The ancient return was exposed by his sister's live stream.

Han Songyue didn't reply, but his expression said it all.

Yang Wanqing asked curiously, "Director Han, if you were worried about leaks, why did you broadcast it live?"

Ying Wenjie, Qin Xiaoyu, and the others also looked at Han Songyue with curiosity.

Han Songyue paused for a moment, then slowly spoke, "The struggle between great powers is no longer about guns and cannons, but about the power of discourse!"

His voice was calm and steady: "The decision was made after a long period of consideration. Whoever can stay ahead of the great changes of the times will have a greater say and will be able to lead the way."

Yang Wanqing was relieved. Between major powers, a small change can have far-reaching consequences, and they all have similar weapons and equipment.

Whoever has more say in the international arena will take the initiative. The struggle has never stopped; it has just changed its form.

Chen Siyao kept this information in mind. With Han Songyue and the higher-ups handling things outside, her current task was to take over the remaining islands as soon as possible.

"Okay, we're ready to go," she said. "Today we're going to the thirty-fifth island."

"It's all arranged," Han Songyue said. "Three boats. The first one is for you, the second one is for Xiao Yuanfeng and his group of four, and the third one is for the professor's team."

Where have the professors gone?

"Island Thirty-Six. You cleared the danger yesterday, and the formation has been dispelled. They've gone in to conduct detailed archaeological research." Han Songyue paused. "Island Thirty-Five... The professor's team will enter after you confirm it's safe."

Chen Siyao responded and led the group toward the dock.

Three speedboats were moored at the dock.

On the second boat, Xiao Yuanfeng was leaning against the gunwale with his arms crossed, with Xu Yunda, Zhang Jingzhou, and Ding Shaokang standing beside him.

All four were elite cultivators from the Special Affairs Bureau, and their strength was considerable, but compared to Chen Hao's disciples, the gap was obvious.

When Xiao Yuanfeng saw Chen Siyao and the others approaching, he greeted them, "Miss Chen, we're with you today."

"Okay," Chen Siyao replied briefly.

Yang Wanqing hoisted the Heavenly Thunder Halberd onto his back and strode onto the first boat. The purple arcs of electricity on the halberd flickered in the sunlight, attracting Xiao Yuanfeng's attention.

That's an ancient magical artifact.

Yesterday it was enshrined on the stone platform, and today it has become this girl's personal weapon.

Xiao Yuanfeng withdrew his gaze, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

On the third boat, several professors were moving equipment. Chen Siyao recognized Professor Li from Peking University and Professor Sun from the School of Oceanography and nodded to them.

The three ships started simultaneously, cleaving through the sea and heading towards the Penglai Islands.

Midway through the journey, the professor's team's ship turned towards the thirty-sixth island.

Chen Siyao stood at the bow of the boat, the sea breeze blowing her hair backward.

Ahead, the outline of the thirty-fifth island became increasingly clear.

Unlike the thirty-sixth island yesterday, this island has exceptionally lush vegetation. The entire island is covered by a deep green canopy, and from a distance, it looks like a giant piece of jade floating on the sea.

"It looks pretty normal," Wu Tian said.

Qin Xiaoyu shook her head: "The more normal something seems, the more careful you should be."

Ship docked.

The group jumped off the boat and onto the beach.

Chen Siyao immediately released her spiritual sense to scan the surroundings—there were no fluctuations in the formation.

"There are no formations on the outer perimeter," she said.

Qin Xiaoyu was also sensing it, and after a moment she nodded to confirm: "Indeed, there isn't any."

Xiao Yuanfeng and his three companions disembarked from the second boat and followed behind.

"Go straight in?" Ying Wenjie asked.

Chen Siyao glanced at the dense forest and started her live stream.

Point the camera forward.

"Good morning, everyone. Today we've arrived at the thirty-fifth island of Penglai," she said to the camera. "Unlike yesterday, no traces of any formations have been found on the outer perimeter of this island. We're now preparing to enter."

The barrage of comments instantly flooded in.

【Here it comes!】

[We haven't had enough of yesterday's episodes yet!]

What kind of tradition will we be celebrating today? I can't wait!

Be careful, Yao Yao!

Chen Siyao put away her phone and gestured for everyone to follow.

The twelve people filed into the dense forest.

The woods were very quiet.

It wasn't just quiet—it was deathly still.

There were no birdsong, no insect chirps, no rustling of leaves in the wind. Even the sound of footsteps on fallen leaves seemed particularly jarring.

Ye Chendong looked around: "This place... there isn't even an ant."

Indeed. There are no traces of biological activity on the ground.

The group walked through the dense forest for about ten minutes.

The trees ahead suddenly thinned out, replaced by an open area. The ground was no longer soil, but...

rock.

Vast expanses of rocks, arranged with exceptional neatness. Each piece was cut into a regular square, laid out on the ground with perfect fit, stretching into the distance.

Yang Wanqing suddenly stopped.

Her brows furrowed, and her grip on the Heavenly Thunder Halberd tightened unconsciously.

"These stones..."

She turned her head and stared at the rock beneath her feet for two seconds.

"There is thunder."

"Thunderbolt?" Ying Wenjie leaned closer. "Are you sure?"

Yang Wanqing didn't answer, but instead squatted down and hovered his palm a few centimeters above the rock surface. The purple arc of electricity on the Heavenly Thunder Halberd flickered slightly, as if in response to something.

"I'm sure." She stood up. "It's very faint, but it's definitely there."

Ying Wenjie looked curious and reached out to touch the stone.

"Ouch..."

He abruptly pulled his hand back, shook it twice, and his fingertips turned slightly red.

"It really has electricity!"

Wu Tian laughed: "You didn't even try to test the waters before touching me?"

"I'm just verifying it," Ying Wenjie said, blowing on his fingers. "It actually hurts quite a bit."

Chen Siyao squatted down to examine the rock. The surface of the stone looked very ordinary, grayish-black, without any patterns or runes.

But when she probed out the energy, she could indeed feel an extremely weak current flowing inside the stone.

"How can a rock have electricity?" Ye Chendong asked, voicing everyone's question.

Qin Xiaoyu was also examining the area: "It wasn't generated by an array. These stones are conductive, but where did the electricity come from?"

No one can answer that.

Chen Siyao stood up and looked ahead.

The rocky ground stretched to the horizon, and in the distance... the outline of a building could be vaguely seen.

"There's something ahead," she said. "Let's go."

The group continued on their way.

Each rock beneath their feet carried a faint electric current, but it was so slight that it felt like being flicked by static electricity and did not affect their movement.

After walking for about five minutes, Xiao Yuanfeng suddenly spoke up: "Don't you guys feel... it's getting dark?"

Everyone looked up.

indeed.

When we entered the dense forest, the sun was shining brightly, and the sky was still relatively normal when we reached the rocky area. But now—the sky above us has turned an indescribable grayish-white; we can't see the sun or the clouds.

The whole world seemed to be veiled.

"Something's not right," Qin Xiaoyu said.

Chen Siyao noticed it too. She glanced back in the direction she had come from... The dense forest behind her was still visible, but it had become blurry, as if seen through frosted glass.