"HUMMM—"

The high-speed train raced along, the scenery outside the window blurring as it rapidly retreated. A very faint vibration came from the window.

Inside the carriage, Lu Yuan and Lu Jing sat opposite each other, the atmosphere exceptionally quiet.

"Yuan, there are some things..."

Lu Jing suddenly spoke, but Lu Yuan quickly interrupted her.

"Sister, just tell me everything you experienced in Xixu.

As for the rest, I'll make my own decisions."

There was an undeniable assertiveness in Lu Yuan's words.

Lu Jing fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

Next, she carefully recounted her experiences with the archaeology team over the past four-plus months.

Her account included many irrelevant details.

But Lu Yuan didn't interrupt. He listened patiently.

"At first, everything went very smoothly.

The temple was buried beneath the sand. We attempted to excavate it and, after only a few tries, successfully found the temple entrance.

A large number of ancient artifacts were excavated every day.

Everyone was very excited. A few professors were so thrilled they couldn't sleep at night, and all work continued around the clock.

Until... that day..."

As Lu Jing spoke of this, she seemed to recall something. A profound shock and fear filled her eyes.

"...Monsters... insects..."

Lu Jing's account started to become somewhat chaotic.

"...First, swarms of insects emerged from beneath the sand, biting people everywhere.

Initially, no one paid much attention, as such incidents aren't uncommon in archaeology.

When a box buried deep underground for millennia is opened, it's inevitable that some bizarre things will emerge.

But afterward, things became terrifying!"

"...We killed many insects and collected numerous dead and live specimens. We even contacted several renowned domestic entomologists, preparing for them to come and assist.

But by the evening of the third day, insects stopped emerging from the temple.

Instead, monsters began to appear—man-eating monsters!"

The fear on Lu Jing's face reached its zenith.

Lu Yuan placed his hands on her shoulders, patting them gently to comfort her.

He handed her a water bottle and encouraged, "Sister, can you try to draw those monsters for me? I'd like to see."

Lu Jing took the water bottle, drank a few large gulps, and her emotions seemed to stabilize somewhat. She nodded.

She picked up a pen and, while sketching on a piece of paper, continued her account.

"...Initially, the hired night guards kept disappearing.

We contacted the local Xixu police and searched for a long time.

Then one day, those monsters burst from the ground in broad daylight and began to attack the archaeological team members indiscriminately.

It was a nightmare..."

Lu Jing's voice and her pen-holding hand were trembling.

Lu Yuan gently patted her back, watching as her sketch gradually revealed a bizarre creature. It had the overall shape of a ladybug but possessed an elephant-like head and limbs, and its mouth split open on eight sides like octopus tentacles.

Lu Jing had studied sketching in high school and was quite skilled.

"...The smallest of these monsters were the size of a goat; the largest were like tanks.

They weren't fast, but they were incredibly strong and impervious to ordinary bullets and explosives."

Lu Jing handed Lu Yuan the finished sketch, but her pen didn't stop.

"...The archaeological team suffered heavy casualties, losing about a third of its members.

The excavation work was urgently halted, and everyone retreated several kilometers away..."

"Later, the professors called in the military.

I saw several Fly Shuttles, huge Mechas disembarking from them, and people who could shoot fire and lightning from their hands and bodies...

They were very powerful and killed many of the monsters..."

What Lu Jing was drawing now were the Fly Shuttles, Mechas, and the so-called fire-and-lightning-wielding people she described.

Lu Yuan glanced at them.

He recognized the Fly Shuttles; their appearance was largely the same. The Mechas also resembled types he had seen on international news.

As for the last group... those must be Modified Humans from the Yellow Bear Organization, like Zhou Ling.

Their bodies are equipped with numerous high-tech offensive weapons, allowing them to effortlessly generate fire or discharge electricity.

The only drawing that surprised Lu Yuan was of a "normal person" with what looked like a spider-like frame on his back.

His modifications were external.

When Lu Yuan saw this figure, the word exoskeleton sprang to his mind.

"...Then we were sent back.

We were quite lucky. Among the team of graduate student interns who went, only one was injured."

Lu Jing's emotions finally stabilized.

Lu Yuan examined her sketches repeatedly, thought for a moment, then asked, "Sister, do you remember if the insects and monsters started appearing after you excavated something specific from the temple?"

