Chapter 181: The Return to the Sanctuary

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: The Return to the Sanctuary

Ronan travelled through the eastern region of the Shattered Expanse.

He maintained Concealment while moving, occasionally using Subterranean Perception to examine the terrain ahead.

The Shattered Expanse was far more dangerous than he had initially anticipated. Powerful creatures occupied nearly every section of the region, and some possessed abilities that made direct confrontation particularly troublesome.

However, that wasn’t his immediate concern.

His attention remained on the Central Anchor Access Fragment.

The mysterious connection it had detected before he left the cave continued bothering him.

Someone or something had attempted to establish contact with the fragment.

He didn’t know whether it was another ancient structure, a guardian, or an individual capable of interacting with the network.

What concerned him most was that the connection had been detected shortly after the fragment displayed the third resonance point.

He retrieved it while walking.

The projection appeared again.

Three symbols floated above its surface.

The first represented an original anchor.

The second represented a collection ground.

The third remained partially obscured.

Ronan examined the projection.

The collection ground had already registered as the first resonance point.

That meant the remaining two were probably connected to ancient structures rather than ordinary locations.

He considered the Eastern Sanctuary.

It was one of the operational sanctuaries maintained by the Ashen Covenant, and its formations were connected to the ancient network.

If the fragment required a resonance from an original anchor, however, the Eastern Sanctuary might not qualify.

He would find out soon enough.

Ronan returned the fragment to his storage.

He needed information, and Arden was one of the few individuals who could provide it.

There was also another reason for returning.

The Ashen Covenant possessed refining equipment, ancient records, and resources that could help him improve his strength.

He wasn’t going to ignore those advantages.

---

Several hours later, Ronan reached the outskirts of the Eastern Sanctuary.

The old fortress remained undisturbed.

From the outside, it appeared abandoned, with broken walls and vegetation covering its ancient structures.

However, Ronan could sense the energy circulating beneath the surface.

The sanctuary was still operational.

He approached the hidden entrance.

Before he could activate the mechanism, a voice came from behind the stone wall.

"Identify yourself."

Ronan stopped.

He recognized the voice.

"It’s me."

There was a brief silence.

Then the mechanism activated.

The entrance opened.

Two Ashen Covenant guardians stood behind it, both carrying weapons engraved with ancient inscriptions.

Their expressions changed when they saw him.

"Ronan?"

One of them looked towards the surrounding area.

"Where is Kharven?"

Ronan glanced at him.

"Why would he be with me?"

The guardian hesitated.

"We received no notification of your return."

"Then consider this your notification."

Ronan walked past them.

The two guardians exchanged glances but didn’t stop him.

He entered the sanctuary.

Several members of the Ashen Covenant were moving between the chambers, while others examined damaged equipment and inscriptions.

The atmosphere was considerably calmer than during his previous visit.

However, Ronan noticed something immediately.

The number of guardians stationed around the central chamber had increased.

He also sensed several powerful energy signatures deeper within the sanctuary.

Arden was expecting trouble.

Or something had happened while he was away.

Ronan continued towards the central chamber.

A familiar figure emerged from the corridor.

Arden.

The Eight-Star King Realm guardian looked at Ronan for several seconds.

"You returned."

Ronan nodded.

"I need information."

Arden gave a faint smile.

"You haven’t changed."

"Should I?"

"No."

Arden examined him.

His gaze briefly settled on Ronan’s damaged clothing.

"You’ve been fighting."

"Nothing particularly troublesome."

Arden raised an eyebrow.

He knew Ronan well enough to recognize that the statement didn’t mean much.

"Come. We have things to discuss."

---

Inside the central chamber, Arden brought Ronan to a table covered with several metallic components.

They resembled the regulators Ronan had recovered from the Western Anchor.

However, their inscriptions were considerably more complicated.

Arden noticed his interest.

"These are remnants recovered from one of our abandoned sanctuaries."

Ronan examined them.

"Another failed sanctuary?"

"Yes. But this one was different."

Arden picked up one of the components.

"Unlike the Western Anchor, which was abandoned after its seal deteriorated, this sanctuary was deliberately dismantled."

Ronan looked at him.

"By whom?"

"We don’t know."

Arden placed the component on the table.

"When our guardians arrived, the central structure had already been destroyed. The energy channels were severed, and almost every record had been removed."

"Did you find any traces of the Hollow?"

"Some. But the damage was older than their recent activities."

Ronan’s expression became thoughtful.

There were too many things happening simultaneously.

The Hollow were extracting energy from the ancient network, the Central Anchor remained inaccessible, and someone had deliberately dismantled at least one sanctuary.

It was possible these events were connected.

But he needed more evidence.

He retrieved the Central Anchor Access Fragment.

Arden’s expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

"Shattered Expanse."

