King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 259

The speaker was not Alpha, Tang Xin, Tiger, or Gu Qingcheng, but an old and dejected man's voice.

"Who is it? Who is speaking?" Even with my hearing, I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. Then, the old man's words turned into a crackling radio signal; I knew it was him speaking, but I couldn't understand a single word.

I turned my body around and scanned every corner of the yard, but found nothing.

"Energy..." a girl's voice chimed in, but only those two words were comprehensible; the rest was just rapid, distorted electronic serial noise.

"Energy..." another man's voice rang out, and the word "energy" appeared more and more frequently in their conversation, pronounced entirely in Mandarin. It was easy to imagine that their discussion revolved around "energy," and their voices were filled with barely suppressed joy.

Alpha was a hundred paces away at the gap in the courtyard wall, and with the swirling snow making it impossible for him to hear my shouts, I simply gave up on trying to communicate with him.

"Did the sound come from the earth's veins?" I suppressed the strong urge to go into the deep well to find out for myself, strode out of the yard, and the sound disappeared, and my ears returned to silence.

The pavilions here are of three shapes: triangular, square, and pentagonal, all mixed together. They are only about fifteen meters high, which is exactly the size of a three-story building. Of course, the building materials are still blue bricks and gray tiles, and they are divided into two parts, left and right, by the main road underfoot.

The strange formation set up by Alpha is very obscure. In my opinion, what he wanted to do was not a simple "seal", but deliberately left a lot of straight channels while sealing, forming countless secret passages that could be used to communicate between the sealer and the sealed.

The sealed person must be an enemy. What need is there for him to communicate with his enemy? This kind of "unspoken but ultimately harmful" arrangement is something that almost all feng shui masters would reject, yet it appears in his hands. What does this signify?

What puzzles me most is that crystals possess mysterious powers to ward off evil, suppress malevolent spirits, exorcise demons, and eliminate monsters. He has tens of thousands of crystals, enough to build a well, yet he refuses to allocate a portion of them as auxiliary power for the Qimen formation. This is simply unacceptable.

"Mr. Feng, where are you going? I'll accompany you." Tang Xin gracefully descended from the rooftop on the left, holding a crystal bottle filled with crystals in her hands.

Her face wore a bright and gentle smile, the kind of expression the tiger had longed for but could never see. From a noble, aloof, solitary, and lonely ice fairy to a charming, gentle, and demure young lady, she seemed to have completed the role change effortlessly, completely discarding the former Tang Xin without leaving a trace.

"I want to go to the end of this road." I smiled and nodded my thanks, clearing my mind of distractions and turning my attention back to my current predicament. It was pitiful for the tiger not to get Tang Xin, but if I got stuck here and missed the opportunity to rescue Su Lun, my fate would be a thousand times more tragic than the tiger's.

The only advantage of a world without time is that you don't have to worry about darkness or the endless cycle of "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow." I quickened my pace, passing through rows of triangular, square, and pentagonal buildings, single-mindedly focused on moving forward.

"Mr. Feng, there's something I need to tell you—if Miss Suren really does enter the 'Asian Gear,' no one can save her. We can't get in there; the original path has been completely blocked." After a long silence, Tang Xin finally spoke up.

"Oh?" I replied casually, slowing my pace slightly.

The road ahead turned into a clear downhill slope, with the foundations of the buildings on both sides rising as the terrain decreased, maintaining the same height as the rooftops of the other buildings. The gray buildings, the pure white snow, and the dim yellow sky made my mood heavy.

Tang Xin sighed deeply: "This road leads to the 'Asian Gear,' a straight-line distance of nine kilometers. If you push your lightness skill to the limit, you can get there in just twenty minutes. He said it's the core of the Earth, where the power generated by the gear's rotation is transmitted to the ground, sustaining the fundamental elements for human existence. Mr. Feng, what is the most essential element for human survival?"

I gazed at the end of the road, thought for a moment, and immediately replied, "Are you talking about gravity or 'earth's pull'?"

According to the theory in the book "Geocentric Theory" by the famous American astronautic scientist Carantido, the argument that "oxygen is the most important thing for humans" is seriously exaggerated, and that gravity is the key to the existence of humans and even the Earth itself. As an absolute technical authority within NASA, every word he says deserves serious consideration from scientists around the world.

Tang Xin smiled, her charming dimples appearing on her cheeks: "Yes, Mr. Feng is well-read and knowledgeable; otherwise, the tiger wouldn't speak so highly of you."

