Chapter 3, The Strange Screen

After a while, he tore open his tattered clothes, revealing a bruise on his chest that was still oozing blood. His bones should be intact, which was fortunate. He then walked towards the stone bird, using a knife to cut off some larger 'feathers.' He tore a few strips of cloth from his own clothing and tied them around his left arm for support. Looking at his current state, he resembled a person who had just come from battle; he was now essentially in a state of undress.

Nie Mo did not want to die here. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the pain in his left arm and back surge simultaneously. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly heard a sound, something like the monster kicking something. He suddenly thought of his bag and realized it was missing. Inside the bag was a military water bottle. It must have been left where he had been lying earlier, but now it was difficult to discern exactly where. The monster seemed to have stopped moving, as he no longer saw any light. If this continued, even if the monster did not attack him, he would not survive for long. He had to take the initiative. With a mindset of either succeeding or perishing, he began to devise a strategy.

Nie Mo staggered toward the cave entrance, which was pitch black inside. He had no idea what lay within. Turning to glance at the monster, he still felt a lingering fear. He thought it would be better to wait a while before entering the cave. Given the injuries he had sustained, it was already fortunate that he had not died. If he encountered something else, he would certainly be unable to fight back.

Time passed second by second; it may have only been a few minutes, but to Nie Mo, it felt like an eternity. The monster remained silent, and in this pitch-black mountain, he felt for the first time a suffocating atmosphere enveloping him, making it hard to breathe

Am I going to die? The last remnants of Nie Mo's consciousness were struggling. Suddenly, his vision brightened, and he saw the disdainful or hateful gazes from the villagers, as well as the kind and aged face of his grandfather, hearing his earnest teachings. Then, everything went dark again, and he felt as if he had fallen into an endless abyss, suspended in the air and feeling utterly helpless, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered

He glanced around, his gaze falling on the massive stone screen. Although he was reluctant to look at it, it might now be his only hope, for the enormous screen was a standalone structure, appearing to rest perfectly against the walls of the cave on either side. The cave itself was semi-circular in shape, indicating that there was space behind it; however, no matter how he looked, there seemed to be no way for him to reach behind the screen.

As soon as he stepped into the cave entrance, a cool breeze rushed in. Nie Mo dared not to walk too quickly; one reason was his injuries, and the other was that the feathers on his chest could barely illuminate a few meters ahead. Unfamiliar with the environment inside the cave, he found himself in a difficult situation. After walking for a while, he felt the pain in his chest making it somewhat difficult to breathe. He wanted to take a deep breath, but as soon as he exerted himself, a sharp pain shot through him, nearly causing him to gasp for air.

Not long after, he suddenly felt very thirsty. He took out his water bottle and drank all the remaining water in one go. Looking at the empty water bottle, he realized he could not get out; he was truly going to die here. The stifling heat of the cave, combined with his injuries, caused him to start feeling dizzy and nauseous. He pinched his left hand hard with his right hand, hoping the pain would awaken his mind for a moment. He often used this method to stimulate his will to survive.

Nie Mo extracted a short knife from the head of the monster, bringing out some white liquid, which he believed to be the monster's blood. Looking at the knife in his hand, he realized that no other knife would have been able to penetrate; this knife had not even a nick, truly a fine weapon. After picking up his bag, he took out his water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls of water, followed by a few steamed buns, gradually feeling his strength return. He attempted to lift his left hand, but was unable to raise it, indicating a possible injury to the bone, though he was uncertain of the severity. After picking up his bag, he took out his water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls of water, followed by a few steamed buns, gradually feeling his strength return. He attempted to lift his left hand, but was unable to raise it, indicating a possible injury to the bone, though he was uncertain of the severity.

After a long time, Nie Mo finally came to his senses as he gazed at everything before him. He walked towards the massive stone screen, and only when he stood beneath it did he realize just how enormous it was. Standing there, he felt incredibly small. Observing the scenes depicted on the screen from such a close distance was as if he were experiencing them firsthand, causing his heart to race. One of the ferocious beasts suddenly clawed at a person's throat, blood splattering everywhere. He instinctively stepped back, his foot landing on a bone, causing him to fall to the ground. It was so lifelike, he couldn't help but marvel in his heart.

As Nie Mo finally discerned the appearance of the creature, he understood why he had not noticed its presence when he first entered the cave. This monster resembled a gigantic bird made of stone. His short knife was still lodged in the creature's head. The bird was both ugly and bizarre, matching the color of the stone walls from the Western Zhou period, akin to those creatures in nature that use their body colors for camouflage. However, it was unlike typical birds, as its feathers were composed of small stone-like fragments, yet they were not actual stones. His short knife remained embedded in the bird's head, and the creature's grotesque and strange appearance mirrored the hue of the Western Zhou stone walls, resembling those natural beings that rely on their coloration for protection, but it was distinct from ordinary avian species, as its plumage was entirely made up of small stone-like pieces, though not true stones.

He no longer knew what time it was; it felt as if he had become isolated from the world here. Coupled with his recent experiences, he had a sense of having lived once again. After staying in the cave for a while, considering that he did not know how long his flashlight would last and that his left hand could not move, while his right hand needed to hold a knife, he could not also hold the flashlight. Therefore, he cut off the glowing 'feathers' of the stone bird and tied them all to his chest. Once everything was ready, he walked towards the cave entrance. Therefore, he cut off the glowing 'feathers' of the stone bird and tied them all to his chest. Once everything was ready, he walked towards the cave entrance.

