Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Lin Xiaoxue shook her head in disbelief, her emotions surging as she said, “Impossible… Even if I told Dad all of this, he’d only say I was joking with him. He would never hurt me. Never!”
CC said, “That’s right. After all, they’re very much like us. They have human emotions too. Once they’ve spent enough time with someone, they can’t bring themselves to do it. But if they refuse to act, then someone else will come hunt down those of us who know the truth.
“The men you saw in Taoyuan are precisely those who refused to dispose of humans who learned the truth. We call them the Rebels.
“The Rebels would rather gouge out their right eye, the one that can be tracked, than harm the humans closest to them.”
Wei Sen fell silent.
So… back then, when she had questioned Li Chang about his identity, Li Chang should have killed her to protect himself.
But he hadn’t. Instead, he had used his own death to fulfill her wish, helping her set foot on the path of searching for the truth.
Wei Sen didn’t know why, but at that moment, an indescribable emotion stirred inside her.
Fragments of the year she had spent with Li Chang after waking up in the hospital surfaced in her mind.
It seemed… her nose stung a little.
The feeling was strange, and it lasted only a short while.
Soon, Wei Sen’s eyes returned to their usual calm.
“Why is it like this?” She looked at CC and continued asking, “Why would the same theory of evolution produce two different species? And how did two different species break through reproductive isolation?”
CC said, “Who says evolution has to be right? Isn’t it possible that when Nüwa created humans, she created more than one kind?”
Everyone fell silent. Things were becoming more and more absurd, as if the truth of the world were slowly unfolding before their eyes in an extremely twisted form.
Just then, a white mass of light finally appeared ahead of the Transit Pod. As the Transit Pod passed through the light, a new scene appeared before them.
They had arrived in an underground hall. The Transit Pod stopped at the entrance to the hall, then opened its doors.
“You’ll understand some of these questions once you meet the Elder.” As CC spoke, she unfastened her seat belt, rose, and opened the door of the Transit Pod. “Of course, there are also some things it isn’t time to tell you yet. Otherwise… they’d be even harder for you to accept.”
Everyone followed CC out of the Transit Pod and stepped onto a floor paved with some kind of metal. They walked toward the center of the hall, and with each step, tiny ripples of light spread beneath their feet, as though they were walking across a solidified galaxy.
The group looked around. The dome of the hall was so high it vanished into darkness. Faded reliefs coiled around massive bronze pillars, their twisted lines looking both like writing and star charts under the glow of luminous stones.
Tiny metallic cubes floated through the hall, slowly rotating in defiance of gravity. Runes etched across their surfaces shifted and recombined as they turned.
A certain frequency echoed through the entire hall, like the lingering resonance of some enormous machine in operation.
The immense visual impact and the change in environment left everyone steeped in shock.
Only when they drew closer did they finally see it clearly: a throne stood high upon the Crystal Altar, cast entirely from a dark silver metal. Faint blue lines flowed across its surface like veins.
And on the throne, a man slept with his eyes closed.
He had a tall, slender figure. A long black robe draped around him like night mist, and its lapels were studded with crystal fragments like stars, flickering faintly with each breath he took.
“So, so handsome…” Lin Xiaoxue murmured. Because of that stunning, almost otherworldly face, her earlier agitation was temporarily calmed.
The man on the throne had a face as pale as cold jade, with deep-set brows. Long silver-white hair spilled across the throne, and among the strands were wound fine metal chains. Miniature astrolabes hung from the chains, still turning in silence.
His hands were folded over his chest. Even asleep, he exuded an air of authority.
CC’s expression turned very serious. “Watch what you say.”
Lin Xiaoxue immediately put away her lovestruck look and said solemnly, “Mm!”
The group arrived beneath the Crystal Altar. Within sight stood a pillar about one meter tall, with a blue button installed at the top.
“This is Taoyuan’s Elder. Try not to be too nervous,” CC said to them, though no matter how she looked at it, none of the four seemed particularly nervous.
Wei Sen was so calm that not the slightest ripple showed on her face. Her thoughts were completely unreadable.
Xu You had both hands in her pockets and was still looking around curiously.
As for Lin Xiaoxue, although she had put away that lovestruck expression, the way her eyes stared straight at the Elder made her thoughts impossible to hide.
Only Chen Lin pushed up her glasses and straightened her clothes, appearing rather formal.
CC shook her head slightly, then stepped forward and decisively pressed the button.
As the button sank down, the deep blue patterns across the throne instantly lit up. The man on the throne raised his head at a steady speed, then abruptly opened his eyes in the next second.
Wei Sen’s attention was still on the patterns of the throne. The instant CC pressed the button, it seemed as if… electricity had been supplied to the throne.
If that was the case, then the person on the throne might not be made of flesh and blood.
The moment Wei Sen looked up, her gaze met the Elder’s. Their eyes locked. The Elder’s pupils trembled faintly, and he slowly stood.
CC said, “Elder, these four have passed every aspect of the assessment. They are qualified to join The Organization!”
The Elder calmly withdrew his gaze from Wei Sen and swept his eyes over the others. “This is our first meeting. Greetings, everyone.”
“Greetings, Elder!” Lin Xiaoxue and Chen Lin answered in unison, like obedient students.
“There is no need to be so restrained. In Taoyuan, whether one is an ‘Elder’ or a ‘Guide,’ the distinction in status only reflects each person’s duties. There is no hierarchy. Everyone is truly equal.”
After the Elder finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a holographic control screen appeared before him. He operated the buttons on the screen, and the Crystal Altar slowly sank until it was level with everyone.
Immediately afterward, a round table rose, along with four chairs.
CC said, “Elder, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
With that, CC turned and left the hall.
“Sit.” The Elder sat down, and the throne automatically moved forward to the round table.
Seeing this, the others also took their seats one after another.
“Wei Sen, Xu You, Lin Xiaoxue, Chen Lin-Taoyuan welcomes you!” the Elder said solemnly. “Starting today, I will grant each of you the status of a Taoyuan resident. Of course, you do not need to live here, but you will have the right to enter and leave Taoyuan at any time.
“Furthermore, in future Instances, when you clear an Instance, you will receive a Merit Points bonus ranging from 10% to 200%, as well as Anomalous Artifact rewards. Taoyuan will help each of you fulfill the wish in your heart more quickly!”
“That’s great!” Lin Xiaoxue said with a nod.
Chen Lin also nodded and said softly, “Then we’ll be able to gain even more Merit Points.”
Xu You said, “Elder, there’s no rush to give us any status just yet. Right now, we have a lot of questions. Can you answer them one by one?”
The Elder’s eyelids lifted slightly. “That depends on what you ask.”