Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 682
"Didn't they say no one has excavated the vein before?" Zhao Manyan said.
"Maybe it's just a rumor, it might be an exaggeration, or it might only reflect part of the truth. I've discovered a rock engraved with a Li Fan flower on it. It's obviously artificial," Lingling handed her discovery to Mo Fan.
Mo Fan received the pebble. It was a natural pebble as smooth as a piece of jade. He could even see his own reflection on its surface. Both of its sides bore an elegant seal of a flower engraved with a red material.
The flower seal was a kind of symbol that represented some tribes, clans, and fortresses after the era of the Totem Beasts. Mo Fan's heart skipped a beat after he took a closer look at the symbol.
"Old Zhao, come take a look; does this look familiar to you?" Mo Fan showed the pebble to Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan moved closer and blurted out casually, "What is it? Did we find a Totem Seal here, too?"
"No no no, it's definitely not a Totem Seal," Mo Fan said.
Zhao Manyan took a closer look. He thought for a moment and said, "Say, now that you mention it, I do feel like I've seen it before, but where from?"
"That's impossible, the things here are more than three hundred years old! How is it possible that you've seen it before?" Mui Qing asked.
"I think we'll find the answer if we keep going," Lingling answered him.
Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan pondered as they followed the path now leading them down a slope.
After they reached the top of another slope, they suddenly discovered the path ahead was undulating.
The up and downslopes were not steep, appearing elegant and gentle. The sight was quite a shock to them.
As they went further in, they suddenly discovered broken white cliffs, and collapsed walls in ruins.
It was already unbelievable to see broken cliffs in a secluded place like this, let alone collapsed walls covered in weeds and vines!
Broken walls? Weeds?
The walls were obviously from some ancient society, but they were having a hard time believing that there were plants in a scorching place like this!
"Did you remember what the symbol was now?" Mo Fan was more convinced of his speculation when he saw the fallen walls.
Zhao Manyan stood still. His mind went blank for quite some time.
No f**king way!
He did see a similar sight, but it was in the distant continent of South America, in a secluded world hidden in a storm inside the Peru Desert Valley!
"I don't believe it, no f**king way!" Zhao Manyan suddenly burst into motion, and headed for the walls.
The others quickly followed him, worried that he might get into trouble. Zhao Manyan's reaction did not make any sense to them. It felt like the man was starting to believe that he was actually in the middle of an illusion!
Mo Fan was extremely shocked, too. He did not notice anything strange when he brought Mui Qing inside here originally. However, he also felt like he was in the middle of a dream, just like Zhao Manyan, when he saw the stone symbol that Lingling had found, and first beheld the fallen cliffs and broken walls!
Even Mo Fan did not want to believe that he had been to this place before.
They were supposed to be at Kunlun Mountain, in their own country. How was it connected to such a distant land...
---
"What's going on here?" Mu Bai asked uneasily when he saw the abnormal reactions from Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan.
"Perhaps something bizarre happened to them before..." Lingling could only vaguely guess what was going on.
The others caught up to Zhao Manyan and saw him crouching in front of a fallen wall. He looked like he had lost his soul.
"What is it with you!?" Mu Bai asked impatiently.
In answer, Lingling pointed at the bottom of the wall. Mu Bai followed her finger and discovered a line of words!
Mu Bai initially thought it was a prank from Zhao Manyan, but after second thought, Zhao Manyan was right in front of him all the time, yet he had not seen the man carving words on the wall!
"Zhao Manyan… was here!?" Mui Qing went closer and read out the words on the wall. Her mouth was wide open after finishing the sentence. She stared at Zhao Manyan in disbelief.
Zhao Manyan was motionless, his face blank. His mind was obviously in a complete mess after seeing the words!
"Old Zhao, how bad of a person can you be? I didn't know you would carve words on a wall considered to be an ancient cultural heritage," Mo Fan said sarcastically.
"Do you really still have the mood to joke about it? I'm already losing my mind!" Zhao Manyan shot back.
