After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

The representative of the Winter Federation was a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist, named Ivanov.

His beard twitched, and he said something very brief.

"So it appeared out of thin air? Just like those magnetic field anomalies."

Director Qin nodded: "That's possible, but we don't currently have enough evidence to support any conclusions."

"What about the magnetic field anomaly?" Humphrey, the representative of the British Empire, a lean old gentleman, frowned. "More than fifty areas are experiencing anomalies simultaneously, and all electronic devices malfunction when they come within a kilometer—this can no longer be explained by 'natural phenomena'."

At this point, Ms. Claire, the representative of the Iris Federation, chimed in: "That's the problem. If it were just one or two anomalies, we could say it's an undiscovered geological phenomenon or a special atmospheric reaction. But for them to appear simultaneously in various parts of the world, from the tropics to the polar regions, from the inland to the islands—this is impossible unless there is a common, global cause."

Harrison took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "Is it possible that it was caused by some kind of electromagnetic pulse?"

"Impossible, Representative Lison." Director Qin shook his head slightly. "These kinds of pulses can be measured with an accuracy of one in ten million, but we haven't observed any similar signs."

Harrison paused for a few seconds, then tapped the table: "Then it can only be something we don't yet understand."

Everyone looked at each other.

Ivanov, representing the Winter Federation, was the first to speak: "At this stage, I suggest that we not disclose the specific details to the public." His voice was calm, but his tone left no room for doubt. "Joint research and information sharing."

The representative of the United States of America nodded and leaned back in his chair: "I agree, but the secrecy work needs to be standardized—we need to set that standard now."

Upon hearing this, the representative of the British Empire looked towards the seat of the Xia Dynasty representative and gestured slightly: "We second this proposal. Please, our colleagues from the Xia Dynasty, share your thoughts."

The representative of the Xia Dynasty was surnamed Zhou, was over fifty years old, had his hair neatly combed, and spoke slowly but with great weight.

He leaned back in his chair, glanced at the laboratory footage on the large screen, and slowly began to speak: "As for the public, I propose using the upcoming strong typhoons as early warning systems to allow coastal areas to prepare in advance. This can both explain some unusual celestial phenomena that may occur and naturally reduce the need for people to go out."

After thinking about it, everyone agreed.

The discussion in the meeting room continued to heat up.

During the discussion, Director Qin added a few more details.

"An in-depth analysis of the two-headed wolf's internal organs is currently underway, and the cause of death is still unclear. No obvious fatal external injuries were found on its body."

She paused.

"Another discovery was made—the cells in this body were still continuously releasing an energy signal, and the wavelength was exactly the same as the signal collected from the area of ​​magnetic anomaly."

"In other words," Director Qin pushed up his glasses, "this two-headed wolf and the abnormal magnetic field are most likely two manifestations of the same thing."

A lively discussion broke out in the meeting room.

At this moment, Lao Zhou suddenly spoke up. His voice wasn't loud, but it drowned out the buzzing from the entire room.

"Everyone."

The meeting room gradually quieted down.

Old Zhou stood up, walked to the round table, and slowly scanned everyone present with his eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't want to raise the bar too high, but this matter has reached a point where it can no longer be handled by a single country or region alone."

He paused for a moment, his tone calm yet resolute: "There is no precedent, no contingency plan, but we have experience, resources, and judgment. The five permanent members will take the lead, with all member states participating, conducting joint research, sharing information, and acting in unison. This is currently the only correct path."

There was no applause, nor any opposition.

In the silence, some people nodded, some exchanged glances, and some lowered their heads to start writing something in their notebooks.

Harrison was the first to stand up, walk up to Lao Zhou, extend his hand, and Lao Zhou shook it.

Then came Ivanov, Humphrey, Claire, one after another, their five hands clasped together above the round table.

The representatives of the smaller countries on the periphery watched this scene with varying expressions, but in the end they all stood up.

……

Xuantian realm.

Early in the morning, when Xiaoxiao opened the door, a gust of cold wind rushed in, making her shiver.

The locust tree in the yard was mostly bare, with only a few withered leaves hanging on the branches, spinning in the wind.

She shrank back, closed the door, and turned to walk towards the bed.

Cang Yao was still asleep.

He was huddled under the covers, with only half of his head showing.

Xiao Xiao stood by the bed for a while, then reached out and nudged her shoulder.

"Sis, get up. Didn't you say you were going to the market today?"

Cang Yao's eyelashes fluttered, she mumbled something indistinctly, turned over, pulled the blanket up a little, and then stopped moving.

Xiao Xiao nudged him again: "Sister—"

"Mmm..." Cang Yao's voice was muffled under the covers, "Sleep a little longer."

"Sis, what's wrong with you these past few days? You seem so tired every day."

With her hands on her hips, she suddenly realized something was wrong and looked down at her older sister.

Cang Yao's brows were slightly furrowed, her breathing was heavier than usual, and her complexion was alright, but she gave off an indescribable feeling, as if something had drained her strength.

She couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Feeling sleepy in winter is not unusual for sirens.

Their true form is aquatic, and when the weather gets cold and the temperature drops, their bodies naturally become lethargic.

I remember when I was little, every winter I wished I could stay huddled in the crevices of the rocks all day and never come out.

But that was before—my sister's cultivation level is already so high now, she shouldn't be affected by the seasons anymore.

I've never been this sleepy before.

"Sister," the small voice softened, tinged with worry, "Are you alright? Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"

Cang Yao stirred in the blankets and then slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing Xiaoxiao's worried expression, she blinked hard to suppress her heavy drowsiness and sat up, supporting herself on the bed.

"It's nothing," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I'm just a little sleepy."

As soon as she finished speaking, she yawned again, and a tear welled up in the corner of her eye.

Her body swayed slightly when her feet touched the floor. She steadied herself by holding onto the edge of the bed, then took a deep breath and straightened her back.

"See, I'm perfectly fine."

Xiao Xiao looked at her, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything more.

She knew her sister's temperament—she wouldn't tell even if she asked, and even if she did, she'd just say "it's nothing."

Cang Yao scooped up a ladle of cold water and splashed it on her face. The icy water flowed down her cheeks, making her gasp.

He splashed another ladleful, then vigorously rubbed his face to shake off the last bit of sleepiness.

After breakfast, the three of them went to the market together.

Cang Yao spoke less than usual today.

In the past, when she came to the market, her mouth never stopped from the entrance of the village to the end of the market—this looks good, that tastes good, Lin Chu, come and see this—but today she just walked quietly next to Lin Chu, occasionally stopping to look and occasionally saying a few words.

Walking up to the fish stall, Cang Yao squatted down and stared blankly at the crucian carp swimming around in the wooden basin.

She squatted there and watched for a long time, so long that Lin Chu looked down at her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Cang Yao snapped out of her reverie, stood up, and said, "Nothing, I just think these fish are quite cute."

The fishmonger chuckled: "Young lady, you're the first person to say my fish are cute."