A/N : If you want to support me or early access to chapters, consider becoming a patreón: patreón.com/keetarp.
★TDG FF has Early Access till Chapter 82.
★WMW FF(rewrite ) has Early Access till Chapter 24.
★WMW DL has Early Access till Chapter 39.
Join my community, accessible to all readers, discuss ideas, get updates and share photos and comments—https://www.patrèon.com/chats/f10f809d279243e9a68849812a04ff8e
Do remember to edit the ' è ' in the link.
...
The eerie silence surrounding the ancient structure behind City Lord's Mansion was broken only by the faint sound of Nie Li's footsteps as he approached the ancient array
The sixteen dome-like towers stood like ancient sentinels, weathered by countless storms and carved with intricate inscription patterns. The array before him pulsed faintly with ancient energy, resonating with an aura from a bygone era.
Nie Li narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the complex structure. Even with his extensive knowledge of inscription patterns, the sheer complexity of this array was beyond him. However, he had an advantage that no one else in Glory City possessed: the A.I. Chip embedded within his soul.
Beep!
[Scanning ancient array… Analyzing inscription patterns… 41% decoded.]
The A.I. Chip's interface appeared before Nie Li's eyes, displaying a detailed map of the array and highlighting the intricate connections between the inscription patterns.
A. I. Chip has found a way to unlock the spatial array, the layout of the ancient array was constructed in such a way, that if one had an analytical mind, and adequate inscription knowlegde one is able to obtain a lot of information, they don't necessarily need to solve the whole array.
A. I. Chip informed Nie Li that there were some patterns and tricks to this array.
A. I. Chip then ran various simulations to find those keys.
"A.I. Chip, have you identified the weak points of the array?" Nie Li asked mentally.
Beep!
[Running simulations… Analyzing data from 1,024,861 combinations… Probability of success: 79.8%.]
A small arrow appeared on the interface, pointing toward one of the dome-like towers.
Nie Li smirked. "Good. Guide me."
With the A.I. Chip's assistance, Nie Li approached the indicated pillar. His right hand gently traced the ancient inscription patterns, each carved symbol resonating with faint energy. After a moment, he found a slightly bulging inscription.
"Found it," Nie Li murmured. He infused a small amount of soul force into the pattern.
Beep!
[Correct pattern identified. Recording data for future analysis.]
A burst of dazzling light erupted from the pattern, sending a beam of energy toward the barrier.
Ohmm.
The barrier trembled slightly. Gasps of shock echoed from the surrounding crowd.
"What happened?!"
"He… He really cracked the array?"
The spectators, who had thought they would witness yet another failed attempt, were stunned. For centuries, this ancient barrier had resisted every effort to be unlocked. Yet, Nie Li had just cracked a portion of it with ease. Although everyone believed in Nie Li but it was still astounding to witness this historic event right before their eyes.
Nie Li ignored the his friend'd astonishment. "A.I. Chip, continue the analysis."
[Beep! Next pattern identified. Proceed to the second tower.]
Nie Li swiftly moved to the next dome. With the same precision, he traced the inscriptions, found the key pattern, and infused soul force. Another beam of light shot toward the barrier.
Ohmm.
One after another, Nie Li activated the third, fourth, and fifth inscription patterns, each one sending a beam of light into the barrier. The energy converged into the center, forming a nebula-like glow that shimmered with ancient power.
[Beep! Progress: 93%… Final pattern identified.]
Nie Li's hand rested on the final inscription. As he injected his soul force, the last beam of light merged with the others, creating a radiant explosion of energy. The barrier trembled violently before gradually fading away. (Image)
The crowd held their breath.
"It's open..."
"He really did it!"
Nie Li turned to his companions, a confident smile on his face. "Come, we're going inside."
Du Ze, Lu Piao, Xiao Xue, Xiao Ning'er, and Cao Wang immediately followed. As the six of them stepped through the barrier, it shimmered and reformed behind them, sealing them inside.
---
In an instant, the world around them shifted.
Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
Blinding light surrounded them as they were transported into a new realm. When the light faded, they found themselves standing in the center of a massive, worn-out ancient array. Stone pillars with ancient inscriptions encircled them, while a cold drizzle fell from the sky.
Ahead of them stretched an endless, dark wilderness. Distant mountains loomed on the horizon, and the eerie roars of unknown beasts echoed through the air.
"Where... are we?" Lu Piao asked, glancing around nervously.
Nie Li furrowed his brow. The energy here was foreign and ancient, filled with traces of primordial power.
"A.I. Chip, scan the surroundings."
[Beep! Analyzing environment… High-energy spatial fluctuations detected. Probability of being an isolated pocket dimension: 97.4%.]
Nie Li's expression darkened. "This isn't part of Glory City. We've been transported to an ancient realm."
The others tensed up.
"Everyone, stay together and don't act rashly," Nie Li commanded.
