21: Starlight Trail and Covenant Echoes
After the reconnaissance team's hasty retreat, the Borderland Forbidden Zone entered a rare period of calm.
Perhaps the team had reported the extreme danger of the place, or perhaps the surrounding forces were still processing information and weighing pros and cons, but no one else came to disturb Liu Qingtian. He was content with this, immersing himself completely in the theft of Laws and the nurturing of his Grotto-Heaven.
On this day, through the fragments of information flowing from the Jade Dream Realm, the vague echoes of the "Ancient Covenant" and "starlight Trajectory" seemed to become clearer. It wasn't a complete message, but more like a memory fragment deeply buried in the Dream Realm's Origin, accidentally activated by some external change and flowing through.
Liu Qingtian's tree soul passively received these fragments, like reading a damaged ancient book:
"...At that time, spiritual light dimmed, and alien tides invaded... Myriad races shed blood, and the world barrier was on the verge of collapse..."
"...The Supreme Council... made a covenant at the peak where starlight converged... 'Gatekeepers'... came into being as a result..."
"...Using the myriad phenomena star disc as a guide, drawing on the power of the stars... sealing off the 'Howling Corridor'..."
"...The covenant established, the powerful slumbered... awaiting the next Reincarnation..."
"...The star軌 revolves, the great cycle is approaching... the 'key'... will also reappear..."
The information was still fragmented, but it outlined a vague epic picture.
It seemed that in the incredibly distant past, the Sumeru Spirit Realm and even more worlds had suffered a terrifying invasion called the "alien tide." In a moment of crisis, many powerful beings formed a covenant, established the "Gatekeepers," and with the help of a treasure called the "myriad phenomena star disc," they drew upon the power of the stars to Seal the invading passage—the "Howling Corridor."
The guardians of the covenant then fell into slumber, awaiting the arrival of the next cycle. And the "keys" to open certain passes or powers also seemed to be scattered everywhere, and would appear with it.
"Gatekeepers... Howling Corridor... myriad phenomena star disc..." These ancient terms echoed in Liu Qingtian's tree soul.
Is that "Howling Corridor" related to the "alien objects" currently attacking the Sumeru Spirit Realm?
Is it connected to that broken bronze great gate? And where are those slumbering "Gatekeepers" now?
These secrets were too far removed from him, but instinct told him that this information was crucial, perhaps concerning the survival of the entire Sumeru Spirit Realm, and also his own future.
He tried to send inquiring thoughts to the Dream Realm through the imprints, but received only chaotic feedback, as if that memory was just dust inadvertently leaked, and the Dream Realm itself didn't pay much attention.
At the same time, through the imprints of the Bone Abyss, that new, ancient and decaying aura in the cold whispers of death gradually grew stronger. It was as if that ancient existence, having stirred, had slightly loosened its Seal, leaking more of its essential death Law. This Law was of the same Origin as the common death origin of the abyss, but it was older, purer, and… closer to eternal stillness.
Liu Qingtian carefully captured this trace of ancient stillness Law, comparing it with his own Concept of "Wither," especially the imprint of "Myriad Selves Return to One," and immediately felt greatly enlightened. His understanding of death began to touch upon something more essential, closer to the source.
Just as he was engrossed in this sudden gift of ancient Law, through countless tiny roots underground, he once again sensed the approach of humans.
This time, the newcomers were not a well-trained reconnaissance team, but a group of... dishevelled fugitives.
There were about a dozen people, dressed in rags, most of them injured, with varying levels of cultivation. The strongest was only in the Late Stage Tongyou Realm, and the weakest was even only in the Entry-Profound Realm. Their faces showed fear and exhaustion as they fled in a panic into the Borderland, seemingly trying to escape some terrifying pursuit.
"Quick! Get into that mountain area! They say it's a forbidden zone inside, maybe it can stop those monsters!" a middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader shouted hoarsely, supporting an injured companion.
"Uncle Liu... the forbidden zone... isn't it even more dangerous?" a young woman's voice trembled, her face stained with blood.
"We can't worry about that anymore! The pursuers will be here any moment! It's death either way, might as well fight for a sliver of hope!" another person roared, his tone filled with despair.
Liu Qingtian coldly "watched" this group of fugitives rush into the periphery of his Wither and Flourish Domain. He had no interest in such ants being chased; as long as they didn't go deep into the core, he couldn't be bothered with them. It was also a good opportunity to see what kind of "pursuers" they were talking about.
