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Fang Cheng sat on the throne, raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling the other party to relax:
"What's the situation like with the Illuminati and the Eastern Capital after I came out?"

Upon hearing that he was being asked about serious matters, the professor quickly composed himself, straightened his back, and reported to his supervisor:
"Rest assured, everything is proceeding according to plan."

"The headquarters building of Jinshui Fish Market has been basically renovated, and the expansion project of the air-raid shelter has also been put on track. The newly joined members are scattered in various peripheral industries and are all keeping a low profile."

"The special investigation team seems to have been focusing its attention on the West Mountain area recently, and the various underground forces in the East Capital are also in a wait-and-see period. Overall, things are very calm, and no trouble has come knocking."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly and gave the instructions:

"Continue to keep a low profile, keep your subordinates in check, and minimize unnecessary outings during this period."

"Understood," the professor replied.

After explaining the situation at home, Fang Cheng changed the subject and revealed the real purpose of summoning the other party:

How much do you know about Yong'an Island?

The professor was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then realized what he meant:

"Is it the island you're vacationing on?"

Seeing Fang Cheng nod, the professor lowered his eyes slightly and quickly searched through the vast knowledge base in his mind.

After a moment's thought, he began to speak in detail:

“Yongan Island has a long history. About two thousand years ago, it was just an uninhabited desert island.”

“There are scattered records of legends about ‘mermaids weeping pearls’ in ancient books, which describe it as a forbidden place where sea monsters appear and only a few adventurers have ever set foot there.”

"Later, the surrounding ocean currents changed, and the island was shrouded in thick fog all year round. Its strategic location made it a den of pirates."

"Until the Qing Dynasty, the court dispatched a navy to sea and completely drove out the pirates on the island. Then, a port and lighthouse were built in a sheltered place, marking the beginning of the official control of the island."

"Later, with the rise of the pearl industry and the opening of ocean routes, it gradually became an important transit trading port for Western merchant ships."

At this point, the professor paused, looked up at Fang Cheng, and his tone became more serious:
"However, in our underworld, Yong'an Island is most famous not for pearls and overseas trade, but for the organization called the 'Truth and Meditation Society'."

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't interrupt, signaling him to continue.

"The Zhenxiang Society has a very deep foundation, and its influence once spread throughout the entire Southeast Sea."

The professor recalled the files he had read and recounted what he knew:
"Rumor has it that all their past presidents possess terrifying strength beyond S-class. In particular, more than a hundred years ago, the third president once commanded the winds and waves in the East China Sea, and sank several Japanese ironclad warships equipped with heavy cannons, thus becoming famous for his power."

"But in the last ten years or so, they seem to have encountered some changes, and they have become unusually low-key, with fewer and fewer rumors about them circulating in the market."

After analyzing the intelligence, the professor's eyes revealed a hint of worry:
"President, while you were on the island, did you have any friction with the people who really wanted to meet us?"

No, not at all.

Fang Cheng shook his head and leaned back in his chair:

"On the contrary, I have a connection with them."

"Six months ago, I joined a tour group to participate in a meditation experience activity organized by the True Thought Society on the island, and learned meditation from one of their instructors."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the professor's eyes.

Since there was no conflict and they even formed a good relationship, why did the chairman suddenly ask about these things?
Fang Cheng didn't let him guess for long before directly recounting what had just happened in reality:
"Today, when I returned to Yong'an Island and prepared to enter into meditation, a strange phenomenon occurred."

"I heard a faint sound of the tides, and even a woman's very gentle voice. How should I put it..."

Fang Cheng carefully considered his words and continued his description:

"It's like a lost child hearing his mother's call."

Upon hearing this, the professor's expression instantly turned serious.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his hand to adjust his glasses and began his professional analysis:

"President, there are usually two possibilities for this kind of auditory hallucination."

"Firstly, it is related to the source of your own bloodline abilities."

The professor's voice echoed in the empty hall:

"The power of many ancient families or extraordinary individuals is often traced back to certain mysterious beings in higher dimensions."

"Those beings are bound by the rules of the world and cannot descend in their true form, but they can influence their descendants through the spiritual bonds deep within their bloodline."

"This effect is a double-edged sword. On the positive side, it enhances the host's abilities and grants various supernatural powers."

