Chapter 12: Ancient Road of Chixu

"Is this ocean the resting place for the souls of all the deceased in the universe? Does that mean the mythical underworld isn't non-existent, but rather exists in the microscopic world?"

After the initial shock and fear, everyone began to voice their opinions and discuss animatedly.

"We can't find the 'three spiritual souls and seven corporeal souls' (san hun qi po) in the human body through scientific means, perhaps because they are too tiny, existing in a special state within the microscopic realm. After death, these souls lose their physical vessel and naturally return to this microscopic sea of souls before us."

"Exactly! The human soul is born in the womb. It must be smaller than the fetus itself, otherwise how could it be contained?"

Someone questioned, "Are we truly on a microscopic level of Earth? Is Earth the underworld where all living souls in the universe return? I think that at this microscopic level, Earth's material state no longer exists. We might... no longer be on Earth."

"Or perhaps we've arrived at a unique dimension completely separate from the macroscopic universe. We might truly be unable to return!"

The three words, "cannot return," brought immense despair.

It implied an uncertain future and unpredictable fates, and the atmosphere became oppressive.

Fierce souls continued to howl in the sea, and strange, thunder-like cries echoed from the deep ocean in the distance, unsettling everyone. They wondered if demons inhabited this sea of souls.

As the bronze ship sailed on, more fierce souls, like moths to a flame, tried to leap onto the deck, but all met their demise.

The power protecting the bronze ship was formidable; the souls could not breach it.

This was the only thing that provided temporary peace of mind.

Amidst the gloom and anxiety, there were naturally some optimists.

Gao Huan, his hand wrapped in a white bandage, stood at the very front of the bow and exclaimed excitedly, "I told you we must have fallen into the underworld from the Arctic Ocean, now do you believe me? The Arctic Ocean is the ancient North Sea! You know, a Kunpeng several thousand *li* in size couldn't move freely in the Arctic Ocean, but in this boundless sea of souls before us, it should be able to turn the world upside down, right?"

"Also, do you know why there's a saying about the 'first seven days' after someone dies? Because after seven days, the soul can no longer return! The journey from Earth to the sea of souls takes exactly seven days."

A brilliant third-year postgraduate student, yet incredibly superstitious, filled with myths and conjectures. Previously, everyone would have secretly laughed at him, but now, with their scientific beliefs shattered, they could only, like him, rely on wild guesses to explain everything before them.

Li Weiyi had no interest in their baseless conjectures. He adopted a "when in Rome" attitude. After cultivating extraordinary abilities, he was no longer as lost and bewildered as when he first awoke.

Life now had a goal to pursue, motivation, aspiration, and a direction for effort and progress.

Cultivating the extraordinary.

Further extraordinary advancements.

He wanted to know how powerful one could become at the pinnacle of the extraordinary. Could one fly and burrow, move mountains, and command stars, just like in myths and legends?

Even if they had truly arrived in the underworld, the ghostly wilderness... what of it?

He and Cai Yutong took the two elderly professors, who had been injured in the stampede, to the medical tent for examination and treatment.

At this point, the bronze ship was very close to the stone peak monument rising from the sea, only a few kilometers away.

One of the elderly professors, who had injured his leg, wiped his glasses and finally made out the four characters on it. He exclaimed in surprise, "These characters are completely different from the inscriptions on the bronze ship. They greatly resemble oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions, sharing a common origin with Chinese characters."

Although not professionals, both were enthusiasts of ancient scripts and had been studying and attempting to decipher the inscriptions on the bronze ship for several days.

The other elderly professor, pale-faced from a chest injury, was being supported by Li Weiyi. He gazed at the stone peak monument for a moment and said, "It's even earlier than the period of oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions. The evolution of characters leaves traces, so it should be possible to decipher them."

The professor with the leg injury said, "I think they're somewhat similar to the characters on the 'Cang Sheng Bird-Track Script Stele' and might date back to the same period."

