The wind whipped up sand that rustled against his clothes. Chen Hao looked down at the ground beneath his feet; the once-solid dirt road had suddenly become soft, and the intertwined grass roots gleamed faintly.

He stopped and almost bumped into Susan in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Susan turned around.

"Look over there," Chen Hao said, pointing to his feet.

A clump of low-lying plants grew close to the ground, the edges of their leaves shimmering with a faint blue-green light, as if someone had secretly connected tiny light bulbs to them. When the wind blew, the light swayed gently.

Nana immediately walked over, her eyes lighting up: "Scanning for light source type."

Carl crouched down as well, reaching out to touch it before pulling his hand back: "It's not radiation, nor is it a leaky circuit. This color... looks like bioluminescence."

"Alive?" Chen Hao's eyes widened. "Plants can even light themselves?"

“Some deep-sea creatures can do that,” Carl said, “but this is the first time I’ve seen this phenomenon on land.”

Nana's voice rang out: "Spectral analysis complete. The wavelength is within the visible light range and is harmless. Preliminary assessment indicates it is a symbiotic metabolic luminescence reaction of microorganisms."

"Speak like a human being." Chen Hao frowned.

“It emits light as it breathes,” Carl laughed. “Just like we exhale carbon dioxide, it exhales light.”

Susan frowned and circled around, saying, "Don't touch it too much, in case there's any irritating discharge."

Chen Hao ignored him and carefully extended his finger, hovering it above a leaf for two seconds. The leaf trembled slightly, and the light suddenly brightened.

"Hey!" He pulled his hand back. "It's shy around strangers!"

“It could also be to scare away insects,” Carl stood up, “or to attract pollinators. The fact that a bioluminescence mechanism could evolve in this environment suggests that the food chain here is more complex than we thought.”

"Does that mean—" Chen Hao grinned, "that there might be flying monsters coming up?"

“It could also be a rat,” Susan said coldly, “the kind with a fluorescent tail.”

"That's not bad either," Chen Hao chuckled. "We can catch one tonight and use it as a flashlight."

They continued walking, the ground beneath their feet growing increasingly damp, and a faint earthy smell filling the air. The withered grass on either side was gradually replaced by a type of short vine, which intertwined, each joint emitting a faint light, forming a scene like a galaxy on the ground.

Nana walked and recorded data, and the curves on the screen kept jumping.

"The humidity has risen to 82 percent, and the surface temperature has stabilized at 16 degrees Celsius," she said. "The oxygen content in the air is slightly higher than that around the base."

"No wonder I feel a bit easier to breathe." Chen Hao took a deep breath. "Unlike before, when I had to rest after just a few steps, like I'd aged twenty years."

“You’re only in your early thirties,” Susan said. “And this is your physical fitness?”

"This is my energy-saving mode," Chen Hao argued. "Use it sparingly, and you'll live longer."

The terrain ahead began to change. Several stone pillars suddenly rose from the once flat valley floor, their grayish-white surfaces covered with spiral patterns, as if someone had drawn them in circles with a giant brush. Further ahead, more and more stone pillars appeared, standing densely packed in the mist, resembling a forest of upright bones from a distance.

“This thing isn’t on the map.” Chen Hao stared at the terminal in Nana’s hand.

“The original topographic map did not cover this area,” Nana replied. “We are rebuilding a 3D model.”

Carl looked up and said, "These stones aren't the product of natural weathering. The spiral patterns are too regular, and they all run in the same direction."

"Did they get squeezed out by the earthquake?" Chen Hao asked.

“Low probability.” Nana pulled up the laser ranging results. “The stone pillars are on average twelve meters high, with diameters ranging from 1.5 meters to 4 meters. They have a dense internal structure and are mainly composed of silicates with a small amount of metal oxides mixed in.”

“It sounds like man-made material.” Susan touched the nearest stone pillar. “But there are no cut marks or seams on the surface.”

“It’s more like…it grew out,” Karl said softly.

A gust of wind blew through the stone forest, creating a faint humming sound that rose and fell, like someone whistling in the distance.

"It's giving me a headache," Chen Hao said, covering his ears. "Can we go around it?"

Nana has completed the modeling: "There is a narrow passage on the east side, about 1.8 meters wide, through which one can pass. All other directions are closed."

"Can the animals get across?" Susan asked.

“There are footprints.” Carl pointed to the ground. “They’re about the size of a fox, but with a wider stride. They must often walk this path.”

“Then let’s go.” Chen Hao patted his backpack. “We’re already here, we can’t just go home as soon as we see the gate.”

Susan walked in front, one hand gripping the rock face, the other clutching her pliers. The passage between the stone pillars was winding and narrow, blocked by sunlight, illuminated only by the faint glow of the vines. Chen Hao followed behind, occasionally turning back to make sure the others were still there.

“What if we get lost?” he asked in a low voice.

“No,” Nana said. “I’m marking the path, leaving a signal point every ten meters.”

