C184 The Shocking Secret!
Escaping the Everlands is no easy feat. Only cultivators who have attained the Solar Spirit level can forcefully rupture the spatial wall and step into the extraterrestrial Star River. The dark, silent expanse of space harbors great terrors. Those beneath the Solar Spirit, like Zhou Cangmin at the pinnacle of the Spirit Walk Stage, whether as a Lunar Spirit or in physical form, risk inexplicable death outside the Star River, even without the threat of a Sky Fiend.
The extraterrestrial Star River is fraught with soul-erasing gales, blinding flares, space-piercing streams of light, and dark holes capable of swallowing Evil Gods. Even a Solar Spirit risks calamity while soaring through the extraterrestrial realms! Sky Fiends, native to these outer domains, sometimes meet mysterious ends in certain parts of the Star River.
What chance then for cultivators of lesser stature emerging from the Everlands? Fides, the tree monster, and the man with the human head and dragon body, in Yu Yuan's estimation, barely reach the peak of the Lunar Spirit or Spirit Walk levels. Such power falls short of breaking through the spatial wall and leaving the Everlands.
The Boulderdawn sinner's escape through the Soulforge Matrix, aided by the bronze coffin, was not just a testament to his formidable strength but also to the coffin's significant role. Yu Yuan regarded the bronze coffin as an extraordinary artifact capable of traversing the Star River. The individual who managed to flee the Moonfall Sanctuary and bind the Indigo Wraith, White Walker, and Stormcrowned Emperor was undeniably formidable. Fides, however, is not yet of that caliber.
"No one else can assist with this matter, but you most certainly can!" Fides said, his gaze shifting from Yu Yuan to the depths of the Soulforge Pool. He inquired earnestly, "Haven't you sensed it yet?"
"Sensed what?" Yu Yuan responded, intrigued.
Fides offered a slight smile. "Are you aware that this Soulforge Pool is not only the lynchpin of the Soulforge Matrix but also the heart of another magic circle?"
"Which magic circle?" Yu Yuan's surprise grew.
"The Translocation Circle!" Fides declared.
At those words, Yu Yuan's expression subtly shifted. In the Everlands, various Translocation Circles exist, capable of instantly connecting disparate lands and spatial realms through the intricate workings of space magic.
The Aetherius Continent, separated from the Land of Quiescence and the Euwrea Continent by an immense ocean, was a destination that even the most powerful cultivators could not reach quickly by flight alone. However, the existence of the Translocation Circle allowed cultivators from both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea to arrive in Aetherius in an instant.
The three great upper sects of Euwrea, along with the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep from the Land of Quiescence, had invested vast resources to construct these Translocation Circles. Their purpose was to transport disciples and elders to Aetherius in secret, to challenge gifted individuals and recruit them into their sects, teaching them spells and building up their strength for the future. The cost of the magic items required for each Translocation Circle was astronomical, indicating that only the most well-endowed sects could afford to construct them.
The Moonfall Sanctuary was once under the protection of the Boulderdawn Sect, and it housed the ancient and formidable Soulforge Matrix. It was logical to assume that a Translocation Circle could exist here.
Yu Yuan inhaled deeply and peered into the depths of the Soulforge Pool. "Is it down there?" he asked.
Fides nodded affirmatively. "Indeed."
"And where does this circle lead?" Yu Yuan pressed on.
This time, Fides, the Terra Fiend, fell silent.
Across the Soulforge Pool, Yuan Lianyao, the mayor of Asvetaesi, quietly opened her eyes. Her complexion was radiant, having successfully refined the ownerless vital energy to bolster her vitality and fill her middle elixir field's Profound Gate.
Yuan Lianyao, overhearing the exchange between Fides and Yu Yuan, could no longer contain her intense curiosity.
Fides cast a glance her way.
Feeling a chill in her heart, Yuan Lianyao managed a strained smile and said, "I'll just listen in."
Yu Yuan moved to stand beside her, his demeanor conveying a message to Fides.
"Let her listen," Fides seemed indifferent. After a brief pause, he finally revealed, "It does not lead to the Land of Quiescence, nor to Euwrea."
At this revelation, Yu Yuan was visibly shaken, instinctively looking up towards the heavens.
Fides nodded slightly with a look of admiration and revealed a shocking secret, "The Boulderdawn Sect has not been completely wiped out. They were not entirely eradicated."
"I'm all ears," Yu Yuan responded softly.
"Utilizing the Translocation Circle below, they escaped into the extraterrestrial Star River, concealing themselves in the unfathomable depths of space," Fides mused, speaking slowly. "Some of these secrets I have verified, while others are my own conjectures. It's not just the Boulderdawn Sect; many of the top ten alien soul archdemons from the forbidden area were either taken by Boulderdawn or found their own ways to the extraterrestrial realms."
Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan's expression changed dramatically.
The Boulderdawn Sect had not fallen!
Once a dominant force in the Everlands, on equal footing with the Ebon Star, Sword Sect, and Sunlit Order, perhaps even surpassing them, this mighty sect had somehow evaded total destruction by the combined forces of the world!
Moreover, some disciples of Boulderdawn had fled to the extraterrestrial Star River and were still operating beyond our reach!
"That individual, along with the Stormcrowned Emperor, White Walker, and Indigo Wraith, are just four of the top ten from the forbidden area," Fides revealed openly. "I can no longer detect the presence of the other six in the forbidden area. Hence, I surmise that they must have departed from the Moonfall Sanctuary long ago."
"Why would they leave?" Yu Yuan inquired.
"Without leaving, they would remain forever bound to this place. Even if they managed to break free, any slight exposure would lead to their suppression," Fides explained with a sigh. "Take me, for example. I was covertly active within the Silvermoon Empire because I was incomplete. It was only after returning to the forbidden area and reuniting with the remnants of my consciousness and soul that I regained much of my strength."
"If I were to venture outside the forbidden area, I would quickly attract the pursuit of cultivators from the other two continents."
"In that sense, this forbidden area still serves as a kind of sanctuary for me."
"Within its confines, the cultivators from the two continents tolerate my existence. But should I step outside this sanctuary and attempt to move freely through Aetherius, I would face utter catastrophe."
He paused briefly, then looking skyward, he mused, "That tree, Ann Jieshan, the Wraith Ape, and I—we're all in the same boat."
"Do you really think you can use the Translocation Circle to soar into the Star River beyond our world?" Yu Yuan squinted skeptically and scoffed. "Does that Translocation Circle lead to a new branch of the Boulderdawn? And do you actually believe you'll find freedom once you're out there?"
"We're in the dark about it all," Fides admitted, shaking his head. "We have no clue what awaits on the other side of the Translocation Circle. But it feels like there's no future for us here—no chance to rise. Maybe, just maybe, if we leave, even with the Boulderdawn in the picture, we might find a sliver of hope."
"Especially since the Bronze Coffin made a point of taking the White Walker, the Stormcrowned Emperor, and the Indigo Wraith with it."
"That suggests the Boulderdawn has realized something—that beings with alien souls like us have worth and share a common foe."
"We could very well end up as revered figures within the Boulderdawn, standing by their side as they wage wars against other races beyond the Star River."
Lost in his vision of what was to come, Fides couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and eager anticipation.
"You're not aware, but I've heard whispers that the Boulderdawn, now independent from the Everlands, has risen to prominence once again in the vastness of space!"
