The coalition returned not to the arena floor, but to a sealed evidence hall beneath the assembly tower.

This meant the supervisors considered their recovered sample significant.

Elder Su Tianheng stood at the center of the chamber with several high-level appraisers, corruption specialists, and formation masters. Yu Qingmei arrived almost immediately. Han Zhaolie, Bai Chengsu, and Jiang Moxiu also entered under restricted access.

The sealed evidence case floated above a stone pedestal.

The False Sun Guardian Hollow Core Fragment pulsed inside, wrapped in multiple layers of Qin Mo’s formation, Jiang Yuexuan’s star-river restraint, and Qin Yuheng’s anti-domination authority token.

Elder Su looked at the coalition.

"Report."

Qin Yuheng did not dramatize.

He gave structure.

Site One: Broken Observatory. False solar authority, shadow witness node, living key resonance.

Site Two: Glass-Burnt Temple. Original solar purification overwritten into domination structure. Tablet evidence referencing moon counterweight and command anchor.

Site Three: Submerged Archive Vault. Outer records confirming witnesses, shadows, living key, sleeping seal. Central vault responding to key resonance. Guardian awakened when sealing attempted. Evidence recovered.

Jiang Yuexuan added details on moon restraint marks.

Qin Mo explained sealing mechanics.

Lu Sheng reported coalition discipline and corruption exposure.

Wei Chen reported defensive conditions.

The evidence specialists began analyzing the Hollow Core Fragment.

Several protective arrays activated.

The fragment projected a faint image: a red-black sun above kneeling shadows, with a hollow center shaped like an eye.

One specialist whispered, "Artificial solar authority."

Another said, "Domination framework."

Jiang Moxiu’s expression became cold.

Elder Su asked, "Blood Sun Hall?"

The oldest appraiser answered carefully.

"Compatible, but older in structure. Blood Sun Hall may have inherited derivative methods."

That confirmed Jiang Yuexuan’s warning.

Blood Sun was not necessarily origin.

The assembly hall fell silent.

The fragment pulsed again.

A line appeared in red-gold light.

False sun requires shadow.

Shadow requires witness.

Key requires kinship.

Seal requires sleep.

The line burned for three seconds before the sealing arrays suppressed it.

Qin Mo looked sick of riddles.

Elder Su’s gaze sharpened.

"This evidence will be classified."

Su Mei, who had entered as Merchant Alliance observer under special permission, smiled faintly but said nothing.

Qin Yuheng noticed.

She was calculating how many forces would want access.

Yu Qingmei stepped forward.

"Heavenly Gate Academy requests a sealed copy of all non-harmful pattern analysis related to candidate exposure."

Elder Su nodded.

"Granted."

Jiang Moxiu said, "Jiang Clan requests moon restraint classification access."

Elder Su looked at him.

"Partial access. Final approval pending."

Han Zhaolie added, "Military division requests domination framework analysis."

"Granted in operational summary form."

The evidence was too important to belong to one faction.

That made it safer.

And more dangerous.

The coalition received preliminary results.

[Special Cooperative Assessment Result]

Coalition Objective Completion:

Three marked sites investigated.

Corruption pattern identified.

High-relevance evidence retrieved.

Coalition corruption contained below 40%.

All primary participants evacuated.

Research value: High.

Evaluation:

Exceptional.

Qin Mo stared.

"Exceptional is above excellent."

Jiang Yuexuan nodded.

"Yes."

"That sounds like more attention."

"Yes."

He closed his eyes.

The reward distribution was not immediate. Because this was an assembly assessment, rewards included ranking points, contribution credits, access permissions, and physical reward choices later.

But one immediate reward appeared for each core contributor.

Qin Yuheng received:

[Assembly Special Contribution Reward]

SS Grade False Sun Pattern Crystal x1

SS Grade Coalition Command Credit x1

Restricted Access Token:

Shattered Sun Evidence Summary — Level Two

Qin Mo received a sealing formation credit and Star-Sun Pattern Ink.

Jiang Yuexuan received a Moon Restraint Analysis Token.

Wei Chen received a Defense Merit Crystal.

Lu Sheng received a Military Coalition Commendation Mark.

Back at the guest court, exhaustion finally hit.

Qin Mo collapsed into a chair.

"I never want to see another false sun."

Qin Lian said, "Unlikely."

"That is cruel."

Qin Yuheng inspected the False Sun Pattern Crystal privately under protection.

It contained pattern knowledge but not full forbidden record content. That made it useful.

He did not evolve it immediately.

The panel warned:

[SS Grade False Sun Pattern Crystal]

[Eligible for Primordial Origin Evolution.]

[Warning:

Evolution may increase conceptual density and attract ritual resonance if insufficiently sealed.]

He stored it.

Not yet.

No greed.

No urgency defined by enemies.

That night, Qin Wanshan’s secure reply arrived.

Evidence valuable. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Do not bring original corruption into family space.

Wait for official pattern summary.

You chose correctly by submitting it publicly under supervision.

Qin Yuheng had expected that.

If he had secretly kept the Hollow Core Fragment, Blood Sun could use it to track, lure, or accuse him.

Public submission turned bait into shared evidence.

Mo Cangyan received the news before dawn.

For the first time, he did not smile immediately.

Xue Rong asked, "Did he fail to take the bait?"

Mo Cangyan looked at the report.

"No. He took the bait and placed it under everyone’s eyes."

"Is that bad?"

"It is inconvenient."

He tapped the line: living key resonance confirmed.

"But not useless. We learned what we needed."

Xue Rong lowered his head.

"What next?"

Mo Cangyan’s smile returned slowly.

"Now that the assembly knows Shattered Sun patterns exist, they will seek more. Investigation creates movement. Movement creates openings."

He looked toward Central Eastern Tower City.

"Let the righteous begin the search."