Chapter 375 - 347: Wonder—Abyssal Ruins
"She said only a Miracle Building can mend the foundation."
"Lord, I don’t think that’s what she said," Zhang Meng said cautiously after a moment of thought.
"That is exactly what she said," Jia Liangcai said, stroking his long beard.
"This is the second time I’ve heard of this restaurant. Mogu has been there, and now this woman mentions it as well. It seems the place has stood the test of time; its history might be far longer than I imagined." Qin Ziwen turned to look at Mogu. "Do you remember how you got to the restaurant?"
Mogu mused, "A friend took me. I don’t remember the details clearly, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t use a ticket."
"Do you have any idea how much time has passed since your day?"
Mogu shook her head. "I have no frame of reference, so I can’t be sure. But if I could get to the restaurant, I might be able to find out."
"So, is the building’s name literally ’the Restaurant’?"
"No, ’the Restaurant’ is just a moniker. It’s actually an island in the middle of a lake. The scenery is beautiful."
"I see." Qin Ziwen smiled softly, toying with the pearl in his hand. ’Finally. I have everything for the Abyssal Ruins.’
With the growing number of Advanced Buildings, each one strengthened the Home’s overall power. But psychologically, the threshold for what felt impressive had been raised.
"Did she say when the next trade is?"
"She said in a week."
"A week it is, then." With a wave of his hand, Qin Ziwen closed the playback.
The nearby teleportation Light Gate vanished into thin air.
Regardless, for now, he had to prevent anyone else in the Gated Community from making direct contact with the faction that woman represented.
The two sides were at completely different stages of development and levels of understanding. Premature, deep interaction would have an unpredictable impact on the members of the Gated Community.
"How did the underwater hunt go?"
"It might be because of the storm. The marine life is in flux, so we didn’t find any new species of Extraordinary prey," Mogu said, shaking her head.
"No rush. We’ll take our time. For now, let’s see what this Miracle actually looks like. I’m quite excited about its functions."
Qin Ziwen walked to the edge of the Home’s most recently expanded empty territory.
He took out the Card, which shimmered with a five-colored, iridescent light.
[Hint: Once constructed, this Card will form an independent dimensional space. A 10x10 meter area within the Home is all that’s required as a spatial anchor.]
’The footprint isn’t very large.’
With a flicker of intent, he confirmed the construction.
The Card floated from his palm, its gentle glow intensifying into a blazing radiance.
The Card seemed to come alive. The underwater city depicted within it became a projection of light and shadow, extending onto the empty ground ahead. It expanded layer by layer, steadily building downward.
The commotion from using the Miracle Card was less than he’d expected.
The construction took about as long as a normal building. The only difference was that other buildings appeared in a flash of white light, whereas the Miracle Card was multicolored.
When the light faded, a long, sunken staircase in the shape of an inverted pyramid appeared. At its base was a circular wellhead. The water within was perfectly still, like a round mirror.
Standing by the well and looking down, Qin Ziwen’s eyes reflected the hazy silhouette of a city. Its phantasmal structures stood silent and still. Above the city floated a dim, massive sphere.
He wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but he had the distinct feeling that the sphere looked a bit like an egg.
"Does that look like an egg to you guys?"
"What?"
"Bro, there’s no egg."
"Lord, the water’s surface is pitch-black. I can’t see a thing."
The others’ reactions made him realize that apparently, only he could see the scene beneath the well.
"What do you see?"
Qin Ziwu leaned over, craning his neck. "It’s like a black hole. I can’t see a thing, not even my own reflection."
Qin Ziwen leaned over again and looked at the water. Peering through the clear surface, he was certain that the phantom of an underwater city was hidden within.
’It must have something to do with me being the Lord of the Homeland.’
[Miracle: Abyssal Ruins - Level 1]
[Miracle: Sacrifice]
[Current Growth Progress: 0/100,000]
As he looked at the word "Sacrifice," a stream of profound knowledge flooded his mind, and he instantly understood its use.
Sacrifice: Deposit "offerings" into the well. Anything of sufficient "value" can be offered: the remains of prey containing Extraordinary traits, naturally occurring Marvels, Extraordinary plants rich with Extraordinary Power, or even "treasures" condensed from abstract concepts.
The Abyssal Ruins will reward the one who sacrifices with a variable amount of Law Essence, based on the value of the offering.
Law Essence can be used to directly increase the Level of an Extraordinary Ability or to temper a Law Body of any Level.
[Hint: Each time a Law Body Levels up, it permanently enhances the strength of one’s life essence. This includes, but is not limited to, fundamental attributes such as basic strength, energy capacity, recovery speed, and rule resistance.]
Qin Ziwen took a sharp breath. ’So it’s not even trying to hide it?’
’This Law Essence is just a fancy name for Skill Points and attribute points.’
In a way, it’s no different from the meals at the restaurant.
One just uses sacrifice, the other uses food.
In that moment, Qin Ziwen understood. Perhaps this was the true purpose of a Miracle Card.
Every Miracle represents a path to the heavens.
’I must guard this secret with my life.’
’I can’t let anyone know I possess a Miracle.’
He didn’t dare to imagine how much envy and greed he would attract if this were exposed.
He made his decision in an instant: no one else could ever know he possessed a Miracle.
Glancing at the others, Qin Ziwen gave a solemn warning. "Everything you saw today—swallow it. Don’t speak a word of it, even if it costs you your life."
Though they didn’t understand why their lord had suddenly become so serious, they all voiced their agreement.
"Rest assured, Lord. If anyone dares to spread rumors, I’ll be the first to deal with them," Du Yu said, nodding emphatically.
Mogu’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at Zhang Meng and Shi Hu. Of everyone present, those two were the weakest. It was pure coincidence they had been able to come along.
After giving his warning, Qin Ziwen’s heart was racing. He finally understood: a Miracle Building opened up an entirely new path for growth within the Home.
’And this is just the Abyssal Ruins. What about the Eternal Hunting Tomb?’
Collecting his thoughts, he deliberated for a moment and suddenly realized a crucial problem. With the construction of the Abyssal Ruins, the Home’s demand for Marvels hadn’t ceased—instead, it had become a bottomless pit.
And not just Marvels. Extraordinary items and the corpses of Extraordinary prey could all be used as offerings.
’I should test the waters first.’
He took out a Level 1 Tear of the Sea and held it over the surface of the water.
He released his fingers. The Tear of the Sea fell into the water without a single ripple, as if it had been swallowed by a mire.
From his perspective, the falling Tear of the Sea was like a speck of dust, drifting slowly down into the city below.
The massive sphere floating above the city gave off a faint shimmer, then ejected a wisp of white light.
The white light shot out from the water and sank into the spot between his eyebrows.
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