The Awakening Of The Hidden Sanctuary

Chapter 183: The Awakening of the Hidden Sanctuary

The ancient formation had begun to change.

Aether stood before the enormous stone archway, watching faint golden patterns spread across its weathered surface. The surrounding pillars responded one after another, their inscriptions illuminating in an order that seemed deliberate rather than random.

Beside him, the Ancient Origin Earth Dragon studied the phenomenon.

"Young Master, the formation is reconnecting the spatial structures that were previously separated. However, I would advise against entering immediately."

Aether glanced at him. "Because we don't know what's inside?"

"That is one reason. More importantly, the formation was designed to conceal something. Its creators invested considerable effort into preventing outsiders from discovering this region. Such precautions rarely surround an ordinary inheritance."

Aether nodded.

He had already deployed his shadows throughout the surrounding mountains. Their reports had established that the stone pillars formed an enormous network, with the archway serving as one of its principal access points.

However, the central structure remained unidentified.

The System had not yet completed its analysis.

[System Analysis]

Ancient Spatial Network: Active.

Primary Function: Spatial stabilization and concealment.

Secondary Function: Isolation of a restricted region.

Current Condition: Partially restored.

Warning: The internal spatial environment remains unstable. Entering without precautions may result in separation from the original entrance.

Aether read the information silently.

He had no intention of treating an unknown ancient inheritance as an ordinary treasure hunt.

"Can you determine whether the formation will remain stable after opening?" he asked.

The dragon examined the archway.

"For a limited period, perhaps. But I cannot guarantee it. The inscriptions are incomplete, and some of the formation's operating principles are unfamiliar even to me."

"Then we'll avoid separating unnecessarily."

Before the dragon could respond, footsteps approached from behind.

A group of young cultivators emerged between the trees. At their front stood Jiang Rui, the young man from the Azure Mountain Family.

His gaze moved from Aether to the glowing archway.

"It seems we arrived at the right time."

Aether turned toward him. "The formation has opened, but its internal condition remains uncertain."

Jiang Rui studied the entrance.

"Your caution is understandable. My family detected the spatial disturbance earlier, but our information was limited. We didn't expect to find an entire hidden region."

"Neither did I."

Jiang Rui smiled faintly.

"Then perhaps we should cooperate in examining the entrance."

Aether considered the proposal.

Cooperation could be useful, but sharing information with strangers also carried risks. He had no reason to reveal everything he knew about the formation.

"We can enter without interfering with one another," Aether replied. "Beyond that, I prefer to make my own decisions."

Jiang Rui didn't appear offended.

"Fair enough."

Their conversation ended without hostility.

Aether's attention shifted toward the approaching figures. Among them was Mu Qingxue.

A provenance note: the chapter here was copied without the author's consent from the author's official page, which supports their work.

She stopped at a reasonable distance and greeted him politely.

"Young Master Draven."

"Miss Mu."

Her gaze moved toward the archway.

"The surrounding energy has changed considerably. Even the vegetation is responding differently."

The Ancient Origin Earth Dragon looked toward her.

"That is because the spatial boundary is beginning to reconnect. Natural energy circulation is being affected by the change."

Mu Qingxue nodded thoughtfully.

"That explains what I sensed along the way."

She didn't attempt to insert herself into their discussion. Instead, she examined the nearby vegetation, paying attention to the direction in which the natural energy flowed.

Aether noticed her careful observation but said nothing.

Her contribution during their previous encounter had been useful. However, he had no reason to assume that every observation she made would necessarily reveal another secret.

The golden patterns on the archway suddenly brightened.

A low vibration spread through the valley.

The stone pillars began releasing streams of golden light, which converged above the entrance. For several moments, the surrounding space appeared to distort.

Then the archway opened.

Beyond it was an enormous ancient landscape.

Floating mountains stretched across the distant horizon, connected by enormous stone bridges. Ancient buildings stood upon their surfaces, some partially collapsed while others remained remarkably intact. Rivers of luminous energy flowed between the mountains, disappearing into clouds that shimmered with spatial fluctuations.

The sight left several young cultivators speechless.

Even Jiang Rui's expression changed.