"Then don't turn off the power," Chen Hao muttered, "otherwise we'll become kebabs in the stone maze."

Finally, we emerged from the stone forest, and a bright and open view appeared before us.

A massive canyon stretched out before us, its bottom unseen. The cliffs on either side rose vertically, their surfaces displaying overlapping stripes of red, purple, and gold, as if someone had overturned a bucket of paint and then forcibly smoothed it out. The wind blew upwards from the valley floor, creating a continuous low-frequency vibration as it passed through the cracks in the rock layers, causing the entire space to resonate subtly.

Chen Hao opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He took a few steps forward, stood on the edge of the cliff and looked down, but could see nothing but a dark void.

"How deep?" He paused, then corrected himself, "I mean, how deep?"

“Laser detection is limited,” Nana said. “The maximum effective range is 300 meters, and we haven’t reached the bottom yet.”

"That means you won't hear a 'thud' when it falls," Chen Hao chuckled dryly.

Carl had already turned on the recorder, taking photos and notes at the same time: "The rock strata contain oxides of iron, manganese, and copper, and the different mineral deposits have created color stratification. This geological structure... shouldn't exist at this latitude."

"What do you mean?" Susan asked.

“That means,” Karl looked up, “that the formation process of this landform does not conform to conventional geological laws. It is either the result of long-term effects of extreme climate, or… it has been interfered with by humans.”

"Who did this?" Chen Hao looked around. "An alien renovation crew?"

No one responded.

The wind picked up, making our clothes stick to our bodies. The humming sound in the canyon grew clearer, its rhythm almost like a heartbeat.

Nana suddenly said, "Low-frequency sound waves were detected, around 18 Hz, which is close to the lower limit of human hearing. Prolonged exposure may cause mild dizziness or unease."

"No wonder I felt a chill down my spine," Chen Hao said, rubbing his temples. "I thought it was because I was hungry."

Susan checked the supplies in her backpack: "There's two-thirds water left, and enough food to last until we head back. If we want to continue, I suggest we find a place to stay first."

“There’s a gentle slope on the south side,” Nana pointed to the right. “The slope is about 35 degrees, and it’s passable.”

Carl closed his notebook: "I want to go down and examine the rock strata. If we can collect samples, we might be able to figure out how this place was formed."

“You’re a scientist, so whatever you say goes.” Chen Hao shrugged. “But I have to warn you, where I’m standing right now is scary enough. If it goes any lower, don’t expect me to carry you up.”

“We know you’re not very fit,” Susan said. “So stay in the middle and don’t wander off.”

The team regrouped and slowly descended the gentle southern slope. The rock surface was rough, making it difficult to slip. The further they went, the stronger the wind became, the low-frequency vibrations almost becoming background noise.

As Chen Hao walked, he looked around and asked, "Do you think it's possible that this place used to be a laboratory? Then it was bombed, the earth's crust deformed, and these things were pushed up?"

“It’s a possibility,” Nana said, “but there’s a lack of evidence to support it.”

"I was just guessing," Chen Hao chuckled. "What if it really is? We might find half of an experiment log with the words 'Warning: Do not awaken the sleeper' written on it."

“Then you’d better shut up.” Susan turned around. “Don’t actually wake anything up.”

"I was just trying to liven things up," Chen Hao explained. "Team morale is very important; look, even Karl is smiling."

Carl's lips did twitch slightly: "He has a point. This kind of place certainly doesn't seem like a purely natural product."

"So?" Chen Hao's eyes lit up. "Someone actually designed it?"

“I don’t know,” Karl said, gazing at the rock face. “But if it is, then their technology is far beyond our comprehension.”

The slope gradually narrowed, and a protruding platform appeared ahead, just large enough for four people to stand on. There was a deep crack at the edge of the platform, and the wind blowing in carried a strange smell, like burnt stone mixed with moss.

Chen Hao squatted by the crack, peeked out, and immediately pulled back: "I can't take it anymore, I'm a little dizzy."

"Don't get too close," Susan said, pulling him back.

Nana was scanning the rock wall when a notification suddenly popped up on the screen.

She said softly, "An abnormal heat source signal has been detected, located about forty meters underground, with a temperature 6.3 degrees Celsius higher than the surrounding area."

"A living thing?" Chen Hao looked up abruptly.

"I'm not sure," Nana replied. "The signal is weak, which may be due to temperature differences caused by the flow of groundwater."

"It could also be a large hand warmer," Chen Hao chuckled dryly.

Carl frowned: "If it's a stable heat source, it means there's a continuous release of energy below. A place like this shouldn't just have rocks and wind."

Susan looked at Chen Hao: "Do you remember what you said?"

Which sentence?

"You said this place doesn't look abandoned, but rather like it was carefully designed."

Chen Hao scratched his head: "I just said it offhand."

“But now it seems,” Susan stared at the crack, “you might be right.”