"A coward must have the awareness of being a coward. Don't spout nonsense for no reason, understand?"
...
Inside the tomb.
Zhou Lin led everyone inward. He saw a stone cave ahead, with carvings of various evil spirits on it.
These evil spirits were depicted holding hammers and planes, and even hammers and axes were carved onto them.
Their eyes bulged, and blood seemed to flow from them.
It was even more horrifying to behold.
"Professor Zhou Lin, are these evil spirits?"
A student beside him glanced at them, then couldn't bear to look any longer. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and he dared not look a second time.
"These are carved. Don't worry. Perhaps they are meant to make us turn back, to stop us from proceeding."
Zhou Lin said this, but his footsteps didn't falter. He continued to walk deeper inside.
The metaphysics professor and Guo Liang behind him were also extremely nervous, but seeing Zhou Lin move forward, they knew they would be in danger if they didn't follow.
It was safer to stay with Zhou Lin.
The members of the Great Xia archaeological team followed Zhou Lin without hesitation. However...
Samir, Jimmy, Gary, and Lamar exchanged glances. They felt this cave was dangerous, but they had no choice but to follow Zhou Lin.
If they followed and encountered danger, Zhou Lin would surely extort them.
Now, they felt Zhou Lin was even more terrifying than these spirits.
"Don't you have crosses? Take them out. Perhaps they'll be useful."
Samir took out the necklace from his neck, feeling a little more at ease.
Zhou Lin walked further inside, observing the walls covered with lifelike carvings of evil spirits.
"These look like the attire of craftsmen. They're holding axes and saws in their hands."
The metaphysics professor looked more and more uneasy. Why were these carvings of craftsmen here?
"Aren't these craftsmen?"
"Could it be that the lives of the craftsmen who built this underwater tomb are all here?"
Guo Liang looked at these craftsmen and then a terrifying thought struck him.
Damn, could it be?
Zhou Lin paused and turned, looking at Guo Liang with admiration.
"Congratulations, Professor. You guessed correctly."
Zhou Lin unceremoniously gave Guo Liang a thumbs-up.
Guo Liang's mouth twitched. He really didn't want this praise.
"Uh... then let's hurry up and leave. Walking in here feels like being watched. It feels like many eyes are on me."
The metaphysics professor desperately wanted to leave. He felt extremely uncomfortable staying here.
"We can't leave."
Zhou Lin replied readily.
"Why?"
"There's no path."
Zhou Lin looked at the metaphysics professor and pointed to the wall behind them that had already sealed off the passage.
"Ah?"
The metaphysics professor and Guo Liang, still in disbelief, walked to the wall and touched it.
How could it be the end? Where was the path? How could they proceed without a path?
This was a dead end?
As the metaphysics professor was pondering, he distinctly felt breathing ahead and something wet.
There was also an indentation.
The metaphysics professor froze on the spot, afraid to move.
"Uh... Professor Guo, could you pass me the flashlight? I want to see what this thing in my hand is."
The metaphysics professor swallowed hard and looked at Guo Liang beside him in disbelief.
"What thing?"
Guo Liang, though confused, searched his pockets for his flashlight.
Meanwhile, the students were nervously looking at the carvings, especially the ones depicting craftsmen. They looked incredibly lifelike.
In the livestream.
"We've seen many carvings before, but this is quite rare. I mainly feel like this thing is looking at me."
"The snakes we saw before also gave off a similar feeling. They were clearly inanimate, but then they came to life. But after coming to life... damn, don't say it, I feel like this is even more terrifying."
"Don't you have zombies in Great Xia? Zombies raised by Taoist priests. What are you afraid of?"
"Exactly! Zombies are so awesome. Who wouldn't think they're awesome?"
"Shut up. Great Xia's affairs are none of your business. Who do you think you are?"
"Right! Do you have any right to speak here?"
...
In the dean's conference room.
"This is bone carving, a form of dark art. I've seen records of it before. This kind of carving involves sealing the person's bones into the stone wall and then painting them to resemble the person in life."
"However, the records are very sparse, and I'm not entirely sure if this is what I saw. I've only heard of it."
Professor Wen looked at the image on the big screen, which closely resembled what he had seen.
"Is there any way to resolve this?"
The dean heard this and felt a glimmer of hope.
"No. I've only seen descriptions. There's no record of how to resolve it. I didn't pay much attention at the time, and the text was also incomplete, so I didn't look closely."
Professor Wen regretted it immensely.
Especially since this might be more helpful to the metaphysics professor, as he was most interested in such things.
"Then aren't Zhou Lin and the others in danger?"
Professor Hu only knew that it was very dangerous inside; nothing else mattered.
"Aren't they already surrounded by danger? What else is there to be dangerous or not dangerous?"
Professor Wen felt even more speechless upon hearing this.
Inside the tomb.
After a while, Guo Liang found his flashlight and turned it on...
"Ah..."
The metaphysics professor and Guo Liang screamed in terror at the scene before them.
The others were startled by the screams and hurried to look at the metaphysics professor. They saw the metaphysics professor's hand inside the mouth of a statue.
There was dark, sticky fluid inside, and they didn't know what it was. Most importantly, the statue's eyes were filled with resentment, staring fiercely at the metaphysics professor.
The metaphysics professor quickly withdrew his hand, instinctively hiding behind Zhou Lin, his hand trembling as he clutched Zhou Lin's arm.
This was too damn scary. Could humans do such a thing?
The students behind them were equally shocked. Those students near the statues quickly distanced themselves from the wall.
Any closer felt terrifying.
"This is too horrifying. What is this fluid?"
"I don't know. It looks disgusting. The professor's hand has this stuff on it too. Will it smell bad?"