Zhao Meng pulled his gaze from the microscope, a storm surging in his heart.
He looked again at the bean-sized Buddha relic in the crystal container. It was unremarkable, hardly eye-catching. But the image he had just seen under the microscope lingered in his mind like a nuclear bomb detonating in his thoughts. How could he possibly regard it calmly now?
Seeing even Zhao Meng so shaken, the other leaders of the research team, Xie Tianshu included, stepped forward one after another with grave and puzzled expressions to examine the Buddha relic, wanting to see what world-shaking secret it concealed.
After everyone had looked in turn, Lab 705 fell into dead silence.
One of the older research-team leaders felt his gorge rise and nearly keeled over unconscious on the spot. Fortunately, they noticed in time, and Zhao Meng and Xie Tianshu carried him to a seat to rest.
It grossly violated common sense and utterly overturned their understanding.
The worldview they had built over decades within the framework of science collapsed with a crash in that moment.
Professor Xu had recovered. He gazed with awe at the Buddha relic under the microscope and said in a choked voice, “What on earth is going on? How can the microscopic world be like this? What I understood by ‘microscopic’ was germs, cells, atoms, molecules... Why, why does the microscopic world also have such an... inconceivable corner?”
The older research-team leader asked weakly, “On Earth, at the microscopic level invisible to the naked eye, is this the norm, or is this the only place like this?”
If Earth’s microscopic world was this terrifying, then what kind of planet were they actually living on?
And what connection was there between the microscopic and macroscopic worlds?
Director Yang found it hard to answer. Though he had studied it for decades, his understanding of the microscopic world was still pitifully small.
Still... he did know that apart from Lab 705, there were four other Supercognition Projects: 701, 702, 703, and 704. Each advanced independently, with a very high level of secrecy. All they knew of one another was that the others existed.
Zhao Meng said, “The Buddha relic itself is extraordinary—a supreme treasure of Buddhism. The Bronze Ship coming to rest on it may have been inevitable rather than accidental.”
“Buddhism says, ‘One flower, one world; one leaf, one Tathagata.’ It is very possible that some eminent monk long ago perceived the secret of the relic and left those words behind.”
Zhao Meng’s eyes never left the Buddha relic. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed, until a flash of insight struck him.
That was it!
The fish eye on the Daozu Taiji Fish was about the same shape and size as this relic.
The only difference was that Daozu’s brow bone was pale blue-green, while the Buddha relic was light red.
Surely it could not be such a coincidence?
Could the missing eye of the Daozu Taiji Fish be the Buddha relic?
Xie Tianshu was not like those old academics, tormented and lost. A strange brilliance flickered in his eyes. He was the scion of a powerful family; from childhood, there had been nothing he wanted that he could not have. Anything money could buy was all but within easy reach.
His participation in this Arctic expedition was really to gild his name and add a fine-looking line to his résumé, so that in the future he would more easily win recognition in cultural and scientific circles.
For that very reason, losing the competition for first mate to Zhao Meng had left him deeply unwilling to accept it.
A scion like him had a very high threshold for excitement. The appearance of the Bronze Ship and the opening of the mysterious gate had undoubtedly given him an enormous thrill.
Excited, he said, “A single relic, as vast and magnificent as a planet. On the Bronze Ship there is clearly an enormous corpse that closely resembles the phoenix of myth. The other corpse—a python with a horned crest on its head—can no longer be called a python at all. It has transformed into the legendary flood dragon.”
“Everyone, does this not mean that the ancient myths were not fabricated legends? That immortality, flying through the air and vanishing into the earth, truly existed?”
“The ancient world of myth may have been even more glorious and splendid than the legends say. It was simply erased by some unknown power—forgotten, overturned.”
“And now these erased traces of the Age of Myth have been found again! In the microscopic—in the microscopic world!”
“Myth has never gone far! Where else might other traces of myth lie?”
No one could answer. They all sat pondering in shock.
Xie Tianshu’s excitement showed no sign of fading. He went on, “I have heard that drinking the blood of a phoenix can grant eternal life. If we could salvage this Bronze Ship into the macroscopic Earth, or descend into the microscopic, would that not mean gaining eternal life? Gaining supernatural power to rule the Earth?”
Director Yang shook his head. “Actually... that is not a phoenix’s corpse. It should be the corpse of a Golden Crow, because it has three legs. In myth, the Golden Crow represents the sun—and destruction. Drinking its blood would most likely not grant immortality. More likely, you would scatter into ash and smoke.”
Lab 705 had been observing this Buddha relic and the Bronze Ship for decades, constantly studying and probing, constantly digging out every detail. What they had learned could not be matched by this brief inspection.
Zhao Meng looked at Director Yang. “I am very curious—is this really a Buddha relic? I feel it is more like a planet from the macroscopic world, compressed into the microscopic.”
“Exactly. If it really is a Buddha relic, would that not mean the Buddha cultivated a planet—a whole world—inside his body?” After saying this, Professor Xu felt as if he hardly recognized himself.
Since when had he become so mystical?
“There is more than one Buddha relic!” Xie Tianshu said. “It is said that after the Buddha’s death, the relics his disciples found in the ashes after his cremation filled eight hu and four dou.”
