The jade key floated into the air.
It emitted a soft emerald glow, slowly rotating above the wooden box.
Then…
It pointed toward the center of the zoo.
Not toward Monkey Mountain.
Not toward the Keeper’s Hall.
But…
Toward the abandoned botanical garden behind the reptile house.
Lin Tianyu blinked.
“…The botanical garden?”
Zhao Ming scratched his head.
“Boss…”
“You mean that place full of weeds?”
“The one we’ve been saying we’d clean up for three years?”
“…That one.”
The System chimed.
New Main Mission
Open the First Sanctuary Vault
Objective:
Follow the Sanctuary Key.
Difficulty:
★★★☆☆
Rewards:
Keeper Authority +5 Spirit Qi ×1,000 Sanctuary Construction Blueprint Random Divine Beast Egg Fragment First Keeper’s Legacy
Failure:
Vault will remain sealed for another 100 years.
“…One hundred years?”
Tianyu sighed.
“I guess we’re doing this tonight.”
Sun Xiaohou pumped a tiny fist.
“…Treasure!”
Hei Bao looked at him.
“…Don’t steal.”
“…Borrow.”
“…No.”
The group made their way across the quiet zoo.
The botanical garden had once been one of Lin Family Wildlife Park’s main attractions.
Now…
Nature had reclaimed it.
Vines covered broken pathways.
Ancient trees blocked the moonlight.
An empty greenhouse stood crooked, its glass long shattered.
Yue stopped walking.
“…I’ve been here.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“What?”
She frowned.
“…I don’t know when.”
“…But…”
“…I remember butterflies.”
“…Lots of butterflies.”
Granny Mu smiled sadly.
“There used to be thousands.”
“They disappeared after…”
She stopped herself.
Yue noticed.
“…After what?”
“…Another time.”
The floating jade key accelerated.
It passed through the broken greenhouse.
Straight toward the center.
Then…
It stopped.
Hovering above an old stone well.
The well looked ordinary.
Covered in moss.
Half hidden by vines.
Tianyu frowned.
“I’ve never seen this before.”
Zhao Ming looked equally confused.
“I’ve worked here six years.”
“I thought this was just decoration.”
The jade key descended.
As though it had always been there.
Waiting.
Keeper Authority Verified
Insert Key?
YES
NO
“…Here goes.”
Tianyu gently placed the floating key into the lock.
Click.
Nothing happened.
“…That’s anticlimactic.”
Then—
The earth shook.
RUMBLE…
The well began glowing with ancient golden runes.
The vines rapidly withdrew.
The moss disappeared.
The cracked stones restored themselves.
Within seconds…
The weathered well transformed into a beautiful circular altar carved from white jade.
Golden light erupted skyward.
The beam pierced the clouds.
For several terrifying seconds…
It looked visible across the entire city.
The System immediately intervened.
Sanctuary Concealment Formation Activated
Light Signature Hidden.
Spiritual Wave Suppressed.
Detection Probability:
0.02%
Tianyu breathed out.
“Good.”
“I really don’t need another twelve organizations showing up.”
The altar slowly split apart.
Instead of water…
A staircase spiraled downward.
Warm air drifted upward.
Unlike the underground Sanctuary…
This place smelled of flowers.
Fresh rain.
And spring.
Sun Xiaohou sniffed.
“…Garden.”
Hei Bao nodded.
“…Old.”
Granny Mu smiled softly.
“…We’re home.”
They descended together.
The staircase was much shorter than Monkey Mountain’s tunnel.
After only a minute…
It opened into a breathtaking underground valley.
Tianyu stopped walking.
“…No way.”
Above them…
There was no ceiling.
Instead…
A magical sky shimmered with countless stars.
A miniature sun floated in the distance.
Crystal rivers wound through fields of glowing flowers.
Ancient trees towered hundreds of feet into the air.
Thousands of luminous butterflies danced through the valley.
The entire place felt alive.
Yue covered her mouth.
“…I remember…”
Without thinking…
She stepped forward.
The butterflies immediately gathered around her.
None landed on anyone else.
Only Yue.
One rested gently on her finger.
Another on her shoulder.
Another in her hair.
The System immediately scanned the phenomenon.
Spirit Butterfly Colony
Healthy
Population:
4,812
Behavior:
Recognized Guardian Candidate.
“They know me…”
Yue whispered.
“They remember me…”
Tears formed in her eyes.
Granny Mu smiled through her own tears.
“They never forgot.”
At the center of the valley stood a small wooden cottage.
Simple.
Warm.
Smoke still drifted from its chimney.
Tianyu’s eyes widened.
“…Someone lives here?”
“…Impossible.”
The Sanctuary had supposedly been sealed for decades.
Who could possibly…
The front door creaked open.
An elderly man stepped outside.
He wore faded overalls and a straw hat.
A wooden watering can rested in one hand.
He looked exactly like an ordinary gardener.
He glanced toward the group.
“…You’re late.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Tianyu stared.
“…Who…”
“…are you?”
The old man looked genuinely puzzled.
“…Didn’t the System tell you?”
“No.”
“It rarely tells me anything.”
“…Fair enough.”
The old man chuckled.
He set the watering can down.
Then gave Tianyu a respectful bow.
“My name is Shen Yuan.”
“I’ve been waiting…”
“…for the Twenty-Eighth Keeper.”
The System finally reacted.
Identity Confirmed
Shen Yuan
Classification:
Sanctuary Spirit
Occupation:
Head Gardener
Status:
Active
Years of Service:
12,436
Tianyu’s mouth slowly fell open.
“…Twelve…”
“…Thousand?”
Shen Yuan smiled modestly.
“I’ve taken a few days off.”
Before Tianyu could recover…
The old gardener’s expression suddenly became serious.
He looked directly at Granny Mu.
“…They’re coming.”
Her smile vanished.
“…How many?”
Shen Yuan looked toward the artificial sky.
His voice became grave.
“…Not twelve.”
“…Thirty-six.”
The System flashed crimson.
Global Alert
Multiple organizations have begun moving toward the Sanctuary.
Estimated arrival:
48 Hours.
[End of Chapter 17]