The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn. The sealing clay at the mouth of the largest dragon kiln in the workshop had long since cooled and hardened, yet the kiln itself still radiated a scorching heat. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and a palpable tension.

The kiln yard was packed with people. Craftsmen and laborers alike craned their necks, gazing longingly at the closed kiln doors. Zhao Kui stood at the front, hands behind his back, his obese body trembling slightly with excitement, his oily face revealing undisguised smugness and greed. Behind him stood Supervisor Wang, equally excited. The second manager, Steward Sun, stood slightly behind, his brow furrowed, a hint of barely concealed worry in his eyes.

"Open the kiln—!" Zhao Kui took a deep breath, his voice trembling with excitement, and suddenly waved his hand!

Several burly kiln workers immediately stepped forward, wielding heavy hammers and crowbars, and smashed them down hard on the sealing clay at the kiln opening!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The dull, thumping sound was particularly jarring in the morning stillness. The clay seal shattered, peeling off in large chunks. A surge of even more intense heat, mixed with the smell of scalding dust and strange glaze, suddenly erupted from the kiln opening!

The kiln workers carefully pushed open the heavy kiln door together. The interior of the kiln was dark; only the blurry outlines of porcelain pieces protected by saggars could be seen. The heat distorted their vision.

"Take them! Take out those topmost tribute boxes! Be careful! If you drop them, I'll skin you alive!" Zhao Kui roared impatiently, his voice shrill.

Two of the most experienced kiln workers, dressed in thick, damp linen heat-insulating suits, carefully probed deep into the kiln chamber with specially made long iron hooks. The hooks precisely caught the edge of a large saggar in the front row, and the two men worked together, holding their breath, and slowly, bit by bit, pulled out the heavy, bluish-gray saggar.

All eyes were focused on the casket. Zhao Kui even stood on tiptoe, craning his neck as far as he could, his small eyes wide open.

The saggar was placed steadily on a thick straw mat laid out in the open space in front of the kiln. The kiln worker carefully tapped the clay block sealing the saggar with a hammer, then held his breath and slowly lifted the lid of the saggar.

The cool morning air, carrying the damp scent of dew, instantly rushed into the scorching interior of the sagger.

A beautifully shaped, celadon-glazed porcelain vase, its body as thin as a cicada's wing, stood quietly in its saggar. The glaze, bathed in the soft morning light, shimmered with a deep and mysterious luster, like the purest sky after a spring rain! Perfect!

Zhao Kui's heart pounded wildly, and his face flushed with ecstatic joy! It worked! It really worked! The Su family's secret formula was in his hands! A mountain of gold and silver was right before his eyes!

"The celadon glaze has changed color! It really is the celadon glaze that has changed color!" An uncontrollable exclamation erupted from the crowd.

Zhao Kui's smile almost stretched to his ears. He couldn't wait to bend down, wanting to personally hold out this priceless treasure and show it off to everyone! His fat fingers almost touched the smooth, cool glaze!

Just then—

"Crack!"

A very faint yet crystal clear crisp sound came from inside the porcelain bottle without any warning!

Zhao Kui's smile froze abruptly! His outstretched hand stopped in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards—

"Snap! Snap-snap—!"

A series of sounds, like ice cracking, suddenly rang out! Under the horrified gazes of everyone, countless fine, twisted black cracks instantly burst open on the flawless, thin-walled porcelain bottle!

The cracks spread wildly like a spider web, instantly covering the entire bottle! The deep, mysterious sky-blue glaze, cut by the cracks, resembled a shattered mask!

"Splash—!"

A louder shattering sound! The bottle, unable to withstand the immense internal stress, exploded just before Zhao Kui's fingertips touched it! Countless sharp fragments, shimmering with a sky-blue luster, scattered like exploding ice crystals! One sharp piece of porcelain grazed Zhao Kui's chubby cheek, leaving a stinging, bloody mark!

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Zhao Kui remained bent over, his hand outstretched, his face frozen in ecstasy, turning ashen white in an instant. His eyes bulged out of their sockets as he stared incredulously at the pile of expensive, still-steaming, jaggedly cracked fragments in the casket. He was oblivious to the blood seeping from the streaks on his cheeks.

The entire kiln was deathly silent. Only the crisp sound of porcelain shards hitting the ground and the heavy, suppressed breathing of the crowd could be heard.

"No...it's impossible..." Zhao Kui's lips trembled as he uttered a dreamlike sound.

"Boss! Look!" A kiln worker's terrified cry broke the silence. He pointed to the second and third saggars that had just been dragged out.

As soon as the lid of the saggar was lifted, the porcelain inside was exposed to the morning light. The moment it came into contact with the cool air, it emitted a heartbreaking "crack" sound! Cracks, like a death knell, instantly spread across the exquisite bottles and bowls! One after another! All the tribute porcelain exposed to the air outside the kiln, regardless of size or shape, cracked and shattered before everyone's eyes!

"Snap!"

"Splash!"

The sounds of shattering echoed, like a funeral dirge! The ground was littered with shards gleaming with an expensive sheen! The area in front of the kiln was instantly transformed into a pile of priceless junk!

It's over! It's all over!

Zhao Kui stared at the apocalyptic scene before him, his body swaying violently, his vision blurring, and he nearly collapsed. Supervisor Wang quickly caught him, his face also filled with shock and bewilderment.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" A cold, furious voice, seemingly crackling with ice, suddenly boomed from behind the crowd!

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