Seeing Ming Shu’s ashen face, I couldn't help but feel a jolt in my heart. What he said about someone being behind the door didn't strike me as particularly frightening; at worst, we’d face whatever came our way. What worried me all along was Ming Shu’s mental state. Since entering Tibet, the successive casualties had turned him into a jumpy wreck, and the very name of this place—"Great Black Heaven Thunder Mountain"—hit a nerve. Although Ming Shu was an old sea hand tempered by many storms, his fatal flaw was "suspicion."

There are many things in this world that you cannot wholly trust, yet cannot entirely disbelieve. But excessive superstition only brings unbearable mental pressure, stifling even greater abilities so they cannot be brought to bear.

At this moment, I couldn't judge whether Ming Shu's reaction was real or not. Perhaps he was simply imagining things and scaring himself, but to be safe, I walked over to the stone door to investigate.

Seeing my intention to open the stone door, Ming Shu quickly warned me again, "There’s someone behind the door, you must not open it! It seems we can't go to that altar over there. Brother Hu, I think we should find another way out."

I looked up, pushed Ming Shu aside, and said to him, "How could there be anyone in a place no living person has entered for hundreds or thousands of years? Besides, we are on a single path now. Whatever is inside, we have to risk forging ahead. Otherwise..." I was about to tell the old man that if we didn't get to the altar today, the others might be alright, but he, the old coot, would almost certainly be done for. But on second thought, I decided against mentioning it; adding more shock might turn him into an invalid like Professor Chen.

I pacified Ming Shu with a few words, persuaded him to stand aside, and then approached the stone door deep within the volcanic belly. Since entering the temple inside this dead volcano, I hadn't taken a proper look at this sole entrance. Now, up close, the door, which wasn't particularly thick, looked ancient. Its opening and closing mechanism involved sliding stone spheres at the base. The door had no superfluous decoration; only two enormous human eyes were carved in relief on the slab. The totems on the eyeballs were ubiquitous in Jingjue City and Eluo Lake City, seen everywhere. However, the eyeball carvings on this stone door were different. The eye totems I had seen before were always without eyelids, but these two eyes had their lids closed together.

The ancient people of the city believed that the eyes were the source of the power of reincarnation, but what did the carving of closed eyes represent? I paused for a moment, not dwelling on the mystery, and pulled the stone door open. I carefully extended half my body to look at what was behind it. Beyond the door was a long, dark natural cavern, lined with rock crystals formed during volcanic activity, emitting a cool luminescence. In the darkness underground, it looked like a winding white tunnel. The tunnel wasn't straight; after several dozen meters, it turned out of sight, making it impossible to judge its total length.

I saw that the cavern beyond the door, while eerie and possessing a very rare geological structure, was not as Ming Shu described—there wasn't a single shadow of a person. I thought the old Hong Kong farmer must truly be mentally broken. Just as I was about to withdraw, I suddenly heard a slow footfall echoing from the distance of the white tunnel.

This area around the stone door seemed to carry sound remarkably well. Though the footsteps were distant, the moment my ears crossed the threshold, I heard them clearly—no mistake. The sound of slow, deliberate steps came from a pair of legs. Perhaps due to the terrain, they sounded exceptionally heavy, as if each step carried a thousand pounds of force, and my heart jolted with every landing.

The thunderous footsteps approached from afar, the rhythm growing more urgent, as if a giant were sprinting toward me at the end of the white tunnel. The impact of the steps was soul-shaking. My heart pounded, and an inexplicable terror surged from my core. I couldn't restrain it, dared not peer further into the tunnel, and quickly pulled myself back. With a loud bang, I slammed the stone door shut, and the footsteps abruptly ceased almost simultaneously.

I let out a breath, realizing I was covered in a cold sweat, shaken to my core. I couldn't even understand why I was so terrified by those footsteps. I inwardly thought that I must have seen a ghost—there definitely was something in that cave.

I quickly calmed myself, regulated my breathing, and pressed my ear against the stone door to listen. It was strangely quiet behind the door again. For a long, long time, there was nothing unusual, as if the tunnel contained only silent nothingness, devoid of any living thing.

Ming Shu was behind me and clearly hadn't heard the footsteps, but seeing my appearance, he knew my experience after pushing the door open this first time must have been similar to his own. Still, he asked what happened and what I saw.

I considered that our group was exhausted, hungry, and had someone seriously injured; we were at the end of our tether. There wasn't much we could do before resting and recuperating. Although the area behind the stone door felt wrong, it seemed safe enough here in the volcanic belly as long as the door remained shut. It was better not to say anything for now, lest I cause a panic among the others. We could deal with any problems after we'd eaten our fill. So, I shook my head at Ming Shu, indicating nothing was wrong, pretended everything was normal, and pulled his arm, dragging him back to where Fatty was roasting lizards.

Ming Shu now was neither able to go nor stay. Full of anxiety, his eyes bloodshot, he sat by the fire and started lecturing me again about superstition linking names and destinies to place names, urging me to lead everyone out of this "Great Black Heaven Thunder Mountain" as soon as possible.

