Free Web NovelChapter 344: Chapter 53: Beginning the Dive
The massive ruins formed by the Dragon King’s Remains at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean had long ago been jointly discovered by Zhengguo and the American Federation. Their precise location was within a tectonic fissure near the Northern Mariana Islands, at the center of a dense cluster of hydrothermal vents on the seabed.
Su Zhou’s previous reconnaissance had first confirmed that a Flood Dragon had already been born from the Dragon King’s Remains. Secondly, he had also scouted the area around the ruins, gathering intelligence in preparation for the more detailed exploration work to come.
This exploration mission would be led by Zhengguo. The purpose of conducting it publicly was to reveal to the entire world evidence of the existence of the ancient Demon Race and Immortal Gods—and their power.
Myths from every country and region contain legends of Giant Beasts and Demon Fiends. Some could coexist peacefully with humans, while others were nothing but enemies. The world’s governments, aware of the Mimic Dao lineage, naturally understood the difference. It was the most ancient method for humans to turn the power of Demon Fiends against them.
But the general public was different. Humans who grew up during the Era of Severed Spiritual Qi knew very little about these things and would easily confuse the two.
Yet, the Mimic Dao did exist. It was here. Powerful Mimic Dao Cultivators were bound to appear on the public stage in the future. Were they human or demon? Were they Druids, Werewolves, Vampires, or some other kind of Exotic Beast? Would they truly not pose a threat to ordinary humans? Did they, as the legends say, crave human flesh and blood?
To answer these questions clearly and to extricate all the Mimic Dao Cultivators in the world from this kind of demonizing public opinion, a great deal of groundwork was needed.
And for Zhengguo, the Dragon—which had always been a positive and totemic symbol—was the perfect example.
’Even after my identity as a Dragon Blood holder was revealed, no one thought I wasn’t human anymore. Of course, my handsome looks were part of it, but the most important reason was that the Dragon has been part of Zhengguo’s totemic worship since ancient times.’
Su Zhou was quite self-aware. He knew very well that despite his good looks, if the bloodline he had obtained was from some nasty Evil Beast like a Taotie, Vermilion Ape, or Qiongqi—or even a jackal, wolf, bear, or tiger—the tide of public opinion would not have shifted so favorably. People would have been subconsciously repulsed.
But the Dragon was different—the same was true for the Phoenix, in fact. No one would detest a Dragon and Phoenix bloodline. Such was the importance of reputation.
Therefore, choosing the Dragon King Ruins as the target and using it as an opportunity to publicly reveal the Mimic Dao lineage would not cause much backlash. Furthermore, this Demon God, who was all but confirmed to be the Celestial Pool Dragon King, was—according to the Classics—actually a human who had attained this form through Cultivation. His remains were indeed perfectly suited as a model for unveiling the Mimic Dao.
However, beyond that, there was another thorny issue: should they really reveal the power of the Demon Race and the former Immortal Gods so soon? This point had sparked debate during the joint international meetings. One faction argued that revealing the power of Immortal Gods too early would incite public panic and unrest, or even uncontrollable, blind worship. All of these were extremely destabilizing factors, which was hardly a good thing for a world Order that was already teetering on the brink.
The opposing faction, however, argued that it was better to inoculate the public now, while the situation was at least still manageable, rather than be forced to reveal the existence and power of Immortal Gods amidst some future turmoil.
As for the inevitable chaos... could it really be avoided just by procrastinating?
Su Zhou had been there at the time, sitting behind the two Holy Seats, the Literary Saint and the Ritual Saint. He had even casually snapped a photo of the United Nations assembly and posted it on some anonymous website. It instantly triggered a flood of shocked replies along the lines of, "You never know who the goofballs you’re chatting with online really are!" and "Wow, X Island is full of all kinds of people!"
The Ritual Saint was a career official, a sixty-three-year-old man with a neatly trimmed beard and a sharp, energetic demeanor. He had not deliberately pursued Cultivation, so his strength was not high, and his daily circles did not overlap with those of a Transcendent like Su Zhou. That meeting had been their first, and they had a very pleasant conversation.
Zhengguo’s faction favored an early reveal. After all, Zhengguo had the second-highest number of Mimic Dao lineages, surpassed only by neighboring Fusang. Furthermore, Mimic Dao Cultivators held a respectable status, having achieved success in many different fields, and their collective voice carried significant weight.
Su Zhou agreed. Immortal Gods and Demon Gods were objective realities, at least in this world. That being the case, revealing the truth sooner was definitely better than being forced to do so when the situation had spiraled out of control.
In the end, the council concluded that it was better to rip the bandage off. This decision led to the formation of the current multinational joint exploration team, led by Zhengguo.
Su Zhou was appointed as the lead professor overseeing the exploration of the Dragon King’s Remains. The production crew of *Walking into the Ruins* would also be accompanying them for a live broadcast. Unlike with other, smaller ruins, this program was being presented as a standalone special titled *Legacy of the Primordial Age*. In the future, any large-scale ruin explorations deemed worthy of public broadcast would be livestreamed under this same title.
It was no surprise that Su Zhou was chosen to lead the team. He was now recognized by Transcendents worldwide as a Dragon Blood holder, and his very presence was a source of reassurance. Many members of the expedition team even breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that with a True Dragon Bloodline holder present, their safety was guaranteed, even if an accident occurred in the deep sea.