Lingling, Mui Qing, and Mu Bai were utterly confused, too. When did Zhao Manyan carve the words here? Did Zhao Manyan travel back in time and come here three hundred years ago? They had never heard of any time traveling magic!
They were confident that Zhao Manyan did not leave the words on the wall recently. The words had been around for a year or two, judging from the moss covering them and how much they had worn away over time. In other words, Zhao Manyan was here around a year or two ago and shamelessly carved the words on the wall, as if he was declaring war against the world on behalf of his country.
"Mo Fan, what's going on?" Mu Bai chose to ask Mo Fan, since he knew Zhao Manyan was on the verge of going crazy.
Mo Fan was only calm on the surface, but his heart was exploding into pieces, too!
"When we were on the national team, we went to Peru in South America during training. We were forced to hide in a storm when we were chased by a bunch of Nazca Monster Birds. We found a secluded world at the eye of the storm that looks similar to this place, or should I say, is exactly the same as this place. We saw the ruins of an ancient city, where Old Zhao carved these words shamelessly… I initially thought there are two similar cities, but judging from the look of it, and these words left by Zhao Manyan, I'm quite convinced that they are the same place!" Mo Fan explained with a wry smile. He was obviously struggling to believe what he was saying, too.
"But how is that possible? That was in Peru in South America, and we are currently at Kunlun Mountain in China! They are half the world apart..." Mui Qing protested.
"We also think it's impossible, but the proof is right in front of us. Maybe you can ask Zhao Manyan to carve the same words again and see if it's his handwriting?" Mo Fan said.
"Carve my ass! If I can't even recognize my own handwriting, doesn't that make me a retard? It's obviously the same place, and the flower seal on that pebble is clearly the Li Fan Flower, the clan symbol of one of the ancient Indian tribes!" Zhao Manyan rose to his feet.
"Mo Fan, is this where you found the Time Liquid?" Lingling asked, remembering this story.
"Yeah," Mo Fan nodded.
"But..."
"Ridiculous, this is ridiculous..."
Mo Fan f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y withheld the astonishment in his heart. He carefully recalled the situation when they entered the ancient ruins in the eye of the storm.
"I remember we went into the storm through what was said to be a magic lock. We followed Nanyu and came here. This time, we went inside the White Lava… now that I think of it, the storm barrier and the curtain of White Lava are a little similar to one another. They are both separating the place from the outside world, but one is wind, and the other is fire," Mo Fan remembered.
"That does sound a little reasonable, but this place has only been around for three hundred years. Didn't the ancient Indian tribes exist even earlier than that?"
"Perhaps the White Lava has been around longer. The meteorite that smashed the mountain three hundred years ago had only turned it into a caldera, making it into an extremely dangerous place that no one dares to risk their lives to explore," Lingling theorized.
"AHHH, I still don't understand, we were clearly in Peru when we came here after entering the storm! How did we end up here when we are currently at Kunlun Mountain!?" Zhao Manyan yelled.
"A Spatial Relay Point?" Lingling mentioned something that none of them had heard before.
"What's a Spatial Relay Point?" Mu Bai asked quickly.
"There are different theories related to the Space Element. One that is generally accepted states that there are two sides to a space. Think of it as a painting, the plane we live in is the front of the painting. If we tear a gap in the painting, it will reveal the material of the board behind it. It's a rough plane called the Inverse Space.
"The order in the Inverse Space is messed up. The space can extend and contract without limits. The Blink Spell of the Space Element works by extending the space between where the Mage is at and the destination. Once the Mage tears a gap and enters the Inverse Space, the two spots are basically stacked on top of one another, allowing the Mage to move to the second spot instantly. The Mage will jump into and out from the Inverse Space and reappear at the destined spot, making it look like the Mage has teleported from one place to the other," Lingling lectured them calmly.