Nie Mo finally saw clearly the unfinished steps in front of him. These steps were clearly constructed by someone; who could it be? What could be at the end of these steps? Could it be a massive ancient tomb filled with books? He truly could find no other explanation for it. However, as he was nearing the end of the steps, the scene before him suddenly astonished him, and the source of light in this cave came from it

Nie Mo sat up, panting, momentarily forgetting the fall he had just taken and the pain from his injuries. After calming his emotions, he decided not to look at the screen, as it made him feel very oppressed. His attention had been entirely captured by the massive stone screen before him, and only now did he take a closer look at the enormous cave. It was a standard stone cave, surrounded by tightly packed stone walls. Looking up at the cave ceiling, he saw it was arched, resembling a large pot lid.

Let us tentatively call it the Stone Bird. He named it this way. Now the Stone Bird lies on the ground, its wings spread out to a length of three to four meters. The bright lights emanate from the inner side of these wings; as long as it folds its wings, the light disappears. No wonder it appears and disappears at times. However, he cannot comprehend what the so-called feathers of this Stone Bird are made of, and how they can emit light.

A great stone screen stands a hundred meters away from Nie Mo. The light in this cave emanates from here, where ancient people are depicted battling monsters in a scene that is both intense and brutal. No sound can be heard; the image simply repeats itself. The ground of the entire cave is strewn with numerous white bones, scattered haphazardly, and a chilling aura envelops the space, making what was originally a relatively warm cave feel suddenly cold to Nie Mo.

At this moment, he felt his strength beginning to wane, and his head was slightly dizzy. He shook his head and suddenly stood up, groping in hopes of touching the stone wall. After walking for a while, he heard the sound of water again; it was the place where he had initially stayed. As he touched the stone wall, he felt something was amiss; it was different from the sensation he had encountered before, not as hard, but somewhat soft.

Just as he felt something strange, the stone wall suddenly moved. Nie Mo was taken aback and quickly attempted to retreat in another direction, but it was too late. He was struck in the chest by something resembling stone, and the intense pain caused him to instinctively swing his knife. However, it seemed he had not struck anything at all. He fell to the ground, feeling his consciousness begin to blur, and his hand could no longer grip the knife tightly.

Nie Mo struggled to stand up, feeling a wave of dizziness, nearly collapsing to the ground again, and couldn't help but smile wryly. Suddenly, he wondered why he hadn't seen that stone bird at first. With this thought, Nie Mo looked towards the direction from which the light had emanated when he entered the cave, and a large opening came into view, filling him with ecstatic joy. It seemed that when he entered the cave, the stone bird had blended into the surrounding stone walls with its 'true color,' using its body to block the entrance.

He did not know how much time had passed; it could have been just a few minutes or several hours. However, for Nie Mo, it felt like an eternity. He slowly opened his eyes and was overwhelmed with joy to find that he was still alive. Then he noticed a beam of light in the cave, seemingly right beside him. The rest of the area remained quite dark. He attempted to move his body, but waves of excruciating pain rendered him almost immobile, especially in his chest, which hurt even more than his left arm. He struggled to sit up and was startled to see a massive figure lying in front of him. The rest of the area remained quite dark. He attempted to move his body, but waves of excruciating pain rendered him almost immobile, especially in his chest, which hurt even more than his left arm. He struggled to sit up and was startled to see a massive figure lying in front of him.

He rested for a while, barely mustering the energy to continue moving forward. After walking for a short distance, he stopped, realizing that this way of walking was not feasible, as the range of visibility was too limited. He had no idea what shape or size this cave was. If he simply kept walking straight ahead, what if there was an opening, and that opening could be to his left or right?

Thinking of this, he resolutely descended the long, winding staircase, which spiraled downward. Despite the descent, he did not feel cold; instead, he became increasingly warm, drenched in sweat. After walking for a considerable time, a light gradually appeared before him.

A flicker of light shone, and Nie Mo's consciousness began to gradually awaken, sensing the monster approaching him. The instinct for survival compelled him to grip the knife tightly once more. "Nie Mo, this is your last chance." He closed his eyes tightly, attempting to strike this final blow based on his instincts. He felt the wind; just as the monster was about to attack him, he suddenly jumped up, unsure of where he would strike the monster, and swung down fiercely. After delivering this final blow, he collapsed, completely losing consciousness. He felt the wind; just as the monster was about to attack him, he suddenly jumped up, unsure of where he would strike the monster, and swung down fiercely. After delivering this final blow, he collapsed, completely losing consciousness.

Nie Mo felt a surge of joy in his heart. How could this be? The screen, from any angle, looked like a massive stone block. No need to think too much; after all, there was hope, and that was the most important thing. He tried a few more times, and it was indeed the case, but he still began to worry. After all, he had no idea what lay behind this giant stone screen. What if there was still no exit?

Thus, Nie Mo tried walking to the left and right for a long time. He felt as if he had entered the bottom of a vast pit, akin to being in a labyrinth, unable to find the edges of this hole. Just when he felt quite helpless, a stone step suddenly appeared a few meters in front of him. He did not know what lay below if he descended from here, but for now, it seemed to be his only path.

He decided to wander around, hoping to find a glimmer of hope, but there was nothing but stones and bones. He did not discover any openings or places within. Looking at the bones on the ground, he recalled the dark hole he had fallen into at the beginning, which also contained many corpses. There, the bodies were mummified, while here they were mere white bones. He could not ascertain whether there was any connection between the corpses in these two places, and everything left him perplexed.

Nie Mo contemplated for a while and ultimately decided to take a good look. Upon arriving beneath the massive stone screen, he used a knife to poke at it. To his surprise, the blade sank right in, as if it had been plunged into water, no, it should be more like it had been inserted into air, offering almost no resistance