VOL.1 Chapter 6: The Resonance of the Protruding-Eyed Nuo Mask
The erosion speed of the Void parasite far exceeded the Ruin Guardian Unit’s predictions.
In merely ten minutes, black parasitic veins had spread across half the surface of the Bronze Sacred Tree fragments. These murky dark lines twisted like living vines, wrapping tightly around every energy diversion channel, blocking energy circulation and devouring spiritual essence while severing all energy conduits. The barely functional stabilization system ground to a complete standstill, and unrestrained Void mist began seeping upward from the underground cavern without control.
The temperature inside the constant-temperature shed kept plummeting. Moisture condensed into tiny frost crystals that clung to the bronze artifacts, bringing a piercing cold that could never be produced by natural low temperatures. Ordinary archaeological staff walked in and out of the shed, only feeling an inexplicable chill. They pulled their coats tight and instinctively attributed the cold to the frigid soil of the underground excavation zone, never realizing this was a sign of leaking Void energy.
“The parasitic corrosion cannot be reversed,” Sage quickly deleted all ineffective repair plans displayed on the screen, her brows tightly furrowed and her tone heavy. “Micro Void particles have embedded themselves into the metal’s molecular structure. Conventional purification, spiritual energy guidance and runic reinforcement will all prove useless. Forcible cleaning will only shatter the Sacred Tree fragments outright, completely cutting off our last energy trunk and accelerating the collapse of the seal.”
Banbandin updated the structural modeling data simultaneously. Red hazard zones kept expanding across the screen, covering the entire main trunk vein system. “Sixty-seven percent of the Sacred Tree’s core circuits are damaged, and its basic stabilization functions have fully failed. The remaining intact veins will not hold for more than twelve hours. Once that window closes, the Wood Ruin Seal will be completely cut off from its energy supply, and the shallow barriers will crack in large swathes.”
A deadlock instantly descended upon them.
Attempt repairs, and the core trunk would shatter; leave the corrosion unchecked, and the formation would collapse on its own. With this parasitic infiltration tactic, Kaelor had perfectly sealed off all conventional solutions, fully grasping every hesitation of the Ruin Guardian Unit. They dared not take the risk of damaging the thousand-year-old formation anchor—one misstep would trigger a site-wide irreversible collapse of all sealing barriers.
Jam stood rigid in the shed, his features hard as iron as his mind rapidly reviewed the full course of their confrontation. From the initial mass equipment failure and subterranean resonance, to the subsequent Void probing and formation pressure, and now the parasitic decay of the Sacred Tree, every move Kaelor made was meticulously planned and interlocked, with no redundant actions. Every strike landed precisely on the Wood Ruin Seal’s fatal weak points.
“He knows this formation inside and out,” Jam said in a low, somber voice. “His three thousand years of hibernation were not mere dormancy. He spent all that time thoroughly dissecting every flaw in the Wood Ruin Seal, waiting for a chance to deliver a killing blow.”
They shared the same ancient order of Realm Wardens, which gave them identical knowledge of formation craftsmanship. Kaelor understood the seal’s construction logic, fragile nodes and remedial blind spots better than anyone—even the ancient ancestors who built it.
All conventional countermeasures had been exhausted, and the squad found themselves growing increasingly passive. Every member’s gaze naturally drifted toward the nearby artifact storage area.
Resting there intact was a fully unearthed bronze protruding-eyed mask that had never been displayed to the public.
As Sanxingdui’s most iconic national treasure, the mask boasted a bizarre, unique form with cylindrical eyes bulging outward and oversized ears flaring wide to both sides. Its exaggerated facial features stood apart from any mortal human likeness. For thousands of years, its true purpose had remained an unsolved puzzle for archaeologists. Mainstream academic theories labeled it an ancient deity totem, sacrificial ritual vessel or stylized ancestral statue, yet none had uncovered its real function.
At this critical moment, this millennium-old mask was the squad’s only hope of breaking the deadlock.
“This is one of the Four Primeval Nuo Masks and the observation anchor of the Wood Ruin Seal,” Sage spoke rapidly as she pulled up sealed ancient runic archives. “Surviving runic records state the mask is no decorative artifact. It is a spiritual vision terminal built by the ancient Realm Wardens, with exclusive abilities: penetrate rock strata, gaze straight into the Void Rift, identify Void contamination and lock onto parasitic energy sources.”
Daipithy stepped forward toward the mask. The golden runes etched across his palm stirred with ever greater intensity, and a scorching heat surged through every limb. The closer he drew, the stronger the resonance between his bloodline and the artifact, as if an invisible bond spanning three thousand years hummed quietly between them.
The bronze mask was perfectly preserved, its surface thick with mellow, heavy bronze patina. Its hollow protruding eye sockets were deep and shadowy, as if holding the entire subterranean Void within them, silently observing all mortal beings. Three thousand years of burial had not erased an ounce of its spiritual power; if anything, it had accumulated an even heavier aura of primeval antiquity.
When Daipithy’s fingertip hovered one inch away from the mask, an abrupt anomaly unfolded.
