【Cannot Analyze: The gap in power with the target is too vast, exceeding ordinary deities, and is protected by the laws of the myriad worlds. Currently unable to analyze.】
【Rhythm of Life: This earthquake that made the world tremble was but a single heartbeat of hers.】
Zhang Ye finally realized that this wasn't some wall at all, but the body of an existence so colossal it defied imagination!
Those massive diamond-shaped patterns were actually her scales!
What... what on earth was this?!
Zhang Ye felt his head buzzing. Such an existence completely defied his imagination.
An existence so massive that a single heartbeat could make the world shake, the earth crack, and the sky tear open—if she were to awaken, what would become of this world?
It was truly unimaginable!
Zhang Ye even slowed his breathing, as if terrified of waking her.
What he didn't know, however, was...
She was already awake.
Viewed from high above, one could see that the so-called World Wall was actually coiled in a spiral. Her starting point was buried deep underground, and directly above her head was that very pyramid ruin from before!
Tens of thousands of meters underground, a pair of eyes slowly opened. The beautiful eyes were narrow and elegant, and the eyes alone were like massive rifts, with dark red pupils that were deep and ancient.
Her gaze pierced through tens of thousands of meters of rock and fell upon Zhang Ye, the excitement in her eyes seemingly impossible to ever quiet.
She just kept watching him like that, as if she had so much to say, yet she only watched...
You... have finally returned...
...
At night, a campfire was lit. Zhang Ye leaned against the "World Wall" behind him, staring at the flames in silence.
Ever since he came to this world, he had been experiencing strange things.
First, it was that mysterious ruin and the mysterious statue, then the entity that could control the little ones, and finally, this colossal existence behind him.
Clearly knowing that he was leaning against an absolutely terrifying existence, for some reason, Zhang Ye didn't feel the slightest bit of fear. In fact, he felt that the closer he got to this existence, the greater his sense of security became.
He didn't tell the others about his discovery. After all, it was far too bizarre.
Moreover, a voice in his heart seemed to tell him not to speak of it.
He felt that it was probably his own true feelings. Since that was the case, he would follow his heart.
Because of Gajeel's death, everyone's hearts were heavy. Furthermore, they had just witnessed that apocalyptic scene, which left them with lingering fear.
“What on earth happened? Why did the ground and sky split open?” Lina couldn't help but ask. Everyone shook their heads; this was also what they wanted to ask.
Zhang Ye thought for a moment and said, “Don't think too much about it. It won't do any good.”
Right then, Leona said, “I've already contacted the other mentors. They felt the tremors as well, but fortunately, there were no casualties.”
In other words, so far, the only casualty was Gajeel.
Everyone nodded. At this moment, Nan sat down next to Zhang Ye and sent a voice transmission, “You didn't kill Gajeel?”
He was still thinking about this, wanting to hear Zhang Ye admit it himself.
“No,” Zhang Ye replied.
Nan nodded. That was the answer he wanted.
On the other side, Katelansi sat alone by the campfire. Her slender silhouette, set against the firelight and the darkness, appeared somewhat lonely and reserved.
She seemed to be looking at the campfire, but the corner of her eyes remained fixed on Zhang Ye.
He saved me...
Whenever Katelansi thought of the scene back then, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.
If Zhang Ye hadn't arrived in time, she couldn't even bear to think of the consequences.
Back then, Zhang Ye's back had stood right in front of her, completely blocking the vines that had driven her into such a desperate state without shaking him in the slightest. That sense of security enveloped her heart, refusing to dissipate for a long time.
What kind of person was he, really?
Katelansi began to grow curious.
Back then, Zhang Ye had won against her in a way she deemed "humiliating," causing her to develop a strong dislike for him.
Because she felt that one should fight fair and square on the dueling platform, as that was the most basic respect given to an opponent. Yet, as a man, Zhang Ye hadn't done that, choosing instead to simply toss her out of bounds.
This made her feel that Zhang Ye didn't respect her.
Looking back now, Zhang Ye had indeed done it just to keep her from getting hurt. But at the time, she hadn't appreciated it and had even detested him for it.
