Chapter 5: Methods
The massive space-time distortion point concealed itself behind a dark, twisted space, like a turtle encased in a thick, hard shell, facing the Fairyland from across the void. To glimpse its true form, one had to cross those layers of indestructible spatial barriers.
For ordinary Transcendent Beings, this was an insurmountable wall, but every Legendary Expert present was well-prepared.
At the Sky-Piercing White Tower camp, the bald mage removed his wand from his belt and pointed it at the distant void.
What drives a mage forward is, most of the time, curiosity. And at this moment, Barbarossa was indeed very curious—how could a massive demiplane, detached from the protection of the main world and hidden in the void for over a thousand years, sustain its existence without being discovered until the Great Magic Tide? What was the truth behind it? What secrets lay within?
He was not a man who liked to wait. The Elemental Master, already prepared for such exploration, stared into the void, veins bulging at the corners of his eyes. He flicked his wand, tracing runes in the air, and began to probe the enormous space-time distortion before him.
Suddenly, a dazzling rainbow light flared within the Sky-Piercing White Tower camp. The seven elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Positive, Negative, and Aether—flashed one by one, then converged into a single point, merging into a hazy orb of light. It had no temperature, no energy reaction. If not for the visible light it radiated, no one could have confirmed its existence. The moment it appeared, the orb shot toward the space-time distortion at near-light speed. In the next instant, it pierced through the layers of twisted spatial barriers, creating a narrow passage straight into the depths of the distortion. This force even disrupted the self-repair ability of the distorted space, forcibly maintaining the passage.
"Move out."
With a single strike that easily shattered the layers of twisted space, Barbarossa withdrew his wand and closed his eyes, his expression unchanged. He gave the order with his hands behind his back. Before him, twelve elite mages responded in unison, and layers of arcane light began to shimmer over their bodies—Void Travel, Spatial Barrier, Free Flight, Composite Elemental Resistance... In a single breath, more than ten spells were cast upon themselves. They seemed long accustomed to this procedure, their movements fluid and practiced. Then, one by one, these mages flew into the passage, disappearing into the depths of the distortion.
Meanwhile, at the camp of the Sage of the Eastern Sea, a silver-haired girl stood with her hands clasped together, her eyes closed. A gentle, ethereal light emanated from her body, spreading outward like ripples. This light did not possess the violent energy of magic, nor the sharpness of psionic power. It was pure, gentle, and vast, as if it were the breath of the world itself.
A Sage is a being who can communicate with all things and foresee the future. They can converse with flowing water, laugh with flames, and prophesy impending disasters and wars. The world seems to favor them, granting them mysterious powers that allow them to command mountains and rivers, and to order beasts and monsters.
Now, a true Sage was beginning to reveal her power. At the camp, her disciples also clasped their hands together, and a faint psionic glow enveloped their bodies. They flew toward the place touched by that immense will earlier. Along the way, all the twisted spaces seemed to be alive, automatically avoiding them, allowing these people to enter the space-time distortion unimpeded.
"To merge with the world, true unity of heaven and man, thus able to communicate with all things and prophesy disasters." Joshua nodded slightly, finally understanding what kind of existence a Sage was. It was a powerful tradition specializing in the spiritual aspect. Unlike the common psionic system, for a Sage, psionic energy was merely a byproduct of elevating their will. The true power lay in this pure spiritual force that could rapidly integrate with any environment.
The Sage of the Eastern Sea, Faina, had cultivated in the Eastern Plains for decades. That place was where she was most familiar and strongest. Leaving her homeland, the Sage in the Fairyland could not exert her full power, yet she was still this formidable.
Compared to the grand displays of Barbarossa and Faina, the fishman camp in the distance seemed less conspicuous. Godar simply summoned an unremarkable water column, sending his elite fishman priests and wave-breakers to the vicinity of the twisted space. But surprisingly, the space around the water column seemed to be filled, spontaneously revealing various deeply hidden broken structures and vulnerabilities. These invisible traps, originally the most dangerous elements around the space-time distortion, now lost all lethality due to their exposure. Even the fishman priests themselves now had the ability to avoid danger and delve deeper.
Unlike the previous use of magic and psionic energy, now that they were in the void, the fishmen, originally covered in scales or soft skin, began to rapidly grow thick layers of chitinous armor. Their fragile gills and eyes were also covered with bone and crystal structures for protection. Within seconds, these aquatic fishmen of various forms collectively transformed into a form capable of surviving in the void, like void monsters born to live there.
"It is said that the fishman race has already tapped into the power of life essence. They can use magic to rapidly modify their life forms to adapt to any environment."
Having observed the moves of the other three factions, Nostradamus turned to look at Joshua, his eyes flickering with eagerness and curiosity. "Will you make the move, or shall I?"
"I will."
Without hesitation, Joshua stepped forward, taking the lead. Silver light swirled around him, then condensed behind him into a massive ring. This ring, bisected by a straight line, spun continuously, causing a tremendous gravitational tide to sweep through the camp, affecting everyone and everything.
In the next moment, the warrior clenched his right fist. Behind him, a colossal, four-armed metal giant phantom rose. The entire camp sank several meters under the sudden, oppressive weight. The giant phantom mirrored Joshua's action, and together, they punched heavily toward the distant void, at the location of the twisted space!
"Boom!"
The invisible force of the punch sent ripples across the edge of the Fairyland. It twisted gravity and space, striking the twisted spatial barrier with immense force. Although there was no medium for sound in the void, everyone watching seemed to hear the sound of something shattering. After delivering this punch, the giant phantom behind Joshua slowly faded away. In the distant twisted space, a fist-shaped hole appeared. Large swaths of energy debris, like dust, floated around it, vaguely revealing a desolate gray land beyond the hole.
It had been punched through by brute force.