I was unmoved, focusing only on eating to fill my stomach. But Ming Shu seemed possessed, talking incessantly. He first recounted several famous modern events. Seeing I had no reaction, he broadened his scope, eventually talking about the sixth year of the Hou Zhou Xiande era, when Emperor Shizong Chai Rong's great army marched north to attack Liao and reclaim Youzhou. The Son of Heaven personally leading the campaign greatly boosted morale, and coupled with their swift movements, the Khitan populace was thrown into a panic. The Liao troops fled at the sight of them, abandoning their posts overnight. The Zhou army advanced like breaking bamboo, conquering two prefectures and three passes in quick succession: Mozhou, Yingzhou, Yuguan Pass, Waqiao Pass, and Yijin Pass. It seemed Youzhou was within reach of recovery when, unexpectedly, while passing Waqiao Pass, Chai Rong ascended a height to observe his forces. Seeing the magnificent array of the three armies, the Dragon Visage was greatly pleased, and many local people lined the road to welcome him. Shizong Chai Rong noted the treacherous terrain and advantageous position of the area, so he asked an old man there what this place was called. The answer was: "It has been handed down through generations as Sick Dragon Terrace." Upon hearing this place name, Chai Rong immediately looked grave, fell ill that very night, and had to abandon the favorable situation and retreat. He died of illness on the way back. This shows how names correlate with fortune and doom...

I listened to Ming Shu for a long time. Some of the stories I hadn't heard, but they sounded plausible. However, I figured it was likely just psychological. As the saying goes, a virtuous nation enjoys longevity for myriad eons, and a good person enjoys a long life. Ancient emperors even called themselves 'Wansui' (ten thousand years), yet none lived past a hundred. Clearly, it was all nonsense. I felt I couldn't let Ming Shu keep talking; we listeners were unconcerned, but his words would only make him more nervous. So, I winked at Fatty, signaling him to stuff some meat in Ming Shu's mouth.

Fatty understood immediately and handed Ming Shu a piece of meat that was slightly overcooked. "Not having yak butter tea while climbing snowy mountains is like an eagle with a broken wing... Of course, we can't have the yak butter tea, but this meat is chewy enough. Uncle Ming, don't overthink it. All that worrying is useless. Just open your big teeth and chew. Eat your fill before moving on."

Ming Shu said to Fatty, "Fatty, if you don't know how to speak, don't talk nonsense! What do you mean, 'eat your fill before moving on'? Doesn't that sound like a last meal before execution? Who could eat at a time like that..." But as he took the meat, the aroma hit him, and he was genuinely starved. He stopped talking mid-sentence and began gnawing on it fiercely. Seeing his resigned attitude, he truly seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, tragically leaving his fate to heaven.

I knew in my heart that if a person's emotions fluctuated wildly in a short period, it was never a good sign, but here and now, I could only fret without a chant. Still, at least Ming Shu was temporarily calmed. Taking advantage of the lull, I went to discuss countermeasures with HINLY Yang.

HINLY Yang was tending to Ah Xiang's wound. That turtle shell was truly miraculous; Ah Xiang's injury had already healed in a short time, though she was extremely weak from blood loss and was sleeping soundly now.

I told HINLY Yang about the stone door leading to the altar and the white tunnel beyond, which was completely unknown to me. None of the previous research mentioned this passage. But I could surmise one thing: the Karami’er region must have something special about it, otherwise the Eluo Hai people wouldn't have deliberately built the Ghost Cave altar here. Our discussion yielded no immediate solution. It seemed the only path forward was to rest for a few hours and then enter the white tunnel, taking things one step at a time. We had little choice.

So, everyone ate their fill and took turns resting according to the previous arrangement. After eating, Ming Shu became less talkative, hardened his heart, and fell asleep. However, everyone had worries weighing on their minds, and after four hours, no one could sleep. HINLY Yang gave Ah Xiang something to eat after she woke up. I redistributed the remaining weapons. Fatty gave the I911 pistol he had confiscated from Ming Shu to HINLY Li. It was then I realized we were left with only three pistols and no repeating rifles. Ammunition was also pitifully scarce—an average of just over twenty rounds per person. A gun without bullets is no better than a fire poker. The loss of weaponry and equipment far exceeded expectations, casting an ominous shadow over the path ahead.

Since things had come to this, we could only console ourselves that no fiery mountain was insurmountable, and proceed with grim determination. HINLY Yang looked at the closed-eye carvings on the stone door for a long time without grasping their meaning. So, everyone unlocked the safeties on their weapons, ready to fire at any moment, and then pulled the stone door back. But remembering the previous incident, no one dared to cross the threshold, remaining outside the door to observe the situation inside. In the tunnel beyond the door, there was no movement other than the faint white fluorescence from the depths of the cavern.

