Free Web NovelChapter 403: Chapter 390: Making the Cake Bigger
As far as he knew, the various Illusion Realms in the Yichuan Ruins were very likely the lingering influence of a Myriad Phenomena Butterfly’s remains.
However, the terrifying aura he had just sensed was probably not from something as simple as a Myriad Phenomena Butterfly.
It was highly probable that it was another, similar species—a Pet Beast of a higher tier and a higher Star Level.
Gu Ming’s claim that it was some kind of Divine Beast also fit the description perfectly.
"Good. You truly are a model for this class. Everyone should learn from Gu Ming."
"Ahem. Alright, next person."
He coughed and had Gu Ming step down. Although he had lost his composure for a moment, all of this could be discussed after class. The lecture had to go on.
For the rest of the lecture, however, Professor Zhang was completely distracted. Half his mind was preoccupied with replaying the terrifying dream he had just experienced.
The more he mulled it over, the more he felt there was something extraordinary about that dream. It was filled with applications of various High-star Level Dao Practices.
It wasn’t an ordinary battle scene. Even though the two beings didn’t fight, a mere fleeting encounter or a memory flashback was enough to generate suffocating pressure.
This pressure was, without a doubt, a terrifying might born from the combination of immense Dao Practice and combat prowess.
Just sensing this alone had benefited him greatly.
Professor Zhang himself specialized in fields like the Spiritual Fragment Analysis Method. How could he not be tempted by such a high-quality Spiritual Fragment?
So, after rushing through the rest of the lecture at light speed, he ended the class twenty minutes early and dismissed all the students.
He then called Gu Ming to his office. The students below exchanged glances, surprised that the shock Gu Ming had caused earlier was still resonating. It seemed the professor had grown impatient.
However, none of them had seen the actual Memory Fragment, so they had no way of knowing the details.
When Gu Ming followed Professor Zhang to the office, the group of teachers already inside all turned to look, as if they were waiting for a show to begin.
Mr. Huo must have gotten wind of the situation, because just as they stepped into the office, Elder Huo followed right behind them to back Gu Ming up.
He crossed his arms and said, "Professor Zhang, has yesterday’s debate still not reached a conclusion?"
Professor Zhang’s face flushed slightly at his words. He coughed and said, "That’s a separate matter."
He looked around at everyone and said, "The memory Gu Ming obtained from the Yichuan Ruins is extraordinary. I’ve decided to discuss it with him in detail. We might be able to extract it for everyone to study."
Then he turned to look at Gu Ming.
Gu Ming nodded. "Yes, I have a memory to share."
"After everyone understands it, future investigations of the Yichuan Ruins may need to change direction."
"Currently, the unidentified Pet Beast remains in the Yichuan Ruins all point to a Spirit Beast suspected to be the Myriad Phenomena Butterfly."
"However, based on what I sensed, it might be the legendary Primordial Dream Butterfly."
"The Primordial Dream Butterfly?"
Everyone cried out in surprise.
The moment this name was spoken, everything became clear.
All their doubts and confusion were resolved in that instant.
Many lines of thought that were previously dead ends suddenly made sense.
Elder Huo also shuddered. To an old scholar like him, the name "Primordial Dream Butterfly" was legendary.
He pressed, "Are you sure?"
Gu Ming knew they were being cautious. He was just a student, so it was hard to say how credible his information was.
"If you’re not sure, you can take a look at the Memory Fragment that Cyan Treasure shared."
With that, Gu Ming had Cyan Treasure extract the Memory Fragment again.
Although it was only twenty seconds long, it was enough for the teachers to extract and read it using the Spiritual Fragment Analysis Method.
A long moment later, the Beastmasters were slumped haphazardly in their chairs.
A vein throbbed on Elder Huo’s forehead. After a long while, he finally closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and his body went limp.
He, too, had nearly been overwhelmed by the terrifying dream, his will almost shattered.
One must remember he was an Eight-star powerhouse. If even he couldn’t withstand it, the level of the terrifying beast in the Memory Fragment was truly astounding.
In any case, it couldn’t be at an Eight-star Level. It undoubtedly possessed Nine-star Power.
It should be noted that memories from a High Level Pet Beast like this contain a great deal of hidden information, even if no battle took place.
The higher a person’s Dao Practice, the more they could perceive.
Therefore, they also faced and perceived more of the terror.
Thus, the terror Gu Ming felt and the terror they felt were not on the same Quantity Level.
This was the true purpose of a Memory Fragment, because memories don’t lie.
Even if Gu Ming hadn’t borne the full side effects at the time, the memory had been collected and extracted by him. This was a genuine Memory Fragment, not something he had imagined.
Judging from the reactions in the room, what had been extracted from the Illusion Technique environment of the Yichuan Ruins was priceless—a true treasure beyond measure.
"Everyone, I need to file a new report with the committee and have them change the direction of the search and rescue operation," Elder Huo said.
"Haven’t they been rescued yet?" Gu Ming asked.
Elder Huo shook his head.
"We’ve found some of the students, but the club president and several core members are still trapped deep inside. We haven’t found them yet."
"Moreover, our own people have gone in and gotten stuck as well."
"In fact, by the time I came here, the school and various research institutions had already raised the danger rating for the Yichuan Ruins to Eight-star Level and above."
"Now, after hearing what you’ve said, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to label it a restricted zone."
"This place is extremely dangerous. It can no longer be a hazardous area for club members to explore. We’ll just label it a restricted zone."
Gu Ming realized with a start. ’It seems I won’t be able to go there anymore.’
’But what about my memory collecting?’
’I’ll need a reason for that.’
So, Gu Ming asked, "Can we not even go to the surrounding areas?"
Elder Huo’s mind hadn’t caught up yet; he wasn’t thinking about collecting Memory Fragments. He answered subconsciously.
"The surrounding areas are still accessible, as long as you have an application and approval."
"But the inside of the underground caverns is completely off-limits."
"Even Eight-star Beastmasters get trapped and can’t get out. Low-star Level Beastmasters would just be cannon fodder."
"Of course, Mid- and Low-star Level Beastmasters can still experience the already explored areas under team supervision."
After saying that, he asked Gu Ming what he would be doing there.
Gu Ming hadn’t spoken yet.
But Professor Zhang, who was extremely perceptive when it came to Memory Fragments, immediately thought of the benefits.
"If you were able to collect the Primordial Dream Butterfly’s memories in the underground caverns, doesn’t that mean we could extract even more if we went?"
Gu Ming remained silent, but he knew that once the Yichuan Ruins became a restricted zone, he wouldn’t be able to get approval to enter without the help of the right connections and resources.
’Besides, this cake is huge.’
’If I try to keep it all for myself, I might not get a single slice.’
’It’s better to make the cake bigger and share it with everyone.’
The teachers’ eyes lit up. They looked at each other again. No one spoke, but they were all thinking the same thing.
This was a huge opportunity. They couldn’t let the authorities designate the area as a restricted zone that no one could enter.
The number of High-star Level Beastmasters was limited; it was the Mid- and Low-star Level Beastmasters who were the main force for exploring ruins.
Without them to explore the vast ruins, how could archaeological teams ever hope to map everything out?
