"The walls are actually layered? Wow!" Han Xuhan's exclamation came naturally. It was a sight to behold indeed.
The crystalline walls completely wrapped around the entire inner infrastructure of the Sunrider Sect from all four directions. The furthest layer of wall at the periphery was pretty much a boundary determiner, barely three meters in height.
It sported window-sized holes every dozen meters, behind which lay double-barrelled instruments that closely resembled cannons. In each of these instruments, one barrel was pointed outside through the hole in the peripheral wall while the other barrel pointed at the sky, aiming between the ten-meter gap between the two outermost walls.
If a trespasser made his way past the first layer of wall, all of these cannon-like weapons would still pulverize him when he attempted to scale the second layer of wall.
But this was not the only defense here.
The second-layer wall was slightly thicker than the first, hosting enough space on its top to let the giant instruments on it operate freely.
These instruments resembled sharp blender blades, spinning lazily on what felt like a special type of qi. These walls also sported windows, behind which Xuhan saw a bunch of metallic beehives humming in a deep tone.
"These are called Dragonhearts," explained Shangguang Ce. "They spit fire through the innumerable holes on their surface. No trespasser wants to be around one when the security alert goes off, hehehe."
"Oooh! Very informative!" Han Xuhan nodded vigorously. "Can I note these things down?"
"Feel free to," Shangguang Ce gave the permission with a smile honest enough to rival Xuhan's own.
Han Xuhan pulled out an empty page from his pockets. He had gotten used to carrying a few around for no particular reason. Some of the pages included his shorthand notes on his cultivation techniques, in English.
Taking out his favorite magical quill, Xuhan proceeded to note down the details of his observations openly.
The defense of the Sunrider Sect is riddled with weaknesses.
His first sentence was a very bold statement. From the corner of his eye, Xuhan noticed his first acquaintance in this place, Hong Wei, creeping up behind him to peek at his 'notes'.
The walls all have big holes in them, allowing anyone to get past them as they please. The walls are also very low. From the peripheral wall to the inner wall, each one rises in height by a very small margin compared to the previous wall. So it will be easy to infiltrate the sect by jumping on top of each wall like a frog. This sect has basically surrounded itself with stairs! Hahaha!
The second paragraph on his note was no less shocking, and Hong Wei's reaction to it made that apparent.
"This-this can't be-you cannot possibly be serious!" She gasped in disbelief.
"And you cannot possibly be a girl. Was Brother Ce really not mocking your manhood by calling you sister?" Han Xuhan said doubtfully, his eyes moving up and down her body with a disdainful look.
Hong Wei glared at Shangguang Ce and said through gritted teeth, "Martial brother, why are we allowing this guy to strut around our sect again?"
"I'm bored, that's why. We're here to compete against other sects. What's the harm in getting to know a peer or two?"
Han Xuhan threw Hong Wei a dirty grin while his thoughts raced. He didn't believe Shangguang Ce's answer to Hong Wei's indignant question for a single second.
This guy gave him the impression of a slippery eel despite his honest appearance, much like Xuhan himself. He had to be planning something unpleasant inside. Problem was that Han Xuhan wasn't quite in a position to protect himself from Shangguang Ce's plans.
The stability of his current situation lay in how much of an idiot he could act like, which was surprisingly easy for some reason. The ease with which he could hold up the act was almost...insulting.
These guys were probably under the impression that he was a cannon fodder from the Crimson Snow sect, let loose by the elders to test the waters.
"And did I mention that the walls are semi-transparent?" Shangguang Ce suddenly said, pointing at the wall behind him. Han Xuhan turned around and saw a magnificent sight.
A layer of blue color separated him from the outside world, just like the view behind tinted glass. The thick, crystal wall showed behind it the vast flatland where he had originally landed on. Past that floated grey clouds at a tempting distance. Han Xuhan could vaguely see the sea on the horizon. It was as if he hadn't fallen from the floating island of the Crimson Snow sect at all. Had there been a landmark in the sea, it would've been easier to tell how far his fall had moved him. But there was none, neither was there a shadow of Crimson Snow Sect above in the sky.
It did not take a genius to realize that he hadn't fallen straight downward. His fall must have been interrupted by spatial magic of some sort. Luo Yi had shown them how her pet, Meatball had disappeared from their sight. Since she had been the one to orchestrate the entire display, she was likely to have intentionally thrown him using a method that led to this sect.
A rough picture of this intriguing region called the Titanfall Archipelago took form inside Han Xuhan's mind as he idly folded a corner of the page in his hand.
A theory was taking shape in his mind, slowly.
