The clamor and tremors of Bayon Temple vanished behind them like the receding tide. As the five Star Sea Shamans stepped through the portal forged of light and faith, the familiar humid air, the dust of stone, and the scent of incense were instantly replaced by an unprecedented sensation.
There was no piercing sonic boom, no violent tearing. The journey felt more like a gentle immersion, like diving into the deepest trench, surrounded by a silent, indescribably colorful river of light. The sense of time blurred, the sense of space completely overturned. Lin Xingyun could only tightly grip the Chris dagger in his hand. The cool touch and faint resonance were the only anchor connecting him to the past world. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aisha's batik fabric floating autonomously within the energy flow, its patterns coming alive, dancing with the light. Nguyen Thi Mai's silver earrings rang with a melodious sound, as if in tune with some deep cosmic rhythm. Buakaw's muscles tensed, as if resisting an invisible pressure. Dilawang, with his eyes closed, held a jade Buddha radiating a gentle glow, his face a look of almost reverent tranquility.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps a moment, perhaps an eternity, the river of light ahead reached the end of an expanding vortex.
A gentle push propelled them out of the passage.
The moment they felt grounded, an indescribable freshness filled their lungs, a strange fragrance like that of a jungle after rain, mingled with the aroma of unknown minerals. The gravity seemed similar to Earth's, yet their bodies felt subtly light.
They stood on a land... a land that defied precise description in Earth's language. There was no familiar sun overhead; instead, two stars, one large and one small, hung in the sky. The larger one radiated a bluish-white, slightly cool glow, while the smaller one shone a warm orange-yellow. The intertwined light of the binary star system cast the entire world in a dreamy, greenish hue. Tiny particles of light, like fireflies, floated in the air, creating a dreamlike experience.
Underfoot lay the soft, springy ground covered with lavender moss. No trace of man-made structures was visible, only rolling, bizarre "plants." These "plants" had the texture of translucent glass, their branches twisting like coral, their leaves carved from the finest jade. They swayed gently in the breeze (if that could even be called wind), creating a melodious tinkling sound like wind chimes. In the distance, giant, jellyfish-like creatures drifted slowly in the low sky, their canopies shimmering with bioluminescence.
This place was a fairyland of beauty, yet a hauntingly quiet silence. Aside from the subtle rustling of plants and the silent drifting of strange creatures, no birdsong or beasts could be heard. An eternal silence enveloped everything.
"Where...are we?" Aisha asked softly, subconsciously clutching a floating batik cloth beside her, emitting a soft white glow—the result of the psychic energy she had inadvertently infused during her journey, which now became a small source of light.
"It's not on any known star map," Dilawang opened his eyes, gazing at the twin stars, his brow furrowed slightly. "The star alignment here doesn't match any region of the sky described in our ancient legends. We've been taken to...a very distant and unknown corner."
Buakaw stomped hard on the ground, feeling the soft touch, then pumped his fist; the air resistance seemed slightly different. "The gravity is okay, I can fight. It's just that this place is so quiet, it's suffocating."
Nguyen Thi Mai squatted down, her fingertips gently touching the lavender moss. The silver ring on her earlobe gleamed faintly. "Water... I can sense a vast body of water far away, but the air here has a strange flow of water vapor, as if it were... coaxed by some force." Her perception of the water element remained sharp, even on this alien planet.
Lin Xingyun didn't speak immediately. He fully unleashed his spiritual senses, simultaneously activating three witch patterns to carefully sense the surroundings. The Shadow Snake witch pattern was sensitive to changes in light and shadow, the Compassionate Buddha Hand pattern could sense the good and evil of life energy, and the newly acquired Ancient City Barrier pattern endeavored to establish a connection with the unfamiliar land beneath his feet.
The feedback was complex and ambiguous. The spiritual energy here (or perhaps cosmic energy) was exceptionally abundant, even several times richer than on Earth after the spiritual rain, but its nature was more neutral, or perhaps... more "primitive," unlike Earth's energy, which carries the heavy imprint of history and civilization. Life energy was ubiquitous, and the plants and floating creatures in the air all exhibited significant energy reactions, but most were peaceful and restrained, without overt aggression. "The energy is abundant, but it feels... empty," Lin Xingyun concluded. "We need to explore carefully to understand the environment, potential resources, and... whether there's intelligent life or danger."
