Chapter 505 |
After their conversation, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign removed Wanxiang’s restraints and let her leave on her own.
The Immortal Realm was much safer now; with the great affair approaching, Daoyuan would not risk ruining everything by needlessly provoking Wanxiang. As long as Wanxiang herself did not act recklessly, no one would pick a fight with her.
She had no such intention.
Wanxiang left the Primordial Immortal Hall in a daze. Ignoring the ubiquitous dark sentinels along the way, she returned to the Wanxiang Sect and shut herself away.
Her talk with the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign had not been long, but the information bewildered her. He had known from the beginning of Daoyuan’s intention, and he had known how the Heavenly Sovereigns under him resembled unity only on the surface while secretly harboring their own designs.
He had even secretly helped Daoyuan’s plan succeed. From the first time the mages came to the Immortal Realm, to Nehem’s bold departures — which had been allowed rather than thwarted — to Wanxiang being sent as an envoy to Xinyati to establish relations with the mages and display signs of closeness… the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign had watched and quietly aided it all.
There were two roads to search for the missing one. As he had said, Immortal Dao had become a stagnant pool; the path had reached its end. He needed change — whatever form it took.
He had prepared for it, but Wanxiang and Daoyuan were his children: the Immortal Realm existed because of him, the Heavenly Dao existed because of him. He would not use his preparations unless absolutely necessary.
Now fate offered another choice beyond life or death. He felt gratified and so told Wanxiang all of this.
— — —
Outside the Zhou Tian Star Array, the True Spirit Mages had already set up temporary encampments. The Seventh Holy Tower deployed vast numbers of alchemical scouts in all directions of the void — they avoided the array’s interior but sent innumerable probes outward.
The mages were curious about the other guests Fenghun had mentioned. If those guests were the Primordial Demons, that was expected; if they were powerful beings from other civilizations, this would be even more interesting. Maxison, who had been fighting continuously, knew only in general terms about the nearly earthshaking changes in the Mage World in recent years. But True Spirits, being True Spirits, quickly grasped and, after studying the exploration-robot technology, proposed many valuable transformation plans. He admired Adam’s talent greatly, repeatedly inviting Adam to join the Seventh Alchemy Holy Tower, even promising to make Adam the first in command under the True Spirits.
Although the phrasing was “first under the True Spirits,” in practice it meant making Adam the de facto head of the Holy Tower/Sanctum — True Spirits did not usually manage day-to-day Holy Tower affairs.
Adam declined. Nehem planned to found the Eighth Void Holy Tower; it would be proper for Adam to help. Besides, Adam was very interested in the core knowledge behind Nehem’s promotion to True Spirit: the Dark Realm, dark-realm matter. Whatever else, Adam could not help but imagine connections to dark matter.
But now was not the time for research. Though Adam’s relationship with Nehem had grown close recently, core True Spirit knowledge is not something to be begged for on empty words alone. Adam decided instead to join the not-yet-constructed Eighth Holy Tower. He had a feeling — even if it was not true dark matter — that such knowledge would be extremely important.
Now Nehem sat opposite him, discussing the primary construction materials for the Eighth Holy Tower.
“The Nine-Headed Dragon has qualified to become a Sanctum with my promotion, but its current form is not suitable. Any suggestions?” Everyone knew Adam’s prospects were bright; Maxison’s offer had been generous. Still, Adam chose to join Nehem. Nehem was very pleased; the look in his eyes had taken on a strange quality.
“Can Dark-Realm matter long persist in the Aetheric Void?”
“I’ve thought about that too. It’s difficult. The Aetheric Void can hardly support them. To maintain them would require enormous amounts of Aether to neutralize and sustain — not worth the cost.”
Adam considered and asked, “What exactly is Dark-Realm matter?”
The question was sensitive, but Nehem didn’t mind. He scratched his head and said with some rueful trouble, “How to explain… Say this: Aether is a top-tier energy formed from microscopic matter aggregated at the macro scale. Dark-Realm matter is the precursor to Aether.”
Seeing Adam’s lack of full comprehension, he continued, “We’ve known for some time that the Aetheric Void is continuously expanding. After you researched the knowledge of observing background radiation, it became certain. The Aetheric Void’s expansion needs another domain to bear it — that’s the void behind the void, the Dark Realm. Dark-Realm matter becomes the void itself.”
The explanation was somewhat sketchy. Had Nehem become too powerful? Others create planes; he creates the void? Nehem saw Adam’s thought and shook his head: “Not as grand as you imagine. I can only mobilize it, not separate, analyze, or fabricate it. In other words, I’m a transporter. It’s just that Dark-Realm matter has terrifying mass, so I seem comparatively strong.”
“The Mage World already has the Inner World, the Surface World, the Virtual World — why can’t you add a Dark Realm? Could the Eighth Sanctum be built directly within the Dark Realm?”
Nehem tapped the tabletop. “It’s not impossible, but ordinary mages can’t survive in the Dark Realm.”
Adam said, “You’ve not forgotten you still hold the title of Deputy Minister of the Academy Department? When we return to the Mage World, I think His Eminence Croft will not refuse to hand this function entirely to you. We’ll have plenty of time to spread your knowledge. Perhaps soon the Mage World will develop a Dark-Realm mage system?”
Nehem’s eyes brightened. For those who would not hoard their knowledge, seeing one’s system established and grow is deeply satisfying. He was immediately tempted. “Makes sense! Even though I cannot freely walk the void after promotion, my future life won’t be dull.”
Adam smiled and nodded, imagining when he too became a True Spirit and established an electromagnetic Sanctum.
At that moment a notification pulsed through the Mage Net: “All personnel on alert — the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign has descended.”