"It seems to be stone."
Ning Beichen knocked a few times, and the walls let out dull thuds.
"Strange, we should be inside some kind of building. Where is this place?" Luo Yingying said.
Ning Beichen was also bewildered, with no clue at all.
Following the two along the walls to explore, it wasn't long before Luo Yingying suddenly called out to Ning Beichen.
"Ning Beichen, come here quickly, I've found something."
Ning Beichen hurried to her side upon hearing Luo Yingying's shout.
"Look."
Luo Yingying pointed at the wall and said to Ning Beichen.
On the wall, there were things that looked like text and patterns.
Ning Beichen looked closely and became excited.
Because he had seen these texts and patterns before, they were the same as the ones in the bronze fragments he had found.
These texts required mental power to read, acting like a translator that allowed one to directly understand their meaning, even if one couldn't comprehend a single character.
However, Ning Beichen remembered that understanding these texts and patterns required certain triggering conditions. In simpler terms, one had to meet their requirements; otherwise, even using mental power to trigger them would have no effect.
Ning Beichen connected his mental power with the text on the stone wall, and soon he understood the texts and patterns on the wall.
But he was shocked by what he saw. This thing was indeed a flying machine, originating from a place called Xidu, clearly not from the Mortal Realm.
"Could it be something from a higher world?" Ning Beichen muttered to himself.
"Ning Beichen, what did you say?" Luo Yingying asked, hearing his mumbling.
Ning Beichen told her the information recorded on the wall and his own speculation.
After listening, Luo Yingying became very interested and also tried to connect her mental power with the text on the stone wall. She stared at the wall for half an hour, but only felt lonely. She got nothing, which made her frustrated.
"It seems I am not the fated one."
"This thing is strange, perhaps it is also picky about people." Ning Beichen said helplessly, having no solution for Luo Yingying's inability to see.
"Never mind, it's the same as long as you can see it." Luo Yingying was indifferent.
"Right, Ning Beichen, you said this thing is a flying machine. Can you control it?" Luo Yingying suddenly remembered something and asked.
"I don't know, we'll have to go to the control area to see." Ning Beichen replied.
"Okay, do you know where the control area is? This place is full of this damned fog, and I can't see anything clearly." Luo Yingying said.
"I should know. I just got the layout of this place from the information on the wall." Ning Beichen said.
"Follow me, it should be not far ahead." Ning Beichen led Luo Yingying forward.
Since he had already obtained the layout of the flying machine, the fog did not affect him much.
Soon, in less than ten minutes, Ning Beichen and Luo Yingying arrived at an area completely free of dense fog.
However, there was a door made of an unknown material, which Luo Yingying couldn't open no matter how she pushed, pulled, or attacked it.
"Let me try." Ning Beichen suddenly remembered that since he had been recognized by these texts, he should be able to open it.
With that, Ning Beichen walked straight to the door and placed his hand on it.
Following that, Ning Beichen felt a stinging sensation in his palm, but it didn't bleed. It felt as if the neurons in his palm were connecting with something.
Then, the door in front of them automatically opened.
However, a mist-like red light seeped from behind the door, making one feel somewhat uneasy.
"Let's go in," Ning Beichen said, as he didn't sense any danger behind the door.
Ning Beichen and Luo Yingying entered and saw that behind the door was a completely different place. Inside were strange things resembling human blood vessels, and at the very front were several red chairs.
These chairs, however, didn't look like chairs but more like large balls of flesh.
"Welcome back, Master!"
At this moment, a female voice suddenly came out.
Then, on a high platform to the left, a holographic silver-haired girl appeared.
However, she was not a real person but a projection, similar to the holographic projections in Ning Beichen's world.
"What did you just call me?" Ning Beichen and Luo Yingying were startled, and Ning Beichen quickly asked.
"Master," the silver-haired holographic girl repeated.
"I just arrived here and this is my first time seeing these things. Why do you call me Master?" Ning Beichen asked her curiously.
"The flying machine has been stationary in this location for one thousand three hundred and fifty-one years and twenty-four days..."
"And you are currently the only human who meets the requirements to control the flying machine, hence you have been chosen as its successor." the holographic girl told Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen was dumbfounded. Such good fortune, he felt as if a pie had fallen from the sky.
"Are you sure?" Ning Beichen still found it hard to believe.
"Of course, I'm sure," the holographic girl replied with an extremely confident tone.
"So, in over a thousand years, not a single person was qualified? And yet, I came, and I became the successor." Ning Beichen still found it hard to believe.
"Yes, you don't need to doubt it. You now possess the highest authority for this flying machine," the holographic girl said to him.
Ning Beichen did not get carried away by excitement. Instead, he pondered the gains and losses in his heart, as he never believed in free lunches, and even if one did fall, he would examine it carefully to see if someone had spat on it.
"What is your name?" After some thought, Ning Beichen felt that it wouldn't be a trap. Even if it were, he could only accept it passively at this point.
"My name is Ling." The holographic girl replied.
"Ling?" Ning Beichen repeated.
"It's Zero, not Ling," the holographic girl corrected him.
"Alright, then I'll call you Zero from now on. Can you tell me about this flying machine?" Ning Beichen said.
"This flying machine was built one thousand six hundred years ago according to Xidu calendar. It is an exploration aircraft for low-latitude worlds. It became stranded here over one thousand three hundred and fifty years ago, still awaiting its Master's return..." Zero told Ning Beichen.
"Then where did the original owner of this flying machine go?" Ning Beichen asked her curiously.
"The flying machine does not have detailed records, so I cannot provide an answer." Zero replied.
"Okay, let me ask another question. Where is this Xidu you mentioned?" Ning Beichen continued to ask her.