At this very moment, fine bubbles began to surface on the bead settled at the bottom of the cup, clinging to its sides like tiny, viscous soap suds.

Seeing this, Wang Guan was a mix of surprise and elation, recognizing his strategy was successful. Whatever the substance was, it had enveloped the bead, obscuring its true nature. Yet, prolonged soaking in water would inevitably reveal some tell-tale signs.

This was a promising start. After careful observation, Wang Guan noticed subtle pores appearing on the bead's surface, clearly indicating the presence of internal voids.

Wang Guan desperately wanted to retrieve the bead right then and strip away the outer layer concealing it. However, he worried that the soaking time hadn't been long enough for a thorough process, forcing him to wait patiently.

Timing his patience, another half hour passed. The bubbles on the bead's surface multiplied, growing increasingly dense. These tiny spheres clustered around the bead until it resembled a large, frothy mass.

The buoyancy of these bubbles was actually lifting the bead slightly, suspending it half a centimeter above the cup's bottom. Witnessing this, Wang Guan calmed down, suppressing his urge to act, and continued to observe with measured patience.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan activated his special ability, focusing his gaze on the bead within the cup. Amidst a dazzling, magnificent display of purple-gold light, his sight pierced through the surface bubbles, penetrating inward.

He then clearly perceived a layer of extremely light, thin film adhering to the bead's surface. This film was incredibly fine, completely shrouding the bead and hiding its true form.

Through a sliver of a gap in the film, Wang Guan caught a glimpse of the bead itself. Though it was merely a fleeting impression, the striking, brilliant color he saw assured him that this bead was certainly no ordinary object.

Matters were developing favorably. Wang Guan ceased expending spiritual energy, deactivated his special ability, and continued observing with his naked eye.

After a long period of watching, Wang Guan noted that the tiny bubbles had become even more concentrated, signaling that the gap between the film and the bead was widening, likely filling the entire surface and on the verge of tearing the thin film apart.

"Sssshhh..."

Just then, Wang Guan saw the bead react violently. The dense cluster of bubbles burst with sharp popping sounds—biji-pala—shattering completely. As the bubbles broke, air agitated the water, generating new foam. This was a case of one disturbance immediately following another, causing the clear water in the cup to churn as if boiling fiercely.

This activity continued for about two or three minutes before the water slowly calmed down again. At the same time, Wang Guan noticed with care that the water was no longer perfectly clear; it seemed to contain several impurities.

However, in the very next second, Wang Guan's entire attention was powerfully drawn to the distinct, bright purple hue within the cup. By this time, most of the film covering the bead had detached due to the immersion in the clear water.

The bead had reverted to its original appearance: about the size of a chicken egg, its color a deep, rich dark purple streaked with red. Its surface was covered with fine, threadlike striations, seemingly forming some kind of pattern. However, since some fine remnants of the film still clung to the bead, the precise details of the markings were obscured.

With excitement surging through him, Wang Guan carefully lifted the bead out and gently wiped it with a piece of white gauze. After a while, much of the film debris was cleaned away, though a few specks stubbornly remained embedded within the bead’s markings.

Wang Guan wondered what material the film was made of, given its tenacious adhesive quality. Shaking his head slightly, he poured out the cloudy water, replaced it with a fresh cup of clear water, and returned the bead to soak.

Initially, the bead sank immediately to the bottom. But the moment it touched the base of the cup, it rebounded, then suspended itself in the middle of the water, beginning to spin slowly.

It was turning clockwise. Wang Guan found this peculiar; how could the bead float slightly after shedding its outer film?

Yet, what happened next left Wang Guan utterly stunned, frozen in disbelief.

The bead spinning and semi-floating in the water was strange, but not entirely inexplicable—at most, it suggested the bead's density or material was less than that of water.

However, after suspending and spinning several times, Wang Guan suddenly saw a plume of purple energy rise from the water. It twisted and coalesced, ascending in a shape resembling a flying dragon, undulating from east to west.

Upon seeing this, Wang Guan first paused, then closed his eyes, realizing he hadn't activated his special ability.

"Strange," he murmured.

Wang Guan, filled with astonishment, opened his eyes again. The bizarrely shaped purple mist looked like a dragon or serpent frolicking, baring its teeth and claws, clearly visible to the naked eye as it circled above the cup.

"Could this be a hallucination?" Wang Guan instinctively rubbed his eyes. For a moment, he couldn't be sure if he was using his special power or not.

Just then, the rising purple energy gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint haze lingering near the rim of the cup. Nevertheless, the bead inside continued its slow rotation. Gradually, all the film fragments clinging to the surface markings dissolved into the water, and a vivid, lifelike pattern was finally unveiled before Wang Guan's eyes.

To the left side of the bead was a depiction of towering, undulating mountain ranges. Within these continuous, lush peaks stood an extraordinarily majestic fortress or pass gate.

At this precise moment, beneath the imposing gate of the city, a middle-aged scholar with a flowing, elegant long beard stood with a few servants, craning their necks toward the east, as if awaiting someone.

Then, as the bead turned, perhaps due to the refraction of light through the water and the slight movement of the surface, the scholar's expression seemed to shift constantly. Wang Guan could almost feel the complex mixture of joy, apprehension, and anxiety in his heart.

Concurrently, Wang Guan observed a wisp of purple energy coiling and drifting on the right side of the bead. After that, the bead’s rotation slowed, and the circling purple energy began to dissolve as well.

In an instant, another scene slowly unfolded. To the right of the bead appeared a robust, muscular green ox. Seated on the ox's back was an elderly man with white hair, large, prominent ears, long sideburns nearly touching his lapels, dressed in a simple robe, radiating an aura of immortal Daoist wisdom.

As the bead spun, the green ox lifted its head and pawed the ground, seemingly moving with rhythmic steps. The elder sat leisurely on the ox's back, utterly carefree and composed—incredibly lifelike.

The image on the left half and the right half of the bead combined to form one complete picture.

"Below Hangu Pass, Laozi journeys west, the purple qi comes from the east..."

As the bead rotated, Wang Guan's spirit became entranced, as if he had been transported into the scene itself.

....................... Thanks to book friend hollander for the reward. Sigh, I’ve been shouting into the void all day, and still no one responds. Awkward! Please give me collection and recommendation encouragement to console me. C