65: Chapter 65 Beacon

Day 37.

When Chen Zhen opened his eyes, the first thing he did was sense the star core fragment in his chest.

Warm. A warmth more distinct than yesterday, like a piece of jade warmed by body heat.

In [Internal Vision], he could clearly "see" the dark blue point of light inside the fragment.

It was a fraction brighter than yesterday, like a star about to ignite.

The Star Radiance initial bathing state had six hours remaining.

He got out of bed, his gaze sweeping across the room.

Cleaning Spell.

1 point of spiritual power consumed, an invisible ripple swept over.

The pot of Mint and Green Radish on the windowsill were placed side by side, their two auras interweaving into a small spiritual energy field.

The crispness of the Mint and the gentleness of the Green Radish entwined, forming a pale golden halo almost invisible to the naked eye in the morning light.

[Spiritual Plant Synergy Effect]

[Cultivation efficiency +8%, continuously active]

He walked to the window, channeling a wisp of spiritual power into both spiritual plants simultaneously.

Under the reinforcement of [Spiritual Nourishment], the leaves of both plants trembled simultaneously; that layer of pale golden halo brightened for an instant, then slowly faded away.

[Spiritual power guidance successful]

[Mint spiritual plant quality slightly improved]

[Green Radish spiritual plant quality slightly improved]

[Planting Beginner experience +15]

Planting Beginner 82/100, almost leveled up.

During his morning run, Chen Zhen didn't rush to arrange the Dongshan Rune Array.

He first activated [Spiritual Resonance].

The rotation rhythm of the Dantian spiritual bead synchronized with the surrounding environment, and the world instantly "came alive."

Within a one-hundred-meter range, every tree, every street lamp, every early-rising car was clearly imaged in his consciousness.

Then he let the twenty-five Spirit Control seeds fly out, arranging them into a Dongshan Rune Array at his side, simultaneously beginning the triple movement.

Breathing, core rotation, peripheral flickering.

The triple movement was as smooth as flowing water.

While running, he used the resonance state to perceive his surroundings.

When he reached the third kilometer, an abnormal fluctuation suddenly appeared in his perception.

In the direction of the Riverside, about eight hundred meters away, there was an energy source.

It was completely different from the aura of an ordinary person. Stronger, more solid, and more... familiar.

Grandpa Chen's aura.

But it was different from usual.

Today, Grandpa Chen's aura was very weak, and the fluctuations were chaotic, as if...

He was injured.

Chen Zhen's heart tightened, spiritual power instantly poured into his legs, and his speed soared to the limit.

At the Riverside, under the willow tree.

Grandpa Chen was leaning against that large rock, his face pale, bloodstains at the corners of his mouth.

His left arm was hanging at an unnatural angle.

Dislocated, or broken.

Chen Zhen rushed in front of him: "Grandpa Chen!"

Grandpa Chen opened his eyes, saw it was him, and his mouth twitched: "You came?"

"What happened to you?" Chen Zhen squatted down, pressed his hand on Grandpa Chen's left shoulder, and [Internal Vision] started instantly.

The bones were fine, but the shoulder joint was dislocated, and the surrounding soft tissues were severely strained.

There were also several internal injuries in the chest and abdomen, as if he had been hit by a heavy object.

"It's nothing." Grandpa Chen wanted to wave his hand, but frowned in pain as soon as he moved, "Just took a fall."

A fall?

Chen Zhen didn't believe it.

What kind of fall could cause internal injuries?

But he didn't ask.

Now was not the time to ask.

"I'll help you set it."

Grandpa Chen looked at him: "You know how?"

"I do."

Chen Zhen took a deep breath, grasped Grandpa Chen's upper arm with his right hand and pressed his shoulder with his left.

Spiritual power poured into his hands, [Internal Vision] precisely locating the joint position.

One push, one shove.

With a soft "click," the joint was reset.

Grandpa Chen groaned, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, but he didn't cry out.

Chen Zhen didn't stop, pressing both hands on Grandpa Chen's chest and abdomen, [Spiritual Nourishment] outputting at full power.

Warm spiritual power slowly seeped into the injured area, accelerating the dissipation of blood stasis and tissue repair.

Three minutes later, Grandpa Chen's complexion looked a bit better.

"That's enough." Grandpa Chen pressed his hand, "Enough, don't waste spiritual power."

Chen Zhen finished the technique and sat beside him.

After a few seconds of silence, Grandpa Chen spoke: "How did you know?"

"I perceived it." Chen Zhen said, "Your aura wasn't right."