Maybe the space here was much like that folded corner of the page in his hand. Three-dimensional regions had been stacked together into a specific area, and there were methods to move through the stacks, leading to various sects that had appeared in each fold.
The only exception was that whereas a stack of paper was three-dimensional, a stack of three-dimensional space should logically be a four-dimensional construct. So, his analogy was a poor one, offering nothing of much value to help him get out from here.
This was another maze, but made of walls he couldn't see, nor touch. The basic rules of navigation through mazes wouldn't work here.
Han Xuhan suddenly felt trapped. Perhaps he just needed to wait a while longer....
Hahaha! Whoever it was that designed the defense system of the Sunrider Sect must be an absolute idiot! They made the walls semi-transparent. So if we ever need to attack them, we can easily observe what's going on inside by just flying up. If we manage to make a really spirited, super-intimidating assault, even those stationed several layers behind the peripheral wall will piss their pants and run off in fear. It's an easy prey!
Han Xuhan enthusiastically wrote down the third paragraph on his note of observations. This time, Hong Wei did not even bother to throw a biting input.
"What you've seen so far is the outer segment of the Sunrider Sect. If you're willing, you can rest here to recover. And that reminds me, how do you plan to return to your sect?" Shangguang Ce remarked lazily, leading him deeper and deeper into the layered defense system of the Sunrider Sect. Han Xuhan, who had been curiously observing everything they passed by, came to a sudden halt, pretending to have realized that issue for the first time.
"Oh, that's easy," he answered Shangguang Ce pridefully. "I shall ask one of your elders to slingshot me upwards! Since I reached this place by falling straight down, logically, I should find myself back to my sect if the route is reversed." Finishing his explanation, Xuhan grinned victoriously and tapped the side of his temple, his expression the very image of smugness.
"...I see, I see," Brother Ce muttered thoughtfully. "I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but your sect isn't up above right now. There is nothing but the empty sky above us."
Han Xuhan squinted at him, a disdainful expression appearing on his face.
"Well, your Sect wasn't visible back in the Crimson Snow Sect either. But didn't I land here just fine? Vice versa, I guess! And why did you say the sky is empty? The sky isn't empty, stupid! My master said there is a roof where the sky ends. One day I'm going to become powerful enough to fly and see the roof myself."
"...I would love to be a witness to a feat of such magnificence," Shangguang Ce said. "But are you sure about the plan-"
"So what? Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's probably invisible or something. Where else is the sect supposed to go? It's probably there. I just need to fly up and I'll probably see it."
"Probably?" Hong Wei asked, seemingly not quite able to believe that someone would execute a suicidal move based on probability.
"Well, there is a tiny bit of possibility that I'm wrong and my sect isn't right up above," Xuhan said.
"So what are you going to do if that happens?" she asked.
"Hah! That's like one in a million possibility. That would be way too illogical. So it would actually never happen anyway. Why do I need to worry about it then?"
"...Ah."
"By the way, are you sure you're not a guy? Like, one thousand percent sure?"
Hong Wei gazed at him with her eyes narrowed for a long few seconds before suddenly smiling very sincerely.
Han Xuhan felt goosebumps rising on his neck.
"You know what? You can think of me as a guy. Wanna compare dick sizes?"
"...." This time, it was Han Xuhan's turn to become speechless. This didn't quite feel right. She had adapted a bit too quickly to the situation.
"Guys don't do that," Han Xuhan said finally, finding his footing once more.
"Sure they do. Just ask martial brother Ce! Hey-"
Hong Wei suddenly stopped speaking, her mouth gaping toward the place Shangguang Ce had been standing in. Han Xuhan had also felt it by then.
The qi in the air around them...it was behaving oddly.
And he, Han Xuhan, was quite familiar with this sort of movement of qi from his past experiences with Mu Ran.
His heart thrumming, Han Xuhan turned around and saw Shangguang Ce sitting on the ground in a meditative pose, his fingers crossed in a weird method.
His mouth was moving restlessly, muttering words both of them were a tad too familiar with.
"Just because I cannot see it, it doesn't mean it's not there. Maybe I cannot see it because I'm looking for it actively. It may not be in the direction I'm advancing. And it may not even be where it is supposed to be. What rules are there binding it? If space itself can be twisted so far beyond imagination, why can't something ethereal be manipulated? But at the end of the day, I'm the cultivator. This path to dao is forged by my resolution. Why must I bend to the rules mere mediocre crowds follow? My talent may not be enough for me to see the peak. But what even is talent in the world of cultivation? Master was right. I see it now. My only limits are those I've placed on myself!"
