Chapter 480: Balance Sect, Awakening Sect

The Dimensional Flying Boat rushed out above Wu Xiang Yan Gu, rapidly climbing toward the high altitude. Lin Xuan stood on the deck, watching the battlefield below grow smaller and smaller until it was finally obscured by the cloud layer. His heart was filled with mixed emotions; he was both relieved that everyone had escaped the danger and worried for the safety of Helian Zigui and the members of the Balance Sect.

"Prepare to enter the spatial interlayer!" Xu Feng announced loudly from the console, "Everyone, grab onto something fixed!"

The spatial tearing device at the front of the Flying Boat activated, and a shimmering rift unfolded ahead. Just as the Flying Boat was about to dive into the rift, a powerful energy fluctuation suddenly struck from behind.

"It's the influence of the Void Devouring World Array!" Lin Xuan sensed the familiar energy fluctuation and warned loudly, "It is distorting the surrounding spatial structure!"

It was too late; the Flying Boat had already partially entered the spatial interlayer. The energy fluctuation caught up to the Flying Boat, causing the edges of the rift to vibrate violently, and the Flying Boat immediately began to shake intensely, like a small boat entering a stormy sea.

"The navigation system has failed!" Xu Feng's face turned pale, "The spatial parameters are in chaos; we might be flung to the wrong location!"

Lin Xuan quickly arrived at the console: "I will stabilize the Flying Boat!" He pressed both hands onto the energy conversion Array of the Flying Boat's Core, closed his eyes, and guided the dual ice and fire energy within his body into the Array.

A miraculous scene appeared—the energy of the Primordial Cold stabilized the Flying Boat's structure, preventing it from disintegrating in the spatial turbulence; meanwhile, the energy of the Chaos Flame repaired the navigation system, keeping it functioning at a minimal level.

"Amazing control!" Xu Feng exclaimed, "But our course has completely deviated; we cannot return to the original route."

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and persisted: "Find a safe place to exit first, then we'll talk!"

After nearly an hour of difficult flight, the Dimensional Flying Boat finally found a relatively stable spatial node and managed to escape the spatial interlayer. When the Flying Boat returned to normal space, everyone discovered they were above an unfamiliar mountain range.

"The engine is severely damaged," Xu Feng reported after checking, "We must land immediately."

Lin Xuan quickly scanned the surrounding environment and pointed to a flat valley ahead: "There!"

The Flying Boat descended rapidly in an unconventional trajectory, finally managing a "soft landing" in the center of the valley—although the violent impact deformed the bottom of the Flying Boat, at least it caused no casualties.

"Everyone, check for injuries!" Lin Xuan commanded, while simultaneously asking Xu Feng, "Where are we now?"

Xu Feng shook his head: "The positioning system is also damaged; I cannot determine our exact location. However, based on my experience, the terrain and climate here might be somewhere on the Qingzang Gaoyuan."

Xiao Yuan took out the Fate Compass, observed it carefully, and said: "The compass shows we have deviated from the original route by at least several thousand kilometers. But strangely, the compass seems to have a special reaction to this place."

Everyone walked out of the Flying Boat and looked at the surrounding environment. This was a secluded valley surrounded by mountains, with lush vegetation and a small stream winding through it, forming a rare oasis. The Spirit Qi within the valley was dense; it was clearly a good place for cultivation.

"Someone is coming!" A team member suddenly alerted, pointing toward the valley entrance.

They saw a group of people dressed in gray-white robes walking from the valley entrance, led by an old man with a youthful face and crane-like white hair, whose aura was deep and peaceful, clearly possessing impressive cultivation. Lin Xuan immediately had the team enter a state of alert, preparing to deal with potential danger.

Unexpectedly, the old man smiled slightly at Lin Xuan: "Welcome to 'Hengzhen Gu', young Balance Sect member. I am Xuanjizi, the person in charge of the Balance Sect in the Qingzang region."

Lin Xuan lowered his guard in surprise: "This is a base of the Balance Sect?"

Xuanjizi nodded: "Helian Zigui had long anticipated that you might encounter danger and left a special mark on the Dimensional Flying Boat. Once the Flying Boat is damaged, this mark automatically guides you to the nearest Balance Sect safe point."

"What about Helian Zigui?" Xiao Yuan asked urgently, "Is he alright?"

Xuanjizi sighed: "He was seriously injured while confronting Muerxiu, but he managed to escape. He is currently healing at another one of our bases; his condition is stable, but he needs time to recover."

Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply to Xuanjizi: "Thank you for the rescue and shelter provided by the Balance Sect."

Xuanjizi waved his hand: "This is what we should do. Come, you must be tired; follow me into the base to rest first."

The Balance Sect's base was built on the cliff walls deep within the valley; from the outside, it looked like a few simple caves, but the interior was a world of its own. The space inside the cave was spacious and bright, with all kinds of cultivation facilities fully equipped, along with a large number of classics and cultivation resources.

After a short rest, Xuanjizi invited Lin Xuan and his party to the central hall of the base. This was a circular space with walls covered in ancient Runes and patterns, and in the center was a huge sand table displaying a complex model of the universe.

"Now, it is time for you to learn more of the truth." Xuanjizi's voice suddenly became solemn; he waved his hand to light up the sand table, and those Runes began to glow with a soft light.

"The history of the Eternal Void Council is much older than most people imagine," Xuanjizi began to recount, "It was originally founded one hundred thousand years ago, with the purpose of studying and maintaining cosmic balance, rather than the Void dominance pursued by the Awakening Sect today."

The light points on the sand table shifted, presenting scenes from the ancient period—images of Practitioners of different races studying the mysteries of the universe together.

"However, as time passed, divisions began to appear within the Void Council. Some believed that Void Power should become dominant, while others insisted on the importance of balance. This division has become increasingly severe over the last thousand years, eventually forming the 'Awakening Sect' and the 'Balance Sect' of today."

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment: "But that is not all, is it? There must be a deeper reason."

Xuanjizi looked at Lin Xuan with appreciation: "Smart. Indeed, the root of the disagreement comes from different understandings of the Void Sovereign."

He turned and walked toward a special bookshelf, took out an ancient scroll, and carefully unfolded it: "This is one of our few remaining ancient records, which documents the true history of the Void Sovereign."

The content on the scroll was written in an ancient script; Xuanjizi translated and explained as he went: "According to these records, the Void Sovereign is not the evil existence people imagine, but rather one of the guardians who maintained cosmic balance in the ancient era."

Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes. This was completely different from what they had known before.

"At the beginning of the universe, there were multiple guardians, each in charge of different powers. The Void Sovereign was in charge of nothingness and possibility, while another guardian named the 'Nature God Monarch' was in charge of matter and the rules of reality. The two were supposed to complement each other and jointly maintain the cosmic order."