Picking Up Supreme Treasures in the Dream Realm

The morning light was faint.

Off the coast of Shapudian.

The research vessel "Eastern Science" had been anchored next to a deserted island for a full five days.

In a certain cabin.

"Ring~"

The crisp sound of a cell phone alarm rang precisely at 7 o'clock.

The authority on mineral research from the Carmenia Federation, Professor Federick, immediately opened his eyes.

This middle-aged man in his fifties looked a bit bewildered, as if he didn't know where he was.

But the professor quickly remembered and cursed heavily, "Fxxk!"

This was not the Federation.

This was the remote Shapudian.

Professor Federick turned over and sat up from the narrow bed, pulling open the curtains with a "swish," revealing an endless expanse of sea.

In recent days, he had cursed this phrase countless times.

The professor stared blankly for a moment, then sighed, "I shouldn't have accepted JICA's invitation to cross half of the Canglan Star to this godforsaken place called Shapudian."

He understood well the risks involved; the Eastern Great Xia was a giant behemoth.

The Federation's intention to snatch the Celestial Mountain from Great Xia was fraught with danger.

Yet, under the temptation of fame and fortune, the professor agreed without hesitation.

He thought that as a well-known figure in academia worldwide, even if a conflict broke out between the Federation and Great Xia, he would remain unharmed.

Subsequently.

With JICA's arrangement, dozens of scholars from the Federation and the Southern Cross flew urgently to the Eastern Lansi Port.

JICA then procured a ship and specifically renamed it the Eastern Science.

East was their destination.

Science was the facade for this journey.

These scholars, along with their assistants and a motley crew, including Superpower Users, agents, soldiers, were all crammed onto the Eastern Science.

However.

This journey was not smooth.

No, it was more than just unsmooth; it was downright dreadful.

Major events erupted back home in the Federation, leaving no time to concern themselves with the East.

On Great Xia's instructions, Shapudian also denied the research vessel the right to dock.

Moreover, a Great Xia monster called "Slaughter Battleaxe," reportedly the world's second-ranked Warrior, privately declared that any Carmenians who came ashore would be hacked down.

This monster was not bluffing; it had indeed atrociously slaughtered several Carmenians.

The professor had seen the video and nearly vomited on the spot.

A giant with a green oily body waved a green battleaxe, severing a strong man's limbs with a single swing.

The monster swung the battleaxe again, and many slender vines emerged from the axe.

The vines split into two strands, one wrapping around the man's head and the other around his body.

"Snap!"

The head was forcefully torn off.

The monster swung the battleaxe hard, hitting the head with precision and bursting it with a "bang."

After watching the video, the professor couldn't eat for two days straight.

It was too disgusting!

Too brutal!

Professor Federick sat on the bed for a while, then entered the cramped bathroom to start brushing his teeth and washing his face.

"Splash~"

Freshwater flowed from the faucet and then down the drain.

Because the inflow was greater than the outflow, the washbasin quickly filled with half a basin of water.

The professor cupped some water with his hands and splashed it onto his aging face, rubbing vigorously a few times.

Repeating this process several times completed the face-washing routine.

Professor Federick turned off the faucet, reached out to toggle the drain valve, allowing the water to drain out quickly.

"Splash!"

Accompanied by the sound of running water.

The water level rapidly descended.

At this moment.

The professor's gaze froze.

He stared intently at the water flowing into the drain, his face looking as if he'd seen a ghost, and involuntarily cursed, "Holy Sh*t!"

Because of Earth's rotation, horizontally moving objects deflect rightward in the Northern Hemisphere, exactly the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere.

Thus, North Hemisphere water swirls form counterclockwise, while Southern Hemisphere swirls clockwise.

Only along the equator does water not form swirls.

At this moment.

The water flowing into the drain formed no swirl!

But the problem was, this was Shapudian, this was the North Hemisphere, and the swirl should be counterclockwise.

Something was wrong!

Something was profoundly wrong!

Professor Federick's heart pounded heavily.

Although everything currently seemed calm and peaceful, he knew that something terrible was probably happening outside.

The professor didn't even bother to dry his face, hurriedly leaving the bathroom to look out the porthole.

He took just one glance and was utterly shocked.

The Atela Island where the research vessel was anchored had disappeared without a trace.

Professor Federick remembered very clearly that when he woke up earlier, Atela Island still stood a kilometer away.

How could this be?

Where was the research vessel now?

The professor immediately thought of the answer, and his heart sank deeply: "Supernatural event!"

He cast a glance at the sea surface, quickly spotting another anomaly.

The undulating sea surface inexplicably had a faint imperceptible illusionary feel.

It was as if this were not the real ocean.

Professor Federick murmured softly, "Holy cow! Am I seeing things?"

The professor looked closely a few more times, confirming his earlier judgment: "Something is wrong with this seawater!"

He couldn't remain seated any longer: "No! I must immediately inform Captain Martin!"

Soon enough.

The research vessel erupted into considerable commotion.

Not only had the professor discovered the problem, but others also realized something was seriously wrong.

Yesterday, Shapudian experienced an abnormal cold snap, the sea surface temperature near the research vessel plummeting to around ten degrees.

But now the temperature had already dropped to minus fifteen degrees, far below the freezing point of seawater, yet the sea surface remained unfrozen.

After a few minutes.

The commotion grew even more intense.

"Oh my God!"

"My Lord!"

The faces of the crew were filled with incredulity.

Professor Federick stood on the deck, facing the biting cold wind, dumbfoundedly gazing into the distance.

Just now.