"But the negative costs are equally heavy. It can cause all sorts of illusions, distort the perception of reality, and even gradually strip away normal human emotions."

"If one cannot withstand it, it will worsen into a bloodline disease, eventually driving one completely insane and turning one into a mindless monster. Many extraordinary individuals and scions of noble families must face this test."

"The 'gentle call' you mentioned is very likely a sign that a higher-dimensional being is trying to assimilate you."

Secondly.

The professor paused briefly, held up two fingers, and continued:

"Perhaps it has something to do with the 'anchor point' you initially grasped when you started meditating."

"Because in order to reach a higher level of meditation practice, one must anchor one's self-awareness to a concrete goal in the spiritual world."

"If you inadvertently used an ancient object on the island with powerful spirituality as an anchor point during your meditation, then when you return to that place this time, the distance between you and the object will be shortened, and you will naturally have a strong spiritual resonance."

"It sensed your return, so it proactively sent out messages, calling out to you in secret."

After listening to the professor's reasoned and well-founded analysis, Fang Cheng sat on the throne and fell into a brief silence.

He lowered his eyes, quickly checking the two possibilities in his mind.

Bloodline assimilation and contamination in higher dimensions?
Fang Cheng shook his head inwardly.

He himself had no distinguished family background whatsoever.

This overwhelming power was entirely due to the attribute points allocated to his character and his diligent, day-to-day training.

If it were truly a blood curse inherited from a family, it would never target only the specific location of Yong'an Island when it manifests.

You should often be troubled by auditory hallucinations when you are cultivating in Dongdu.

But in fact, I did not experience this situation.

Could it be that my ancestors, eight generations back, had some secret connection with Yong'an Island, which is far away in the East China Sea?

Fang Cheng thought about it and felt that this was simply nonsense.

Having ruled out the first option, that leaves only the anchor point of meditation.

Fang Cheng knew very well that when he unlocked his meditation skills, he anchored himself to his self-awareness, that is, the pure spiritual fire deep in his mind.

Later, when his martial arts realm improved and he condensed his true self, that flame evolved into a golden sun hanging in his inner world, completely under the control of his own consciousness.

Therefore, this explanation doesn't hold water either. However, upon further reflection, we can trace back to the experience of my first meditation six months ago.

At that time, in the meditation hall of the True Thought Society, my consciousness almost sank into that deep blue ocean illusion, and I once faced an enormous blue phantom.

It seems that even if they regained control of their bodies by relying on the effects of "primitive vowels" at that time.

But ultimately, a hidden bond remained between him and that deep-sea slumbering being.

That might be the real reason.

Having cleared his thoughts, Fang Cheng raised his eyelids and steered the conversation in another direction:
"Professor, how much do you know about the trench off Yong'an Island?"

"You mean the 'Long-buried Trench'?"

The professor briefly recalled and quickly replied:
"That is the fifth deepest trench in the known world. The deepest part is more than 10,000 meters deep, and it is shrouded in darkness all year round. The water pressure is extremely terrifying."

"Besides the legend of the Mermaid Kingdom mentioned earlier, the 'Guixu' in the Classic of Mountains and Seas may refer to this place."

"Over the centuries, countless merchant ships have sunk in that sea area due to strange storms, which has led to stories of sea monsters and underwater treasures."

"Moreover, there is a local custom."

The professor adjusted his glasses and added a detail:
“Every year on the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, a ‘Sea Festival’ is held, where the deity worshipped is called ‘Sea Queen’. At that time, there will be a grand procession to thank the deity and folk celebrations.”

"The origin of this event is said to be that more than two hundred years ago, a plague broke out on Yong'an Island, and many people were infected with a strange disease and died one after another."

“Some villagers dreamt of the decree of the Sea Goddess, so they summoned craftsmen to sculpt a statue of the deity, set up an altar to perform repentance rituals, and prayed for the souls of the dead on land and in the water. They also paraded the statue through the streets to appease the spirits. After that, the plague indeed stopped.”

“From then on, the island’s residents built temples and held grand sacrificial ceremonies every year in the hope of protecting the island’s peace.”