Grandpa Chen looked at him, his gaze complex.

"Qi Refining Second Layer," he said, "Can your perception reach this level?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer.

Grandpa Chen didn't press him either.

After another silence, Grandpa Chen said: "I'm fine, just superficial wounds."

"Who hurt you?"

Grandpa Chen didn't speak.

"Is it related to the eighties?" Chen Zhen asked.

Grandpa Chen turned his head and stared at him.

"How much do you know?"

"A little bit." Chen Zhen said, "Grandpa Zhou gave me his notes."

Grandpa Chen was silent for a long time.

Then he sighed.

"That guy Old Zhou..." He shook his head, "Fine, since he gave them to you, I won't hide it anymore."

He pointed to the rock beside him: "Sit down, I'll tell you a story."

Forty years ago.

Grandpa Chen wasn't called Grandpa Chen, his name was Chen Yuanshan.

Captain of the Geological Survey Team, leading a group of young people.

Old Gu, Old Zhou, and a few others whose whereabouts were now unknown.

At that time, they weren't researching ordinary geology, but "abnormal phenomena."

It was a task given by the higher-ups, conducted in secret. They discovered quite a few things.

The caves of Dongshan, the runes of Beishan, the abnormal magnetic fields of Xishan...

In the summer of 1985, they went to Dongshan again.

Old Gu secretly entered that cave.

When he came out, he brought a stone with him.

It was the kind of star core fragment that Chen Zhen later saw in the black lump.

But Old Gu didn't tell anyone. He hid the stone.

A month later, something happened to Old Gu.

Not an injury, but a "change."

He started having nightmares, dreaming that he was floating in a dark space, surrounded by countless dark blue points of light.

He started talking to himself, saying he "heard a call."

Chen Yuanshan noticed something was wrong, and under interrogation, Old Gu finally revealed the matter of the stone.

They went to Dongshan overnight, wanting to destroy that stone.

But when they arrived at the cave, they found the stone was already gone.

Old Gu said the stone "left on its own."

From then on, Old Gu changed.

He stopped researching "abnormal phenomena" and started researching "runes" and "summoning."

He said that stone was a "beacon," left behind by "them."

Who were "they"? Old Gu couldn't say clearly.

But he said that stone was summoning its own kind.

At the end of 1985, the higher-ups suddenly called a halt to all research.

Data was sealed, personnel were reassigned.

Chen Yuanshan voluntarily retired, moved to the Riverside to live, and stayed there for decades.

Old Gu refused to stop, researching secretly on his own.

Later he got sick, and before he died, he handed the data to Old Wu.

Old Zhou also retired, but didn't stop completely, always collecting data, wanting to figure out what that stone really was.

"That stone," Chen Zhen suddenly said, "Is it dark blue, like a meteorite?"

Chen Yuanshan looked at him: "How did you know?"

Chen Zhen took out the black lump from his Storage Space.

Chen Yuanshan's pupils contracted sharply.

"Where did you get it?"

"Second-hand market." Chen Zhen said, "Five yuan."

Chen Yuanshan stared at the stone for a long time.

Then he reached out, wanting to take it. Chen Zhen handed it to him.

As soon as the stone touched Chen Yuanshan's hand, a circle of dark blue halo suddenly lit up on its surface.

Chen Yuanshan's hand shook, and the stone almost fell to the ground.

"It reacted?" Chen Zhen took the stone back, and the halo immediately disappeared.

Chen Yuanshan looked at him, his gaze even more complex.

"It recognizes you." He said.

Chen Zhen put the stone away.

"You just said, 'they' will come?"

"That's what Old Gu said." Chen Yuanshan leaned against the rock, "He said that stone was a beacon that would summon its own kind. But he didn't know what its own kind was, where they came from, or when they would come."

He paused: "I have been watching the Riverside all these years, just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for an anomaly." Chen Yuanshan said, "Old Gu said that when the beacon is activated, there will be celestial anomalies. I've guarded it for decades, and haven't waited for anything."

He looked at Chen Zhen: "But you have activated it now."

Chen Zhen was silent.

The star core fragment was already 58% activated, and it would be fully activated in about another week.

What would happen then?

He didn't know.

But looking at Chen Yuanshan's expression, it probably wasn't a good thing.

"Do you think," he asked, "What 'they' are?"

Chen Yuanshan shook his head.

"I don't know. Maybe aliens, maybe interdimensional creatures, maybe what the ancients called 'visitors from the sky'." He sighed, "Old Gu said one sentence before he died, and I remember it to this day."

