I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 676: Departure and the World That Continues Forward

The wizards were in the midst of dividing the spoils from the Hollow City when the deep purple sky overhead began to rapidly shift from faint to clear.

Jie Ming secured the sealed crystal he possessed and lifted his gaze towards the heavens.

Noticing the change, the other wizards quickly concluded their distribution of loot.

Hovering in small clusters above the Hollow City's ruins, a silent anticipation filled the air. Everyone waited for the final, grand “invitation.” In due time, the sky tore open.

A long, slender black rift appeared, stretching from above the clouds into the high heavens. Spanning thousands of meters, it narrowed gradually from both ends towards the center, with its widest point still exceeding a hundred meters.

It presented the appearance of the firmament having been precisely sliced by an incredibly sharp scalpel.

Within the fissure, Austin's projection materialized from pure light. Though his gaze seemed distant, every individual present felt their presence acknowledged.

The eighth-ring Archwizard's eyes swept across the assembled wizards, assessing the plane's condition and their current states, before he gave a subtle nod. Despite its lightness, the wizards perceived an undeniable satisfaction in that gesture.

“I express my gratitude for all your efforts,”

Under his gestured command, the massive fissure that dissected the sky slowly widened, the edges deepening into an even purer blackness.

“Therefore, please gather your spoils and depart.”

His words were calm, yet their meaning was unmistakable: it was time for the guests to leave.

Jie Ming remained suspended in the air, observing the fissure with no trace of surprise.

His earlier conjecture had proven accurate.

Austin’s transformation into a different lifeform was not an instantaneous event. He had merely completed the most crucial phase—the pivotal step of merging with a substantial quantity of the plane’s anomalies.

What followed was an extended period of digestion, absorption, and the genuine assimilation of those anomalous powers into his very being.

During this critical phase, Austin was inherently vulnerable. He would be dedicating the majority of his focus inward, leaving him unattended to the external world.

Essentially, these wizards had been engaged by him as “stabilizers” to act during his period of weakness, assisting in quelling the plane’s backlash and ensuring that the civilization within it would not collapse during his breakthrough.

With the most perilous stage now concluded, his need for these stabilizers had ceased.

To minimize the long-term repercussions of this event on the plane's anomalous ecosystem and to guarantee the future stability of anomaly production, this plane would likely enter an extended period of closure.

After all, the inhabitants of this realm were not beings of extended lifespans.

The passage of considerable time would transform earth-shattering events into mere legends. Within just a few generations, the upheaval and the influence the wizards exerted on the plane's human society would likely fade into obscurity.

Only when that eighth-ring wizard deemed the moment appropriate would the gateway reopen.

Following these courteous pronouncements, Austin’s projection began to recede.

In its final moments, his profound blue eyes blinked once before vanishing, taking the entire projection with them into the sky.

Witnessing this, the other wizards began to cease their activities and obediently ascended towards the black fissure in the sky.

The wizards associated with Jie Ming also moved upward, with Jie Ming following at the rear.

Austin had likely employed some form of spatial manipulation. Not long after ascending, the wizards found themselves swiftly approaching the edge of the fissure. The dark spatial rift unfurled before them like a door without leaves.

Jie Ming paused briefly at the edge of the spatial fissure.

As if recalling something important, he reached his left hand inside his robe and retrieved a black notebook from his spatial artifact, his internal cave heaven. The cover bore no markings, its edges were worn to a soft white, and the spine displayed evident creases.

This was the notebook entrusted to him by Professor Victor.

Having thoroughly studied its contents, Jie Ming had not destroyed it and had kept it with him ever since.

The black notebook floated from his grasp, resembling a leaf detaching and falling from a tree. It tumbled a few times in the air before spontaneously igniting. Flames engulfed the notebook's cover and every single page. The paper curled and blackened under the intense heat.

Jie Ming observed its quiet immolation.

Crimson flames danced within his pupils, casting an ever-shifting pattern of light and shadow across his visage.

Soon, the final page disintegrated into ash within the inferno. The ashes lingered momentarily in the air before silently scattering, resembling snowflakes drifting down.

“This plane is on the verge of entering a state of seclusion. Consider it an opportunity,” Jie Ming mused to himself. “I have already sown the seeds. Whether you can seize this chance depends entirely on your own efforts.”

His gaze shifted from the dissipating ash toward the east, where the Mist Capital lay.

From this vantage point, the city was merely a hazy gray smudge, obscured by the swirling mists and indistinguishable.

“Professor, the task you entrusted to me is largely complete. May you rest in peace.”

He didn’t tarry further.

Turning, he joined the other wizards, entering the abyssal black fissure.

As the last wizard departed, the fissure began to seal, its dark edges drawing together until it vanished completely.

With the fissure gone, the sky resumed its usual azure hue.

Mist Capital, the old district, within an old bookstore.

Afternoon sunbeams streamed through the windows, illuminating the rocking chair with a warm, golden patch.

Eric carried the final metal box from the subterranean laboratory up to the ground-floor shop.

This container held a portion of the research data left behind by Jie Ming.

Bending at the waist, he cradled the box with both arms, carefully navigated the narrow doorway, and set it down on the floor beside a bookshelf.

The metallic surface of the box gleamed briefly in the sunlight before fading.

He straightened up, dusting off his hands.

An observer familiar with him might have noted subtle alterations in his appearance from a month prior.

