Please be my partner.

Mellen nodded slightly, then, as if he had thought of something, waved his hand and summoned an ancient stone slab, on which a bookworm, barely visible, crawled.

Little Li also appeared silently beside Mellen, its gaze fixed on the bookworm, its eyes flashing with hazy and illusory images.

"This is a bookworm from Star Ring Academy," Mellen said. "I hope Posh Academy can help it evolve."

Whether you're herding one sheep or a flock, it's all the same. Since a compromise has already been made, Song Fei no longer refuses. He nods and says, "I've seen this bookworm before. Back then, Dong also hoped to use the power of Baoshi Academy to help it evolve."

"Unfortunately, that kid didn't agree to our conditions, so I refused."

"Conditions?" Mellen looked puzzled.

Song Fei shrugged and said, "We hope he will donate the Bookworm to Baoshi Academy unconditionally. After all, this kind of pet can only play its greatest role if it is placed in our Baoshi Academy."

Mellen was speechless after hearing this. It seemed that Baoshi Academy was trying to get something for nothing. No wonder Dong Mingjie's tone wasn't very good when he mentioned this.

Song Fei said, "At that time, Dong had already passed over some of the research data related to this bookworm. Based on our calculations, we believe that the ancient knowledge most relevant to this bookworm should be related to sacrifices."

"I will immediately compile some sacrificial materials from the totem era for verification."

As he spoke, Song Fei began to relay information.

After Song Fei finished giving his instructions, Mellen began chatting with him.

Song Fei, as expected of someone specializing in archaeology, effortlessly dabble in all sorts of historical knowledge.

For example, the Totem Era mentioned earlier is one of the several eras that have been divided into in the hundreds of thousands of years since the Battle of the Sky.

By the time of the totem era, humans had once again developed to a certain scale thanks to their tenacious vitality. Although they were still at the bottom of the food chain, they were no longer at the mercy of others.

In the totem era, humans began to live in communities and worship, believe in, and offer sacrifices to powerful monsters, which they regarded as totems.

Tribal worship of totems, with the totems protecting the tribe, creates a close, interdependent relationship between the two.

In the post-totem era, many powerful totem empires were developed through the conquest and expansion of individual tribes.

This time, Mellen didn't have to wait long; just half an hour later, several young teachers walked in with a large amount of materials.

Song Fei took a palm-sized crystal disk and handed it to Mellen, saying, "This contains information about the Council of Beasts and the Battle of the Sky Collapse. You can read it directly once it's activated."

Mellen took the crystal disc, played with it for a moment, and then looked at the mountain of paper documents that the others had brought in.

Song Fei said, "These are all 'food' for bookworms."

Mellen pulled out a document from the list and found that it contained information about a tribe called Hongbo. It described in detail the totems worshipped by the Hongbo tribe and the details of their sacrifices, including but not limited to the time of the sacrifices, the types of offerings, and what adjustments were needed under what circumstances.

At Song Fei's instruction, Mellen fed the document in his hand to the bookworm, which immediately crawled toward the document as if it had smelled delicious food.

Bookworms feed somewhat like silkworms, constantly nibbling at paper. However, unlike silkworms, this 'nibbling' doesn't involve directly ingesting the paper. Instead, it's as if they're consuming some invisible substance, causing the paper to gradually become ethereal.

During this process, the bookworm seemed to become slightly more solid, but the change was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.

This is already a good sign.

Mellen looked at Song Fei, who said, "After digesting this information, it should be enough for the bookworm to evolve."

Mellen nodded slightly, and Little Li waved its paw, collecting the small mountain of documents and bookworms before returning to Mellen's inner universe.

After dealing with the bookworm, Mellen began to fiddle with the crystal disc. He infused it with a wisp of energy, and a virtual screen appeared, displaying a large amount of text and image data. He could also manipulate and adjust it in the void.

Mellen nodded slightly to Tianyu and Song Fei, indicating that they could do as they pleased, and then began to read the information in the crystal disk.

With Mellen's speed of thinking, he could remember and understand even the most complex information at a glance. So, although there was a lot of information recorded in the crystal disk, it only took Mellen a few minutes to read it all.

