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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 1: [Nether Realm of the Dead]
Chapter 4: [The Golden Crow and The Black Dragon]
(4th of Volume 1)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Zhao Meng's gaze left the microscope, his mind reeling with shock.
He turned back to the Buddha's Relic in the crystal container. No larger than a bean, it appeared utterly ordinary and unremarkable. Yet the image he had just seen under the microscope lingered in his mind like a nuclear explosion, shattering any possibility of seeing it as ordinary.
Seeing Zhao Meng's state of shock, the other research team leaders, including Xie Tianshu, approached the Buddha's Relic one by one, their expressions grave and curious. They wanted to witness for themselves what the astonishing secret are hidden within it.
After each person had examined the relic...
Laboratory 705 fell into a deathly silence.
One of the older research team leaders, his chest heaving, nearly collapsed straight onto the floor. Zhao Meng and Xie Tianshu quickly rushed to his aid, helping him to a seat.
This severely defied the common sense, completely overturned all of their understanding.
In that moment, the worldview built over decades within the framework of science crumbled to dust.
Professor Xu, having recovered, stared at the Buddha's Relic under the microscope with reverence.
"What is this?" he choked out, "How can the microscopic world be like this? I thought the microscopic realm consisted of bacteria, cells, atoms, molecules..."
"Why?"
"Why does the microscopic world contain such..."
"An inconceivable corner?"
The elderly leader of the research team asked weakly, "On Earth, at the microscopic level invisible to the naked eye, is this the norm, or is this the only place where such phenomena occur?"
If Earth's microscopic world is this terrifying, what kind of planet are they actually living on?
What is the connection between the microscopic and macroscopic worlds?
Director Yang found it difficult to answer this question. Despite decades of research, his understanding of the microscopic world remained woefully inadequate.
However... he did know that, apart from Laboratory 705, there were four other Supercognitive Projects before it: Project 701, Project 702, Project 703, and Project 704.
Each project operated independently with extremely high levels of secrecy, and the teams only knew of each other's existence.
Zhao Meng said, "The Buddha's Relic itself is very special, a supreme treasure of the Buddhist. The Bronze Ship resting upon it may be an inevitable event, rather than a coincidence."
"The Buddhism teaches that 'a flower contains a world, and a leaf contains a Buddha.' It's highly likely that some eminent Buddhist monks had already discerned the secrets of the relic long ago, which is why they left such teachings."
Zhao Meng's gaze remained fixed on the Buddha's Relic, growing increasingly familiar with its form.
Suddenly, a realization struck him.
That's right!
The eye on the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish - the shape and size - are almost identical to this Relic.
The only difference is that the Dao Ancestor's brow bone is a pale azure, while the Buddha's Relic is a light crimson.
Could this be a coincidence?
Could the missing eye from the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish actually be the Buddha's Relic?
Xie Tianshu, unlike these old scholars steeped in confusion and doubt, saw something extraordinary in this discovery.
As a scion of a wealthy family, he had never been denied anything money could buy, and most worldly desires had come to him effortlessly.
His participation in the Arctic Scientific Expedition was primarily about enhancing his resume, hoping to gain greater recognition in the cultural and scientific communities.
This was precisely why his defeat by Zhao Meng in the competition for First Mate position left a bitter taste in his mouth.
For someone like him, accustomed to privilege, the appearance of the Bronze Ship and the opening of the mysterious gate were undeniably thrilling.
His excitement surged.
"A single relic, as vast and magnificent as a planet! The Bronze Ship clearly contains a colossal Phoenix-like corpse, resembling the mythological bird. The other, a horned python, can no longer be considered merely a snake - it has transformed into the legendary Black Dragon!"
"Does this mean that ancient mythology isn't just fiction? That immortality, the ability to fly through the heavens and traverse the earth, actually exist?"
"The ancient world of mythology may have been even more glorious than the legends suggest, but its traces were erased by some unknown force, forgotten and overturned."
"Now, these erased traces of the mythological era have been rediscovered!"
"In the microscopic world!"
"Mythology has never truly faded away!"
"Where are the traces of other mythologies?"
No one could answer; all were stunned, lost in contemplation.
Xie Tianshu's excitement remained undiminished.
"I've heard that drinking the blood of a Phoenix grants eternal life. If we could salvage this Bronze Ship and bring it to the macroscopic world, or if we descended into the microscopic realm, would that mean we could achieve immortality? Gain extraordinary power to rule the Earth?"
Director Yang shook his head.
"Actually... that's not a Phoenix's remains. It's likely a Golden Crow's, judging by its three legs. In mythology, the Golden Crow represents the sun and destruction. Drinking its blood would likely not grant eternal life, but rather lead to utter annihilation, like ashes scattering in the wind."
Laboratory 705 had been observing the Buddha's Relic and the Bronze Ship for decades, meticulously studying and uncovering details that far surpassed what could be gleaned from brief observations.
Zhao Meng turned to Director Yang and asked, "I'm genuinely curious - Is this truly the Buddha's Relic? It feels more like a macrocosmic world, compressed into the microcosm."
"Exactly!" Professor Xu chimed in, "If it's truly the Buddha's Relic, doesn't that imply the Buddha cultivated an entire planet, a whole world, within his body?"
As soon as he spoke, he felt like he didn't recognize himself.
How did I end up sounding so... mystical?
"There's more than one Buddha's Relic!" Xie Tianshu interjected, "Legend has it that after the Buddha's passing, his disciples found enough relics in the ashes to fill eight hu and four dou."