Soon, the pursuers appeared.
They were not human Cultivators, but a group of bizarre creatures emanating a cold and evil aura!
They were about half a person tall, with skin like dark purple rough rock, and limbs as thin as blades. They had no obvious facial features, only a constantly rotating black hole that devoured light in the place where a face should be!
They moved extremely fast and silently, gliding across the ground like ghosts. Wherever they passed, plants quickly withered and decayed!
They were a low-level form of the "alien objects" that were invading the Sumeru Spirit Realm!
There were not many of these "alien objects," only seven or eight, and their strength was roughly equivalent to a human Cultivator in the Mid to Early Stage Tongyou Realm. However, the cold, destructive will they exuded made the fugitives tremble with fear.
The fugitives let out desperate cries, frantically fleeing deeper into the barren mountains, and soon triggered the natural defenses on the periphery of the Domain.
Deadly thorns and vital vines reappeared, coiling around the pursuing "alien objects."
However, these "alien objects" reacted completely differently from human Cultivators!
Facing the coiling attacks, they neither dodged nor evaded. Ripples appeared on their dark purple skin, and they actually absorbed and devoured a large amount of the coiling death Qi and life force!
Although their figures paused slightly and their colors became even darker as a result, they were not significantly harmed. Instead, they lunged even more ferociously at the fugitives!
Liu Qingtian let out a soft "hmm" and became a little interested. These monsters could actually, to some extent, be immune to or even absorb his Domain power? Although it was only the outermost automatic defense, it was enough to show how troublesome they were.
Seeing that the fugitives were about to be caught and slaughtered, Liu Qingtian's thoughts stirred slightly.
Several willow branches, imbued with stronger Wither and Flourish Finger power, extended from the light mist like shadows, accurately striking the "alien objects."
This time, the effect was significant!
Puff! Puff! Puff!
The "alien objects" that were struck suddenly stiffened. Their dark purple skin instantly lost its luster, becoming withered and fragile, then shattered inch by inch like weathered sand sculptures, turning into a pile of dust! Their energy-devouring characteristic lost its effect in the face of an absolute power gap and higher-level Laws of life and death.
The remaining few "alien objects" seemed to sense the danger. Their rotating black hole "faces" turned towards Liu Qingtian's main body, emitting a silent, sharp hiss, then they turned without hesitation and quickly retreated as silently as they came, disappearing at the end of the wasteland.
The fugitives, having narrowly escaped death, watched the mysterious willow branches slowly retract into the light mist, still shaken. They then looked at the piles of dust on the ground, their faces filled with the bewilderment and disbelief of those who had survived a catastrophe.
They... were saved? Saved by the master of this forbidden zone?
The middle-aged man known as Uncle Liu was the first to react, quickly bowing towards the depths of the barren mountain, his voice still trembling but filled with immense respect: "Th-thank you, Senior, for saving our lives! We were pursued by evil demons and accidentally entered this precious land; we hope Senior will forgive us!"
The others also reacted one after another, quickly following suit with bows and thanks, their attitudes utterly reverent.
Liu Qingtian's consciousness coldly swept over them, but he did not respond. Saving them was merely a casual act, and an opportunity to test the characteristics of those "alien objects."
Through the recent contact, he had a more intuitive understanding of these invaders. They devoured energy, had high physical resistance, moved swiftly, and seemed to lack fear... indeed, they were very troublesome things. It seemed the Sumeru Spirit Realm was facing no small amount of trouble.
He no longer paid attention to the anxious fugitives outside and continued his Cultivation.
Seeing that the master of the forbidden zone did not respond, the fugitives dared not stay long, nor dared to go deeper. After resting for a moment and treating their injuries, they cautiously left the forbidden zone in another direction.
After this incident, their awe of this forbidden zone reached its peak, and they quietly spread the news that "the master of the forbidden zone once acted to kill evil demons."
What Liu Qingtian didn't know was that this casual act of his, in the future, would imbue this "Borderland Forbidden Zone" with a complex meaning in the hearts of the surrounding fleeing humans: "dangerous, yet perhaps offering a sliver of hope."
And his attention had once again returned to the whispers of Law from the two alien realms and the gradually clearer ancient star trajectory.
The scent of the storm was getting closer and closer.