Chapter 639 - 409: Mysterious Remains, The Truth of the World (Part 2)

Chapter 639: Chapter 409: Mysterious Remains, The Truth of the World (Part 2)

As early as the Old Era, the Cambrian explosion was known as a great unsolved mystery in paleontology and geology, one that had long baffled the academic world.

This was because, during their research into the Cambrian Period, scientists discovered that invertebrate fossils appeared almost simultaneously and suddenly in the Cambrian strata. In the more ancient strata predating the Cambrian Period, however, no animal fossils had ever been found. In other words, this proliferation of life, this explosive growth, occurred suddenly within a short span of a few million years. A few million years is an incredibly short time in geological terms, so it all seemed very bizarre.

The Cambrian Period was the beginning of modern life, the dawn of life. But now, here was an eyeball from that very period...

Zhou Chen felt a dazed sense of unreality, as if he were dreaming.

"That’s right." The Prophet nodded. "This thing appeared during the Cambrian explosion, and it’s highly likely that it was the very source of it."

"This..."

Zhou Chen felt a wave of dizziness, and his mind was thrown into utter chaos.

"At the same time, It was also very likely the source of this planet’s entry into the Extraordinary era, as well as the main culprit behind the Old Era’s destruction," the Prophet added.

The sheer volume of information was overwhelming. Zhou Chen pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a long while to process it all before finally asking, "Is It... an alien lifeform? Or some kind of higher-dimensional being?"

"Mmm..." The Prophet pondered for a moment before answering, "Like the Dream Lord, the War God, the Moon God, the Sea God, and the Goddess of Life, It is one of the Gods. However, It is far more ancient and powerful than them. It is a God of multiple Authorities, possessing many, many of them, and It may have come from the Cosmos."

The Prophet pointed to the Eye of God and said, "The Authority of the Eye of God involves space, time, and the Rules of reality."

He then pointed to the large screen nearby. "The skull’s Authority involves knowledge, the mind, and the Spirit Realm... The left arm bone’s Authority involves gales, creation, and Power... The right leg bone’s Authority involves fire and frost... These are the Authorities we’ve managed to study so far. There are still many we haven’t figured out.

We suspect that the explosion of the Extraordinary and the Heaven-Sent Authorities during the Old Era all came from It, but we don’t have conclusive evidence yet. Further research is needed."

Zhou Chen’s head spun. ’Without any warning at all, I’ve just been exposed to the truth of the World?’

He pulled over a chair, sat down, and fell into a long, deep thought.

’Did all the Heaven-Sent Authorities from the Old Era really come from the owner of these skeletal remains...?’ Zhou Chen thought about it carefully. ’It seems that’s not the case.’

He had seen the origin of the Wish Bottle. That Authority came from the starry Cosmos, later taking shape in human hands. It hadn’t come from the owner of the skeleton.

’But... the vast majority of Heaven-Sent Authorities must have come from It. There should be no mistake about that.’

"Does the Star Association really not know the truth about the Old Era’s destruction?" Zhou Chen asked, looking up.

’The Star Association has existed since long before the end of the Old Era and continues to this day. Is it possible they truly don’t know the reason for its destruction?’

The Prophet shook his head. "The Star Association does have some old-timers who survived from the Old Era. There are some in the Restricted Areas around the World, too. However, none of them know what happened back then. All memories of the Old Era’s destruction were erased by an unknown power. Now, we know why—that final period of history was artificially sealed away.

The Divine War Ruins are a product of this historical seal. Someone, or perhaps some organization, sealed the global Divine War that erupted back then within the cracks of history. That was how they prevented the entire planet’s destruction and the extinction of humanity."

"This..." Zhou Chen’s pupils contracted. He couldn’t help but ask, "Can the Star Association do that now?"

"Yes," the Prophet answered affirmatively. "That’s why we’re so puzzled. Although the explosion of the Extraordinary occurred back then, it was only in its infancy and was destroyed quickly. In every field, it couldn’t compare to the present day. Yet, someone was able to seal away a Divine War... We speculate that someone obtained a special kind of Authority from the skeleton’s owner, or perhaps it was the result of multiple Authorities working in concert."

’Could it have been the Old Era’s Star Association? And because history was sealed, they forgot what they did?’ A theory surfaced in Zhou Chen’s mind. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "What about the Abyss?"

"The Abyss..." The Prophet thought for a moment. "The Abyss is a product of the Divine War. Sigh, those guys shattered space and accidentally punched through a connection to the Abyss.

Based on our research and communications with some Abyssal Demons, we can confirm that the Abyss was initially very, very small. Neither side actually noticed the passage at first. It slowly expanded over time until both sides became aware of it.

Our side tried to find ways to close the Abyss, while their side did everything they could to stop us, even trying to expand it further. Back then, our strength was far inferior to the Abyss’s, so we couldn’t close it in time. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have all this trouble now."

"As for what the Abyss actually is..."

The Prophet paused, then said, "After extensive research, our scholars speculate that the Abyss is a civilization from somewhere else in the Cosmos, just like us. The only difference is that they are more corrupt, more steeped in Darkness, and more powerful. Moreover, the Abyss possesses many unimaginable Abilities—it automatically expands into the void, forming brand new, fallen worlds rich with resources. This is also the reason for the Abyss’s great power.

To put it another way, imagine if this planet automatically expanded every so often. The new land would contain all sorts of abundant resources, and the living environment on the planet wouldn’t change despite the increase in area.

Calculating the time, the Abyss’s expansion period should be coming up soon. The various factions inside the Abyss will all rush to fight over the new territory, which should lessen the pressure on the front lines quite a bit."

’The Abyss is another civilization...’ Zhou Chen silently digested this information. The sheer amount he had learned in just a few short minutes was enormous, enough to completely overturn his worldview.

"Alright, that’s about enough time. We’ll end the lesson here for now. We have to begin our experiment. Remember to go collect your payment."

As he spoke, the Prophet let out a soft sigh, and his tone grew somber. "The nine girls Hua Manzhu kidnapped have all been rescued. Although they’ve suffered psychological trauma, they can all be treated. I feel a deep sense of apology and guilt for the sacrifices of those innocents, but I am destined to press on."

"I understand, but I can’t accept it," Zhou Chen said.

"It’s fine. That’s perfectly normal. If you *could* accept it, then I would have to reconsider my choice," the Prophet said with a smile.

"What choice?" Zhou Chen asked, confused.

"Mmm... You’ll find out soon enough." The Prophet winked and gave a mysterious smile.

’Does he have to be so cryptic? Can’t he just say it all at once?’

Zhou Chen wanted to say more but held his tongue. He was then escorted out of the laboratory.

He went to collect his payment from the Prophet. Besides the information about the Old Era, there was also a Forging Hammer once used by a Master Forger. It contained an immense amount of Secret Power; just holding it in his hand, he could feel its staggering weight.

The Hammer of Forging in his Soul pulsed with extreme desire, eager to have a feast.

’Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ll let you eat soon,’ Zhou Chen quickly soothed the Hammer of Forging in his mind. He estimated that this time, he could raise the Hammer of Forging’s recovery progress to 50% and might even be able to grasp a Rule because of it.

Then, the staff member handing out the payment said something that stunned him.

"Besides these items, there was also an Authority. The Prophet has already notified Lady Li Xiye to come and collect it."

Huh...?

Zhou Chen froze.

’The Prophet actually gave it to her?’