Chapter 453: The Change and Test at the Junction

After accepting this heavy gift of knowledge, Gao Jie Ming did not linger.

"Then, Master, Senior Sister, Senior Sister Xingzhui, I'll take my leave. Wishing you success in your research." Gao Jie Ming bowed one final time, then turned toward the warship's teleportation array.

"Then I should go too…"

As Viola began to rise, Clark seized her head with one hand and pressed her back down: "Where are you going? This is your own warship."

Clark, expressionless, lifted Viola like a chick by the scruff and brought her face-to-face with him: "Besides, I need to have a proper talk with you about calling me 'old man' earlier…"

"Gulping!"

Viola swallowed hard and forced a smile: "C-can we make up?"

Clark gave a "gentle" smile and dragged the squirming Viola out of the lounge.

Gao Jie Ming wiped away nonexistent sweat from his brow, offered a moment of silent mourning for his senior sister, then stepped firmly onto the teleportation array.

Back in the Hellfire Sulfur Plane, the scorching sulfur-laden air and the unique spiritual energy fluctuations generated by the Incense Divine Path eased the faint tension in Gao Jie Ming's heart, stirred by recent external changes.

He did not rush to handle other matters, nor did he immediately dive into studying his newly acquired "Star Fall Awakening Art." Instead, he flew straight toward the Sixth Energy Convergence Point.

That was the final core node of the interdimensional energy transmission system.

Though the dramatic episode with the Star Fall Wizards had not consumed much time, it reminded Gao Jie Ming of the preciousness and urgency of time.

Whether for the unavoidable wizard war eighty years hence, or for advancing his own cultivation path, the complete perfection of the Incense Divine Path—especially the interdimensional energy transmission system capable of enabling a "Mobile Wizard Tower"—was a foundational project that must be completed as soon as possible.

He reconvened the Black Giant Priest team responsible for the project and devoted all his focus to the final stages: finishing, tuning, and integration.

The runes of the array required individual carving and calibration; the energy flow network needed comprehensive pressure testing.

The interface with the main body of the Incense Divine Path and the Level Seven Large Elemental Pool required repeated optimization to ensure stability and efficiency; each redundant module and safety mechanism also needed activation and verification…

This was a massive undertaking, allowing no room for carelessness.

Time slipped away swiftly in his focus.

Before he knew it, nearly a decade had passed.

When the final set of composite verification runes ignited a steady emerald glow at the core array's focal point, all three hundred and sixty secondary nodes across the plane simultaneously sent a "Ready" signal to the central control station.

When the energy flow of the Incense Divine Path perfectly connected with the main transmission network, flowing without obstruction, Gao Jie Ming exhaled a long, deep breath.

The main construction of the interdimensional energy transmission system was finally complete.

Next came the most critical phase: field testing.

To test its effectiveness, Gao Jie Ming chose not to conduct trials within the Hellfire Sulfur Plane.

Its energy environment was too uniform, and it was an area he fully controlled—test results might be incomplete.

Especially since it could not verify stability or penetration under complex, unfamiliar, or even interfering conditions.

The Academy itself would be a good choice.

But the core zones of the Plane Nuolun Academy and the Plane Nuolun Workshop were fortified with extremely tight and advanced spatial shielding, energy isolation, and information filtering arrays.

These arrays were originally designed to protect wizards' privacy, research findings, and academy security.

Gao Jie Ming estimated that his current "semi-finished" Incense Divine Path system—whose primary function was energy transmission rather than violent penetration—was not yet capable of forcibly piercing such deliberate shielding.

After much thought, a familiar place surfaced in his mind: the Junction.

It was a transit hub jointly constructed by the three major factions; though its array defenses were also dense, they prioritized maintaining spatial stability and handling massive logistics and information flows.

For small-scale, non-hostile energy transmission probes, it was far less sensitive.

Moreover, the Junction constantly saw vast quantities of wizards, supplies, and energy entering and exiting, with a complex and ever-changing energy environment—perfect for testing the system's adaptability.

His modest test activity would be lost amid the overwhelming background noise, unlikely to draw much attention.

Having decided, Gao Jie Ming used the teleportation array to go directly to the Junction.

Yet, as he stepped out of the teleportation glow onto the Junction's street, forged from some high-strength alloy, Gao Jie Ming immediately sensed something was wrong.

The atmosphere had changed.

In his memory, the Junction, though chaotic due to its diverse traffic, had overall been vibrant and full of life.

The streets were always filled with wizards from the three factions, merchants of various races, constructs on missions, and even some tamed or cooperative strange creatures…

But now, what met his eyes was desolation.