The fine lines around his eyes had softened, his skin’s texture had improved, and the definition of his jawline appeared slightly more refined.

The most striking change was in his eyes; his pupils had transitioned from a deep gray to a lighter shade, reflecting the sunlight with a silvery-white sheen, akin to moonlight shimmering on a lake.

These physical transformations were evidence of Eric’s enhanced mastery over the five anomalies residing within him.

His seemingly younger visage wasn’t a result of age reversal, but rather an optimization process.

The imprints of time on his face were being systematically erased by the power of flesh distortion.

His features had sharpened as latent, superior genetic traits were awakened.

Even his resemblance to Jie Ming wasn’t a conscious act of imitation. As his command over the anomalies grew, his very life form subconsciously gravitated towards a more refined state.

And among all the life forms he had witnessed, Jie Ming represented the pinnacle of such optimization.

Eric approached the bookshelf, crouched, and reached into the lowest section.

Concealed within was a wooden panel, outwardly indistinguishable from its surroundings, yet known to him as a movable secret.

His fingers found the concealed groove along the panel’s edge, and with a gentle pull, it popped open.

Beneath the panel lay a rectangular cavity housing a black metal box, roughly the size of two substantial dictionaries placed side-by-side.

Retrieving the black box, Eric placed it upon his lap.

“Teacher…” he murmured, gazing at the box.

*Ding…*

The copper bell affixed to the bookstore’s entrance chimed melodically as the door was pushed open, its sound lingering in the air.

The sudden chime broke Eric’s contemplative mood.

Instinctively, he placed the black box on the uppermost shelf, concealing it beneath a large map atlas, then turned around, his demeanor shifting to a professional veneer.

A woman stood framed in the doorway.

Eric blinked in surprise upon seeing her.

She was clad in a perfectly tailored dark gray trench coat, her long, black hair flowing over her shoulders.

Standing at approximately 1.7 meters, the sunlight behind her cast a soft golden halo around her silhouette. Eric had encountered many attractive individuals.

From the receptionists at the Association headquarters and hospital nurses to the formidable Spirit Mediums whose allure was amplified by anomalous powers, he had seen his share. Yet, he had to concede that this woman’s beauty ranked amongst the absolute highest he had ever encountered.

Her appearance was, without hyperbole, remarkably close to the ethereally perfect visage Jie Ming revealed in his true form.

“Hello,” the woman’s voice was slightly deeper than Eric had anticipated.

Her eyes scanned the interior of the bookstore, briefly resting on the rocking chair before settling on Eric.

“Is Mr. Jie Ming here?”

Upon hearing the question, Eric shook his head, dropping the polite facade of his business persona.

“My teacher has departed,” Eric stated calmly, having come to terms with this reality over the recent period. “He likely won’t be returning for some time. If you have any matters to discuss, you may tell me, and I'll see if I can assist.”

The woman appeared somewhat taken aback.

Her lips tightened momentarily before relaxing.

“What a pity,” her voice conveyed clear disappointment.

Her gaze then returned to Eric’s face, lingering this time.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle flicker crossing her pupils.

“Since you are Mr. Jie Ming’s disciple…” the woman said, taking a step forward and entering the bookstore.

The sunlight shifted from behind her to her side, transforming her silhouette from a golden hue to a silver-gray. “Then your skills must also be extraordinary. Would you be able to assist? After all, this is a matter of life and death for me.”

Eric observed her.

His gaze settled on her eyes for two seconds before moving to her hands.

Her right hand rested naturally at her side, while her left hand clutched what appeared to be a medical equipment case.

A subtle blue luminescence flickered along the case's seams—indicating some sort of active energy circuit.

“A Spirit Medium who excels at healing…”

Eric mused inwardly. He then shifted his gaze from the case back to the woman’s face.

“I can,” Eric responded after a brief consideration.

With his teacher no longer present, there was no reason for him to remain in this locality any longer. Venturing out to experience more of the world and its people would be beneficial.

More significantly, Eric recalled the ambitious plan his mentor had once shared with him—the fusion of humans and anomalies.

To successfully implement this advanced technology, he needed to cultivate a robust network of contacts beforehand.

And a Spirit Medium proficient in healing… they should be able to introduce him to a considerable number of valuable acquaintances.

“Wonderful!” A radiant smile illuminated the woman’s face. “Then when can we depart? Is there anything you need to prepare?!”

“We can leave immediately.”

Eric approached the bookshelf and retrieved the black box situated beneath the map atlas.

He tucked the box under his left arm, retrieved the bookstore key from his pocket with his right hand, and presented it to the woman.

“Please hold this for me.”

The woman accepted the key. Eric then stooped down, withdrew a canvas bag from a drawer, placed the black box inside, and hoisted it onto his shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

He proceeded to the door, took the key back from the woman, and secured the lock.

The copper bell above the door chimed once.

Eric turned, casting his gaze toward the overcast, hazy sky of the old district.

The mist had somewhat dissipated compared to the previous day, allowing the faint outlines of distant factory chimneys to be discerned.

Beside him, the woman stood, her left hand cradling the glowing case.

Her eyes shifted from Eric’s face to the end of the alley. “My driver is waiting over there.”

“Understood, let us proceed.” Eric stepped down from the threshold.

The woman followed closely. “Regarding this commission, I intended to…”

As their two shadows stretched long across the cobblestone pavement, their voices gradually receded into the distance.