“Ebner, I didn’t expect you to be happy after hearing such news.” Lin said as he walked over to the table to get some water, squinting at Ebner, who was watching TV, his gaze unfriendly. (T/N: Ebner & Aberna are the same person)
Ebner did not turn to look at Lin. Instead, he continued watching TV attentively and said calmly, “Lin, please don’t glare at me in secret. It makes me a little scared.”
Even though Ebner hadn’t made eye contact with Lin, he was fully aware of his subtle expressions, as if he had eyes on the back of his head.
Lin was momentarily stunned by his words. He quickly reined in his emotions and joked, “It’s because you always joke around. Sometimes I even wonder which side you’re really on.”
Ebner pondered briefly before replying, “What I study is the mystical essence of the entire human race, even higher intuitive perceptions. If you ask me using such a narrow concept as factions, I find it hard to answer.”
“What do you mean? I thought we had already reached a collaboration.” Lin said darkly. “And now you won’t even give me a promise?”
Even though Lin’s tone was unpleasant, Ebner remained unbothered and smiled. “Do you really think I’ve forgotten what happened in the past? We can sit down and talk calmly now, but when we first met, things didn’t go so well. Because I refused to sell you my pendulum, you secretly sent people to harass me at work, even broke into my London apartment, turned all my furniture upside down, and smashed a tea set I cherished…”
“Lin, I find it funny that you’re talking to me about promises. I may not be the quickest to react, but I haven’t lost my memory.”
Lin hadn’t expected Ebner to bring up old grievances. His expression stiffened momentarily, but he quickly composed himself and said nonchalantly, “Those were just minor misunderstandings. I thought we had already reconciled, and I did make amends afterward.”
“You mean the compensation of sending me ten more tea sets?” Ebner sighed. “That’s always how you people handle things, thinking that material compensation is enough to make up for everything.”
“If it weren’t for my oath with Q, you wouldn’t even consider us to be in a collaboration, would you? That’s exactly why your initial attempts in China failed. And yet, you still don’t understand.”
“The other side has already seen through you and even identified your weakness—that the mineral veins and ruins don’t belong to you, yet you still want to claim them as your own.”
Lin retorted with displeasure, “The entire mineral vein is on Mondson family land. No matter which law you refer to, this is our family’s property!”
Ebner laughed. “And yet, for a mine that supposedly belongs to you, you need the artifacts in our hands as keys? I’ve never heard of such a thing—where the rightful owner needs an outsider to open the door to their own property.”
Lin’s face turned livid. “Then tell me, if it doesn’t belong to us, who does it belong to?”
“All of humanity.”
Lin was taken aback. “…I didn’t expect you to have such an ideology.”
Ebner spoke unhurriedly, “Lin, if you had studied the ruins at all, you’d understand that I’m right. This mineral vein and its ruins date back over a thousand years. Every few centuries, a genius mystic from somewhere in the world arrives here, leaving behind their knowledge. While mystical studies in the outside world might be lost due to war, natural disasters, or other calamities, H Country has remained an untouched sanctuary, preserving countless original cultural traditions.”
“Mysticism has always originated from the most ancient civilizations. Some civilizations have long vanished into the dust of history—for example, Mesopotamia, the birthplace of Western astrology. However, within these ruins, there may still be invaluable records.”
“These mystical scholars came from all over the world, representing different civilizations. They set aside differences in language, gender, race, and nationality, crossing land and sea to reach this place, leaving behind a treasure trove for all of humanity. And now you claim that it belongs solely to you? Do you really think that’s reasonable?”
Ebner had already studied the red crystal artifacts. They were keys crafted from sample stones taken from the ruins by these great minds. Using all their accumulated knowledge, they had sealed the main mineral vein layer by layer, constructing an immense and intricate labyrinth. Because of this, the red crystal artifacts varied in style, reflecting the differences between Eastern and Western mysticism.
These scholars had never met each other, some living in completely different eras, yet they had all made the same choice—to guard this place.
This was the collective power of the entire human race. And now, someone was claiming it for a single family? It was laughable.
Ebner said, “Indeed, according to modern legal regulations, your claim over the ruins is legitimate. But we study the past and divine the future. In the grand flow of time, your view is quite childish. Compared to the sages of the past, your understanding is truly shallow.”
To Ebner, both the Mondson family and H Country’s history were not as long as the ruins themselves—who belonged to whom was still up for debate.
“Ebner, since you people study divination and the future, have you ever considered this possibility? Maybe the fact that the mineral vein belongs to the Mondson family is fate itself.” Lin sneered. “You also said that the people who came to the ruins in the past were incredibly powerful. Maybe they had already foreseen this and deliberately left it for us to mine!”
Ebner was silent for a moment. He lowered his voice and admitted, “I haven’t fully figured it out yet, but the construction of the ruins does have a symbolic meaning. It’s possible that the predecessors were waiting for something.”
