The Ninth Heaven Palace

As the group passed through a tunnel and exited at an opening, they were instantly shocked by what they saw. It turned out that there was a huge city buried underground.

First, what caught the eyes of Mo Fan and others was a huge city wall. At the top of the city wall gate, there hung a stone plaque with the characters "Xianyang City" engraved on it.

Lin Jing said, "It seems that Emperor Qin Shi Huang built a tomb here that is exactly the same as the Xianyang Palace on the surface. He truly held onto the idea of continuing to be his emperor in the afterlife until the very end."

Uncle Jun saw the palace gate ahead and immediately ordered his men to open the city gate. But no matter how hard his subordinates tried, they just couldn't open this huge city gate.

One of the men in black returned to Uncle Jun's side and said, "Boss, I think this city gate must have been sealed from the inside. We can't push it open."

Mo Fan thought for a moment and said, "Everyone must have climbing tools in their bags, right? Let's all climb over this wall together."

Uncle Jun said, "There's no other way."

So everyone prepared the climbing tools such as ropes and hooks, and each of them carefully inspected this city wall.

When everyone landed, they were all shocked by what they saw. Lin Jing couldn't help screaming.

Originally, in front of them there were rows of soldiers wearing armor. However, due to the dim light in the tomb, their faces could not be clearly distinguished.

Uncle Jun ordered his men to go up and take a look at these people standing there. So one by one, the subordinates took out their pistols and slowly approached these soldiers. When they got closer, they took a good look at these soldiers. One of the subordinates then spoke loudly to Lord Chun, "Boss, these are not real people. They are all clay soldiers."

Mo Fan looked at the huge group of terra-cotta soldiers and couldn't help but exclaim, "No wonder Emperor Qin Shi Huang was called the First Emperor. Before his death, he still wanted to build such a large but proportionate group of soldiers for himself. One can imagine the dignity he had when he called for thousands of troops during his lifetime."

Suddenly, Lin Jing let out a scream. Mo Fan and others quickly looked in the direction indicated by Lin Jing's finger. They also found a pile of corpses kneeling at the back of the city gate. Among them, some of the bones were dressed in the uniforms of soldiers, while others were dressed in the attire of ordinary people.

Mofan said, "I understand. After the construction of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, it must have been ordered by Qin Shi Huang himself. When he was buried here, he ordered the sealing of the entrance of this underground palace. Thus, the soldiers who came with him and the craftsmen who made the soldier figurines were all buried in this underground palace together, accompanying him in his burial. As a result, the location of this mausoleum became known to very few people. His tactics were truly ruthless."

Uncle Jun observed that everything seemed normal, so he urged everyone, "Let's keep going inside."

At this moment, Lin Jing took out the map of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and carefully studied the route on the map, guiding everyone to gradually approach the core building of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum.

Along the way, in this underground ancient city, they saw soldiers made of clay, streets resembling those from the Qin Dynasty, and ordinary people made of clay who were simulating life scenes from that time, such as trading, playing, etc. Every one of them was extremely lifelike. Everyone couldn't help but admire the superb craftsmanship of the master craftsmen back then.

Not long after, they saw a huge palace. Mo Fan and others carefully counted it. The palace was as tall as nine floors, getting smaller and smaller layer by layer, forming a pyramid-like shape. In front of the palace, many layers of huge steps were constructed.

Mofan said to everyone, "I think this is the Xianyang Palace that Emperor Qin Shi Huang built as a replica." If I'm not mistaken. His coffin must be on the top floor up there.

Uncle Jun couldn't wait to say, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go up right away."

Mofan said, "There must be a lot of danger inside. We need to be extremely cautious."

So the people cautiously stepped one by one up the stairs, and reached the front of the first floor of the palace. Mo Fan and others saw a row upon row of life-sized terra-cotta figures dressed in official robes and armor standing in front. It seems that this is the hall where Emperor Qin Shi Huang once met with his officials. In the center of the first floor of this hall, there is indeed a dragon throne.

Mo Fan and others were all deeply impressed by the magnificent scenes of the Qin Dynasty that were presented here. Mofan saw Lin Jing taking out her notebook and carefully noting down everything happening here.