They chose a direction and began advancing cautiously. The soft, sound-absorbing moss beneath their feet made their footsteps almost inaudible. As they traversed the glazed emerald forest, Aisha's batik cloth occasionally resonated faintly with certain plants, emitting a brighter glow, as if these plants were responding to specific energy patterns. Nguyen Thi Mai guided the way, heading toward what she perceived as a "huge body of water." Where there's water, there are often more possibilities.
After traveling for about an Earth hour, the scene suddenly opened up. They emerged from the forest and arrived at the edge of a vast... "lake."
I put them in quotation marks because this body of water wasn't composed purely of water. The lake was a viscous, pearly silver-blue, calm and still, like a giant liquid gem. Even more astonishing, at the center of the lake grew an immense tree—or rather, a tree-like structure. Its trunk resembled a giant, spiraling glazed tower, its branches composed of countless luminous threads, like an inverted star-filled waterfall, cascading into the lake, blending with the water and emitting gentle yet vast energy fluctuations. The presence of this "light tree" had increased the energy concentration of the entire lake area to an astonishing level.
"So... so beautiful..." Aisha gazed up at the light tree, her eyes filled with awe. The batik cloth in her hands glowed steadily and brightly, faintly echoing the light tree's aura.
"It's also dangerous," Dilawang observed warily. "Such energy-rich areas are often not lacking in guardians, or... predators."
As if to confirm his words, ripples suddenly appeared on the tranquil lake surface. They weren't caused by the wind, but rather by waves rising from the depths. Immediately afterwards, several silver-blue creatures, constantly shifting in form, like liquid mercury, slowly rose from the lake. They lacked fixed features, merely vaguely humanoid outlines, their bodies radiating the same energy as the light tree. These "liquid creatures" silently "observed" the intruders, showing no immediate hostility. Instead, an invisible, powerful mental pressure spread like mercury, attempting to communicate with the visitors, or rather... scan them.
Lin Xingyun felt a cold, curious touch brush against the edge of his consciousness. He immediately focused his mind, radiating the light of the compassionate Buddha's hand patterns from his body, forming a gentle barrier to block this mental probe. The others also displayed their own magical powers, resisting this invisible pressure.
A brief standoff ensued.
The liquid creatures seemed curious about the "alien" energy signature emanating from Lin Xingyun and the others, which was incompatible with this planet. They slowly swam around the light tree, their silver-blue bodies reflecting a hazy glow.
Just then, another change occurred!
From the distant sky, a low, aggressive roar of engines echoed! Several black dots rapidly expanded, revealing several hideous, dark-armored, shuttle-shaped aircraft, strikingly different from the technology of the Gene Alliance! Their target was clear: the light tree in the center of the lake!
The hatches of the aircraft opened, and several figures clad in full power armor, armed with strange energy weapons, descended by ropes. Their armor was painted with an unfamiliar symbol, resembling a claw tearing through a planet.
These new, uninvited guests clearly weren't here for communication. As soon as they landed, they attacked the silver-blue liquid creatures without hesitation! Blazing energy beams shot towards the liquid creatures, instantly shattering the tranquility of the lake area!
The liquid creatures emitted a high-pitched sound, like shattering crystal, and their bodies instantly formed into shields, blocking the attack, but they were clearly enraged by the sudden attack!
The five Star Sea Shamans were instantly caught up in this sudden conflict. Should they aid these seemingly curious native creatures, or stand aside and watch? For the first time, this unfamiliar starry sea revealed its cruel side to them.
Lin Xingyun's eyes glared, his dagger already unsheathed. He would not sit idly by while the strong bullied the weak, plundered and destroyed the weak, no matter where they were.
"Prepare for battle! Target those attackers!"
The Star Sea wizards' history of alien conquests began in this unfamiliar Qingmi Galaxy.
(End of Chapter 21)
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