Chapter 2686: Chapter 2687: Defining the Range
After waiting for a while, there was still no response.
Angel spoke again: "Are you really not coming out?"
Angel started to coax, saying things like "If you donât come out, Iâm leaving," "Iâm going to start counting down," "3, 2, 1... Iâll count down once more, the last time."
But no matter what he said, the "countdown" repeated several times, and the surroundings remained silent.
Angel sighed and murmured softly: "What a pity, didnât trick it out."
Then he turned his head, looked at everyone: "Letâs go, weâll continue."
After speaking, Angel turned around without hesitation and continued walking forward.
Watching Angelâs back, everyone exchanged perplexed glances.
"Has the lord discovered the Wood Spirit?" Vay asked somewhat puzzled.
"Didnât he say it himself, didnât trick it out, right, so it must be..." Dox said with certainty, but thoughts of Angelâs deeds in Princess Town came to mind. Such a crafty person might turn truth into lies.
Moreover, Angel rarely did meaningless actions along the way. If what he did was just an act, wasnât that commotion a bit much?
Thinking of this, Dox withdrew his confident words and changed his phrasing: "It should be false, probably."
Vay thought for a moment and turned his gaze to Kaier.
Though they seemed to be in the Hanging Jail Stairway, it was actually an illusion created by Angel. Even if the Wood Spirit really appeared, as long as Angel didnât change the Illusionary Realm, they wouldnât be able to see the Wood Spirit. Of course, the Wood Spirit couldnât see them either.
The only one present who entered the Hanging Jail Stairway with Angel was Kaier. So, if they wanted to know the situation on the scene, apart from Angel himself saying, Kaier was the best source.
However, Kaier was also a bit bewildered at this moment.
Seeing Vay look at him, Kaier also looked confused and said: "I didnât see anything; is the Wood Spirit really here?"
Kaier also had no definite information, and among those present only the Wise Sovereign knew the inside story. But Vay dared not ask the Wise Sovereign, so he surreptitiously signaled Dox with his eyes, implying he should ask.
But before Dox could respond to his "hint," the Black Earlâs voice came from beside them: "If itâs real, he will find a way to lure out the Wood Spirit; if itâs false, thereâs no need to discuss further. Just continue watching, and youâll know."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Black Earl was the first to leave, following Angelâs steps, stepping into the eerie depths.
Since the Black Earl said so, the others naturally complied and followed along.
The Wise Sovereign was the last to leave. He stared into the dark void, eyes filled with doubt. He really believed Angel earlier, because Angelâs expression and demeanor at the time didnât look like he was acting.
But later, Angelâs sentence "didnât trick it out" confused him.
Yes, even the Wise Sovereign was trapped by the same problem as Vay.
Though he could perceive the situation within the Hanging Jail Stairway through the Magical Energy Array, his special studentâthe Wood Spiritâhad a concealment talent higher than anyone imagined. Without personally entering to look, even the Sage couldnât confirm the Wood Spiritâs location.
So whether Angel was performing or really discovered the Wood Spirit and was calling it out, the Wise Sovereign couldnât be sure either. Yet, in his eyes, Angel didnât seem to be lying.
But the other party so decisively abandoned and left, which made the Wise Sovereign puzzled as well.
However, what confused the Wise Sovereign more wasnât whether the words were true or false, but Angel himself.
"Eccentric behavior, holding secrets, possessing abilities and skills... and not yet over forty years old." The Wise Sovereign silently recited these labels in his heart. What is the purpose of such a person coming here?
In his heart, Angel could even be described as a "variable."
According to his script, this group would certainly enter the Ruins, but they would anger the Goddess, and end up fleeing in panic. Then, the Wise Sovereign would save them, of course, excluding the suspicious person.
Then, by the grace of saving them, he would learn from them the internal situation of the Ruins and probe out the secret of the Goddess.
As for what comes after, the Wise Sovereign didnât care. He could kill them or erase their memories of coming here and let them go. After all, the Noah Clan is now a powerful family. If they discover the secrets here and attract their attention, their sheer size and network would be enough for the dormant Naraku City to handle.