Mofan smiled and said, " Teacher. Lin, it's not the time to take notes now. Let's wait until we find the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and then we can study it slowly. Aren't you still looking for that Emperor Qin Shi Huang's sword?"

Lin Jing replied, "Everything here truly reflects the actual life of the Qin Dynasty back then. Compared to the descriptions recorded by later generations in history books, this place is much more accurate. This is a rare opportunity for those specializing in history studies, and I simply cannot miss it."

Uncle Jun also said anxiously, "Let's keep going to the second floor."

When a group of people reached the second floor of the underground palace, the area was in total darkness. Uncle Jun and others lit the portable lighting devices they were carrying and saw that there were candle stands all around. When they got closer, they discovered that there was even solidified candle oil on the top of the candle stands. Then everyone lit the candlesticks, and immediately the second floor was filled with bright lights.

Suddenly, the old dog jumped excitedly. It turned out that the second floor was filled with all kinds of treasures, including jade, bronze objects, gold and silver jewelry, etc. These should all be the treasures that Emperor Qin Shi Huang collected during his conquest of the six states. Now, all of them have been used as his burial goods.

Lin Jing said to Mo Fan, "Previously, I only learned from the records of scholars like Sima Qian that the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum was said to have fish oil lamps that never went out.holders around here. They have survived for a thousand years and are still capable of being lit."

The old dog excitedly said, "The treasures here are not only in excellent condition, but the entire place also emits an aroma of treasure. It seems that the previous craftsmen put a lot of anti-corrosion substances to preserve these treasures."

Uncle Jun, however, curiously asked, "Is the fragrance really this strong here? Why can't I smell any of it? Have you guys checked?" Uncle Jun turned to his subordinates and asked.

Mofan smiled and said, "Uncle Jun, this friend of mine is well-known for having a very sensitive nose. He can detect scents that ordinary people cannot. So just leave him alone."

Uncle Jun smiled and said, "So that's how it is."

Mofan said to the old dog beside him, who was lost in his treasure hunt, "Brother, come back and deal with your treasures later. We need to set off now." Mofan finished speaking and then continued to instruct Lin Jing to look at the map clearly and guide everyone forward.

Lin Jing led everyone to the third floor based on the map. When everyone lit the candles on the third floor, they were astonished to see more than a dozen golden coffins. And around the coffin, soldiers carved from wood were standing everywhere. These might have been made by the Qin Emperor's people to protect the coffin at that time. These wooden sculptures exude a natural fragrance all over.

Lin Jing couldn't help exclaiming, "These woods smell so good!"

Uncle Jun replied first, "If I'm not mistaken, these are top-quality golden sandalwood from the previous year. They won't decay even after a thousand years. Only Emperor Qin Shi Huang could obtain such high-quality timber."

The old dog hurriedly asked Lord Jun, "So, these logs are very expensive, then?"

Uncle Jun said, "With such a large statue carved from jinshinan wood, I think it should be enough for you to buy a villa."

The old dog counted the number of woodcarvings here and excitedly shouted, "We've made a fortune!"

Qi Tian quipped, "Old dog, calm down. Such a sculpture is likely to weigh over a hundred kilograms. Do you really think you can carry them out? Just pick a few items that you can handle, and that will be enough for you to spend your entire life on."

The old dog said, "When my grandpa and I become rich in the future, we will gather a group of people to help carry the treasure."

At this moment, Uncle Jun asked Mo Fan, "What do you think these coffins are for?"

Mofan and Lin Jing walked over to these coffins and began to observe them carefully. These coffins were not only made of gold, but also had various bird patterns carved on their surfaces. Each coffin was also engraved with a dragon, and the birds were flying around this dragon.

Mo Fan and Lin Jing looked at each other and said together, " They were concubines of Emperor Qin Shi Huang."

Mofan then explained, "In ancient times, the emperors often compared themselves to the true dragons in the sky. Their imperial power was bestowed by heaven. They compared their empresses to phoenixes and the concubines to various kinds of birds. But as far as I know, Emperor Qin Shi Huang never had an empress. So these birds, without the phoenix, naturally represented the concubines of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. These concubines must have been captured here and executed after Emperor Qin Shi Huang's death, and buried with him."

