Liang Yifei’s weary gaze settled on the old man before him. A bitter curse involuntarily escaped his lips, dissipating into the surrounding atmosphere. If the situation weren’t so pressing, he wouldn’t have considered even approaching this eccentric old man.
But just as Liang Yifei was about to address the old man, a subtle shift occurred. The old man’s eyelids, wrinkled with age, twitched ever so slightly. An ethereal light ebbed and flowed beneath their weathered surface, and Liang Yifei’s breath caught in his throat.
As if roused from a long slumber, the old man’s eyes slowly, deliberately opened. The intensity within them was palpable, emanating an ancient wisdom that seemed to transcend time itself. They pierced through Liang Yifei’s soul, their gaze unnerving yet captivating in its profoundness.
A calm, authoritative voice resonated from the old man’s lips, dispelling any doubt or hesitation. "There’s no need to ask," he declared with an air of serenity, his intonation carrying the weight of unspoken knowledge. "I already know what’s on your mind."
Liang’s eyes flickered with a momentary surprise. "Is that so?" he responded.
Astraeus, the old man, sneered. "This old man has witnessed much and knows even more, allowing him to anticipate your inquiries. You’ve likely come seeking information about the Qi Empyrean Realm, am I correct?" Pride tinged his features as he spoke.
A slight twitch formed at the corner of Liang’s mouth. That old man was truly arrogant, thinking his small prediction abilities were remarkable. As the guardian of the hall, it was obvious that he knew that he would be inquiring about the Qi Empyrean Realm, considering the limited information available.
"Is it truly so remarkable that you guessed my question?" Liang countered, unable to conceal his sarcastic tone.
The old man’s smirk faltered, his narrowed eyes betraying a sliver of surprise at Liang Yifei’s indifference and sarcasm, "Impudent !" he scoffed, "Little Brat, do you think I am obligated to share any information with you?"
Liang Yifei’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he witnessed the old man’s aggressive reaction. The sudden shift in demeanor caught him off guard, and he couldn’t help but feel a wave of frustration wash over him.
Before Liang could respond to the old man’s dismissive remarks, the entire scene around him transformed into a dizzying blur. The old man waved his hand with a swift and forceful motion, causing the space around Liang to spin at an astonishing speed. Everything became a chaotic whirlwind of motion, and the sound of the old man’s angry voice echoed through the maelstrom.
"Your time is out! You aren’t allowed to enter the record hall again!"
As quickly as it had begun, the disorienting whirlwind came to a halt. Liang found himself once again standing in front of the four imposing doors.
With abruptness matching its arrival, the bewildering whirlwind abruptly ceased, leaving Liang standing before the same four formidable doors.
An amused chuckle escaped from Liang Yifei as he gazed upon the entrance to the record hall, marveling at the sequence of events that had unfolded before him.
"I was simply inquiring; surely I haven’t unintentionally insulted his mother or anything of the sort?" he mused.
After a brief contemplation, Liang retrieved his badge and resolved to make another attempt at entering the hall of records.
He stretched out his hand and inserted the badge into the designated slot, but this time, nothing transpired, thwarting his expectations.
He let out a weary sigh and turned his head, surveying his surroundings. However, to his disappointment, Gu Hong and Jiang Yan were nowhere to be found in the chamber.
It is highly likely that they have entered through one of the doors.
"Well, maybe that’s for the best. It’s my chance now to take a closer look at this place," he muttered to himself
As he exited the sanctum, he found himself standing on the border between sanctuary and wilderness, gazing out into the vast expanse of the desert. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting shimmering waves of heat across the golden dunes. The desert stretched as far as the eye could see, a seemingly endless sea of sand, devoid of any visible landmarks or signs of life.
Undeterred, he took to the skies, flying for three days in search of something out of the ordinary amidst this barren landscape. However, to his dismay, nothing greeted him except the never-ending expanse of sand.
Just as he was about to give up and turn back, his void sense picked up on a subtle change in the air. It became thicker, almost like a tangible presence, and a faint Yin Qi permeated the surroundings.
Intrigued by this discovery, he followed the trail of Yin Qi using his void sense. With each passing moment, the intensity of the energy grew stronger, urging him to push forward. After another three days of relentless pursuit, he found himself floating mid-air with a perplexed expression on his face.
He could sense an unprecedented amount of Yin Qi with his void sense, yet there was nothing remarkable to be seen. The desert continued unbroken, stretching infinitely in all directions. He murmured to himself, "Strange, I have scanned the area with my void sense, but I remain unable to find anything. However, this extraordinary concentration of Yin Qi cannot simply materialize out of thin air."
After careful consideration, he decided to try a different approach. Forming numerous intricate magic seals with his hands, he closed his eyes,
At that moment, his aura began to surge at an astonishing speed, causing the air around him to vibrate violently.
As he opened his eyes once more, an unfamiliar sight greeted him. His irises, once ordinary, had transformed. They now possessed a mesmerizing deep silver hue, swirling with a mysterious vortex-like pattern that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of reality.
With his void sense detecting an unprecedented amount of Yin Qi, he couldn’t help but feel perplexed. Despite his efforts to scan the area, the desert appeared empty and continued endlessly in all directions. Scratching his head in confusion, he murmured to himself, contemplating the unusual phenomenon. "Strange," he began, "I’ve searched the area thoroughly with my void sense, yet I can’t seem to find anything. This concentration of Yin Qi is extraordinary, but it can’t just materialize out of thin air."
Realizing he needed a new approach, he took a deep breath and decided to experiment. Forming intricate magic seals with his hands, he closed his eyes and focused his energy. As he immersed himself in the process, his aura surged with an astonishing speed, causing the air around him to vibrate violently.
Sudden realization hit him as he peered through his void-piercing eyes.
He could see that there was another layer of space here.
"Mysterious indeed, although it shares a semblance with the secret realms, it possesses a distinctiveness that sets it apart. If my intuition serves me right, beyond this veil lies a parallel world, akin to our own," Liang Yifei quietly pondered, delving into the enigmatic nature of this realm. "Such a phenomenon cannot arise independently; it must have been purposefully forged."
Deep in thought, he decided to venture further. As he stretched out his hand, the ethereal aura of the void intertwined with his fingertips. Gradually, his hand transformed into a profound obsidian hue, while ripples of distortion rippled through the fabric of space surrounding him.
Inhaling deeply, the intensity of the void’s energy surged with staggering swiftness. Magically, his hands began to assume an ephemeral transparency, dissolving into the surrounding space.
With deliberate caution, he extended his intangible hands in two different directions, and an awe-inspiring sight unfurled - the very fabric of space began to rupture. In no time, an expansive aperture, measuring two meters in diameter, materialized right before him.
Curiosity piqued, he extended his void sense to peer into the hole, only to have his perception abruptly cut off. A weary smile crept onto his face as if this unexpected turn of events didn’t surprise him.
Sighing, he muttered, "I don’t know why I’m not that surprised, but perhaps it’s best not to venture in just yet."
A sudden chuckle escaped his lips. "Jumping into the unknown would be too rash. Besides, I only have less than ten months. It would be wise to explore the other two halls first."
Waving his hands, five transparent runes materialized in the air in front of him. With another wave, the runes shot off in five different directions and disappeared from sight.
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"Now that I’ve marked this world, I can always return whenever I please," he said with a sense of satisfaction.
"For now, let’s make our way back to the sanctum," he decided, nodding to himself as he prepared to depart.