The three of them gathered together, pondering for a long time, but none of them could come up with a good idea. This was because everything was truly without any discernible pattern, and they had no starting point for any deductions.
As Fatty thought, he turned to Ye Tiancheng and asked, "Brother Ye, I've been thinking. I believe all things should have a traceable origin, and there must be some pattern in all of this. Since we have no ideas right now, why don't we assume that the stone from the construction site was indeed the Nuwa Stone and try to deduce from there?"
Ye Tiancheng nodded thoughtfully, knowing that Fatty had more to say. He then prompted Fatty, "If you have any thoughts, why don't you share them?"
"Here's what I'm thinking, Brother Ye. The Nuwa Stone once belonged to you, Brother Ye. I thought, regarding the Nuwa Stone, there probably isn't anyone in this world who understands it better than you. How did you obtain the Nuwa Stone back then, and how did you activate it?"
"If we start from this point, will it help us better deduce the current situation? We don't have any better methods anyway. We can't just keep stumbling around like headless flies, can we?"
Fatty's reasoning had a certain logic, and Ye Tiancheng understood it. However, understanding it didn't make the matter any simpler. If it were that simple, he wouldn't be suffering from such a headache right now; he would have resolved all the issues long ago.
Ye Tiancheng knew in his heart that he was indeed the most familiar with the Nuwa Stone. If he had even a sliver of understanding about what was happening now, he wouldn't be in this state, feeling as if he could do nothing.
He was actually quite hesitant because everything that was happening now was completely different from before. As for what happened when he activated the Nuwa Stone previously.
Ye Tiancheng recalled that memory, and his expression couldn't help but darken. He thought of the girl who had once simply loved him – Hou Qing'er.
However, he only thought about it for a moment. Ye Tiancheng knew that it was truly unrelated to what was happening now. Therefore, he didn't mention Hou Qing'er to Fatty or Little Fox. He simply shook his head and then explained frankly to Fatty and Little Fox.
"If there were connections and patterns, it would be great. I wouldn't have to be so troubled now. Nothing like this happened back then. I don't know if it's because the Nuwa Stone underwent some unknown changes after it was damaged saving me, or perhaps that stone wasn't the Nuwa Stone at all..."
Although Ye Tiancheng himself really wished to reclaim the Nuwa Stone, he currently had no evidence to prove that the stone he saw at the construction site was the Nuwa Stone. Therefore, he couldn't completely rule out the possibility that it was.
Fatty and Little Fox exchanged glances and sighed, but they didn't say anything to discourage Ye Tiancheng. They knew how much Ye Tiancheng hoped to save the Nuwa Stone again.
Little Fox joined them much later, knowing less and feeling less deeply, mostly learning from what others told him.
However, Fatty had truly followed Ye Tiancheng for a very, very long time. He knew most of what happened around Ye Tiancheng, so he was well aware of the deep bond between Ye Tiancheng and the Nuwa Stone. Therefore, he also hoped even more that this encounter was with the Nuwa Stone and that Ye Tiancheng could achieve his wish.
"Perhaps it is the Nuwa Stone... and something caused an anomaly, leading to this abnormal situation. Regardless, we are all here now. No matter how bizarre it is, the truth behind it will eventually surface. There's no need to be too anxious."
Fatty comforted Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng knew that Fatty meant well, so he didn't dwell on it further. He accepted Fatty's kindness, and their current situation was more important.
Both Fatty and Little Fox had been drawn into this strange place because of his personal desires. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng firmly believed that he had to bring both Fatty and Little Fox out of here safely. He would absolutely not let his brothers get hurt because of him.
Having gone through so much, Ye Tiancheng truly didn't want to lose any more family, friends, lovers, or children. Including Little Fox, Ye Tiancheng couldn't let go.
Otherwise, when he followed Hou Mingzhu before, he wouldn't have had the thought of escaping and resting. Along the way, he had truly lost too much and couldn't bear any more losses. If he had a choice, who wouldn't want to live a peaceful, tranquil, and happy life?
If it weren't for the lack of choice, so many things would always find him. Even if Ye Tiancheng himself wanted a quiet life and didn't want his brothers to risk their lives with him, Ye Tiancheng could only continue down this path.
It was as if an invisible, powerful hand was constantly pushing Ye Tiancheng forward on this path, not allowing him to stop or turn back.
