The setting sun had sunk in the west, and night had fallen.
The Xu Residence no longer possessed the serene beauty under the moonlight of bygone days, only a stretch of ruinous desolation.
However, compared to when Xu Yuan had entered the attic two quarters of an hour earlier, there was now a trace more vitality within the residence.
Martial scholars from the Tian’an Commerce Assembly and the Tian’an Martial Hall had been urgently dispatched and were methodically searching the collapsed rubble for possible survivors.
But beyond that, Xu Yuan also saw many bodies still steaming in the cold winter night.
Some were martial scholars, but most were ordinary people.
The circumstances of their deaths varied, which was slightly nauseating.
As he walked by, Xu Yuan roughly guessed what had happened in the Xu Residence during that half-hour period.
When disaster strikes, there is always a group of people who like to seek fortune amidst peril.
With the walls of the Xu Residence collapsing on all sides, there would certainly be no shortage of looters.
All it took was one person to lead,
and both the greed and the herd mentality would sweep through the crowd like an avalanche.....
The Wangjiang Tower was a seven-story building located on the edge of the northwest courtyard of the Xu Residence, from which one could overlook the bustling street scenes on both sides of Jingjiang and the scenic view of the flower boats on the river. It was also one of the few buildings in the Xu Residence that had thankfully not fallen victim to the disaster.
The Protector said the elder young master was resting here,
Walking alone up to the attic, without even knocking, Xu Yuan pushed the door and entered.
The moonlight poured in like a waterfall,
and the night market streets along the tributary of Jingjiang were hardly less lively due to the misfortune that had befallen the Xu Residence.
It was hell inside, and paradise outside.
The man in green stood with his hands behind his back, gazing over the entire river view and the ruins, with the night breeze fluttering his sleeves and black hair.
Xu Yuan’s eyelids twitched imperceptibly.
"Without you, Xu Changge, fate would have left the world in everlasting night."
After standing at the door for a second,
Xu Changge said nothing,
and Xu Yuan made himself comfortable at the room’s tea tray, poured a cup of tea for himself, and began to drink unhurriedly.
Absolute silence reigned over the attic,
while the hustle and bustle of the market and the cries from within the residence drifted over faintly from afar.
The silence between the two brothers lasted for about half a quarter of an hour,
until Xu Changge turned around and was the first to speak:
"Changtian, what brings you here?"
Xu Yuan glanced at him, put down his tea cup with deliberate slowness, and said bluntly,
"Xu Changge, do you know the Yantian Art?"
Xu Changge furrowed his brows, his gaze on Xu Yuan a bit strange.
It seemed his younger brother had come to know something again?
After a brief pause, Xu Changge shook his head slightly:
Xu Yuan didn’t immediately respond, but gestured to the cushion opposite, indicating Xu Changge to sit down first.
Xu Changge was silent for a few breaths, then walked over to the cushion and sat down, asking in a low voice,
"This Yantian Art sounds like a cultivation technique. Is it the one you practice?"
Xu Yuan shook his head:
"No, it’s a cultivation technique that can deduce the secrets of heaven."
"Deduce the secrets of heaven?"
Xu Changge narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, pondered for a long while, then asked in a low voice,
"How did you come to know of this?"
Xu Yuan replied casually:
"Of course, from Ran Qingmo."
Xu Changge looked somewhat surprised, and asked in a low voice:
"Is it alright for you to tell me this?"
Won’t it affect your relationship with that woman?
Xu Yuan smiled faintly:
"Rest assured, she doesn’t mind."
Xu Changge looked at the smile on his youngest brother’s face, hesitated for a moment, and still spoke up to remind him:
"Changtian, having read so many internal references, you should know what Father wants to do. Be sure to measure it properly, Ran Qingmo is after all someone from the Sects."
Xu Yuan’s eyes turned sharp as he heard this, and he let out a slight sigh:
"Let’s talk about this matter later."
Xu Changge’s tone raised slightly:
"Oh? It seems like you have quite a lot to tell me?"
Xu Yuan gave a light laugh, intentionally flaunting just the right amount:
"Xu Changge, the discovery of the Saint’s Remnant Soul that Qin Mo brought was thanks to me."
Upon hearing this, Xu Changge fell silent for a moment, a look of gratified amusement appearing in his eyes:
"Yes, indeed it’s thanks to you, Changtian."
The way Qin Mo handled that Soul Ring was simply a waste.
The Saint’s Remnant Soul is a treasure.
The information it holds, the cultivation techniques it knew, the entrances to secret realms it was aware of – no single person could possibly digest it all by themselves.
The information just acquired from the other party would take some time to be fully assimilated even with the influence of the Prime Minister’s Mansion.
The cultivation techniques and secret arts will become rewards exchangeable within the Mansion’s Martial Armament System and would also become a source of income for the Tian’an Commerce Assembly’s sale of cultivation techniques.
The entrances to the various secret realms would be developed under the influence of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and all the cultivation resources within them would flow into the Mansion’s treasury like water.
Even within some secret domains, it might be possible to find and supplement some of the strategic resources that the Prime Minister’s Mansion was lacking.
And all this started,
because the youngest brother had brought news about that Qin Mo.
Xu Changge smiled faintly and once again asked:
"Changtian, well done."
Xu Yuan raised a hand to interject:
"Enough of that, let’s talk about the Yantian Art first, but I think it’s best to inform Father about this matter."
Xu Changge’s gaze grew sharp, and he nodded slightly:
Seeing this, Xu Yuan prepared to rise and go to the underground chamber, but Xu Changge simply raised his hand and pressed him down onto the cushion with Origin Qi.
While Xu Yuan looked on in confusion, a small, crystal ball-like object appeared in the middle of the room.
Xu Yuan frowned slightly. His will-spirit probed briefly, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
This... This is the formation from the Communication Crystal in the secret chamber.
The original communication formation patterns had almost filled a hundred square meters of the ground, but now these intricate patterns were condensed into such a small-sized crystal ball!
A portable Communication Crystal...
As Xu Changge was operating it, he explained to Xu Yuan:
"The Tianxun Crystal Orb, crafted by the Geometry Institute of Tian’an Commerce Assembly, there are currently only two prototypes, made specifically for the military."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan’s pupils shrunk.
Prepared for the military...
If such portable Communication Crystals could truly be mass-produced, real-time communication over long distances could completely transform the war model of this world...
After a silent pause of two seconds,
Xu Yuan stared at the Source Crystal, licking his lips:
"Cough, big brother, about this item..."
Xu Changge noticed Xu Yuan’s gaze and let out a somewhat helpless chuckle:
"This thing is still under development. You can’t use it yet. When you reach Second Grade, or when the Geometry Institute has perfected it, Father will naturally give you one."
Xu Yuan closed his mouth and said no more.
Because he sensed that the energy supply for this Tianxun Crystal Orb came from the boundless, ceaseless Origin Qi of Xu Changge.
If it were him, he would be drained in an instant.
The steady voice of Dayan’s Prime Minister echoed in the room:
"Changge, what else is there?"
It was clear that the father and son had already discussed the Saint’s Remnant Soul earlier.
Xu Changge’s voice was gentle and relaxed:
"Father, Changtian was wondering if you might know of a Cultivation Technique called the Yantian Art."