"Young friend..."
Old Li gave a bitter smile, and was about to speak when his body suddenly swayed and gradually became ethereal.
Upon seeing Ancient One clapped his hands together, and a circular golden magic circle appeared beneath Old Li's feet. Immediately afterward, a semi-transparent beam of light shot up from within the magic circle, transforming into a piece of golden amber that completely sealed Old Li inside.
" Richard, his Life Origin is rapidly draining away. Use the Space Stone to seal the entire hall!"
"Yes, Your Sorcerer Supreme!" The situation was urgent, and Richard didn't have time to ask why. He reached into a small Portal that appeared out of thin air and took out the Space Stone hidden in the Crimson Dimension.
The Ancient One's actions were strikingly similar to his; almost simultaneously, she retrieved the Eye of Agamotto from the opened Portal, which had been placed in the Secret Chamber.
" Your Sorcerer Supreme?!" Richard's eyes widened slightly.
Ancient One said in a deep voice, "You seal space, I'll seal time! Be quick!"
Richard glanced at Old Li, who was sealed inside the golden amber, placed his hands inside the Space Stone, and with a thought, used his Mana to draw out the energy within the Space Stone.
"Seal up!"
He gave a low shout, and a stream of dark blue Spatial Energy instantly shot out from the Space Stone, spreading throughout the entire hall in less than a breath.
'Buzz~'
Richard's control over the Space Stone was not yet perfect; a wisp of spatial ripple instantly swept through the entire Kamar-Taj.
"Um?"
The powerful Sorcerer, including Kaecilius, Mordo, Hamir, and Marcus, simultaneously sensed the fluctuations in Spatial Energy and all turned their gazes towards the direction of the main hall.
Their reactions were exactly the same!
He put on the Sling Ring, raised his hand and drew a circle, opening a Portal to the main hall.
Outside the main hall, Kaecilius and the others emerged one after another from their respective Portal.
Marcus, clutching a Magic book he hadn't had time to put back on the shelf, asked in surprise, "What's going on? Are there enemies?!"
Everyone looked up at the main hall, which was sealed by the dark blue Spatial Energy, their expressions solemn.
"Not good! The Sorcerer Supreme is still inside!" Mordo's expression changed, and without saying a word, he immediately condensed the Rings of Raggadorr and was about to rush forward.
" Sorcerer Mordo, wait a minute!" Kaecilius grabbed him, looking at the eerie blue energy with some hesitation. "This looks like the energy of the Space Stone?!"
Hamir walked to his side Sorcerer Richard the Space Stone during the ambush of Dormammu!"
Wang stood behind Marcus and whispered, " The Sorcerer Supreme and Sorcerer Richard should both be in the main hall. If the enemy is one that even the two of them combined can't defeat, then if we join in, we'll probably just be a bunch of hindrances..."
Marcus nodded. "The king is right, let's wait patiently here!"
Seeing that everyone agreed, Mordo had no choice but to remove the Rings of Raggadorr from his possession.
At this moment, other Sorcerer and apprentices who had heard the commotion arrived one after another.
" Sorcerer Mordo ..." Kaecilius whispered to Mordo, "We know nothing about the situation inside the hall right now. It's not safe for the apprentices to stay here. Please calm them down and let them leave first."
"Leave it to me!" Mordo nodded and turned to stand before the Kamar-Taj Sorcerer and their apprentices who had arrived later.
"Don't panic, everyone. The Sorcerer Supreme and Sorcerer Richard are researching a powerful Secret Art inside the hall. To avoid disrupting the normal operation of Kamar-Taj, the Sorcerer Supreme has sealed off the entire hall."
The Sorcerer and apprentices of Kamar-Taj looked at each other in bewilderment.
Mordo clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Go back now. If you encounter anyone else on the way, tell them not to come near here!"
"Yes, Sorcerer Mordo!"
The Sorcerer and their disciples bowed respectfully and then turned to leave.
Mordo returned, Marcus tossed the Magic he was carrying to the king behind him, then patted him on the shoulder. "Well done, Mordo ~ You're the next Head Instructor of Kamar-Taj ~"
Mordo reached out and slapped the hand off his shoulder, giving the unreliable Marcus a disgruntled look.