Captain Gao Xin said, “Director Yang, why don’t you explain why Lab 705 came to the Arctic? And why you suspect those two beasts were drawn here by the Buddha relic?”
At the thought of that terrifying bear-like creature, and the even more terrifying giant monster Jiuying beneath the hull, everyone’s thoughts were instantly dragged back to brutal reality.
Their sense of crisis was, if anything, stronger than before.
It was as if a group of mortals had been swept into a struggle between gods and demons—a dejection and helplessness born of feeling as insignificant as dust.
Director Yang gathered his thoughts. “As second mate Mr. Xie said, quite a few higher-ups who know of Lab 705’s existence want immortality and supernatural power. They have been pressing us to find a way to salvage the Bronze Ship into the macroscopic Earth.”
“For decades we have studied many ancient texts, searched for objects connected to the Buddha, used every kind of scientific instrument, and tried countless methods, but the Bronze Ship showed no reaction.”
“Then this year, during a long-distance voyage, we discovered by chance that the sailcloth on the Bronze Ship’s mast had actually turned.”
At this point, someone could not resist looking again at the Bronze Ship under the microscope.
Director Yang continued, “Later, after repeated tests, we found that the sailcloth on the ship changed angle with latitude. The higher the latitude, the more squarely it turned into alignment.”
“By our calculations, if it were brought to the North Pole—90 degrees north latitude—the sailcloth on the mast would rotate fully into alignment.”
Xie Tianshu said excitedly, “And once it is fully aligned? What then? Would it actually raise its sails and set off?”
“That is a possibility, which is why we came to test it,” Director Yang said.
“But... is not all the sailcloth on the ship aligned right now?” said the person watching through the microscope.
“Because we are already very, very close to the North Pole.”
Director Yang’s expression grew visibly excited. “Just last night, when the sailcloth had almost fully aligned, the Bronze Ship swayed slightly. In the space around its hull, strange mountain-and-sea patterns appeared, as if... another unfathomable world were unfolding.”
“Bang!”
“So last night there was no fire at all—the Bronze Ship shook the Longji? You have been hiding the truth!” one of the research-team leaders slammed the table heavily and said furiously.
Professor Xu suddenly understood. “I see it now. It was last night’s fluctuation from the Bronze Ship that drew the bear-like creature and Jiuying here. What do we do now? We are no match for those two beasts. Do we head back at once and get far from the North Pole? Or throw the Buddha relic into the sea and abandon this scourge?”
“No!”
Xie Tianshu’s eyes shifted uncertainly. After a moment’s thought, he said, “We are already being watched. If we turn back, Jiuying beneath the ship might well attack early. With its strength, the research ship would be dragged to the bottom in an instant, and we would all die with no place for burial.”
“As for the Buddha relic, it is a treasure of all humankind on Earth. It might even restart the Age of Myth—how can we just abandon it? Besides, those two beasts may not have been drawn by it at all. That is only our speculation!”
“Here is what we will do... I will take the risk.”
“I will carry the Buddha relic, leave by helicopter, and draw the danger away from the research ship.”
Zhao Meng laughed. “You have certainly worked out a clever plan! If the danger really comes from the Buddha relic, then in a helicopter you would not need to fear the bear-like creature on the ground or Jiuying in the sea. If the danger does not come from the relic, even better—you make off with the treasure and put distance between yourself and the danger.”
“Zhao Meng, stop slinging mud! I have no selfish motives. I only want everyone aboard this ship to survive,” Xie Tianshu said.
“Fine! In that case, the Buddha relic is yours to take,” Zhao Meng said.
Xie Tianshu was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Zhao Meng had suddenly changed his tune.
Listening to the dense rattle of ice and snow striking the hull like bullets outside, Zhao Meng said, “The blizzard is here. There is no way a helicopter can take off now. Since you, Xie Tianshu, are so dedicated, then take the Buddha relic and leave the ship. Help us draw the danger away. You could not bear to see humanity’s treasure lost, so from here on, it is in your keeping.”
Hearing the wild, shrill howl of the wind and snow outside, Xie Tianshu’s face darkened. “Are you insane? In a blizzard like this, even without the bear-like creature, going out is certain death. Would you dare go out yourself?”
Zhao Meng shot him a mocking look, then his expression turned serious. “Who says I do not dare?”
He looked at Captain Gao Xin and Director Yang. “You two, right now we have only two choices. Either throw the Buddha relic into the sea and be rid of this disaster. Or I take the risk. If I am lucky enough to survive, that would naturally be best. If I die in the blizzard, you can install a tracker on the Buddha relic beforehand and find it by the signal.”
This time, Xie Tianshu did not argue with Zhao Meng.
Because he could tell that Zhao Meng meant it.
Director Yang had studied the Buddha relic for decades. Now that the Bronze Ship had finally shown a reaction, how could he be willing to just hand it over to a beast?
The Buddha relic was more important to him than his own life.
“Then...”
Director Yang had just begun to speak.
“Boom!”
“Rumble!”
...
From above the ship came a dull impact, followed by the sound of the hull being smashed apart as easily as rotten wood.
Then a string of explosions rang out.
The hull shook violently, each sound louder than the one before.
In Lab 705, everyone’s expression changed drastically.
“It really did not leave. It is back!”
“How can there be explosions? Who brought explosives aboard the ship?”
Chapter 4