"Could it be that a huge wooden ship is buried beneath the courtyard where we're staying? The building we saw is only the part of the ship above ground, while the rest is buried underground!"
Li Bai's guess was astonishing, but Jiang Cheng quickly refuted it. "I don't think so. This isn't the first time something like this has happened in the city. It can't be that there just happens to be a ship buried underground every time. Besides, you've seen how enormous this ship is. Transporting a vessel this big into the city and burying it deep underground would be a massive undertaking. If they also wanted to keep it secret, it would be nearly impossible."
Jiang Cheng's argument held up, and the fear on Li Bai's face eased somewhat. Gao Yanqing had a short temper. He glared at Jiang Cheng and pressed him. "Then what do you think is going on? Don't keep it to yourself. We're all in this together. If we're going to die here, none of us will get away!"
"I can't figure it out. This place feels far too disconnected from reality, and now isn't the time to discuss it. We should focus on staying alive."
Jiang Cheng didn't even look at Gao Yanqing. While they were talking, the water kept rising. At the same time, a strange, muffled "thump, thump" sounded nearby.
"What... what's that sound?" The fat man's eyes widened as he looked around in terror, as if something monstrous were lurking in the dark lake water around them.
Zhu Jie stretched out her hand, pointing nervously toward the main hall. "It sounds like it's coming from that direction. I... I can't be sure."
Being sure wasn't important now. What mattered was that someone had pointed out a direction. With more and