“They were waiting for us—to open a new era!” Lin extended his hand toward Ebner, his expression unreadable. He spoke solemnly, “We’ve had our disagreements in the past, but I hope that from now on, we can cooperate smoothly and leave a glorious mark in history together.”
Ebner hesitated for a long time as he faced Lin’s high-and-mighty handshake posture, but in the end, he still shook his hand.
A moment later, Lin left the room.
Ebner stared at the panda on the television screen, then pulled out a tissue and wiped his hand vigorously, muttering, “This is insane. Whether they were waiting for us is still uncertain.”
Ebner had always disliked Lin’s overbearing nature, often engaging in veiled confrontations during their conversations. If not for Q’s mediation in the past, the two of them might still be unable to get along.
However, Lin wasn’t entirely wrong about one thing. According to the current laws of H Country, without the Mondson family’s permission, Ebner wouldn’t even be able to set foot in the ruins since they were on Mondson’s land.
The Grand Conference –
Inside a towering conference hall, numerous divination practitioners who had passed the preliminary test gathered, waiting for the official start of the meeting. In the front row, Shi Zhuoqu was busy handling various matters, occasionally responding to others with a noticeably more respectful demeanor.
Due to Chu Qianli’s disruptive outburst during the exam, Lin and his team had arrived early to disclose project information ahead of schedule at today’s conference.
Huang Jue leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, and asked doubtfully, “They’re suddenly being a lot more polite? Last time, they didn’t say a word when calling people in.”
“I heard the headquarters leadership is here.”
In the front row, a group of Taoist priests sat in an orderly line. Occasionally, they glanced at Huang Jue and his group. A young Taoist murmured, “Zaiyuan, it’s him.”
“I see him.” Xu Zaiyuan replied. “Now is not the right time.”
In the back row, Chu Qianli, Tan Muxing, and Mei Rujing sat together. Mei Rujing had not participated in the previous round of testing. Seeing the number of attendees, she was surprised. “I didn’t expect so many people.”
Chu Qianli asked, “Rujing-jie, how many people originally got an exemption from the exam?”
“I’ve only seen one.” Mei Rujing tilted her chin toward the front, indicating, “See? The one carrying a sword in the front row.”
Tan Muxing was startled. Recognizing the familiar attire, he said, “That’s someone from Qian Sect.”
“That still isn’t enough. There are three more.”
Chu Qianli had a compass and tarot cards, Mei Rujing had the Sanqing Bell, and the Taoist from Qian Sect had a peachwood sword. But there were still three other unknown artifacts.
Mei Rujing added, “But I didn’t expect this to turn into a large conference. Originally, they notified me and the Taoist from Qian Sect about a small meeting, saying someone named Shi from leadership was coming over. Now the whole format has changed, but at least I get to meet up with you all.”
Chu Qianli, of course, knew the reason for the change. She remained calm. “They’re cracking down on opaque and unfair testing practices now. Maybe these people finally realized they should be afraid!”
Mei Rujing raised an eyebrow. “…Do businessmen like them even know what fear is?”
Lin and his team had a simple reason for planning a small, invitation-only meeting—they wanted to maximize their benefits with minimal cost. By recruiting the owners of the red crystal artifacts, they could monopolize the keys to the mineral vein ruins.
Even though two of the artifacts were still unaccounted for, if most of the red crystal inheritors sided with the Mondson family, they would gain an unbeatable advantage.
However, the chaos at Exam Site #3 in China had completely disrupted their plans. The potential defection of the Sanqing Bell’s owner forced Lin and his group to change their strategy.
As the lights in the audience dimmed, a sudden bright spotlight illuminated the stage.
Shi Zhuoqu stood at the podium and announced, “As per the confidentiality agreements signed before entry, we kindly ask everyone to refrain from recording or taking photos during the meeting. All materials from this conference are classified. Any breach of confidentiality will result in legal consequences.”
“Now, let’s welcome Mr. Lin from the Mondson Group to introduce the New Era Project.”
Moments later, a middle-aged man with flaxen hair and deep-set features stepped onto the stage. Shi Zhuoqu politely made way for him.
Lin was dressed in an expensive custom-made suit. His imposing presence filled the room as he surveyed the audience with sharp, deep eyes. In English, he declared, “It is a great honor to share with you today a truly magnificent project—the Mondson Group’s long-prepared New Era Project!”
A translator beside him simultaneously converted his speech into Chinese.
Chu Qianli had never seen Lin before. “So this is Shi’s boss?”
Tan Muxing carefully observed the foreigner on stage and murmured thoughtfully, “I think I’ve seen him before, in international reports. If I remember correctly, he’s one of the few Mondson family members who has ever appeared in public…”
The Mondson family was highly protective of their privacy, and only a handful of its members had ever shown their faces publicly.
Onstage, Lin faced the large assembly of divination practitioners with perfect composure, boldly delivering his speech on the New Era Project. “The scarcity of resources has long plagued human development. Even our familiar sources of energy, such as coal and oil, present numerous problems in their usage. However, if we can discover a revolutionary new energy source to replace our current fuels, humanity’s productivity will enter a new era beyond imagination!”
