"Professor Li, what's before us should be a thousand-year-old stone ox statue."
"Incredible, so many stone oxen arranged so neatly, like a staircase."
Xiao Guang looked at the scene with a sense of awe.
"Judging by the age of the stone, these statues should be two thousand years old."
"Ancient texts record that stone oxen represent the heavens, and a path formed by stone oxen signifies the Great Way to Heaven."
"Such a path usually only exists in one scenario: when burying a tomb," Professor Li's hoarse voice echoed.
The expert team was in better spirits now, thanks to Kongque helping them escape and providing some food.
"Excellent, that means we've finally come to the right place!" Xiao Guang exclaimed excitedly.
The others were also overjoyed.
"Professor Li, Kongque told us to hurry. If we linger here, could it be..." one of the archaeology team members asked.
"These stone statues hold unique value. Let's study them briefly, or at the very least, take some photos," Professor Li replied. "If something unforeseen happens when we return, it would be troublesome."
He repeatedly touched the head of a nearby ox statue. The characteristic coldness of the stone sent a shiver through him.
Piles of stones were neatly arranged before them, appearing somewhat mystical in the darkness.
"What is this?" Suddenly, Professor Li seemed to discover something. His hand inadvertently landed on one of the ox's horns.
As the horn turned, the surrounding ox heads suddenly opened their mouths, and strange black insects crawled out.
This sight startled everyone present. Professor Li froze, his hand recoiled, and he involuntarily took a step back.
"What are these things!" a team member shouted.
"I've seen them in books. They're called Black Rhinoceros Poison Insects!" Professor Li, having calmed down, said with a hoarse voice, looking at the teeming insects crawling out.
"Black Rhinoceros Poison Insects. When these insects bite an animal, they release a unique venom that causes instant death," Professor Li explained, beginning to retreat.
"Professor Li, let's run! If we stay here any longer..." Xiao Guang urged anxiously.
Professor Li nodded. "Let's quickly move further inside! While these insects are highly venomous, I've seen methods to deal with them. Their speed isn't fast, and we can easily escape."
With that, they hurried deeper inside. It was fortunate that Professor Li reacted quickly and had extensive knowledge. Someone unfamiliar might have been bitten by these insects.
As the expert team retreated further, the insects, unable to catch up, burrowed back into the ox heads.
Soon, Zhang Tian and his companions were walking towards the river at the foot of the mountain. Halfway there, Zhang Tian noticed the ox head statues not far away.
"Someone has been here, and they left recently," Zhang Tian stated, looking at the footprints on the ground, without further thought.
Zhang Qilin walked ahead and approached an ox head. He brushed his hand across it, scraping off a small piece of stone.
"Who managed to get here, bypassing those villagers?" Hu Bayi asked.
Zhang Tian shook his head. "It seems they were well-prepared." He then looked at the ox heads.
Zhang Qilin had already opened one of the ox heads. Instantly, a swarm of black insects poured out from within. Zhang Qilin waved his hand and, with a single palm strike, pulverized the group of poisonous insects.
"These are poisonous insects, placed here to guard this area. This should be a small tomb," Zhang Tian deduced, looking at the insects on the ground.
"There's a tomb here?" Fatty looked around, not finding any traces of a burial site.
"Yes, these ox heads form the path to the tomb. However, this tomb is likely just a guardian tomb for a larger one," Zhang Tian nodded, not showing much interest in this small tomb.
"Should we loot this tomb?" Fatty asked.
"No need. Let's first find the tomb deep within," Zhang Tian replied with a shake of his head.
At this moment, the insects began to emerge from the other ox heads. Seeing this, Zhang Tian threw a fire talisman. In an instant, the surrounding insects were engulfed in flames. When the fire subsided, the insects had turned to ashes.
"Let's go," Zhang Tian said, not looking back at the ox heads, and led the way.
"Go left," Hu Bayi said, using his compass to determine their direction. As it was night and the trees were dense, it was difficult to discern their path.
Soon, they reached a small river. Looking at the wide river before them, Zhang Tian and his group felt a pang of frustration. They had no boat, and the river was very wide. Traveling along the riverbank would be much slower than crossing it.
"Fatty, go chop some trees. I'll gather some vines. We'll travel by water," Zhang Tian instructed.
Fatty patted his chest. "Don't worry, boss, Fatty's got this!" he said, and darted off.
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang exchanged a look. "We'll go find vines too," they said, and also walked away.
Zhang Qilin looked around, then at Zhang Tian. "Should we go?" he asked.
Zhang Tian shook his head. "Since Old Hu went, we won't. Let's study the river's course first." Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin sat on the ground. Through the branches, they could see the sky. With knowledge of celestial observation, one could easily determine direction and avoid getting lost. It could also help in locating tombs.
"Holy crap!"
"Ah~"
Suddenly, a voice rang out. Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin jolted, instantly rising and running towards the source of the sound. The voice belonged to Fatty. He had gone to chop trees, had he encountered danger? Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin moved like blurs, appearing as shadows in the night, their forms indistinguishable.
Moments later, Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin reached the source of the sound. They saw a mass of plants tightly enveloping Fatty, and from within the plants, Fatty's voice could be faintly heard.
"Mmm~ so comfortable~"
"So comfortable~" Fatty grunted, his voice remarkably strange.
Zhang Tian was speechless, his forehead covered in dark lines. He and Zhang Qilin had been terrified, thinking something had happened, only for him to be enjoying himself.
"Fatty, what are you doing?" Zhang Tian asked, feeling exasperated.
"Boss, you should try it, this grass feels amazing," Fatty still tried to recommend it to Zhang Tian.
"This is a Mimosa. When attacked, it wraps itself up. The leaves have special tissues that provide a massage-like effect," Shirley Yang's voice also chimed in. Clearly, Hu Bayi had also heard Fatty's groans.
"Let's go, let's go," Zhang Tian waved his hand. The group no longer paid attention to Fatty and moved away from the patch of grass.
Meanwhile, countless experts were also surrounded by similar patches of grass, indulging in their own rest.