This gave Zhuang Rui, who was almost in despair, a glimmer of hope. After the spiritual energy deep underground flooded back into Zhuang Rui's eyes, he focused all his attention on the place where he had just discovered the spiritual energy.
What is that?
The object, enveloped in spiritual energy, was rod-shaped and about two meters long. It was likely made of iron, but perhaps due to its age, the spiritual energy contained within it had almost completely dissipated.
After years of research on spiritual energy, Zhuang Rui came to the conclusion that spiritual energy does not necessarily exist in things that are ancient.
First of all, most objects that possess spiritual energy, apart from natural gemstones that embody the essence of heaven and earth, are man-made.
The amount of spiritual energy contained in a handcrafted item is often related to the craftsmanship and condition of the item itself, and the production date is not the only standard.
Just like some ancient famous kiln ceramics described earlier, when intact, they are full of spiritual energy and are priceless. However, once broken, their spiritual energy is often completely lost, and their value is less than one ten-thousandth of that of a complete piece of porcelain.
"It should be an iron rod or a spear..."
Based on the object's shape, Zhuang Rui concluded that it contained spiritual energy, indicating that it must have been man-made.
"This...how is this possible?"
After observing the object found underground for a while, Zhuang Rui turned his attention to the surrounding environment. This survey caused Zhuang Rui, who was sitting on the ground, to suddenly open his eyes and stand up.
The place where Zhuang Rui found this object was hundreds of meters underground. Through the survey of the terrain using spiritual energy, the place where this spear was lost was a man-made tunnel that was nearly three meters high, nearly five meters wide, and of unknown length.
This place is about two kilometers outside the underground cavern. In other words, this space, which is wide and high enough for a horse to run, was dug out by manpower. Even though the underground is made of soil, such a massive project left Zhuang Rui stunned for a while.
It's important to understand that there were no excavators in ancient times, and even the excavation tools were very primitive. Moreover, the issues of underground oxygen and the disposal of the excavated soil were all problems that needed to be solved.
Even today, digging such a tunnel hundreds of meters underground would be a major project requiring approval from national authorities. Zhuang Rui really couldn't imagine how the ancients managed to do it.
The current two-kilometer range is only what Zhuang Rui has surveyed using his spiritual energy. He doesn't know how deep it is ahead. Putting everything else aside, this tunnel alone will be a discovery that will shock the world.
Without much hesitation, Zhuang Rui rushed down the mountain. He wanted to reach the end of the tunnel and see what secrets it held.
On the grassland directly north of the grotto, Peng Fei and Dr. Ren were bonding with their two newly acquired horses when they saw Zhuang Rui approaching. Peng Fei quickly dismounted and went to greet him.
"Brother Zhuang, why aren't you inspecting the grottoes today? Come and see, my White Rabbit is being very obedient these days..."
As Peng Fei spoke, he put his finger to his lips and whistled. Sure enough, the white horse wagged its tail and walked up to Peng Fei, rubbing its big head against his head.
"How about it? Brother Ren's horse is nowhere near as good as mine; it's the kind that won't move when you lead it and will only back away when you kick it..."
Peng Fei laughed triumphantly. He had won every horse race against Dr. Ren these past two days, venting his frustration from riding Huangdian in the dust a few days ago.
"Keep bragging. If you're so capable, wait three months and let's have another match."
Dr. Ren, somewhat unconvinced, said that he had never ridden a horse before, let alone trained one. The other day, he had almost fallen off his horse because he had ridden it too fast. That was why he had lost every horse race to Peng Fei.
"Brother Ren, don't pay any attention to this kid. He used to be a professional horse rider, you definitely can't beat him..."
After Zhuang Rui exposed Peng Fei's secrets, he looked at Peng Fei with a disbelieving expression and said, "Peng Fei, is your White Rabbit candy really that good?"
"Of course, although it can't compare to Brother Zhuang's Wind Chaser, I think it's not much worse than Crimson Blood..."
Peng Fei raised his head and answered smugly, but then suddenly realized something was wrong and yelled at Zhuang Rui, "Hey, Brother Zhuang, my horse is called White Rabbit, not Big White Rabbit..."
Aside from the fact that the term "White Rabbit" was unambiguous in its early days, in recent years, when used in literary works, it has often been used to describe certain plump, fair, and smooth human organs, so the more Peng Fei thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.
"Alright, White Rabbit, I'll take White Rabbit then..."
Zhuang Rui answered absentmindedly, then continued, "Peng Fei, you sound so impressive, how about letting me ride it for a bit? My Chasing Wind has already gone to Brother Batel's gathering place..."
In the summer, the grasslands are covered with lush green grass, often reaching waist height in the deepest parts. Zhuang Rui didn't want to run to the top of that underground tunnel on foot, so he set his sights on Peng Fei. Before Peng Fei could agree, Zhuang Rui reached out and took the reins of the white horse.