Mofan said to Lin Jing, "Let's keep going up. We should be getting closer and closer to Emperor Qin Shi Huang's coffin."

So, Lin Jing continued to follow the directions on the map and led everyone forward. 

Not long after, they reached the fourth floor of the palace.

Now before them lies an empty and desolate room, and the passage leading to the fifth floor is right in front of them. At the entrance of the fourth floor, there hung a pair of large ancient Chinese bronze bells. On the bells, many strange patterns were engraved. The figures on them seemed to be hitting something, performing a ritual, or playing music. This left Mo Fan and others completely puzzled. Besides, the entire fourth floor was empty and there were no other items. 

When Uncle Jun was about to lead his men to the front passage, Mo Fan stopped them and said, " Uncle Jun, wait a moment. There might be danger ahead."

So, Uncle Jun signaled to everyone to wait for a moment.

Mofan then took out a dagger from his bag and threw it towards the open area in front. When the dagger fell to the ground, it made a clattering sound. Suddenly, it seemed as if some mechanism was triggered. Countless sharp metal blades shot out from the cracks in the walls on both sides of the floor. The fourth floor immediately felt a chilling atmosphere. It seemed that there were metal pulleys turning in the spaces between the floors, emitting a low rumbling sound, as if countless ghosts were wailing. 

Lin Jing said, "It seems that we have triggered the mechanism here. These blades are swirling around. We simply can't pass through them and reach the passage ahead."

Mo Fan suddenly had an idea. He immediately ran up to the two bells and carefully examined the patterns on them. Sure enough, in addition to the patterns, there were also words engraved on them. He then asked Lin Jing, "Lin Jing, what does it say on them? Please translate it for me."

Lin Jing hurriedly went over to have a look and said, "It says here, 'Gold generates fire, fire generates blades, the law breaks the blades and extinguishes them.'"

Mofan said, "Right, that's it. The words on the clock indicate that the musical rhythm produced by these two large clocks can break through this mechanism. These blades are all made of metal. This mechanism should belong to the 'metal' element among the Five Elements." 

Lin Jing asked, "So, what you mean is that these patterns represent a kind of musical rhythm? We just need to strike these two big bells according to the patterns shown above, and this mechanism will be deactivated?"

Mofan said, "Yes, look at the patterns above. In fact, they represent the five notes recorded by ancient Chinese people - Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu. The patterns on the upper part of the instruments represent 'Gong', the ones on the right represent 'Shang', the ones on the lower right represent 'Jue', the ones on the lower left represent 'Zhi', and the ones on the left represent 'Yu'."

Lin Jing suddenly understood and said, "There's no time to lose. Let's each have a big bell and start ringing the notes marked on them."

So, Mo Fan and Lin Jing each held one of the large bells and struck them at different positions according to the patterns marked on them. Immediately, the two large bells produced a beautiful note. As the note was emitted, the rotating shafts of the machines inside this floor seemed to be gradually slowing down. The sound became quieter and eventually disappeared. Just as the blades were flying all over the place, in an instant, the blades were sheathed, the coldness vanished, and a metal curtain dropped from the walls all around, completely sealing off the walls. 

Uncle Jun saw that the mechanism had completely stopped functioning. He couldn't help but exclaim, ''Detective Mo Fan, you are truly a genius. Such a wonderful mechanism was actually solved by you."

Mofan said, "There's no time to lose. This mechanism might be activated again at any moment. Let's hurry up and leave."

So the people continued to walk along the passage on the fifth floor.

.............................................

Soon everyone reached the fifth floor. They noticed that this floor was rather peculiar. It was covered with plants, and in the middle of the floor stood two rows of wooden-carved figures. Behind these plants was a dark door carved from wood. Without a doubt, when that door was opened, it would lead to the sixth floor.

Mofan said, "This must be the 'wood' mechanism in the Chinese Five Elements. Everyone be careful. Take out your weapons and be ready to fight at any time."

As there were no signs or references around, everyone had to walk carefully towards the forest path in the center of the formation, taking each step very cautiously, fearing that they might trigger some mechanism.

