The Forgotten Research Chamber

Chapter 187: The Forgotten Research Chamber

The faint light on the ancient symbol disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the underground corridor looking no different from before. Aether stopped and turned toward the formation behind him, carefully examining the symbol that had briefly illuminated. "Did you notice that?" he asked. The Ancient Origin Earth Dragon looked back at the wall. "I did. That symbol wasn't active when we first entered the chamber. Something triggered it after we left." "Could it have been responding to my Origin Energy?" "Possibly, but I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. The formation might have detected the information we collected, or one of its other systems could have completed a process in the meantime." Aether nodded. Rather than guessing, he instructed the System to compare the symbol's previous condition with its latest appearance. [Analysis Complete.] [An inactive formation mark has received a small amount of energy.] [Connection Identified: Sealed Research Section.] [Access Status: Restricted.] Aether's attention sharpened. Before he could ask for further details, another notification appeared. [Hidden Mission Triggered: The Forgotten Bloodline Records] [Objective: Locate the sealed research chamber within the Ancient Sanctuary and recover its preserved research records.] [Requirements: Discover the chamber's location. Understand and overcome its remaining protective mechanisms. Recover the original bloodline research records.] [Reward: 40,000 System Points.] [Additional Reward: Ancient Bloodline Research Archive.] [Mission Status: In Progress.] Aether examined the mission carefully. Forty thousand System Points was a substantial reward, but the additional archive was potentially even more valuable. Considering the sanctuary's original purpose, the research records might reveal how its creators attempted to preserve and evolve powerful bloodlines. "Looks like we have another destination," he said. The dragon studied the formation mark. "Then we should find out what protects it before attempting to enter. A sealed research chamber is unlikely to have been restricted without a reason." "I agree. Let's trace its connections first." Aether summoned several shadows and assigned them to investigate the surrounding passages. Others were instructed to follow the formation network and identify any structures connected to the sealed section. He also asked the System to compare the available diagrams with the newly activated symbol, hoping to narrow down the chamber's location. [System Analysis Initiated.] [Comparing Formation Records...] [Multiple Possible Connections Identified.] [Exact Location: Unconfirmed.] The System marked three possible routes on the map. None provided a direct entrance, but each led toward a different part of the sanctuary that might contain additional information. Aether examined the routes before choosing the nearest one. "We'll start here. If the chamber has been sealed through the central network, there should be some form of control structure nearby." The dragon nodded, and the two continued through the corridor. Elsewhere, Jiang Rui stood inside an ancient building with several members of the Azure Mountain Family. They had discovered a collection of preserved records, although most were written in an ancient script that required considerable effort to understand. One of the younger cultivators approached him with a tablet. "Young Master, we found references to bloodline preservation in these records. There are also mentions of several restricted facilities." Jiang Rui accepted the tablet and examined its contents. His expression changed slightly when he noticed that the records referred to a central research section. "Have you found its location?" "Not yet. The information is incomplete." Jiang Rui returned the tablet. He had already noticed that several groups were gathering information about the sanctuary, and he had no intention of allowing another participant to gain an advantage without his family learning about it. He remembered Aether's earlier discovery of the Preservation Facility and the ancient formation network. Although he didn't know exactly what Aether had found underground, the discoveries were too significant to ignore. "Send a message to our people outside," he instructed. "Tell them that the sanctuary contains extensive bloodline research facilities and an active formation network. Also report that Aether Draven has already explored one of the major structures." One of his companions hesitated. "Should we mention that he has a powerful dragon with him?" "Of course. I'm not interested in sending incomplete information." Jiang Rui looked toward the building's entrance. He didn't intend to confront Aether directly, especially when the difference in their available strength was uncertain. For now, gathering information and making sure his family knew about the discoveries was more useful. Meanwhile, Mu Qingxue had continued examining the stone tablet she discovered earlier. Several inscriptions had become clearer after she carefully removed the dust covering their surface. Although she couldn't translate the entire text, she had managed to identify a few repeated terms. The records described a facility that maintained natural environments for rare bloodline resources. They also mentioned that certain plants could preserve characteristics