Chapter 293 - 292: The Damaged Teleportation Array

The Northern Boundary was still safe. Atop the Northern Boundary Peak, by the Dragon Lake, a heart-pounding sensation swept through Jiang Qiu’s mind. It seemed to be the entire Northern Boundary’s reaction to some sort of probe.

Just a moment ago, a power far surpassing the Fusion Realm had swept across the void most closely connected to Blue Star. But because the Northern Boundary had already disconnected from Blue Star, it had gone undiscovered.

This was the first time he had ever sensed a power fluctuation of this magnitude. It was different from the aura of the True Dragon, which had been dead for tens of thousands of years, and also different from the legacy left behind by the Four Ascendants of Si. It felt lofty and remote, as if looking down on mere ants.

However, this feeling of nearly being spied upon didn’t last long. It quickly dissipated without a trace, and along with it, the incessant rain from the Dragon Lake ceased. Daylight once again fell upon the Northern Boundary.

BOOM—

Just as Jiang Qiu began to relax, a pillar of light that seemed to pierce through this world suddenly shot up from the north. The Dragon Vein trembled, and the remaining Array Inscriptions of the Celestial Dao Prison Dragon Grand Array resonated in response. It felt as if Space Law was leaking out.

"What is that?"

’Has the great calamity not ended yet?’

Jiang Qiu’s heart skipped a beat as he shot into the air and flew toward the disturbance.

’I’m the strongest person in the Northern Boundary right now, and the Dragon Lake is located here. How can I just ignore energy of this magnitude?’

He couldn’t be certain what it was, but one thing was for sure: it had all the hallmarks of spatial teleportation!

As a fragment of the Celestial Profound Great Realm, the Northern Boundary was far vaster than one might imagine. The area occupied by the native Human Race was minuscule in comparison, and many ruins remained undiscovered.

This didn’t even account for the vast lands inhabited by the Demon Race, or the depths of the great mountain ranges, which were certain to hide many powerful ruins and legacies.

If any of them were to be activated, their power could not be underestimated.

SWOOSH—

As he streaked across the sky, the pillar of light gradually faded, like an aftershock left in the wake of an activation. The unnerving sensation vanished with it, and tranquility returned to the Northern Boundary.

’Was it just a peculiar reaction left behind by that terrifying being’s probe?’

’Anything that can make the Dragon Vein tremble is clearly no ordinary matter.’

At this thought, Jiang Qiu stopped above the vast, boundless mountain ranges and looked down. The green mountains rolled like gentle waves, with white mist drifting between them. All manner of Jade Sinew Realm Demon Beasts were being nurtured there, and some territories even radiated the auras of Transformed Great Demons.

’Transformed Great Demons?’

Jiang Qiu narrowed his eyes. His [Dragon Eye] swept across the vast mountainous terrain below, and he suddenly recognized the place. "The South Mountain Range!"

The Northern Boundary Mountain is the great central pillar of the Northern Boundary. To its north lies another continuous, massive mountain range: the South Mountain Range. The people of the South Mountain Tribe lived in a small, secluded spot within it.

This mountain range was immense. Since ancient times, it had been impossible to measure the full length of the South Mountain Range by foot alone, partly because some of its deeper regions were simply too dangerous.

Only in a place this mysterious could so many Jade Sinew Realm beings, and even Transformed Great Demons, emerge so quickly in the mere half-year since the revival of Spirit Charm.

When a Demon Beast gains sentience and can influence its descendants through its bloodline, it can undergo Transformation, becoming what is commonly known as a Transformed Great Demon.

That King Niu he’d killed back in Kunlun City—wasn’t he striving for Transformation? For a Demon Beast, Transformation was practically the ultimate goal!

"But if the South Mountain Range is home to so many powerful Demon Beasts, why haven’t they emerged before? With this kind of power, they could have swept across the entire Northern Boundary."

His mind full of questions, Jiang Qiu began to search for the spot where the pillar of light had erupted. It had vanished so quickly, like a sudden reflex, that he hadn’t been able to pinpoint its exact location.

