Here, a flicker of astonishment appeared in Ying Chen's eyes.
A giant snake speaking human language?
How could that be possible?
Even in Ying Chen's era, an era brimming with spiritual energy, animals achieving sentience and shapeshifting was practically impossible!
At most, they could awaken some intelligence and possess a degree of sentience.
But speaking human language, that was a standard precursor to "sentience and shapeshifting"!
"Even the Profound Yin Hook Snake of the Shennong Sect couldn't achieve that! That was a creature born with an unusual lineage, and it had constantly consumed Mountain Lord Flowers. Could there be an animal in this world luckier than the Profound Yin Hook Snake, discovering some miraculous grand medicine?"
Ying Chen murmured.
As Ying Chen continued reading, he discovered that the matter was highly suspicious.
The so-called giant snake speaking human language was entirely based on the accounts of the on-site workers, with no concrete evidence.
Most crucially, the workers' descriptions of the giant snake's appearance were varied and inconsistent.
Some said the snake was pure white, like a reborn White Lady;
Some claimed it was entirely golden, with horns on its head, actually a juvenile golden dragon;
Others even said the reason the snake could speak was because it had transformed into an extremely seductive woman.
It seemed each worker present saw a different form of the giant snake!
Ying Chen's eyes narrowed, and he immediately thought of a possibility: "Huo Snake!"
This was a type of strange snake found in ancient texts, rarely seen normally.
This strange snake possessed a unique talent: its eyes could create illusions and bewitch people!
Once one encountered such a snake, one must never meet its gaze, or one would inevitably be mesmerized and meet their end by its fangs.
The workers at the excavation site had most likely encountered a Huo Snake!
Because each person's personality and thoughts differed, the Huo Snake created different illusions in their minds.
The only commonality was that the Huo Snake, through the illusions, left behind a certain will and divine sense, as if speaking within their minds.
This was also the true reason why the workers unanimously claimed the snake "spoke human language."
Understanding this, Ying Chen's expression gradually relaxed.
He then continued reading.
The subsequent records were largely similar.
Additionally, there were some mysterious phenomena related to outer space, including the Chinese scientific department receiving sounds from a black hole through detection equipment.
The sound waves emitted by the black hole surprisingly resembled the roars of a hellish demon god!
All these signs proved the second expert's correctness.
This world, after two thousand years of spiritual energy decline, had finally reached its lowest point and was beginning to recover!
The Fengdun Bureau had invited some relevant experts and utilized supercomputers for analysis.
The final simulation yielded one result.
Within the next twenty years, spiritual energy might experience a large-scale outbreak!
Heaven and Earth would undergo some drastic changes!
After the spiritual energy outbreak, the entire world's structure would naturally change significantly.
At least, the current balance tilted towards technology might shift towards warriors and cultivators.
To what extent it would tilt, no one knew.
After all, with powerful weapons like nuclear bombs existing, the idea of resisting nuclear blasts still sounded too fantastical.
However, when the experts re-adjusted some minor parameters, the supercomputer simulated another outcome!
That is, Earth might be entering a period of terminal lucidity!
Much like the several mass extinctions Earth had experienced before.
The current resurgence of spiritual energy was actually a precursor to a mass extinction, akin to human terminal lucidity.
Before a person dies, their spirits might suddenly improve, even become agitated. Those unaware might mistake it for a sign of recovery.
But those who know would prepare for the funeral in advance.
Because this was a period of terminal lucidity for humans, extremely brief, lasting only a few minutes. After this period, the patient would immediately die.
The supercomputer simulation suggested that the Earth was currently in such a period.
The numerous inexplicable phenomena were actually brief resurgences before a mass extinction.
On the surface, it appeared prosperous, but in reality, it was terminally ill.
And this period of terminal lucidity, the supercomputer estimated, would last 20 to 50 years.
In other words, within fifty years at most, spiritual energy would completely deplete, Daoist methods would utterly collapse, and humanity would enter a great disaster of an unknown nature!
"No wonder this file is classified as S-level secret. If the simulation is true, whether it's a true resurgence of spiritual energy or just a brief period of terminal lucidity, both involve the future destiny of the nation!"
"If this were to spread, it would likely cause worldwide panic immediately. Human order would cease to exist, and global disaster would begin prematurely."
"Twenty years is a critical juncture. After twenty years, whether it's a resurgence of spiritual energy or terminal lucidity, it will become clear."
"And the only thing I can do is to recover my past cultivation within these twenty years. Relying on supreme divine abilities, I will fight against the might of heaven and earth alone, and alter fate!"
Ying Chen's gaze flickered repeatedly, a look of determination welling up in his eyes.
If it were anyone else, they might be consumed by fear and unable to find peace upon hearing this news.
But Ying Chen, a top-tier Fangshi, made a decision almost instantaneously.
His heartstrings fluttered only for a moment, and then there was no further disturbance!
*Swish!*
Ying Chen closed the file in his hand and casually tossed it aside!
Instantly, the file seemed to have eyes, precisely returning to its original place in the file cabinet.
Seeing Ying Chen's action, Xiang Bo was startled.
The people from the Fengdun Bureau were also taken aback.
They had thought Ying Chen was going to take the file away!
To their surprise, he returned it directly after reading it!
"Old Ancestor..." Xiang Bo looked at Ying Chen, managing to utter a title from his mouth with difficulty.
It wasn't that he was defiant towards Ying Chen in his heart, but as an elder in his eighties, calling a young man who looked only in his twenties "Old Ancestor" felt somewhat embarrassing.
Fortunately, no one had the leisure to mock him at this moment.
"What, you want to see it too?" Ying Chen glanced at Xiang Bo and asked.
"No, no, no..." Xiang Bo hastily shook his head.
Jokes aside, if he were to look, wouldn't that make him a thief stealing from his own post?
"Actually, it wouldn't hurt to take a look, at least to clarify the path forward."
"Forget it, I won't look. I've been a coward for half my life, I don't mind being one for a few more years. I just want to ask... you know I deceived you and defied your command, how do you plan to deal with me?"
"If I must die, can you kill me and then let them go? After all, in front of you, they are at most a bunch of ants. Why waste your energy, Old Ancestor, by bothering with a bunch of ants?"
Xiang Bo's gaze flickered as he spoke.
He intended to trade his own life for the lives of everyone in the Fengdun Bureau!
Hearing this, Ying Chen couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile: "If I heard correctly, are you trying to set terms with me?"
"Have you forgotten? As a seed, you have only one principle, and that is to obey my commands unconditionally?"