The Shadow Forge, one of the four great forges of the Southern Region.
Behind it also stands the will and power of a radiant moon.
Not long ago, Lynn was still secretly speculating in his heart.
It may be a very long time before I can visit the Forgestone and have the opportunity to truly witness the power left behind by the beings at the Radiant Moon level.
Unexpectedly, this trip to the Dark Wizards' Conference, using the Shadow Forge's ultra-long-distance teleportation array, directly transported him into the core area of the Shadow Forge.
This also means that he will once again have the opportunity to witness the residual power of the Moonlit Crown.
"Snap!"
A crisp yet dull cracking sound suddenly rang out, as if a thick layer of ice had been forcibly torn apart.
The silver-white energy hemisphere that had escorted everyone all the way suddenly collapsed, turning into countless specks of light and dissipating.
The figures of Lynn, Old, and others were once again exposed in the real world.
"You have arrived at the Shadow Forge. Please strictly abide by all the regulations of the Shadow Forge. ..."
Outside the teleportation array, wizards from the Shadow Forge were already waiting to guide them.
The man spoke in a calm and austere tone, and began to read out the relevant regulations of the Shadow Forge as usual.
While listening to the somewhat lengthy regulations, Lynn subtly observed his surroundings.
Whether it's the Mountain City, the Forge Stone, or the Shadow Forge before us, almost without exception, these top-tier forces have all built their own independent teleportation plazas.
When you actually stand on the teleportation plaza and look around, the first thing you see is the magnificent scene that is most symbolic of these forces.
Within the furnace stone, there are those dreamlike and bizarre structures that seem to defy common sense;
Within the mountain city, the city itself seems to stretch endlessly into the sky when you look up.
And at this moment, the Shadow Forge came into Lynn's view.
Lynn's gaze sharpened slightly.
This teleportation plaza is actually an island.
It is not a floating island suspended in the air, a structure that is already commonplace in the wizarding world;
It is actually an island that floats on the "sea".
However, what surrounds this island is not seawater in the true sense.
It was a kind of "substance" that surged like the ocean but did not reflect light.
Darkness flowed through it, and shadows rose and fell upon it.
Ripples spread out in layers, like waves, yet they were so quiet they were unsettling.
"That's... shadow? Or rather, the pure essence of darkness..."
Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.
Light and darkness are omnipresent, yet almost untouchable; they are more like rules and concepts than entities.
But in the Shadow Forge, darkness is compressed and condensed to a degree that can be 'touched'.
The boundless expanse before us has already transcended the scope of "environment".
It was a true sea of shadows.
At this moment, they stood on a lonely island in the middle of this dark sea.
………………
This shadowy sea has no waves on its surface, only a slow, churning, inky gel flowing silently.
When the tower's shadow is cast upon it, the shadow itself seems to "merge" with the sea surface, as if the two are no longer distinguishable.
This creates a subtle and eerie sense of spatial dislocation, as if the vision has been gently twisted.
Occasionally, black steam rises from the sea surface.
That wasn't heat, but rather fragments of the Shadow Rules that dissipated after their high-density aggregation. They briefly manifested in a gaseous form before being swallowed up again by the Sea of Shadows.
Looking further into the depths of the Shadow Sea, the true main structure of the Shadow Forge gradually comes into view.
One after another, obsidian towers stand like rows of tombstones in the sea, silent and eerie, rooted straight in the Sea of Shadows.
The tower is made of translucent obsidian, with a cold and hard surface, but inside, dark purple magical patterns can be faintly seen flowing within, pulsating rhythmically like blood vessels.
The tip of the tower is not a solid object.
It was a geometric structure woven from solidified shadows, its form constantly shifting between illusion and reality, existing yet seemingly poised to fall into the shadow world at any moment.
The exterior walls of the buildings are uniformly engraved with the emblem of "Shadow Forge".
These emblems emitted a cold, black light, a black flame that had no temperature, yet could illuminate the surrounding space even in the deepest darkness.
The entire Shadow Forge, based on the Sea of Shadows, presents a rigorous and cold circular structure.
At the very center of all this, at the very core, Lynn's gaze involuntarily lingered.
There stood a colossal structure, far larger than any of the other towers.
