Chrove's head buzzed, a strange numbness enveloped his mind. He felt as though lightning disrupted his train of thought.
He felt a sudden dizziness, then looked dejected.
"I should lay low for now."
He thought.
...
Elsewhere, within the vast hall, three lamps shattered at once, their fragments scattered, stumbling the keeper.
"This... Don't tell me...!" A middle-aged man trembled, panic evident in his voice.
Three soul lamps shattered in a blink of an eye!
The lamps that were placed inside the hall were aligned perfectly; the three were small compared to the vast array of lamps inside the hall, but their significance was vivid in his reaction.
He mumbled, "Shit..." Nearly fainting from shock.
...
Inside a grand hall, a circular table stretched across the whole room. It was like a small coliseum.
Great distances separate each respective seat, both horizontally and vertically.
The table was made of jaded materials, with wooden soft edges where delicate carvings and various ancient patterns intertwined.
It was very imposing.
Silhouetted figures were seated at the middle, signifying their important positions.
Each of them was very unique: some wore tattered clothes like that of a beggar, while others were like sages with long white beards.
Among them were also some peculiar ones; some were younger-looking, whilst the others were fierce and cold.
Their figures were hidden in shadow; there were many of them; however, they were but a fraction of their force.
At the bottom were the lower-ranked officials. They wore varying uniforms, each set indicating their significance.
The number of people seated below was relatively larger than the space in the middle.
The seats were neatly organized, the highest rank of which were seated at the front, while the lower ranked at the back.
At the very top were the most respected figures within the sect, each figure hidden behind a veil that seemed to separate them from the rest.
A lingering gloom enveloped the room, the cause in the middle: three shattered lamps.
There was an uproar between the forces at the bottom; another elder was sacrificed!
Panic washed over their distorting figures; only the leaders of their respective factions and the middle portion of the room managed to keep their composure.
"Silence!"
A fierce, cold voice reverberated the room, silencing those below.
The hall turned eerily silent in an instant.
"Reporting. The beast tide occurred a month early this year, causing chaos within the whole forbidden range. The casualties of the tribe and vassals affiliated to us have reached an alarming rate; some even faced complete annihilation."
"The forbidden range suddenly showed signs of disturbance, causing the beast tide; even demonic beasts were disturbed."
"This time around, we sent Elder Shen (the second strongest at the lower factions) and two female disciples (specializing in healing)... But the result must be clear with us all."
...
"We have been constantly fighting the bordering territory and lost many of our forces. We cannot drag this further and must send one or two middle faction elders to ensure the state of the forbidden range. Take in those who survived; there may be useful talents..."
Meanwhile, inside the cave.
Chrove was still processing his gains; on the ground was a pile of different metals and ores, herbs, materials, threads, silk, scrolls, scriptures, and even some tools!
He had finished organizing them, but now the complicated part is digesting the gains.
Chrove is a very vigilant man.
Thus, he wants to get away from the place as fast as possible.
However, the sun was already fading, paving the way to darkness; it was almost nighttime.
The cave he was in was shallow; he also naturally deployed a formation at the very entrance to ensure his safety.
Although it expended some resources, it wasn't that much of a worry for him.
Chrove wasn't particularly sleepy, and he felt not the need to sleep as well; he wanted to focus on his gains.
He took out the artifact that was made of black metal; it was engraved with ancient texts.
The artifact was called "Shadowstone Codex."
'The two said this can be used to comprehend scrolls...'
He recalled what the two women said.
"Void." With his whisper, a space opened, and he quickly stored the loot he organized, leaving behind the artifact.
He put a certain scroll on top of the artifact while using insight.
The experience was a wonder; it shocked him greatly!
He had never seen such a artifact!