Captain Gao Xin addressed Director Yang: "Director, why exactly did Laboratory 705 come to the Arctic? And how did you deduce that those two beasts were drawn here by the Buddha's Relic?"
At the mention of the terrifying bear-like creature and the even more horrifying Nine Infants beneath the ship, everyone's thoughts were abruptly pulled back to the harsh reality of their situation.
The sense of impending crisis only intensified, like a group of mortals caught in a divine conflict, overwhelmed by their own insignificance and powerlessness.
Director Yang collected his thoughts and said, "As Second Mate Xie mentioned, many high-ranking officials aware of Laboratory 705's existence - those who seek immortality and extraordinary power - have been relentlessly urging us to find a way to recover the Bronze Ship and bring it to the macroscopic Earth."
"For decades, we've combed through ancient texts, searched for artifacts related to the Buddha, employed every scientific instrument at our disposal, and tried countless methods. Yet the Bronze Ship remained unresponsive."
"Then, this year, during a long-distance expedition, we discovered something unexpected: the canvas on the Bronze Ship's mast had actually rotated."
At this point, some couldn't resist peering back through the microscopes at the Bronze Ship.
Director Yang continued, "After extensive testing, we found that the ship's canvas adjusts its angle in response to changes in latitude. The higher the latitude, the more the canvas aligns itself."
"Calculations show that if we were to bring it to the North Pole - 90 degrees north - the canvas on the mast would become perfectly aligned."
Xie Tianshu exclaimed excitedly, "So what if the sails fully align? Will the ship finally set sail?"
"That's precisely why we're conducting this test," Director Yang replied.
"Now... aren't the sails on the ship already perfectly aligned?" someone observing through a microscope remarked.
"It's because we're so close to the North Pole."
Director Yang's expression visibly lit up with excitement.
"Last night, just as the sails nearly reached perfect alignment, the Bronze Ship experienced a slight tremor. Mysterious mountain and sea patterns emerged in the space around the hull, as if... another unfathomable world was unfolding."
"So last night wasn't a fire at all! The Bronze Ship shook the Long Ji? You've been hiding the truth!" A research team leader slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with anger.
Professor Xu had an epiphany.
"I understand now! The vibrations from the Bronze Ship last night attracted the bear-like creatures and the Nine Infants. What should we do now?"
"Those two beasts are far beyond our capabilities. Should we abandon the mission and head back immediately, away from the North Pole?"
"Or should we toss the Buddha's Relic into the sea to rid ourselves of this calamity?"
"Absolutely not!"
Xie Tianshu's gaze shifted uncertainly as he pondered for a moment.
"We've already been targeted," he said, "If we return to port, the Nine Infants beneath the hull might launch a premature attack. Given its power, the research vessel could be dragged to the ocean floor in an instant, leaving no trace of us."
"As for the Buddha's Relic, it's a treasure of all humanity. It might even hold the key to restarting the Mythological Era. How can we abandon it so easily?"
"Besides, we can't be certain the two beasts were drawn by the relic."
"That's just our speculation!"
"How about this... I'll take the risk."
"I'll take the Buddha's Relic and fly away in a helicopter, removing the danger from the research vessel."
Zhao Meng chuckled: "You've certainly calculated this well! If the danger truly stems from the Buddha's Relic, you're safe in the helicopter, impervious to the bear-like creatures on land and the Nine Infants in the sea. If it turns out the relic isn't the source of the danger, even better - you'll have secured the treasure and escaped the peril."
"Zhao Meng, stop throwing baseless accusations around! I have no selfish motives. I simply want everyone on the research vessel to survive," Xie Tianshu retorted.
"Very well! In that case, I entrust the Buddha's Relic to you," Zhao Meng declared.
Xie Tianshu was taken aback, unsure why Zhao Meng had so abruptly changed his stance.
Zhao Meng listened to the dense sound of ice and snow pelting the hull like bullets.
"The blizzard has arrived," he said, "The helicopter definitely can't take off. Since you, Xie Tianshu, are so devoted to sacrifice, take the Buddha's Relic and leave the ship. Distract the danger for us. You care so much about preserving humanity's treasures, so from now on, the responsibility for guarding it falls to you."
Xie Tianshu heard the violent, howling wind outside, and his expression darkened.
"Are you crazy? In this blizzard, even without the bear-like creature, venturing outside is certain death. Would you dare go yourself?"
Zhao Meng shot him a mocking glance before his expression turned serious.
"Who said I'm afraid?"
He turned to Captain Gao Xin and Director Yang.
"Leaders, we have only two choices. Either toss the Buddha's Relic into the sea and abandon this great calamity, or I'll take the risk. If I survive, all the better. If I perish in the blizzard, you can install a locator on the relic beforehand and search for it using the signal."
This time, Xie Tianshu didn't argue with Zhao Meng.
He could see that Zhao Meng was serious.
Director Yang had studied the Buddha's Relic for decades. Now that the Bronze Ship was finally showing signs of fluctuation, how could he willingly hand it over to a ferocious beast?
The Buddha's Relic was more important than his own life.
"Then..."
Director Yang had barely opened his mouth.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Above the ship, a dull impact was followed by the catastrophic sound of the hull tearing apart.
This was immediately followed by a series of explosions.
The ship shook violently, each sound more deafening than the last.
In Laboratory 705, the faces of the gathered scientists paled.
"It didn't leave after all! It's back!"
"Why are there explosions? Who brought explosives on board?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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