“The people who once discovered fire could never have envisioned today’s modern world. Likewise, we cannot yet fully grasp what the future holds. But fortunately, we have the opportunity to become the pioneers of this New Era.”
Lin held up a tiny red crystal, no larger than a grain of rice, and passionately declared, “In the distant land of H Country, we have found something capable of changing the world. Its potential surpasses all common energy sources known to us. We have given it a Chinese name—Ying Stone.”
On the massive screen behind him, a vivid image of the red stone appeared, its brilliant color shimmering like flowing light.
Chu Qianli instantly recognized it—Ying Stone was none other than the red crystal!
Huang Jue spoke up, skeptical. “And what exactly is its potential?”
Lin said, “Countless nations have built their wealth on oil, but compared to this, oil is insignificant. That is its potential.” He continued, “Even I am unsure of the full extent of its capabilities. This represents a massive revolution for the scientific community. Every one of us here might soon witness and embrace an entirely new way of life because of it.”
The audience erupted in astonishment at the idea of something surpassing oil.
Chu Qianli lowered her gaze slightly and whispered, “So it’s an energy source… no wonder they want to monopolize it.”
Human history had been riddled with conflicts over oil. If Mondesen gained control over the technology to harness Ying Stone—an energy source surpassing oil—it could easily dominate global affairs.
As living beings, humans have a fundamental drive for survival, deeply ingrained in their instincts. Survival is directly tied to resource control, making resource competition an eternal struggle, unchanged from ancient times to the present.
Lin sighed, “Unfortunately, though I eagerly anticipate the new world Ying Stone can create, the mining operation has not been going smoothly. That is precisely why I have gathered all of you here. An ancient ruin sits atop the main vein, obstructing our ability to mine efficiently.”
He clicked through his presentation, displaying images of the ruins. “If we mine recklessly, the structures within the ruins could be damaged, potentially causing the entire mineral vein to combust.”
A voice from the audience called out, “That’s basically a treasure-guarding mechanism! Ancient imperial tombs often had similar traps!”
“Wait a minute, these images look somewhat Daoist… but some parts don’t seem to match?”
Lin nodded. “That’s correct. This ruin was designed by numerous esoteric scholars, incorporating elements from various ancient civilizations. For those of you present, it may hold an invaluable trove of knowledge. Some researchers even speculate that the ruins contain rare records unavailable anywhere else in the world.”
Throughout history, many diviners, astrologers, and mystics had been persecuted, causing their lineages to be severed and their knowledge to become fragmented. However, the ruins were like a vault, preserving everything within.
Hearing the mention of ancient legacies, Tan Muxing instinctively turned to Chu Qianli and asked, “Does that mean…?”
Chu Qianli nodded.
She had been searching for Red Crystal artifacts precisely to uncover different mystical traditions—hoping to find a solution to her own short lifespan.
Lyle Gadbury had also once been doomed to an early death, yet he had somehow survived and later created the Red Crystal Tarot. It was likely that he had experienced some miraculous encounter within the ruins.
Leaning close to Tan Muxing, Chu Qianli whispered curiously, “But there’s something I still don’t understand.”
In the front row of the conference hall, Xu Zaiyuan sat among the Daoist priests. Sharing the same curiosity as Chu Qianli, he was the first to voice his question: “Why did they build the ruins together on top of the mineral vein?”
Logically speaking, these individuals were completely unrelated to one another, practicing entirely different mystical arts. Yet they had all willingly undertaken a perilous journey far from home to collaborate on this single endeavor. Given the extreme difficulty of travel in ancient times, such a self-sacrificing act was deeply puzzling.
After listening to the translator relay the question, Lin calmly responded, “Perhaps it would be better to ask all of you. Maybe you are the ones who understand them best.”
Someone else in the audience asked, “Then what’s our compensation?”
“We are willing to offer a share of Ying Stone profits to all who ultimately join the New Era Project,” Lin declared. “Additionally, you will gain full access to all of the rare records preserved within the ruins. After the excavation, you will be free to select any knowledge you desire.”
“Even a 1% share of Ying Stone profits would amount to an astronomical sum, exceeding the GDP of some smaller nations. More importantly, your names will go down in history!”
“Of course, we are conducting a global recruitment. Additional selection processes will be held in G City and H Nation. Furthermore, we will not be the sole evaluators. Considering the importance of fairness, future assessments will be more diverse.”
Recalling the chaotic incident at Examination Venue No. 3, the young Daoist priest quickly deduced the reasoning behind the organizers’ sudden changes.
“So that means more participants will be joining?”
“Exactly. We have already conducted multiple rounds of preliminary selection and have assembled a sizable team worldwide. Very soon, you will all meet in G City.”
Hearing this, Chu Qianli had a strange feeling—an instinct that the remaining artifact holders were among them.
I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
