Chapter 55: Re-submergence

  The time we walked wasn't long, and I felt the stinging in my eyes had eased a bit. Ever since closing them, the pain had been constantly transmitted, but I just endured it without saying anything. Following them as they stumbled forward, here there was no longer any concept of east, west, north or south, only feeling that walking forward would lead to finding an exit.

  I barely opened my eyes, and fortunately, the clear image remained. I was afraid that the side effects would blind me, which would be a loss. In front of us three people is a square stone pedestal, about ten meters long and short, like a drawer pulled out from the wall, and water flows out from under it. I walked closer to take a look, and the corners around are not smooth, so it should not be man-made. Could it still be the result of tectonic movement?

  I jumped up and saw that the surface was filled with water, clear to the bottom. I scooped some up with my hand and it felt a bit chilly. I came back to the junction of the pool and the wall, and reached in to investigate. Sure enough, the stone pedestal only protruded out partially, and there was still space extending inward. The only difficulty was that we would have to dive underwater again - no one knew how long this waterway was, and holding our breath wouldn't get us very far. Now it was like we were traversing underground, with no idea if there would be any gaps in the middle where we could lift our heads for air. The endless unknowns troubled us, yet didn't allow us to rest even a little, because behind us there was still 'Lei Zhengzi' waiting for an opportunity to strike back. We had no choice but to keep going.

  "I'll go first, I love being the vanguard." It was Pengpeng again, he seemed to have endless energy.

  "I'll go first, I'm a better swimmer. And I can still see the road inside. The backpack strap is still there, use it to tie my feet and follow behind me, with the coffin in the back. If something happens, I'll pull on the strap, if you don't feel me, I can also signal to the coffin, try to swim out together."

  "This is the best method for now, it's all my fault for not thinking that I would encounter these things. Originally, that book "Ancient and Modern Secret Places" didn't record these at all, it simply said that the tower would fall due to earthquakes, so I didn't prepare the corresponding equipment. Nothing in life is absolute, heaven plays tricks on people."

  "Let's save our sighs of relief for when we get out of here. We need to hurry, who knows when he'll be back," I said.

  I've also heard of the "Ancient and Modern Secret Places Gazette" mentioned by the coffin. I think I saw it somewhere when I was young, probably in a museum. The gazette records many mysterious and unidentifiable tombs that are neither cemeteries nor ancient ruins, just like this strange tower in front of us, which can't be explained whether it's a tower or a tomb for a mortal. Speaking of mortals, I remembered the ancient book I picked up beside his skeleton when I was about to leave. Due to the danger and urgency of the situation, I didn't have time to take it out and look at it. Will it record everything that happened here?

  Only when I dove into the water did I feel how icy and bone-chilling it was, as if I had fallen into an ice pit. Taking a deep breath, I counted 1, 2, 3 in my heart, then put my head underwater. Fortunately, the water didn't obstruct my vision, and the path ahead was still clear to see; there were passageways within the walls connected to the stone pier, and I slowly swam forward, maintaining a stable movement so that the air in my chest would last longer. Before long, I felt the flow of the water, and PongPong must have also come in.

  This waterway is not spacious, only one person can enter and exit. It's very difficult to turn around inside. To save energy, I use both hands to support the stone walls on both sides and slide forward. Estimating the distance, the coffin should have come in too, but the road ahead has not yet reached its end, and my breath is already half gone.

  Suddenly, the water surged and I slid backwards violently, completely beyond my control. It was as if something was pulling us outwards. I thought to myself, "This is not good, that Lei Zhengzi must have arrived." Just as I was thinking this, the force disappeared and a voice echoed in my mind, "Hurry up and leave." This was coming from the coffin, but it only said this one sentence and then stopped. I felt Pengpeng untying the ropes on his hands, preparing to go rescue him. I also wanted to return and fight alongside him, but the coffin's words 'hurry up and leave' kept swirling in my mind. If I went back, the three of us might not make it out alive. The coffin was an old hand and should be able to avoid this danger, so I decided to be a coward just this once.

  I didn't wait for Peng to untie the rope, I accelerated my speed, now racing against time, taking Peng away from here. The coffin will meet us again, didn't it disappear and reunite with me several times before? This time I believe in him. With a newfound conviction, this breath seemed to be held for an especially long time. Before long, a slide-like inclined plane appeared in front of me, and with a sudden lunge forward, I felt a massive force pulling me down at high speed, Peng was also pulled by this power.