The Secrets Bebearh Verdent Origin Territory

Chapter 181 — The Secrets Beneath Verdant Origin Territory

The ancient spatial structure continued emitting a faint silver radiance even after Aether withdrew his hand.

Thin lines of light travelled across its surface, following intricate patterns that resembled neither ordinary formations nor the inscriptions commonly used by modern cultivators.

Aether studied them quietly.

"Do you recognize their purpose?"

The Ancient Origin Earth Dragon stood beside him in its humanoid form, its golden eyes examining the structure. It remained silent for several moments before answering.

"I recognize the language used to construct it, but not the complete formation. These inscriptions belong to an ancient system of spatial regulation. Their arrangement suggests that this structure was never intended to function independently."

"Meaning?"

"It may be one component of something considerably larger."

Aether glanced toward the surrounding ruins. "A network?"

"Possibly. If my interpretation is correct, several formations of this kind could have been established throughout a much larger territory. Their combined purpose would depend on the central formation controlling them."

Aether's gaze sharpened.

Verdant Origin Territory was already an unusual place. Its spatial environment, resource distribution, and concealed regions suggested that its structure was far more complicated than an ordinary cultivation ground.

If these formations were connected, the territory might contain secrets that remained undiscovered for countless generations.

"System, analyze the structure and compare its inscriptions with the other spatial formations we've encountered."

[Analysis initiated.]

[Comparing spatial energy fluctuations, inscription patterns, and formation structures...]

[Preliminary conclusion: The examined structure shares several characteristics with ancient spatial stabilization formations.]

[Estimated possibility of belonging to a larger interconnected formation network: High.]

[Potential functions include spatial stabilization, energy distribution, concealment of restricted regions, and regulation of internal spatial boundaries.]

[Central formation location: Unknown.]

Aether considered the information.

"Can you identify why it reacted to me?"

[Insufficient information.]

[The formation has responded to the target's Origin Energy, physique characteristics, and unidentified energy fluctuations.]

[The exact recognition condition remains undetermined.]

The dragon noticed the subtle change in Aether's expression.

"It recognized something in you?"

"Apparently."

"Then I would advise against treating its response as an invitation to activate it. Ancient formations often have conditions that their creators never intended outsiders to bypass."

Aether gave a small nod. "I'm not planning to force it."

He turned toward the surrounding ruins.

"First, we understand what we're dealing with."

Several shadows emerged from his feet.

Blackfang and two other registered shadows moved toward the northern section, while Grimhorn and another shadow investigated the opposite direction. The remaining shadows spread across the nearby ruins, searching for similar inscriptions, damaged structures, concealed passages, and unusual energy fluctuations.

"Don't disturb anything you find. Report its location and condition."

The shadows acknowledged the command before disappearing among the ruins.

The dragon watched their movements with mild interest.

"Your forces are useful for this sort of investigation."

"They're more useful when I give them something worthwhile to investigate."

"An important distinction. Some cultivators accumulate strength without learning how to employ it."

Aether glanced at him. "You're beginning to sound like an old teacher."

"I was already old when several civilizations that now exist were nothing more than ambitions in the minds of their founders."

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"Then I suppose I'll tolerate the lectures."

The dragon gave a quiet snort.

They continued examining the surroundings.

Aether soon discovered several broken stone pillars partially buried beneath the earth. Their surfaces carried faint inscriptions similar to those on the main structure, although most had deteriorated beyond recognition.

The System identified them as remnants of an ancient spatial formation.

Aether collected the fragments that could still be preserved, storing them in his spatial ring for later examination.

Meanwhile, the dragon identified several directional markings.

"These aren't decorative inscriptions. They appear to have helped regulate the flow of spatial energy between separate structures."

"Can they tell us where the other formations are?"

"Not directly. But their orientation may provide clues."

Aether examined the markings more carefully.

"So we follow their direction."

"That would be a reasonable beginning."

Before they could proceed, a shadow returned.

It knelt briefly before Aether and released a small fluctuation of Origin Energy, transmitting the information it had gathered.

Another artificial structure had been discovered several hundred metres away. Unlike the first, it was almost completely buried beneath the remains of an ancient stone platform. Nearby, the shadow had also detected several Origin Beasts and traces of valuable resources.

Aether nodded.

"Good. Continue observing the surrounding area."

The shadow disappeared again.

The dragon looked toward the newly discovered location.

"Your investigation may be more productive than expected."

"That's the idea."

Aether opened his Status Panel privately.

His registered shadow count remained at ten. His Shadow Authority understanding stood at seventy-two percent, and his current cultivation remained at Origin Vein Realm Stage 5.

The Favorability System was still unavailable.

