Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

The golden peregrine falcon circled above Beijing, not seeking a place to land, but enjoying a long-lost, almost instinctive freedom of flight. Its body, formed from the Nascent Soul Yang Spirit, was light and ethereal, yet contained immense power, weaving through thin clouds and the cool night wind, overlooking the slumbering ancient capital below, its myriad lights scattered like stars. That sense of transcendence and control allowed it to temporarily cast aside the trivialities of its courtyard house and the schemes of Hong Kong; its mind seemed to merge with the vast night sky.

In the midst of this exhilarating flight, a thought flashed through his mind like a shooting star—the mysterious place known as "Area 51," which, according to later legends, lies deep in the Nevada desert across the ocean.

He Damin was not entirely without curiosity about the secret research that distant country might be conducting against the backdrop of the Cold War, research far ahead of its time, and the non-Earthly creations that might be involved. The vague memories left over from the information explosion era of his previous life intertwined with his instinct to explore the unknown as a cultivator in this life.

"Anyway, the Yang Spirit can travel thousands of miles in an instant. Now that it's out, why not go and take a look? Perhaps... we can find something interesting." With a thought, the command was given.

The golden peregrine falcon abruptly turned in mid-air, no longer lingering over the night sky of Beijing. Its wingtips fluttered slightly, and the golden light around it receded, transforming into a pale golden phantom that almost blended into the night. With unimaginable speed, it shot eastward! The land, mountains, and ocean below became blurred streaks of light, rapidly left behind. Crossing the Pacific Ocean was not an insurmountable obstacle for its current speed; it was more like a slightly longer "stroll."

As the first rays of gray appeared on the distant horizon, the landscape below revealed a completely different continent. Vast deserts, peculiar mountain silhouettes, and sparse vegetation—a stark contrast to the scenery of East Asia. Based on his memory of geographical coordinates (thanks to fragments of information from his previous life and some declassified materials he had read in his later life), He Damin slightly adjusted his direction and flew towards that legendary region in southern Nevada.

The terrain here is desolate and sparsely populated. In the morning light, a dry basin, roughly one hundred square kilometers in area and surrounded by low hills, gradually comes into view. The basin's edges are marked with barbed wire and clear warning signs, and the occasional dust kicked up by patrol vehicles can be seen. In the central area, several low-lying buildings, disguised as warehouses or factories, are scattered, some of them quite large, and there are even makeshift runways. The overall atmosphere is somber and covert, befitting a highly classified military base.

The golden peregrine falcon hovered high above the clouds, its powerful divine sense silently covering everything like the most sophisticated scanner.

The surface was laid bare: heavily guarded checkpoints, armed soldiers patrolling back and forth, and technicians in white coats or overalls hurrying between buildings. Inside some buildings, one could "see" busy laboratories, rooms piled high with blueprints and instruments, and... strangely shaped, unidentified metal or ceramic fragments, carefully stored in special containers. The air contained high-frequency currents, peculiar radiation, and some... indescribable, faint yet distinctly different residual energy fluctuations from Earth's normal material energy.

There is indeed something there. But these fragments and peripheral activities alone are not enough to confirm the core hypothesis.

He Damin was not in a hurry. The peregrine falcon, transformed from the Yang God, concealed all light and aura in the clouds, like the most patient hunter, waiting quietly.

During the day, the base is bustling with activity, with various vehicles coming and going, and even aircraft taking off and landing on the runway. At night, most of the area's lights are turned off, leaving only the lights of key buildings and searchlights piercing the darkness of the desert, suggesting an even higher level of alert.

Right now.

In the dead of night, all was silent except for the mournful sound of the desert wind. The golden peregrine falcon, hovering thousands of meters in the air, trembled almost imperceptibly. A "shadow," more ethereal and condensed than the falcon itself, emanating almost no energy or material fluctuations, separated from its body.

This is a "dark matter soul body" condensed by He Damin by combining the soul power of the Soul Refining Banner with his own soul origin. It is neither a complete soul nor pure energy, but more like an "observation and penetration unit" in a special state that can largely ignore conventional physical barriers. Ordinary walls, metal, and even energy barriers to a certain extent are all useless to it.

The shadow spirit descended lightly, like a weightless ghost, piercing through the thin atmosphere, ignoring the heavy barbed wire, sensors, and patrols surrounding the base, and drifting straight toward the central area of ​​the basin, toward those seemingly ordinary but exceptionally deep and massive underground buildings.