To avoid trouble, the Wise Sovereign wouldnât let the situation here spread out. So, killing or erasing memories were both options. The specific choice would depend on the current situation and the groupâs attitude.
However, this was the Wise Sovereignâs previously set script flow, and now he hesitated a bit.
The reason for everything lies with Angel.
Angel is definitely not a descendant of the Noah, but the energy he possesses behind him is definitely not simple, and it may even surpass the Noah Clan.
Such a person coming here is strange in itself. More strangely, every move he made was placed in ways the Wise Sovereign couldnât foresee.
This is a variable, a variable that could drastically change the outcome.
But such a variable isnât necessarily bad.
According to the Wise Sovereignâs previous beliefs, even if the variable wasnât bad, he would eliminate it. A variable is a variable. If it disrupts his planned flow, even with unexpected benefits, it canât be allowed.
But millennia of adherence made the Wise Sovereignâs ideas start to change.
Sticking to the rules is for stability, but to spark the inspiration of innovation, what is needed isnât stability, but change.
He maintained this stability for millennia without any gains. Naraku not only saw no hope of revival but was gradually declining.
He can wait millennia, but canât wait for another millennia. Itâs not about lack of patience, but lifeâs journey nearing its end.
So, he needs change. Only with change, perhaps, can the declining status be altered.
He wants to probe the truth of the Ruins, to uncover the secret of the Goddess, also in hopes of change.
But the change he seeks still hasnât departed from his script. Because the millennia-old pursuit of stability has rooted deep in his heart, his change seems more like: seeking change within stability.
But can such a change really achieve his expectations?
Perhaps, it is time to consider a more radical "change."
However, could this young Supernova be the variable necessary to bring change to the stagnant Naraku City?
"Keep observing, keep observing..." The Wise Sovereign chanted in his heart, stepping back onto the path of the void.
...
Itâs not only the Wise Sovereign observing; Dox has also been watching Angel all along.
He always felt that Angel wouldnât do meaningless things for no reason. Since Angel mentioned a "little fellow" secretly peeping, if this were true, he would certainly take action next.
In Doxâs opinion, Angel might have been investigating and confirming the location of the "little fellow" all along, and once confirmed, catch the other partyâs location by surprise and force them out.
However, the more Dox observed, the more puzzled he became.
Angel was moving at a considerable speed, showing no intention of stopping at all. It really seemed like he was trying to leave the Hanging Jail Stairway instead of searching for the Wood Spirit.
Moreover, Angel hadnât shown any sign of investigating the surroundings; his eyes remained firmly fixed ahead.
Although Dox didnât know whether Angel was secretly using his spiritual power to probe the surroundings, relying solely on spiritual power was insufficient. Some things cannot be seen with the naked eye but can be sensed with spiritual power; however, there are things that spiritual power might not detect but can be seen with the naked eye.
Perhaps the Wood Spirit was the latter, or maybe even both.
So, in Doxâs view, Angel likely wasnât secretly investigating. He was truly "in a hurry" to leave.
"Could I be wrong again?... Why do I say âagainâ?"
As Dox was bewildered, Kaier walked up to Angel.
"Sir, weâre about to reach the exit soon, are we, are we just leaving like this?"
Kaier wanted to ask if they should look for the Wood Spirit again, but since he had asked once before, he hesitated to ask again and could only express it indirectly.
"Weâve come this far, of course, we are going to leave."
As Angel said this, he paused for a moment, then continued: "However, before leaving, letâs take a look at the Wood Spirit."
Upon hearing this, Kaier initially thought Angel had given up, but as the latter part of the sentence fell, Kaier quickly raised his head.
"The Wood Spirit? Sir, have you found the Wood Spirit?"
Angel smiled mysteriously: "Would you believe me if I said I was joking?"
Kaier: "..."
Angel: "Itâs almost there; letâs go and have a look."
Angel patted Kaier on the shoulder, signaling him to follow.
Kaier paused for a moment, nodded, and followed behind Angel, heading forward.
