance and wide at the exit. The tens of thousands of "White-Bearded Scaleless Fish" formed a rolling, barrel-like "Fish Formation" right at the mouth of that horn, completely blocking the passage to the outer lake. The "White-Bearded Fish" are a special species found only in the waters of the Karameer Mountains. Their defining characteristics are their large size, lack of scales, and dark blue bodies, with only their whiskers and mouths being snow-white—hence their name. Fatty reported that the "White-Bearded Fish" behind the "Gate of Calamity" varied in size, averaging over half a meter long per fish. That colossal formation tumbled and rolled; there was simply no way to get through unless they could be dispersed.

Inley Yang stated, "Although the White-Bearded Fish aren't inherently aggressive toward humans, their sheer numbers pose a latent threat. If any of us get separated while crossing underwater, we could easily be surrounded by the school and lose contact with the rest of the team. We should find a way to break up the formation beforehand, then proceed."

I told the others, "Since ancient times, fishermen seeking to break a fish formation required the assistance of a Guishuai (Ghost Marshal). But we are deep within the Kunlun subterranean world; where on earth would we find a Guishuai? Moreover, even if there were a Guishuai capable of commanding them, I doubt it could handle tens of thousands of these half-meter-long White-Bearded Fish."

Uncle Ming and the others were unfamiliar with the term "Guishuai" and asked for details. I asked Fatty to explain. Fatty began, "Do you people know what Wugui are? It’s not the Sichuanese slang term for black pigs. In some fishing villages, fishermen raise large, long-billed water birds called cormorants to help catch fish by diving underwater. However, the bird's neck must be tied with a cord beforehand, otherwise, once it catches a fish, it swallows the whole lot itself. This type of water bird is commonly called the 'Wugui.'"

In any body of water—a lake or a stretch of river—where 'Wugui' are used for fishing, there is invariably one leading bird, the 'Guishuai,' regardless of the total number of cormorants. The Guishuai is two to three times larger than an ordinary cormorant, with a bill sharper than a steel hook and eyes that gleam intensely, almost like an eagle’s. Sometimes, fishermen would go out on their boats for days without catching so much as a single scale, which indicated that the fish below had formed a "Fish Formation." At that point, all the fishermen would pool their resources, offer incense and sacrifices to the River God, and then release the 'Guishuai' into the water. No matter how dense the "Fish Formation," it couldn't withstand its three charges and two darts before disintegrating and scattering.

However, the environment here is uniquely advantageous. The White-Bearded Fish produced here are massive, incomparable to the common schools found in inland lakes. These fish generate enough force when swimming to knock a person off balance. I suspect that even a 'Guishuai' wouldn't be able to break up this formation.

While Fatty was explaining this to the group, I had already made up my mind. Since we were already standing before the very gates of the Demon Country, there was absolutely no reason to turn back. We didn't have a Guishuai, but we had explosives—enough to scatter the fish school. However, we had to pass through the underwater tunnel in one go, all five of us. This was because I surmised that this massive "Gate of Calamity" wasn't cast in a single piece but was artificially constructed from slab after slab of ice-crystal stone, each several meters square. Not only were these stones covered in countless symbols and glyphs, but there were also numerous gaps between the blocks, possibly carved out by high water flow during construction, or perhaps deliberately left during the building process to mitigate the impact of strong currents on the structure. We couldn't use too little explosive to disperse the fish; that wouldn't scare away so many White-Bearded Fish. But too much explosive would certainly damage sections of the crystal wall. This colossal wall was an ancient relic, and disturbing it might trigger a chain reaction, causing the entire "Gate of Calamity" to collapse.

I couldn't make an exact calculation, but judging by the wall's structure, if the blast affected the "Gate of Calamity," it would initiate a wave effect. Within two minutes, fallen stones from the main wall would completely seal off the passage. There would be a window of about one minute, perhaps, where conditions would be relatively safe. We would have to seize that brief moment before the wave effect spread to pass through the gate. Furthermore, once we were through, there would be no returning the same way.

I explained the potential dangers to everyone, particularly giving Uncle Ming time to prepare himself mentally. If anyone regretted moving forward, they could still turn back now. Once we entered the Gate of Calamity, there was no turning back.

Uncle Ming hesitated for a long time before gritting his teeth and agreeing to accompany us. So, fully equipped, we entered the water. Three oxygen tanks: Fatty would take one for himself to handle the explosives; Inley Yang and Ah Xiang would share one; and Uncle Ming and I would use the third. Uncle Ming had spent most of his life sailing the seas and was incredibly adept in the water, like an old fish. Although Ah Xiang was only an average swimmer, with Inley Yang looking after her, she was entirely safe.

The river water at the base of the Karameer Mountains was highly unique—exceptionally clear and white. There were hardly any algae in this underwater realm; the most common inhabitants were tiny, translucent shrimp that fed on mineral deposits, forming a unique underwater ecosystem. Entering the depths and switching on the searchlights, we saw white light shimmering everywhere; even the stones at the bottom were white.

There was a passage nearly ten meters wide in a wall of jade-green crystal. Shining the underwater spotlight forward into the passage, the water on the opposite side looked incredibly murky. Countless White-Bearded Fish, each holding the tail of the one ahead, formed an endless, spectacular wall of fish, completely jamming the river channel leading outside. The current speed did not seem to slacken, suggesting that deeper underground there might be other branching water systems.

While Uncle Ming, Inley Yang, Ah Xiang, and I waited by the entrance for the right moment, Fatty swam through the passage with the explosives. His figure quickly vanished into the murky water before the fish formation. After a long time, he still hadn't returned. Perhaps the vastness of the water distorts the passage of time; every second felt eternal. I kept sweeping the area with my searchlight, feeling anxious, when I saw lights flickering in the water on the far side. Fatty was swimming back in a hurried panic.

Fatty swam toward us, making frantic hand signals. His gestures suggested the placement of the explosives was tricky, causing the delay, and the detonation was imminent. At that moment, Uncle Ming was also peering into the passage. I quickly pushed his head down and reached out, pulling the frantically swimming Fatty back toward us.

Almost simultaneously, the water below shuddered violently, as if the crystal wall itself had swayed three times. A powerful shockwave, mixed with shredded fish flesh, exploded outward in all directions. We crouched beneath the wall, able to see through our diving masks as a dense red mist billowed out from the Gate of Calamity. No one had expected the explosion's power to be so immense. Fatty held his fingers spread wide, waving his hand: "I probably put a little too much dynamite..."

Given the time constraint, as soon as the shockwave passed, we pushed ourselves upward, intending to charge through the passage as quickly as possible. I lifted my head, but before I could clearly see the situation inside the passage, my diving mask was struck hard—my nose bridge was nearly broken! I quickly ducked back behind the wall. Countless startled White-Bearded Fish were surging out of the passage. These large fish, having been in a rigid "Fish Formation," were highly agitated at that moment. In biological terms, they were in an "egoless" state; even if you killed them then, they wouldn't feel pain. Thus, they were normally impervious to external interference that might cause dispersion. But the violent shock of the explosion had suddenly jolted them awake from their trance, causing them to instantly break ranks. With dull, staring eyes, they darted about in chaos.

I was just about to agree, intending to follow that route, when I heard Inley Yang exclaim urgently, "No! The floor of that path is too slick! That is definitely not an artificially constructed road; it has been worn smooth by some enormous beast passing over it for ages. Let's swim quickly toward that patch of green rock in the distance—now! Quick, quick... Don't stop for anything!"