"This..."

The dragon's golden eyes narrowed.

"An isolated spatial region. Its internal space is considerably larger than the entrance suggests."

Aether looked beyond the archway.

He could sense enormous quantities of Origin Energy, but the energy distribution was unusual. Certain areas were remarkably dense, while others appeared almost completely devoid of energy.

More importantly, he could sense several distinct formations operating throughout the landscape.

This wasn't simply an ancient residence.

It was an entire preserved region.

[System Notification]

Hidden Spatial Region detected.

Designation: Ancient Sanctuary.

Access: Established.

Spatial Stability: Unstable but functional.

Internal Analysis: In Progress.

Warning: Multiple ancient formation structures detected.

Additional Warning: Several external energy signatures have been detected beyond the current region.

Aether's eyes narrowed slightly.

External energy signatures?

He examined the information again.

The System had not identified them as individuals who had entered the sanctuary. Their exact locations and identities remained unclear.

The dragon seemed to notice his expression.

"Something wrong?"

"Something has attracted attention beyond this region."

The dragon looked toward the entrance.

"That is hardly surprising. An ancient spatial structure activating after countless years would produce considerable fluctuations."

Aether didn't respond immediately.

He knew the tournament had attracted numerous factions. The opening of this sanctuary would only increase the competition.

However, the rules of the Verdant Origin Territory remained unchanged. Outside elders and powerful experts couldn't simply enter the competition grounds whenever they wished.

Whatever those external signatures represented, they would need to respect that boundary.

Aether turned toward the sanctuary.

"We'll investigate, but we won't rush toward the first treasure we find."

The dragon gave a small nod.

"A sensible decision."

Aether silently instructed his shadows to continue scouting the surrounding structures. He wanted information about the sanctuary's layout, possible dangers, and the location of its central formation.

He would not allow a beautiful landscape to distract him from the possibility of hidden threats.

Far outside the Verdant Origin Territory, the disturbance had already attracted attention.

Several powerful factions had noticed the unusual spatial fluctuations.

Within one influential family, an elder examined the information delivered by his subordinates.

"An ancient spatial region has appeared inside the Verdant Origin Territory?"

"Yes. The entrance has reportedly opened, and several young cultivators have already gathered there."

The elder remained silent for a moment.

"Do not interfere with the tournament's rules. Send information to our younger generation and have them investigate the region carefully."

Meanwhile, another faction had reached a similar conclusion.

An ancient sanctuary appearing during a competition was unlikely to remain undisputed for long.

But none of them yet understood what lay hidden within it.

Within the sanctuary, Aether finally stepped through the archway.

The moment his foot crossed the boundary, a faint spatial fluctuation passed over his body.

He immediately stopped.

The dragon noticed.

"Spatial displacement?"

"Possibly."

Aether looked back.

The entrance was still visible, but the distance between them appeared different from what he had perceived moments earlier.

The dragon extended his perception carefully.

"The entrance remains connected, but the surrounding space is adjusting. We should establish a clear understanding of the boundary before moving deeper."

Aether nodded.

Behind them, Jiang Rui and the other cultivators began entering in separate groups. Nobody rushed forward recklessly after witnessing the spatial fluctuations.

Mu Qingxue remained near the entrance for a moment, observing the movement of natural energy before following the others.

Aether turned toward the floating mountains.

There were countless structures to investigate, and the sanctuary's true purpose remained unknown.

Then the System notification appeared again.

[Hidden Mission Updated]

Mission: Trace the Ancient Formation Network.

Objective: Discover the central structure regulating the sanctuary's spatial network.

Progress: Incomplete.

Reward: 25,000 System Points.

Aether dismissed the notification.

His original objective remained important, but the sanctuary had introduced an entirely new opportunity.

He would investigate it carefully.

After all, the people who had constructed such an enormous formation had clearly wanted something inside to remain hidden.

And Aether intended to discover why.

The Ancient Origin Earth Dragon glanced toward the distant mountains.

"Young Master, I suspect this place holds more than a simple inheritance."

Aether's expression remained calm.

"Then let's find out what it is."

Together, they moved deeper into the ancient sanctuary.