A dumbfounded expression appeared on Han Xuhan's face as the words Shangguang Ce kept muttering registered in his mind.
Oh No. No, no, no, no, NO!
Clouds gathered above their head, blocking the view of the bright blue sky. A faint sound of musical instruments rang through the air, reverberating amidst the crystalline walls of the Sunrider Sect.
"He's experiencing a major enlightenment!" Hong Wei screeched. In the back of his mind, Xuhan noted down the fact that Shangguang Ce spoke of space being twisted... Didn't that mean his theory about the unique structure of the Titanfall Archipelago was on the correct route?
"Where are the elders?! What are we supposed to do?" Xuhan shouted in panic. Back when he had first landed on this sect, he had noticed several people manning the weapons on the walls. But he couldn't find any of them. In fact, since he had entered the walls, none of the other disciples or elders made an appearance as if they did not care about his sudden intrusion.
From the waves of qi coming at his face, Xuhan could guess that Shangguang Ce was at least in the eighth or ninth layer of the physique transformation realm. He definitely needed an elder to oversee his enlightenment. Even an ordinary breakthrough at this level required delicate, intimate guidance.
"I'll call someone! You...don't you dare do anything!" Hong Wei rushed away deeper into the maze leaving that threat hanging in the air. Han Xuhan did not need to be told twice. He backpedaled away as far as possible inside the maze without losing sight of Shangguang Ce. It was one thing to be caught as a spy in a friendly tournament. But messing with someone's enlightenment would be way too serious a crime.
Right when he was about to breathe a sigh of relief after distancing himself from the guy, a shudder ran through his spine uncontrollably.
The clouds that had gathered above Shangguang Ce's head had changed color. From dark grey, the voluminous clouds had turned pure black. Red lightning churned silently within their folds.
He, a mere ant trapped within the layer of walls, could no longer see the sky above, only the darkness illuminated by the lightning taking up his entire field of vision.
The windows in the walls through which they had entered had been blocked, he discovered as soon as he rushed toward one. The crystalline substance covered the holes as if there had been no windows there to begin with.
Han Xuhan wanted to scream, partly in anger and partly from frustration.
He recognized those black clouds above. Out of the numerous subtypes of anomalous tribulation clouds, the black ones, mixed with red lightning signified a disturbing fact.
These guys were ghost cultivators.
"The walls are actually layered? Wow!" Han Xuhan's exclamation came naturally. It was a sight to behold indeed.
The crystalline walls completely wrapped around the entire inner infrastructure of the Sunrider Sect from all four directions. The furthest layer of wall at the periphery was pretty much a boundary determiner, barely three meters in height.
It sported window-sized holes every dozen meters, behind which lay double-barrelled instruments that closely resembled cannons. In each of these instruments, one barrel was pointed outside through the hole in the peripheral wall while the other barrel pointed at the sky, aiming between the ten-meter gap between the two outermost walls.
If a trespasser made his way past the first layer of wall, all of these cannon-like weapons would still pulverize him when he attempted to scale the second layer of wall.
But this was not the only defense here.
The second-layer wall was slightly thicker than the first, hosting enough space on its top to let the giant instruments on it operate freely.
These instruments resembled sharp blender blades, spinning lazily on what felt like a special type of qi. These walls also sported windows, behind which Xuhan saw a bunch of metallic beehives humming in a deep tone.
"These are called Dragonhearts," explained Shangguang Ce. "They spit fire through the innumerable holes on their surface. No trespasser wants to be around one when the security alert goes off, hehehe."
"Oooh! Very informative!" Han Xuhan nodded vigorously. "Can I note these things down?"
"Feel free to," Shangguang Ce gave the permission with a smile honest enough to rival Xuhan's own.
Han Xuhan pulled out an empty page from his pockets. He had gotten used to carrying a few around for no particular reason. Some of the pages included his shorthand notes on his cultivation techniques, in English.
Taking out his favorite magical quill, Xuhan proceeded to note down the details of his observations openly.
The defense of the Sunrider Sect is riddled with weaknesses.
His first sentence was a very bold statement. From the corner of his eye, Xuhan noticed his first acquaintance in this place, Hong Wei, creeping up behind him to peek at his 'notes'.
The walls all have big holes in them, allowing anyone to get past them as they please. The walls are also very low. From the peripheral wall to the inner wall, each one rises in height by a very small margin compared to the previous wall. So it will be easy to infiltrate the sect by jumping on top of each wall like a frog. This sect has basically surrounded itself with stairs! Hahaha!
The second paragraph on his note was no less shocking, and Hong Wei's reaction to it made that apparent.