Thinking about it now, she had been truly ridiculous back then.
The fact that he could come to rescue her without a single thought of his own safety was enough to prove that Zhang Ye was not the despicable fellow she had imagined him to be.
Whenever she thought of the cold shoulders and sour faces she had given Zhang Ye in the past, Katelansi felt deeply ashamed.
She peeked at Zhang Ye, wondering if she should go apologize to him once more.
However, her pride ultimately kept her from doing so.
“I've already recorded the location of the ruins on our exploration map. I checked, and there's another half-explored small ruin about three thousand kilometers to the west. We'll head there tomorrow,” Leona said, holding up a magic map.
Everyone nodded, while Zhang Ye asked, “Are there any towns or kingdoms around here?”
He wanted to go see and experience the flavor of this world.
Leona nodded and smiled. “Of course there are. There's a small kingdom twelve hundred kilometers south of that ruin. Once we're done exploring the ruin, we can head over there to take a look.”
Zhang Ye nodded in excitement.
Next, Leona briefed everyone on the otherworldly culture she knew, as well as some things to watch out for.
“I don't want to see anyone fall into danger again. Although you have the protection of two Saint-tiers, you must understand that the speed of death is sometimes faster than the speed of a Saint-tier,” Leona said, looking at everyone solemnly.
Katelansi nodded, feeling this deeply.
She had almost died.
“Therefore, from now on, we will move in groups of at least three, and at least one Saint-tier mentor must accompany each group. If danger arises, call for help immediately. Understood?” Leona said.
“Understood!” everyone chorused.
Soon, the sky began to turn pale.
No one cultivated that night; instead, they worked on calming their minds. Everything that had happened that day was far too shocking, and they needed to stabilize their states of mind, or else it would negatively impact their future.
Just as the sun rose, the group set off toward the small ruin.
They arrived at the small ruin shortly after.
The small ruin was far inferior to the previous pyramid ruin. It was only dozens of li across, and the buildings inside were even more dilapidated, with many areas completely destroyed, leaving little value for exploration.
Moreover, magical beasts had made their homes inside. Fortunately, none of them were powerful; at most, there was a Tier Nine magical beast, which posed no threat to the group.
Within half a day, they had finished exploring most of the ruin. Their harvest was meager—just a few valuable antiques, some recorded information, and a few spirit materials growing within the ruins.
Nevertheless, this still excited those who were exploring for the first time.
At least they had a harvest, and nothing bizarre had happened this time.
“Brother Ye, Brother Ye, look, what is this?” Lina ran over to Zhang Ye, holding a translucent little herb.
The herb had only two leaves. It looked like glass, emitting a faint chill and shimmering beautifully in the sunlight.
Zhang Ye analyzed it and said, “This is Glazed Ice Grass. It's beneficial for those with ice-attribute constitutions, as it can raise one's cultivation and strengthen ice power. Judging by its patterns, this should be a Tier Eight spirit material.”
Lina nodded. “When I found it, there was frost for a hundred meters around!”
Zhang Ye smiled. “This must be the first spirit material you've obtained from exploration.”
“Uh-huh!” Lina carefully put it away and smiled. “I'm going to grow it!”
When she smiled, her little canine teeth showed, making her look bright and adorable.
Zhang Ye couldn't help but reach out and rub her hair, causing Lina's eyes to crinkle into crescents as she smiled.
Most of everyone's harvest consisted of spirit materials. This reminded Zhang Ye of the ruined botanical garden where Katelansi had almost lost her life; spirit materials and Saint materials had been scattered everywhere there.
However, it was also fraught with danger.
In Leona's words, there was an area deep inside the botanical garden that even her perception couldn't penetrate, so going any deeper might mean encountering Saint materials that even she couldn't handle. Thus, everyone didn't dare set their sights on those treasures, which made Zhang Ye feel a bit regretful.
But he didn't regret it either; after all, safety came first.
Only by staying alive could they explore and reap harvests.
Rate on N.U.
