The cube was embedded in the upper half of the mountain, with one corner exposed. Its dark gray, nearly black material exuded an extremely ancient and weighty aura. It had just crossed the long river of five thousand years of history to meet the people of this era, creating a magical sense of time travel.

Staring at it, it felt as if time itself had been compressed.

Grace Brooks saw that this place had long since been sealed off, with fully armed soldiers standing guard and armored vehicles equipped with spiritual shields. Anyone passing through had to verify their identity.

Large excavation equipment was already in place.

The archaeological team had also arrived.

There were also many officials.

In short, there were a lot of people.

However, Grace Brooks hardly knew any of them, except for two historians:

Professor Stone and Professor Miller.

Grace Brooks had read their books and watched their programs. Their status in the field of history was about the same as Professor Brooks, though each specialized in different dynasties.

Besides them, two other people stood out—

One was a woman in a Daoist robe. Her appearance was ordinary, lacking any immortal aura, and her robe was different from those of the previous life.

The other was a man dressed in a yellow monk’s robe, with a fierce look, his face covered in scars—some from blades, some from swords—and smudged burn marks. His eyebrows were thick, and when he looked at people, it was as if he wanted to devour them. Surprisingly, he was from the Buddhist sect.

Both the Daoist and Buddhist sects were founded by disciples of the Holy Ancestor and had become evergreen schools in the history of cultivation, still powerful and with widespread followers to this day.

Of course, they still had to accept government regulation.

These two were probably summoned here to maintain security.

At the very least, they must be high-level cultivators, right?

The Holy Ancestor’s cube was of great importance, relating to the origins of Chinese civilization, and containing many relics and treasures. Although there had never been any accidents during the excavation of the Holy Ancestor’s cube in Yiguo, all necessary security measures still had to be taken.

“Hello, Professor Stone, I’ve read your lectures on the Great Sheng Dynasty.” After speaking, Grace Brooks turned to the other, “Professor Miller, I really liked you when I watched the History Forum as a child. You explained the history of each dynasty in such an entertaining way. Really, you were the history enlightenment teacher for many people.”

“Hello.” Professor Stone was very reserved.

“Hello, Little Brooks, thank you, thank you…” Professor Miller said, “Professor Brooks said your knowledge of the Xia Dynasty surpasses even his. Truly, heroes emerge from the young.”

“Oh, not at all. I’m just very interested in the Holy Ancestor. As you know, almost every boy is fascinated by the Holy Ancestor when they’re young.” Grace Brooks said modestly, “If there’s anything I don’t understand, I’ll have to ask my elders for guidance.”

“Are you planning to pursue a career in history?” Professor Stone asked Grace Brooks.

“Not at all, it’s just a hobby.” Grace Brooks answered honestly, “I’m planning to apply for the Principles of Magic program.”

“Oh…”

Professor Stone was momentarily stunned.

When Professor Brooks said his son knew more about the Holy Ancestor than he did and wanted to bring him along as an assistant, they thought Professor Brooks was paving the way for his son’s future. It was normal for the children of renowned historians to continue in the field.

But now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Professor Stone immediately asked, “The college entrance exam is over, right? Have the results come out?”

“Not yet.”

“Do you have a target school?”

“I’m hoping to get into Yujing Academy.”

“Oh… that’s good, that’s good.”

Professor Stone said “that’s good” twice, since he was a professor in the history department at Yujing Academy.

Professor Miller remained silent—he was from the neighboring institution.

Someone came to consult the three professors, and after receiving their answers, the machines on the mountain immediately started up. The clanging sounds could be heard from afar, probably even across the lake.

Grace Brooks looked up, fully focused.

Some people always equate tomb raiding with archaeology, but the two are clearly completely different.

Tomb raiding is driven by personal greed, a brutal and deliberate violation of tombs to obtain valuable items inside. They cause great damage to the tombs and their contents, and many treasures are completely destroyed due to their lack of expertise. The few that remain are often sold abroad or hidden away in private collections.

Archaeology, on the other hand, is usually passive.

Most of the time, tombs or ruins are exposed due to natural causes, or there are already signs of tomb raiding, and only then do archaeological teams conduct rescue excavations.

Of course, there have been some proactive excavations in the past, but those were heavily criticized.

And what about the results of archaeological excavations?

Some can fill gaps in history, some can mend cultural rifts—these are extremely important.

Without history and culture, there is no sense of identity, and thus no great nation or civilization.

As for tangible items, a few are preserved, but most are placed in museums, where everyone in the country can admire these treasures left by their ancestors. In fact, many museums are free or charge only a minimal fee.

The notion of “legal tomb raiding” is pure nonsense.

Even in this world, in this era, the value of items unearthed from ancient tombs or ruins is mostly “cultural,” with little actual value. There is no such thing as ancient cultivation methods, spells, or technologies being more advanced than those of today.