Volume One: The Beginning of the Path Chapter 103: Hidden Secrets

Kong Qing nodded slowly, then turned to Wu Jiang, who was standing beside him, and said, "Do you remember what you asked me earlier regarding this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jiang nodded and replied, "Of course I remember. Just as you were about to tell me, these individuals began to wake up one after another."

"That is correct," Kong Qing said with a nod. "Now that everyone is awake, we can discuss it in detail."

Ye Junze spoke up, "Then we shall trouble you, Doctor."

Qi Yi and the others echoed, "We apologize for the trouble, Doctor."

Kong Qing waved his hand dismissively. "This is a recovery ward, not a suitable place for such a conversation. Please follow me; we shall continue elsewhere."

"Understood," they replied in unison.

Kong Qing led the way, with Wu Jiang following closely behind. The three who had been sitting on their beds exchanged glances, then climbed down and followed the pair out.

After leaving the recovery ward, they walked in silence, following Kong Qing to a different room. Unlike the laboratories and recovery wards they had seen before, this room lacked the familiar electronic voices and the red scanning lights.

Kong Qing tapped on the door, causing a screen to pop up displaying various numbers, clearly prompting for a password. He tapped on the screen, and a soft electronic beep sounded: "Password accepted. Welcome back."

Hearing this, Kong Qing pushed the door open. "Come in," he said, entering first. The others followed him inside.

As soon as Ye Junze stepped into the room, he couldn't help but look around. The entire space was bathed in a blue hue; the walls were filled with a deep, oceanic blue that rendered the room as serene as the sea.

In the center of the room, Ye Junze saw a blue, spherical object roughly the size of a human embrace. Strangely, it hovered silently in mid-air without any visible support, emitting a faint blue glow. Seeing nothing else in the room, he was filled with curiosity.

Kong Qing, noticing their inquisitive gazes, smiled. Just as he was about to speak, Wu Jiang’s voice broke the silence.

"Doctor, what is this place? I have never been here before. I didn't even know our research institute had such a room," Wu Jiang asked, full of confusion.

Kong Qing turned to him and said, "This is a private room of mine. I usually come here alone to think through certain problems, so it is only natural that you were unaware of it."

"I see," Wu Jiang nodded slowly, acknowledging the explanation.

Wenyu, eyeing the floating sphere with curiosity, pointed a finger at it and asked, "Uncle Doctor, what is that big ball?"

Kong Qing looked at Wenyu and replied, "That? It's just a little gadget I made when I had some spare time. You can think of it as a display terminal."

Wenyu nodded, though she only half-understood. "A display terminal? What’s that? Oh, I don't get it."

Qi Yi shook his head helplessly, unable to do anything about the young girl.

Kong Qing chuckled but offered no further explanation. He clapped his hands and said, "Alright, now that you’ve looked around, let’s get down to business."

The group immediately became solemn, looking toward Kong Qing in anticipation.

Kong Qing did not hesitate. He reached out and swept his hand across the surface of the blue sphere. The sphere glowed, and rings of rippling light expanded outward, enveloping it.

As the sphere underwent these changes, Kong Qing’s voice began to echo. "Many years ago, our predecessors discovered that mysterious phenomena occur in the waters near Yizhu at regular intervals. The mysterious gravitational magnetic field you mentioned feeling earlier is one of these phenomena."

The group listened, lost in thought.

"I see," Ye Junze said softly. "I had no idea such things existed."

"Indeed," Kong Qing continued. "Through these anomalies, our predecessors uncovered certain truths." He swiped his hand across the sphere again. "Look."

Following his gesture, the group watched as the sphere projected several images. Each scene was different: some displayed brilliant curtains of light, much like the auroras Ye Junze had once seen; others showed swirling vortices that seemed to contain immense, latent power; still others depicted volcanic eruptions and flashes of lightning.

As these disparate phenomena flickered across the projection, Ye Junze’s expression shifted. He looked at Kong Qing and asked, "Doctor, are these the mysterious anomalies you were speaking of?"

"Correct," Kong Qing nodded. "These phenomena have been observed and documented by our research institute over the years."

Qi Yi, deep in thought, frowned and asked, "Doctor, why do these phenomena occur? Is there a specific reason?"

Kong Qing shook his head. "We have yet to discover the specific cause."

Just as Qi Yi was about to press further, Kong Qing interrupted. "However, after observing these occurrences for so many years, we have identified a pattern."

Ye Junze asked curiously, "Oh? What kind of pattern?"

Kong Qing did not hold back. "When these phenomena first appeared, our predecessors discovered that the days they occurred coincided with the time Yizhu first descended here. Every sixty years, when that anniversary arrives, the anomalies reappear. Because of this, our predecessors suspect that the reason Qinghua disappeared from the Shangyang Continent was due to these unknown phenomena, triggered by some entity behind them."

"So, after all these years, you still haven't found the specific reason for these occurrences?" Ye Junze asked.

Kong Qing shook his head again. He waved his hand, and the images on the sphere changed. This time, instead of visual scenes, a series of strange fluctuations emanated from it. As they pulsed, Ye Junze felt—or perhaps imagined—that he could faintly hear rhythmic "thump, thump" sounds.

"Fortunately," Kong Qing continued, "all these years have not been in vain. As you can see, we have captured mysterious fluctuations from these phenomena. They feel as though they are filled with the breath of life. Can you sense it?"

Ye Junze nodded. "Yes, I can feel it. And I think I heard some peculiar sounds just now."

"Oh! Brother Junze, you heard it too? I thought I was just imagining things!" Wenyu exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Jiang and Qi Yi both nodded, confirming they had the same sensation.

Kong Qing looked at them with approval. "Indeed. Those sounds were captured at the same time as the fluctuations. Unfortunately, we still have no definitive answer as to what they are."

"However, judging by your encounter, it has indeed been sixty years, and we are currently in the window where these phenomena are most frequent. That is why your ship was affected while passing through these waters. Perhaps this time, we will gain new insights. If we could fully unravel the secrets behind these mysteries, that would be the best outcome possible."

The three of them nodded slowly, seemingly enlightened. It was hard to believe their ship's ordeal was tied to such a profound mystery.

Wu Jiang, meanwhile, was just as astonished as the others. Having lived in Yizhu and worked at the institute for so many years, this was the first time he had ever heard of such things.

Kong Qing smiled at their reactions, recalling his own shock when he had first learned these secrets. He shook off the thought and said, "Enough of my rambling. You must all be hungry."

"Not at all. We are the ones who have taken up so much of your time, Doctor," Ye Junze replied.

Kong Qing waved his hand dismissively. "Regardless, you have just recovered and need to replenish your energy. Let me be the host today and treat you, our guests who have traveled from afar." He added with a playful, self-deprecating smile, "Don't refuse this old man."

"Of course not. We are already deeply grateful for your rescue; how could we refuse such hospitality?" Ye Junze said with a smile.

Wenyu added cheekily, "Exactly! Uncle Doctor, can we go eat soon? My stomach has been growling for a while now."

Seeing her cute expression, Kong Qing laughed. "Hahaha, alright, alright. Let’s go."

"Great! Finally, time to eat!" Wenyu cheered.