The excitement of repelling the Burning Universe warships was short-lived. Although the spatial maze provided temporary protection, everyone understood it was merely a temporary solution. The Burning Universe would never give up, and the next arrival could be even more unimaginable. They must find a more stable foothold before the enemy returns, or... a way back to their homeland.
After a brief respite, Dilawang offered a suggestion: "Our initial understanding of spatial principles is like a child learning to walk. We need more experience and references. This planet is ancient and mysterious. Besides the Light Tree, there may be other places that contain the mysteries of space. If we can find them, we may accelerate our understanding."
This suggestion was universally agreed. After communicating with the Crystalline, they relayed a vague message: In the northern part of the planet lies an ancient region known as the "Forest of Eternal Whispers," where a giant fungus that releases hallucinogenic spores grows. Deep within the forest, the spatial structure is abnormal, and "light and shadow distortions" occur occasionally, making it a forbidden zone for the native lifeforms. "A spatial anomaly?" Lin Xingyun grasped the crucial information. "Perhaps this is the 'reference' we need!"
Temporarily entrusting the protection of Pearl Lake to the Crystal Clan, the five set out on their journey again, heading north.
The further north they traveled, the more bizarre the environment became. The light from the binary stars seemed filtered by some force, emitting a hazy purple-red hue. The earth gradually became covered in a faint, phosphorescent, deep-blue moss. Tiny, dust-like, luminous spores began to float in the air. While inhaling them was harmless, they could slightly distort vision and echo in the ears with a faint, whispering sound—hence the name "Eternal Whisper."
Finally, a boundless forest of countless towering fungi appeared before their eyes. These strains took on various forms. Some resembled giant umbrellas, their canopies brimming with fluorescent threads; others resembled spiraling towers, their bodies riddled with luminescent holes; and even more, like creeping giants, their gills emitting colorful mists. The entire forest was hushed yet eerie, permeated with a strong aura of life and a sense of spatial distortion.
"Be careful of these spores and mist," Nguyen Thi Mai warned. With a flick of her fingertips, she drew the surrounding water vapor to form a thin, constantly flowing, purifying film around them, filtering out the spores and dampening the whispers. "The 'water spirit' here is chaotic and hallucinatory."
Aisha produced a batik cloth. The patterns on it glowed faintly in the forest's energy field, resonating faintly with the fluorescence of certain strains, seemingly neutralizing the surrounding hallucinogenic effects to a certain extent. "The growth of these fungi seems to align with some natural pattern, disturbing space."
Lin Xingyun fully exerted his spatial perception and felt an unprecedented shock! The spatial "weave" here wasn't as relatively stable as Pearl Lake. Instead, it resembled the surface of a lake into which a stone had been dropped, rife with chaotic ripples and whirlpools! In some areas, the space contracted, the light dimming; in others, it expanded, the scenery stretched and distorted. There were even extremely unstable "wrinkled" zones, seemingly poised to rip apart at any moment!
"Follow me!" Lin Xingyun said solemnly. He had to constantly adjust his perception, seeking a relatively safe path, as if navigating a minefield. Buakaw followed closely behind, his energy surging, his masculine aura deterring the approaching small, strange creatures, rendered aggressive by the spatial distortion. Dilawang used the Jade Buddha's pure light to steady everyone's composure, resisting the pervasive whispering of spirits.
Deeper into the core of the fungus forest, the spatial anomalies intensified. They even witnessed bizarre sights: a river suspended in mid-air, water flowing backwards; a fungal colony repeating the cycle of growth, withering, and growth before their very eyes; and even the distorted, blurred shadows of the people they had walked past minutes earlier! "Time here... seems to have been affected, too?" Aisha wondered.
"It's not exactly time," Lin Xingyun concentrated, sweat dripping down his forehead. "It's the profound distortion of space that's causing the disarray of light and information, creating an illusion akin to a time-space tangle. But... there are indeed some extremely ancient spatial 'scars' here."
Finally, they reached the deepest part of the mushroom forest. Before them lay a relatively open space. In the center, instead of a massive bacterial strain, there was a single, low-growing, strange fungus, as translucent as obsidian. It grew quietly, while the surrounding space exhibited an eerie crackle, like shattered glass. However, these "cracks" were not silent; within them flowed the light of stars as if they were born and died.
What shocked Lin Xingyun most was that when he focused his spatial perception on the obsidian fungus, the "ancient city barrier patterns" within his body, along with his nascent sense of spatial anchoring, resonated strongly with a distant, familiar, and urgent ripple deep within the "cracks"! That vibration... came from the solar system! From Earth! Even... it pointed directly towards the stargate at Angkor Wat!
"It's... it's the 'echo' of home!" Lin Xingyun's voice trembled slightly with excitement. "This anomalous space, this strange fungus, is like a natural 'cosmic echo wall,' capturing spatial signals from my home starfield! Especially the unique ripples produced by the stargate's opening!"
He tried, carefully directing his own trace of spatial anchoring power, like casting an invisible thread, to gently "touch" the spatial cracks surrounding the obsidian fungus.
Buzz!
A spatial rhythm, far more ancient and complex than the spatial structure of the Qingai Galaxy, carrying the scent of home, echoed back along the invisible thread! Lin Xingyun's whole body trembled, as if thunder had exploded in his mind! His understanding of the "weave" of space instantly deepened, especially the mystery of "ultra-long-distance spatial connections," forcing him to gain a vague but clear understanding!
He vaguely "saw" the existence of countless "anchor points" in the universe, similar to the star gates at Angkor Wat, connected by invisible "spatial veins." His profound understanding of space and immense power might allow him to sense and even temporarily borrow these "veins" without relying on fixed star gates!
"I... I think I know what to do!" Lin Xingyun's eyes shone brightly. "We don't need to completely control the star gates. As long as our 'anchors' are strong enough and our perception of the 'veins' is clear enough, we can... find our way home!"
Hope, like the sudden light that blazed through this strange fungus forest, dispelled the long-lasting gloom of a foreign land. The Star Sea Shaman's journey home had finally achieved a substantial breakthrough!
(End of Chapter 26)