A massive iceberg, at least five hundred meters long, suddenly appeared on the distant sea surface.

Most peculiarly, the iceberg also exudes an eerie illusionary feeling.

The professor glanced at the sea surface, then at the iceberg, feeling that the research vessel had entered an unreal world.

Captain Martin stood beside him and couldn't help but ask, "Professor, what do you think is going on?"

Professor Federick sighed and said, "I just thought of one possibility."

Captain Martin pursued, "What possibility?"

Professor Federick's expression was very serious, "The current position of the Eastern Science is very likely not Canglan Star."

The lack of vortices in the water indicates there is no Coriolis force here.

The seawater carries a strange illusionary sensation, implying this is not normal seawater.

All of the above.

Everything suggests the strong possibility that this is not Canglan Star.

Captain Martin was instantly stunned.

Professor Federick added, "Captain, you can try to contact the homeland.

"Given the facts before us, the research vessel might not be able to contact the homeland, which should prove my point."

Captain Martin turned to look at the crew member beside him, commanded, "David, contact the homeland."

A minute later.

The crew member reported the result with an anxious and uneasy expression, "Captain, our call received no response."

Captain Martin fell silent.

After a while.

The captain looked again at Professor Federick, "Professor, where exactly are we now?"

The professor shook his head, "I don't know."

He thought for a moment and made a suggestion, "You could gather more people and discuss what we should do."

The captain went along with the suggestion, "That might be a way."

*

In the sky.

Two fighter jets belonging to the Great Xia Air Force swept through the sky.

Ever since the Eastern Science arrived here, the Great Xia Military arranged for an air force squadron to circle above the research vessel at regular intervals every day.

This was a subtle warning.

And at this time.

The two pilots were staring dumbfounded at the sea surface below.

They clearly saw that the research vessel moored on the sea seemed to become a ghostly ship.

The sea surface within a twenty-kilometer radius centered on the research vessel also looked very strange.

A pilot named "He Bangda" said, "Zhang Zhe, I'm descending to observe the research vessel at close range; you stay here to be on guard."

Zhang Zhe responded, "Okay! Be careful!"

He Bangda controlled the fighter jet, quickly diving down and reducing the distance to five hundred meters.

From this altitude, he could make out many people moving on the deck.

"Woo~"

The fighter jet swept by.

He Bangda said in astonishment, "I feel like the people on the research vessel didn't see me."

Zhang Zhe was taken aback, "No way? You're flying so low, they should at least hear the sound, right?"

He Bangda turned back to look and confirmed, "They might really not have heard."

Zhang Zhe was even more surprised, "Are you saying this research vessel got caught in a supernatural event?"

At this moment.

The two of them simultaneously saw an illusionary iceberg suddenly appear at the edge of the illusionary sea area.

Zhang Zhe couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy sh*t!"

He Bangda's eyes nearly fell out from shock, "Where did this iceberg come from?"

Zhang Zhe took a deep breath, "Report it, something big is happening here!"

He Bangda nodded repeatedly, "Okay!"

*

On the other side of Canglan Star.

Azure Palace.

From the Federation Grand Commander downwards, a group of senior advisors gathered in the conference room, each wearing a shocked expression as they looked at the big screen.

The ghostly form of the Eastern Science's hull was displayed on the screen.

This was a satellite image.

The Grand Commander secretly swallowed a gulp and asked, "Still can't contact the Eastern Science?"

A staff member immediately replied, "We've tried all kinds of methods, but still can't reach them."

Another staff member continued, "From the current situation, it's very likely that the Eastern Science has been swept into an abnormal space."

Another staff member suggested, "Grand Commander, the Eastern Science carries not only our people but also members of the Southern Cross Alliance. It's best to form a joint rescue team to rush to the target area as soon as possible."

The Grand Commander decided, "Let's do it."

*

Shapudian.

Zhuang Jun had just returned to the camp when he received an order — matters related to the Illusory Ice Lake were classified.

Under the witness of intelligence personnel, he also signed a confidentiality agreement.

The consequences of breaking the confidentiality agreement made him wish he could forget about this matter right away.

It wasn't just him.

The whole armored brigade signed confidentiality agreements.

Zhuang Jun put down the pen and tentatively asked, "Has something else happened?"

The intelligence personnel replied stiffly, "Sorry, no comment."

Zhuang Jun pursed his lips and said nothing more.

After half an hour.

Looking at the phone screen, he couldn't help but curse, "F*ck!"

On the screen was a ghostly state research vessel and a towering iceberg.

The encounter of the Eastern Science had already been broken out by Western Hemisphere media before others.

And it had quickly become a sensation online, with even Great Xia's network passionately discussing this supernatural event.

Zhuang Jun's heart pounded wildly, and he murmured softly, "This isn't an accident."

Although the whole world treated it as a natural disaster that erupted unexpectedly.

But he knew it wasn't the truth.

Quite the contrary.

This was a human-induced disaster.

Thinking back to the bizarre disappearance of the Illusory Ice Lake, Zhuang Jun couldn't help but express admiration, "The boss is amazing!"

He was sure that Mr. Ghost must have cast some exceptionally powerful secret technique.

The Illusory Ice Lake was transferred to the sea surface, forming a strange space that pulled the Eastern Science into it.

The reason is simple.

At the time beside the Illusory Ice Lake, he was caught in an illusion and saw an iceberg floating on the sea.

And the shape of this iceberg was very much like the iceberg next to the research vessel.

Is this a coincidence?

Clearly not!

The directive to sign a confidentiality agreement and forbid any mention of this matter is evidence too.