This time, as we pulled the stone door fully open, I discovered that the back of the door slab also had closed-eye carvings, along with some strange, round eyeball patterns. Both sections showed closed eyes, divided in the middle by two panels: one depicting the eye opening, the other closing. In the opened section, an indistinct black silhouette appeared in the background. I understood it partially, as if it recorded the secret of this natural tunnel.

HINLY Yang grasped the meaning after only a few glances. "It's too dangerous. It's fortunate we didn't rush in just now. This natural tunnel formed by crystal ore is the legendary Evil God Great Black Heaven Thunder Mountain. It is the only path to the altar of Eluo Lake City, with no detours. Anyone entering must pass through the tunnel with their eyes closed. If one opens their eyes in the tunnel, something... terrifying will happen."

I asked HINLY Li what exactly would happen if one opened their eyes in this white crystal tunnel. HINLY Yang said she didn't know. The inscription on the stone door served only as a vague and general warning. It implied that the human eye would release the evil god of the cave, but the door provided no specific account of what one would see upon opening their eyes.

HINLY Yang pondered for a moment and then added, "Legend says the Great Black Heaven Thunder Mountain is an evil spirit that controls the ore. Of course, this is just myth. It's probably what formed this section of the tunnel, much like the Crystal Bliss Mountain, the god of avalanches. It might be a type of crystalline rock containing special exotic elements. The human body holds many secrets, especially the eyes. There is some weak bioelectricity in human eyes. For example, some people are highly sensitive to being watched, sometimes even sensing when someone is staring at them from behind. This subtle sensation comes from that. I suspect this white tunnel is extraordinary. Perhaps opening your eyes inside might cause you to be influenced by the energy of those elements, resulting in loss of consciousness at best, or death at worst."

HINLY Yang meant that if we intended to enter the tunnel, we had to ensure we kept our eyes shut until we reached the altar, or the consequences would be unbearable. I thought she was approaching it from a scientific angle, perhaps subjective and arbitrary, but regardless of what the Great Black Heaven Thunder Mountain actually was, when in Rome, it was best to follow ancient rules for a smooth passage.

Closing our eyes meant losing our sight, making passage through the tunnel extremely risky, especially since none of us had prior experience. However, after conferring, we decided to take the chance. Fatty would take the lead, unloading his repeating rifle and using it as a blind cane. Ming Shu and Ah Xiang would walk in the relatively safer middle. Since there was no rough terrain, Ah Xiang could manage to walk with some support. HINLY Yang and I walked last. I was still worried someone might succumb to the pressure of the darkness and open their eyes halfway through, which would doom us all. So, before entering the stone door, I used tape to cover everyone's eyes before we set off.

Lacking enough rope, the person in the back held the shoulder of the person in front, forming a chain of five, sticking close to the left wall of the tunnel, feeling our way forward step by step. I secretly counted the steps, while Ming Shu started getting nervous again, mumbling incessantly. I thought having him talk constantly might actually be helpful; we were all functionally blind now, and only constant talking and tactile sensation could confirm each other's presence.

This time, walking with our eyes closed, we didn't hear the alarming footsteps echoing from the depths. HINLY Yang mentioned that deep beneath the Grand Canyon in Colorado, there was also a type of crystal stone that could emit its own sounds. The sounds varied wildly—some resembling natural phenomena like wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, others like human crying, laughter, or the roar of wild beasts. However, one had to press an ear against the stone to hear them; they were called "Sound-Moving Stones." This tunnel might also contain similar material that interfered with hearing.

Humans likely possess an instinctive fear of darkness. Everyone talked as they walked, occasionally reminding each other not to open their eyes, which helped alleviate some of the psychological pressure from losing sight. But nobody knew how far the tunnel's end was. After walking a hundred-odd paces like this, the damp, putrid smell in the tunnel gradually intensified, and the air from the walls was bone-chilling. Recalling peering in from the stone door the first time, I suddenly felt an overwhelming dread, possibly due to the environment itself. Now, walking through with eyes closed, the fear persisted, though not as intensely as before. Yet, as we advanced deeper, that feeling gradually intensified, making everyone feel extremely suppressed.

At this point, Fatty in front started cursing, complaining that in this tunnel, every hair on his body felt wrong. It turned out I wasn't the only one feeling this—everyone did. It was a very strange sensation.

Then I heard Ming Shu say, "Miss Yang, you mentioned that feeling of being stared at makes people uncomfortable. I think I feel something like that too. Do you all feel like many people are staring intently at us, from above, below, left, and right, like someone is everywhere?"

I heard HINLY Yang in front of me reply, "I do feel that way, and I hope it's just a hallucination brought on by the darkness... But there really seems to be something in this cave."

Just then, some rustling sounds emerged from the surroundings. Judging by the noise, it was the sound of venomous snakes slithering and flicking their tongues. We instinctively stopped our forward movement. My fingers felt numb—I wondered if it was just soreness from keeping my hand on HINLY Yang’s shoulder for too long. A bad premonition suddenly struck me, very unsettling. First, vision was restricted out of necessity, then hearing, smell, and touch also showed abnormalities. After entering the tunnel, our five senses were gradually vanishing.