Ye Tiancheng only hoped that everything would end sooner. If he surrendered to fate's arrangement, would fate also be more lenient and eventually fulfill his wish, allowing him to truly follow his heart, settle down, and accompany his loved ones and children, with his brothers all well? That would be enough.
After sighing in his heart like this, Ye Tiancheng suddenly realized something was not quite right. He wasn't usually a very sensitive person. He might be somewhat emotional, but he also had a rational, unfeeling side. Moments of such melancholy usually only occurred when he suffered a major blow. But now, nothing was wrong, so why was he inexplicably thinking so many chaotic things?
Ye Tiancheng immediately shook his head vigorously, casting all those miscellaneous thoughts out of his mind to avoid affecting his mental state. If something was influencing his thoughts and mood, how could that be acceptable?
Fatty and Little Fox watched Ye Tiancheng silently pondering, then suddenly shaking his head, finding it all very strange.
"Brother Ye, what's wrong? Did you think of something? Your expression and mood seem very strange. Why are you shaking your head? Did you discover something is wrong?"
The one who asked was Little Fox. Little Fox stood by Ye Tiancheng's side with concern, raising his head to observe the changes in Ye Tiancheng's expression, wanting to know what had happened to him. He inexplicably felt a sense of panic and unease, but couldn't find the reason. He hadn't said anything because he was afraid of worrying Fatty and Ye Tiancheng.
If Ye Tiancheng and Fatty also had problems, Little Fox feared he wouldn't be able to hold on. As long as Ye Tiancheng and Fatty were still there, he had nothing to fear. He was most afraid of Ye Tiancheng and Fatty getting into trouble.
Ye Tiancheng looked down at Little Fox, feeling a bit hesitant because he wasn't entirely sure himself. "I feel like I've suddenly become a bit too sentimental."
"It's true that I have moments of low spirits. After all, I've experienced many changes. No matter how strong a person is, there are times when they can't cope. But right now, nothing has happened to us, and I'm inexplicably thinking about all sorts of strange things. It feels abnormal."
"This place is truly too bizarre. Is something influencing us? It was the same when we suddenly felt extremely hungry, and it's the same now with these random thoughts."
Little Fox frowned upon hearing this, his eyes involuntarily showing a hint of confusion. He actually had some feelings himself, but Little Fox knew that he sometimes did think about things. He was a somewhat sensitive person due to his experiences, so he had suppressed those thoughts and hadn't dwelled on them.
However, now that even Ye Tiancheng said it, and Ye Tiancheng felt his own thoughts were not right, it meant something was truly abnormal. Only then did Little Fox feel that the thoughts welling up in his mind were strange.
"Brother Ye, actually, I've felt something too. But I thought I was just overthinking. It seems there really is a problem here. Is something influencing us? Could it be that stone from the construction site? Since we're being influenced, could it be very close to us, but we just haven't found its location?"
Ye Tiancheng quite agreed with Little Fox's statement, especially the latter part of his speculation. He felt that the stone might indeed be nearby, just unseen by them.
But where could that stone be? Could it be... Ye Tiancheng surveyed the surroundings. The scenery here was truly unobstructed, with no particularly good hiding places. If there were any, Ye Tiancheng's gaze fell upon the shimmering, azure lake.
If that stone were truly close to them and hidden where they couldn't see it, unless the stone could become invisible, the only place it could be hiding would be this vast blue lake.
Although the water of this blue lake was of excellent quality and the lake was clear to the bottom, the blue lake was extremely deep. As the depth increased, no matter how clear the water was, the further they moved from the shore and the deeper the water became, the less they could see the true situation in those areas. So, if the stone were really here, could it be underwater?
None of the three present, whether Ye Tiancheng, Fatty, or Little Fox, were foolish. The problems Ye Tiancheng could think of, they could all figure out with some time.
In an instant, the gazes of the three fell upon the vast, rippling expanse of the lake, as if trying to penetrate its surface and see the bottom. Each of them had unspoken thoughts, and they exchanged glances. If they had to guess, there was no more reasonable possibility.
But how could they see what was in the lake? Did they need to go into the water? Who knew how far from the shore the stone would be if it were indeed in the lake, or at what depth.
Furthermore, in the deeper water, who knew if there might be fierce aquatic creatures that could threaten them, especially since they couldn't use their abilities? All of this was unknown, and they couldn't risk it rashly.