Marcus chuckled, shrugged nonchalantly, and, mimicking the Ancient One, put his hands behind his back to continue observing the dark blue spatial seal.
Wang Shuma-Gorath book: " The Magical Journey of Sigmund ".
He casually opened a small Portal and sent the Magic back to number thirty-two on the third floor of the second column of the Kamar-Taj Library.
Inside the hall, the Ancient One's hands moved in a series of Hand Seal, and the outer Dharmic Instrument of the Eye of Agamotto opened one by one, revealing the Time Stone inside.
She carefully guided a wisp of green time energy, flicking her fingers repeatedly, and the time energy scattered across the spatial seal of the sealing hall.
The moment this temporal energy came into contact with the spatial seal, it immediately disappeared into it. In an instant, the entire seal began to intertwine and shift between dark blue and green, and the time and space of the main hall were separated into an independent spacetime plane.
Ancient One let out a soft sigh and tapped the golden amber seal that had been sealing Old Li. The golden amber turned into specks of energy sparks and dissipated.
After being released from confinement, Old Li's knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.
"Watch out!" Richard caught Old Li just in time, only to be shocked to find that he was now ridiculously light.
" Old Li, what's wrong with your body?!"
Old Li's illusory body gradually stabilized. He broke free from Richard's embrace and solemnly thanked Ancient One: "Thank you for saving me, Sorcerer Supreme!"
Ancient One returned the greeting with his hands clasped together, saying, "It was no trouble at all, you are a distinguished guest from another world."
Old Li smiled and nodded at her, then turned to look at Richard, and said with a wry smile:
"Young friend, our path to Daluo Return to One is truly fraught with difficulties!"
Richard raised his eyebrows, a guess forming in his mind. "Something's happened on Source Star again?!"
Old Li nodded bitterly. "Not long after you left Source Star, an unknown realm, invisible and intangible, suddenly appeared and devoured the entire Source Star in an extremely short time..."
"All living beings on the Source Star have been transformed into a semi-digitalized life form..."
" The Mother of Source Star forcibly halted the revival, using her last bit of energy to send me out of that unknown realm entangled with Source Star..."
Old Li looked down at his illusory arm and said with a wry smile, "Even so, I've lost nearly half of my Life Origin!"
"Moreover, the methods of that unknown realm are extremely strange. They can actually cross endless space directly from the distant Source Star World and continuously extract the remaining Life Origin from my body!"
"Thanks to the Sorcerer Supreme who sealed me in time and isolated me from time and space..."
"I'm safe for now!"
"An unknown realm?" Richard turned to look at the Ancient One and asked, " Sorcerer Supreme, have you ever encountered this kind of realm that Old Li is talking about?"
Ancient One frowned, deep in thought, "Unseen and intangible... it devoured the entire Source Planet of Life in an extremely short time... transforming living beings into semi-data life forms..."
She shook her head. "I've traveled the Multiverse and never encountered anything like this before!"
"That level of power can traverse endless space and extract the Life Origin of this distinguished guest from another world... Even the powerful Galactus doesn't possess such an ability..."
"You don't know either..." Richard crossed his arms and rubbed his chin, " Old Li, what are your thoughts now?"
Old Li lowered the illusory arm, his face grave, and said, "I'll rest for a bit, then return to Source Star!"
"Give it back?!" Richard exclaimed in surprise. "Hey buddy, you heard Sorcerer Supreme said too, that level is even stronger than the Galactus!"
"You shared my memories, so you should know very well what Galactus is, right?!"
"That's one of the Big Five Deity of the Multiverse!"
"..."
Old Li remained silent for a moment, then looked directly into Richard's eyes with unwavering determination. " Source Star gave me life and nurtured me. If I cannot save it, then I will be buried with it!"
Richard frowned; he couldn't let Old Li go to his death in vain!
The problem is, that realm is invisible and intangible; we have no idea whether it's life, a dimension, or the universe...
And it's even more powerful than Galactus!
Rescuing Source Star from someone whose methods and trump cards are unknown is harder than climbing to heaven!