Chapter 1458 - Static Time
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Another theory for the Space Element is the so-called Spatial Relay Point. Think of the world as a sphere; we are living on its surface, which is the Earth's surface. The sphere consists of countless axes through the center of the sphere. Using Blink as an example again, when a Mage casts the spell, it will rotate the angle of the axis that represents the Mage's location by a certain angle. The angle might only be tiny, but a small change in the angle is equivalent to a few hundred kilometers on the surface," Lingling went on.
"Why did I never hear anything like that, even though I'm a Space Mage?" Mo Fan grumbled.
Lingling rolled her eyes and ignored the uneducated Mo Fan. She added, "The center of the sphere is the intersection point of all the axes. It remains the same at all times. The point is referred to as the Spatial Relay Point, because regardless of where you are, if you can find a way to enter the sphere and reach the intersection point, you will find yourself at the Spatial Relay Point!"
"So this means that Sun Ridge and Peru Desert Valley are symmetrical?" Mui Qing asked after she realized something.
"No, the sphere of the Space Element and Earth are different. If the second theory is correct, it means this current spot in Kunlun Mountain's Sun Ridge and the eye of the storm in Peru Desert Valley are spatially symmetrical. The storm barrier and the White Lava curtain are the gates leading to the Spatial Relay Point. Of course, you can think of it as us going into the ground, and appearing on the other side of the earth where the corresponding coordinates are. The Spatial Relay Point is like Earth's core, where Arctic and Antarctica are in symmetry," Lingling answered.
Zhao Manyan turned to Mo Fan with a confused face. Mo Fan said awkwardly, "Don't look at me, I don't have the slightest clue what she is saying at all."
"You're very knowledgeable!" Mui Qing was quite impressed.
"May I ask, is there any way for us to travel to the other side of the axis, for example, to Peru? Doesn't that mean we are safe!?" Zhao Manyan pressed.
"Theoretically, it's possible, but we'll have to find the other gate. Otherwise, we can only leave through the gate we entered," Lingling said.
They walked into the ruins of the ancient city while they were talking. Mo Fan followed the street, which was just as clean as it was when he first visited the place. He was thinking of checking out the statue.
"This place is surprisingly well-preserved!" Mui Qing exclaimed.
The outer part of the ancient city was in ruins, but as they ventured deeper, it felt like the ancient city had frozen at some point in time, like an elegant teenage girl falling into a deep slumber in a different dimension. Her face remained the same despite the flow of time...
"It looks exactly the same as the last time we came. Nothing changed," Zhao Manyan said.
"Rumors say that time in a Spatial Relay Point is static," Lingling added.
"Time is static?"
The others' eyes widened, but both Zhao Manyan and Mo Fan soon nodded in agreement. Zhao Manyan was the first to speak, "Now that you mention it, I also feel that way. The place is exactly the same as it was when we came two years ago."
"This place is the intersection point of all time axes. The flow of time reflects the change in space, but this place won't change at all," Lingling said.
Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan were even more convinced after hearing Lingling's explanation.
But the question was, was it really possible for time to be unmoving in this world?
Would time actually stop on a certain day, just like this ancient city that had fallen into an eternal slumber on a certain afternoon, and had not changed even by the slightest after a few hundred years?
---
As they went further ahead, Mo Fan started to feel a little more familiar with the surroundings. He remembered seeing the fountain and the beautiful sacred statue of an alluring figure at the end of the street.
However, Mo Fan felt as if he had just been electrocuted when he arrived at the fountain.
"The statue..." Mo Fan pointed at the statue. He was lost in thoughts for quite some time.
"What's wrong with the statue? It's pretty nice-looking," Zhao Manyan squinted while admiring the statue. The statue was not wearing any clothes. The n.a.k.e.d body was covered by a thin veil, but the sacred body of the young woman was still visible. He was having trouble shifting his gaze away from the statue.
"Are you sure that time is static in here?" Mo Fan asked.
"Why do you ask?" Lingling asked.
"This is where I found the Time Liquid, but the statue turned into sand and drifted away in the air. Why is it perfectly fine now!?" Mo Fan stared at the vivid and lifelike statue of a young woman. He was utterly confused, wondering exactly what was going on here!