"This...this is my horse..."
Peng Fei looked at Zhuang Rui pitifully, wanting to stop him but not daring to, for he hadn't forgotten how he got the horse.
"Alright, your brother will help you train him. Is there anything else you're unhappy about?"
Zhuang Rui glared at Peng Fei with annoyance, grabbed the reins with his right hand, put his right foot in the stirrup, and pushed off, mounting the horse.
"Luffy..."
The white horse had no idea that the rider on its back was its boss's boss. Caught off guard by Zhuang Rui mounting it, it immediately became uneasy, twisting its head and galloping, trying to shake Zhuang Rui off.
Seeing that his little white rabbit didn't want Zhuang Rui to ride it, Peng Fei had a smug look on his face and shouted loudly, "Brother Zhuang, look, the little rabbit isn't convinced by you. You'd better get off quickly, or don't blame me if it falls..."
"You little brat, you think you can't be dealt with?"
Zhuang Rui chuckled and cursed, then raised his left hand and gently tapped the horse's head. A wisp of spiritual energy seeped into the white horse's skin, and the previously restless horse immediately calmed down.
"Let's go..."
Zhuang Rui pulled on the reins, and the white horse beneath him let out a long neigh, reared up on its front hooves, struck a dashing pose, and galloped forward.
"Holy crap, was Brother Zhuang a beast tamer in his past life? All animals behave perfectly in his hands..."
Peng Fei, who was watching from behind, was dumbfounded. He had slept with the white horse for three days, but it was not as effective as Zhuang Rui's light slap. This made Peng Fei feel very frustrated.
Zhuang Rui had no time to care what Peng Fei was thinking. Following the guidance of the spiritual energy in his eyes, Zhuang Rui sped northward. More than ten minutes later, he arrived directly above the ground where the spear that indicated the presence of spiritual energy was located.
"I wonder how much longer this tunnel will go..."
After jumping off the horse, Zhuang Rui stamped the soil under his feet. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have guessed that there was another world hidden a hundred meters underground.
Chapter 1155 Burial Pit
"Luffy..."
Having carried Zhuang Rui here, the white horse, feeling it had done a great service, let out a neigh and moved closer to Zhuang Rui, wanting to enjoy the nourishment of spiritual energy entering his body once more.
"Alright, you know the way back yourself, right? You can go back first..."
After Zhuang Rui infused a wisp of spiritual energy into the white horse, he waved it away. Using spiritual energy to survey objects from a distance is different from using it within a few dozen meters. It requires a very quiet environment to roughly determine the type of object by observing the shape of the object enveloped by spiritual energy.
Seemingly understanding Zhuang Rui's words, the white horse let out a long neigh and ran back the way it came. It didn't care how Zhuang Rui would get back later. Zhuang Rui, on the other hand, was completely focused on the underground tunnel and didn't pay attention to anything else.
Zhuang Rui looked around. He was in a slightly concave grassy area. A gentle breeze rustled the waist-high grass, and the surroundings were quiet.
"Damn, this place is perfect for filming a horror movie..."
Zhuang Rui was uneasy because of the rustling sound. In addition, the tomb he was searching for might be the tomb of an ancient ghost. Even Zhuang Rui, who was usually very brave, couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.
"It's true what they say, the older you get in the world of martial arts, the more timid you become..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled self-deprecatingly, walked to a spot where the grass was relatively sparse, and sat down, disappearing completely into the grass. From the outside, it was truly impossible to spot Zhuang Rui's figure without a close look.
Taking a deep breath to regulate his disordered breathing from galloping on horseback, Zhuang Rui's gaze shot towards the ground in front of him. Invisible and colorless spiritual energy surged out, instantly penetrating the earth and reaching the depths of the ground.
This time, Zhuang Rui didn't use the method of casting a wide net to catch fish. He has already discovered the artificial tunnel. Zhuang Rui also wants to see how long the tunnel is and what kind of secrets are buried at the end of the tunnel.
As the spiritual energy in Zhuang Rui's eyes continued to move forward along the wide tunnel, the objects inside the tunnel also increased. In addition to the cold weapons used in ancient times, there were more tools used for digging soil.
"This should be a hoe..."
The object enveloped by Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy should be a hoe. The wooden handle had long since rotted away, but the iron head was still intact. Its narrow blade made it good for deep digging in small areas.
"Hmm? Is this a natural underground rock formation, or is it man-made... a dragon-slaying stone?"
When Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy traveled about a kilometer further into the tunnel, he found that his path was blocked by a huge rock. The rock appeared very abruptly, without any prior warning.
The ground beneath the vast grasslands is not entirely composed of soil. Just like in the Central Plains of China, there are often rocks at depths of several dozen meters.
However, the rock layer and the soil layer exist alternately. Generally, there is soil and even groundwater beneath the rock layer.
