Light Fortress Chapter 1732 - 385: Internal Meeting
Previously on Light Fortress...
Situated one hundred kilometers past the Yuanting Island coastal defenses, the churning ocean met the roiling sky.
Thunderstorms unleashed their fury.
A crimson line, resembling the tail of a Thunder Dragon, blazed across the rain-swept heavens, etching a prolonged shadow.
The Deep Sea's surveillance capabilities were confined strictly within the Five Continents.
The same limitation applied to the Cloud Mirror.
This location marked the inner fringes of the Ice Sea, extending beyond the recognized boundaries of the Five Continents, thus rendering it invisible to the Deep Sea's watchful eyes.
As for the Cloud Mirror...
The Red Dragon Envoy withdrew the artifact from his robes.
A mystical mist swirled within the ancient bronze mirror as he attempted to channel spiritual power into it. However, the haze persisted, refusing to dissipate. This served as a clear indication that the current sea region lay outside the Cloud Mirror's effective monitoring range.
Acknowledging this, the Red Dragon silently returned the Cloud Mirror to its place.
He then commenced his descent, plummeting towards the sea like a falling meteor.
To traverse the Sea of Essence Chaos solely through physical prowess would necessitate at least a 'fourth-tier' Extraordinary Realm cultivation. Such a level would permit the comprehension of a domain capable of minimally resisting the corrosive effects of this tempestuous, boiling sea.
Regarding the distance one could navigate.
It varied significantly between individuals; the more potent one's domain, the greater the distance achievable.
It was a rare feat, achieved by very few extraordinary beings, to accomplish what Gu Shen did: traversing thousands of miles in a single, unbroken stretch.
Gu Shen's extraordinary ability stemmed not only from his immeasurably powerful spirit but also from a crucial element—the Truth.
Consequently, this destination was, in reality, exceptionally far.
While the Source Tower's Cloud Ship crawled onward at a 'turtle's pace,' the Red Dragon had already arrived.
Upon his contact with the sea's surface, the crimson lightning overhead ceased its furious clamor.
The Red Dragon advanced across the water, step by measured step. The waves surged around him, a cacophony that was, paradoxically, utterly silent.
The ocean bellowed, the heavens rumbled, and all life paused in hushed anticipation.
After a brief interval, the Red Dragon halted his progression.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he directed his gaze towards the horizon. Countless layers of waves crested and fell, each more formidable than the last. At the furthest point, a minuscule black speck was discernible.
It was a spherical barrier, emanating a subtle 'Light Aura.'
Merely a few days prior, a 'rescue team' dispatched by the Source Tower had detected an extraordinary aura emanating from the Ice Sea.
This pulsating energy had traveled a considerable distance. By the time it reached the mainland, it had fragmented, the faint remnant will too weak to decipher its original message.
The rescue team originating from the Upper City surmised this could potentially be a distress signal from survivors of the Ice Sea Ruins fleet.
Therefore.
The specialized rescue experts from the Upper City embarked on complex calculations. Through rigorous analysis, they pinpointed the probable coordinates and flight path of the signal's origin.
Subsequently, the confrontation at the Yuanting Island defense line officially erupted.
Leading his contingent, the Red Dragon Envoy successfully breached the Storm Church's blockade, establishing a firm presence at the Ice Sea's inner edge and piloting a Cloud Ship into the airspace of the Holy City.
Naturally, the Southern Continent lodged a vehement protest against these actions. Such strong objections were typical of most intercontinental disputes; in truth, these protests rarely amounted to tangible consequences. This was because true power wielded more effective means than mere words. Had the Storm Church dared to navigate a Source Energy Boat into the Central Continent's airspace, the Source Tower would have annihilated it without a moment's hesitation.
Such was the stark disparity engendered by 'power.'
The Storm Church harbored the same inclination.
Yet, they understood their limitations.
Should a Divine War ignite, the Southern Continent, being the weakest, would inevitably become the sacrificial lamb, its populace of millions reduced to mere cannon fodder and scattered ashes.
This particular expedition for rescue.
The experts deployed by the Upper City held considerable optimism regarding its prospects—
The Storm Church had conceded its inability to impede the Source Tower's maritime excursion.
Consequently, if the rescue signal received by the expedition team proved authentic, there was a high probability that the Cloud Ship would succeed in recovering survivors from the Ice Sea Ruins.
As for the precise events that transpired in the depths of the Ice Sea, those mysteries remained veiled, even to this day.
Once the rescue mission concluded, the truth would undoubtedly be unveiled.
"Boom~~~"
The tide surged with a mighty roar. The Red Dragon, hands clasped behind his back, rose and fell in rhythm with the undulating waves.
The barrier loomed ever closer.
He could now clearly perceive the contents within, confirming the presence of survivors from the Ice Sea Ruins, and not just a solitary individual. The spiritual aura radiating from the barrier indeed bore a connection to 'Light.'
This conviction solidified as the Red Dragon observed the survivors enclosed within the sphere of luminous energy.
They were clad in the pristine white robes of the Light Temple, but those formerly immaculate garments were now horrifically stained crimson—a vibrant red, akin to fresh blood.
"Someone!" "Someone’s here!" "Save... save us!" Within the protective barrier, the Transcendents spotted a solitary figure standing at the furthest point of the surging sea tide. Having been swept away from the frigid expanse of the Ice Sea, this marked their very first encounter with living beings! It's a person! It's a living person! A faint utterance, carried by the tempestuous wind and pelting rain, pierced through the gale and reached the ears of the Red Dragon. Though feeble, its clarity was unmistakable. "I am... Yin Zhuo, the Fourth Elder of the Light Temple..." The individual maintaining the barrier struggled to keep the drifting sphere of light intact, his internal essence completely depleted. The Yuanting Island coastline was still more than a hundred kilometers away. Under normal circumstances, this distance would be trivial for a Titled Transcendent. However, these remaining hundred kilometers had transformed into an "unbridgeable abyss" he could never traverse... Upon reaching this stretch of ocean, he had expended every last vestige of his power. Yin Zhuo bore numerous injuries. While being struck directly by a Black Silver Bomb was certainly severe, it was not the ultimate, fatal blow.