Chapter 123: Chapter 121: Scattered by Teleportation
Hearing Jiang Jichen, Jiang Ling’Er shot him a disdainful look. "What do you mean, the Dragon Soul Pearl? It’s because my talent is simply astounding! Realm barriers are nothing but passing clouds to me. Chen’Er, please don’t be so jealous!"
Alright, Jiang Jichen was at a loss for words.
After gloating for a moment, Jiang Ling’Er said, "With my current Cultivation Realm, controlling the Dragon Clan’s Teleportation Altar is child’s play. So tell me, Chen’Er, and you too, Little Skeleton, where do you want to go?"
There was no longer a place for Jiang Jichen in the Celestial Pearl Country. He had to leave and could only return once he was strong enough.
As for where to go next, Jiang Jichen had already given it some thought and made a decision: Yunshui City of the Heavenly Sword Alliance.
The strongest experts of the Southern Continent all came from Yunshui City. Spirit Medicines that were difficult to find anywhere else in the world could be found in Yunshui.
In Yunshui City, Jiang Jichen might find the pills he needed to continue his cultivation past the Innate Body Refining Realm. Moreover, it was the territory of the Heavenly Sword Alliance, the Holy City of the Southern Continent. Even the four great powers of the Southern Continent had to defer to Yunshui City.
This was also the suggestion Qingxu had secretly passed on to him.
Of course, Yunshui City was incredibly distant. A Cultivator at the Innate Realm would have to fly for several years to reach it. Even for a Foundation Establishment Realm expert, the journey would take months.
However, Teleportation Arrays existed between some of the major countries, but the cost was astonishing. Even an average Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn’t necessarily afford it. Typically, only the disciples of powerful Noble Families and Sects would use them.
Now, here was a free Dragon Clan’s Teleportation Altar. Although Jiang Jichen didn’t know how to operate the Dragon Clan’s arrays, he had a discerning eye. He could tell this was an ancient, omnidirectional Teleportation Altar that didn’t have fixed destinations, unlike the unidirectional, point-to-point arrays between the major countries.
Of course, an omnidirectional array without a fixed destination was not something an ordinary person could use. Only a Space Master could control it and set a Teleportation Point.
In truth, even though Jiang Ling’Er now wielded the power of the Dragon Soul Pearl, Jiang Jichen still felt she was completely unreliable. After all, he had already learned that lesson the hard way.
Of course, he didn’t dare say that out loud. He only said tactfully, "Let’s go to Yunshui City of the Heavenly Sword Alliance. That shouldn’t be a problem, right, Aunt?"
Jiang Ling’Er immediately patted her chest—which, while not particularly full, was perfectly shaped—and declared, "Don’t worry! You can leave it all to me, Jiang Ling’Er!"
The three of them stepped onto the Dragon Clan’s Teleportation Altar. Jiang Jichen could feel an ancient, weathered aura rising from beneath his feet, as if he were standing on the lands of antiquity.
Jiang Ling’Er’s hands became a blur as she formed a series of mysterious and ancient Hand Seals.
The power of the Dragon Soul flowed from the Hand Seals and into the Dragon Clan’s Teleportation Altar.
"HUMMM!"
As the power of the Dragon Soul sank into the Teleportation Altar, the complex, dense, and ancient spatial Array Patterns on its surface began to move as if they had come to life, emitting a soft, pale blue radiance that enveloped the three of them.
Jiang Ling’Er continued to form Hand Seals in a blur. Blue Array Patterns emerged around the Teleportation Altar, slithering about like azure dragons.
She then extended a slender, pale finger and began tapping points on the moving Array Patterns. In an instant, the space around them was filled with countless motes of light, like thousands of stars in the night sky.
"Hmph. With this array at my command, there’s nowhere I, Jiang Ling’Er, can’t go! Bwahahaha..."
Jiang Ling’Er’s smug and arrogant laughter echoed from within the Teleportation Altar.
Jiang Jichen watched her finger tap against the blue Array Patterns, which resembled a screen of light, as if she were setting the directional coordinates.
But Jiang Jichen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. After a moment’s thought, he asked in confusion, "Isn’t Yunshui City of the Heavenly Sword Alliance in the far south? Why are you setting the coordinates in the far north?"
At Jiang Jichen’s words, Jiang Ling’Er’s finger trembled, and the points of light she was tapping suddenly scattered into chaos. She tried her best to sound nonchalant. "Is that so? Are you sure the direction I’m tapping isn’t south?"
However, the words had barely left her mouth when the Teleportation Array began to shake violently, becoming extremely unstable.
"It’s over! My hand slipped just now, and I didn’t finish setting the coordinates. Now the array is operating on its own—it’s become a random teleport!" Jiang Ling’Er cried out, her voice laced with panic.
At this, Jiang Jichen actually became quite calm. ’The Teleportation Array is now operating automatically, sending us to random, unknown locations. It’s an unchangeable fact that we’ll be separated.’
Jiang Jichen stared silently at Jiang Ling’Er. Little Skeleton also raised its small head, tilting it to gaze up at her.
Jiang Ling’Er finally lost her arrogant air. She lowered her head in embarrassment, squirming uncomfortably. "Um... it was a complete accident. I promise it will absolutely never happen again!"
’Next time? She wants a next time? Hmph, in her dreams!’
This thought was shared by both Jiang Jichen and Little Skeleton.
Jiang Jichen then asked, somewhat uncertainly, "Aunt... you don’t even know your cardinal directions, do you?"
Tugging at the corner of her clothes, Jiang Ling’Er replied with a distinct lack of confidence, "It’s not that serious! I only get them mixed up occasionally! Most of the time, I can tell them apart just fine!"
Jiang Jichen asked skeptically, "When is that?"
Jiang Ling’Er declared, as if it were perfectly reasonable, "During the day! When the sun is rising in the morning, or when it’s about to set in the afternoon!"
Jiang Jichen: "..."
Little Skeleton: "..."
Letting someone with no sense of direction operate a Teleportation Array... well, one can imagine the result.
The Teleportation Array had now reached the final stage of its sequence. A pillar of white light erupted, and the three of them vanished in an instant, without even a moment to say goodbye.
In that instant, however, Jiang Jichen felt his soul leave his body. It was just like that other day, when his soul had drifted ethereally through endless space and time. It felt as though he could trace the past and see the future, as countless images flashed through his Sea of Consciousness.
He saw Little Skeleton being transported to a world of deathly silence, a place filled with myriad withered bones and billions of souls... the Undead Realm.
Jiang Ling’Er, meanwhile, was sent to a mysterious place that seemed to exist within this world, yet at the same time, apart from it. It looked just like the legendary Dragon Realm!
Between heaven and earth, there were Six Realms: the Demon Realm, the Undead Realm, the Beastman Realm, the Asura Realm, the Mortal World, and the Heavenly Dao Realm.
The Dragon Realm was not one of the Six Realms, though perhaps it could be considered part of the Mortal World.
Just as Jiang Jichen tried to see more clearly, he felt a sudden jolt and found himself in a strange, new land.
However, before Jiang Jichen could even survey his surroundings, several powerful attacks came hurtling mercilessly toward him.
Jiang Jichen’s reaction was incredibly swift. Moving on pure instinct, he executed Illusory Indeterminacy and easily dodged the attacks.
Drifting back gracefully, Jiang Jichen finally had a moment to take in his surroundings.
He saw a vast, ancient plain dotted with Heaven-Reaching Giant Peaks and shimmering Spirit Lakes. Ancient Beasts stampeded across the land while rare birds soared through the sky. An aura of a vast, primitive, Barbaric Wilderness washed over him.
