Inside the long hall of the White Rock Building, Ryan and several family administrators of Vea State sat before a field screen. What was displayed on the screen was none other than the scene inside the Ancient Museum at this very moment.
Carrying the case, the man walked to the center of the freestanding storage vault and placed it onto the conveyor belt above.
The case was slowly conveyed toward the rear of the exhibition hall, where the floor slowly descended more than a hundred meters underground. Two figures clad in protective suits stepped forward and lifted the case down.
Carrying the object, they passed through three layers of blast doors and finally arrived inside an all-metal vault. The chamber was filled with a pale-green mist of spores; without taking specific medication beforehand, not even a protective suit could shield anyone inside.
The two men opened the case and carried out what lay inside. Under everyone's watchful eyes, it was revealed to be a crimson skull—yet extraordinarily massive, nearly filling the entire case that stood half the height of a normal person.
One could well imagine how towering and robust the skull's original owner must have been.
Everyone before the screen watched without blinking. This item had been discovered not long ago by the West Bank government in a First Folk ruin outside the Confluence, and they had requested that it be stored here, spending over half a month coordinating the arrangement—for the Containment Hall possessed the tightest ritual defense system on the entire West Bank.
This item was the legendary "Paparu" skull.
Early in First Folk history, there had been a vanished, bloody regime whose primary seat of power and people were all situated within the Confluence. They were the earliest rulers of the First Folk, while the remaining First Folk were nothing more than their food and slaves.
In First Folk legend, they were dissatisfied with merely serving deities and desired to become gods themselves. Thus, they stole the sacred relics they were meant to guard and used them to forge three Eyes of God. When the three rulers of that era set the three eyes between their brows, a horrifying transformation occurred.
The ancient records described it thus: "Light like the sun crashing into the earth burst forth from their eyes; rivers boiled dry, vegetation withered to ash, and all was swallowed into an endless void." Just like that, the three rulers and the entire bloody empire vanished without a trace.
In the end, only three blood-colored skulls remained.
Later, these three skulls were found by three First Folk heroes, who inherited the remnants left behind in the world by that wicked regime and founded their own realms—the predecessors of the three First Folk kingdoms of the Northern Ying Continent.
After the Federation became master of this land, it deemed these to be extraordinarily powerful relics and had been searching for them ever since, yet had never managed to find an authentic one.
In the thousands of years following that cataclysm, driven by veneration for authority and might, the skulls were lost and hidden away multiple times throughout history. Consequently, the First Folk later crafted numerous replicas.
These replicas were said to incorporate small amounts of the same material as the true skulls and possessed similar properties. Thus, even though the Federation had recovered no fewer than several dozen skulls over the years, it had never been able to verify which one was the genuine article.
After all, they did not know what the original truly looked like, nor whether its power had waned with the passage of time. They could only store them all away to study at leisure.
This time, however, it seemed they had obtained an authentic one. Whether it truly was required verification, and Vea State not only possessed complete ritual facilities, but also commanded defensive forces of an even higher tier. One could say they feared no mishaps whatsoever.
Once the two staff members placed the skull into a transparent containment case and its lid slowly closed over it, the placement was deemed complete.
As the heavy vault door slowly sealed shut, someone present remarked in a relaxed tone, "That should do it. No problems now."
Yet another voice raised a doubt: "We don't know the properties of this thing. Could anything go wrong?"
Someone couldn't help but chuckle. "Jonathan, you can set your mind at ease. The Containment Hall is the most heavily fortified place on the entire West Bank. Even if something does go wrong, A-Lu will calculate and adjust everything for us in real time. Besides, the mental power of that Guardian hangs high over Vea State. If this place isn't safe, then nowhere in the world is."
A woman spoke up, "How long are we supposed to hold onto this thing?"
Ryan said with a smile, "The longer it stays, the better. Something like this is definitely not simple. If our research uncovers anything, I and our families will be the first to reap the benefits."
Everyone present agreed. The current era was an era of technology. Although the power of martial artists remained the undisputed mainstream, not everyone could become a martial artist—even within families like theirs.
They all harbored a latent anxiety: if a generation ever came where none among them could become a martial artist or a powerful fighter, everything they currently possessed would cease to exist. Thus, using technology to alter oneself, allowing those without innate talent to gain power, was an all-important avenue.
It was precisely for this reason that they spared no expense in driving technological progress, and these ancient relics harbored many secrets capable of advancing their current technology.
Until one reached the pinnacle of the ascending staircase, one had to keep climbing relentlessly. Those who fell behind would receive no sympathy.