When Zhuang Rui used his spiritual energy to penetrate the ground, he clearly "saw" that there was a rock layer more than 20 meters thick about 30 meters below him.
A dozen meters below the rock layer, there is an underground river. The river is only twenty meters deep from the underground tunnel and flows in the same direction. Zhuang Rui even wondered if the two would intersect if they were to extend further.
Underground rivers, also known as "subterranean rivers," refer to rivers below the ground surface. They are a type of underground karst landform, formed by the accumulation of groundwater or the infiltration of surface water into the underground through rock fissures. The underground river channels are formed through rock erosion, collapse, and water transport.
There is also an underground river in the labyrinth beneath the Alzhai Caves. However, due to the vastness of the labyrinth, the water in many places has dried up. This underground river actually flows from there.
"What a bunch of idiots! Leaving such a hidden river unused, wasting so much manpower and resources, I guess only the Mongol overlords who dominated the grasslands back then could have done that..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head slightly, but then chuckled. Let alone the ancients more than a thousand years ago, even modern people would probably not be able to distinguish the underground topography without long-term topographical surveys, let alone accurately locate the position and direction of the underground river.
He laughs at others for being foolish, but he doesn't realize that he himself is the one who talks without understanding the situation. If it weren't for his keen insight, even if Zhuang Rui stayed on this grassland for 100 years, he wouldn't know about the underground river beneath him.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Zhuang Rui controlled his spiritual energy and entered the stone blocking his way. The result of this investigation left Zhuang Rui speechless.
"Damn it, how did they even put it in there?"
Nearly thirty meters ahead of the blocked tunnel, the entire structure was made of large, single-piece bluestone blocks, each over two meters long. The joints between the blocks appeared perfectly natural. Zhuang Rui wondered if the construction worker was imitating the Great Wall of Qin and was testing the gaps between the blocks with a blade.
"Damn it, even if there's something behind this thing, like a tomb, how do we open it?"
Looking at the stone slabs blocking the way, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but frown. He was now absolutely certain that this was an ancient tomb.
However, the tomb's unique geographical location and complex man-made obstacles far surpass those of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum that Zhuang Rui had recently visited.
The most difficult challenges to conquer Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum are simply the evaporation of mercury and the damage to objects after exposure to air. However, this tomb is like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog—it's impossible to know where to begin.
Let's dig down from the ground. The rock layer, which is tens of meters thick, is the first obstacle. This project is no easier than crossing mountains and valleys when building the railway in Sichuan and Tibet.
Once you reach the underground river, the water flow will also hinder the excavation process. If the river cannot be effectively diverted, it would be a pipe dream to continue digging. It is estimated that the river would cause a collapse after only a few meters.
This means that digging from above is almost impossible. Even if Zhuang Rui were willing to pay, he probably wouldn't be able to persuade the local government and archaeological department to support him, not to mention that Zhuang Rui wouldn't be able to overcome the technical difficulties.
As for the method of digging in from inside the tunnel, it seems feasible, but it is actually very difficult. First, you have to enter the underground cave of the Alzhai Grottoes, and then you have to go through the maze-like cave to find the entry point of the tunnel.
Zhuang Rui had previously surveyed the area where the cave and tunnel connected, and found that it was also blocked by countless huge rocks, even thicker than the one here. Clearing them out would probably take at least a year and a half.
"Damn it, this is truly a great tomb that can prevent fire, theft, and even future generations from entering the tomb!"
Zhuang Rui sighed inwardly. Even the most skilled tomb raiders would be helpless against an underground tomb of this scale. Putting aside everything else, the dozens of meters thick rock alone would be enough for him to spend a lifetime chipping away at.
"Forget about that for now, let's see whose tomb it is. Surely there's more to this than meets the eye, right?"
After marveling at the extravagance of the ancients, Zhuang Rui brought his thoughts back to the present, and at the same time became even more curious about which emperor could enjoy such a grand burial.
Just as Zhuang Rui had guessed, the familiar tunnel space reappeared after the thirty-meter-long stone slabs.
However, the objects in this space puzzled Zhuang Rui. This space was much larger than the previous one, a huge space about five meters high, and thirty meters long and ten meters wide.
Moreover, Zhuang Rui did not find any place containing spiritual energy in this space, but he could sense through the spiritual energy that this space of about several hundred square meters seemed to be filled with things.
"Damn, what on earth is this thing? Why doesn't it have any spiritual energy at all?"
Because there were too many items piled up, Zhuang Rui could only judge them little by little by their shapes, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
Before this grassland archaeological excavation, Zhuang Rui had traveled all over Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu, and had seen many tombs of various ages, ranging from decades to hundreds or thousands of years old.
Basically, the objects in those tombs, even a piece of tattered clothing that hasn't completely decayed, will carry a bit of spiritual energy. He had never seen a room full of things that didn't have any spiritual energy at all.