Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 292: Spatial Mithril Tower

Chapter 292: Spatial Mithril Tower

This is? Wu Yuan was taken aback.

As a flying boat, the Yanqing Hall’s structure was reinforced with an array that blocked Soul Force perception. Hence, this space had gone unnoticed by Wu Yuan until now.

Now that Wu Yuan gained an initial level of control over the Yanqing Hall, his Soul Force intertwined with the flying boat’s core, and his Soul Force was no longer obstructed.

Thus, it was not long before his attention was drawn to a mysterious area beneath the Yanqing Hall, piquing a blend of shock and excitement within him.

In a flash, Wu Yuan left the control room, weaving through a network of passageways that connected the various halls within the Yanqing Hall. These halls were grouped into three main zones: training, storage, and rest.

His destination lay within the training zone, where rows of chambers for meditation stood. However, Wu Yuan paid them no mind, swiftly descending through the passageway.

Finally, Wu Yuan arrived at the lowest level of Yanqing Hall, where he was greeted by a large hatch spanning over four meters.

If Wu Yuan wasn’t the flying boat’s owner, it would have been nearly impossible for him to discover the hatch, even with the aid of Soul Force. Such was the quality of a high-grade artifact. If an ordinary person were to examine the flying boat, they would only think that the vessel was completely sealed without a single gap.

Open. Wu Yuan issued a mental command.

The energy required to manipulate the entire Yanqing Hall far exceeded Wu Yuan's current capabilities, but coaxing the hatch open only required a fraction of his power.

With a silent hum, the hatch obeyed.

Witnessing the hatch's movement, Wu Yuan couldn't help but marvel silently. Although the Yanqing Hall was a second-grade flying boat, nothing was immune to the erosion of time. Yet, over 100,000 years had passed, and this place was still so well preserved. This was almost certainly the work of the now dispersed artifact spirit.

Little Black squirmed out from around Wu Yuan's arm. Poking its head out, it was equally amazed as it peered down at the expansive space below. "Master, there’s actually a teleportation array here?"

"Mm." Wu Yuan gave a slight nod.

In one step, he made his way through the hatch. A square space with a length of around 50 meters had been excavated directly beneath the Yanqing Hall.

Sturdy rocks supported the area from all four sides, with an invisible power subtly merging the rocks into one entity.

It's an array, safeguarding this area to prevent the walls of rocks and soil from collapsing and burying this place. Wu Yuan swiftly discerned this with his powerful soul.

However, most of Wu Yuan's focus was on the four mithril towers in the distance. The towers were identical, each with a base diameter exceeding ten meters, a height of roughly twenty meters, and a slightly weathered surface.

The four towers were positioned close to each other, only leaving a gap in the center. Black chains linked the four mithril towers, creating the illusion that they were a single entity.

“It is indeed a teleportation array, and judging by the size of the mithril towers, it seems to be a mid-grade teleportation array." Wu Yuan murmured, "It should be able to teleport individuals directly out of the Summerpeak World. I never expected to find a teleportation array concealed here."

Teleportation arrays were extremely rare, involving intricate applications of the profundities of Space. Even an Amethyst Cradle Reverend would struggle to construct one outright.

Typically, cultivators would purchase spatial mithril towers from large factions, and then input spatial coordinates for connection.

Why were they so valuable? It was primarily due to the construction materials. Spatial mithril was extremely sensitive to spatial fluctuations and was the exclusive material used in the crafting of spatial mithril towers.

The Summerpeak World was considered a worldlet, and a teleportation array was unnecessary for internal communication. Therefore, Wu Yuan never imagined that such a precious teleportation array would be hidden within the Middle Land.

I initially believed that the Yanqing Hall was the ultimate prize, but now, it appears that these spatial mithril towers forming the teleportation array are the true gems.

Any one of the four spatial mithril towers could easily surpass the value of Yanqing Hall. Their total worth was astounding.

Countless eons have passed. Wu Yuan approached the teleportation array, running his hand across the surface of the silver tower. With a gentle swipe, he removed the dust, revealing the gleaming, untouched mithril surface beneath.