The 'Cang Sheng Bird-Track Script Stele' contains twenty-eight bird-track characters, said to be the original forms of pictographic characters created by Cangjie, the ancestor of civilization.

Li Weiyi felt a shock. "These four carvings share a common origin with Chinese characters? Does that mean ancient Chinese people reached this place in the distant past?"

"Probably... Let's decipher them first and see what four characters are carved."

The two elderly professors were extremely interested in the characters and didn't rush to examine their injuries. Instead, they each pulled out ancient texts, pens, and notebooks from their bags, earnestly discussing and researching.

Before long, they reached a conclusion.

They wrote four characters in their notebooks: "Chi Xian Gu Dao."

"Chi Xian Gu Dao!"

Many people gathered around, all perplexed.

How could a stone peak monument in the middle of the sea have such inexplicable characters carved on it?

With its sails fully unfurled, the bronze ship, as swift as a galloping horse, had reached the base of the stone peak monument. Observing it up close, they felt even more clearly the grand and imposing pressure emanating from the monument.

It had stood in this vast sea of souls for countless years, impossibly tall and eternal, with treacherous, steep sides that even monkeys or cranes would struggle to cross. Such a perfectly cut stone peak shouldn't naturally exist in the sea; perhaps a powerful being brought it here.

The four characters carved upon it looked as if they had been chiseled by a divine axe and a celestial blade, each stroke resembling a crack in the earth.

The elderly professor with the leg injury put away his pen and brown leather notebook, saying, "'Chi Xian' (赤县) does not refer to the 'county' (县) as you might understand it, as in a city or county!"

"Regarding Chi Xian, the earliest record is in the 'Biographies of Mencius and Xunzi' from the *Records of the Grand Historian*, where Zou Yan referred to ancient China as 'Chi Xian Shen Zhou' (赤县神州)."

"Legend says that in ancient times, the land ruled by Emperor Yan was called Chi Xian, and the land ruled by the Yellow Emperor was called Shen Zhou. Ancient China, known as 'Chi Xian Shen Zhou,' got its name from this."

Gao Huan exclaimed, "So, 'Chi Xian Gu Dao' means the path leading to 'Chi Xian Shen Zhou'? The way back to Earth?"

Li Weiyi looked back. The stone peak monument with "Chi Xian Gu Dao" carved on it was receding into the distance. Further away, lead-black ominous clouds shrouded the sky and the sea horizon. The sea of souls seemed to break off there, and no light could penetrate.

The bronze ship had emerged from those black ominous clouds.

Li Weiyi said, "With this stone peak monument, wanderers who fall into the sea of souls will be able to find their way home in the future. 'Chi Xian Gu Dao' must be the path the bronze ship has traveled for these seven days. Many secrets currently unknown to us must be hidden within those ominous clouds."

He recalled the image of Jiuying being captured by a golden giant claw from within the ominous clouds, a sight that still deeply shocked him every time he thought about it.

"It's a pity the bronze ship isn't under our control. If it turned around, perhaps we could return to Earth," Director Yang said meaningfully, his gaze falling upon Li Weiyi.

Li Weiyi took the two professors to the medical tent, and soon after, Zhao Meng arrived.

"Come with me."

Zhao Meng, his rifle still in hand, pulled Li Weiyi to a secluded grave mound, his expression grave the entire way.

Seeing no one around, Zhao Meng spoke with extreme seriousness, "Now that the ominous clouds have dispersed, everyone's illusion of returning to Earth is shattered. This means that the greatest restraint—the law—has completely vanished, and some restless individuals will no longer have any scruples. I predict that chaos will soon erupt on the ship. Weiyi, you must remember every word I say next very carefully."

"First, you're too severely injured. During the chaos, I might not be able to protect you. Tonight, after everyone is asleep, gather some extra food, then find a grave mound deep in the tomb forest and shallowly bury yourself and the food there. Make sure you're well hidden. Oh, and don't go near the nine-story command tower; it's very dangerous over there."

