234: The Sleeping Ark and the "Spark" Certification

"Seed..." Wen Youyi's words were like a thunderclap, echoing through the vast, ancient hall, shaking everyone's hearts. The "Return to Ruins" they had suffered so much to find was actually the last fortress and... graveyard of the ancient resistors? And they themselves were the successors those deceased were waiting for?

"Boss, you... you're not mistaken, right?" Zhao Iron Pillar's mouth hung open, his mind struggling to process it all. They had fought and killed their way here, only to end up in someone else's nest, and they had become some sort of "Seed"?

Wen Youyi rubbed his still-throbbing temples and relayed the information he had obtained from the stone tablet to the others as clearly as possible. High-dimensional harvesting, civilization Ranch, unyielding resistance, the ark Project, the betrayal by traitors, the slumber in the Return to Ruins... A tragic epic spanning endless time and space slowly unfolded before them.

Everyone fell silent, an indescribable sense of heaviness and mission pressing down on their hearts. Their previous resistance had been more out of an instinct for survival and a defiance of injustice, but now, it was as if they had taken up the unfinished banner of their predecessors, embarking on a path that had long been destined—one that was both grander and far more difficult.

"So, those corrupted creatures, and this fog..." Wang Wu said, thoughtful.

"They must be the 'Observers'—the countermeasures left behind by the traitors, or perhaps they formed because the ruins' power leaked over the long years, polluting the surrounding environment," Wen Youyi analyzed. "The goal is to prevent latecomers from approaching, to keep the 'Seed' from being awakened."

"Then what do we do now?" Mu Wanqing looked at Wen Youyi. "Since we are the 'Seed', then here... there should be something left for us, right?"

Wen Youyi nodded, his gaze returning to the broken stone tablet. The information stream had mentioned "authentication"; since it was waiting for the "Seed", there must be a way to identify it and unlock the subsequent Legacy.

He placed his palm on the stone tablet again. This time, he actively guided the Star Power within his body, slowly injecting it into the tablet.

At first, the stone tablet did not react. But when he also guided the power of the star core fragment out, a strange change occurred!

"Hum—!"

The broken stone tablet suddenly began to vibrate! From that huge crack, dazzling starlight erupted! The entire hall was illuminated, and the ancient runes on the walls and stone pillars lit up one by one, as if injected with life, flowing with the light of the stars!

A stream of information, far larger and more orderly than before, poured into Wen Youyi's mind like a gentle stream. It was no longer tragic fragments, but concrete guidance and... permissions!

[ 'Seed' authentication passed... Star beacon matches... Highest permission level unlocked... ]

[ Guidance program initiated... Directing to 'Core Control Room'... ]

[ 'ark' wreckage status: Severely damaged, energy core missing, life support System shut down, defense System partially failed... ]

[ Warning: External 'Purification Protocol' interference detected... Suggest prioritizing repair of basic functions... ]

At the same time, a clear internal structural map of the ruins appeared in Wen Youyi's "mind"! In it, an area located deep directly below the hall, marked as the "Core Control Room", was emitting a strong summoning fluctuation.

"Found it!" Wen Youyi opened his eyes, starlight flickering within them. "The Core Control Room is below! It might contain the key to repairing this 'ark' or leaving this place!"

Following the guidance of the structural map, he walked to a seemingly ordinary stone pillar in the center of the hall. According to the information, this was a secret entrance to the underground. He placed his palm on a specific rune on the stone pillar and injected his Star Power once again.

"Click, click, click..."

A low sound of machinery echoed, and a huge stone slab on the ground in front of the stone pillar slowly sank, revealing a downward-sloping stone staircase passage wide enough for several people to walk side by side. Embedded in the walls inside the passage were crystals emitting a soft white light, illuminating the path ahead.

"Let's go!" Wen Youyi did not hesitate and stepped into the passage first. Zhao Iron Pillar and the others followed closely behind.

The passage was long, leading all the way down. Along the sides, one could occasionally see closed metal doors marked with different symbols, seemingly former living quarters, warehouses, or functional cabins, but most were dim and lifeless, clearly abandoned.

The further down they went, the stronger the sense of ancient technology became, forming a marvelous Fusion with the pure megalithic style above.

Finally, at the end of the passage, a colossal door, cast entirely from some dark silver metal with weak energy patterns flowing across its surface, blocked their path. In the center of the door was a palm-shaped recess.

Wen Youyi knew this was the entrance to the "Core Control Room". He took a deep breath and pressed his palm into the recess.

The Star Power and the power of the star core fragment were poured into it without reservation.

"Identity confirmed... Highest authority user... Welcome back, Commander."

A cold, emotionless, yet strangely familiar synthesized electronic voice rang out abruptly in the passage.

Immediately after, the massive metal door slid open silently to the sides, revealing the scene behind it.

The control room was not the resplendent sight they had imagined, but rather... ruins. The massive main console was broken in the middle, flickering with chaotic electric sparks; countless screens were pitch black, with only a few still flickering with incomplete static and error codes; the ground was scattered with various damaged parts and congealed, dark brown stains, seemingly telling the tale of the fierce battle that had once taken place here.

And in the very center of the control room, a semi-transparent cylindrical life support pod was particularly striking. Filled with pale blue liquid, a tall figure clad in tattered silver armor, whose face could not be clearly seen, was floating silently within, as if fallen into an eternal slumber.

But what caught Wen Youyi's gaze was not the remains of this ancient warrior, but rather the object held firmly in his hands, which were crossed over his chest—it was a crystal key, about a foot long, crystal clear throughout, with what seemed to be a galaxy flowing within it.

The energy fluctuations emitted by the crystal key resonated with the star core fragment inside Wen Youyi with unprecedented intensity!

(End of chapter)