The words that Zhao Manyan had carved on the wall were still there, so how did the statue restore on its own? Mo Fan clearly remembered the statue had already turned into dust that was blown away by the wind...
"Time was turned back?" Lingling murmured, after taking a closer look at the statue.
"No way, how is it possible to turn back time?" Mui Qing protested.
"Who knows? You all assume this place is secluded from the outside world, but maybe something has been here all along, something that restored the statue," Mu Bai ventured.
He found it hard to believe time could be static, or the possibility of turning back time. Time was not something that could be manipulated by magic; many of their ancestors had proven that to be true!
Mo Fan went closer. He reached out his hand to touch the statue to see if it was rebuilt recently. However, he immediately felt scorching heat coming from his back. It was approaching them rapidly.
"Look out!" Mo Fan immediately turned around. The flames of Ardent Sunset erupted on his right fist as he threw it at the fireball that was coming at them!
The Fiery Fist collided with the fireball that was trying to ambush them on the street and exploded like fireworks. The flames were blown into the air before pouring down on the structures, setting the place ablaze.
The rest were shocked as they quickly turned around.
They were surprised to see a woman in silver heels standing on one of the wooden huts. She was engulfed in a blue flame, staring at them indifferently.
"Such impressive reflexes!" the woman sniffed disdainfully.
"Mu Xumian!" Mu Bai's gaze sharpened.
Mo Fan was also shocked when he saw the woman.
How did the woman get in here? Was the White Lava only for decoration?
"You aren't the only ones that came here prepared. I already mentioned before, I hate it when people waste my time. I was initially considering sparing your lives, but since you don't appreciate my kindness, I will have no choice but to bury you all here!"
Chapter 1459 - Super Level Fire, Gates of Hell
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Damn it, we underestimated that woman's capabilities! What should we do now?" Zhao Manyan hissed.
Mo Fan looked behind Mu Xumian and did not see anyone else apart from her. He let out a relieved sigh.
The people that Mu Xumian brought were quite strong, too. They would be in trouble if all of them were attacking him at the same time. However, if Mu Xumian was alone, Mo Fan and the others might be able to take her on!
"Don't worry, she should only be able to use the Fire Element and the Poison Element..." Mo Fan told them.
"Hang on! I don't recall these restrictions when we went into the storm?" Zhao Manyan replied.
If the place was the same as the one they went to before, the Fire Element would not be the only Element available!
"I remember the presence of other Elements was incredibly weak back then. Only the Wind Element is stronger. Besides, we were all worn out back then, and we didn't use any magic after coming into this place," Mo Fan said.
"My Ice Element isn't working," Mu Bai frowned.
"Damn it, my Water Element, Earth Element, and Light Element are not available, either!" Zhao Manyan swore.
Mo Fan tried gathering Lightning Magic, but noticed that he was unable to construct any Star Patterns or Star Orbits, as if he had entered an area where the use of magic was restricted. However, the Fiery Fist and the Fire Spell that Mu Xumian had cast were unaffected!
Mo Fan was astounded. What exactly was going on here?
The restrictions of the White Lava remained. The Fire Element was the only magic in the secluded place, but when they came here through the storm in Peru, the Wind Element was the only magic there...
Why would the Element be different if it was the same place?
"Die!" Mu Xumian did not have any patience. She had already constructed four Fire Constellations around her. The fifth was about to be completed.
Zhao Manyan, Mui Qing, and Mu Bai subconsciously took a few steps back when they saw the brilliance of the Stars constructing a magnificent Star Palace. Their hearts trembled in fear as they sensed the formidable aura of a Super Spell!
"Gates of Hell: Searing Vein!"
Mu Xumian's temperament changed while she was casting the Super Spell. Her eyes were filled with pride, like a fiery judge who could sentence anyone to death with a single word. The enormous Star Palace behind her set off her sacred aura!