Baoshi Academy's research on ancient history is indeed quite in-depth. The information about the Council of Ten Thousand Beasts is very close to the original situation, and it also records relics as evidence.

Furthermore, these materials also contain the coordinates of several secret realms that are suspected to be used by the tribes of the Council of Beasts for seclusion. Once these secret realms are opened, the secrets of the Council of Beasts may be revealed, but it may also attract the return of these ancient overlords.

It's no wonder that Baoshi Academy is unwilling to reveal these secrets.

The cause and course of the Battle of the Sky are somewhat unclear. In the earliest period, most archaeologists believed that the ancient overlords had a feud, and the hatred in various aspects accumulated to the limit, which led to the outbreak of a full-scale war.

In that great war that swept across the entire universe of beasts, gods were as common as dogs, and battles between ancestral gods and even supreme gods were also frequent. The heavens and earth collapsed, causing environmental degradation, the extinction of countless races, and even powerful overlord races suffered heavy losses and had to choose to retreat from the world to recuperate.

However, more and more information being unearthed now suggests that the cause of the ancient war that supposedly ended with the collapse of the heavens was not so simple.

Because if it is a war between ethnic groups, there will definitely be a trigger, and in the early stages of the war, the intensity will not be that high. It will only gradually get out of control as the war progresses and more and more ethnic groups are swept up.

The information we have now is... none!

Without a trigger or an initial low-intensity war, this cataclysmic war seemed to be at its climax from the very beginning. Countless powerful races were caught in the crossfire and annihilated without any time to react. The dominant races managed to withstand the attack thanks to their resources, but they also suffered heavy losses.

Therefore, another voice has emerged: could this so-called battle of the collapsing sky not be a chaotic battle between races, but a mysterious natural disaster that has swept across the entire universe of beasts?

If that's the case, then things are rather frightening.

It should be noted that the Xuanfeng and Youhu clans each possess a supreme god, a powerhouse equivalent to a supreme being. Even they could not stop it, which gives an idea of ​​the terrifying nature of that natural disaster.

Mellen connected the clues in his mind and finally pointed to the secluded secret realms of the Council of Beasts.

The simplest way to find out about the Battle of the Sky Collapse is not to guess based on various supporting evidence, but to directly find the 'parties involved' and ask them clearly.

If there are still tribes surviving in those secluded paradises, then that should answer Mellen's questions.

To be honest, Mellen came to the Beast Universe with his own ideas, but the disappearance of the Beast Council and the emergence of the Skyfall War made Mellen somewhat uneasy. He didn't want his plans to be disrupted by some inexplicable events at a crucial moment.

The status of the two gods of the Xuanfeng and Youhu clans also needs to be confirmed.

These are the fundamental reasons why Murren sought the truth.

Seeing that Murren had finished thinking, Song Fei asked, "Mr. Murren, what are your plans for the next step?"

Mellen glanced at Song Fei, who quickly added, "Don't misunderstand, I was just wondering if you're planning to explore those secluded secret realms of the Council of Ten Thousand Beasts next?"

Mellen said noncommittally, "So what if it is?"

Song Fei explained, “Mr. Mellen, I know you are powerful and fearless of any enemy, but excavating ruins is not a simple matter. Anything can happen during the process.”

"Even if you are not afraid of those ancient monsters, mutated monsters, or natural disaster traps that suddenly appear, blindly excavating many ruins may destroy them if you are not careful, which would be a great pity."

Mellen laughed and said, "So?"

Song Fei patted his chest confidently and said, "Baoshi Academy has the most professional archaeological team. To date, we have solved thousands of large and small ruins with a failure rate of less than 5%. If you want to excavate those ruins, cooperating with us is the best choice. We can provide you with a comprehensive plan."

That's right, that was Song Fei and his team's final decision... if they couldn't beat them, they'd join them.

Rather than watching others open those ruins like blind boxes, it's better for Baoshi Academy to get involved as well, which can minimize the potential dangers when excavating the ruins.

Moreover, isn't the reason they leave those large ruins unexcavated simply because they lack the resources?

Now that they suddenly have a powerful patron to cling to, it's a perfect way to fulfill one of their wishes.

