In Egyptian mythology, the sun has always occupied the most important position, with the Sun God Ra being the most important among Egypt's Nine Pillar Gods.
Even later, as royal power shifted, Ra merged with many other deities, becoming more unique in image, and his divine authority covered an increasingly broad range.
Ra even had different incarnations at various stages: Ra-Harakhte at Dawn, Khepri at Sunrise, and Khnum at Sunset, each bearing a different name and a distinct image.
However, one aspect of Ra's image, regardless of its transformation, has never changed: during the day, Ra would navigate the Boat of Millions of Years along the Nile River, bringing light, happiness, and tranquility to Upper and Lower Egypt, while at night, Ra would steer the second Solar Boat Mesektet into the Nether River, passing through the twelve realms of Duat in Egyptian mythology.
When Ra enters the Netherworld, he faces various threats and enemies alongside other deities, leaving the human world without his protection, allowing the dead to resurrect at night.
The most famous story among these is how Osiris, after being cut into fourteen pieces by his brother, was found again by his wife and wrapped in bandages to be resurrected, becoming Egypt's first mummy.
In this story, Isis was able to retrieve only thirteen pieces of Osiris's body, as the piece representing his reproductive organ was eaten by fish in the Nile River.
At the same time, Osiris's resurrection lasted only one night, and when the sunlight of the Sun God Ra shone upon the land of Egypt again, it indicated not only Ra's rebirth from the Netherworld but also meant that all things unfit to remain in the human world would return to the realm of the dead.
Yet, during this one night, Osiris and Isis gave birth to the god of vengeance, Horus, the guardian of the Pharaoh.
Thus, Chen Yu had a reason for instructing the archaeology team not to excavate recklessly at night; during the day, all of Egypt is enveloped under Ra's Divine Power, suppressing the things belonging to the underworld.
But at night, when the sun's glory is absent, things of darkness begin to stir restlessly.
If, during such times, something not meant to be uncovered is excavated, or the ancient elements slumbering beneath this land are disturbed, Professor Smith with his ordinary physique could not withstand it.
If, by any chance, something troublesome awakens, it might even pose a problem for Major General Claire and Chen Yu alike.
After all, nobody knows just how many mysteries are buried beneath the sands of Ancient Egypt.
Professor Smith, a seasoned participant in Egyptian archaeological excavations, of course somewhat understood these matters, and even if he didn't, based on accumulated experience, he should know what to do.
So, although they say it's a night excavation, they merely sweep away the surface sand within the planned digging range, while deeper layers await the rising sun, when ample light allows for further clearing.
Nothing happened overnight, but early the next day, as the sun rose from the horizon and its rays shone upon the Temple of Osiris, Chen Yu awoke from sleep and distinctly felt the changes brought by the sun's influence on this land and the Divine Power of Osiris within the temple.
"These are indeed the Old Kingdom of Egypt, aren't they? Even after three thousand years, Divine Power still envelops this land." Feeling the Divine Power that envelops this land, Chen Yu can't help but feel emotional.
The deities of Ancient Egypt have long left this land due to the cessation of faith, and the Ancient Egyptian Kingdom has long ceased to exist. Those living on this land are no longer the Ancient Egyptians of old, as the language and scripts have lost their inheritance. Searᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yet, even so, the deities worshiped by the Ancient Egyptians for three thousand years still protect this land, as Ra's Solar Boat continues to traverse the Nile and Nether Rivers, bringing light to this land.
Meanwhile, the power of Osiris continues to guard the souls of Ancient Egyptians, allowing them to rest peacefully in the Netherworld.
"The deities of Egypt, indeed still cherish this land! Even if they..." Chen Yu doesn't finish his sentence but merely shakes his head helplessly.
Leaving the tent, the entire camp has already become bustling with activities as the sun rises.
Several archaeologists, who are clearly ordinary individuals, busily engage in various archaeological tasks. Instruments, drawings, tools—even though the current times are no longer like those adventurous movies—the main efforts of archaeological excavation still rely on little shovels and small brushes.
Archaeology is essentially bending over inside an excavated pit, using a small shovel to clear bit by bit, then using a brush to sweep away the dust inch by inch, letting the old traces buried under the sands resurface into daylight.
Chen Yu is interested in watching the archaeologists clear items excavated the previous night, standing in front of the large pit dug by workers.
"Does Mr. Chen Yu also find interest in such monotonous digging work?" Professor Smith obviously notices Chen Yu's arrival and hands over the work to his assistant as he climbs out of the pit.
"Unearthing history to let the world know the greatness of our ancestors—how could such work ever be deemed monotonous?" Chen Yu smiles at Professor Smith and curiously asks, "Professor, what have you dug up? It looks like a fallen stone pillar."
"It's an obelisk, likely from the Nineteenth Dynasty period. We'll need to excavate more to determine specifics." Professor Smith doesn't conceal anything, but instead introduces it indifferently: "There are simply too many of these in Egypt, and if we were here decades ago, if the content on them wasn't too significant, they might have been bought by wealthy merchants to decorate their collection rooms."
Modern archaeology has become much more formal, but decades ago, many who claimed to be archaeologists were actually tomb robbers selling these precious relics, which was a common practice back then. Those who genuinely studied and conducted archaeological excavations wouldn't engage in such acts.
"Professor, do you know what we're really here to find this time?" Chen Yu moves away from the obelisk being excavated in the pit and asks Professor Smith.
"Miss Claire mentioned it. She discovered clues about royal graves from the First and Second Dynasties." Professor Smith nods, acknowledging that since the US military invited him, they surely told him what they're here to excavate: "But I'm somewhat puzzled as to why she wants us to excavate here at the Temple of Osiris. Although many items may be unearthed here, it's impossible for pre-dynastic Pharaohs to be buried here."
"Into Osiris's Garden, one must naturally enter through Osiris's temple," Chen Yu smiles at Professor Smith.