Lu Jing nodded. "We discussed this afterward. It all began after we unearthed those glowing stone spheres."

"Glowing stone spheres?"

"Yes."

Lu Jing gave a rough description. "They're about fist-sized, with the same kind of pattern you draw on them.

The information you saw in the video was likely what we were speculating about and discussing back then.

There are eight stone spheres in total, and they glow at night.

I saw them glowing through the tent, and I wasn't the only one..."

"Where are those stone spheres now?"

"The professors took them all back."

Lu Yuan nodded.

Then, looking Lu Jing straight in the eyes, he asked, enunciating each word, "The most important question.

Sis.

Tell me honestly, did you ever touch... those glowing stone spheres you mentioned?"

「...」

BANG!

A heavy suitcase slammed onto the floor of the trunk.

"Can't you put it down properly!" Wu Xinlei snapped irritably at the man with glasses.

The man with glasses flushed slightly, unsure how to respond.

"How can you blame him?" Sun Zhihua interjected, walking over. "Isn't it because your suitcase is packed with too much stuff and is too heavy?"

He then said to the man with glasses with a smile, "Alright, buddy, thanks for your hard work. I'll get it. Xinlei hasn't caused you too much trouble on the way, has she?"

"N-no... no problem. We've been good buddies for years..." the man with glasses stammered. He pushed up his spectacles, then suddenly realized something and hastily corrected himself, "Good friends! Not buddies..."

Sun Zhihua chuckled and deftly finished packing all the luggage.

The three of them got into the car.

The man with glasses sat alone in the back seat, while Wu Xinlei took the passenger seat.

"That younger brother of Lu Jing's..." Wu Xinlei couldn't help but grumble as soon as they were in the car. "He just took her away without saying a single word.

And Lu Jing always used to go on and on about how well-behaved and polite her brother was. I didn't see any of that."

Sun Zhihua, who was driving, casually consoled her, "People who practice Martial Arts are all like that.

The stronger they are, the more they do as they please.

They're decisive in their actions and rarely consider others' perspectives."

"Don't you practice Martial Arts too?" Wu Xinlei countered. "And you're stronger than him, so why do I think you're so good?"

"That's because I make an exception just for you," Sun Zhihua said.

A hint of sweetness flickered across Wu Xinlei's face, and she gently took Sun Zhihua's hand. She glanced at the man with glasses in the back seat, who was looking around curiously. A murderous glint flashed in her eyes, and he immediately lowered his head and busied himself with his phone.

Holding Wu Xinlei's hand with one of his, Sun Zhihua started the car with the other and casually asked, "I heard your archaeological dig was quite perilous, wasn't it?"

"It was," Wu Xinlei replied. Just moments before at the airport, she had been busy comforting Lu Jing, but now she adopted an expression of lingering fear.

"Biting insects, man-eating monsters, so many people died... Later, even the military's Mechas and Modified Humans were deployed.

It was just like a scene from a sci-fi horror movie."

As he drove, Sun Zhihua mused, "From your description, it sounds like you encountered an ancient evil beast..."

"An ancient evil beast? What's that?" Wu Xinlei blinked, asking curiously.

Sun Zhihua replied, "I've only heard about them by chance.

Supposedly, they are monsters corrupted and transformed by the evil force of ancient Cults. Even in our Martial Arts Circle, there's a bunch of lunatics who research such things.

The authorities have likely dealt with them more often; ordinary people would rarely encounter them.

You were actually quite lucky that nothing worse happened to you..."

Wu Xinlei didn't quite grasp what Sun Zhihua was saying but didn't press further. She just pouted, "You call this lucky? We almost didn't make it back..."

"Alright, alright, I'll make it up to you properly," Sun Zhihua consoled her with a smile.

"Whatever you want to eat, wherever you want to go, just name it. I'll be your dedicated chauffeur and bag carrier..."

A sweet expression graced Wu Xinlei's face, and she was about to speak.

Just then, the voice of the man with glasses piped up from the back seat.

"Lu Jing said she and her brother have gone to Weishan.

Her brother apparently has some kind of apprenticeship ceremony banquet tomorrow, so they're rushing to get there..."

The man with glasses reported, looking at his phone for the newly received information.

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