That is the central hub of the Shadow Forge, the Shadow Spire.
The tower's overall shape resembles an inverted anvil, with rigid and oppressive lines.
Above the tower, a gigantic, eternally burning "shadow sun" floats, its interior churning with dark currents, as if slowly devouring light and the very concept itself.
Countless long, shadowy ropes, entwined by chains of rules, extend from the Sea of Shadows and are firmly attached to the body of the Shadowforged Spire.
From a distance, it appears as if the entire spire is drawing nourishment from this dark sea to sustain its operation.
A deep, continuous rumbling sound faintly came from the bottom of the tower.
That wasn't the sound of machinery operating, but rather the echo produced when rules are repeatedly forged, compressed, and reshaped.
In addition, Lynn also noticed another layer of structure in the Shadow Forge, located in the outermost area of the entire system.
There stood a ring of extremely slender towers, their bodies resembling long black needles piercing the sky.
At the top of each tower is a huge "Eye of the Void," a massive gem that seems to contain another dimension, with layers upon layers of unfathomable depth.
As these Void Eyes slowly sweep across the Sea of Shadows, the surrounding light is violently deflected.
Any creature, sense, or even prying gaze lurking in the void will be exposed at this moment.
Perhaps noticing the astonishment on Lynn's face and the fleeting confusion in the eyes of the Sea King, Old, a veteran Morning Star wizard, finally spoke up to clear things up for the two:
"The Shadow Forge is, after all, a faction of the Moonlit Empire, and its territory is far larger than that of ordinary Morning Star organizations."
He raised his hand and pointed to the giant tower in the distance that stood like an anvil, his tone calm and resolute.
"The most central Forged Spire is almost equivalent in status to the mountain city you are familiar with."
Then, his gaze swept over the edge of the Sea of Shadows, to the slender, sharp towers that pierced the sky.
"As for these spires located on the outer perimeter, they are called the Observer's Corridor. They are not residential areas, but rather the most important detection and defense system of the Shadow Forge."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ald stepped forward, leading Lynn and the Sea Emperor of Surging Waves out of the teleportation array and heading ahead.
"The Shadow Forge is essentially a sacred place for cultivation based on negative energy, shadow rules, and dark rules."
"The chains of rules of the Shadow Spire extend deep into the Sea of Shadows, constantly extracting, filtering, and transforming external rules, reshaping them into part of the Shadow and Darkness system."
Olde's voice was calm and measured, yet carried a seasoned certainty.
"Therefore, here, the power of rules other than shadow and darkness will be suppressed to a considerable extent."
He paused, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
“You can try… flying in the usual way, or using rule-based escape techniques.”
Lynn and the Sea Emperor of Surging Waves exchanged a glance, both of them having a slight change of heart.
However, the next moment, their expressions changed simultaneously.
What should have been an easy leap into the air was now as if it had been pressed back to its original position by some invisible force.
The mental strength and the power of the rules are still there, but the possibility of "ascending" has been lost.
“Just as I expected,” Ald said calmly. “The way we move around here is different from the outside world.”
He walked slowly toward the edge of the island.
The Sea of Shadows surged slowly below, its inky, gelatinous surface reflecting a dark, ominous glow.
A gentle breeze rustled Ald's law enforcement wizard robes.
The next moment, he took a step.
That step felt like stepping directly into the Sea of Shadows.
In Lynn and the Sea Emperor's vision, Old's figure seemed about to fall into that boundless darkness.
However, the moment his foot landed, his figure vanished abruptly, as if swallowed by the shadow itself.
The sudden change startled both of them.
"wrong!"
The Sea Emperor was the first to react, his pupils contracted slightly, and he said in a deep voice:
"Just a moment ago, there was a clear fluctuation of shadow rules emanating from Wizard Ald!"
Even though he was suppressed by the origin of the wizarding civilization, he was still someone who had once stood at the level of the fifth level of perfection, and his eyesight and judgment were still sharp.
Upon hearing this, Lynn immediately turned his gaze to the spot where Old had disappeared.
Upon seeing this, his pupils contracted slightly.
On the surface of that sea of shadows, there was an extremely thin shadow, long and narrow with blurred edges, yet vaguely resembling the shape of a tower.
