Chapter 743: Chapter 209: The Fall of Star Tower, Doomsday Approaches (Seeking Monthly Pass)_2
Three "Scholars" from the Astronomy Association took the jade slip into their hands, and with it, a slight surge of confidence. They clenched their fists in a salute and said, "This task should have been executed by Master Han, but since Master Han has unfortunately perished, we, his disciples, will undertake it. We ask our colleagues here to bear witness."
They gathered the remains of Han Mo to the side for temporary placement and then took the lead in entering the secret door.
This secret door was oddly shaped, resembling a well cover, beneath which was a ladder that allowed for climbing.
One by one, everyone entered and arrived in the secret chamber.
The place, with its rounded edges within a square boundary, was empty and void, the walls appearing to be cast from bronze;
The floor, meanwhile, was etched with complex patterns and various symbols.
At first glance, it gave one a sense of being mysterious, profound, and unfathomable.
Upon entering, Bai Sanxiang looked around and muttered, "This is my first time here; it’s like an inverted jar, and we are like turtles in the jar."
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately drew angry glares from those around.
To tell the truth, this place was absolutely secret, and had it not been for the deaths of Han Mo and Zou Wanqing, it would not have been their turn to come in for a visit.
There seemed to be no issue initially, as it was an opportunity to broaden one’s horizons. But after the recent drastic events, with everyone already on edge, Bai Sanxiang’s words provoked an illusion of being like a turtle trapped in a jar among the crowd, and the atmosphere instantly plummeted to an icy low.
Bai Sanxiang’s face turned a unhealthy shade as he said, "Uh, forget what I said."
The rest had difficult expressions on their faces, snorting coldly and ignoring him.
The three Scholars, however, knew the place well. They searched the floor one by one and quickly found several mechanisms, which they pressed.
Amidst several light clicking sounds, the mysterious inscriptions on the ground emitted a faint light, as if coming to life, twisting, moving, and joining together.
Shortly after, at the very center, a small recess was revealed.
This recess was perfectly square and just the right size to fit the jade slip.
The three each took a deep breath and, chanting a strange, indecipherable spell under their breath, they lifted the jade slip together and fit it into the recess.
Click!
The jade slip and the recess fit together perfectly, the latter quickly becoming as transparent as crystal, revealing an object hidden below.
The object, resembling a short section of a copper tube, was sticking out of the ground, topped with a round Treasure Bead.
As the blood of Han Mo flowed in, the Treasure Bead grew increasingly bright; the light of the stars scattered out, and a terrifying and awe-inspiring sensation of pressure welled up from within.
"It’s done! The Star Tower will now enter the highest alert state to help you stabilize the situation. We have to guard this Star Tower hub, and notifying the higher-ups is up to you. Also..." The Scholars, having completed all this, spoke with visibly eased expressions.
The others thanked them profusely, making polite conversation, yet felt greatly relieved inside.
Even with their level of expertise, they didn’t exactly know what "the highest alert state" or "Star Tower hub" specifically entailed.
But that did nothing to lessen the collective sigh of relief.
Because just the combination of those few words gave them a sense of reliability, a feeling of security.
Star Tower, two words, one horizontal and one vertical.
In these end times, humanity had the protection of the Star Tower; they could truly rest easy.
However, at that moment, a sudden aberration occurred!
The jade slip that had sunk into the transparent recess, after Han Mo’s blood had dried, did not stop but continued to emit more and more black liquid non-stop, flowing downwards and quickly filling up into a small pond.
"What is this stuff?"
"I don’t know, get rid of it fast!"
The three Scholars were shocked and quickly responded, reaching out to clear the black stains.
However, no matter how they fiddled with it or what means they used, they could not prevent the black liquid from covering the "Star Tower hub."
"What’s happening, what the hell is happening!?" The three, who had lived for decades, began to wail almost hysterically.
The black liquid was darker than the deepest night before dawn, thicker than the vomit in a gutter, twisting and writhing as if sentient, stubborn and unstoppable.
It surged underground in an unstoppable flood, right into the "Star Tower hub," completely submerging it.
Or rather—clogging it.
The originally gradually glowing ’Star Tower hub’ instantly dimmed.
Even the light suddenly faded.
That short, handle-like object was completely covered in black, hermetically sealed.
In just an instant, the powerful force spreading like shooting stars completely vanished.
Everyone felt an overwhelming wave of terror in their hearts.
In this silent, stunned, and suspicious moment, suddenly Bai Sanxiang shouted angrily, "Ning Baishou, what have you done!?"
Ning Baishou?
The group looked around in bewilderment, but couldn’t find the man in question.
Looking up, they realized that the leader of the Supervision Bureau had quietly appeared outside the entrance at some point.
"Ning Baishou, what have you done?"
"You were the only one who touched that jade slip; you can’t be uninvolved!"
"What’s gone wrong with the Star Tower hub? Can you bear the responsibility for this?"
People cursed in confusion.
Faced with oral and written criticism, Ning Baishou smiled calmly and said to Bai Sanxiang, "Brother Bai, your insight is indeed sharp; you couldn’t be fooled."
True to his name, his hair was whiter than snow, his stature tall like a giant, but his face was flushed and radiant, looking no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, innocuous when he smiled.
Bai Sanxiang clenched his fists tightly, not daring to act rashly but said sternly, "I don’t care what you’ve done, but there’s still time to retract. I’m putting it out there; confess honestly, remove that thing, and I’ll ensure you’re safe! Old Ning, we’ve been brothers for decades, and I’ve never lied to you. You have to believe what I say!"