With a mental command, the thick layers of dust obscuring the towers flew into the air, and the once dull-looking towers sparkled anew.

It’s indeed as the legends said. As long as the spatial mithril towers are undamaged, they can remain as good as new even after countless millennia. Wu Yuan marveled silently.

While most artifacts would deteriorate after a million years, these towers seemed immune to the effects of time, a testament to their immense value.

"Master," Little Black exclaimed, circling the teleportation array eagerly. "The array appears undisturbed, its cryptic patterns are still intact and functional."

"You can give it a try," Little Black suggested. "Perhaps, we can depart the Summerpeak World even before reaching the Shambhala phase."

Little Black had an innate yearning to explore the vast river of spacetimes, stemming from its inheritance memories.

"Mm," Wu Yuan agreed with a nod.

Without hesitation, a large percentage of Wu Yuan’s consciousness threads delved into the workings of the teleportation array, focusing on the central base and the control room between the silver towers.

Swiftly, he familiarized himself with the array, grasping its internal mechanisms and operating methods.

The rapid speed of this process wasn’t due to his intellect, but rather that the knowledge from the immortal slips and Little Black already provided him with a basic understanding of teleportation arrays. Coupled with the incredible comprehension speed of his Yang Soul, Wu Yuan swiftly understood the intricacies of the teleportation array.

"Master, how is it?" Little Black asked with concern.

"There’s no danger, it’s still functional," Wu Yuan replied quietly. "But out of the nine teleportation coordinates programmed into the array, only one is still active."

In order to perform its function, a teleportation array had to be linked with another teleportation array. In other words, this array had once been connected to nine others in different locations, allowing for teleportation between them. However, over time, eight of those connections had been severed, leaving only one.

"Just one?" Little Black was taken aback.

"The array is labeled 'Li Tian 0068,' but I'm not sure what that means," Wu Yuan shook his head.

Little Black shared his confusion. Was there some special significance to the words ‘Li Tian’?

Then, Wu Yuan realized something. Jin Quan must have been able to remain so calm during the worm devil calamity due to this exact teleportation array.

With such an escape route, there was no reason for Jin Quan to fight a desperate battle. The other Heavenly Rankers in the Middle Land didn't have this option.

After making a circle around the teleportation array, Wu Yuan made a decision. "Let's go, Little Black."

"What about the array?" Little Black asked.

"For now, we’ll leave it here along with the Yanqing Hall and other artifacts." Wu Yuan said, shaking his head.

Both the teleportation array and the Yanqing Hall flying boat had to be fueled with either essentia or ethercrystal, both of which Wu Yuan didn't have enough of at the moment.

It would take at least an Amethyst Cradle cultivator to have a sufficient essentia capacity, and Wu Yuan did not have ethercrystal on hand at the moment. It was a high-quality treasure, and a much purer energy source than etherstone.

Hence, he could only look at these powerful artifacts, but was unable to use them.

Furthermore, although he understood how the teleportation array worked, he had no idea where ‘Li Tian 0068’ was. Even if it could help them leave the Middle Land, Wu Yuan didn’t feel comfortable activating it without knowing his destination.

As for the Yanqing Hall? It was too large for him to transport with his current storage artifacts, and it couldn't be shrunken down like smaller flying boats. Store it in his soul chamber storage? The soul chamber of a Communion cultivator could not accommodate such a huge artifact either. Wu Yuan had no choice but to leave it behind.

However, not all is lost. Once I reach the Spiritual Body phase, gaining increased power and a larger soul chamber, I’ll naturally be able to store this Yanqing Hall.

As for the teleportation array?

Wu Yuan had an insatiable curiosity to explore the vast worlds beyond. However, he was still making progress with his cultivation, and the destination of the teleportation array remained a mystery. It was not worth taking such a risk at the moment.

...

Exiting the underground teleportation array, Wu Yuan returned to the Yanqing Hall, meticulously scouring every hall in search of anything Jin Quan had missed. Alas, Jin Quan had scavenged the entire area clean; the halls were completely emptied.