On the fifth floor, the corridor was deep and secluded. The light filtered through the dense foliage, casting a dappled pattern on the ground. The thick moss on the floor seemed to still retain the moisture of the previous day. Vines climbed up the walls, coiling down like snakes, covering half of the wall and the floor tiles. A strange wood fragrance, mingled with a rotten smell, wafted through the air, making one's heart race.

As the team stepped into the forest path, the surroundings suddenly became so quiet that it felt almost suffocating. The wooden puppets lined on both sides stood still like lifeless objects, their moss-covered, cracked bodies seeming to have long been weathered and decayed. Only the crystal core of the rings embedded in their chests emitted a faint green light - like the heartbeat of a sleeping creature.

"Don't get too close to these wooden figures." Mofan whispered a warning. However, with so many people moving forward, there were inevitably some who didn't pay attention. By the time Mofan gave the warning, it was already too late.

"Bang!" There was a loud explosion, and one of the front-line soldiers accidentally brushed against the wrist of a wooden puppet. To everyone's surprise, the lifeless wooden figure suddenly raised its head, turned around, and the wooden sword in its hand instantly drew its blade. The movements were seamless and unbroken. The rotten wood sword's blade tip seemed to carry the force of wind and thunder, slashing forward!

In an instant, the battle erupted. Mofan and the others could only grab their weapons and struggle to defend themselves. The other wooden puppets seemed to be activated, and all of them "awakened" one after another. As the rings of crystalline cores embedded in their chests flickered in rhythm, they resembled a revived army formation. Each one drew their swords and stood upright. The vines at their feet began to move, entangle, choke and bind their legs. There was a new sense of oppression in the air, a kind of deathly pressure.

At this moment, the most skilled Qitian, his gaze narrowing, took out the wine bottle he usually drank from his pocket and threw it at the wooden figure. Instantly, one of the wooden figures was coated with wine. Qitian immediately pulled out a pistol and fired at the wine, causing one of the wooden figures to catch fire. The vines beneath the wooden figure writhed and contracted in the flames. He seized the opportunity to rush into the formation, moving swiftly along the ground, and using the rising smoke to approach a wooden puppet figure. With his left palm flipping, he thrust a dagger straight into the crystal core of the wooden figure.

Suddenly, there was a "click" sound. The crystal core shattered, and the wooden puppet collapsed with a loud crash, remaining stiff and lifeless like a disconnected puppet.

"... "The crystal nucleus is their energy core," Qitian shouted. "Destroy it and the wooden puppet will lose its effectiveness."

So everyone pulled out their daggers and plunged them into the crystal core. But soon, everyone realized that the situation was not so simple. Because the damaged crystal core didn't take long to repair itself, and these wooden figures actually came back to life again.

At this moment, Mo Fan noticed that these wooden figures were attacking their colleagues. There was one wooden figure who did not participate in the battle, and the other wooden figures seemed to consciously prevent them from approaching. The crystal core of this wooden figure was not green but faintly showed a hint of gold. Mo Fan suddenly understood something and shouted to Qi Tian, "Qi Tian, attack the wooden figure whose crystal core emits golden light. It represents the main star of the Big Dipper constellation. The other wooden figures are just 'star position puppets'." 

The crowd ordered everyone to retreat, drawing several wooden puppet figures away from the golden-lit wooden figure with the crystal core. Qi Tian took advantage of the moment when the wooden figures were scattered, leaped towards the golden-lit wooden figure, pulled out a dagger, and precisely shattered the crystal core in its chest.

At the moment the golden crystal nucleus landed, it seemed as if some kind of restriction was lifted. The wooden figures all transformed into deadwood and collapsed, like rain falling among the trees, all falling to the ground. 

Just then, at the end of the forest path of these plants, a faint light began to shine through. The dark door carved from cedar wood slowly opened in the rumbling sound.

Mofan and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. Mofan walked up to Qitian and said, "Brother, it's good that you have such skills. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to pass this test."

.............................................

Then, the group arrived on the sixth floor. As they pushed open the door of the hall on the sixth floor, the moment the door was opened, a damp and chilly air rushed in, with mist swirling and white fog lingering, floating in the air like ghosts. The group walked slowly in, and the blue bricks under their feet were slightly damp, as if they had just been washed by light rain. The entire hall was empty and silent, except for a water pool in the center.