"This-this can't be-you cannot possibly be serious!" She gasped in disbelief.
"And you cannot possibly be a girl. Was Brother Ce really not mocking your manhood by calling you sister?" Han Xuhan said doubtfully, his eyes moving up and down her body with a disdainful look.
Hong Wei glared at Shangguang Ce and said through gritted teeth, "Martial brother, why are we allowing this guy to strut around our sect again?"
"I'm bored, that's why. We're here to compete against other sects. What's the harm in getting to know a peer or two?"
Han Xuhan threw Hong Wei a dirty grin while his thoughts raced. He didn't believe Shangguang Ce's answer to Hong Wei's indignant question for a single second.
This guy gave him the impression of a slippery eel despite his honest appearance, much like Xuhan himself. He had to be planning something unpleasant inside. Problem was that Han Xuhan wasn't quite in a position to protect himself from Shangguang Ce's plans.
The stability of his current situation lay in how much of an idiot he could act like, which was surprisingly easy for some reason. The ease with which he could hold up the act was almost...insulting.
These guys were probably under the impression that he was a cannon fodder from the Crimson Snow sect, let loose by the elders to test the waters.
"And did I mention that the walls are semi-transparent?" Shangguang Ce suddenly said, pointing at the wall behind him. Han Xuhan turned around and saw a magnificent sight.
A layer of blue color separated him from the outside world, just like the view behind tinted glass. The thick, crystal wall showed behind it the vast flatland where he had originally landed on. Past that floated grey clouds at a tempting distance. Han Xuhan could vaguely see the sea on the horizon. It was as if he hadn't fallen from the floating island of the Crimson Snow sect at all. Had there been a landmark in the sea, it would've been easier to tell how far his fall had moved him. But there was none, neither was there a shadow of Crimson Snow Sect above in the sky.
It did not take a genius to realize that he hadn't fallen straight downward. His fall must have been interrupted by spatial magic of some sort. Luo Yi had shown them how her pet, Meatball had disappeared from their sight. Since she had been the one to orchestrate the entire display, she was likely to have intentionally thrown him using a method that led to this sect.
A rough picture of this intriguing region called the Titanfall Archipelago took form inside Han Xuhan's mind as he idly folded a corner of the page in his hand.
A theory was taking shape in his mind, slowly.
Maybe the space here was much like that folded corner of the page in his hand. Three-dimensional regions had been stacked together into a specific area, and there were methods to move through the stacks, leading to various sects that had appeared in each fold.
The only exception was that whereas a stack of paper was three-dimensional, a stack of three-dimensional space should logically be a four-dimensional construct. So, his analogy was a poor one, offering nothing of much value to help him get out from here.
This was another maze, but made of walls he couldn't see, nor touch. The basic rules of navigation through mazes wouldn't work here.
Han Xuhan suddenly felt trapped. Perhaps he just needed to wait a while longer....
Hahaha! Whoever it was that designed the defense system of the Sunrider Sect must be an absolute idiot! They made the walls semi-transparent. So if we ever need to attack them, we can easily observe what's going on inside by just flying up. If we manage to make a really spirited, super-intimidating assault, even those stationed several layers behind the peripheral wall will piss their pants and run off in fear. It's an easy prey!
Han Xuhan enthusiastically wrote down the third paragraph on his note of observations. This time, Hong Wei did not even bother to throw a biting input.
"What you've seen so far is the outer segment of the Sunrider Sect. If you're willing, you can rest here to recover. And that reminds me, how do you plan to return to your sect?" Shangguang Ce remarked lazily, leading him deeper and deeper into the layered defense system of the Sunrider Sect. Han Xuhan, who had been curiously observing everything they passed by, came to a sudden halt, pretending to have realized that issue for the first time.
"Oh, that's easy," he answered Shangguang Ce pridefully. "I shall ask one of your elders to slingshot me upwards! Since I reached this place by falling straight down, logically, I should find myself back to my sect if the route is reversed." Finishing his explanation, Xuhan grinned victoriously and tapped the side of his temple, his expression the very image of smugness.
"...I see, I see," Brother Ce muttered thoughtfully. "I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but your sect isn't up above right now. There is nothing but the empty sky above us."
Han Xuhan squinted at him, a disdainful expression appearing on his face.
"Well, your Sect wasn't visible back in the Crimson Snow Sect either. But didn't I land here just fine? Vice versa, I guess! And why did you say the sky is empty? The sky isn't empty, stupid! My master said there is a roof where the sky ends. One day I'm going to become powerful enough to fly and see the roof myself."
