Chapter 1885: Chapter 1885: Cross-Region Teleportation Array
Actually, Augustine is not the only one disappointed.
Even Wyatt Barnes and Oliver Watson found themselves taken aback upon looking at the cave entrance before them.
This is the passage leading to the Martial Dao Sacred Land’s ’Upper Domain’?
It’s completely different from what they imagined!
Though they didn’t have exaggerated expectations, they didn’t expect it to be this mundane.
"Perhaps there’s more than meets the eye inside..."
Wyatt tried to console himself.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
...
The disappointment of the three was unnoticed by the guardian, ’Elder Mullins.’ After clearing the snow blocking one cave entrance, he continued to take action.
In the blink of an eye, eight more cave entrances appeared before Wyatt and the other two.
Nine cave entrances in total emerged halfway up the towering snowy mountain, forming a perfect circle when viewed from afar.
"Elder Mullins... which one is the passage to the ’Upper Domain’?"
Augustine came to his senses and immediately looked at Elder Mullins, unable to resist asking.
He vaguely sensed that things might not be as he imagined...
"Inside these nine caves are Holy Stones supporting the ’inter-domain transmission array.’ Each cave has an independent second-level formation. Once the transmission array is activated, the nine second-level formations operate and consume the Holy Stones, forming the inter-domain transmission array! Stepping into the inter-domain transmission array will lead to the passage to the ’Upper Domain.’"
Elder Mullins glanced at Augustine calmly and said.
At the same time, Elder Mullins made another move.
Swoosh!
A solid stream of light shot from Elder Mullins’ fingertips, like a serpent of electricity slicing through the air.
"So fast!"
Wyatt could only catch a faint trace left by the serpent before it vanished from his sight in a flash.
Sensing the power behind this serpent, Oliver felt a chill because it was a serpent formed by an energy that even made his heart race!
Had it not been directed at the giant mountain before him but at him instead, he couldn’t have stopped it.
Even if he had one foot already stepping into the ’late stage of the Earth Saint Realm’!
"Heavenly Saint Realm! Is this the power of a Heavenly Saint Realm expert?"
Oliver was both shocked and feverishly excited.
A guardian of the Martial Dao Sacred Land, being a ’Heavenly Saint Realm expert,’ was something he had heard of.
He was no longer the same person he used to be.
Even though he had no plans to continue using the Devouring Dark_Demon Art to absorb Essence Blood Energy from young women for cultivation, he was one hundred percent sure he’d reach the ’Heavenly Saint Realm’ before long, catching up to the guardian in front of him!
Unlike Wyatt and Oliver’s amazement, Augustine, because of his weaker cultivation, didn’t notice the electricity serpent.
This was why he wasn’t as startled as Wyatt and Oliver.
Bang!
As Oliver and Wyatt’s gaze followed the serpent onto the circle formed by the nine caves, the snow there suddenly exploded.
Immediately afterward, the previously dark cave entrances all lit up.
Nine powerful auras emanated from the caves, pressuring Wyatt and the others considerably.
"Such powerful force! The Holy Stones inside are definitely more than just simple Grade Three Holy Stones!"
In the Lower Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land, a pseudo Third-Rate Power controls pseudo Grade Three Holy Stone mines.
Pseudo Grade Three Holy Stone mines are the best mines in the Lower Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land.
Yet from these best mines, the Holy Stones produced are merely ’Grade Three Holy Stones’ and in very limited supply.
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
...
Soon, Wyatt and the other two noticed a flash before their eyes; nine columns of light, varying in color, burst forth from the caves, like galloping horses, and shot into the sky.
The nine colors included the seven colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, and violet.
As for the remaining two colors, they were black and white.
Boom!
Under Wyatt and the other two’s gaze, the nine forces collided, creating an earth-shattering explosion.
Following that, the forces clashed and mingled.
Finally, guided by the black and white forces, they formed a familiar pattern to Wyatt.
Taichi!
Yin-Yang Fish!
The Yin-Yang Fish pattern floated in the air, with streams of complex, semi-transparent energy above it.
From afar, with the Yin-Yang Fish as the ’base,’ these semi-transparent energies formed a cylindrical shape.
"This is the ’inter-domain transmission array’... stepping into it leads to the passage from the Lower Domain to the Upper Domain!"
Simultaneously, Elder Mullins’ voice echoed:
"The passage is not long, nor is it short, but contains some dangers... However, these dangers only affect those below the Great Saint Realm. Great Saint Realm beings can protect themselves within. Stronger beings can not only protect themselves but also shield others traveling with them."
As the conversation reached this point, Elder Mullins’ voice abruptly ceased.
For a moment, the gaze of all three, including Wyatt Barnes, fell upon that inter-domain teleportation array.
As for Elder Mullins’ mention of how only those above the Great Saint Realm could traverse the passage from the Lower Domain to the Upper Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land by their own strength, they had heard about it before, so they weren’t surprised.
What piqued their curiosity now was the teleportation array before them!
"Inside this teleportation array... it seems there’s not only the power of Saint Markings but also the power of Taoist Talismans."
Despite the distance, Wyatt Barnes still sensed the aura of Saint Markings emanating from the teleportation array.
Moreover, after stealthily activating his ’Mysterious Eye’, he saw the faint presence of talismans within the teleportation array, which turned out to be ’Taoist Talismans’.