The number of wizards on the streets and plazas had halved, leaving them eerily empty.

The few figures he glimpsed moved swiftly, their expressions heavy with unmistakable gravity and vigilance.

When wizards from different factions accidentally met each other's gaze, Gao Jie Ming clearly saw not the old camaraderie or indifference, but deep wariness—and even fleeting glimmers of scrutiny and hostility.

More than seventy percent of the shops along the streets were closed.

The once brightly lit windows, overflowing with goods, now either glowed dimly or were sealed shut by thick metal shutters.

The few remaining open shops housed alien clerks or owners who moved with extreme caution, as if afraid to speak.

They huddled as far back behind their counters as possible, lowering even their voices to greet customers.

As if afraid that one misstep might anger some ill-tempered wizard and bring fire upon themselves.

An invisible pressure and tension permeated the air, replacing the former bustle and vitality.

"It seems the war rumors… have spread everywhere," Gao Jie Ming understood.

The news of the impending war among the three factions was no longer a secret among the elite.

The cold tide of war had silently seeped into every corner, utterly transforming the atmosphere of what had once been a symbol of cooperation.

The foundation of trust had crumbled; the unspoken understanding of cooperation vanished, leaving only the pre-war paranoia and estrangement.

Gao Jie Ming walked silently along the now-quiet streets, unsurprised by this change, yet his heart grew heavier with foreboding for the future.

He did not linger long, heading straight toward a hotel he remembered as having excellent private rooms.

The hotel lobby was equally deserted; the receptionist was a humanoid alien with a carapace and multiple legs.

Seeing Gao Jie Ming enter, it hurried forward respectfully, its movements clearly cautious.

Gao Jie Ming said nothing, simply requested a private room with basic protective and silence wards, and ordered a few simple meals.

Soon, he was led to a quiet small chamber.

After the alien attendant exited and activated the room's protections, Gao Jie Ming waved his hand to lay down several layers of his own alerting arrays, then sat at the table.

He did not immediately touch the food brought to him, but instead withdrew something from his inner dantian.

It was a rectangular metal plaque, about the size of a palm and one finger thick.

Crafted from highly refined and rune-enhanced adamantine, it radiated a heavy golden luster.

Its surface was etched with extraordinarily intricate, fine patterns too dense for the naked eye to fully discern.

These patterns were not mere decoration—they formed the core of a miniature summoning and conversion array.

This was Gao Jie Ming's "Coordinate Summoning Rune Plaque," one of the terminal receiving devices of the Incense Divine Path's interdimensional energy transmission system.

By resonating with the core transmission node deep within the Hellfire Sulfur Plane, it could achieve stable, ultra-long-distance energy transmission under appropriate conditions.

Gao Jie Ming placed the plaque flat in his palm, closed his eyes, and sank his spirit into it, activating its preset summoning protocol.

At first, the plaque merely warmed slightly, its patterns glowing with an almost imperceptible shimmer.

But soon, a gentle elemental force emerged from the plaque's core like a trickling stream.

It flowed slowly along the etchings, finally gathering in the air an inch above the plaque, forming a fist-sized pale golden aura.

Success!

Gao Jie Ming's heart leapt with joy; he immediately opened his eyes wide, a faint spiritual light flickering deep in his pupils—"Universal Eye" activated.

In his special vision, the essence of the pale golden aura was peeled apart layer by layer.

Energy purity, transmission stability, loss ratio, interaction with surrounding environmental energy, presence of delay or fluctuation… countless data streams cascaded through his consciousness.

Transmission stable; loss rate 3.7% below expected model; energy purity met standard; showed strong resistance to environmental interference; response speed within acceptable range…

One by one, the test results returned.

A satisfied smile finally touched Gao Jie Ming's lips.

Decades of effort had not been in vain.

The interdimensional energy transmission system of the Incense Divine Path had passed its preliminary test!

This meant that from now on, as long as he was not in a location deliberately fortified with top-tier isolation arrays, he could receive near-infinite energy support from the Hellfire Sulfur Plane in almost any battlefield or mission environment!

This would undoubtedly greatly enhance his sustained combat capability, burst potential, and survival security.

He put away the plaque, letting the test aura dissipate naturally within the room's protective wards, then turned his attention to the now-cool food on the table.

As he slowly savored his meal, he gazed at the mural on the wall, depicting the once-friendly exchanges among wizards of the three factions at the Junction, his eyes deep and distant.

Nearly a decade of the eighty-year preparation period had passed.

And he must grow stronger before this war arrives.

(End of Chapter)