We looked up and realized that the signal smoke in the distance was gradually thinning. We weren’t sure if something had happened over there or if the smoke ball wasn’t burning long enough. At this rate, the smoke would definitely not last until we arrived.

In the jungle, without the guidance of the signal smoke, we would certainly not be able to reach that place without any navigation. We asked Panzi if he had any ideas. Panzi climbed to the treetops and, using the position of the signal smoke as a central axis, marked a reference point on the compass based on the strange rocks on the cliff edge of the distant basin. He said that as long as we walked towards the key position between these two strange cliff rocks, we would surely pass by the point where the signal smoke was burning. However, the jungle was dense, and even a ten-meter error could cause us to miss it, so we needed to get as close as possible before the smoke extinguished.

We could not delay any longer, so we immediately organized our gear, checked the compass with Panzi, and waded through the swamp towards the direction of the signal smoke.

During the day, it was very easy to navigate through the water area along the edge of the swamp because the water level was high and clear due to rainwater accumulation. We could advance by stepping on the stones at the bottom of the water; where there were no stones, we would swim. In half a smoke’s time, we made it through and reached the true edge of the swamp.

This area was a relatively sparse rainforest, clearly at a higher elevation, with many interconnected “tree clusters” protruding from the water’s surface, resembling giant islands. A large number of rocks were mixed in the mud below this area, and it seemed that the water level was not deep.

However, as we moved further in, we found that the trees in this area quickly became dense. After about two hundred meters, the treetops were so thick that they blocked out the light. The tree roots intertwined with one another, and I had previously thought about making a canoe to avoid the cautious wading, but upon seeing the underwater environment, I realized that a canoe would also struggle to navigate here; we had to go on foot.

As we ventured deeper into the forest, the light became very dim, and soon we were surrounded by terrifying tree roots, entwined with vines, which were covered in green moss, creating a damp atmosphere. The way the vines twisted and spread was overwhelming; in most places, we had to crawl to barely get through, making it feel like we had entered a massive cave filled with trees.

Panzi was cutting through the obstructing vines, and since almost all the trees were connected by numerous roots and vines, we hardly had to wade through the water. It was quite stable to walk on the vines as thick as our thighs.

However, what puzzled us was that in such a dense forest, it was surprisingly quiet. Aside from the sounds of our movements, we couldn’t hear anything else; the silence was almost unsettling.

“The territory of the Queen Mother of the West is indeed eerie,” Fatty remarked as we walked. “Damn, not even a bird is chirping?”

“Not just that; it seems like there’s nothing here at all,” I thought to myself. The silence was truly abnormal, giving me the illusion that we might be the only living beings in this rainforest, apart from the trees.

“Maybe there are too many snakes here, and the birds have all been eaten,” Panzi suggested.

“Impossible. What are those snakes eating now?”

Thinking of those snakes made us all a bit tense, but as we continued on our way, we saw no sign of any snakes, which surprised us.

Tightening our nerves, we pressed on, and soon we spotted some ancient architectural remnants wrapped in trees and protruding above the water’s surface. Due to the passage of time, these broken stones had transformed into various shapes, with numerous vines and moss taking root in the crevices of the structures, wrapping around them completely. It was difficult to discern them in the rainforest; only when we got closer could we truly see them.

These buildings must have belonged to the upper parts of the architecture, which is why they still rose above the water. Since we couldn’t see the submerged parts, we had no idea what the overall shape was like, but from what we could see at the top, they resembled simple towers. There were many of them, varying in height and size, giving the impression of a forest of pagodas, as if they were tombs for monks.

Along the way, we hadn’t seen any remnants of Xiwangmu (the Queen Mother of the West), and now that we finally had, I felt a sense of relief. I had previously imagined that perhaps we had taken a wrong turn, as there were no signs at the mouth of the canyon indicating “Xiwangmu City, 2 kilometers ahead; mobile signal coverage has been established.” If we entered and found nothing inside, it would have been quite a joke.

We didn’t have time to stop and examine these ruins, quickly delving deeper into the area. Although I subjectively didn’t want to study them, the winding path we were on occasionally led us over these relics. I noticed that despite having endured for a thousand years, these remnants were incredibly solid and sturdy. Strangely, all these “towers” had numerous square holes, clearly made during their construction.

The square holes were neither too big nor too small; a person couldn’t pass through, but anything smaller than a person posed no problem. The chubby guy found it strange and instinctively shone his mining lamp inside as we passed by, but saw nothing except for the sound of water below. I wondered where it led.

Panzi had no time to pay attention to these things and urged us to move quickly. The chubby guy understood the urgency and could only take a cursory glance before following along.

The absolute area of this valley wasn’t very large. As we ventured further in, the silt underwater noticeably decreased, revealing various ancient relics very clearly, creating a bizarre yet spectacular scene. The water was only about two or three meters deep, and countless broken stones and flourishing tree roots intertwined beneath the surface, making me feel as if there was just a thin layer of water separating us from another world.

It was only at this moment that I felt as though I had entered an ancient city. Looking at these remnants, I could faintly imagine how prosperous it must have been here in the past. However, time had passed, and even the city of a goddess had finally returned to dust.

As I pondered this, the flow of water beneath my feet suddenly changed, indicating a steep slope ahead. We became cautious; the dense trees made it easy to slip and fall, which could lead to serious injury.

After a few more steps, we rounded a large tree, and the chubby guy suddenly exclaimed. We saw a gigantic monstrous face appear in the dense forest to our left front, less than ten meters away, as large as the front of a truck, with a green, mottled face, large eyes, and a high nose, resembling the human-faced bird stone carvings we had seen at the canyon’s entrance. It was a massive stone sculpture wrapped in moss and climbing plants.

The fat man turned on the mining lamp and shone it over. The stone sculpture’s body was submerged in the swamp, leaving only the head, which blended seamlessly with the dense forest. The bird-like figure in the water adopted a very strange crouching posture, as if it were about to suddenly spread its wings, reminiscent of a feline preparing to pounce. Below the stone sculpture, some oddly shaped dark shadows could be seen underwater, hinting at what might have sunk there.

We exchanged glances, recalling our earlier thoughts. If the human-faced bird statue outside the canyon signified that outsiders had entered the territory of the Queen Mother of the West, then what did the appearance of this massive human-faced bird stone sculpture represent? Could it be an even more serious warning?

I instinctively glanced at the sea of trees behind the statue, wondering if there was some enormous danger lurking in the area beyond this stone sculpture, waiting for us unwelcome guests.