That water was astonishingly clear, smooth like a mirror, even reflecting the spider webs on the ceiling. The four walls of the stone were dull, with intricate carvings embedded in them, forming some kind of pattern. At the four corners of the pool, four ancient bronze statues stood solemnly, wearing armor, with cold expressions, holding a sword in one hand and covering their hearts with the other, as if they would awaken from their slumber at any moment.

The people walked with great caution, as if even the slightest mistake would cause them to be swallowed up by this pool of water.

"Ah --!" Suddenly, a man in black exclaimed.

Suddenly, one of the subordinates of the lord's nephew, who was leading the charge, stumbled. Just as his foot touched the ground, he seemed to step into an invisible ripple, and instantly was sucked into the water. Not even a sound of surprise could escape his lips before he had sunk into the undetectable water. The surface of the water remained calm as before, as if nothing had happened at all.

"He... didn't create even a single splash?" someone exclaimed in horror.

Mofan shouted, "Everyone, don't move your feet yet. We should have already entered the 'water' formation among the five elements. If you take a wrong step here, you might be sucked into the bottom of the water and never be able to get out."

So everyone dared not act rashly. They could only wait for Mo Fan's next instructions. 

Mofan was motionless at this moment. He stood still, his gaze calmly fixed on the surface of the pool. He noticed that there was nothing around him. The secret to breaking this formation must lie within this pool.

Surely this gave him a glimpse of a detail. He focused his gaze on the entire pool, and all he saw were the reflections of everyone.

Mo Fan calmly observed his own reflection. In an instant, he noticed a strange scene. The reflection of himself in the water was slowly raising its hand at that moment, but his own hands were not moving at all, still hanging at his sides. Mo Fan's expression darkened, and he muttered under his breath, "Something is wrong... The reflection is moving while the person remains still. This is not a mirror image. The reflection in the water is fake... It's trying to deceive our perception."

He turned his head to look at a bronze statue. The stone base beneath the statue was rough and uneven, with blurred writing, but the words on the stone base could still be vaguely seen. He carefully read the text on the stone base: "Water has no form, but its reflection reveals its true essence."

Mo Fan suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"The reflection is not true to our physical bodies; it is true to the reality." Mo Fan suddenly had an epiphany and his eyes shone with excitement. He shouted to the crowd, "The reflections we see are not ourselves. The true path exists only in the water."

The old dog said impatiently, "Old Mo, what time is it? You're still keeping things a secret. Just tell everyone what's going on right now, will you?"

Mofan said, "Did you notice your own reflection in the water? They are all moving themselves. We usually think that the reflection moves along with us. But strangely, the reflection in the water always moves before us. These waters are very strange. But our own reflection in the water is our guide. If you don't believe it, let's try lifting one of our feet. You will find that the reflection in the water will place the foot at a certain point before us. That point is our next step. Remember, we should follow our reflection when walking."

After saying that, he took the lead and followed this method, landing on his toes in the direction indicated by the reflection. There was no sound as he stepped down, but it was firmly planted. After a while, he indeed crossed the huge pool.

The people behind saw this and held their breath, closely following Mo Fan's method. Sure enough; the spots where those reflections landed were precisely the hidden true paths.

Time seemed to stand still. With each step forward, everyone seemed to be walking in a mirror image. Finally, everyone finally crossed the pool and reached the statue. 

The bronze statue remained exactly as it was originally – with an imposing expression and simple, ancient patterns. He looked around, and the reflection and reality still had a slight discrepancy.

"The truth of water is never reflected in its appearance." Lin Jing said with a sigh.

Uncle Jun sighed, "I've lived my entire life, and this is the first time I've witnessed such an amazing scene. The reflection actually moved before the real person did."

Mofan spoke calmly, "There is an eerie atmosphere everywhere here, but we are getting closer to our destination. Let's go. Time won't wait for us."

..............................

Continuing along the road, the group finally reached the seventh floor. As they stepped into the temple gate, suddenly the place was filled with bright lights and flames flickered everywhere. It seemed as if they had entered a living inferno.