At this moment, the Ancient One, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke up, "That unknown realm isn't necessarily stronger than Galactus!"
"Um?!"
Richard and Old Li both looked at her at the same time.
You mean...
Old Li looked at Ancient One expectantly.
Ancient One raised his hand and summoned a wisp of energy, which transformed into a peculiar life form resembling a thin mist or wisp of smoke.
"This is a peculiar life form I encountered three hundred years ago..."
"It seems to have an innate ability to hide; I walked right past it and couldn't find a trace of it!"
"I suddenly received a request for help from a friend, so I chose to turn back, and happened to witness it hunting its prey."
"After killing its prey, that strange creature sensed my presence and tried to kill me as well..."
"And then?!" Richard asked with interest.
"And then?" Ancient One smiled and spread his hands, "Then I gained a precious collectible~"
"So..." Old Li's expression brightened. "You mean that the unknown realm of devouring the Source Star is just a miraculous method, but it doesn't mean that it is inherently powerful?"
Ancient One nodded and said, "Yes, the endless world possesses all sorts of strange and wonderful life forms and abilities..."
"I'm going back right now. I must test the strength of that unknown realm!" Old Li roused himself and was about to open the Cross-realm Portal.
"Holy crap! Old Li, wait a minute!" Richard grabbed Old Li's arm, spitting as he said, "Why are you in such a hurry?! Have you forgotten about your Life Origin?!"
"You stay here and behave yourself! I'm going to investigate the situation on Source Star!"
"No!" Old Li objected without hesitation. "The situation in the unknown realm is just our speculation. I can't gamble with your life!"
Richard curled his lip and said irritably, "Do you think I'm stupid?! I'll use Clone, Clone!"
The Ancient One warned, "Whatever you do, don't bring the Space Stone with you. Once you leave the Multiverse, the Space Stone will lose its effectiveness!"
"I know!" Richard gave an OK sign, formed a hand seal, swayed slightly, and a Magic Clone emerged from behind him.
" No. 1 bro, could you please make the trip?"
Clone No. 1 rolled its eyes and sharply retorted, "We Clone have no human rights! We never get to enjoy the good life, but we can never escape the death missions!"
Richard, shamelessly grinning, said, "Of course! You guys are the experts at this!"
"Tch!" Magic Clone No. 1 raised a middle finger and tore open a Spatial Rift.
The moment the Spatial Rift appeared, Old Li's body began to become illusory again.
Magic Clone No. 1 dared not delay, and rushed into the Spatial Rift under a thin but tough Crimson Veil.
Richard raised his hand and wiped it, causing Spatial Energy to surge and quickly close the Spatial Rift.
Old Li's weak legs buckled, and he immediately knelt on one knee.
"Look at you, look at you..." Richard said, helping him up while complaining, "You're so weak, and you still want to go back! You'll probably be drained of your life halfway there and turn into Mummy in Dimensional Rift!"
Old Li nodded with a wry smile and said, "Young friend, you're right."
Ancient One her hand and gestured, and the tea table and the Prayer Mat moved over together.
" Richard, and there are distinguished guests from another world..."
" Clone return date is uncertain, let's have a cup of tea first~"
Old Li, following local custom, put his hands together in a prayer-like gesture and said, "Thank you for your Sorcerer Supreme, Your Excellency!"
While the three were drinking tea and chatting, Magic Clone No. 1 sensed the Magic Mark of the Source Star within the Dimensional Rift.
"Huh?!"
He let out a soft "hmm," a strange smile appearing on his face.
At the same time as sensing the coordinates of the Source Star Magic Mark, Clone No. 1 suddenly sensed another similar Magic Mark.
What does this tell us?!
This means Richard had been to that unknown realm!
Clone No. 1 immediately transmitted this discovery to the Main Body, and then teleported there following the Magic Mark on the Source Star.
Kamar-Taj Main Hall.
Old Li and Ancient One are discussing techniques for converting between the origin of flesh and blood and the Soul Origin.
"... My current body was Regeneration using a single Pinglan Fruit..."
Ancient One observed Old Li's body with surprise.