Faint golden light suddenly bloomed across the dull bronze surface, flowing slowly along the mask’s outline. Soft yet vast spiritual radiance spilled from the hollow cylindrical eye sockets. The long-dormant relic instantly “awakened”, emanating living energy fluctuations.
The resonance between the bloodline and the mask fully unlocked its core functions sealed away for three thousand years.
Daipithy’s vision warped, stretched and reconstructed in an instant.
This time, there were no fragmented ghostly glimpses or blurry illusions. What he saw was a real-time, full panoramic view of the subterranean Void Rift stretching beneath the ground.
He peered straight through loess and solid rock into the very heart of the seal. All invisible parasitic veins, microscopic Void particles and the remote energy cord channeling Kaelor’s power stood crystal clear within his perception.
He traced the tangled parasitic networks winding inside the Sacred Tree, pinpointed the exact locations where Void particles had embedded in the bronze texture, tracked the flow of Void energy within the rift, and most importantly, spotted the thread of Kaelor’s innate Void power stretching into the western mountain woods to remotely fuel the erosion.
“I see everything,” Daipithy’s voice grew taut, his gaze sharp as a blade. “The Void parasites do not spread randomly. They all travel along an invisible energy cord whose source lies in the western mountain woods—Kaelor is controlling the infestation remotely using his own primal Void essence.”
Without this protruding-eyed Nuo Mask, the squad would have been trapped in endless blind patching and passive defense, never able to spot the enemy’s control cord or locate the root source of the erosion, and slowly worn down to defeat.
Drawing on the spiritual trajectories revealed by the mask’s resonance, Sage reconstructed a full map of Void contamination. “Now it makes sense. He does not need to stay close to the dig site at all. He only needs to leave a seed of his innate Void energy anchored in the formation’s age-old cracks. The seed multiplies infinitely to sustain constant erosion, allowing him to launch untraceable long-distance assaults.”
Banbandin instantly grasped the key to breaking the deadlock. “If we sever this remote energy cord, we can halt the parasitic infestation, stabilize the Sacred Tree’s intact veins, and buy us time to repair the formation.”
The deadlock was finally broken.
Deep within the mountain woods, Kaelor instantly sensed that his concealed surveillance and energy cord had been exposed.
His steady figure stiffened slightly, and his silver-grey eyes narrowed sharply. A flicker of shock crossed his face, quickly replaced by bone-chilling cold. He had never imagined the Ruin Guardian Unit would awaken the mask’s ancient abilities, tearing open his covert scheme and laying bare his remote control cord.
Three thousand years had passed, and the mortal world had long forgotten the mask’s true purpose. Even modern Ruin Guardians only knew its outward appearance, not its core function. He had been certain no one could unravel this final observational secret.
Yet he had overlooked one vital fact: the Dai bloodline was the only key capable of activating all ancient Warden artifacts.
“Not bad,” a cold, cruel smirk tugged at Kaelor’s lips, his tone a mix of amusement and murderous malice. “After three thousand years of hibernation, the new generation of Ruin Guardians has finally proven they possess some genuine skill.”
He no longer concealed his aura or held back his assault. The Void mist he had kept hidden surged forth in full force, shrouding the entire western mountain woodland in heavy, frigid darkness. Now that his scheme had been uncovered, secrecy served no purpose. He tore off all disguises and pressed the seal with full power.
“Since you insist on witnessing the truth, I will show you exactly what fate awaits you.”
In the blink of an eye, Void energy concentrations within the underground cavern multiplied many times over. Black parasitic veins spread wildly across the Sacred Tree’s surface, seal fractures proliferated rapidly, and the subterranean spiritual veins running beneath the entire Sanxingdui site convulsed violently. Tremors swept across the sacrificial pit far more violently than any prior disturbance.
Chaos erupted at the archaeological site. Staff screamed and fled, shouts and frantic footsteps shattering the usual orderly calm.
“The ground is splitting! Run!”
“All equipment has malfunctioned—every backend data alert is flashing red!”
Large-scale geological anomalies could no longer be dismissed as minor geomagnetic interference. The full extent of the crisis was laid bare for all to see.
Jam’s gaze turned razor-sharp, and he issued a deep, decisive order. “All personnel, engage in combat! Banbandin, deploy interception barriers to sever the Void energy cord. Sage, activate binding runes simultaneously to suppress the parasitic veins. Bangbangtu, block all mountain forest exits to fend off enemy ambushes. Daipithy, rely on the mask’s vision to pinpoint all core erosion nodes and stabilize the formation anchor!”
“Understood!”
The five squad members split to carry out their duties instantly, launching a full-site counterattack.
On one side stood a dark plunderer who had plotted in concealment for three thousand years. On the other stood the Ruin Guardians, a bloodline that sacrificed generation after generation to defend the mortal realm.
The Protruding-Eyed Nuo Mask awakened, its millennial vision restored. The open conflict between light and shadow at Sanxingdui had fully erupted, leaving no room for retreat for either side.