At this moment, Wang Guan also understood what Elder Qian had shown Yao Jing that day, which made her readily accept Elder Qian's invitation to come to this secret base to research things.

As is widely known, innovation is difficult. Consider that over several thousand years, through the continuous research of ancient artisans, the variety of porcelain had become exceedingly diverse, reaching a state akin to saturation.

Everyone understands the benefits of innovation, but how easy is it to innovate when faced with so many famous porcelains already existing? However, the color-changing glaze and the Jiucai Ci (Nine-Colored Porcelain) were different; these were truly remarkable innovations.

Once something is created and then refined, one might not claim it to be without precedent or successor, but at least in the contemporary era, it would certainly create a sensation. It’s no wonder Yao Jing couldn't resist the ** and willingly joined.

After all, innovation doesn't just happen on demand; it requires a certain foundation. Clearly, the foundation here was more than sufficient, and being at the research and development stage made it the perfect moment to step in.

In summary, this place possesses the technology, the funding, and an inexhaustible supply of manpower and resources—naturally, it is an excellent locale for researching technological innovation. Yao Jing, being immersed in it, would likely thrive.

Not just Yao Jing, but even Wang Guan, if Elder Hou were to invite him to join again at this juncture, would probably not immediately refuse, but would seriously consider its feasibility. This was understandable; after all, what he had seen so far was merely the tip of the iceberg of this secret base, suggesting how many rare treasures might be hidden here.

For Wang Guan, these treasures were also a significant **.

Meanwhile, Yu Feibai also asked curiously, "Elder Qian, where is the Chai Yao (Chai ware) you mentioned earlier kept?"

"In another room."

Without needing Elder Qian to reply, Elder Hou led everyone to the adjoining room. Here, countless exquisite porcelains were collected, such as Yuan blue-and-white, and official wares from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Even though everyone understood these were reproductions, at first glance, they were still a delight to the eye.

Of course, the finest piece among them was the Chai Yao vase Elder Qian had spoken of.

The exact appearance of Chai Yao porcelain remains a mystery without concrete evidence, leaving speculation based only on the sparse adjectives recorded in historical texts.

"As blue as the sky, as bright as a mirror, as thin as paper, and sounding like a chime."

"Moist and delicate, bearing fine lines, exquisitely made with unique colors, reigning supreme among all kilns!"

"Chai Yao porcelain has been impossible to obtain for ages; even a remnant shard would be treated as a treasure, used for clothing or head ornaments; Chai Yao fragments dazzle with light, like shooting arrows."

Such appraisals, having been passed down through centuries, had gradually mythologized the ware. To this day, Chai Yao remains a subject of endless debate, with no single, unified **. However, if Elder Qian and his colleagues dared to claim that Mr. Zhu had perfectly replicated Chai Yao over twenty years ago, they must have possessed absolute confidence in proving their reproduction to be exquisitely peerless.

This was indeed the reality. At Elder Hou's signal, everyone looked towards the Chai Yao porcelain, and immediately, a clear, pure, and profoundly warm azure light entered their vision.

It wasn't just the light; the vase's shape was also wonderfully elegant, conveying a sense of unadorned beauty. Especially under the illumination of the lights, it appeared almost translucent. Observing it from the side, it seemed nearly transparent, revealing just how thin the clay body was.

Naturally, the most crucial element was the glaze color. From any viewing angle, one could discern a spectrum of shifting, brilliant colors. Gazing closely, one could even perceive flames like rubies, patches of color akin to amethyst, and emerald-like seas of green—a vibrant, cohesive whole that was breathtakingly beautiful. In essence, it was like the king of gemstones, the diamond, flashing with bizarre, dazzling fire-like brilliance. Moreover, this radiance was not static; its color changed with the angle of the light or the observer's perspective, and even without changing the lighting angle, various kaleidoscopic colors shifted simply as one’s gaze moved.

This magnificent and miraculous spectacle naturally left Wang Guan and the others utterly astounded, offering ceaseless praise. Seeing this, they finally understood why Elder Qian was so confident that Mr. Zhu had successfully replicated Chai Yao porcelain.

"Beautiful, incredibly beautiful; truly flawless."

At this point, Yu Feibai couldn't help but sigh, "I don't know what the authentic Chai Yao looked like, but I am certain this piece is in no way inferior to the real thing; perhaps it even surpasses it."

Everyone understood the subtext of Yu Feibai's remark: Mr. Zhu’s creation of Chai Yao was no longer mere imitation of antiquity, but had incorporated his own innovation, elevating the craft beyond that of the ancients.

