boyutpedia Chapter 21 Empty Land
Chapter 21 Empty Land
On the third day after the collapse of the secret vault, a thin mist shrouded the pine forest north of Beijing.
Li Shancheng stood at the edge of an open space, sensing the subtle flow of energy from the earth's veins beneath his feet. This seemingly ordinary pine forest in the northern suburbs of Kyoto was actually one of the surface markers of the Kan position array. The pine trees were arranged according to a specific pattern, forming a natural spirit-gathering array, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of pine and a faint spiritual energy.
Xu Qingqing stood beside him, checking his equipment. Her backpack contained not only the usual investigation tools, but also several magical artifacts specially made by Editor-in-Chief Qin: a pair of jade pendants that could enhance perception, three upgraded versions of emergency teleportation talismans, and a small bottle of "revealing dust"—which could make hidden runes and energy tracks visible for a short time.
"Are you nervous?" Xu Qingqing asked.
Li Shancheng nodded honestly: "Somewhat. What kind of people will be the guardians of the other array points?"
"At least they're not enemies." Editor-in-Chief Qin's voice came from behind. He led Liu Wei on a final check of the security measures at the meeting place. "The Kan position array eye corresponds to 'Black Tortoise,' representing defense and wisdom; their guardians are known for their caution. The Li position array eye corresponds to 'Vermilion Bird,' representing action and passion; their responses are more direct. As for that warning..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but all three understood. The warning from the leyline network—"Beware of internal traitors"—felt like a thorn in their hearts.
Before dawn, Bishop Qin used a special powder to draw a complex protective array on the open ground. The core of the array was a seven-pointed star pattern, with each point corresponding to the direction of an array eye. He had Li Shancheng stand at the position corresponding to the Wen Shu array eye, while he himself guarded the outer perimeter of the array.
"If things go wrong, immediately activate the defensive mode of the magic circle," Bishop Qin instructed. "I will provide support from outside."
At exactly eight o'clock in the morning, the mist in the pine forest began to flow in an unnatural way. It swirled and condensed, eventually forming a blurry human figure in the center of the clearing. The figure gradually became clearer, revealing an elderly man dressed in a dark blue Chinese-style long gown. The old man was about seventy years old, with his white hair neatly tied back, his face thin, and his eyes gentle yet profound.
"The messenger of Wen Shu?" The old man's voice was deep and steady, with a peculiar resonance, as if it did not come from his throat, but rather directly from the surrounding air.
"Guardian of the Kan position, I have long admired you." Editor-in-Chief Qin bowed respectfully. "I am Qin Yunfeng, the temporary presiding officer of the Wen Shu formation. This is Li Shancheng, the heir to the Wen Shu bloodline."
The old man's gaze fell on Li Shancheng, his eyes seemingly able to see through everything: "Young bloodline... the traces of the Book of Light flow within you. Has the Library of Literature truly collapsed?"
"Yes," Li Shancheng replied, "The siphoning by Hanshan Technology caused an energy collapse, and the Book of Light transferred its core records to me at the last moment."
"A wise but dangerous choice." The old man took a few steps closer, without stepping into the magic circle. "Entrusting millennia of knowledge to a bloodline that is not yet fully awakened is like handing a sharp sword to a child. However... you seem to have controlled it quite well."
He stretched out his hand, palm up. A wisp of water vapor condensed in his palm, forming a small mirror. The mirror reflected Li Shancheng's energy spectrum—complex streams of light moving along specific paths, although some parts were still unstable, the overall structure was intact.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Jiang Han, the seventy-third generation guardian of the Kan position." The old man put away the water mirror. "I have received the message you sent through the earth veins and relayed it to the other surviving guardians. The representative who has left the position should be arriving soon."
As soon as the words were spoken, a clear bird song rang out from the east side of the pine forest. It wasn't the sound of ordinary birds, but a rhythmic, almost musical call. A bird with fiery red feathers flew down from the treetop, circled three times above the clearing, and then dissipated into specks of light. The specks of light reformed and transformed into a woman of about thirty years old.
She wore modern outdoor sportswear, but her jacket was embroidered with delicate flame patterns. Her long, dark brown hair was tied in a neat ponytail, and her eyes were a rare amber color, exuding passion and sharpness.
"Sorry for being late, I ran into a little trouble on the way." The woman's voice was cheerful. "Departed Guardian, Su Yan. You're from Wen Shu's group?"
Her gaze swept quickly across everyone present, lingering on Liu Wei for a second longer: "An ordinary person? Interesting."
"Liu Wei, a former researcher at Hanshan Technology, is now our ally," Xu Qingqing introduced.
Su Yan nodded and turned to Jiang Han: "Elder Jiang, have the situations regarding the Zhen and Dui positions been confirmed?"
Jiang Han's expression turned serious: "The Zhen position array eye went completely silent three months ago, and its guardian disappeared. The Dui position array eye had a faint response last week, but we couldn't contact it yesterday. The Gen and Kun positions... have never responded."
"Of the seven array nodes, two have been confirmed to be out of contact, and two are unreachable," Su Yan calculated. "Only Wen Shu, Kan Wei, Li Wei, and the three of us remain. The situation is worse than we imagined."
"Hanshan Technology's target may not be limited to the Wen Shu array eye," Li Shancheng said. "They need the energy of seven carriers, and they are very likely also targeting other array eyes."
"Tell me more about the 'Nirvana Project'," Jiang Han said.
For the next half hour, Li Shancheng and Bishop Qin took turns recounting the entire process from the discovery of the library's anomaly to the collapse of the secret vault, showcasing the videos and data left behind by Chen Ya. Liu Wei supplemented this with her observations within Hanshan Technology, particularly regarding carrier cultivation and ancient relics.
Su Yan frowned as he listened, while Jiang Han remained expressionless, though the light in his eyes grew colder and colder.
"The Tianquan Relic..." Jiang Han pondered after listening, "The most dangerous of the Seven Star Relics. Legend has it that it can 'rewrite the rules of reality,' but if used improperly, it may lead to the collapse of reality in parts or even the whole."
"Hanshan Technology believes this is a means of 'purifying the world'," Liu Wei said. "They want to create a 'perfect' new reality, eliminating all differences and 'imperfections'."
"Foolish!" Su Yan commented bluntly. "Perfection itself is imperfect. Difference, change, and diversity are the source of the world's vitality. Eliminating these is tantamount to creating death."
Jiang Han nodded in agreement: "In ancient times, the seven guardians sealed the relics because they recognized their danger. I never expected that three thousand years later, someone would want to reactivate them... What's worse, they seem to be close to success."
"The clues from the Tianquan relics point to Shuanglong Bridge, which is visible on the night of the full moon," Li Shancheng said. "Hanshan Technology likely knows this as well, and may even know the location of other relics."
"We need to divide the work," Su Yan suggested. "Elder Jiang, you contact the other surviving guardians and try to rebuild the leyline communication network. Editor-in-Chief Qin, you continue to work on the Wen Shu array's core, stabilizing the current situation as much as possible. As for the investigation of the Twin Dragon Bridge..."