"What did he say?"

"He said: 'They have been here before, and they will come again.'"

The sun had risen.

Golden sunlight spilled onto the river surface, shimmering.

A boat passed by in the distance, the sound of the whistle faintly drifting over.

Chen Zhen sat beside Chen Yuanshan, watching the river.

The information from those words just now was too overwhelming; he needed time to digest it.

"Grandpa Chen," he suddenly asked, "you haven't been around these past few days, were you just out investigating this?"

Chen Yuanshan nodded.

"I went to the place where Old Gu hid the stone back then," he said. "I discovered that someone had been there."

"Who?"

"I don't know." Chen Yuanshan shook his head. "But the traces were very fresh, no more than a week old."

Chen Zhen's heart tightened.

One week ago, it was exactly when he had activated the star core fragment to 35%.

Was it a coincidence? Or...

"Do you think it's related to this stone?"

"Possibly." Chen Yuanshan said. "If Old Gu's 'beacon' theory is correct, then once it's activated to a certain level, it will be sensed by 'them'."

He glanced at Chen Zhen. "How much have you activated it to now?"

"58%."

Chen Yuanshan was silent for a few seconds.

"Be careful." He said. "In the coming period, pay more attention to anomalies around you."

"I know."

On the way home, Chen Zhen kept [Anomaly Perception] active.

Within a hundred-meter radius, everything was normal.

Elderly people doing their morning exercises, street vendors selling breakfast, office workers rushing for the bus.

They were all ordinary people, without any abnormal aura.

But he dared not relax.

If Chen Yuanshan's guess was correct, then "they" might already be on their way.

He didn't know what "they" were, how strong they were, or what they were coming for.

But he knew he had to be prepared.

He arrived home at 7:10.

His mother was busy in the kitchen, and his father was watching the morning news in the living room.

Chen Zhen changed his shoes and entered the house. As he passed through the living room, the TV was broadcasting a news segment:

"...Last night, a small-scale landslide occurred in the mountainous area of the eastern suburbs of our city, with no casualties. Geological experts have made a preliminary assessment that it was caused by loose soil layers due to recent rainfall. The landslide area is currently cordoned off; citizens are requested not to approach."

Chen Zhen's footsteps paused.

Eastern suburb mountainous area.

Dongshan.

He walked to the TV and stared at the screen.

The footage showed the scene of the landslide.

A pile of mud and rubble, with a cordon line next to it, and several people in uniforms were inspecting it.

That location...

He took out his phone and pulled up the map he had taken earlier.

That was it.

The landslide area was less than five hundred meters from the Ancient Temple Ruins.

[System Prompt: Abnormal geological activity detected]

[exploration dimension experience +30]

[Clue Association Network Updated: New node 'Dongshan Landslide' added, connecting to 'Ancient Temple Ruins', 'star core fragment', and 'beacon theory']

It was no coincidence.

Chen Zhen took a deep breath and continued watching the news.

"...According to local villagers, around 10 p.m. last night, they heard a muffled sound, suspected to be the sound of the landslide. Experts are currently investigating further..."

10 p.m. last night.

That was when he had just finished Cultivating and was lying in bed preparing to sleep.

He hadn't felt anything.

But the star core fragment was on his chest at that time, warm.

He touched his chest.

The fragment rested quietly there, without any anomaly.

But he knew that some things had already begun.

After finishing breakfast, Chen Zhen returned to his room and began today's schedule.

The first task: Infusing the star core fragment with spiritual power.

Activating [Spiritual Resonance].

The rotation rhythm of the Dantian spirit bead synchronized with the surrounding environment, and the world instantly "came alive."

In the state of resonance, he could clearly "see" the crystal network inside the fragment.

Seven-layer structure, each layer distinct.

The dark blue dot at the very core was already shining like a small sun.

He took a deep breath and injected a wisp of spiritual power.

The spiritual power traveled deep along the crystal network, layer by layer, passing through the seven-layer structure until it reached the core.

The light dot vibrated violently, and then—

A massive force of feedback gushed out from the core, flowing back into his body along with the spiritual power.

That force was warm and thick, carrying an indescribable "ancient" aura.

It washed over Chen Zhen's meridians, providing Spiritual Nourishment to his Divine Soul, and even increased the rotation speed of the Dantian spirit bead by a fraction.