For archaeologists at Baoshi Academy, ruins are like gourmet food to a gourmand or beautiful women to a lecher—just thinking about them makes their hearts itch with desire.

Chapter 750: Opening the Ruins and Obtaining Clues

Three months later, on the Jinghai Plain.

A team of several hundred people is busy on the plain. They are either carrying various building materials and assembling according to the specified structure, or writing and drawing on some special materials and engraving various ancient characters. They look quite busy.

A massive altar resembling a pyramid can be vaguely seen gradually taking shape.

Not far from the pyramids, there is a temporary camp. Although it is temporary, it is actually quite comprehensive in scale, and it would not be an exaggeration to call it the prototype of a town.

After inspecting the construction progress of the pyramid altar, Mellen once again praised the professionalism and efficiency of the Posh Spencer Institute.

The Jinghai Plains ruins are the seventh suspected Beast Council secret realm that Melen has explored.

The first six are either wrong; or the secret realm itself has collapsed due to the passage of time; or the ecosystem within the secret realm has been overturned, and the original ruling race has long since become a thing of the past.

During this process, Baoshi Academy gained a lot, but Mellen failed to get what she wanted.

The preparation for this seventh site did not begin recently; rather, it started shortly after Mellen made the decision, and began simultaneously with the other sites.

However, since the difficulty of opening ruins varies, the ruins in Jinghai Plain are considered relatively difficult. Therefore, a professional team from Baoshi Academy worked here for nearly three months before the project came to an end.

"This is the seventh one," Mellen asked. "How many more are there?"

Song Fei hurriedly said, "There are also Ruins No. 8 and No. 9 behind, but both of these ruins are located in the territory of powerful monster groups. Even with the advantage of terrain, our Baoshi Academy can't do anything to them, so..."

"So, you're waiting for me to go and wipe out those two monster groups?" Mellen said.

Song Fei explained, "Mr. Mellen, please don't misunderstand. We didn't expect that we wouldn't be able to find the information you wanted after opening so many ruins. Originally, ruins number eight and nine were not within the scope of this plan."

Mellen waved his hand and said, "Alright, after we finish exploring Ruins Seven, if we still don't have the information I want, I'll help you clear out the monster hordes at Ruins Eight and Nine. But how long will it take to open those two ruins? It won't be as troublesome as Ruins Seven, will it?"

Song Fei said, "Please rest assured, although opening Ruins No. 8 and No. 9 also requires some preparation, it is not as complicated as Ruins No. 7. Moreover, we have already carried out modular operations in advance and completed most of the preliminary work. As long as there is no monster horde to cause trouble, we can open those two ruins soon."

Mellen nodded slightly, indicating his understanding. It seemed that even the Baoshi Academy hadn't expected their predictions about the ruins to be so inaccurate.

Two days later, the pyramid altar was completed. The professional team from Baoshi Academy summoned powerful pet beasts to infuse energy into it, and the pyramid altar lit up layer by layer from the bottom.

Different types and properties of energy are transformed and amplified through the pyramid altar, and by the time they reach the top, they have converged into a surging torrent that soars into the sky.

Golden light seemed to slice the sky open, and a portal slowly emerged.

Just as Song Fei was preparing to arrange for people to conduct a preliminary investigation using technological instruments, a furious roar suddenly rang out: "Who goes there? How dare you disturb the secret realm of my Black Winged Serpent?!"

Song Fei was initially startled, then his expression turned to one of mixed joy and surprise. He muttered to himself, "It's out! It's appeared! And it's alive!! This is a real find!!"

"Roar!~"

The beings within the secret realm seemed to have no intention of communicating at all. After letting out a roar, a large amount of pale purple mist surged out from the opened portal, distorting the space in its path and emitting a hissing sound as it struggled to bear the weight.

The people from Baoshi Academy who were channeling energy into the pyramid altar changed their expressions drastically and quickly moved away.

Unfortunately, these pale purple poisonous mists, though seemingly slow, were actually lightning fast, giving those around them almost no time to react before enveloping them all.

Just when these teachers from Baoshi Academy thought they were doomed to die, they suddenly found themselves unharmed, as if the pale purple poisonous mist had no effect at all.

But they soon realized that this was not the case. The reason they were unharmed in the poisonous fog was mainly because a thin halo of light suddenly appeared on their bodies, blocking these harmful substances from entering.