It chooses to penetrate from a ventilation duct or a foundation crack (in its "view," the material structure is like a loose grid), sinking deep underground along the veins of concrete and steel bars.

The deeper one goes, the more heavily guarded the area becomes, with increasingly dense physical and energy detection devices. But to the Shadow Spirit, the fluctuations emitted by these devices are like fireflies in the night—clearly visible, yet utterly ineffective. It skillfully navigates through blind spots and weak points in the energy field, like water seeping into a crack in rock.

They descended to an unknown depth, perhaps hundreds of meters underground. The surrounding environment changed from concrete structures to natural rock formations, but these rock formations had been artificially reinforced, creating vast spaces.

Finally, the shadow spirit "penetrated" through an unusually thick alloy partition mixed with lead and other unknown shielding materials, and the view suddenly opened up before it.

This is a massive and awe-inspiring underground dome space! Over fifty meters high, its area is comparable to several football fields. The ceiling is covered with a dense array of powerful lights, illuminating the entire space as bright as day. The air is filled with ozone, coolant, and a faint, ozone-like yet more complex metallic ionized odor.

In the center of this vast space, held in place by dozens of thick, dark chains of unknown material, pulled at different angles, was a disc-shaped aircraft!

It hovered silently about three meters above the ground (not seemingly supported entirely by chains), with a diameter of about twenty meters and a height of about seven or eight meters. Its entire body was a matte silver-gray, its surface extremely smooth and fluid, without any rivets, welds, or obvious thruster nozzles. Its lines were so perfect that it seemed like an industrial creation from another era. There were several small, irregularly shaped, molten-edged breaches on the hull, clearly indicating that it had experienced some kind of impact or battle. The overall impression was one of coldness, silence, yet imbued with an indescribable technological beauty.

This is... the legendary alien spaceship? The core of countless speculations and eyewitness reports in later generations? He Damin's shadow soul hovered in the shadows near the entrance, "gazing" at this creation that transcended time. Even with his Nascent Soul cultivator's composure, he couldn't help but feel a ripple of emotion.

Several layers of steel scaffolding and work platforms had been erected around the spacecraft, where dozens of researchers in full protective suits and breathing masks were working busily. They were using various instruments that looked quite advanced (by 1951 standards) to try to scan the spacecraft's hull, analyze its material composition, or carefully insert probes and cameras into the interior through the damaged areas. Fully armed soldiers stood guard nearby, creating a solemn and tense atmosphere.

He Damin's soul remained undisturbed. Like the finest dust, it drifted silently toward the spaceship. Upon approaching, it could sense an extremely faint energy field emanating from the spaceship's hull. This wasn't an active defense mechanism, but rather a remnant of natural dissipation or a dormant state. The nature of this energy field was very peculiar, unlike any he knew of—true essence, spiritual energy, electrical energy, or magnetic energy. It was more restrained and efficient, carrying a cold, ethereal quality reminiscent of deep space.

The soul attempted to touch the smooth outer shell. The expected barrier did not appear; the energy field seemed completely unresponsive. It penetrated the shell as easily as water seeping into a sponge.

Inside the spaceship, however, was a completely different scene.

The space appears larger than it does from the outside, clearly indicating the use of some kind of spatial expansion technology (perhaps related to curvature?). The interior layout is minimalist to the point of being almost empty, devoid of conventional cockpit instruments, seats, or complex wiring. At the center is a slightly raised circular platform, its edges shimmering with soft light, and its surface dotted with grooves or smooth contact points of unknown purpose. The surrounding walls are also a smooth, silvery-gray, occasionally punctuated by extremely subtle, breath-like glimmers of light.

There was no sign of life, no corpses or remains. Only a vast, timeless silence. The air (if there was any) was dry and odorless.

The shadowy spirit drifted slowly inside, carefully "observing" every detail. It "saw" some extremely fine patterns on the walls, which seemed to form some kind of complex circuit or information carrier; it "sensed" an extremely subtle yet powerful energy reaction beneath the central platform, like a sleeping heart; it also noticed several obvious energy burn or tear marks on the inner walls, corresponding to the damaged parts of the outer shell, indicating that the spaceship had experienced severe damage.