[Spiritual power infusion successful]

[Spiritual affinity: 58/100 → 76/100]

[Partial information unlocked: star core fragment (extraterrestrial meteorite core), 76% activated, can now initially use the 'Star Radiance' ability]

[New ability acquired: [Star Radiance] Consumes 2 points of spiritual power, activates the star core fragment, releases a beam of Star Radiance light, capable of illumination, dispelling evil, and briefly interfering with electronic devices, lasting 10 seconds]

Star Radiance.

With a thought from Chen Zhen, a beam of dark blue light instantly lit up on the surface of the fragment, illuminating the entire room.

The beam was very soft, but wherever it reached, the dust in the air was clearly visible.

He tried aiming the beam at his phone.

The phone screen flickered, and then it automatically shut down.

Effective.

He nodded with satisfaction.

This light could come in handy at a critical moment.

The rest of the morning, Chen Zhen began to research the relationship between the Dongshan landslide and the star core fragment.

He took out Engineer Zhou's notes and flipped to the 1985 section.

The stone that Old Gu discovered was brought out from a cave in Dongshan.

The stone later "left on its own," and its whereabouts were unknown.

But Old Gu had drawn a diagram in the notes.

The source location of the stone was clearly marked.

Chen Zhen compared it with his own map.

That location was just about fifty meters below the Ancient Temple Ruins.

And the area of this landslide happened to cover that location.

It was no coincidence.

He continued reading.

Old Gu had written a paragraph in the notes:

"The stone is alive. It is absorbing the earth vein energy, growing slowly. The day I brought it out, it 'woke up.' It is waiting for something. Waiting for its kind? Waiting for a summoning? I don't know. But I can feel it; it is counting time."

Counting time.

Chen Zhen looked at the fragment on his chest.

Was it also counting time?

What would happen when it reached 100%?

He didn't know.

But he knew he had to be prepared.

In the afternoon, Chen Zhen went to the Secret Base.

He provided Spiritual Nourishment to the Mint, to the green radish, and to the second pot of green radish.

The three spiritual plants were placed side by side, their auras blending.

Then he took out twenty-five spirit-controlling beads and began training.

Today's goal: Have the Formation complete the triple movement + movement trajectory while releasing "Star Radiance" every five seconds.

Simulating actual combat.

The difficulty was off the charts.

The first time, it scattered after running half a circle.

The second time, the third time, the fourth time...

The fifty-third time, he finally succeeded.

The Formation moved along a complex trajectory, the triple movements of breathing, rotating, and flickering were stable, and every five seconds, a beam of dark blue light lit up at the core.

Simulating Star Radiance.

It lasted for thirty seconds.

[Limit Spirit Control Training]

[Spirit Control Perfection effect increased: spiritual power control precision +4% (currently 304%)]

[Formation proficiency +35]

[Achievement unlocked: 'Combat Formation' (significantly increased ability to maintain Formation in actual combat)]

He stopped his practice and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

It was not enough.

If "they" really came, this bit of skill might not be enough.

He had to train to be stronger.

When returning home in the evening, Chen Zhen passed by that jade shop again.

He thought for a moment and walked inside.

"Boss, do you have any higher quality jade material?"

The shopkeeper recognized him: "Yes, yes, we just got a batch of Hetian seed jade, take a look."

Chen Zhen picked the three best pieces and spent six hundred yuan.

[Item obtained: Hetian seed jade ×3 (Mortal Grade · Top Quality)]

[Effect: Spiritual power conduction efficiency +150%, can be used to set up an Intermediate Spirit Gathering Array]

Expensive, but worth it.

He put away the jade material and walked out of the shop.

In the evening, Chen Zhen began to set up the Spirit Gathering Array.

The three pieces of Hetian seed jade were placed in an equilateral triangle.

He sat at the eye of the array, activated [Spiritual Resonance], and slowly injected spiritual power into the three pieces of jade.

The jade pieces simultaneously lit up with a gentle white light, the three beams of light converging at the eye of the array, forming a stable spiritual power field.

[Intermediate Spirit Gathering Array setup successful]

[Effect: Cultivation efficiency +20%, spiritual power recovery speed +30%, duration: 12 hours]

[Formation Fundamentals experience +50]

[Formation Fundamentals: 51/100]

He sat cross-legged in the array and ran the Simplified Microcosmic Orbit.

Cultivation efficiency was significantly higher than usual. The rotation speed of the Dantian spirit bead was noticeably faster, and the total amount of spiritual power was growing steadily.

[Cultivation Progress]

[Qi Refining Level 2: 185.33/800]

It had increased by 36.69 points since the morning.

Late at night, Chen Zhen lay in bed, not sleeping.

He stared at the ceiling, thinking about today's events in his mind.