"Second, I buried the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish and the Yellow Dragon Sword in the grave mound where you first landed on the bronze ship. There's a string of white bone wind chimes hanging from the tombstone in front of it; look carefully, it's easy to spot."

"Third, I don't know when this unrest will erupt, nor how many people are plotting in the dark. So, even though I've united a group of brothers and made some arrangements, there's really no chance of winning."

Zhao Meng gripped Li Weiyi's right shoulder, his eyes intense and complex. "Three days! We'll set a three-day limit. Within these three days, no matter what sounds or commotion you hear, do not come out, even if they threaten my life."

"After three days, I'll come to the tomb forest to find you and call your name. That will mean the situation is under my control."

"If, after three days, you don't hear me calling you, it means I'm dead! At that point, you should know that the situation is extremely dire... But no matter how difficult your circumstances become, you must understand that you absolutely cannot hand over the Dao Ancestor Yin-Yang Fish. If you do, you're dead!"

"And, trust no one. Without the restraints of law and morality, people have no bottom line when faced with survival, profit, and desire. Morality, shame, and dignity might become worthless. In the face of torture, even the toughest person can't guarantee they'll endure."

Li Weiyi felt his senior brother's concern and worry. "Is that why you're making this three-day pact with me beforehand, Senior Brother? Are you worried about falling into their hands and not being able to withstand torture?"

"Who can guarantee they'd endure torture without experiencing it? If it truly comes to that, having this three-day agreement at least gives me a buffer in my mind," Zhao Meng said with a bitter smile.

Li Weiyi hesitated, considering whether to tell him now that his injuries had healed and he had cultivated the extraordinary abilities his master spoke of.

His senior brother was, of course, trustworthy.

However, the people around his senior brother might not be trustworthy; otherwise, he wouldn't have said, "trust no one."

Ultimately, Li Weiyi decided to keep it a secret for now, believing he could then become a surprise asset for his senior brother.

"Brother Meng, Brother Meng, the backup generator has been repaired! Haha!"

Chen Hong, covered in oil stains, ran over quickly, gesticulating wildly with ecstatic joy.

He was a technician responsible for equipment operation on the scientific research vessel, personally interviewed and recruited by Zhao Meng—in other words, Zhao Meng's absolute confidant. Li Weiyi was familiar with him, having met him several times.

The two stopped their private conversation.

Li Weiyi's face lit up. "With electricity, does that mean the freezer can be reactivated?"

"Of course! This temporarily solves our biggest crisis. We have enough food on board to last us at least a few more months," Chen Hong said, beaming with a sunny and optimistic demeanor.

For the past few days, Zhao Meng had been leading efforts to repair the freezer and generator. This was the only way to fundamentally prevent conflicts from erupting due to food shortages.

"Come on, take me to see."

Much of the gloom in Zhao Meng's heart dissipated, and he was in a much better mood. He hurried with Chen Hong towards the overturned, broken scientific research vessel.

Li Weiyi watched their retreating figures, a smile appearing on his face. "This world never lacks those who build civilization. Even in the most difficult circumstances, there are always people mending things."

Civilization and morality were born precisely to restrain human nature and allow humanity to progress further, unlike in primitive times where people slaughtered each other, enslaved the weak, and resorted to cannibalism.

Facing adversity,

kind and brave individuals often choose civilized methods to salvage their shared home, counteracting the destruction caused by primitive human nature. Examples include Cai Yutong, who cultivates and plants, and Zhao Meng, who repairs the generator.

Self-serving and ambitious individuals, driven by primitive human nature, mostly choose to trample on civilization rather than build it.

Ordinary people can only follow.

Li Weiyi walked alone into the eerie tombstone forest in the sea of graves, deciding to first retrieve the Yellow Dragon Sword and the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish.