Chapter 626
Venerable Duan Yue! Crisis and Opportunity!
The laws of space become extremely active, yet utterly chaotic, here.
One second the ground beneath your feet feels solid and firm, the next second the space may be slightly distorted, and your footing point may shift by half an inch.
The distant scenery appears as if viewed through a constantly changing curtain of water, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry and distorted.
Gravity can be as light as a feather or as heavy as carrying a mountain, and it varies within a very small range without any regularity.
"Generating all things, nurturing heaven and earth..."
Zhan Feng exhaled a breath of stale air, looked at the grand yet fragmented scene before him, and clicked his tongue twice, saying...
"This doesn't look like a tomb at all! It's clearly an inner world created by a sage who poured all his understanding of the laws into a space!"
"It's almost gone, this is too dangerous."
The leader of the group, Venerable Lieyang, had an extremely solemn expression, and his voice was dry and filled with disbelief.
"Not bad. To be able to refine and evolve the laws you have comprehended to this scale, condensing them into a near-real small world."
"This senior's level of cultivation is probably far more terrifying than we anticipated."
"Although the flow of Daoist principles has become chaotic and incomplete, the breadth of its framework and the depth of its foundation far surpass our imagination."
"The more perfect and closer the microcosm created by a sage through his own cultivation is to the real universe, the higher his realm is and the stronger his control over the fundamental laws is."
"The decline of this place is not due to the original owner's insufficient cultivation level, but because the great power that supported it was finally exhausted after endless years. Even the spatial barrier could not be maintained, forming the light spots that we see from the outside, which is why the mechanical race was able to discover it."
"But we don't know whose hard work this is."
Upon hearing this, everyone became curious and began to examine the laws around them, especially the paths they were cultivating.
"Although it is not perfect compared to the outside world, it is about 95% complete."
Yu Sha also came along this time, his face still a little pale, but it no longer affected his combat power.
"But it is precisely because it is becoming more and more perfect that it has been able to survive until now."
The Venerable Hanyue, who was well-versed in the laws of space, added that her senses cautiously probed the chaotic space around her, like threads.
"Such a perfect small world requires a massive amount of rare and precious materials and powerful magical artifacts and star artifacts to be integrated into its rule system, acting as a stabilizing force to maintain its structure from collapsing."
“Those things themselves contain the essence of what this saint collected during his lifetime. They are the remaining treasures in this broken world, and may also be the hubs that support certain key law nodes.”
"Finding them is both a matter of chance and could trigger an unexpected chain reaction."
"Danger and opportunity coexist; extreme caution is necessary."
A chill ran down everyone's spine.
The vast ruins before us speak of the greatness of the tomb's occupant, yet also exude an aura of impending doom.
After a brief observation, the various factions had already dispersed and disappeared into the depths of the strange landscape.
The massive floating mountains resembled silent behemoths, and the broken floating rivers resembled frozen starry skies, obscuring sight and perception.
"How should we proceed?"
Zhan Yun looked at the three elders leading the team.
She was already meticulous, and in this environment, she would be even less likely to act rashly.
Venerable Duan Yue did not answer immediately, but looked at her silently, as if assessing her condition.
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Shu spoke, his voice steady.
“Your Excellency, the space here is chaotic but the laws are active. Perception is suppressed. If we are too scattered, we are easily lost and may encounter misfortune.”
"Why not set a main direction, and have everyone explore separately, but keep a certain distance from each other, so that we can use this object to respond in case of an emergency?"
A flash of light appeared in his hand as he took out an inconspicuous bronze token, which was the emergency communication token he had received from the War Alliance earlier. It could transmit vague directions and very basic information within a limited distance.
Although its level is not high, it is very practical and has played a huge role in the alliance's many external conquests.
Now, naturally, everyone has one.
After a moment of contemplation, Venerable Lieyang exchanged a glance with Venerables Hanyue and Duanyue, and nodded, saying, "Very well. Let's use this peak as a marker."
He pointed to a floating mountain range in his field of vision that resembled the head of a roaring dragon and was the largest of them all.
"If nothing unexpected happens, we will meet at the summit of Dragon Head Peak in three hours."
"Here, I would like to remind you that you should not venture into areas where there are obvious spatial anomalies."
"Stay vigilant. If you encounter a powerful enemy or something incomprehensible, warn them immediately and do not be greedy for battle."
Everyone agreed in unison.