In a relatively enclosed compartment near the stern (the door slid open smoothly, seemingly sensing some kind of access, but ineffective on the spirit), it discovered some scattered, non-metallic, sheet-like objects etched with incomprehensible symbols and dotted patterns, like some kind of recording medium. Several oddly shaped, unidentified small tools or devices lay quietly in a corner.

He Damin's soul attempted to interpret the symbols using his divine sense, but could only perceive the highly structured information they contained, unable to decipher their specific meaning. This required a completely different knowledge system and logical foundation.

Having investigated this far, He Damin had already made up his mind.

Such a creation, so far ahead of its time, is better kept here by these people for slow and clumsy study, potentially even causing unknown risks in the future… and be taken for himself! He has an inner world, large enough to contain it. If he has the leisure in the future, he can slowly explore its mysteries, perhaps even glimpsing a corner of the starry sea, or even… using it as a reference to understand more advanced energy applications and spatial technologies.

Once a thought arises, action follows.

The shadowy spirit silently withdrew from the spaceship without alerting any researchers. Like an invisible phantom, it drifted towards the middle-aged man among the group of white coats, the one with the strongest aura and subtly surrounded by the others—based on observation and intuition, this man should be the project's chief scientist or key research expert.

The soul silently entered the back of the man's neck. The middle-aged man's body paused almost imperceptibly, his eyes momentarily becoming empty before returning to normal, though a hint of indifference lingered deep within. This wisp of soul that He Damin had separated had temporarily suppressed the other man's self-awareness, taken control of his body, and began rapidly reading his surface and deep memories.

A flood of information arrived: This man was Dr. Richard Hayden, a Princeton Physics PhD, employed by a secret agency to lead a special project called "Blue Book-Magnet," dedicated to studying the "spacecraft" that crashed and was recovered near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Their progress was slow; the spacecraft's outer shell material remained unanalyzed, its energy system was completely silent, and its internal structure was difficult to penetrate…

Key information: The chains binding the spaceship are not ordinary metal, but an alloy infused with a special element extracted from the spaceship's fragments. This alloy is extremely strong and can suppress any energy fluctuations the spaceship might experience. The control terminal for the chains is located in a hardened control room on the side of this underground space. Unlocking the chains requires triple authorization: Dr. Richard Hayden's research director authorization card, Colonel John Marshall's security authorization card (the base's security director), and the final authorization code from General William Carter, the highest-ranking administrative officer of Area 51. All three must be present simultaneously, verifying their biometrics (fingerprint, retina) and authorization cards at the control terminal, and entering their respective code fragments to initiate the unlocking process.

"They are cautious indeed," He Damin thought to himself.

The purple-gold falcon (the main body of the Yang God) in the sky moved slightly and instantly split into two more subtle soul bodies that consumed almost no source energy. Like two invisible threads, they pierced through layers of buildings and obstacles and shot towards different directions of the ground base.

A spirit quickly located Colonel John Marshall, the base's security chief, who was working late into the night reviewing documents in his office—a tall, stern-faced soldier with a pistol at his waist. The spirit infiltrated, possessed him, read his memories, and took control of his body.

Another spirit drifted towards a separate, more heavily guarded two-story building deep within the base. This was the residence and office of General William Carter, the administrative director of Area 51. The general was already asleep, but the spirit easily slipped into the bedroom and possessed the elderly general, whose hair was gray and whose brow was furrowed in his sleep.

The three key figures, who were possessed and controlled by He Damin's soul, "woke up" almost at the same time, and began to act with slightly stiff but clear-cut goals.

Dr. Hayden (Ho Ta-min) instructed his research assistants, "I need to conduct a critical energy field comparison test immediately, which requires temporarily releasing some of the restraints for calibration. Go and notify Colonel Marshall and General Carter to come to the control room immediately. This is the highest priority."

Although the assistant was puzzled (he had never done this before at night), he immediately ran to make a phone call in the face of Dr. Hayden's unquestionable tone.

Shortly after, Colonel Marshall (Ho Ta-min), dressed in a crisp military uniform, and General Carter (Ho Ta-min), wearing a coat and with a serious expression, arrived one after the other in the control room of the underground space. The three exchanged glances, their communication devoid of any unusual behavior, only a procedural seriousness.

There were other staff members on duty in the control room, but with the three highest-authority personnel present at the same time, no one dared to question it.

"Let's begin," General Carter (Damin Ho) said in a deep voice.