While the others were unaware, Song Fei naturally noticed something amiss and gratefully said to Mellen, "Thank you for saving me, sir."

Song Fei was also extremely frightened. He knew that the team responsible for the pyramid altar accounted for one-fifth of the teaching staff of Baoshi Academy. If they were to be lost here, it would be a heavy blow to Baoshi Academy.

Mellen accepted the gratitude. He wasn't the type to scold the cook as soon as he put down his bowl. The people from Baoshi Academy had worked diligently to help him open the ruins, so he naturally wanted to return the favor.

Realizing its methods were thwarted, the Black-Winged Serpent became even more enraged. With a loud bang, it crashed directly into the portal that had opened in the void. The space trembled, and a huge shadow was projected out, seemingly struggling to emerge from the secret realm.

Mellen chuckled and stepped outside the portal, saying, "The portal to the secret realm has only just opened, and the space hasn't stabilized yet. If you act recklessly without restraint or skill, of course you'll get stuck."

"Look carefully, it has to be like this..."

As he spoke, Mellen reached out and grabbed at the air, then suddenly tore it apart.

The portal to the secret realm suddenly trembled violently, and the black-winged serpent that was trying to squeeze out was also thrown out.

Ignoring the spatial disturbances, Mellen casually strode into the secret realm.

Looking around, the environment in the secret realm was even more harsh than imagined, filled with highly poisonous plants, to the point that the air was filled with poisonous gas powerful enough to kill a legend.

Of course, such an environment would be considered harsh for normal life, but it might be considered suitable for the Black-winged Serpent.

Withdrawing his scrutinizing gaze, Mellen looked at the Black-Winged Serpent, who was cowering to the side, intimidated by his aura, and asked, "Black-Winged Serpent, are you a member of the Council of Beasts?"

The Black-Winged Serpent was clearly taken aback and asked, "Who are you? How do you know about the Council of Ten Thousand Beasts?!"

Mellen chuckled lightly, "The Council of Beasts isn't a secret, is it strange that I know? As for my identity... do you recognize this?"

A massive, illusory silver wolf rose from behind Mellen, appearing and disappearing, yet exuding an awe-inspiring majesty.

"This is..." The Black-Winged Serpent's pupils dilated in shock. "A wolf...a wolf...impossible! The Wolf Lord should have died on the expedition! Who are you?!"

A smile crept across Mellen's lips as he said, "Very good! I didn't expect you to recognize me! That's right, I am the current Wolf Lord!"

Once the Black-Winged Serpent had processed the information and its expression had become respectful, Mellen pressed, "Tell me, what's the situation on your end?"

The Black-Winged Serpent paused for a moment before beginning its narration…

Back then, one by one, the various clans went into seclusion, and the Black-winged Serpents were no exception. Unfortunately, the Black-winged Serpents were not a powerful clan, and their strongest member was only a god-level being, the one that Melen was seeing before him.

Even though gods theoretically have an infinite lifespan, their spirit will gradually deteriorate over time until they completely vanish into nothingness.

In order to prolong its own existence and also to pass the time, the Black-winged Serpent spent most of its time in a state of slumber, and hundreds of thousands of years passed in a daze.

During this long period of time, other Blackwing Serpents had gradually become extinct in the secret realm. Fortunately, they had thought of this from the beginning, so they left behind enough seeds. When the right time came, this god-level Blackwing Serpent would naturally spread the seeds and allow the Blackwing Serpent race to reappear.

Mellen nodded and went straight to the question that concerned him most: "What exactly happened back then? What happened to the Council of Beasts? What was the situation with the Battle of the Falling Sky?"

The Black-Winged Serpent was taken aback and asked in confusion, "The Battle of Sky Collapse? What is that?"

Mellen was speechless, only then realizing that the so-called "Battle of the Falling Sky" was merely a definition given to that period by later generations. As someone who experienced that era, Blackwing Serpent naturally had no idea about this saying.

Mellen changed the subject: "What exactly happened to you in the end? Why did you hide in the secret realm?"

The Black-Winged Serpent pondered for a moment before giving an unexpected answer: "I don't know either."