The South Mountain Range was vast, and he couldn’t immediately find the area where the pillar had erupted, so he spent more time searching.

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」

Finally, a large valley appeared before Jiang Qiu. As he approached, a sensation similar to the one from the pillar of light gradually emerged. The residual fluctuations were contained in the immediate area, not spreading any further.

The spot wasn’t far from the northern exit of the range, meaning it was very close to the northern edge. It was a desolate place, with all sorts of treacherous, bizarre peaks forming a natural barrier that enclosed the valley.

The valley floor itself was shattered, with a large fissure running through it. Jiang Qiu descended from the sky and landed on the fissure’s edge, sensing the Spirit Charm that was leaking out.

Currently, the Spirit Charm in the Northern Boundary was at its densest on Northern Boundary Mountain, becoming sparser the farther one traveled from it. The second densest concentration was along the Dragon Vein, and similarly, the Spirit Charm grew thinner the farther one was from the vein.

The Spirit Charm here was richer than in the surrounding areas, even overflowing. This indicated that whatever lay below was close to the Dragon Vein.

"..."

After a moment of sensing, Jiang Qiu perceived layers upon layers of Array Inscriptions deep underground. Just as he suspected, there was a broken Grand Array below, at least on the level of an Advanced Array.

The Teleportation Array and the Colorful Lotus Array that Grandmaster Lin Yu had once set up in Gao Yuan City were merely Middle Level Arrays. The complexity of this Broken Array was far greater.

Most likely, the pillar of light was a celestial phenomenon caused by the activation of this Grand Array.

"It couldn’t be a Teleportation Array, could it? Otherwise, after activating such a Grand Array, how could there be no other disturbance?"

His doubts growing, Jiang Qiu began to descend and investigate. He passed through the fissure and flew downward. A short while later, a wondrous sight—a whole new world hidden away—opened up before him. Massive Array Inscriptions covered the floor of a giant cavern, emitting a flickering blue light that illuminated the rock walls and the wreckage of collapsed structures.

Incredibly magnificent buildings must have once stood here. After all, constructing an Advanced Array was beyond the capabilities of any ordinary power.

Only a Great Demon Race ruled by a Demon Emperor, or perhaps a Human Race faction with a powerful local branch, could have accomplished such a feat.

Of course, races from other Great Realms were also a possibility.

He searched the cavern for several hours, confirming that there were no hidden Demon Beasts. Eventually, he found the core of the Array: a small, milky-white lake, fed by liquid Spirit Charm dripping from the rocks overhead.

The Spirit Charm here was incredibly rich. ’It must be connected to the Dragon Vein below,’ he thought. It was somewhat similar to the hot spring he had visited while growing up in the North Snow Tribe, which had also been connected to the Dragon Vein. Back then, however, the Spirit Charm had not yet been revived.

"Strange. If this place is connected to the Dragon Vein, and the Spirit Charm is dense enough to liquefy, why does it feel so thin?" Standing by the lake, Jiang Qiu stared intently at its milky-white surface. "It’s as if... someone was here... and absorbed it... A person?!"

’But who else could be in the Northern Boundary?’ The refugees from Gao Yuan City had settled at the foot of Northern Boundary Mountain, an impossible distance away, with countless Great Demons in between. They couldn’t have explored this far so quickly.

The members of the three Main Vein Tribes weren’t advancing in their Cultivation that quickly, either. To the Great Demons in this region, they were nothing more than rations.

’Without the protection of some special power, they never could have made it here...’

After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Qiu released his [Twin Celestial Realm] to protect the area and conceal its aura. Then, he prepared to study the Grand Array.

’This Grand Array is likely a Teleportation Array. Even though it’s damaged, it doesn’t seem to be completely non-functional. There’s no guarantee something won’t be teleported through from the other side.’

’If that happens, there’s no telling where the other side is, or what might come through.’

’The most important thing right now is to get this Grand Array under my control!’