Inside

The slowly moving vines didn't seem very interested in them. Uchiha Zhuang was standing close by, but they didn't reach for him. Giving up on touching them, Uchiha Zhuang led Persia onward. There were no terrifying monsters like they'd imagined, no bugs like the ones in novels. The two of them reached the end without incident and were greeted by a magnificent sight.

Stars and galaxies filled the sky, shimmering with brilliant colors. A vast, open expanse stretched before them. In the distance, stone houses and caves were scattered in orderly clusters; nearby, imposing arches and pillars towered overhead. Glowing crystals high above cast their light, while winding streets sloped down below. There were benches and tables, pots and pans, street lamps and park benches, fountains and gardens, sculptures, greenbelts, stalls, and little carts. The entire scene looked like an exquisite painting, but it was utterly silent. The two stood speechless for a long time, stunned by the sight before them. Uchiha Zhuang was the first to recover. He decided to explore the place thoroughly, then leave and report back to the so-called "Creator."

"I don't think we'll find any clues about why Balaxia disappeared in ordinary places. We should look at their place of worship or wherever their leader lived." Uchiha Zhuang spoke. Persia answered, "Mm-hmm." After observing the area for a while, the two headed down the winding street. Only when they got closer did Uchiha Zhuang notice that everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. He wiped a finger across a surface, and the dust covered it completely. He rubbed and smelled it; it was no different from ordinary dust. He examined it with his Sharingan, too, and found no difference in its microscopic composition. That settled it: the dust wasn't the cause. They continued downward. After walking for about an hour, the only sound in the vast, empty interior was the patter of their footsteps. Uchiha Zhuang tried to keep quiet, but in the boundless silence, even the faintest sound was magnified and echoed. Persia slowly clung tighter to him. When Uchiha Zhuang asked what was wrong, she replied, "Danger. Near." Uchiha Zhuang immediately spread his Natural Energy as far as he could, searching several hundred meters in every direction.

Even after hiding, Uchiha Zhuang couldn't detect any approaching creature with an energy signature, but Persia was still trembling all over, curled tightly in his arms. Looking at the dust-covered objects in the stone house, Uchiha Zhuang saw that the inhabitants' standard of living had been rather primitive. There were stone beds, stone tables and chairs, and hearths, as well as some unidentified wooden racks that fell apart at the slightest touch. He couldn't tell what they'd been used for. There were also various oxidized metal objects: a mottled bronze mirror, a badly rusted iron frame, and tools so decayed that only the heads of hoes, picks, and shovels remained. A few iron rings and balls that looked like alloy products were not as badly rusted. Seeing them, Uchiha Zhuang marveled at Balaxia's metallurgical skill a thousand years ago. The items had been left in their places naturally, with no sign that the owner had left in a hurry or panic.

As Uchiha Zhuang pondered, he felt a chilling sensation, like being soaked through in icy water at below-freezing temperatures while wearing a padded coat. His hair stood on end, and he shuddered. Something was wrong. His Natural Energy sense detected no danger, but his body was instinctively afraid. The chill drew closer, yet there was no sound or energy fluctuation. Closer, closer... right outside the wall! The two crouched under the windowsill, holding their breath as they stared at the dust-covered ledge. For a moment, Uchiha Zhuang felt the stillness before death. Then, after a long wait, the expected monster never appeared, and the chill gradually faded. Uchiha Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Persia in his arms. Her eyelids were slowly closing, and she was drifting off to sleep. He shook her awake; this was no time to sleep. But she didn't respond. No matter how he shook her, she wouldn't wake. Uchiha Zhuang's heart went cold. They'd already been caught! The monster had found them.

Uchiha Zhuang hoisted Persia onto his back and secured her tightly against him. He kicked open the door, and the sight before him left him stunned: countless eyeballs floated in the air, each connected by thin threads. The instant the door opened, thousands upon thousands of eyes turned toward him. Uchiha Zhuang's whole body stiffened with cold. So these things were the danger. He circulated his chakra and forcibly unleashed Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique! The circling fire dragon roared past, turning every eyeball it touched to ash. Suddenly, a powerful dizziness surged through Uchiha Zhuang's head. With no one to control it, the fire dragon shot straight over the cliff, plunged into the darkness, and vanished. He circulated chakra to steady his mind, then ran downward through the gaping hole in the mass of eyeballs.

The wind howled past his ears, and the chill pursued him relentlessly. Below, all he could see was an endless darkness with no bottom. Carrying Persia on his back, Uchiha Zhuang had truly reached the end of his rope. He'd been running at full speed for over an hour and was beginning to pant, yet the winding street continued without end, and the threat followed close behind. Uchiha Zhuang knew he couldn't keep running; otherwise, he'd collapse from exhaustion and be unable to fight back. He stopped in front of a temple-like building. An old fountain and its sculpture stood dry and long buried beneath dust. Uchiha Zhuang aimed at the fountain and shouted, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" A great cloud of dust billowed up. Caught in the scorching fireball, it surged forward, filling the area dozens of meters ahead with a haze of intense heat. The chill gradually faded. "It has no intelligence. It doesn't avoid death; it only knows to chase its prey. So it's just some kind of puppet being controlled, with someone behind the scenes watching me." Uchiha Zhuang made the deduction with sharp insight.

Panting heavily, Uchiha Zhuang rested his hands on his thighs and took a long while to catch his breath. Not a single eyeball emerged from the haze. He straightened up and slowly made his way toward the temple. Its doors stood open. Inside stood many human sculptures, their faces and expressions indistinct. Most were posed with their limbs waving about, and they ranged in height from a few meters to over a dozen. As Uchiha Zhuang carried Persia along the path between the enormous sculptures, he feared the statues behind him might come to life. In the end, they didn't move. Relieved, Uchiha Zhuang reached the far end and found an altar. On it was a rectangular... coffin!? Uchiha Zhuang surveyed the surroundings. The dark hall contained nothing else, only the coffin on the altar at its center. He climbed three steps and looked at the coffin, which gleamed with golden light even in the darkness. Its surface was adorned with abstract creatures and a sun in relief. Unknown characters were inscribed on the lid. Uchiha Zhuang hesitated, wondering whether to open it. The secret behind Balaxia's fall might be hidden inside. But opening it could also unleash unknown dangers—microbes, germs, bugs, monsters, mummies, and the like. After thinking for a while, Uchiha Zhuang decided to open it. He immediately made shadow clones: two went to open the coffin, two stood by to assist, and two stayed at the back to keep watch on the statues, while Uchiha Zhuang oversaw the whole operation from the middle.