Lynn then looked up at the very core of the Shadow Forge.
The Forged Spire hangs high in the center of the Sea of Shadows, and above it, the enormous Shadow Sun silently emanates the concepts of light and shadow.
The light of the black sun shines into the interior of the Shadow Furnace, stretching and distorting the shadows of the Observer's Corridor and the sharp towers, eventually spreading across the surface of the Sea of Shadows.
Unless one observes them carefully, these shadows are almost completely swallowed up by the Sea of Shadows and are difficult to distinguish.
At that moment, Lynn finally understood.
The “road” here is neither in the air nor on a physical body, but in the shadows.
………………
Just then, Olde's figure reappeared.
It didn't come from afar, but rather appeared without warning beside Lynn and the Sea Emperor, as if it had been "spit out" by the shadow itself, moving with a naturalness that was almost casual.
"The rules here are indeed unique,"
Orde spoke in a calm tone, as if he were merely stating a commonplace fact.
"This naturally led to the development of extremely unique coping methods."
He raised his hand, pointing to the intertwined projections of the towers deep within the Sea of Shadows.
"For example, a shadow bridge."
“Inside the Shadow Forge, there are no physical bridges between these towers. Wizards never walk on the buildings themselves, but rather on the places where the shadows of the towers meet.”
"The shadow is the road."
At this point, Old paused slightly, his tone becoming more composed and experienced.
“Come with me. I’ve entered the Shadow Forge many times during my previous missions to the Council, so I know a little about this place.”
Before he finished speaking, he had already taken another step.
The moment his toes touched the ground, his figure was swallowed by the shadows, as if merging into the darkness and disappearing in an instant.
The Sea Emperor and Lynn naturally dared not hesitate.
Following Alder's previous path, the two suppressed their mental energy, concealed any excess rule fluctuations, and carefully stepped onto the surface of the Sea of Shadows, onto the almost imperceptible projection of the tower.
call out!
My vision suddenly blurred.
There was no disorienting feeling of space being stretched, nor the dizziness and oppression that teleportation arrays usually bring.
It felt as if they had only taken a very short step.
The next moment, Lynn was already standing on a platform beneath a tall tower.
The platform has a dark metallic texture, with straight and sharp edges, and is surrounded by an endless sea of shadows.
Ald and the Sea Emperor stood not far away, one on the left and one on the right.
Lynn's heart stirred slightly, and she murmured to herself:
"It's truly extraordinary... The application of these shadow rules is somewhat similar to a teleportation array, but without any of the discomfort caused by spatial distortion."
He glanced around, then a thoughtful look appeared on his face.
"However... I did not see any strange and grand phenomena similar to the Furnace Stone."
Thinking of this, Lynn simply spoke up and asked Old:
“Wizard Alder, I have been to the core area of the Forgestone.”
“There, there are waterfalls flowing backwards, giant star-shaped beasts soaring in the air, and subterranean life that shines like stars… It is clearly a manifestation of Her Majesty the Radiant Moon’s power.”
He paused, his gaze falling on the churning sea of shadows beneath his feet.
"And this place... this Sea of Shadows, could it be the trace left behind by the Radiant Moon Lord of the Shadow Forge?"
Hearing this, Old smiled faintly, clearly appreciating Lynn's observational skills, and nodded slightly.
"good."
"Everything you saw at the Forgestone was indeed the work of Her Majesty the Radiant Moon."
"And everything here, whether it's the Sea of Shadows, the Shadow Bridge, or the way the Shadowforge operates..."
He looked up at the direction where the dark shadows and the black sun hung high in the distance, his tone low and resolute.
"These are all traces of the great power left behind in the world by His Majesty the Radiant Moon of the Shadow Forge."
………………
After receiving confirmation from Wizard Alder, Lynn's eyes flashed slightly, and a judgment that had long existed in his mind was finally confirmed.
For him, the thirty-year probationary period as a Morning Star member was never a waste.
During that period, he traveled through the mountain city almost every day, visiting various libraries that were open to the public free of charge by the fourth-level councilors, absorbing knowledge from the vast sea of books and supplementing his understanding of wizarding civilization.
One thing in particular he has always remembered vividly.
