Chapter 513 - 361: All is Ready, Corrupted World (Part 3)

Inside the Cultivation Room, Ian looked at Gaga, who was absorbing a Source Crystal. "Do you want to go with me?"

The little creature tilted its head, not answering right away, a thoughtful look flashing in its eyes.

It spread its wings, landed back on Ian’s shoulder, and gently rested its head against his neck.

"Good," Ian smiled, reaching out to rub Gaga’s head.

"Then let’s go see what it’s really like on the other side."

「Seven days later.」

All the necessary supplies were gathered. Ian went into seclusion in an underground secret chamber for three days, Refining the equipment he needed.

A silver, palm-sized Void Stability Anchor, its surface etched with intricate Space Rule Patterns.

Three brand-new Rule Isolation Scrolls, with starlight faintly flowing within their patterns.

A set of form-fitting protective Inner Armor, woven from the Purification Rule. It normally remained hidden beneath the skin, but when activated, it could block over ninety percent of all contamination.

And twelve "Rule Bombs," a little gadget Ian named himself.

In essence, they were highly compressed Purification Domains that would instantly expand upon activation, purifying all contamination within the area of effect without harming normal matter.

"That should be everything." As Ian walked out of the secret chamber, Wei Song was already waiting outside the door.

"As for which Rift to enter... It’ll have to be the one at Kunlun." Ian looked up toward the northwestern sky.

The Rift under the Arctic ice cap connects to a deep-sea region with a complex environment, whereas the underground cavern at Kunlun is more stable.

Besides, Ian’s Perception told him that the terrain on the other side was relatively open.

"What do you need me to do?" Wei Song asked, walking over.

"Continue gathering resources. After all, we’re dealing with the entire foundation of a world; there are bound to be good things we haven’t found yet."

While he was away, Profound Yellow Star would be left in Wei Song’s hands. This was one of the benefits of not having recalled his projection.

If he sensed that things on the other side were going south, Ian would return immediately. He wasn’t one to complete a deal at great personal risk.

"If I don’t return within a short period of time... just stick to the original plan."

He made arrangements in advance, just in case he ended up in a place that could block Soul communication.

Anything was possible in this universe. His knowledge was still too limited, his strength having outpaced his perspective.

Wei Song’s expression darkened. "Don’t jinx it."

"Just in case." There was no worry in Ian’s eyes, only boundless anticipation.

Anticipation for the unknown, for more Power, and for a higher level of existence.

This was the instinct of a Wizard.

In the Kunlun Mountain Range, three thousand meters underground.

What was once solid rock had been eroded by the Rift’s power, forming a massive cavern.

The cavern was over ten kilometers in diameter, and a dark red Rift floated in its center.

Ian stood before the Rift. Gaga hovered in mid-air, warily surveying their surroundings.

A thick black fog seeped from the edges of the Rift, only to be dissolved by the Purification Domain.

’This is much denser than at any of the Rifts on Profound Yellow Star.’

Ian reached out to touch the edge of the Rift. His fingertips felt a sticky residue, accompanied by a faint mental Erosion that tried to worm its way into his consciousness.

"Hmph!" His eyes turned cold, and his Purification Domain trembled slightly.

"TSSSS!"

White smoke rose from all around the Rift, and the feeling of Erosion vanished instantly.

"It seems the other side doesn’t exactly welcome guests."

He stopped testing the waters and placed the Void Stability Anchor on the left side of the Rift.

A silver light flashed as the anchor merged into the space. The Rift’s writhing slowed noticeably, becoming stable.

"Going in."

Ian nodded to Wei Song behind him, took a step forward, and his figure vanished into the dark red Rift. Gaga followed close behind, a streak of shadow.

The Rift’s surface rippled for a moment, then grew calm again after three seconds.

Wei Song stood frozen, staring at the Rift, and didn’t move for a long time.

He only turned to leave when his communication Token vibrated with an inquiry from Zhou Zhen.

But before he left, he set up a triple-layered warning Array at the entrance to the underground cavern.

’I hope it goes smoothly.’

As Ian stepped out of the spatial passage, the thick stench of rot assaulted him.

The air here wasn’t thin, but it was so contaminated that an ordinary person could never survive.

The sky was dark red, and the sun was abnormal, hanging overhead and emitting a distorted, violet halo.

The Earth was covered in a thick fungal carpet, its surface bulging with pustules that occasionally burst, spewing a yellow-green mist.

The silhouette of a mountain range appeared in the distance, but these "mountains" were writhing—they had become living mountains of mutated flesh.

Even farther away, the ruins of a city were faintly visible, but its buildings had long since been twisted into indescribable shapes.

Ian unfurled his Domain, and a Purification Light Curtain cleared the contamination within a ten-meter radius.

But he immediately discovered that the contamination outside the Domain was madly eroding the Light Curtain, draining his power at a rate more than five times faster than on Profound Yellow Star.

’Just as I thought. This is a Level Five contamination world, at least.’

Just then, Gaga sent a message through their soul-link from within the shadows.

Ian looked in the direction it was warning him about.

Three hundred meters away, the fungal carpet suddenly bulged, and three humanoid Mutants crawled out.

They had a roughly human shape, but their skin was dark purple and covered in sores. Their heads were split open into four petals, revealing not a brain, but a dense mass of writhing Tentacles.

Ian noticed the tattered scraps of cloth on their bodies. Though covered in filth, he could tell they were once some kind of standard-issue clothing.

’So there was a relatively advanced civilization here...’ Ian mused, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

The three Mutants spotted him as well. Their split-open heads shrieked in unison as they scrambled toward him on all fours.

Their speed was incredible, actually comparable to a Legend Initial Stage expert.

With a mere thought, Ian expanded his Purification Domain outward by another ten meters.

The three Mutants charged into the Domain, and their bodies melted, evaporated, and vanished like wax figures under a scorching sun.

Not even Ashes were left behind; they were utterly returned to the Void.

’Not very strong, but as for their numbers...’ Ian lifted his head and gazed into the distance.

Within his Perception, in a radius of ten thousand kilometers, there were at least ten thousand similar life signals.

Farther still, there were several auras so vast that even he felt a flicker of apprehension.

One of them was slowly "turning" to "look" in his direction.

’Almost got discovered.’

The corners of Ian’s lips curled up. He felt not a trace of fear, only excitement.

"Then let me see just what secrets this corrupted world is hiding."

He began to walk slowly toward the nearest city ruins. Along the way, any Mutant Beast that came within ten kilometers of him simply vanished.

Gaga’s Shadow Domain silently unfurled, concealing the man and his companion, blending them into their surroundings.

The exploration had officially begun.