Chapter 129
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 129: Title
Though brimming with excitement to witness the ancient underwater city immediately, the group reluctantly conceded to the late hour.
With His Highness Ao Lan already retired for the night, attempting to rouse the dragon would only delay their journey until dawn. Thus, they suppressed their fervor and resolved to wait.
At first light, bleary-eyed researchers stirred from restless beds—most had scarcely slept, minds churning with the previous day’s revelations.
Ao Lan arched his neck as the blazing sun emerged from the oceanic rim, its golden rays transforming the sea into a rippling tapestry of light. The dragon prince stretched languidly, his tail unfurling like a banner in the morning breeze.
“State your business,” Ao Lan addressed the young man approaching him, narrowing his eyes in momentary contemplation. Having spent little time socializing with Special Bureau personnel since his arrival—preferring marine exploration to small talk—he recognized few faces.
“Your Highness, might you require breakfast?” Wen Qingyan inquired with a courteous bow.
“Food!”
The dragon vanished with a *pop*, replaced by a child-sized figure who stomped over with attempted regality. “Where’s the meal?”
Post-breakfast found Ao Lan ambling behind the group, still clutching a chocolate cake he nibbled like a pastry-shaped scepter. Their destination—the control room—required his navigational expertise.
Inside the tech-filled chamber:
“Nonsense scribbles,” Ao Lan declared after prolonged scrutiny of the glowing coordinates. He waved dismissively. “I’ll pace the currents slowly. Keep up.”
At the crew’s nod, he devoured his remaining cake in one theatrical gulp. “Don’t lag,” he warned, patting his stomach before departing.
Beneath the waves:
Around Atlantis’s submerged ruins, researchers swarmed the thousand-ton goddess statue like scholarly ants, undeterred by surface warships far above. Their instruments buzzed with renewed purpose since the enigmatic light pillar’s appearance—a celestial beam that had erupted from the sea god’s forehead pendant before vanishing into cosmic depths.
“Any progress?”
The question haunted every team member. That pillar hadn’t merely pierced Blue Star’s atmosphere—it had arrowed into the interstellar void, sparking theories of ancient alien signals or dormant apocalypse triggers. Until they understood its purpose, none dared reactivate the artifact. The silent statue loomed, its stony gaze holding secrets older than human memory, while the drowned city hummed with machinery that defied millennia of decay.
……
No matter what actions were underway at the national level, the people flourished in an atmosphere of prosperity.
This era might have been the most peaceful in Blue Star’s history—save for the abyssal creatures emerging from beyond the boundaries, nearly all conflicts among humanity had ceased.
Yet tranquility had never been the world’s enduring melody.
Ye Linlang wandered the streets, pedestrians brushing past her as though she were invisible, unconsciously parting to let her pass.
She raised a finger, calculating silently. Less than three months remained until the Abyssal aura-tainted world fragment would descend.
At Times Square’s center, she paused by a fountain, eyes fixed on the news flashing across the large screen. Some lingered like her, but most hurried onward.
—Even amid the Awakening of Spiritual Energy, mortals still trudged to work; immortality required coins before it demanded cultivation.
“Reports confirm one of Vatican City’s dual holy sons has vanished after departure, allegedly last seen…”
Ye Linlang stopped listening. None understood this development better than she.
The forces of Hell had struck, their scheme unfolding as intended.
A yawn escaped her as the scent of freshly ground coffee drifted by.
Craving a cup, she shifted her features subtly with a step. When she reappeared, she cradled a steaming brew sweetened with milk and sugar.
“Time to begin…” She sipped, retrieving her long-unused phone to open the Yunlang Weibo app with practiced ease.
No login was needed—this account had never logged out.
—Xiao Tianji.
His last post dated back months, rendering this oracle-like figure nearly forgotten amidst daily waves of new extraordinary individuals.
Xiao Tianji’s Weibo hosted only sparse entries, each cryptic sentence detonating seismic ripples across nations.