Wang Guan and the others did not refute this; on the contrary, they wholeheartedly agreed. After all, Mr. Zhu had synthesized the essence of ancient and modern porcelain. When simply imitating, in the pursuit of realism, one inevitably adheres deliberately to ancient techniques. But since there was no existing target for Chai Yao, he could only rely on his own exploration and imagination.

Unconstrained by established rules, Mr. Zhu naturally unleashed astonishing creativity, firing this stunning Chai Yao porcelain. If anyone claimed this piece was even more exquisite than ancient Chai Yao, no one would doubt them.

"To achieve such a perfect glaze, Hewei added substances like pearl, agate, crystal, and 'fire glass' into the glaze. After tens of thousands of formulation experiments, he succeeded in firing this one vase under chance circumstances."

As he spoke, Elder Hou sighed lightly, "Sadly, shortly after it was fired, he..."

A brief silence fell over the group, and they understood Elder Hou’s meaning. Not long after the vase was fired, the Mr. Zhu incident came to light, and Hewei chose to end his own life. Perhaps he knew this day was inevitable, which is why he fired the Chai Yao.

Perhaps, in his heart, he was weary of pure imitation. Compared to other famous ancient porcelains, only Chai Yao was so ethereal and untraceable, allowing him to unleash his talent without reservation. Indeed, he ultimately fired such a masterpiece that astonished everyone.

In their view, had it not been for the counterfeit scandal, relying solely on this one piece, Hewei could have broken free from the constraints of his predecessors and established his own school, becoming a grand master. It was precisely because they understood this that everyone felt such regret—what a pity.

Of course, there are no 'what ifs'; once a mistake is made, punishment must follow—this is an eternal truth. It was an unspoken rule agreed upon by everyone; if rules could be broken without consequence, no one would adhere to them, and the world would have descended into chaos long ago.

Elder Hou then realized his words were dampening the mood and immediately tried to remedy the situation: "Ah, the center of the base is just a few steps further. Would you like to see it?"

"Go, we definitely must go!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Feibai immediately realized the central area must hold something extraordinary and nodded repeatedly.

"Then let's proceed."

Elder Hou chuckled, leading the way again, guiding them down a long corridor. Their view suddenly expanded, revealing an enormous space.

As Wang Guan and the others entered, they immediately noticed the area was vast, perhaps around three to four hundred square meters, and towered four or five stories high. Examining it closely, the floor was paved with bricks, and twelve massive columns were arranged artfully throughout the space, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Setting aside the twelve columns for a moment, even the floor bricks were unusual. Wang Guan stepped on one, feeling it immediately, and realized these were the gold bricks exclusively used in the Ming and Qing imperial palaces.

Wang Guan had visited the Forbidden City many times and was familiar with the provenance of imperial gold bricks. Emperors, naturally, were different from commoners, so the materials used for their residences were bound to be meticulously chosen.

Historical and literary documents also noted the exceedingly complex firing process for gold bricks—from selecting the clay, forming the blanks, firing, transportation, cutting and polishing, to the final laying—requiring immense financial and material investment. Every stage was highly demanding, the entire process taking nearly two years.

From ancient times to the present, people described imperial gold bricks using the phrase "one brick equals one tael of gold." These items were not only incredibly expensive in antiquity but also costly today. A perfectly preserved Ming or Qing brick surviving to the present day would likely fetch no less than tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Yuan.

However, in Wang Guan's estimation, although the bricks on the floor were not antique originals, their craftsmanship was refined, and the quality was superior. Still, as they moved deeper into the space, everyone's attention shifted away from the floor to examine the twelve colossal columns.

From a distance earlier, they hadn't seen them clearly, but now, up close, Wang Guan and the others realized the twelve pillars were thicker than imagined—like the Ruyi Jingu Bang (Staff of Sun Wukong), piercing the height of the space.

Of course, the height of the columns wasn't the main point; the focus was the magnificent golden dragons coiled around these towering pillars. Each dragon possessed a different form, yet all exuded fierce majesty, clearly designed by a master for maximum impact.

Another noteworthy feature was that these twelve columns formed a circle within the space, enclosing a platform roughly ten to fifteen meters wide in the center. With gold bricks underfoot and coiled dragons above, the central platform was certainly not humble.

Wang Guan observed closely: the platform was exquisitely carved, made from top-grade white marble, and intricately inlaid with numerous auspicious patterns. In sum, the environment exuded a solemn, stately, and opulent atmosphere, much like an ancient imperial hall, grand and imposing.

However, this elaborate arrangement in a secret base raised questions: what was the purpose of constructing such an edifice here? Was it for assemblies, or purely for display?

"There seems to be something on the platform."

At that moment, Wang Guan also made a discovery: within the platform, there appeared to be a small table or altar. It had been missed earlier due to the platform's spaciousness and the low profile of the table itself. (To be continued)