Blue Star.
Mount Tai Huang.
The scorching sun blazed down upon the mountain, bringing an infernal heat. The ground on the surface was burned, and beneath it, the situation was even worse.
An archaeologist, equipped with safety gear and wearing a breathing apparatus over his nose, was sweating profusely, with perspiration streaming down his face.
Running a gloved hand across his face, he wiped away the sweat with the black fabric and continued descending the stone steps.
In his vision, the only light he had came from his helmet—a lamp mounted on top of his head that illuminated the darkness of that tomb, whose entrance was hidden at the peak of the mountain.
It had been discovered a year ago by adventurers. Since then, several archaeologists had come to study it. However, none of them had managed to descend beyond two hundred meters, for the deeper they went, the more suffocating it became, leaving anyone with irregular breathing and, consequently, leading to death due to the lack of proper filtration in the lungs.
To solve this problem, they developed a serum that maintained stable breathing for an entire day.
The first to test it was the nineteen-year-old aspiring archaeologist, Lu Yan—also the son of one of the world's greatest archaeologists. His mission was to descend as far as possible within twelve hours and then return to the surface.
After two hours, aside from sweating, young Lu Yan showed no issues. In his report, he could describe only one thing up to that moment:
Endless steps.
Stopping to rest, Lu Yan took out his camera and began photographing the site. Then, he observed whether there were any differences between those steps and the ones above, noting that the deeper he went, the more resistant the staircase became and the more intense its black coloration grew.
Which was strange.
Usually, things buried underground turn to dust over time and completely merge with the soil.
For a tomb thousands of years old to have increasingly intact steps at greater depths was a mystery yet to be unraveled.
"Interesting."
Lu Yan's eyes gleamed at the unknown before him.
As an aspiring archaeologist, what fascinated him most was exploring what humanity had yet to discover.
Even if it led him directly to death, he did not care—as long as he could witness something unique.
Taking two hundred milliliters of water in a single gulp, he stored the bottle in his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. Then, he continued descending deeper.
After eight hours of descent, reaching one thousand meters below ground, under the dim light, Lu Yan noticed that the walls—previously made of earth—had become lined with a white, rectangular material resembling adobe. The stairs were made of the same material.
"What is this tomb?"
Doubts hammered at Lu Yan's mind. He immediately took out a tablet and turned it on. Unlocking the screen, he opened a report application and recorded everything he had seen so far. He also took photos with his camera and sent them to the tablet, transmitting them in real time to his superiors.
The tablet he used was one of the latest technological models, capable of sending signals even underground and withstanding the intense heat without suffering damage.
Putting it away, Lu Yan ate some dried meat to satisfy his hunger and continued descending further. After another three hundred meters, he finally saw the end of the staircase, causing his heart to race like a missile in that instant.
Anxious, he widened his eyes, attentive to every detail. At first, he saw nothing but a white floor. But as he stepped into that area, he froze.
Before him stood four enormous golden pillars and a ceiling impossible to discern with the naked eye. But what truly shocked him was the statue: a marble figure depicting a man with long hair, in a heroic pose, holding a spear in his left hand and a bronze pot in his right.
However… the pot wasn't marble.
It was real.
An artifact.
And that realization left him completely stunned.
"I-is this the purpose of this tomb? To guard this bronze pot? But how did they preserve this place for thousands of years? And who is that man? A fictional character or someone who truly walked these lands?"
Lu Yan's mind worked nonstop, trying to unravel the mystery. But no matter how much he thought, he reached no conclusion.
Taking out his tablet, he still did not report what he had seen. Instead, he opened Wikipedia and scanned the marble figure to check whether any historical figure matched it.
[Searching]
[1 result found]
[This image depicts the ancient era, during the unification of the six states. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang, at the end of his reign, in search of eternal life, entered a mysterious land. After his return, this was the image shown to his people, also considered his last appearance before disappearing during a tribulation.]
"Qin Shi Huang?" Lu Yan was overcome with disbelief, yet he looked once more at the marble statue.
At that second glance, he felt his mind invaded by the image of a man with long black hair, wielding a spear and hurling it toward the heavens.
A silver blur tore through the air and, with the speed of lightning, struck the dark clouds, destroying them without a trace.
After the scene, Lu Yan snapped back to reality.
"Incredible."
That was his first thought in the face of such vast power beyond human comprehension.
"Wait, that's not what I should be thinking right now."
With a slight shake of his head, Lu Yan brought his hand to his chin.
"Is the immortal legend of Qin Shi Huang real?"
Qin Shi Huang was real. In history, he is known as the unifier of the six states and the first Emperor of a unified China. However, his search for immortality is not confirmed by historical records.
But…
Lu Yan, who had witnessed such a vivid memory upon looking at the statue, felt that things were not so simple. He was not insane, nor did he possess such an advanced imagination. The only explanation for that was the statue itself.
"Retreat?"
The correct choice would be to leave this to true specialists. But Lu Yan did not want to.
He felt that this was his opportunity to witness something unprecedented—and to become more than an ordinary human. In this life, he had an overwhelming certainty: he would never have another chance like this.
"To hell with it! I'm an archaeologist too! Even if it's selfish of me, I don't care! Today, I will uncover this Tai Huang Tomb!"
With a burning gaze blazing like flames, Lu Yan lifted his feet and walked toward the statue, deciding to begin his investigation with the bronze pot—the most mysterious object in that place.
As he approached, he extended his hands toward the artifact. But the moment his fingers touched its cold, rigid surface…
Something changed.