Chapter 261: Half-Plane

"I am Mo Lei Nuo·Gang Sa Lei Si, thank you for saving my life," the handsome knight with brown hair and black eyes half‑kneels on the ground, expressing gratitude to Naimi Xisi.

After investigation, it is clear that the man inside the black octahedron is the teammate that Chui Li Er and the other two have been searching for; the black octahedron is the so‑called shadow prison, and the Mo Lei Nuo trapped inside has lost all his power and has been struggling in darkness for a month.

"Your comrades have also arrived in this Half‑Plane, but the portal linking to the Prime Material Plane is random, and I don't know where they are," Naimi Xisi says lightly.

"Half‑Plane?" Mo Lei Nuo pauses, for a mid‑tier practitioner on the standard path, the term half‑plane is not unfamiliar.

In fact, the moment Naimi Xisi stepped here, he sensed the essence of this space.

This is a Half‑Plane.

The so‑called half‑plane is actually extremely similar to a plane.

The Multiverse consists of more than twenty infinite planes, and the distinction between a plane and a half‑plane is that a half‑plane is a measurable, finite‑path extradimensional space, whereas a plane expands infinitely in the true sense.

Some half‑planes are only a few dozen meters wide, while others can rival an entire galaxy.

It sounds like the description of a half‑plane resembles the crystal‑wall system of the Prime Material Plane, but their essences differ.

The crystal‑wall system is a unit contained within the Prime Material Plane, more akin to a galaxy, whereas a half‑plane is a dependent state.

Suppose each plane is an enormous bubble; a half‑plane is a small bubble attached outside the larger one.

Unlike the crystal‑wall system, almost every plane contains half‑planes; some are naturally cut off by cataclysms, while others are artificially created.

Creating a half‑plane is a fantasy only the truly strongest mage can achieve, and only with legendary spells that surpass mortal limits.

For any intelligent creature, a half‑plane is the most precious treasure, bar none.

Once you master a half‑plane's core, it is like having a portable space at your disposal. Different half‑planes contain different resources; some are filled with fire elements, producing abundant fire‑type magical gems and nurturing powerful fire elementals, while others resemble the natural world of the Prime Material Plane, with picturesque mountains and rivers suitable for cultivating fragile human peoples.

In any case, obtaining a half‑plane means gaining an extremely convenient portable base, a treasure coveted by virtually every adventurer.

The prerequisite is that the half‑plane has no owner.

"May I, before finding my companions, explore this place together with you?" Mo Lei Nuo asks tentatively, looking at the silent Naimi Xisi.

As an experienced adventurer, Mo Lei Nuo knows that in a wholly unknown environment, exercising extreme caution is never excessive. The mysterious man before him remains composed from start to finish, as if unconcerned about any danger.

This suggests one possibility—that the other party is extremely confident in his own strength.

Hence Mo Lei Nuo shamelessly wants to follow him.

Naimi Xisi glances at him and says indifferently, "Do as you wish, but I won't protect you."

Mo Lei Nuo quickly waves his hand and says, "It's fine, it's fine; you saved me, so regardless, I ought to serve you."

The Phantom Steed let out an impatient "tch" sound, Naimi Xisi tugged the reins and continued toward the highest volcano. Mo Lei Nuo, seeing this, quickly grabbed his gear and followed. Along the way, Mo Lei Nuo tried several times to speak and break the silence, but only silence returned. He rubbed his cheeks and exhaled a breath of icy cold air.

"Why is it getting colder?" Mo Lei Nuo mutters, watching the volcano draw nearer, puzzled that the closer they get, the colder it becomes.

"And," he glances at the man riding the horse, who clearly appears a frail Spellcaster, yet seems unaffected by the cold.

Naimi Xisi certainly feels the cold, but as a dragon, the chill is no different from a light breeze to him.

As they approach the volcano, the temperature keeps dropping, reinforcing his suspicion.

This place is not only a half‑plane saturated with shadow energy; it already exhibits some characteristics of the Ying Ying Ming Jie plane.

Indeed, up is down, left is right.

In the Ying Ying Ming Jie, everything resembles the Prime Material Plane yet is vastly different. The flames spewed by the volcano can naturally be cold.

As they proceed, Naimi Xisi has already seen numerous obsidian and Shadow Steel Stones scattered everywhere, indicating that this half‑plane possesses abundant Ying Ying Ming Jie mineral resources.

"It seems this place has been besieged by shadow energy for a long time," Naimi Xisi muses.

As they delve deeper, the surrounding undead lose any semblance of the living; their bodies grow increasingly charred, and black mist gradually envelops them—signs of their transformation into shadow beings.

!

The Ying Ying Ming Jie periodically opens portals in the Prime Material Plane to lure mortals inside, then uses shadow energy to transmute their bodies into shadow creatures.

In fact, the most famous shadow creature is a type of True Dragon called the Phantom Dragon.

Phantom Dragons are not naturally formed; many powerful ancient dragons are silently transported into the Shadow Realm through portals opened by the Ying Ying Ming Jie while they sleep, and shadow energy often ravages and reshapes their bodies to the fullest extent during their slumber.

A dragon's slumber can be lengthy, especially during the breakthrough growth stage, lasting years or even decades. Consequently, if a True Dragon is transported to the Ying Ying Ming Jie while asleep, it often awakens to find its body completely shadow‑infused.

These shadow‑infused dragons are known to the world as—Phantom Dragons.

No matter what kind of True Dragon they were before, once they become Phantom Dragons they gradually deform.

Their scales wither to a charcoal hue, their wings turn translucent, and their eyes become a dim gray‑white.

They begin to loathe sunlight and become weakened by it, just like any shadow creature.

Fortunately, Naimi Xisi is not worried about this shadow‑infusion possibility.

Because he possesses a Power Gem, he adapts extremely well to any abnormal environment; the slow process of shadow‑infusion that would normally take years can be resisted within days by the Power Gem.

"Almost there."

Naimi Xisi looks at the towering volcano not far ahead, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

(End of Chapter)