159: Section 159

After measurement, they first obtained the basic data of the cylinder.

Height: 218cm; Circumference: 128cm; Weight: 281kg.

The surface is an unknown alloy.

By calculating the ratio of surface alloy density to average density, it was concluded that the center of the cylinder is hollow.

Hearing this conclusion, Jing Yuan immediately scanned it with Mental Force.

Although his Mental Force was not X-ray vision, he could still perceive some uneven distribution inside.

But with only this, it was difficult to know what the object was.

The technicians suggested cutting it open to see what was inside.

Uto nodded in agreement.

A technician took out a portable cutting machine and immediately prepared to cut the cylinder.

The result, however, left everyone dumbfounded.

This portable cutting machine actually failed to cut through the surface of the cylinder.

It didn't even leave a mark.

Such a hard alloy left everyone staring in shock.

Everyone subconsciously thought that this was something good!

"Leader, this might not be an ordinary alloy!"

Uto asked, "Is there any way to figure it out?"

"We'll take it back to the lab for further inspection first."

Uto nodded and then arranged for people to take the item away.

Jing Yuan stepped forward and said to Uto, "Leader, although this thing was dug out of your land, we were the ones who found it after all..."

"You found it, so what?" Uto's expression was not good.

Jing Yuan said with a smile, "Since we discovered it together, if there are any research results from this thing, could you share them with us?"

"This is my territory. Whether I share it or not depends on my mood."

Jing Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly; this guy had no sense of ethics at all!

He wanted to step forward to argue, but Star Shatterer pulled him back and whispered, "Forget it. Don't forget our mission."

Uto also said with a smile, "For the sake of helping me dig this thing up, I will arrange for the workers to mine continuously and strive to refine what you want within a day."

"Fine! Then thank you, Lord Uto!" Star Shatterer responded with a smile.

Uto looked at Quid nearby and instructed, "Entertain the guests from Dragon Bone Village well."

"Yes!"

Uto then followed behind those technicians and left.

Quid also said to the people from Dragon Bone Village, "Everyone, please!"

Star Shatterer glanced at Quid but didn't speak.

Thousand Miles patted Jing Yuan's shoulder, signaling him not to speak either.

Quid first took the four of them to eat, and then arranged rooms for them to rest.

The environment in the underground base was even more oppressive than the Lighthouse.

However, they could only rest and wait in their rooms for now.

After Quid left, Thousand Miles asked impatiently, "Jing Yuan, do you know what that thing is?"

Jing Yuan shook his head, "I don't know either!"

Star Shatterer said, "Jing Yuan and I suspect that the thing causing the workers to fall unconscious might be that object. The fact that the workers didn't faint again after going down the mine is proof."

"What if the cause of the fainting just happened to stop just now?"

"If that's the case, then before long, they will stop work again," Star Shatterer said. "Don't worry! They'll notify us if they stop work. If they can't handle that thing, they'll come looking for us too."

Jing Yuan looked at Star Shatterer with a puzzled face, "If they can't handle that thing, why would they come looking for us?"

Star Shatterer smiled triumphantly and said, "Don't be fooled by the fact that Steel Flame Fortress is a remnant of an old world military base. After all these years, their cutting-edge science has basically not been passed down. Their level of technology, let alone compared to our Dragon Bone Village, is even a far cry from the Lighthouse!"

Jing Yuan smiled slightly; Star Shatterer's words were interesting.

She not only mocked the technological level of Steel Flame Fortress but also revealed that Dragon Bone Village's technology was higher than that of the Lighthouse.

Jing Yuan asked curiously, "Since their technological level is low, what exactly is the refined mineral product you are trading with them?"

Jing Yuan had asked this question once when he and Star Shatterer went down the mine.

At that time, Star Shatterer wanted to say it, but Jing Yuan discovered the metal cylinder, so there was no time.

But having missed that opportunity, Star Shatterer was now a bit reluctant to speak.

Jing Yuan looked at her and said, "Think about it, the kind of ore you want was around that metal cylinder. Is there a connection between the two? If you tell us, we can all think about it together, and maybe we can find a clue."

Thousand Miles looked at Star Shatterer and said, "Why don't you just tell him? I think Boss Bai would agree."

Jing Yuan looked at Thousand Miles, then at Taciturn, and finally pointed at himself, "So it turns out I'm the only one who doesn't know."

Thousand Miles said with a smile, "It's normal. When I first came, they hid all sorts of things from me. Once everyone gets to know each other, you'll know what you need to know."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm like you, an outsider, not someone born and raised in Dragon Bone Village."

Star Shatterer sighed and said, "Alright! I'll tell you. Actually, the main item we trade with Steel Flame Fortress is a catalyst. This catalyst is refined through the ore we saw earlier."

"A catalyst? A catalyst for what?"

Jing Yuan looked at Star Shatterer with a puzzled face, waiting for her to continue explaining.

Star Shatterer hesitated for another second before saying, "A special catalyst that can be used for antimatter generation."

"antimatter? What is it used for?"

"It can be used as energy!"

Regarding antimatter, Jing Yuan had only read about it in some books and didn't know much.

antimatter can indeed be used as energy, and it's a highly efficient clean energy source.

Jing Yuan suddenly fell into thought because he also knew another use for antimatter.

That is, antimatter can be used as energy for spaceships.

Could it be that Bai Yuekui is building a spaceship in Dragon Bone Village?

So even someone like Bai Yuekui has no way to combat the mana ecology?

Is building a spaceship a preparation to escape Earth?

For a moment, many thoughts flashed through Jing Yuan's mind.

However, he did not ask directly.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Quid walked straight in, saying to everyone, "Guests, there has been new progress in the research of that metal object. The Leader wants me to invite you to the Research Institute."

Chapter 163: An Item from Fifty Million Years Ago

Jing Yuan glanced at Star Shatterer; he didn't expect her to actually be right.

Quid had come, and he was being so polite; he was likely preparing to seek help from Dragon Bone Village.

Jing Yuan and the others followed behind Quid again to their Research Institute.

The layout of the entire underground base of Steel Flame Fortress was similar. If Quid hadn't led the way, Jing Yuan might not have even been able to find the path.

The layouts everywhere were too alike.

Jing Yuan saw that at the entrance of their Research Institute, there was actually a pile of clutter.

From the layout of their Research Institute, they indeed did not place much importance on scientific research.

After entering the Research Institute, Quid led them into a laboratory where the metal cylinder was placed right in the center.

At this moment, the metal cylinder had already been cleaned by them.

Compared to before, the surface of the cylinder had two more black scars—one horizontal cut and one vertical cut.

It seemed they had tried to cut the cylinder, but all had failed.

Star Shatterer glanced at Uto and said with a smile, "Lord Leader, how did you run out of tricks so quickly?"

Star Shatterer started mocking as soon as she arrived, which made Uto very unhappy.

When the first cut was made in the mine, Uto realized that this might be something good.

So when he prepared to bring the cylinder to the lab, he hadn't thought about sharing it with the people from Dragon Bone Village at all.

Now, he truly was out of options, which was why he called the Dragon Bone Village people over.

Uto hesitated for a moment and said, "The origin of this thing is more complicated than we thought."