As the discussion concluded, the nearly forty-person human team split into three groups, each led by Jiang Shu, Zhan Feng, Zhan Yun, and three elders at the Venerable level.
These three Venerable Elders primarily act as protectors, while the specific decisions are still discussed by these peerless geniuses with limitless futures.
They will only intervene when there is a serious route error or when danger is encountered.
After all, the most important thing for the War Alliance to develop to this point is to help these geniuses who are still in the tenth realm grow, advance to the Venerable realm, and even take a few more steps forward in the Venerable realm.
"Brother, I'll go first."
Zhan Feng clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jiang Shu and smiled.
After returning from the ancient road, he has been reflecting on his actions, returning to his true self, and his mastery of the laws has reached a new level.
If we can seize this opportunity, we might be able to advance directly to the Venerable Realm.
This will lay the most solid foundation for his future ascension to sainthood.
Without further ado, he led his men into the air and headed away into the distance.
"I'm leaving too. If you encounter any danger, be sure to let me know."
Zhan Yun smiled at Jiang Shu, then led his men away gracefully.
"Brother Dao, we are in the same group. If I encounter any danger that I cannot handle, I hope you can lend a helping hand. I will definitely repay you."
The handsome young man with wings on his back came to Jiang Shu's side and whispered something, showing great intimacy.
If it weren't for Jiang Shu, Yu Sha would probably have died inside the Ancient Path of War Souls.
Although he was arrogant, he was also a grateful person. Several days ago, he sent people to deliver a large amount of cultivation resources. However, Jiang Shu had already left by then, so he sent the items to the Nine Universe Merchant Alliance instead.
They even said that the affairs of the Nine Universes Merchant Alliance would then become the affairs of their Feathered People.
"It's natural."
"However, I will not take action unless it is a life-or-death crisis."
People who know how to be grateful can't be all bad.
Jiang Shu was happy to befriend these geniuses with powerful backgrounds, especially since Yu Sha was indeed a good person, so he nodded in agreement.
In case a genius from Xuanxing were to enter this Star Ruins Realm in the future.
The more powerful forces he could befriend, the greater his reputation, the safer Xuanxing would be. The elder named "Duan Yue" watched this with a smile, stroking his beard, without saying a word.
Jiang Shu's arrival has indeed injected new vitality into the War Alliance.
The crowd dispersed, merging into this shattered mythical world like droplets of water.
They traveled for about an hour.
They traversed a plain covered with enormous clusters of colorful crystals, the air buzzing with energy.
They leaped over another broken rainbow bridge, beneath which lay a bottomless void vortex. At the edge of a twisted jungle, they were attacked by a group of strange creatures that shone with a metallic luster and resembled giant flying ants.
These flying ants have incredibly sharp mouthparts, enough to pierce through ordinary armor, move with lightning speed, and are numerous.
Fortunately, their level was not high, roughly equivalent to the peak of the ninth realm. With the precise protective barrier set up by Venerable Duan Yue and the cooperation of several disciples under Jiang Shu, they were quickly wiped out.
However, a sour smell of burning metal filled the air, which seemed capable of corroding a cultivator's body.
"I've never seen this before."
Some disciples of the War Alliance examined these flying ant creatures, marveling at them.
"Could it have been created by that sage?"
"If one reaches the realm of a sage, does that mean one possesses the ability to create all things? What's the difference between that and becoming an immortal?"
Saints are mysterious; almost no one knows in what way they are more powerful than Venerables, except for the law of time.
This was the first time these people had personally witnessed and encountered the power of a sage; it was truly an eye-opening and astonishing experience.
The road ahead is long, and we have no idea how big this little world really is.
Jiang Shu led the way, while Venerable Duan Yue followed at a distance to bring up the rear. Along the way, they encountered many eye-catching species and found many opportunities.
With Jiang Shu's protection, the human geniuses who followed him also used their own methods to seize opportunities.
Some geniuses even directly refine opportunities, achieving in a short period of time what takes several years of arduous cultivation.
He even stated that if he could cultivate here for a year, he could at least advance one minor realm.
Jiang Shu also gained quite a few opportunities here and there.
Although I no longer need these things, I can still give them to the members of the Jiuyu Business Alliance.
Since their foundation was in that place, the stronger their cultivation level, the greater the benefit to Jiang Shu.
Suddenly, Jiang Shu stopped walking, his brows furrowing slightly.
The Shattered Universe Gloves were slightly warm, and the sensation from my palm was not strong, indicating that there was no external threat nearby. Rather, it was the seed of the Law of Creation deep within my spiritual platform that trembled very slightly.
