Elder Ma's expression shifted slightly when he saw Lin Yuan lose his composure.
To be honest, he had studied this little box for a long time without discovering anything unusual. He had no leads at all.
Yet Lin Yuan had recognized the box at a glance. Clearly, it was anything but ordinary.
But Elder Ma did not pry. He simply held the little box up quietly and watched Lin Yuan.
Only after a moment did Lin Yuan come to his senses and regain his normal expression.
But his eyes still kept straying to the little box.
"Sorry... could I take a closer look?"
"Of course. It was meant for you anyway."
As he spoke, Elder Ma handed the little box to Lin Yuan.
After taking it, Lin Yuan examined it closely for a while, confirming that its material, shape, decorative details, and so on were almost identical to those of his Mysterious Little Box.
There were differences, however.
The little box Elder Ma had brought had no power whatsoever. It could be opened freely, and it was completely empty inside.
Its exterior was also quite worn. On closer inspection, it even had some damage, like a battle-damaged version of Lin Yuan's little box.
Most importantly, Elder Ma's little box did not have Lin Yuan's name engraved on its surface.
With a slight shift of thought, Lin Yuan entered the Treasure Collection Room aboard his ship.
His own little box, engraved with the name "Lin Yuan," was still lying safely inside the Treasure Collection Room.
He drew his awareness back and looked at the identically shaped little box in his hand again, his mind full of questions.
"This little box..."
"This is something Research Institute 3154 used the Truth Crown to extract from inside the Great Being, at tremendous cost." Elder