Chapter 253: Who Is Toying With Me?

Shaking his head, Baichuan didn't dwell on it too much—there were too few clues.

He took one last look at the Ice Plains outside, where piercingly cold wind seemed to blow eternally, then lowered his altitude once more and began recalling a Technique the demigods had given him, using his own magic to trace it out.

This was the essential Technique those demigods used to smuggle themselves into or appear within the great barrier; only this way could they evade the barrier's intelligent judgment. Otherwise, anyone trying to come and go freely would either be bounced away by the great barrier in an instant, or be captured by experts sent by the current dynasty's ruler upon receiving word.

As his magic was consumed and the Technique was successfully traced, a strange, faint ripple began to emanate from Baichuan's body.

"So this is what it feels like to use a Technique?"

Feeling this entirely new and strange experience, Baichuan smiled. The sensation was somewhat like the mystical drawing of talismans and casting of spells he had known of in his previous life.

It was said to be done in one smooth stroke—not only requiring flawless precision, but also a steady outflow of magic like running water.

It was only thanks to the fact that he had now reached an extremely profound level in another system of power that he succeeded on his very first attempt.

Otherwise, for an ordinary person merely wanting to use it, learning a single Technique required several steps: first, one had to obtain the Technique, then ponder its traces every moment of every day to commit it completely to memory. Only after that could one begin tracing it out with one's scarce spiritual power and magic. Should one's attention waver even slightly during the process, or the output of magic fall behind, the attempt would fail on the spot.

In mild cases, spiritual power would be lost; in severe cases, both spiritual power and magic would be caught in the blast of the failed Technique's explosion.

And even after succeeding, one still needed constant practice to fully master it.

Setting that aside, Baichuan, feeling the Technique had succeeded, slowly approached the great barrier. In an instant, he saw the invisible barrier, under the ripple emanating from his body, begin to break up intermittently as if disturbed.

After a few breaths, a massive opening slowly expanded on the barrier.

Seeing this, Baichuan's gaze sharpened, and he swiftly slipped through the gap created by the disturbance.

The moment he entered the barrier, Baichuan immediately noticed his sensations had changed.

No longer did the harsh, freezing air and piercing cold wind assault his scales; instead, a comfortably mild climate nourished him.

It was as if he had gone from a lifeless wasteland to a vibrant, beautiful world.

Mm, and indeed that was exactly the case.

Looking at the lush green grass beneath him, the birdsong-filled, fragrant forests, and the stark contrast with the bleak, snow-white land outside where piercing cold wind eternally blew—

Baichuan silently thought to himself.

Letting out a soft breath, Baichuan immediately sensed that the rate at which energy generated within his body had nearly doubled.

Was the difference between inside and outside the barrier really this vast?

In such conditions, how many powerful beings would be born?

Muttering to himself, Baichuan picked a direction at random and set off.

He had only one goal this trip: to find a human settlement and see if he could encounter any great cultivation sect.

Then obtain a few manuals on cultivation from them.

Of course, along the way he would also need to relearn the writing and language of this world's humans.

Otherwise, he feared he'd face the embarrassment of standing before a treasure mountain with no way to return with anything.

After all, cultivation knowledge ultimately had to be carried on paper and in writing; communication wasn't necessary.

Communication could be done directly through spiritual power or his ability to converse without barriers.

But writing was something he couldn't avoid, unless he wanted to find someone to dictate cultivation manuals to him orally.

But with that method—would he dare use it?

Sigh, who'd have thought that he, a certain Mr. Bai, so powerful already, would still need to learn the human language once more.

At that moment, he recalled the several twists and turns he'd gone through when learning the Great Zhou script in the past.

With a helpless sigh, Baichuan casually chose a direction and set off, his long dragon tail swaying behind him.

Because his perception range had lost the support of the world's energy from outside, it had now shrunk dramatically, barely covering a radius of ten kilometers.

Having experienced that vast perception range before, this current range was, for him, better than nothing.

Was this what they meant by "it's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality"?

There was a time when he'd been overjoyed at having a perception range of even one kilometer.

……

Meanwhile, in a certain manor shrouded in mist, a mysterious existence shuddered violently, then abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock and uncertainty.

"How was Tian Gui Zhi Jie broken? No—no, that's not right, it wasn't broken, it seems to have been disturbed and severed! And the ripple of its opening seems to come from the Spirit-Disturbing Technique?"

He gently stroked his beautiful beard, which he'd taken ages to grow, as if soothing the shock in his heart, before murmuring to himself.

"No, that shouldn't be. Could such a massive opening be made by any one of those 'Laoshu'?" Thinking of that group of little rats who could only sneak in and out, the being's eyes were full of derision. As if their comings and goings could fool anyone! It was simply that no one had bothered to deal with them.

But now a strange situation had appeared—Tian Gui Zhi Jie had actually been made to produce a huge opening by that Spirit-Disturbing Technique those little rats were so fond of using.

An opening nearly thirty zhang across!

This was an opening meant for people to pass through? And something those little rats, who could only sneakily disturb and sever openings of less than four chi, could accomplish?

Such a massive opening—not to mention those skulking little rats—even he couldn't do it!

"Could some great power be toying with me?"

After thinking for a long while, the being still couldn't figure out what was going on.

If it really were such a great power, how could mere Tian Gui Zhi Jie possibly restrain his comings and goings?

In that case, why would he need any Spirit-Severing Technique? Even if he wanted to slip away or enter without acquaintances knowing, he had other methods to choose from.

Why use this kind of Technique exclusive to those well-known, noisy little rats?

Not only did it expose his movements, it also dragged this old man into making a wasted trip.

"How truly strange."

The baffled, mysterious being stroked his beard and shook his head with a sigh, but could only slowly walk out of his manor. Then, under the sunlight, his entire form swelled inch by inch—in an instant, the manor he'd just walked out of only reached his knees.

He glanced up at the bright sunlight above, then took a single step and vanished.

He was heading toward the place where the massive opening had appeared in Tian Gui Zhi Jie.

Because with such a huge disturbance, if he, the Realm Lord charged with guarding Tian Gui Zhi Jie, showed no reaction and something went wrong, that one would hold him accountable!

Sigh, this "great power's" momentary whim of sport has truly given this old man a hard time.

As the sigh faded, the mansion fell silent once more, leaving only a statue seated within the small estate—a figure clad in a great red brocade robe, with brows long enough to extend past his eyes, his face full of benevolence, the very image of a kindly old man.

But compared to the earlier statue, whose gaze had been full of spirit, this red-robed elder's statue had now become far more vacant and dull.

……

(End of this chapter)