Next, Wu Yuan came to a meditation chamber. The chamber was small in size, with a radius of less than 20 meters. The only object in the room was a jade platform placed in the center.

As he sat in the lotus position on the jade platform, Wu Yuan felt his disorganized thoughts clear and his heart grow tranquil.

The jade platform in the meditation room of the Fourth Eldritch Realm has a similar passive function. However, the effects of this jade platform seem to be more pronounced. Practicing here will accelerate my comprehension of the Land's profundity.

Little did Wu Yuan know that even though Reverend Qing Yan could not compare to the top powerhouses of the Hou Feng Tribe, he was previously still a peak powerhouse in the Summerpeak World, and considered the Yanqing Hall his stronghold.

While the Fourth Eldritch Realm boasted numerous treasures of its own, it was just one of the many training bases of the Hou Feng Tribe. In some ways, it could not compare to the unique qualities of the Yanqing Hall constructed by Reverend Qing Yan.

...

The land was shrouded in darkness, yet the Middle Land Immortal Hall remained bathed in light.

Within a hall.

"Young Master." Fang Xia, adorned in gold robes, greeted respectfully.

"Mm." Wu Yuan nodded in acknowledgment. "Old Fang, is the Middle Land Guard fully formed?"

"It is." Fang Xia nodded.

The Middle Land Guard was an organization that all Heavenly and Land Rankers within the Middle Land were required to join. Not all of these experts were sincere about pledging their allegiance to Wu Yuan.

In contrast, the Teng Snake Guard recruited promising young talents, nurturing them from a tender age.

"Erect a Daoist Scripture Tower in the Middle Land Immortal Hall. I will contribute a plethora of secret techniques and ancient tomes for the benefit of all Heavenly Rankers across the Middle Land," Wu Yuan declared. "This shall serve as a form of guidance to bolster their strength."

"Daoist Scripture Tower?" Fang Xia pondered for a moment before nodding. "That won’t be an issue. Major immortal sects in the macrocosms have established similar towers in both the physical realm and the voidrealm."

The Middle Land Immortal Hall had served primarily as a hub for communication while it was under the control of the Wu Sect, but Wu Yuan envisioned a more multifaceted role for the voidrealm.

Communication was just a rudimentary function of a voidrealm. With the activation of several more functions, the voidrealm could host an abundance of secret techniques and intelligence reports, and the administrator would be able to alter the reading permissions of any user at will.

Compared to traditional paper scrolls and immortal slips, the voidrealm offered unparalleled convenience.

And the Middle Land Immortal Hall was just an eighth-grade voidrealm. A higher grade voidrealm would be able to hold a wealth of data, simulate processes such as alchemical refining, weapon forging, talisman crafting, combat scenarios, and more.

Their capabilities were truly mystical. The most cutting-edge voidrealms could even rival reality in every facet, with illusions nearly indistinguishable from the physical world.

Of course, such features remained a distant dream for the current Middle Land Immortal Hall.

"Young Master, will the teachings within this Daoist Scripture Tower be freely accessible?" Fang Xia queried.

"No. Some elementary teachings will be disseminated free of charge," Wu Yuan clarified. "Martial arts cultivation methods such as the 'Tiger Leopard Bone Training Technique' and the 'Dragon Marrow Cleansing Technique' shall be made available to all, fostering a martial culture across the Middle Land."

"Basic qi cultivation methods will also be distributed widely without reservation. However, for more esoteric teachings, I will categorize them," Wu Yuan explained. "One must make a contribution of equivalent significance to earn the privilege of studying and comprehending them."

"Contribution? What form will it take?" Fang Xia queried.

"Common field trials and other similar tasks," Wu Yuan replied. "However, the most important contribution is exploration! This includes venturing across the world and exploring the depths of the ocean to unearth etherstone and precious metal deposits."

"I will provide you with detailed information and my requirements in due course. This is just a broad outline," Wu Yuan said.

It was only within etherstone veins that ethercrystal could be found. However, only a meager quantity was produced.

The upgrading of lifebound flying swords demanded the consumption of rare metals, only found in large ore deposits.

One of the main purposes of establishing his rule was none other than resource acquisition.