Pointing diagonally ahead to an inconspicuous fold in the mountainside, enveloped by massive tree roots.
The space there fluctuated abnormally, but its interior faintly revealed a tone completely different from the overall decaying world, and contained a trace of extremely restrained and gentle Daoist charm, as if a faint star was hidden in the ice.
Without making a sound, he separated a wisp of his divine thought, drawing upon the power of the fragments of the Heart of Space. Under the protection of the light shield barrier erected by Venerable Duan Yue, he carefully penetrated the chaotic surface space to conduct a deeper exploration.
The feedback I received was much clearer.
There seemed to be a stable, small spatial node inside the mountain, protected by special laws!
That gentle Daoist aura emanated from the depths of this point, creating a subtle resonance with the spark of creation deep within his spiritual center.
Based on previous experiences, there is a high probability that there is some kind of opportunity inside.
Moreover, something capable of activating one's own spatial core must certainly be something extraordinary.
"Your Majesty."
Jiang Shu looked at Duan Yue, who was cautiously looking around.
"This disciple senses something unusual about the space near the mountain ahead. I want to get closer and investigate. Perhaps it is some kind of special mineral vein or a sealed relic node."
He deliberately concealed the subtle resonance between the spatial core and the laws of creation, as well as his perception of the Dao rhythm, using the spatial anomaly as an excuse.
Venerable Duan Yue is a master of self-defense, and although his perception is strong, his sensitivity to the laws of creation is obviously far inferior to that of Jiang Shu, who possesses the seed of fire.
Following the direction Jiang Shu pointed, Venerable Duan Yue looked with a glint of light in his cloudy eyes. He was mainly concerned with the degree of disorder in the surface space and the possible macroscopic traps.
In his perception, the spatial energy in that area was chaotic, like an overturned palette of paints, easily leading one astray, but he did not sense any particularly powerful energy source or deadly threat.
Considering that the purpose of this trip was to discover the treasures and key points in the relics of the sage, it seems reasonable that Jiang Shu, as a meritorious official, had made some discoveries.
"Hmm... It is a bit messy, like a pile of fragments from a collapsed space."
"Jiang Shu, are you sure you sensed something?"
The Venerable Duan Yue spoke with caution.
"I trust your cultivation level, but don't venture too far into the chaotic inner area."
"I will cover you; the three of you go forward and scout the edge."
"Remember, you are only allowed to sense the perimeter. If anything seems amiss, retreat immediately. Do not enter without permission!"
As he spoke, he pointed to the two talented disciples who were dependent on the family.
“Go together and look after each other.”
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The two disciples quickly responded.
They were rising stars who relied on their families. Their strength was considered good in the tenth realm, but it was far from enough in this place. Although they were eager to explore for treasure, they were more cautious.
It is precisely because their cultivation level is not high that they are bound to lose to Jiang Shu.
Venerable Duan Yue naturally knew that Jiang Shu wanted to curry favor with the War Alliance because the Nine Universe Merchant Alliance was unwilling to work wholeheartedly for the War Alliance.
Jiang Shu sensed this opportunity. If Yu Sha were to go and seize it first, it would be difficult to explain.
So, while Venerable Duan Yue created a larger, more stable area of light shield as a rendezvous point, Jiang Shu and his two disciples walked together toward the twisted mountain wall.
The sense of spatial fluctuations grew stronger, and light refracted strangely here. Even though one's feet were clearly on rocks, it felt as if one was walking on cotton, with a feeling of being unable to feel any force.
Just when they were still dozens of feet away from the fold in the mountain wall that seemed to have a stable point, a sudden change occurred!
The two disciples were cautiously exploring Jiang Shu's left and right sides simultaneously when the light and shadow ground beneath their feet suddenly sank!
"what!"
Two exclamations rang out almost simultaneously!
This situation has occurred before after they entered this small world.
This wasn't the rocks beneath our feet collapsing; rather, the laws of gravity in that space suddenly failed, like an invisible trap being triggered.
The two instantly lost weight, their bodies being uncontrollably pulled toward another spatial rift on the mountainside that was spinning wildly.
The crack, like the opening of a vacuum cleaner, unleashed a powerful, chaotic gravitational force.
"Hold on!"
"town!"
Venerable Duan Yue roared, and a beam of light erupted from his hand. Amidst the dazzling lightning, it resembled a five-fingered mountain, slamming down with tremendous force. (End of Chapter)