Throughout the Red Flame Temple, the walls were made of copper, emitting a warm heat. The floor was neatly covered with one hundred and eight bronze lamps, with the lamp flames jumping and resembling tiny open eyes, silently observing the visitors. The air was mixed with the smell of copper rust and the burning dust, so hot and dry that it seemed to ignite the lungs of anyone.

Someone wanted to draw out a gun and destroy these bronze lamps. Mofan raised his hand to stop them and shouted, "Don't move. We have arrived at the fire formation in the fifth element." After saying this, he calmly scanned the lamp formation with his gaze.

However, before he could come up with a solution, some people who were not afraid of death began to attempt to destroy the light array, trying to knock over one of the lamps.

In an instant, there were the sounds of "Bang!" and "Sizzle - lah!"

Suddenly, a burst of flames erupted, and a rocket shot shot up from the ground, like a snake revealing its fangs, heading straight for the man's knees. The man screamed and retreated backward, within three steps, his leg robes had turned black and curled up, and the skin had peeled back.

"... This is no ordinary fire array. We cannot tamper with them. "Mofan crouched down, his fingertips gently touching the edge of a lamp, sensing the faint thermal energy pathways of the mechanism inside. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "If you take even one wrong step, it won't be a trap, but a fiery execution."

The old dog shouted anxiously, "Old Mo, hurry up and think of a way. Before we can even wait for the hidden door behind these light arrays to open, we'll probably have died of heat here. I feel the temperature is getting higher and higher here." 

Mofan did not respond to the old dog's words. He silently raised his head and looked at the mottled copper wall at the back of the hall. On it was engraved an ancient star map.

Nine stars form a bow, connected like an arch. Unlike the common seven-star北斗 constellation, in this picture, there are two additional stars - the nine-star北斗 constellation.

Mo Fan's eyes flickered slightly as he thought. Suddenly, he noticed a faint flame flickering in one corner of the light array. He approached and saw a burnt piece of wood lying still in the ashes, with the wood completely gone, only the embers remaining, still warm. He reached out and picked it up, his palm feeling slightly hot, but instead of throwing it away, he quietly watched the faint light dancing in the black ashes.

Mofan suddenly noticed that there was another sentence on the copper wall: "The extinguished lamp, no longer for light, yet knows the way back." 

He held the wooden ashes he had just picked up in his hand and gently waved it along the edge of the lamp array. The fine ashes fell like threads, landing on the lamp bulbs. Under the first lamp, the ashes glowed softly, emitting a hint of orangeish light; the second lamp showed no reaction; the third lamp, however, began to glow slightly again.

Mofan shouted, "So that's how it is. These wooden ashes seem to indicate the positions of the safety lights." After saying that, he continued the test. Sure enough, the wooden ashes were only on nine lamp holders. The ashes would sense the presence and emit a faint light.

"Nine stars... Nine lamps... It turns out that the nine stars on the copper wall refer to the nine lamps." He thought deeply, took out the notebook from his pocket, drew a diagram, and marked the positions of these nine lamps respectively.

Suddenly, all of a sudden, these bronze lamps in front of me shifted positions, and the flames suddenly flickered, as if the entire array of lamps was reconfiguring itself.

"Rearrange?" Someone behind me exclaimed in surprise.

Mo Fan was somewhat surprised, but he was well aware that the nine lamps were the key to breaking the formation. He quickly looked at the star map on the copper wall. He saw that the nine stars had shifted slightly, and the arrangement had changed from"Bai Jun at the tail" to "Gan Wang at the head". He gave a slight pause and immediately thought of the transformation rule of the lamp formation. Every certain period of time, the star map would shift two positions to the right.

"It's a dynamic star formation array," he murmured. "We don't remember the positions of the lamps, but rather the movements of the nine crucial lamps. They are moving, and we need to chase after them."

So, based on his calculations, he used the initial markings of the nine lamps to accurately determine the positions where those nine lamps would move. In an instant, he pulled out his pistol and shot at the nine lamps, causing them to go out.