From the Pyramid of Tsar in the Egyptian desert to the underwater tomb of the Fukuji Temple in Hokkaido, I have matured a lot. When I have any doubts, I am not in a hurry to find answers, nor do I blindly ask others for help at the first opportunity.

What exactly is the Asian Gear? Is it really, as Su Lun's teacher, Goro Kanan, and others say, an element that maintains peace in the Asian region? Obviously, this answer is too idealistic and may only be of interest to astrology researchers for discussion and theoretical support.

Is it at the end of the road? I subconsciously turned around and looked at the empty courtyard that had become blurry in my sight.

Alpha did not reappear, but I hope that he will explain the "Asian Gear" matter himself, rather than just Tang Xin's retelling.

"Mr. Feng, what are you looking for? He said that we would have a chance to sit down and talk, but now time is very tight, and we have to postpone some unimportant and tedious details. Let's move forward and see the sealed door first, shall we?" Tang Xin held the crystal bottle cautiously, her smile gradually fading.

Her expression was peaceful and calm, even revealing a hint of sorrow after a sudden realization of everything.

"Miss Tang, what did Alpha say to you?" I was worried that she had been brainwashed by the Square-Eyed Warrior and might do something outrageous. Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts; the secrets he carefully concealed might not all be good things for the benefit of Earthlings.

"Say it? Why 'say it'? It's like he's communicating with you through his 'heart's voice. All the communication only takes a second or half a second. I know what he's thinking, and he understands everything in my heart." Tang Xin answered irrelevantly, a sweet and satisfied smile returning to her face.

There were no more poisonous insects in her hair or on her clothes. She had completely changed into a different person, a transformation that no one in the martial arts world dared to imagine.

I smiled silently, indicating my understanding. No one can explain matters of the heart. People who are truly destined for each other are often destined for each other in a single glance.

After advancing about a kilometer, the terrain had dropped nearly twenty meters, and the gray pavilions rising abruptly on both sides created a tremendous sense of oppression, as if we were walking through a primeval forest where the sun never rises. Looking down at the Epang Palace from above is a completely different experience from actually entering the building. Reaching this point, I had already realized the brilliance of Alpha's deployment of this formation.

Replacing the "wood" element in "Eastern Jia Yi Wood" with high-rise buildings, brick and tile structures lack vitality and cannot last forever. Moreover, the three different styles of small buildings are arranged in a chaotic and irregular manner, which can easily confuse people and make them lose their way.

Suddenly, a large expanse of blue rock wall appeared in the distance, abruptly blocking the way.

"Mr. Feng, that's the only entrance to 'Asian Gear'." Tang Xin pointed to an inconspicuous square entrance at the foot of the rock wall. From a distance, it looked like a small hole, about two meters long and wide. The road narrowed abruptly at the rock wall, leading straight into the hole.

I took a deep breath, leaped up, and strode swiftly through the snow.

"Mr. Feng, wait for me! The sealed gate is inside the cave entrance. Be careful, it's dangerous!" Tang Xin called out anxiously, following closely behind.

Two minutes later, I was standing in front of the dark cave entrance. The rock wall was very smooth, and the hole carved into it was also exceptionally precise, as if it had been carefully sculpted by a master craftsman, with a smoothness no less than that of a finished concrete model.

"Did Alpha use this strange hole to seal the enemy? The enemy was very interested in the 'Asian Gear' and that's why they fell for it? Then, how did Suren get to the other side? Could it be the 'wall-penetrating technique' of the Maoshan Taoists?" I stroked the cold stone wall, and more and more random and wonderful ideas popped into my mind, but I didn't say a word, keeping them to myself.

"Take a hundred steps forward, and you'll reach the sealed gate." Tang Xin smiled bitterly, feeling helpless.

I asked only one question that seemed completely unrelated to our current predicament: "Ms. Tang, compared to before, how much energy does Alpha have left?"

In Yin-Yang metaphysics, when the sealer's energy is greater than the enemy's, they can do whatever they want, sealing and imprisoning their defeated opponents in any form and for any period of time. Moreover, they can release those seals at any time, such as when they feel that the enemy has collapsed and there is no need to continue imprisoning them.

If, after a sealing, the caster's energy is suddenly damaged and drops to a considerable degree, then he will no longer have the ability to break the seal and can only wait for the sealed person's own energy to increase and break through the restriction.

I suspect that after Alpha sealed the opponent, its energy was damaged, and it lost control of the sealing gate, let alone the ability to eliminate the opponent at any time. From what he said, I can tell that he has most likely lost control of the Epang Palace and has been forced to retreat to the cave entrance on the rock wall.