"...I would love to be a witness to a feat of such magnificence," Shangguang Ce said. "But are you sure about the plan-"
"So what? Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's probably invisible or something. Where else is the sect supposed to go? It's probably there. I just need to fly up and I'll probably see it."
"Probably?" Hong Wei asked, seemingly not quite able to believe that someone would execute a suicidal move based on probability.
"Well, there is a tiny bit of possibility that I'm wrong and my sect isn't right up above," Xuhan said.
"So what are you going to do if that happens?" she asked.
"Hah! That's like one in a million possibility. That would be way too illogical. So it would actually never happen anyway. Why do I need to worry about it then?"
"...Ah."
"By the way, are you sure you're not a guy? Like, one thousand percent sure?"
Hong Wei gazed at him with her eyes narrowed for a long few seconds before suddenly smiling very sincerely.
Han Xuhan felt goosebumps rising on his neck.
"You know what? You can think of me as a guy. Wanna compare dick sizes?"
"...." This time, it was Han Xuhan's turn to become speechless. This didn't quite feel right. She had adapted a bit too quickly to the situation.
"Guys don't do that," Han Xuhan said finally, finding his footing once more.
"Sure they do. Just ask martial brother Ce! Hey-"
Hong Wei suddenly stopped speaking, her mouth gaping toward the place Shangguang Ce had been standing in. Han Xuhan had also felt it by then.
The qi in the air around them...it was behaving oddly.
And he, Han Xuhan, was quite familiar with this sort of movement of qi from his past experiences with Mu Ran.
His heart thrumming, Han Xuhan turned around and saw Shangguang Ce sitting on the ground in a meditative pose, his fingers crossed in a weird method.
His mouth was moving restlessly, muttering words both of them were a tad too familiar with.
"Just because I cannot see it, it doesn't mean it's not there. Maybe I cannot see it because I'm looking for it actively. It may not be in the direction I'm advancing. And it may not even be where it is supposed to be. What rules are there binding it? If space itself can be twisted so far beyond imagination, why can't something ethereal be manipulated? But at the end of the day, I'm the cultivator. This path to dao is forged by my resolution. Why must I bend to the rules mere mediocre crowds follow? My talent may not be enough for me to see the peak. But what even is talent in the world of cultivation? Master was right. I see it now. My only limits are those I've placed on myself!"
A dumbfounded expression appeared on Han Xuhan's face as the words Shangguang Ce kept muttering registered in his mind.
Oh No. No, no, no, no, NO!
Clouds gathered above their head, blocking the view of the bright blue sky. A faint sound of musical instruments rang through the air, reverberating amidst the crystalline walls of the Sunrider Sect.
"He's experiencing a major enlightenment!" Hong Wei screeched. In the back of his mind, Xuhan noted down the fact that Shangguang Ce spoke of space being twisted... Didn't that mean his theory about the unique structure of the Titanfall Archipelago was on the correct route?
"Where are the elders?! What are we supposed to do?" Xuhan shouted in panic. Back when he had first landed on this sect, he had noticed several people manning the weapons on the walls. But he couldn't find any of them. In fact, since he had entered the walls, none of the other disciples or elders made an appearance as if they did not care about his sudden intrusion.
From the waves of qi coming at his face, Xuhan could guess that Shangguang Ce was at least in the eighth or ninth layer of the physique transformation realm. He definitely needed an elder to oversee his enlightenment. Even an ordinary breakthrough at this level required delicate, intimate guidance.
"I'll call someone! You...don't you dare do anything!" Hong Wei rushed away deeper into the maze leaving that threat hanging in the air. Han Xuhan did not need to be told twice. He backpedaled away as far as possible inside the maze without losing sight of Shangguang Ce. It was one thing to be caught as a spy in a friendly tournament. But messing with someone's enlightenment would be way too serious a crime.
Right when he was about to breathe a sigh of relief after distancing himself from the guy, a shudder ran through his spine uncontrollably.
The clouds that had gathered above Shangguang Ce's head had changed color. From dark grey, the voluminous clouds had turned pure black. Red lightning churned silently within their folds.
He, a mere ant trapped within the layer of walls, could no longer see the sky above, only the darkness illuminated by the lightning taking up his entire field of vision.
The windows in the walls through which they had entered had been blocked, he discovered as soon as he rushed toward one. The crystalline substance covered the holes as if there had been no windows there to begin with.
Han Xuhan wanted to scream, partly in anger and partly from frustration.
He recognized those black clouds above. Out of the numerous subtypes of anomalous tribulation clouds, the black ones, mixed with red lightning signified a disturbing fact.
These guys were ghost cultivators.