Everyone held their breath in tension, as if they were afraid that if Mofan's thoughts and calculations were wrong, sparks would suddenly burst forth from underground, burning everyone to ashes.

But everything seemed to come to a standstill. Suddenly, all the light displays suddenly dimmed and the remaining flames gradually died out. Behind the light array, the tightly closed stone door slowly rose, and the iron lock crashed to the ground, revealing the passage.

The crowd immediately burst into cheers and excitement.

.............................................

After that, everyone finally reached the eighth floor. The coffin of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was supposed to be located just above this floor.

The moment when everyone entered the hall on the eighth floor, it felt as if they had stepped into an invisible state of suffocation.

Here, the yellow sand and mist are swirling within the hall. The floor is composed of square stone slabs that are joined together, and its surface is covered with dark brown fine sand. Sand keeps sliding down from the cracks between the stones, like silent gaping mouths of the abyss, ready to move. The entire grand hall is strangely quiet, except for the wind in the air, which flows and murmurs among those faceless stone statues, resembling ancient incantations.

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted. Before the black-clad subordinate could react, the stone slab beneath his feet had collapsed. He let out a cry of alarm, and his entire body sank into the sand pit. Then, as if being devoured by a monstrous creature, the sand flow reversed, and finally, only his sunglasses remained on the sand surface. 

Mofan shouted, "Everyone be careful! We have reached the last of the Five Elements, the Earth Element."

Everyone's complexion changed abruptly, and they dared not take another step. 

Mo Fan bent down, using his fingertip to scoop up a small amount of dust. It was as fine as powder, with faint reddish-brown spots visible within. He picked it up and sniffed it. A smell of rust mingled with a pungent odor entered his nostrils, making him feel nauseous.

"This is sand mixed with iron powder. If you inhale a large amount of it, you will suffocate and faint," he said, taking out a handkerchief and pressing it against his mouth and nose, then turning his gaze to the surroundings.

Mofan saw that all the stone statues in front of the main hall had no faces. They stood around the entrance of the hall, with their hands clasped together, as if in prayer. He noticed a crack in the center of the forehead of one of the stone statues. Indeed, he had observed an anomaly. Wind was spewing out from there, blowing across the face, like a blade slicing through.

Mofan's eyes flickered, and he suddenly recalled an old trick from the earth-walking masters: "If the sand is invisible, the wind can leave traces. The wind doesn't follow a straight path. Only at the places where the sand surface collapses, will the wind flow back."

He quickly took out the notebook from his bag, tore off some scraps of paper, and threw them into the air. The scraps landed and danced in the wind. Among them, several suddenly changed direction in the air, precisely at the points of rotation.

"Going with the flow leads to disaster, while going against it is the path to success." He murmured to himself in a low voice, already having made up his mind.

Then, he bent down and moved forward on all fours. With each step he took, he would stand still for a moment, observing the rotation of the sand flow in front of him and the direction of the wind strands.

This is a nearly silent game, a contest between man and sand, between man and the wind, and between man and the unknown beneath his feet.

Inside the hall, all that could be heard was the rustling of the wind. Everyone held their breath, watching as Mo Fan moved like a shadow through the wind currents, as if he might be swallowed up by the sandy ground at any moment. But each of his steps landed against the wind, without any deviation.

After walking several steps further, he finally crossed the sandy surface and reached the destination.

At the end there stood a weathered stone pillar. Its body was half-buried in the sand, but at the top were engraved four ancient seal script characters. Covered by dust, Maofan reached out and brushed away the dust, revealing several large characters: "Return with the Wind in Your Heart."

He slowly extended his hand, and his fingertips touched the stone pillar. 

Suddenly, there was a loud bang.

A dull rumbling sound came from deep beneath the ground, causing the entire sandy area to slightly sink, then gradually returning to stability. A pile of solid stone slabs emerged, firmly and steadily fixed above, clearly showing that this was the place where Mofan had just walked. In the center of the hall, an upward spiral staircase gradually revealed itself, like the heart of the earth slowly opening up, leading directly to the ninth floor.

Mo Fan turned around and said in a low and clear voice: "The path beneath your feet is not on the sand, but in your heart."

The group followed the stone steps and went straight to the ninth floor with Mofan.