Chapter 4: Genesis

　　Section 1: Whale in a Sea of Clouds　　A beam of bloody light shot forth, tearing open a stone wall. Following the expedition team, I returned to the "Path of Shadows" and stepped once more into that world of swirling snow.　　"Snow? In this damned place?" A natural stone bridge pierced through the clouds, spanning a bottomless chasm. Goose-feather snowflakes fell from the sky, leaving Ji An dumbfounded.　　"Professor, this damned place... what's going on?"　　I turned to see Xiaocheng, frowning deeply, about to walk through my phantom-like form.　　"I think it must be a 'microclimate'!" Sister Molly had her hat brim pulled down low; I couldn't even see her glasses.　　"Microclimate?" Xiaocheng repeated softly, his gaze never leaving Sister Molly's face.　　"This space is enormous. If there's an ice sheet above, geothermal heat below, and moisture and condensation nuclei in between, it could form a self-sustaining weather system that produces continuous snowfall."　　This familiar dialogue inevitably reminded me of that painful experience. To find a way out in that sunless secret path, Feng Shao, Teacher Dan, and I had to carefully part the layers of fog, supporting each other as we groped our way slowly towards the unknown ahead. On that perilous journey, none of us knew what the next second would bring. Compared to us back then, Sister Molly at least had a clear objective—the Time Well.　　"Sister Molly, where are you? Can you hear me?" I tried once more to reach her.　　Yet, my mind remained quiet, awaiting an echo that never came.　　"Ai..." I watched her retreating back, feeling utterly helpless.　　Thinking back on recent times, I've been constantly running around. Whether it was the ancient ruins deep in the Qinling Mountains or the "Cloud Palace" of the Meili Snow Mountains, each expedition could be described as a brush with death. Fortunately, there are many "exceptional individuals" involved in the Spine Project, and in critical moments, Sister Molly stepped in to help. That's how someone like me, who often lagged behind, repeatedly escaped danger and clung to life...　　After several operations, the knowledge Sister Molly