that would otherwise disappear from weakened bloodlines. Mu Qingxue considered the information. The sanctuary's research was considerably more extensive than she had expected. The Ancient Spirit Garden was apparently only one part of a much larger system, and the formation surrounding this area had been designed to maintain the conditions necessary for its resources. She copied the inscriptions into a jade slip before continuing. A short distance away, she noticed another path leading toward a lower section of the structure. The vegetation growing beside it was unusually sparse, but the natural energy beneath the ground was considerably denser. After observing the area for a while, she decided to investigate. She wasn't certain what she would find, but her discovery of the stone tablet had given her a reason to believe that something important remained in that direction. Aether and the dragon eventually reached the first location marked by the System. It was a wide chamber with several rows of stone pillars, most of which had lost their original energy patterns. At first glance, it appeared to be another ordinary formation room, but Aether quickly noticed that the pillars were arranged in pairs, with each pair facing a different section of the chamber. The dragon examined the arrangement and approached one of the pillars. "This is a recording formation. It was probably used to preserve information gathered during experiments." "Can it show us what was recorded?" "If its core is still functional." Aether instructed the System to scan the structure. The analysis took several moments before a notification appeared. [Ancient Recording Formation Detected.] [Condition: Partially Damaged.] [Preserved Information: Available.] [Warning: Several records are protected by an independent sealing mechanism.] Aether looked at the dragon. "Can you activate it without damaging the records?" The dragon examined the formation before placing one hand against the nearest pillar. A controlled stream of Origin Energy entered the structure, but he stopped before supplying more energy. "Not yet. The formation is damaged, and its remaining energy is concentrated around the protected records. Forcing it to activate could destroy the information we want to recover." Aether withdrew his hand from the pillar. "Then we'll let the System analyze the structure first." [System Analysis Initiated.] [Examining Formation Structure...] [Recoverable Information Detected.] [Estimated Recovery: Partial.] Aether waited as the System began extracting the surviving information without activating the damaged formation. Several ancient symbols appeared in sequence, gradually forming fragments of translated text. The first records described bloodline compatibility tests. Others contained observations about inherited characteristics, energy circulation and the effects of specialized nourishment resources. Aether read through them carefully, recognizing several principles that resembled the Ancient Bloodline Nourishment Art he had studied earlier. However, one fragment attracted his attention more than the others. It referred to a central research chamber where the most important findings had been preserved. Access required authorization from the sanctuary's central formation, and the chamber's protective mechanisms were designed to remain active even if the surrounding facilities became damaged. Aether looked at the dragon. "We've found confirmation of the research chamber." The dragon nodded. "And we now know that the central formation controls its access. That explains why the sealed section was connected to the network we discovered." The System displayed another notification. [New Information Stored in System Archive.] [Research Chamber: Confirmed.] [Location: Not Yet Identified.] [Protective Mechanisms: Incomplete Information.] Aether reviewed the translated records once more. They hadn't discovered the chamber itself, but they now understood why the formation network had been restricting access to a particular section. "Good. We have a lead." The dragon glanced toward the remaining pillars. "There may be more records here. We should recover whatever information remains before moving on." Aether agreed. He instructed the System to continue extracting the available records while his shadows searched the surrounding passages for other recording structures. The discovery had given them a clearer direction, but the chamber's location and protective mechanisms remained unknown. As the System continued its work, one final fragment appeared on the display. Unlike the previous records, this one contained only a short warning. [Research Record Fragment Recovered.] [Warning: The final preservation chamber must not be opened while the central regulation system remains unstable.] Aether read the message twice. The dragon's expression grew serious. "That is important. If the warning is genuine, restoring access without stabilizing the network could damage whatever remains inside." Aether looked toward the deeper passage. "Then finding the chamber isn't enough. We'll need to understand the central system first." The dragon gave a quiet nod. They had found the direction of their next objective, but the sanctuary had made one thing clear: some of its most valuable discoveries were protected for a reason. And Aether intended to learn that reason before opening the door.

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