Hu and Yao made quick progress with their research. They developed a simple homemade device, inserted a particle smaller than a sesame seed, and began their experiments. Two-person e-book Both Hu and Yao wore sunglasses, as did He Muqing, Shu Yajing, and Luo Man. After Hu connected the final wire, he nodded to Yao, who immediately flipped the power switch, and the device began to power up. Hh-hh... A soft hum emerged, and after a few seconds, a bright glow surged suddenly—so intense that even with their sunglasses on, the five people felt the strong light. Hu turned to the computer screen, where the red bar rose steadily, approaching its maximum limit. He then shouted, “Stop!” Yao quickly pulled the power switch, and the bright glow persisted for a while before gradually fading back to its original state. “How did it go?” She asked, as the experiment had been short in duration and her attention had not been fully on the computer. Hou Bao gave a clap and said, "Indeed, it contains very strong energy. According to the initial calculations, the energy released by 0.05 grams of substance through the reaction is equivalent to a medium-sized city's daily electricity consumption. And this is even under a simple reaction setup. If we exclude the energy lost along the way, the output could be tripled!" "What? That's incredible," He Muqing exclaimed, her eyes wide open. "Just 0.05 grams equals the electricity consumption of a medium-sized city for three days—this is truly remarkable!" Hou Bao removed his glasses and smiled. "That's nothing. Just one gram could power a nuclear submarine to orbit the Earth several times. The key differences from nuclear energy are two: it's more environmentally friendly and safer. If possible, this would represent a breakthrough in human energy use—just like when nuclear energy was first recognized!" "Shu Jinghua was just as stunned as He Leading, saying, 'Comrade Hou Bo, your point is that, if possible, this energy source could be widely applied across various industries—just by using a compact device to safely release its energy, it should be feasible to integrate it into cars, tanks, and airplanes, shouldn't it?' 'Theoretically, all of that is feasible,' said Yashi on behalf of Hou Bao. 'Moreover, once miniaturized sufficiently, even integrating it as a smartphone battery wouldn't be a challenge—provided, of course, that this material meets the requirements of a new energy source. I mean, in terms of quantity. Only with sufficient quantities can we trigger a new wave of the energy revolution; otherwise, all efforts remain just experimental and theoretical.' Roman stepped forward and looked at the proposed device, saying, 'Experts believe the material's quantity is substantial. Xiao Feng has already gone down to investigate—there should be news soon!' All six were focused on this area, none of them realizing that a high-level cultivator had already successfully infiltrated and was heading straight toward the drilling rig. Deep underground, Qin Feng himself couldn’t recall exactly how many "crystals" he had peeled off the stalactites—whenever he saw one of substantial size, he’d instinctively reach out to pluck it, eventually delegating the task to his flying sword. This area was roughly the same size as the surface. He soon reached the central point. The temperature here was the highest—he pulled out a thermometer, and the final red line settled around 63 degrees Celsius, with a continuous stream of vapor rising from below. In the mist, something shimmered and flickered. He donned his glasses and slowly walked toward it. As he pushed aside the thick fog, he spotted a structure resembling a lotus platform, over two meters in diameter, translucent and luminous, even reflecting seven colors of light. "Wow, look at that—something special." He gasped in astonishment—entirely composed of a substance resembling crystal, the platform looked exceptionally refined, modern, and upscale. Even more surprising lay ahead: a slight elevation on the right side of the platform bore a "lotus" in full bloom. This lotus appeared even more translucent, nearly fully transparent, with twelve distinct petal-like sections from top to bottom, and a central part resembling a stem, tinged in a pale yellow hue. Without hesitation, he walked toward it and reached out to touch the lotus. As the gentle airflow stirred around it, countless "stems" within the bloom swayed back and forth. Upon finally making contact with the petals, he found them not only warm to the touch but also exceptionally smooth and delicate—just like real petals. Under his touch, the lotus gently swayed left and right, and beneath the final petal, a structure resembling a lotus stem was clearly connected to the platform itself. It's no wonder the cultivators have been eager to come here and investigate—there truly are treasures. Suddenly, an odd thought struck him, and with two fingers he gently grasped the stem of the lotus leaf, pulling it out. The lotus flower was lifted from the lotus platform, and the stem portion was barely less than ten centimeters long—soft to the touch and flexible enough to bend at will. Hmph. A cool breeze blew by, and instinctively, he placed the lotus flower into his storage talisman. At that moment, a figure flew in, landing just under ten meters away. The person wore a gray robe, the brim of the hat pulled low, exuding the distinct aura of a cultivator. Qin Feng frowned, wondering what He Muqing and the others were doing—how had they managed to slip in unnoticed. Then it struck him: it wasn't surprising at all. The visitor was clearly a master of at least the Stage of Crossing the Heavenly Trial—either a Stillness Period or a Primordial Saint—far beyond the current level of the young women. It would have been difficult for them to even detect such a high-level cultivator, let alone stop him. "Master, may I ask what brings you here?" he inquired. "Ha ha ha, Qin Feng! You've always claimed to serve the nation and the military—why are you here alone?" the gray-robed man smiled, saying, "I thought you were using your position to enrich yourself!" Qin, the young lord, stiffened: "Who said that? It's because the drilling equipment has reached its limits that I've come down to inspect things personally. Where have you seen me enriching myself? And what exactly are you? Don't you even dare to mention your name?" The man removed his hat, revealing a face covered with a full beard, and spoke calmly, "I am Dong Qiankun, the Master of the XIAO YAO Sect!" "The XIAO YAO Sect—never heard of it," he shook his head. In truth, Lin Caivé had mentioned this sect to him on more than one occasion. The XIAO YAO Sect was the foremost sect in the realm of cultivation, with over a thousand disciples. "Is that so?" Dong Qiankun smiled and asked, "Are you certain you've never heard of it?" "Qin spoke with great confidence: 'I've never heard of the Xiao Yao Sect. I'm only familiar with the Bai He Sect and the Lin family. I've recently learned of the Jin Long Sect and Yin Hai Sect, but never heard of the Xiao Yao Sect. Oh, I did hear of it in the TV series—the sect led by Tian Shan Tong Lu!' Gong Qinkuan frowned darkly and remarked, 'What about Tian Shan Tong Lu? That's the Tian Shan Sect, isn't it? In the world of Jin Dadi, the abbot of the Xiao Yao Sect is Wu Ya Zi.'"