The three walked to the central control panel. The panel had three card slots side-by-side, a multi-functional biometric reader, and a display screen with a numeric keypad.

Dr. Hayden and Colonel Marshall inserted their special access cards into the slots in turn. General Carter stood in the middle, pressing his thumb on the biometric sensor while undergoing a retinal scan.

"Permission confirmed. Please enter the three authorization passwords in sequence." A cold, synthesized electronic voice sounded.

Dr. Hayden (Ho Ta-min) stepped forward and entered the 12-digit code he had retrieved from Richard's memory. Colonel Marshall (Ho Ta-min) then entered another 12-digit code. Finally, General Carter (Ho Ta-min) entered the last 12-digit code.

"Triple authorization verification successful. Program activation deactivated. Please confirm again." (Synthesized voice prompt)

"Confirmed." The three said in unison (controlled by He Damin).

A green indicator light illuminated on the control panel. A deep, mechanical hum emanated from the dome of the underground space. Dozens of thick, black chains, their connections to the spaceship tinged with blue light, which quickly spread across the entire chain. Then, with soft clicking sounds, the chains began to automatically detach from their anchor points on the spaceship's hull and retract, shrinking back like living things into hidden winches deep within the surrounding rock walls.

Within a minute, all the chains were completely released and retracted. The silver-gray disc-shaped spaceship, freed from all physical restraints, remained silently suspended in mid-air, as if it possessed anti-gravity or magnetic levitation properties of its own.

The researchers and guards in the underground space were stunned. They had never seen a spaceship completely unleashed, and they couldn't understand why the three officers would suddenly perform a full unlocking in the middle of the night. But strict discipline kept them silent; they simply watched, holding their breath.

Just then, the Purple-Gold Peregrine Falcon Yang God Body high in the sky suddenly increased its divine sense output! An invisible yet vast and powerful force instantly enveloped the entire underground space, forming a temporary "domain" that isolated internal and external detection and interference.

At the same time, Dr. Hayden (Ho Ta-min), who was possessed, raised his right hand towards the spaceship, making a grasping motion—this was just a cover. What truly mattered was the interaction between the will of the Yang God's main body and the inner world of Qiankun.

"receive!"

With a thought, the enormous disc-shaped spaceship, over twenty meters in diameter, along with the small patch of air (or force field) supporting it, all the thin recording media and small tools inside the spaceship, and even the core research data and data tapes on the surrounding work platform that were clearly related to the spaceship and encapsulated in special containers, were all enveloped by an irresistible force!

To everyone's utter astonishment, as if they were dreaming, the "alien spaceship" that represented the nation's top secrets and had been the subject of countless human and material resources for research, along with a wealth of core data, vanished into thin air right before their eyes!

All that remained was an empty, circular area surrounded by the marks of chains, and faint, lingering energy ripples in the air that were gradually dissipating.

"This...this is impossible!" a researcher exclaimed in disbelief, only to have his mouth covered by a soldier next to him.

Inside the control room, the three "commanders" also "perfectly" displayed a mixture of "shock," "anger," and "disbelief." Dr. Hayden (Ho Ta-min) even "stumbled" and grabbed the control panel for support.

"Immediately seal off the area! No one is allowed to leave! Activate the highest alert! Investigate all abnormal energy fluctuations!" General Carter (Ho Ta-min) ordered in an "angry and urgent" voice.

Chaos erupted instantly in the underground space as alarms blared shrilly. Meanwhile, He Damin's three soul entities quietly detached from the possessed individuals' bodies and returned to their main body, the Yang God, high above.

The golden peregrine falcon took one last "look" at the Area 51 base below, which was engulfed in chaos and panic, before flapping its wings and transforming into a pale golden streak of light, speeding eastward. It left behind far behind the earth-shattering secrets, unsolved mysteries, and impending upheaval hidden beneath that desert.

Within the Inner Realm, the silver-gray disc-shaped spaceship hovered silently above a specially cleared grassland, below which were neatly stacked documents and items. He Damin's Yang Spirit returned to its place, and his physical body opened its eyes within the Inner Realm, gazing at this newly acquired creation from the starry sea, its eyes reflecting a profound light like the reflection of countless stars.

"The world beyond Earth is truly amazing," he muttered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Perhaps, when I have some free time, I can test if this spaceship can still fly... It would be nice to visit the moon or Mars."