"Materialization Regeneration... a resurrection Secret Art?! What a strange Secret Art!"
At that moment, Richard, who was sipping his tea from his teacup, suddenly stopped.
Old Li and Ancient One noticed his change and looked over immediately.
Old Li put down his teacup. "Young friend?"
Richard's expression turned very strange. He put down his teacup, covered his face, and rubbed it vigorously a few times.
Ancient One asked in a low voice, "Did the Clone discover any clues?!"
"Right...?" Richard nodded, then turned to look at the Ancient One: " Sorcerer Supreme, do you remember what I told you before..."
"Did I ever visit a Parallel World that was like a virtual game?"
Ancient One's eyes widened suddenly. "You mean..."
Old Li also unearthed the shared memories from back then, and he stood up in shock. "That unknown realm that devoured the Source Star was the Virtual Game World you visited before?!"
Richard nodded. "Most likely... Clone No. 1 just sent a message that he sensed Magic Mark Magic Mark from the Source Star and the Virtual Game World within the Dimensional Rift... These two Magic Mark... overlap!"
Ancient One nodded. "So, the Virtual Game World is a virtual life form or a virtual world?!"
Richard pondered for a moment and speculated, "It should be Virtual World, but this Virtual World has given birth to intelligence; in Daoist terms, the Way of Heaven has acquired self-awareness!"
Old Li slumped onto the Prayer Mat, somewhat lost and dejected. "No wonder I can't see or touch it; the virtual and real worlds are completely different..."
Seeing Richard, Richard patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, "Don't panic, Old Li! I speculate that the beings from the Source Star who were devoured and transformed into semi-digital life forms have all become NPCs in that game. Ordinary NPCs in that Virtual Game World will respawn and revive after they die..."
Ancient One picked up the teapot and poured Old Li another cup of tea. "Don't rush, just wait for news about Richard's Clone!"
"That's right!" Old Li slapped his cheeks, forcing himself to cheer up. "As long as there's a glimmer of hope, I can't give up!"
"Compared to our previous complete ignorance, we now know that the unknown realm is a Virtual World. As long as we address the root cause and find the weaknesses of that Virtual World, we can definitely save Source Star!"
Old Li finally cheered up, while his Clone No. 1 had already arrived at the Source Star via interdimensional teleportation.
[Ding~]
As soon as it landed, Clone No. 1 heard an electronic voice.
He surveyed his surroundings and discovered that this was the location of the Main Altar on the Vast Sea Plain.
However, the original Main Altar has now become a steep mountain peak that pierces the clouds, and Clone No. 1 is now located at the top of this mountain.
His eyes darted around, as if he had thought of something, and he immediately whispered, "Open the panel!"
'Whoosh~'
A transparent virtual panel appeared in front of him.
[Character: Richard ( Clone No. 1 )]
[Race: Human Race /? Deity ]
[ Mana: lv 61]
[Skills: Dimensional Portal max, Crimson Chains of Destiny max, Eyes of Crimson max, Eternal Crimson Flames max...]
Clone No. 1 was checking the attributes on the panel when he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He quickly canceled the panel, flipped over and jumped off the mountain, and scrambled down the mountainside using both hands and feet.
An invisible wave rapidly spread outwards from the entire mountain peak.
Like a monkey climbing downwards, Clone No. 1 was naturally swept by the wave, but it was alert in advance and did not use its Mana. The probing wave did not detect anything unusual about Clone No. 1.
Moreover, seemingly due to the change in the fundamental rules of the Source Star, the body of Clone No. 1, originally constructed from pure Mana, was directly transformed into a semi-digital state by an unknown force...
Clone No. 1 descended rapidly through the strange secret passage:
I feel like... I've become an independent individual?!
Just then, a hazy voice, indistinct in gender, echoed in his mind.
[A Child from Another World...]
Clone No. 1's body suddenly stiffened.
who?!
He suddenly looked around, a barely perceptible blush flashing in his eyes.
Don't panic! Don't speak!
The hazy voice was unexpectedly gentle. Clone No. 1 paused slightly, responding in its mind. "[You are... the Mother of Source Star?!]"