"One in a thousand, that's the most optimistic estimate. You guessed right, the situation in the seal is indeed out of control. The reason for this strange change is that someone has altered the Earth's laws of motion, accelerating them five to twenty times. In the process of resisting this acceleration, his own energy system was severely depleted, until it inexplicably collapsed. Those crystals were the source of his efforts to collect energy, but with very little success."

Tang Xin's expression was full of confusion. She couldn't understand what "the Earth's rotation speeding up" meant, but I had already vaguely figured it out.

While in the Egyptian desert, the god Turkham mentioned that after his flying machine landed, in order to quickly advance time to the era of the "Big Seven" in 2007, he deliberately expended his own energy to accelerate the rotation of the Earth.

Now, his past work overlaps with Alpha's assertions, which explains the latter's strange phenomenon of energy disappearance.

"I'll go in, you stay here for now." I lowered my head and walked into the cave.

If there are unknown dangers ahead, I hope to face them alone. Regardless of whether Tang Xin will fall in love with Tiger, they were, after all, friends who had gone through thick and thin together.

"No, I have to be with you, he said that." Tang Xin followed without hesitation, raising the crystal bottle. The light from the crystal shone through, clear and sparkling, completely replacing the powerful flashlight she usually used.

Although the opening is carved into the rock face, the framework of the cave wall looks like it was made by a concrete expert, with a smooth and clean surface, without any rough edges or wrinkles.

I have some doubts: if Alpha's self-isolation period was during the Qin Dynasty, did he personally complete every single brick and tile of the subsequent buildings? Otherwise, once the craftsmen who did the work left the valley, he would have no more secrets to keep, because there are many incredibly bored people in the world who would love to uncover a few valuable secrets and then spread them all over the world.

Volume Five: The Millennium Labyrinth

Part 1: Deep Underground

— Chapter 10 - The Gears of Asia Are There —

Everyone has times when their plans fall through. The eight characters "Man proposes, God disposes" apply to all human activities, without exception, from ancient times to the present.

His silhouette as he walked across the snow appeared somewhat hesitant and flustered, like a deposed king mourning his ruined homeland. In fact, after the energy balance reversed, this "Cross Star Killing Formation" lost all its function and became nothing more than a useless decoration, which might even be exploited by the enemy for a major counterattack.

I also went into the empty courtyard. The snow here was thinner than outside, only reaching my calves.

Although it is an ancient well, it lacks the usual well curb and platform; it is simply a round hole in the flat ground, with the surrounding blue bricks arranged counterclockwise, forming a dynamic vortex. The well is indeed very deep; looking down gives one a dizzying feeling. As far as the eye can see, the rocks gleam with a faint bluish light, silent and austere.

"You should know what ley lines are, right?" He leaned into the well and looked down.

My caution was mistaken for cowardice, but this didn't need clarification: "I know a little."

"From here, you can reach the infinite distance. On this blue planet, there are fewer than ten caves that can be called ley lines, and this is the largest one. Listen, the voice comes from the Earth's core—" He turned to the side, pretending to listen intently.

"Earth veins don't have a size limit, because no one can explore their end point," I calmly corrected him.

The term "earth veins" has held a very important position in physics, archaeology, biology, and geography since ancient times. It can be compared to blood vessels in the human body, running through the whole body, yet hidden deep within the framework of flesh and bones.

Modern astronautical research has shown that countless planets capable of supporting life once existed in the universe, with development processes similar to Earth's. However, the "earth's veins" on these planets were broken and damaged, directly leading to the fragmentation of their food chains. When the food chains were destroyed, the entire planet suffered annihilation, losing its vitality and ultimately disintegrating into the cosmos, eventually turning into meteorites or dust.

"No, that theory is wrong, just as humanity verified the error of the geocentric model and then replaced it with the heliocentric model—this ley line connects to the 'Asian Gear,' and is the foundation of Earth's existence. If someone were to be so ruthless as to attempt to destroy Earth, destroying the ley line and then blowing up the Asian Gear would be the quickest way."

He mentioned "Asian gears" again, and intentionally or unintentionally emphasized those four words.

I will no longer be easily fooled and let him talk on and on. Entering a certain location on Earth through ley lines is theoretically possible, but practically impossible, because its physical properties are like a "black hole" or "wormhole." Once you fall in, you will be assimilated and then transported to an unpredictable place, always going in the opposite direction from your initial goal.

"Where does it lead ahead?" I changed the subject, pointing to the gap to the east.

"It's that door, the sealed door." He returned to normal from his state of listening intently.

