[Vol. 6] Chapter 216: Heaven's Eye
Spatial teleportation is undoubtedly a far more convenient and efficient method of movement compared to conventional physical travel. In just a few seconds, Violet and the cat-girl Xiao Kong stepped out of a shimmering silver rift, arriving at the scene on the other side of the city.
Thanks to Xiao Kong's precise spatial calculations and teleportation, they were likely among the first to reach the site of the explosion. From the moment they heard the blast to the time they arrived, barely three minutes had passed. Even the [Eastern Origin Guards] stationed nearby seemed to have yet to reach the scene.
"Violet, there’s a strong evil spirits presence here. It’s thick," Xiao Kong said immediately, sniffing the air with sharp focus.
“Hmm…” Violet nodded, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight before her.
A massive area lay in ruins, engulfed in roaring flames. What had once been a large building, far from any residential areas and nearly half the size of the main event arena, was now entirely consumed by fire. If there had been anyone inside, their chances of survival were grim.
A demonic force… so, they’ve finally made a move. But why attack this place first? Could there be something here they needed to seize or destroy?
That raises another question: what was this building used for?
The burning site covered tens of thousands of square meters in the western part of Xingyuan City. It was relatively far from the densely populated residential areas but close to workshop districts, specialty shops, and institutions like the [Yin-Yang Division]. Violet hadn’t visited this part of the city before, so with the building now burned down, she couldn’t immediately identify its purpose.
And there was no sign of whoever caused this chaos…
“Da-da-da-da-da-da!”
Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps approached from the distance. The [Eastern Origin Guards], rushing in to support, finally noticed the two girls standing at the scene.
Without hesitation, they surrounded Violet and Xiao Kong, weapons raised and on high alert, their stances tense and ready for action.
"Don't move! State your identities!"
The lead officer drew his sword, his expression tense and vigilant.
Violet glanced at him but didn’t reply, her mind already working on how to extract information in a way that wouldn’t cause further complications.
To the [Eastern Origin Guards], their sudden appearance was indeed suspicious. An incident like this in broad daylight would cause any uninvolved civilians to flee as far as possible. Aside from a few injured locals unable to evacuate, anyone present at the scene this quickly would inevitably seem connected to the incident or perhaps even its instigators.
In truth, Violet couldn’t blame them for thinking this way. The ability to perform a precise spatial transfer over long distances was far beyond the understanding of most people in this world, let alone the [Eastern Origin Guards]. Their wariness was only natural.
But before Violet could come up with a suitable explanation, someone else intervened.
"Lower your weapons! Don’t you recognize who they are? These two are not enemies."
"Ah? Yes, sir!"
A figure emerged from the crowd, walking calmly toward the two girls. It was an elderly man with gray-streaked hair and beard, his face lined with age but radiating a warm smile.
"We meet again, Miss Vi, Miss Kong."
"Who’s calling me Vi. Wait, it’s you? Weren’t you watching the matches at the main arena?"
The newcomer was none other than Master Mo Ziqing, head of the [Ink Sect], who had once assisted Violet and her companions during the registration process by resolving an issue with Yu Dan'er. He was also the superior of Wen Zhengyang, the general of the [Black Scaled Army].
The old man chuckled.
"An event like the tournament, with all its fiery excitement, is best enjoyed by the young. For an old man like me who struggles to share their enthusiasm, occupying a seat there would be a waste. Instead, while my body still holds together, I’d rather do something useful. You see… if I hadn’t been here today, things might have gotten unnecessarily complicated, don’t you think?"
Violet nodded thoughtfully, catching on to what he was implying.
"So you’ve been stationed here specifically to guard this place? What could be so important that the head of one of the [Five Great Sects] would take such precautions personally?"
"Haha, this is a long story..."
Mo Ziqing waved his hand toward the [Eastern Origin Guards] behind him, signaling them to focus on putting out the fire. Meanwhile, he turned and walked alone toward a more secluded area nearby.
"Come with me, both of you. I’ll explain a little bit at a time," he said.
Leading Violet and Xiao Kong, the head of the [Ink Sect] brought them to a small building situated near the epicenter of the explosion and fire. The area was heavily guarded, but unlike the [Eastern Origin Guards] outside, this building was protected by the elite [Black Scaled Army], directly under Mo Ziqing’s command.
"What is this place?" Xiao Kong asked curiously.
The old man glanced back at her and replied succinctly, "The central control room. Please, come in."
With Mo Ziqing personally leading them, the guards didn’t try to stop Violet and Xiao Kong despite their unfamiliar faces. Smoothly, they passed through the courtyard and entered the small building.
Inside, the scene was entirely different from the simple exterior. The room, barely 100 square meters in size, was filled with various metal vessels of all shapes and sizes. Each vessel was sealed with a piece of paper inscribed with intricate runes, resembling talismans meant to suppress evil. The whole place exuded an eerie and mysterious atmosphere, like a room full of vessels meant to imprison powerful evil spirits.
The [Black Scaled Army]’s presence stopped at the building’s entrance. The interior was completely empty. After closing the door, Mo Ziqing lit several lamps scattered around the room, illuminating the strange setup. He turned to Violet and Xiao Kong, offering a warm smile.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable."
"This place is small and not meant for hosting guests, so please bear with it for now."
Violet didn’t comment, keeping her thoughts to herself.
"So, what exactly are these jars?"
After a brief pause, Mo Ziqing stroked his white beard, smiling knowingly.
"Technically, only the Saint and key officials like the heads of the [Five Great Sects] are privy to this information. However, given the current circumstances, I can make an exception and share it with you two, but..."
"Oh, don’t worry. We understand basic etiquette. We won’t go blabbing about it."
"Haha, then I’ll trust Miss Vi and Miss Kong to keep this confidential. Have either of you ever heard of the term [Heaven’s Eye]?"
"[Heaven’s Eye]?"
The two women exchanged glances, and Violet nodded.
"Of course. Isn’t it currently being used to broadcast the tournament matches? It sounds like a surveillance and reconnaissance tool. I’ve come across similar terms during my travels. I doubt it’s something exclusive to the Eastern Kingdom, though."
"And stop calling me Miss Vi!"
Mo Ziqing was briefly taken aback but quickly chuckled as he stroked his beard again.
"Hahaha, very well. Miss Violet, your knowledge is truly impressive. You’re correct. The [Heaven’s Eye] technology has long been used across the Four Nations in various advanced fields, but it’s strictly controlled, and ordinary people have no access to its core functionality."
"You might know that a thousand years ago, the [Ancient Spirit Realm] suffered a catastrophic calamity that destroyed most of its heritage and technology. When we started rebuilding, we faced immense difficulties and limitations. Development was painfully slow."
"To help the continent recover, Spirit Veil Immortal Island shared many advanced technologies with the people of the [Ancient Spirit Realm] through their emissaries. However, due to various practical challenges, only a small portion of these technologies could actually be applied."
"As a result, we were forced to adopt some ‘special measures’."