Chapter 403: The Gate and the Choice

Its huge membrane wing on the right was nearly falling off, and a thick hind leg was torn away as well; the wound showed no crimson blood, but a layer of deep‑blue ice crystals.

The dragon that lost a wing could no longer keep its balance, and its massive body kept flipping and falling in mid‑air.

Are dragons' life forces really this tenacious? Lei Ke Dun thought with a sigh; a three‑tiered mysterious recurrence, if it fell upon a diviner or reader of the same tier, would instantly kill.

His figure suddenly became transparent, turning into countless sparkling starlight points that surged upward, then reappeared among the stars.

He raised his right hand; the starlight spread out, and in a moment dispelled all wind and snow.

As the wind and snow vanished, the pale‑blue starlight gradually tinged with pale gold, gathering into Lei Ke Dun's raised palm, drawing in surrounding sunlight and rapidly accumulating brilliance.

The intangible sunlight solidified, forming in Lei Ke Dun's hand a spear of pure, blinding white light seemingly made of sunlight itself, repeatedly compressing the extreme light and heat so that even the sun‑piercing light dimmed.

Boom~ You Li Si An strained to flap his only remaining wing, yet still could not change his fate of crashing to the ground.

Its gaze, full of hatred and anger, stared at the mid‑air, watching the figure that was gathering brilliance.

While slightly tilting its head upward, it opened its exaggerated huge mouth, and icy‑blue crystal light continuously converged.

The next moment, it suddenly froze in place, forgetting what it was to do, its actions, forgetting how to exhale as the flow of light gathering in You Li Si An's mouth rapidly dissipated, turning into tiny transparent pale‑blue light dots.

Its icy‑blue vertical pupils showed rare bewilderment, as if stunned; thoughts rose in its mind then quickly vanished, leaving only scattered musings drifting.

In mid‑air, the spear of pure sunlight in Lei Ke Dun's hand had already formed; without hesitation, he thrust it forward, turning into a blazing white line that precisely struck You Li Si An's chest covered with fine pale‑white scales.

The blazing white spear expanded the instant it touched You Li Si An, becoming a miniature sun of extreme white and heat, illuminating and melting everything.

Boom! A somewhat scorching gale rose instantly, blowing the surrounding snow to melt rapidly into droplets, then steam. The hot wind slapped each person's face at the cave entrance, and the dazzling light made them squint.

After a while, the surrounding light and heat gradually faded; an intuitive sense told everyone that the battle over there had ended.

The gray‑blue giant Ge Luo Sai Er hurried toward the spot where You Li Si An had fallen; the snow in that area had vanished, revealing soft black earth.

You Li Si An's exaggerated body had disappeared, leaving only specks of crystal‑clear icy‑blue radiance flowing, spreading, slowly gathering.

"'Northern King' was eliminated?" Ge Luo Sai Er murmured confusedly to himself.

Hunting You Li Si An had been his goal since entering this World Within the Book; under the long‑standing subconscious influence of "Ge Luo Sai Er's Travels," it had become his obsession.

Now You Li Si An died so suddenly, leaving the giant with a hollow feeling of lacking a life purpose.

The others either rode the gale or hurried forward, soon reaching the place where You Li Si An died.

The specks of icy‑blue phosphorescence, under their gaze, gradually coalesced into a five‑ or six‑meter‑tall deep‑blue gate adorned with mysterious patterns; even Ge Luo Sai Er's massive frame could pass through it effortlessly.

Lei Ke Dun looked around, his eyes finally resting on Lun Na De, and said calmly:

"This is the gate that leads out of the World Within the Book."

"What are you looking at?"

As soon as Lun Na De opened his mouth, his body was taken over by Pa Lie Si; his expression a bit complicated, he looked at Mo Bei Te and said, "Outside has already passed a thousand years; once you leave this World Within the Book, you will age instantly, turning to a handful of dust."

"Why does it happen like that?"

"Old man, you have a way, right? Stealing time and lifespan isn't too hard for you; since you appeared here, you must have a method, right?" Mo Bei Te froze in place, his expression suddenly heavy, his voice hoarse, his eyes almost pleading as he looked at Lun Na De.

He could guess the problem wasn't himself but his companions; together they would need at least six or seven thousand years of lifespan to offset the long time spent in the World Within the Book.

Ao Dai Li's steps unconsciously drew nearer to Fo Er Si; she felt her mood suddenly grow heavy. That angel's condition seemed poor, perhaps unable to bring all his descendants' friends out of the World Within the Book. Parting and choice always cause pain.

Pa Lie Si, controlling Lun Na De's body, spoke calmly:

"The lifespan I gathered isn't enough to take you all away, especially the elves and giants who entered this World Within the Book since the Second Era; two thousand plus years, even I cannot easily erase."

Mo Bei Te stood dumbfounded, unsure what expression to show, turned to look at Xia Ta Si on the side.

"What do you think I'm doing? Shouldn't you be glad you can leave this damned place?"

"Did you forget that when you first entered this World Within the Book, you dreamed of your great‑grandfather appearing and taking you out? Now your dream has come true."

Xia Ta Si turned his face away, not looking at Mo Bei Te's expression, his tone as always firm, with a hint of irritability.

"I—" Mo Bei Te opened his mouth, but could not finish the words.

Pa Lie Si seemed to sense something, snorted coldly, and said flatly:

"Think it over before telling me."

Lei Ke Dun's gaze shifted between Mo Bei Te and Xia Ta Si, then he pulled a gray‑white scale from his pocket, tossed it in his hand, chuckled lightly and said:

"This gate won't disappear anytime soon; let's first visit the Spiritual World, then this book will return to its original owner, and after that there'll be no chance to come back to the World Within the Book."

"Return to its owner?" Lun Na De squinted slightly, his voice tinged with doubt: "Has the Dragon King returned?"

Lei Ke Dun did not answer, instead said, "They need some time to calm and think; we shouldn't disturb them here."

As he spoke, his eyes suddenly grew distant, as if searching for something, confirming something.

A moment later, a deep‑blue‑almost‑purple glow swirled in his pupils; he raised his hand forward, and concentric ripples of starlight spread, forming an illusory symbol of layered doors that floated into view.

Lei Ke Dun's right hand, pressed forward, gently turned his wrist; the surrounding starlight deepened, and the layered illusory "door" quickly became real.

On the other side of the "door" lay a profound, dark sea, where each drop of water was like a beam of light, seeming to represent a point of consciousness, a seal.

The "door" to the Spiritual World soon took shape; Lei Ke Dun looked around and entered first.

The abyssal dark water beneath his feet had no substance; as Lei Ke Dun stepped into it, the surroundings suddenly changed, and a spiraling, descending gray‑white staircase emerged.

This staircase seemed to stretch endlessly toward the deepest part of the Spiritual World, with no visible end.

Behind him, Ke Lai En, Ao Dai Li and others also stepped onto it one after another.

Ao Dai Li's gaze swept the surroundings; her eyes quickly took on a layer of dark gold, her voice soft and calm, carrying a soothing power as she said:

"This is the collective subconscious sea, also called the Spiritual World; it is subtly and wondrously linked to the spirit realm."

(End of Chapter)