His final post’s comments had breached a hundred million, devotees religiously checking for updates, certain his return heralded earthshaking revelations.
Ye Linlang’s fingers danced across the keyboard, crafting concise characters.
Months of preparation hinged on this moment—the impending collision between worlds. This Weibo post was the linchpin.
Not that she doubted Blue Star’s resolve, but cold arithmetic prevailed: against a landmass half of Earth’s size teeming with abyssal creatures, victory seemed improbable.
The corrupted fragment’s approach had revealed terrifying truths—its scale, its dwellers’ might. Should a single abyssal spore survive, Blue Star would fall.
Like tenacious vermin, these beings resurrected from ashes. Humanity had learned this bitterly during the abyssal invasion crisis. Let that lesson fuel their vigilance now.
The post hit a million views within sixty seconds, dwarfing celebrity trends. In three minutes, #XiaoTianji dominated the global trending list.
To Zhongxia, he was the celestial augur; to foreign lands, the prophet. All awaited his signature brevity—and today, he delivered.
Simple words graced his profile, enigmatic as ever, yet carrying the weight of worlds.
——The Ancient Stone Tablet shall manifest.
These four simple words sent countless "Xiao scholars" into frenzied speculation. What manner of stone monument was this? Did "shall manifest" imply an imminent unveiling? The phrase carried weighty implications – could this signify a destined opportunity?
To the uninformed masses, deciphering these mysteries would require time. Yet for established factions with ancestral knowledge and analytical resources, these characters spelled a monumental chance at fortune.
Ye Linlang observed the digital storm erupting across networks. "Ancient Stone Tablet" had become the world’s trending phrase within moments, sparking global data hunts. Resting her chin thoughtfully, she wondered – would anyone glimpse the truth behind this phenomenon?
Unlikely. Should someone grasp even half the reality, they’d be deemed remarkably astute. As for comprehending the full picture? Should such a person exist, Xiao Tianji might as well surrender his vaunted title of "Heaven-Earth-Seer" to them immediately.
This revelation wasn’t mere happenstance – the Ancient Stone Tablet’s emergence resulted from her celestial pact with the Heavenly Dao itself.
——————
Collective human effort soon compiled comprehensive records. Pre-Awakening of Spiritual Energy documents proved largely irrelevant, while post-Awakening accounts – though scarce – became critical analytical targets.
Daoist Priest Li Canghai’s fame stemmed from his Mount Taihua enlightenment before the Ancient Stone Tablet. Witnesses to the Huashan monument’s brief manifestation numbered many, yet only he emerged transformed.
Similar phenomena occurred along the Yellow River – fleeting glimpses of submerged steles witnessed during the Awakening, vanishing like mirages. These weren’t isolated events.
Sipping coffee, Ye Linlang meandered through bustling streets. Her Special Bureau avatar handled bureaucratic duties, leaving her free to monitor subtler developments.
With Blue Star’s groundwork complete, she gazed at the thousand-mile clear sky. A toe-tap propelled her skyward, teleportation depositing her atop the metropolitan spire. Fantasy Points overflowed her reserves; teleportation costs barely registered against her belief-fueled divine power.
Xiao Tianji’s Weibo post ignited worldwide fervor – another Fantasy Points windfall growing daily. Li Canghai’s precedent would draw multitudes seeking fortune when the Tablet manifested. Their eventual reactions to the revelation’s climax would yield even greater emotional… and energetic… harvests.
One week later.
Blue Star’s hemispheres stood divided – crystalline daylight and velvet night. Yet simultaneously, both populations witnessed the celestial apparition:
A golden ocular titan dominated the firmament, wreathed in corporeal violet mists. Its lidless gaze radiated primordial detachment, viewing demons and humans, extraordinary individuals and ordinary people with perfect equivalence.
Most dared only fleeting glances before bowing heads – some primal awareness warning of the eye’s transcendent nature through the unseen barrier. None presumed to stare long.