The others also heard Angelâs words, but they had become quite calm now. Mainly because Angel seemed to always be playing with their mentality.
Whether itâs true or false, they couldnât discern, just as the Black Earl had said, they could only rely on their eyes to see.
If Angel could hear their thoughts at this moment, he would probably feel very wronged. As a "streamer," isnât it his job to create suspense, to craft thrilling scenes, to make the plot captivating and gripping?
His earnest performance went unrewarded, and he was unfairly labeled as someone who toys with their emotions, which of course made him feel wronged.
But whether this grievance was genuine or feigned, that would be hard to say.
Thankfully, Angel didnât understand their thoughts and didnât express his grievances, or else, the othersâ composure might have crumbled again.
...
When Angel said "almost there," this time, it was truly almost there.
Kaier only had to follow Angel for about twenty meters before they stopped. He looked around at the environment and discovered that this was right at the intersection where they had previously taken separate paths.
"Sir, is the Wood Spirit near here?"
Kaier observed his surroundings in confusion. There were no ruins nearby, nor any anomalies. If it were hiding, it would only be in the quiet void.
But would the Wood Spirit really be in the void? If it were in the void, how did Angel discover it?
Angel made a sound of acknowledgment, then closed his eyes as if he were entering a state of perception.
Kaier didnât dare disturb Angel and was unsure if he should also try perceiving the surroundings... but he feared that his attempt might scare the Wood Spirit away.
Kaier cast a pleading glance toward Dox.
Dox: "Since Jin hasnât stopped you, you are free to do as you wish, however you want."
Pausing for a moment, Dox added, "By the way, if you find anything unusual, let us know immediately."
Angel didnât seem inclined to explain, so Dox could only pin his hopes on Kaier.
Yet, even though Kaier used his spiritual power perception, explored everywhere, and even employed the Power of Space, he still found no anomalies nearby.
After a while, Kaier gave up somewhat dejectedly.
This outcome was somewhat anticipated by everyone since, even the Black Earl hadnât found traces of the Wood Spirit, Kaier, being merely an apprentice, had a slim chance of discovering it.
Even if this outcome wasnât surprising, if the Wood Spirit were truly here, knowing its location but still being unable to find it would indeed be quite terrifying.
This level of concealment was almost miraculous... this cowardly ability to hide oneself was commendable in its way.
Unable to gain information from Kaier, Dox couldnât rely on Angel, who still had his eyes closed, and could only set his sights on the Wise Sovereign.
However, the Wise Sovereign had no intention of speaking, and all eyes were focused on Angel.
To the Wise Sovereign, whether the Wood Spirit was nearby, he didnât know. But he did know that Angelâs current position was quite special.
This was the central hub left here by the Goddess.
Previously, when Angel had broken the painting left by the Goddess here, he could still use having seen the painting before as a reason. But now, what reason could he use to explain his just happening to step into the central hub?
The Wise Sovereign began to speculate on the relationship between Angel and the Goddess. Did he come here for the Goddess?
If so, was he a friend or foe to the Goddess?
The mind of the Wise Sovereign was filled with many thoughts, but he did not know that his initial assumption was wrong.
Angel had nothing to do with the so-called Goddess, and in fact, Angel didnât even know who this Goddess was. The reason he came to this intersection was not a spur-of-the-moment decision; as he returned from the left path, he had already started to pinpoint potential locations for the Wood Spirit.
At that time, Angel had two potential ranges in mind, the first one being the end of the right path, which had the room with the vine sculpture. Back then, there were two coordinates resonating with the staff, one in the left path void, and another at the end of the right path. The left path void was a dangerous place, so the Wood Spirit couldnât possibly go there, leaving only the right pathâs coordinate.
However, after reaching the end of the right path, Angel didnât find the Wood Spirit, there was only a vine sculpture left by the Wood Spirit.
At that moment, Angel understood that the resonance with the staff was likely due to the vine sculpture.
Since the coordinates of both the left path and the right path were incorrect, Angel was almost certain that the Wood Spiritâs location must be within the second range.
And the second range was near this intersection.
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