Dark Moon Era

“I didn’t do anything. I just concentrated on looking at the rock. I want to know what it is,” Tang Ling said skillfully and sounded flawless.

Yang Kong revealed a sneering smile on his face.

Tang Ling was uncomfortable as he said loudly, “I don’t know how my spirit is but, when I concentrate, I can always sense danger… I feel like I can sense something.”

“Do you think I’m sneering at you because of this?” Yang Kong let Tang Ling get back on his feet before he called the other young warriors over.

“Just now, Tang Ling here recklessly tried to use his spirit and sense this… umm… you guys can call it the Universal Source Rock, and something bad almost happened to him. How bad you ask? It might’ve turned him into a mindless idiot or worse, his body might’ve exploded.

“I don’t know whether your spirit isn’t strong enough or because you are just lucky, but all you feel is dizzy. If I didn’t pull you back in, you might have fallen off the roof.” Yang Kong started out strictly when he explained, but at the end, when his gaze landed back on Tang Ling, the sneer on his face was even more obvious.

He did not mean ill though. Perhaps because of Fei Long, he too was a little biased towards this young boy. The boy was steady and calm, brave, and good at thinking.

The last quality especially was what Yang Kong admired, and because of his little admiration, he had to stop Tang Ling from doing anything reckless.

Tang Ling accepted Yang Kong’s reaction because the man was right. If his Precise Instinct did not sense the surging energy from the rock, his body would have exploded.

He feigned being uncomfortable because he was afraid that Yang Kong might suspect something, hence the sneering.

The wounds and reminders from Su Yao built up an incredibly high mental defense within him.

Still, there were also some idiots who did not believe what Yang Kong said. Orston grumbled loudly, “It’s just a rock with a special color. How serious would it be?”

“Mm, it’s not serious at all. You can try to feel it by concentrating your spirit. The rock is exceptionally sensitive towards the wavelength of a human’s spirit, so it will surely respond to you. Let’s give it a try, shall we?” Yang Kong curled his lips and incited Orston to make an attempt.

Orston scratched his head. He was stupid, but not that stupid.

“Remember, here in the Hope Barrier, all of you may be New Moon Warriors, but you are also the youngest of cadets that know nothing! You guys are here to learn, and first, you must learn how to ask about things that you don’t know or can’t understand. Otherwise, the slightest mistake will cost you your life.” Yang Kong was calm, but his tone was strict like never before.

Tang Ling etched those words in his heart after learning his lesson.

More importantly, he heard what Yang Kong called the rock—the Universal Source Rock.

After more pondering, he finally noticed something that he could use as an analogy on the energy wave that the rock emanated. The analogy he thought of was not an item or a solid object, but a concept which could be applied to anything with life.

Therefore, the energy wave from the rock felt very similar to the presence of life.

The presence felt like the morning dew on the leaves in the forest and the birds chirping cheerfully as all life woke up from their slumber. It also felt similar to the moment when he returned to the settlement in the evening. The fire was built with the smoke bringing the smell of food and the comfort that he felt when he was with his family.

The exact feeling was so strange that it was indescribable, but it really felt like the presence of life. It would feel very obvious at times and could refresh one’s mind.

The energy from the Universal Source Rock was similar to life itself, but entirely different. Nonetheless, it certainly emanated a very lively energy.

“Tang Ling, why are you so concerned about the Universal Source Rock? I want to hear what you think.” Yang Kong interrupted Tang Ling’s thoughts and dragged him back to the key topic.

In fact, other than Orston who was slower with his thoughts, everyone felt the problem did indeed originate from the purple rock.

Back in the command center, maybe it was a coincidence that the camera did not show this particular spot or something else entirely, but no one noticed there was such a strange rock right in front of the Watchtower.

Only Tang Ling noticed a fading purple light when Anthony opened the window, but now, he could not escape from the glow anymore.

Everyone also felt the changes in them, physically and mentally. Only Orston did not concentrate his thoughts on the rock.

“I don’t know. I instinctively feel that this Universal Source Rock is the reason why the Hope Barrier exists,” Tang Ling replied honestly.

Yang Kong was also very straightforward with his reply. “Correct, the Hope Barrier exists just for the rock. Or more precisely, we built the Hope Barrier just for the sake of that rock. On top of that, all the battles and fights that happen here are also because of it. The existence of the rock attracted all the powerful monsters in the area, and that is why our Safety Sector No. 17 can have a safe front like the Safety Zone and Secondary Safety Zone. All the fights and battles are concentrated at this place anyway.”

Even though they had their guesses, the young warriors were still astonished, but they also felt complicated at the same time.

The so-called safety was also an illusion because all the fights and battles were concentrated around the rock.

The huge revelation once again told them that this era was much crueler than they imagined. Even peace and safety had a price to pay.

Though Yang Kong did not want to delve further into this topic, he pointed at the giant Universal Source Rock and said, “I suppose that based on its name, the Universal Source Rock, you guys have opinions on what the rock does. Correct, it is indeed the universal source of energy.

“The concept behind this is quite large and hard to understand, but you guys only need to remember whether it’s the heat energy to boil a kettle of water or the thrusting power to push something, the rock can provide all kinds of energy.

“It does sound like gas or coal from the old civilization, but it isn’t. It’s only similar in terms of usage. Aside from its purity, the energy that the rock can provide far surpasses what the old civilization can churn. For example, its energy conversion rate is a hundred percent, and there’s no need for complicated machinery to convert it.”

“Hard to understand, isn’t it? I feel the same way.” Yang Kong seemed a little different as he explained. The rock far surpassed the scientific theories that were left behind by the old civilization, and this era did not have the ability to form a new theory to explain or define it yet.

“It only needs one criterion to convert energy, which is your spirit!” Yang Kong added the final detail after a pause.

At the same time, a strange look was uncontrollably exposed on his face as he added, “But when you realize that the rock’s energy isn’t just used on inanimate objects but also on life, then everything that happens here, all the chaos and craziness finally gets a reasonable explanation, doesn’t it?”