Drops of condensed mist fell onto moss-covered rocks, rusted alloy plates creaked, and rustling sounds in the shadows resembled beasts grinding their teeth.
Qiu Ling held a torch that "never went out" as he cautiously walked through the cabins of the wrecked Gemini missile cruiser, inspecting every corner and explorable area.
A full week had passed since he had entered these ruins under the Ancestor's guidance.
Over that week, he had searched nearly every shattered piece of wreckage scattered throughout the forest, yet he still had not found the legendary "holy relic."
Honestly.
If not for his devotion to the Ancestor, he would have begun to doubt whether that so-called holy relic even existed.
Ever since he could remember, he had heard the clan elders say that this palace that had fallen from the sky had existed since the beginning of the Awakening Era.
Back then, the forbidden forest was not nearly as dangerous as it was now. Members of the clan would occasionally visit the "Heavenly Palace" to worship their ancestors. Only later, when the wild animals active in the area grew increasingly numerous and dangerous, did they move the site of worship to a nearby mountain.
Logically speaking, if there really was a holy relic here, Qiu Nation's ancestors should have discovered it long ago. There was no way it would have remained undiscovered until now.
"Nothing here either..."
After checking the final cabin, Qiu Ling crawled out from beneath a black alloy plate and climbed outside the wreckage. He then placed the silver metal disc on his knees and devoutly waited for the Ancestor's instructions.
Yet this time, even the Ancestor who had always guided him forward could not keep a trace of disappointment from his voice.
"Where could it have gone..."
That should have been impossible.