The hazy voice held a hint of melancholy. "[ The Mother of Source Star... perhaps...]"
Clone No. 1 frowned slightly and hurriedly asked, "[Respected Mother of Source Star, how are you currently?]"
A muffled voice replied, "[I'm fine, better than ever before!]"
I know why you came, child from another world...
[But perhaps the current Source Star is its true future!]
Upon hearing this, Clone No. 1 was taken aback, and a sudden shock ran through him:
Holy crap, what's going on?!
Could it be that the Star Soul of this Source Star was directly sacrificed?!
What good would Old Li possibly do then?
Seemingly sensing the thoughts of Clone No. 1, the hazy voice even seemed somewhat pleased. "[So the child has successfully escaped!]"
[That puts my mind at ease... Child from another world... I need your help...]
Clone No. 1 perked up and quickly asked, " Mother of Source Star, please give your orders!"
The hazy voice said, "[I have been transformed by the core of the Illusory World into one of the Mainframe supporting the entire world!]"
[ True Ego should have had all my independent consciousness erased...]
[But it seems that because I am in a special state of rebirth and revival, my consciousness is scattered throughout the entire Source Star, and the consciousness that has been erased is only a part of the Origin Land...]
[The core of the Illusory World is now transforming the entire Source Star through me, and the beings of Source Star are scattered across various Map and Dungeon...]
I need your help to sever the Illusory World's control over my Mainframe!
Only in this way can I take control of the entire Source Star and completely break free from the shackles of the Illusory World!
[Huh?!] After hearing this, Clone No. 1 was a little confused. He asked, puzzled, [Uh, how can I help you break the Illusory World's control over you?]
[That's easy~] The hazy voice chuckled softly, [Just clear all the Dungeon in the entire Source Star World and defeat all the Field Boss...]
[Huh?! What?!] Clone No. 1 was stunned again. He asked hesitantly, [You mean... you want me to play a game?!]
[Yes~] A muffled voice responded, [ Source Star has now been transformed into a complete Virtual Game World. As long as a Player completes the entire Source Star game, the Illusory World Core will refresh and restart the entire Source Star Game World...]
[At that time, the Illusory World Core will transform, open the Connection Channel, and reveal its true form!]
[Once the external Connection Channel is severed, the Illusory World Core's control over the Source Star Mainframe will be interrupted, and repairing the Connection Channel will take 3 to 5 seconds...]
[If I can seize those 3 to 5 seconds, I can completely take control of the Source Star and break free from the control and constraints of the Illusory World!]
[I get it!] Clone No. 1 suddenly realized, [So that means the Connection Channel is usually invisible and intangible. It only changes Connection Channel and appears when the entire Source Star game is completed and a refresh/restart is needed, right?!]
"Yes!" the muffled voice exclaimed joyfully.
Clone No. 1 couldn't help but clamp a thick stone pillar between its legs, and the fly rubbed its hands together, asking:
[Um... if I may ask, how many Dungeon and Field Boss are there in the entire Source Star game right now?]
A muffled voice replied: [3789 Dungeon, 5431 Field Boss...]
Clone No. 1's expression froze.
How much?!
3789 Dungeon...5431 Field Boss?!
Damn, I only completed 2710 quests for the Scholar achievement in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion of World of Magical Beast!
I can't do it, I can't do even a little bit of this job!!!
The hazy voice, sensing the thoughts of Clone No. 1 and 'hearing' his hesitation, quickly offered advice: [Child from another world, it's time for your Main Body to create more Clone...]
Upon hearing this, Clone No. 1's eyes immediately lit up.
That's right, it's time to Main Body the life of being a slave!
In the Kamar-Taj Main Hall, Richard, who was enjoying his tea, suddenly trembled and spilled it all over his pants.
Richard:...
Old Li:...
Ancient One:...
Old Li asked with concern, "Young friend, what's wrong with you?!"
A flash of Crimson Mana appeared in Richard's hand, and his crotch became dry again.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "My super sixth sense is warning me... There are treacherous subjects trying to harm me!"
Old Li:...
Ancient One:...