Meanwhile, in the sewers of the north city, the vast majority of the resistance organization's core members had gathered together.
Due to Vea State's long-standing neglect of this district, infrastructure was sorely lacking. Compounded by rampant gang activity and the absence of thorough surveillance, their meeting here was reasonably secure.
A member responsible for surveillance was currently reporting: "It has been confirmed: the Vea State administration has already moved that item into the museum."
A gleam appeared in Commissioner Qu's eyes. "Good. The goods have arrived, so now we just wait to collect them." He looked around at everyone present and said, "Everyone, from this moment on, we wait for that moment to arrive."
Someone raised a question: "Commissioner, what exactly is the item we're taking?" Asking this was technically a breach of discipline, but this person was in charge of withdrawal and logistics, and asked so that better arrangements could be made.
Commissioner Qu glanced at him, then met the gazes of everyone looking his way. In a heavy voice, he said, "Regarding this item, I cannot tell you directly right now. But it isn't very large and can be moved easily. You can rest assured on that score."
Having said this, he dropped the topic and turned to Team Leader Lu.
"Team Leader Lu, today is already the seventeenth. According to prior calculations, the alignment of the three stars will occur no later than the twentieth, correct?"
Team Leader Lu answered, "Yes, Commissioner."
Commissioner Qu said, "So over the next three days, we must be ready at all times."
Team Leader Lu said, "Indeed. It could even be tomorrow. But Commissioner, if it happens tomorrow, that would actually be rather unfavorable for us. Ever since that Section Chief Chen returned, the conflict between Great Shun and the Tawatinian delegation has shown signs of calming down."
Commissioner Qu frowned. He looked at a member tasked with monitoring the delegations: "Weren't the two delegations supposed to arrange a duel? How do things stand now?"
The member shook his head. "That Mr. Viero from the Tawatinian delegation doesn't seem to have any intention of accepting the challenge for the time being. Word has it he's holed up in his room and hasn't stepped out, allegedly studying countermeasures. Others think he was injured when their delegation was ambushed earlier..."
Commissioner Qu flatly dismissed this. "Impossible. He didn't suffer much injury that day. With the vitality of a martial artist, even if he were hurt, he should have recovered long ago."
"Then perhaps..." The member hesitated for a second. "After arriving in Center City, he saw the recording of Great Shun's Mr. Gui in his previous fight, so he lost his nerve for the moment."
Commissioner Qu was astonished. "What? As a martial artist, didn't he bother to assess the enemy's strengths and weaknesses before coming here? Without understanding his opponents, how did he ever become a martial artist in the first place?"
The member replied somewhat helplessly, "Word is that he comes from a prominent clan, born with resources beyond ordinary reach, and possessed remarkable natural talent. He achieved everything he has almost without having to struggle, making him someone of extraordinary confidence. However, that skirmish earlier was likely the first time he ever truly clashed with an outside adversary. He may have suffered a bit of a psychological blow..."
Hearing this, Commissioner Qu's frown deepened. He also felt that whenever matters involved Tawatinian people, things often defied his normal understanding.
Still, the member did bring one piece of good news. He said, "Commissioner, even if their duel doesn't take place, there is verified intelligence confirming that Dayel Rossard might come to Vea State within the next day or two, and his opponent could very well be Section Chief Chen from the Great Shun delegation!"
Hearing this, Commissioner Qu's expression improved. Whatever the case, their scheme to stir up conflict had still succeeded.
Dayel Rossard was one of the few martial artists who had survived from the founding of the Federation down to the present day, holding immense prestige on the West Bank. If it were a duel involving him, Vea State would certainly mobilize massive forces to guarantee security, which would play right into their hands.
Looking at those present, he said in a solemn voice, "Gentlemen, the execution of the plan is close at hand. Stay ready at all times!"
The next day brought the date to January 18. Having concluded their visit to Kawatua, the delegation led by Delegation Leader Xie finally arrived in Center City, Vea State, and reunited with Chen Chuan's team.
He had already learned beforehand of the situation the delegation was facing. After meeting with Chen Chuan and exchanging greetings, he immediately made his stance clear.
"Section Chief Chen, I had originally intended to head for the East Bank as soon as we joined up with you, but looking at things now, we must first resolve the matter at hand. The friction between the southern lands of the Ying Continent and ourselves has built up over a long time. Even if it didn't erupt this time, there would be a next time. If we can seize this opportunity to settle a few of these matters, our stay here will have been well worth it."
Chapter 1138