He placed it on the table.

Arden approached cautiously.

The moment he saw the inscriptions, his face became serious.

"This is an access fragment."

Ronan nodded.

"You recognize it?"

"Not personally. But I’ve seen something similar in the oldest records."

Arden examined the damaged surface without touching it.

"Fragments like this were used to establish connections between certain ancient structures and the Central Anchor."

"Can you repair it?"

Arden shook his head.

"Not with the equipment available here."

Ronan wasn’t surprised.

"What about the three resonance points?"

Arden looked up.

"Where did you hear about those?"

"The fragment displayed them."

Arden remained silent.

Then he slowly pulled out a chair.

"Show me."

Ronan activated the fragment.

The projection appeared above the table.

Arden stared at it.

His expression changed when he recognized the first symbol.

"An original anchor."

He pointed towards the second.

"And this one represents a collection ground."

Ronan nodded.

"What about the third?"

Arden studied it.

"I’ve never seen that symbol."

He leaned closer.

"Wait."

His finger stopped above the projection.

"This resembles a symbol found in one of the records concerning the First Bearer."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"Explain."

Arden walked towards a nearby cabinet and retrieved a thin stone tablet.

Its surface was covered in faded inscriptions.

He placed it beside the projection.

"This was recovered from an abandoned sanctuary several decades ago. Most of its contents were damaged, but one section mentioned a location associated with the First Bearer."

Ronan examined the tablet.

Arden pointed towards a faded inscription.

"Here."

The characters were difficult to understand, but one symbol stood out.

It resembled the third resonance point.

Ronan looked at him.

"Where is this location?"

Arden hesitated.

"We don’t know."

"That’s convenient."

"I’m not hiding anything from you. The location was deliberately removed from the records."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"By the Keeper?"

Arden didn’t answer immediately.

Then he nodded.

"Most likely."

The name reminded Ronan of the prisoner’s warning.

Don’t trust the Keeper.

He had no reason to trust Vaelor.

And now there was another indication that the Keeper’s family had controlled information about the ancient network for generations.

Ronan leaned back.

"Can you obtain the original records?"

Arden shook his head.

"Only the Keeper has access to them."

"Then perhaps it’s time I met him."

Arden looked at him sharply.

"You should think carefully before doing that."

"Why?"

"Because Vaelor doesn’t like outsiders interfering with matters concerning the ancient anchors."

Ronan smiled.

"Then he’ll have to learn to tolerate me."

---

Before Arden could respond, a guardian entered the chamber.

His expression was tense.

"Senior Guardian, we have a visitor."

Arden frowned.

"Who?"

The guardian hesitated.

"He claims to represent the Keeper."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

That was interesting.

Arden immediately stood.

"Bring him here."

The guardian nodded and left.

A few moments later, a man entered the chamber.

He wore dark robes with a silver insignia on his chest.

His appearance was ordinary, but the energy surrounding him was considerably stronger than that of an average guardian.

He was a Seven-Star King Realm cultivator.

His eyes moved across the chamber before settling on Ronan.

"Arden."

He nodded politely.

"I have a message from the Keeper."

Arden gestured towards the table.

"Speak."

The man looked at Ronan again.

"First, the Keeper wishes to know whether the marked individual has returned."

Ronan smiled faintly.

"He’s standing right here."

The messenger’s expression changed.

He examined Ronan’s palm.

Then he looked towards the fragment on the table.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Finally, he spoke.

"The Keeper wishes to meet you."

Ronan glanced at Arden.

"When?"

"Immediately."

Arden’s expression became serious.

"Is something wrong?"

The messenger looked towards him.

"The Keeper has received information concerning the collection grounds."

He paused.

"And the Central Anchor."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The messenger continued.

"He also wishes to discuss the return of the First Bearer."

Silence filled the chamber.

Ronan slowly stood.

There it was.

The information he had been looking for.

He had no idea what Vaelor intended to reveal, but he wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to obtain answers.

He retrieved the access fragment and stored it.

Then he looked at the messenger.

"Lead the way."

The man nodded.

However, before leaving, he added one final sentence.

"The Keeper has requested that you come alone."

Ronan smiled.

"Of course."

He glanced at Arden.

The Eight-Star guardian looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t object.

Ronan followed the messenger out of the chamber.

As they walked through the sanctuary, his Predator’s Perception remained active.

He noticed several guardians watching him.

Some appeared curious.

Others were clearly uneasy.

But one thing stood out.

The number of armed individuals stationed along the corridor was considerably higher than before.

Ronan’s expression didn’t change.

He continued walking.

If Vaelor wanted a private meeting, he could have it.

But Ronan wasn’t going to enter the room without considering the possibility of a trap.

He had already learned that ancient knowledge often came with a price.

And he intended to make sure that this time, he was the one collecting the payment.