In essence, this inter-domain teleportation array was formed by a combination of ’Saint Markings power’ and ’Taoist Talisman power’.
"Elder Mullins!"
Taking a deep breath, Wyatt Barnes looked at Elder Mullins and voiced his doubts, "Who established this teleportation array? Also, the Holy Stones accumulated in those nine caves, surely they aren’t just Third-Grade Holy Stones, right?"
As soon as he spoke, Wyatt Barnes raised his two biggest questions.
He was curious about the kind of existence capable of establishing such a teleportation array.
Additionally, he was curious about how many Holy Stones and what grade were needed to sustain the consumption of this teleportation array.
He felt that the Holy Stones sustaining this teleportation array were probably not from the Lower Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land.
Ordinary Third-Grade and quasi-Third-Grade Holy Stones shouldn’t suffice for the consumption of this teleportation array.
"This teleportation array has been here since the Martial Dao Sacred Land was split into the Upper and Lower Domains... Back then, it was established under the leadership of a reclusive elder in the ’Saint Immortal Realm Ninth Transformation’. Everyone who participated had surpassed the Seventh Transformation in the Saint Immortal Realm, numbering no less than ten people."
At this point, Elder Mullins’ face tightened, full of respect.
"Saint Immortal Realm Ninth Transformation?"
Whether it was Wyatt Barnes, Augustine Landon, or Oliver Watson, upon hearing Elder Mullins’ words, they couldn’t help but gasp.
The Ninth Transformation of the Saint Immortal Realm, what concept is that?
Such a powerhouse is someone with one foot in the ’Heavenly Plane’, a being of extraordinary might!
In the Martial Dao Sacred Land, such existences in the Saint Immortal Realm Ninth Transformation are also referred to as ’Semi-Immortals’, signifying that they are beings with a foot in the immortal realm.
It’s said that once such a powerhouse crosses the ’Promoting to Immortal Tribulation’, they can soar to the Heavenly Plane and become a true ’immortal’, overlooking all beings!
Just from listening to Elder Mullins talk about the ’lineup’ involved in establishing the inter-domain teleportation array, Wyatt Barnes and the others realized how vast the project must have been back then.
It’s precisely because of the efforts of such predecessors that those who came after were given conveniences.
The predecessors plant the trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade.
This is no different!
Therefore, when Wyatt Barnes thought of those mighty figures, he, too, was filled with reverence.
"As for the Holy Stones sustaining this inter-domain teleportation array, they’re entirely supplied by the top-tier forces of the entire Upper Domain, including the ’First-Rate Force’ behind me... Ninety percent are ’Grade One Holy Stones’, and ten percent are ’quasi-immortal-grade Holy Stones’!"
Elder Mullins continued.
"Ninety percent are Grade One Holy Stones?"
Wyatt Barnes drew in a sharp breath.
Augustine Landon and Oliver Watson were also taken aback.
"Elder Mullins, could it be that quasi-immortal-grade Holy Stones are even more precious than Grade One Holy Stones?"
Wyatt Barnes asked with a serious expression.
"Yes."
Elder Mullins nodded, then continued, "Quasi-immortal-grade Holy Stones are usually found in veins of quasi-immortal-grade Holy Stones... Of course, some can occasionally be produced from Grade One Holy Stone veins. Generally, the top-tier forces in the Upper Domain possess one or two Grade One Holy Stone veins."
"What about the three major sects?"
Wyatt Barnes’ eyes flickered as he asked.
In the Upper Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land, the three major sects are entities that overshadow the top-tier forces, the most supreme forces in the Upper Domain.
"The three major sects?"
Upon hearing Wyatt Barnes’ inquiry, a hint of anger flashed in Elder Mullins’ eyes, "The three major sects have taken control of the only three quasi-immortal-grade Holy Stone veins in the Upper Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land, and they’ve occupied no less than twenty Grade One Holy Stone veins as well!"
"Yet even so, they still demand the top-tier forces to supply the Holy Stones needed to sustain this inter-domain teleportation array... They themselves refuse to contribute a single ounce!"
The more Elder Mullins spoke, the angrier he became.
This was his confession as a person of a top-tier force in the Upper Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land!
This was his fury as a person of a top-tier force in the Upper Domain of the Martial Dao Sacred Land!
The continuous exploitation by the three major sects had left the people from the top-tier forces full of repressed anger, unable to voice their frustrations.
As someone from a top-tier force, Elder Mullins had long accumulated a chest full of rage, and it now poured out uncontrollably!
Upon hearing Elder Mullins’ words, Wyatt Barnes furrowed his brow.
Augustine Landon and Oliver Watson’s brows furrowed as well.
"The three major sects are too much! Sitting on so many Grade One Holy Stone veins, and even having quasi-immortal-grade Holy Stone veins, yet they refuse to contribute any to the consumption of the inter-domain teleportation array... Are they saving their Holy Stones to take to the grave?"
Augustine Landon felt a sense of righteous indignation.
However, Wyatt Barnes and Oliver Watson remained relatively calm.
Though they also felt the three major sects were somewhat excessive, who could match their power?
In this world where Respect the Powerful reigns, it’s this brutal!
If the top-tier forces stood in the place of the three major sects, they would similarly exploit the forces below them.