"During the festival, the ocean currents around the islands will undergo some unusual changes, and fishermen can occasionally retrieve some rare and exotic treasures from the undercurrents rising from the depths of the trench."

"They call it a reward from the Goddess of the Sea, and they will sail near the trench and throw various sacrificial items and livestock to thank the gods for their grace."

After listening, Fang Cheng nodded slightly, his gaze becoming more profound:

"I just received news that Zhenxianghui is currently collaborating with Southeast University of Technology, recruiting a large number of top craftsmen, and secretly developing a manned deep-sea probe. What do you think their intentions are?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of insight flashed in the professor's eyes, and he immediately grasped the key point.

"President, Yong'an Island is located at the junction of the Pacific Plate and the continental plate, where geological activity is very frequent, and there have been volcanic eruptions in the past."

"It could even be said that most of the world's ten deepest trenches are concentrated in this ocean region."

"In the realm of mysticism, such areas of violent crustal movement are often accompanied by the creation of spatial fissures, which are channels connecting to the 'other world'."

"Combined with the various legends that have been passed down on the island since ancient times, I personally speculate that there is a very likely ancient civilization site at the deepest part of that trench."

"The deep-sea research program is most likely just a smokescreen. The real intention is to use deep-sea probes to find a stable entrance to the other side or to obtain something from the ruins."

"Hmm, not bad."

Fang Cheng nodded in agreement, feeling that this guess was highly likely.

The fact that Zhenxiang would go to such lengths to build a submarine is definitely not out of boredom or a desire to dedicate himself to scientific research.

It could only be for some secret hidden at the bottom of the trench.

Just like the battle with the Noah Organization that night in the storm, it was ultimately a conflict of interests.

After a moment's thought, Fang Cheng immediately issued the order:
"For the next period of time, you will stay in Dongdu and continue to gather intelligence on the True Thought Society. If you find anything suspicious, report it to me immediately."

"Yes, I will arrange for someone to investigate."

The professor nodded solemnly.

"There's one more thing."

Fang Cheng placed his hands on the armrests and said in a deep voice:
"Tomorrow, go and contact a reliable processing plant to customize twenty thickened metal boxes for me."

"The interior must be filled with a high-purity lead layer, about one meter long and half a meter wide, and the seal must be excellent, as I need to preserve special items."

Faced with this strange request, the professor was only slightly surprised, but without asking any further questions, he readily agreed:
"Understood, I will personally oversee the progress of this batch of specially made boxes."

After the two finished speaking, the hall fell silent, with only the golden halo slowly flowing in the air.

Seeing Fang Cheng leaning back in his chair in silence, the professor tentatively asked:
"President, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Fang Cheng raised his head and waved his hand:

"That's all. You can go back now. I'll contact you again if anything comes up."

"As ordered."

The professor bowed respectfully.

As he finished speaking, his body began to blur and become transparent.

Countless tiny specks of light peeled off his body, like fireflies flying backward, gradually dissipating into the dazzling pillar of light.

In the empty hall, Fang Cheng was once again left all alone.

He sat upright on the wide golden throne, resting his chin on one hand, his gaze passing over the open doors of the palace.

Silently gazing at the edge of the inner world, at that still slowly undulating chaotic tide.

The deep eyes shimmered with the light of stars, as if they were seeing some indescribable scene.

After pondering for a long time, his figure transformed into countless points of light and disappeared into the hall.

....................................

The next morning.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds without obstruction, spilling onto the azure sea and creating a shimmering golden glow.

As planned the night before, Fang Cheng and his group had breakfast early and then left the hotel.

They boarded Pan Wendi's private yacht, named "Poseidon," at the dock.

With a deep roar of the engine, the white hull cut through the waves and sailed away from the bustling Yong'an Island port.

We sped towards the eastern part of the island, towards that pristine, undeveloped natural coral reef area.

More than half an hour later, the sea breeze gradually subsided.

The color of the seawater ahead began to change, gradually fading from a deep azure to a clear blue-green.

The shadows of the large, undulating reefs underwater are faintly visible, and you can even see schools of small fish darting back and forth.

"Brother Cheng, we're almost there!"

Pan Wendi leaned out of the wheelhouse and shouted to Fang Cheng, who was standing at the bow of the ship. (End of Chapter)