"Indeed, everyone's ultimate pursuit is immortality."
Hu Bayi murmured, as if understanding certain truths.
Zhang Tian, however, shook his head.
"That's not entirely accurate. Immortality is only sought by the wealthy or powerful. For most ordinary people, a few decades is plenty."
Zhang Tian's voice carried.
He saw things with remarkable clarity; immortality wasn't for everyone.
Yet, it was a pursuit for many.
Hu Bayi nodded slightly.
"You're right, boss. No wonder emperors and ministers craved longevity, wanting to prolong their exploitation."
Hu Bayi's quick deduction stunned Zhang Tian.
"Old Hu, your comprehension is impressive."
Zhang Tian gave a thumbs-up.
Hu Bayi touched his cheek and smiled, saying no more.
Zhang Qilin gazed at the island, his expression unchanged.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from afar, breaking Zhang Qilin's silence.
"Boss, the boat is here."
"Damn it, some guys opposed Fatty's requisition just now, forcing Fatty to toss them into the sea."
"This is a contribution to Fatty's cause, and these ungrateful wretches resisted."
Fatty, carrying a wooden boat in one hand, grumbled incessantly.
Zhang Tian glanced in the distance. Indeed, several armed men had been thrown into the sea by Fatty.
Zhang Tian's forehead creased. Couldn't this guy use normal methods?
"Forget it, as long as we have a boat."
Zhang Tian immediately gave up on trying to teach Fatty a lesson. Getting a boat was already a great feat.
The surrounding people, however, were terrified by Fatty's actions and scurried away.
Zhang Tian then drove the off-road vehicle to a hidden spot and stored it in his spatial dimension before approaching the wooden boat.
The boat was a type commonly used by the Japanese during World War II.
It was small, only seating a few people, with a motor control lever at the stern.
"Boss, Fatty sits at the front."
Fatty declared, quickly taking a seat at the bow.
The small wooden boat, already tiny, sank by half its depth when Fatty sat down.
Zhang Tian swallowed. Would this vessel sink if all six of them were to board?
"Ban Yue brother, you take the stern and handle the engine."
Zhang Tian could only make do with this arrangement for now.
Fatty took up a corner, followed by Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin, who then boarded the wooden boat.
As the engine roared to life, the wooden boat smoothly headed towards the island.
The unfortunate souls tossed into the sea could only watch as their boat was stolen.
"Boss, this boat is a piece of junk. It's only an inch from being submerged."
Fatty stared at the sea. The entire boat was perilously close to capsizing.
"This is a common type of vessel from the war period in the Fuji nation. Small in size, it can carry four to six people, suitable for sea infiltration."
"We might be too many."
Wu Tianzhen spoke from the side.
He touched the sea's surface, his mood lifting considerably.
"Indeed, this is a small infiltration craft, also known as a suicide attack boat,"
Hu Bayi chimed in, his knowledge extensive.
Zhang Tian didn't engage in their discussion, his gaze fixed on the sea.
As it was nearing noon, the sun's penetration was at its strongest.
Zhang Tian could clearly see about thirty meters into the seabed.
From below, one might see even further.
"If this were also a battlefield remnant, there should be many bodies down there."
Zhang Tian mused. Unwittingly, shadows on the seabed caught his attention.
They were a group of divers, clad in wetsuits, salvaging from the seabed.
"Boss, what are you looking at?"
Fatty, noticing Zhang Tian's lowered head, also looked down.
"Holy cow, a mermaid!"
Fatty exclaimed, looking at the seabed.
Everyone was drawn by his shout and looked.
"Where's a mermaid? Brother Kai Xuan, what are you seeing? Those are clearly clownfish,"
Wang Banyue scoffed.
"Do you think they might discover the location of the tomb?"
Wu Tianzhen voiced his concern.
"I don't know. If there are many of them, it's possible,"
Zhang Tian replied. After all, after the fight, who knew if a door might have been blasted open or something.
"We're almost ashore."
Hu Bayi observed the small island in the distance, his compass spinning.
"We'll head directly towards the dragon's eye position."
Zhang Tian instructed. Having a clear objective would simplify things.
Soon, the small boat docked.
Zhang Tian and his companions proceeded directly towards the dragon's eye.
The path was lined with treasure hunters carrying backpacks.
At a glance, there were dozens of them.
This was normal, however, in economically depressed areas.
The four surrounding islands were large, each spanning at least a hundred meters.
They formed a circle.
"Each island is a pass, and every pass strikes at a vital point. Each of these islands is like a checkpoint, and only by passing these checkpoints can we hope to see the true tomb."
Hu Bayi murmured, holding his compass.
"Then, Brother Hu, how do we pass these checkpoints?"
Wu Tianzhen asked curiously.
This was his first truly serious foray into grave robbing.
The previous tomb of the Divine Emperor was merely a game.
There was no skill involved.
"The checkpoint isn't the island itself, but what lies beneath. I suspect this tomb has four layers!"
Hu Bayi declared, his expression grave as he surveyed the island's layout.
"Comrade Hu, you mean this entire island, so vast, is the tomb chamber? How is that possible! Connecting these five islands spans over a thousand meters."
Wang Banyue exclaimed in shock.
If this were truly on such a grand scale, it would be an unparalleled tomb.
"It's highly probable, and the checkpoint must be on a specific island, or beneath a certain island!"
Hu Bayi continued as they walked.
"Old Hu, which island do you think the tomb door is on?"
Zhang Tian observed for a while. He had some ideas, but still wanted to discuss them with Hu Bayi.
"I believe the tomb door is most likely on the island that has sunk into the sea, or that unnamed island."
"If, as you suggested, boss, the tomb's owner wanted to achieve rebirth, the tomb door would likely be on the island in the center of the constellations."
"And according to feng shui, a dragon entering the sea is more favorable,"
Hu Bayi explained.
His deductions were highly convincing.
Zhang Tian nodded. His thoughts were almost identical to Hu Bayi's.
"If I'm not mistaken, the tomb door should be under the island adjacent to Baihu and Zhuque, as the island where the dragon enters the sea would likely be the main tomb chamber."
"That island is designed too intricately; it definitely wouldn't be the location of the door."
Zhang Tian's face was serious.
If a door could be designed with such complexity, capable of altering the feng shui in times of disaster, then Zhang Tian would have nothing more to say.
He would simply have to admit that Xu Fu possessed the wealth and resources.
However, it was highly unlikely, as such a layout was resource-intensive and typically signified the main tomb chamber.
"Then let's head to that island first. If it's not there, we can come back,"
Fatty suggested, striding ahead.
Zhang Tian touched his forehead. This guy was too eager.
Zhang Tian's peripheral vision caught Zhang Qilin.
To Zhang Tian's surprise, Zhang Qilin had also unconsciously quickened his pace.
"Did he discover something?"
Zhang Tian's heart skipped a beat. For Zhang Qilin to accelerate his pace, something truly significant must have happened!