The sudden shift from the familiar grounds of Glory City to the eerie and endless dark wilderness left Lu Piao and the others in shock.
"Where are we, Nie Li?" Lu Piao stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
"We were just at Glory City... how did we get here in an instant?" Xiao Xue murmured, eyes wide with disbelief.
Nie Li, however, remained calm. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings as he quickly analyzed the ancient array beneath their feet. The towering stone pillars carved with ancient inscription patterns, along with the faint luster of the worn-out array, hinted at a lost era's powerful mechanism.
"This is similar to the Heavenly Sacred Border," Nie Li deduced. "The array transported us here. Don't panic. There must be a way out."
As the others tried to steady their nerves, Nie Li activated the A.I. Chip.
"A.I. Chip, scan the stone compartments and analyze the inscription patterns."
[Beep! Scanning… Analyzing data... The array matches the Light Transportation Channel of the Light Inscription Series by 78%. The inscription predates the Sacred Empire Era. Probability of required energy sources: Stones of Light (89%), Stones of Abyss (41%), Stones of Prison Realm (27%).]
Nie Li's eyes narrowed. "Stones of Light… If we place them in the compartments, we can reactivate the array and return to our realm."
Before Nie Li could share this with the group, an eerie sound echoed through the darkness.
"Guji Guji!"
A bizarre creature emerged from the shadows. It was a hairless, scarlet-skinned being with sharp claws, bulging blue eyes, and short, pointy ears. The creature's shriek summoned more of its kind from the wilderness. (Image)
Lu Piao's face turned pale. "What the hell are these things?!"
"A.I. Chip, identify the creature," Nie Li commanded.
[Beep! Scanning… No match found. New species added to the database. Estimated strength: 1-Star Silver Rank.]
Nie Li's eyes sharpened as he quickly devised a strategy.
"Cao Wang and Du Ze, attack directly. Lu Piao, support from the rear. Xiao Xue, stay with Xiao Ning'er and protect her."
"Understood!" Du Ze replied, withdrawing a sword, soul force crackling around him.
"Yes Master." Cao Wang roared as he fused with his Earth Dragon spirit, Ironhide Wyvern his arms transforming into sharp claws.
"Got it," Lu Piao said reluctantly, drawing his sword as he kept his distance.
"Guji! Guji!" The Scarlet Ghosts screeched as they charged at them.
Cao Wang moved first, slashing through two creatures in an instant. Blood splattered onto the ground as their bodies collapsed. Du Ze followed up with a lightning-infused sword attack, obliterating another.
While the battle raged, Nie Li's attention shifted to the A.I. Chip interface. A notification flashed.
[Beep! Reward unlocked: 36 Acupuncture Technique - Suitable for awakening the Black Dragon bloodline. Only applicable for descendants of the dragon bloodline.]
Nie Li's eyebrows twitched. The technique seemed brutal, involving the piercing of specific acupoints to awaken latent potential causing excruciating immense pain for ten days. It could either be a powerful strengthening method—or a cruel torture technique.
"The system never gives useless rewards," Nie Li thought. "I'll decipher it later."
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Ghosts continued to swarm in increasing numbers. They poured out from the shadows, surrounding Nie Li's group.
"Lets keep moving forward!" Nie Li ordered.
As they advanced, Cao Wang and Du Ze cleared a path through the creatures while Lu Piao provided cover from the rear. Xiao Ning'er and Xiao Xue followed closely behind Nie Li, Xiao Xue was the weakest member of the group while Xiao Ning'er is the strongest after Nie Li.
Fresh blood stained the ground as Cao Wang's claws ripped through the flesh of another Scarlet Ghost. Du Ze's lightning-quick strikes beheaded two more creatures, leaving their headless bodies.
However, for every Scarlet Ghost they killed, more emerged from the darkness.
"Nie Li, there's no end to them!" Lu Piao shouted in frustration.
Nie Li's mind raced as he observed the ancient array beneath their feet. The A.I. Chip's analysis indicated that the array was incomplete without the Stones of Light. If they couldn't find those, they'd be trapped in this realm forever.
Nie Li's eyes glimmered with determination. "Let's retreat for now. We have yet to figure out what danger lurks here, It's best to avoid confrontation."
The group fought their way through the horde, with Cao Wang and Du Ze leading the charge. The Scarlet Ghosts, though relentless, were no match for their combined strength.
Nie Li himself didn't intervene because with his cultivation realm, he could easily dispose of such beasts, its beast to let Du Ze and Lu Piao earn some fighting experience.
Even still Nie Li looked at the increasing number of the beasts with furrowed brows, these beasts were unnaturally bloodthirsty. Nie Li used the detection ability of A. I. Chip to perceive the area around them, it seems there are plenty of different kinds of beasts.
He glanced at Xiao Ning'er and said, "Ning'er, use a wide range area attack to kill every beast here. Without them on our tails, we can retreat— Wait everyone come close to me quick! Stop engaging those beasts, come here!!"