"I want to go take a look--" Before he could respond, I had already bypassed the well and stepped forward through the snow.

"Stop, stop! Listen, the drums are beating again! The third power is... is right below..." he shouted.

The monotonous sound of African drums reached my ears a second before his shouts. I turned around quickly and saw him retreating rapidly, kicking up snowflakes that flew everywhere.

The sound definitely came from down the well. The knocking and echoing echoed each other, sometimes very close, sometimes very distant. I took a step closer and looked down into the well. My vision was still dark, and the uneven well walls looked like the gaping maw of a monster grinding its teeth and sucking blood.

Because the well walls block, reflect, and diffract sound, it's impossible to pinpoint the location of the sound source; it can only be roughly estimated to be between fifty and two hundred meters deep. If it truly is the flying machine of the Earth God, it should be able to break through the ground very quickly.

"Look at the snow on the ground—" he shouted again.

Our reaction times were roughly equal. As I made my call, I noticed the snow near the well opening slowly sliding forward and silently falling into the well.

"Did a suction force develop downhole?" It's a pity we don't have a powerful searchlight or similar tool on hand, otherwise we could at least see what's going on at a depth of 100 meters.

Alpha had retreated ten steps away, slightly bent over, its feet firmly gripping the ground, in a "thousand-pound drop" stance.

"Is this not the first time you've encountered suction?" I asked casually. Since he took such a defensive stance first, he must have suffered from this well before, and was afraid of being sucked in a second time.

The suction was increasing, and my trouser legs were being pulled forward again and again, as if I were standing in front of a giant exhaust fan that was slowly starting up.

"The suction will get stronger and stronger until it sucks everything in this yard away, whether it's people or snow..." He smiled bitterly, his fists across his waist, his knees bent even more, forming a "steady and stable" long bridge stance.

I looked around the empty courtyard and now I could vaguely understand why there was such a strange, large open space in the center of the buildings. The suction increased again, and the snow under my feet was spinning counterclockwise along the blue bricks on the well's edge, gradually forming a massive snow column that slid straight up and down into the well.

"Shall we retreat for now?" Alpha didn't wait for my answer and quickly turned around and backed away.

Suddenly, the suction increased several times, blowing the golden mask off his face, which tumbled in the air. Anyone's first reaction at that moment would be to leap up and grab it. As he spun around and raised his hand, I finally saw his face. It was a slightly pale "human" face, with a straight nose, ingot-shaped lips, thick black eyebrows, and a broad forehead—a face that could be considered "handsome."

His movements were nimble and light; he sprang up, grabbed the mask in his hand, but then his gaze met mine.

"I... my eyes..." He raised his hand to cover his eyebrows.

"Square eyes, just like the ones drawn in the Li family's ancient books." I sighed inwardly in horror, but still pretended to be nonchalant.

"I've said it before, I'm an outcast among Earthlings. No matter how I try to explain, no one will believe we're the same kind of people." He put his mask back on and looked at me through the two hollows in his eyes.

The shock those eyes gave me was like a flash of lightning in the dark of a rainy night—a fleeting moment, yet forever etched in my mind. His eye sockets were oval, with square pupils firmly set within, as clear and distinct as the eyes of all of us.

"I understand how they feel. If I were in their shoes, I would never think we were the same kind of people either." The surging whirlwind caused by the suction was no longer enough to distract me. I even forgot to leave the yard for a while. Only two questions kept echoing in my mind: Is he from Earth? Where did he come from?

"Therefore, I'm used to not arguing, not explaining, not communicating. You are you, and I am me. Let's retreat first; once we're sucked into the earth's veins, it will be too late."

He began to back away, pressing his hands firmly against the mask to prevent it from being blown off by the wind again.

I didn't heed his advice to go around the well and retreat towards the gap in the western courtyard wall. Instead, I turned and walked due east, struggling to maintain my balance amidst the swirling snowflakes. When there were too many distractions, I preferred to ignore them all and get straight to the point: the iron gate that sealed the monster.

"Where are you going? Where are you going?" he yelled angrily behind me.

Without turning my head, I said, "Go to the weakest point in the formation."

The balance of this world is about to be broken. Continuing to stick to the old ways will only lead to death. We must find a new path. Alpha's extreme conservatism has become unbearable for me. He has many secrets and is aware of all the dangers in this world, but he keeps them all closed up inside and doesn't reveal a single thing to the outside world.

"This is it... We've arrived..." From the depths of the darkness, someone sighed deeply, as if someone who had endured a dark and hopeless night had finally stood in the dawn's light, and the joy of relief was fully expressed in those two sentences.