[Current System Points: 35,000]

[Favorability System Acquisition Cost: 100,000 System Points]

[Remaining System Points Required: 65,000]

Aether closed the panel.

He hadn't forgotten the purchase. The remaining time inside Verdant Origin Territory was limited, and obtaining enough System Points before the competition ended would require him to make good use of every opportunity.

The formation investigation was important, but it wasn't his only objective.

He still needed to gather resources, encounter suitable opponents, expand his shadow army, and secure his qualification token.

"Let's continue. We have other things to accomplish before leaving this place."

Far outside Verdant Origin Territory, Aether's companions were making their own preparations.

The absence of Aether had not stopped their cultivation or training. Although they couldn't enter the competition grounds alongside him, they had their own responsibilities and ambitions.

Aria stood in an open training area, her Starfall Spear moving through a sequence of precise strikes. Each movement carried a faint celestial radiance, and the surrounding Origin Energy responded to her technique.

She completed the final movement before lowering her spear.

Her gaze briefly shifted toward the distant territory.

"He'll probably find something troublesome again."

There was a faint smile on her face, although concern remained beneath it.

Lyra, who had been watching nearby, crossed her arms.

"You're making it sound as though he deliberately searches for trouble."

"Doesn't he?"

Lyra considered that for a moment.

"...Fair enough."

A short distance away, Seris was examining several resources they had gathered. Her Moonlit Life Physique allowed her to sense differences in their life energy, making her particularly useful when identifying materials with medicinal or restorative properties.

She carefully separated the resources into different groups.

"If we can organize these properly, we'll have something useful prepared when he returns."

Sylvara glanced at the growing collection.

"You're already planning what he'll need next?"

Seris smiled.

"Someone has to."

Nearby, the young woman possessing the Binding Physique sat quietly, observing the others.

Her attention was not entirely on their conversation. She had been considering how to develop her physique further, particularly its ability to influence surrounding Origin Energy and restrict the movements of opponents.

Aether's progress had given her another reason to take her own cultivation seriously.

She didn't intend to remain dependent on someone else's strength.

After a moment, she returned to her meditation.

Inside Origin Beast Space, Nyx rested nearby while Kiyomi investigated a small collection of unfamiliar objects.

The tiny Nine-Tailed Origin Fox tilted her head, golden eyes following the movement of a floating energy crystal.

Nyx watched her for a moment before releasing a quiet sound.

Kiyomi immediately turned toward her.

The two companions had gradually developed their own understanding of one another, although Kiyomi's curiosity frequently tested Nyx's patience.

Neither had forgotten Aether.

Back in Verdant Origin Territory, Aether and the dragon reached the second formation.

It was considerably more damaged than the first.

Several sections had collapsed, and the remaining inscriptions were barely visible beneath layers of accumulated dust and ancient energy.

The dragon crouched beside it.

"This confirms my suspicion. These structures were designed to work together."

Aether examined the surrounding area.

"How many might there be?"

"I cannot say. There could be several dozen, or considerably more. Without finding the central formation, determining the network's full scale will be difficult."

The System suddenly issued another notification.

[Spatial resonance detected.]

[Multiple ancient formation structures within the surrounding region have experienced a simultaneous fluctuation.]

Aether's eyes narrowed.

The faint silver light beneath his feet spread outward before disappearing.

For a brief moment, the distant ruins seemed to respond.

The dragon immediately stood.

"That was not an ordinary fluctuation."

"Can you determine what happened?"

"No. But something has caused the formations to acknowledge one another."

Aether looked toward the first structure.

"Could it be reacting to me?"

"Perhaps. But we should not assume that every response is intended for your benefit."

Aether gave a slight nod.

The System continued its analysis.

[Formation network resonance detected.]

[Target signature recognized by multiple connected structures.]

[Reason for recognition: Unknown.]

[Potential access conditions: Incomplete.]

Aether stared at the notification for a moment before closing it.

There was clearly more to Verdant Origin Territory than its competition and resources.

The ancient formations might conceal something valuable, but they could also lead to dangers that had remained sealed for countless years.

He had no intention of rushing blindly into either possibility.

"Record the locations of every formation we've discovered. Continue searching, but don't activate or damage anything."

The dragon nodded.

"A sensible decision, Young Master."

Aether glanced at him.

"Let's return for now. We still have a competition to finish."

The dragon followed as the shadows began returning from their assigned areas, bringing information about additional ruins, spatial fluctuations, resources, and several nearby Origin Beasts.

Aether had gained another piece of the puzzle, but the larger mystery remained unsolved.

Three days remained in Verdant Origin Territory.

And somewhere beneath its ancient landscape, an interconnected formation network had begun responding to his existence.