Chapter 134
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Chapter 134: Title
Liang An surveyed the room and counted three light spheres, including the one hovering before him.
The luminous orbs radiated a soft white hue, their gentle glow illuminating the space without harshness. They hung motionless in the air half a meter away, perfectly positioned for effortless grasping.
"Everyone, don’t touch them," Liang An commanded, wariness coloring his tone. The unknown nature of these objects demanded caution.
"I doubt there’s any danger," countered Jiang Yan, his eyes gleaming with curiosity as he examined the sphere before him. "These originate from the divine Battleground. If those deities meant us harm, obliterating Blue Star would’ve required but a snap of their fingers."
Before Liang An could intervene, the young man’s hand shot forward with eager impulsiveness.
"Jiang Yan! Have you lost your mind?" Liang An’s voice cracked like a whip.
"Relax, Chief Liang." Jiang Yan turned the captured sphere between his fingers, a roguish grin spreading across his face. "I’ll take full responsibility. Even Division 6 would need test subjects, wouldn’t they?"
Though visibly unharmed, Jiang Yan’s nonchalance did little to ease Liang An’s tension. The department head’s brow remained knotted as he warned, "No unauthorized contact with unknown artifacts. That’s an order."
"How else would we uncover their purpose?" The youth’s eyes sparkled with rebellious enthusiasm, his fingers tracing the sphere’s luminous surface.
Liang An opened his mouth to retort, then froze. The moment Jiang Yan’s skin had touched the orb, arcane knowledge had flooded his consciousness – a silent revelation of the object’s true nature.
"Observe," Jiang Yan announced dramatically.
All eyes locked onto the glowing sphere as it pulsed rhythmically, contracting and expanding until it solidified into a pristine white jade tablet. Delicate cloud motifs adorned its edges, framing blank surfaces that hinted at hidden functions.
"But what does it-" Liang An’s question died as ethereal characters materialized on the tablet’s face, their ancient forms exuding primordial gravitas. The department head’s astonished gaze snapped to Jiang Yan, who stood calmly holding the transformed object.
"An access token for the floating island’s Battleground," the youth declared, twirling the jade tablet like a magician’s prop. "Available to all practitioners above Tier Two cultivation."
Understanding dawned on Liang An. Of Information Section 2’s staff, only three – including himself – met the Tier Two requirement. The others’ lower cultivation levels explained the limited number of spheres.
"Harmless binding ritual," Jiang Yan explained, pocketing his tablet. "Touch it and you’ll understand."
After brief hesitation, Liang An extended his hand. Countless similar scenes were unfolding worldwide as spheres sought qualified practitioners across Blue Star. The floating island’s luminous gifts took varied forms – though in Africa’s primitive jungles, Yang Xingyu remained oblivious to these developments, his isolation complete in the internet-deprived wilderness.
However, the divine manifestation’s radiance was so immense that even within the primitive jungles, they witnessed its glory.
"What are these?" Yang Xingyu stared at the luminous spheres hovering before them – plump, glowing entities mirroring their every movement.
The light spheres trailed their footsteps persistently.
"Celestial orbs descending from the heavens… could this be a destined opportunity?" Yang Xingyu mused, stroking his chin contemplatively.
"Detecting no hostility, the simplest way to discover their nature is through experimentation," Leng Xingwen remarked with a casual flourish of his folding fan.
The scholar had arrived after receiving Yang Xingyu’s distress call. The jungle’s totem deities wielded overwhelming power within their verdant domain, making direct confrontation unwise.
Yet before their planned expedition could commence, celestial phenomena illuminated the horizon.
The deities’ descent heralded more than divine presence – they proclaimed the imminent arrival of the "World War".
A global conflict? The ominous phrase hung heavily over the human realm, already battered by lingering aftershocks of the abyssal invasion. While Zhongxia maintained control, other nations barely contained their abyssal creatures.
The holy alliance materialized within a day, encompassing ninety percent of Western nations. Its sole requirement – allegiance to the God of Light – proved easily embraced by long-time devotees. A pragmatic choice: membership promised eradication of abyssal threats without political interference.
When the holy light orb ascended over Vatican City, seventy percent of abyssal creatures across alliance territories disintegrated instantly. The God of Light’s subsequent manifestation completed the purge – laboratories’ captive specimens included. Even the darkness-tainted perished, confirming ancient legends of the deity’s aversion to shadows.
Non-member nations gnashed their teeth in belated regret. Yet the divine visitation seemed to provoke remaining abyssal entities into frenzied assaults. Within twenty-four hours, multiple small countries ceased to exist.
…
Across vast distances, Seki felt her connection to the abyss attenuate as creatures vanished from her awareness. If even her formidable senses strained to detect the void’s presence, lesser beings’ madness became understandable – severed from their dark wellspring, desperation ruled.
Her crimson gaze tracked the descending orbs. "Mine," she declared, snaring a fleeing light sphere with crackling energy. The harmless appearance belied formidable resistance. Fury etched deeper lines across her face as she wrestled the entity without tapping forbidden abyssal power.
After a minute-long deadlock, Seki abandoned force for cunning. She pursued the orb to its destination – a Tier Two cultivator’s chamber. Through the window she slipped, delivering silent death before the man could react.
"Calculated correctly," Seki murmured, pocketing the now-docile sphere. Its earlier flight hadn’t been random, but target-oriented. Eliminate the chosen vessel, intercept the prize – worst case, the light would simply fade. But today, victory wore Seki’s smile.
Seki’s fingertips sparked with a wisp of black flame that settled on her victim’s corpse, reducing it to dark ashes within moments.
She pivoted and slipped nimbly through the window, abandoning the building.
By the roadside, she lingered inconspicuously, observing others interacting with the luminous spheres. Only after witnessing someone safely grasp a light sphere did she retrieve her own concealed in her sleeve, brushing it tentatively.
The sphere rippled and morphed, coalescing into an obsidian bracelet of flawless craftsmanship that fused seamlessly around her wrist. Seki studied the dark ornament, her lips twisting into a frigid smirk.
"So this is the secret…"
Beyond the primitive jungles, Leng Xingwen’s fingers grazed a light sphere. It solidified into a cloud-patterned jade tablet engraved with his name. His amusement faded as he scrutinized the artifact before addressing the group decisively:
"These bear no ill effects. Take hold of yours."
His authority brooked no argument. Yang Xingyu’s unspoken questions vanished when sudden understanding flooded his mind – the reason became clear as identical jade tablets materialized for each person, personalized with their names.
"A Battleground token? Forced duels? Inheritable upon death?" Yang Xingyu whistled through his teeth. "Brutal system."
Qiao Feiyu examined his own tablet. "No longer. Kill you now, and it’d simply vanish."
"Since when did you grow such a venomous tongue, Old Qiao?" Yang Xingyu retorted, though the other man had already turned away, pulse quickening at the prospect of battling elite Practitioners.
"Young Master Leng." Qiao Feiyu bowed respectfully. "We rely on your guidance."
Leng Xingwen inclined his head. "The three-day trial interests me as well."
Yang Xingyu bounced eagerly. "Why wait? With Young Master Leng, even Tier One Pinnacle totem warriors couldn’t hinder us!"
Leng Xingwen’s chuckle held resigned amusement as he surveyed the group. "Is this our consensus?"
Captain Yuan nodded gravely, thumb tracing his tablet’s engraving. "Swift resolution serves us best."
"Then let morning light witness our passage." Leng Xingwen’s eyes glinted as he faced the sun-dappled wilderness, anticipation coloring his formal salute.
