But the sight that appeared before them next left them somewhat incredulous.
After walking for a period of time.
The trees behind them gradually thinned out.
What was once a jungle ahead had, after a short distance, transformed into a desolate mudfield.
Fortunately, compared to the desert before, this mudfield was more bearable. One only needed to watch out for the swamps on the ground.
After Jiang Fan led the others through this mudfield, they beheld a truly astonishing sight.
In the shadows ahead, a vast army was poised for action.
"What's going on? Is there someone ahead?"
Jiang Fan immediately pushed his companions to take cover behind a nearby rock.
At this moment, Yao also realized that there seemed to be people standing ahead.
Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei also appeared extremely flustered. Gun Gun poked its head out, wanting to see what was before them.
However, due to its large head, Jiang Fan quickly pulled it back.
"Gun Gun, you stay here. Let me take a look."
After saying this, Jiang Fan took out a telescope from his backpack, set it on the rock, and quietly peeked his head out.
He had expected to see an army, but upon a closer look, Jiang Fan was astonished to find that they were merely clay figurines.
"What's going on? They're like terracotta warriors from the Qin Dynasty!"
Upon hearing this, everyone stood up in disbelief. At least now, Jiang Fan's words confirmed that these figures were not real people.
Jiang Fan slowly emerged from behind the rock and walked towards the row of clay figurines.
Upon reaching the figurines, Jiang Fan incredulously touched one of them.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, the figurines did not come to life. They remained motionless in their positions.
"Who made these things? Why are their movements so lifelike?"
Jiang Fan looked at the poses of the clay figurines, finding them somewhat inexplicable.
Normally, when creating such statues, one wouldn't go to the trouble of designing specific poses, and the difficulty would be immense. Looking at these incredibly vivid and lifelike sculptures, Jiang Fan even doubted if they were man-made.
But just then, Jiang Fan noticed that the mounts beneath them were not horses, but wolves, and some were riding bears.
Historically, only the Yan and Huang Emperors rode such mounts.
"What's going on? Could it be that the concept of terracotta warriors existed this early?"
As Jiang Fan examined the statues, his curiosity was piqued.
He had already found the sculptures at the entrance incredible, and now, to find figures of the two great emperors within this pyramid was astonishing.
He had assumed that further inside the pyramid, there would be no trace of these two emperors, yet here he found them again.
But at this moment, whether by accident or design, a statue toppled directly in front of Zhou Niannian.
To Jiang Fan's surprise, when the statue fell, it didn't shatter. Instead, it emitted a deep, heavy thud.
The sound suggested it wasn't hollow.
While the Qin terracotta warriors were similar in form to these soldiers, they were all hollow.
However, these figures were clearly different.
Their insides were not hollow but solid.
Jiang Fan had hoped to find some clues here, but even after searching for a while with his teammates, they found nothing.
"Perhaps these terracotta warriors were simply placed here after they were made?"
"And most likely, they are some kind of rejects. Perhaps a unit made a mistake and these clay statues were made as a warning to future generations."
What Yao said echoed Jiang Fan's own thoughts.
After all, they had searched extensively and found nothing.
Now, they could only press onward.
"In that case, we can only move forward. Although we don't know what we'll find, I have a feeling something else will appear."
Hearing this, Jiang Fan and his companions could only continue forward.
Once inside, things became somewhat simpler, and finding the passage to the next level was much easier.
However, as they pressed on, they found nothing but emptiness, which filled them with despair.
"Are there no more clues about the Yan and Huang Emperors?"
"It all looks the same as we go further. Could we have been working in vain?"
Zhou Niannian voiced the thought that everyone was most reluctant to consider.
Yet, it was the most plausible explanation at this point.
They had indeed spent a considerable amount of time and used up a lot of food and water reserves without discovering any useful leads.
"It seems there are no other clues. In that case, let's leave."
Jiang Fan finally gave up. He had expected something to guide them forward, but found nothing of value.
At this moment, Jiang Fan led his companions to turn back.
Fortunately, the other entrances were not as tightly locked as the first one, making their return journey smooth.
As they passed by the group of terracotta warriors, Jiang Fan couldn't help but lament.
"It's surprising that these imposing figures offer no clues."
With a sigh, Jiang Fan stepped over the muddy ground and continued forward.
This was the way they had come, so they were clear on the path and did not take any detours, heading directly towards the locked grand gate.
But as they passed the terracotta warriors, a faint rustling sound emanated from them.
Jiang Fan couldn't help but turn back.
However, the figures seemed to remain motionless, only shedding small particles of sand.
"What's going on? Could they be living things? Or perhaps there are insects inside them?"
Recalling the small black lump from before, the mention of anything similar made everyone tremble.
They could only quicken their pace.