The reason why His Majesty the Moon can enjoy almost "institutionalized preferential treatment" in the wizarding civilization is not only because of their own power and transcendence.
More importantly, they have irreplaceable positive value for civilization itself.
The birth of each Radiant Moon signifies the successful completion of a clear and traceable upward trajectory.
Start as a wizard apprentice, become a full wizard, achieve Morning Star status, and finally step into the realm of Radiant Moon.
That's not a miracle, but a proven "replicable path".
Within the Forge Stone, the various strange phenomena left behind by that Radiant Moon Lord;
And now, the Shadow Forge reveals the Sea of Shadows, the Shadow Bridge, the Shadow Spire...
Lynn didn't even need to ask any further questions; he had already reached a conclusion in his mind.
These are the paths of self-cultivation they left behind.
Just then, as expected, Wizard Ald spoke up, his tone calm and solemn:
"Wizard Lynn, the wizarding civilization has been able to illuminate a region of the sky, but it has never relied on any one person."
"You and I are both part of the wizarding civilization, and naturally we must contribute to it."
As he said this, he slightly raised his gaze and looked into the depths of the Shadow Forge.
"Although Your Majesty the Moon stands at a high place, so too is Your Majesty."
"The fact that they left behind the path of the radiant moon is itself one of the most important contributions to civilization."
"Those who follow this path can avoid countless detours and greatly reduce the difficulty of cultivation."
Old paused slightly, his tone becoming more casual, yet subtly tinged with self-deprecation:
"For example, the path I am on now is the legacy left by an enforcement wizard in the Wizard Council who made Her Majesty the Moon, and it is quite compatible with me."
"While it may not be perfect, it has at least brought me to where I am today."
At this point, he looked at Lynn, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotion and envy:
“Wizard Lynn, you are so young, yet you have already reached this level…”
"His cultivation speed is so fast that even we old guys can't keep up."
"I suppose the path of cultivation you have chosen is quite compatible with you."
As he finished speaking, Olde gently shook his head.
The path left behind by the Radiant Moon Lords was ultimately the one most suitable for them.
While the difficulty will be greatly reduced for later practitioners, it still depends on the degree of compatibility.
As for Olde himself, he was only an above-average choice.
In his judgment, Lynn was at least a top-tier match.
This, perhaps, is the real reason why he has been so rapid and steady all the way.
………………
However, upon hearing Wizard Alder's words, Lynn remained outwardly calm, but a thought suddenly struck him.
He was well aware of his situation.
The so-called "path of cultivation" does not exist for him.
From his time as a wizard apprentice, he had never been affiliated with any truly powerful force, nor had he ever received a complete and systematic high-level inheritance.
Along the way, we have relied more on our own accumulation, deduction and choices, and explored forward through trial and error.
Where is there any ready-made path left by His Majesty the Moon, which he can follow by rote?
Even after successfully becoming a Morning Star Wizard and entering the Wizarding Council, which does indeed possess an astonishing number of heritage systems, for Lynn, they were more of a reference than a destination.
His path had long since gone astray... no, it had strayed completely off course.
We've reached a point where we can only move forward and cannot turn back or change course.
Therefore, through his spiritual practice, Lynn has in fact been forging a path of spiritual cultivation that is entirely his own.
If Wizard Alder knew that he had not relied on any Radiant Moon inheritance, but had reached his current level step by step on his own, he would probably be shocked and lose his composure on the spot.
"Your Majesty, the Moon Goddess..."
Lynn sighed softly to himself.
What level of existence is it exactly?
He has never actually met any of His Majesty the Moon.
Our understanding of that realm comes more from descriptions in classical texts, snippets of historical records, and the manifestation of this timeless power before our eyes.
Of all the beings he had ever seen or come into contact with, the closest they came to His Majesty the Moon were only two.
One of them is Hercules, the Martial Star of the Morning Star Realm, in the Forge Stone.
His Majesty the Radiant Moon once personally commented on him, saying that if he had the opportunity, he might be able to ascend to the Radiant Moon Realm in the future and be ranked alongside them.
However, a mere hair's breadth can make all the difference.
Until he breaks through to the next realm, he will always remain at the Morning Star Extreme Realm, and will never be able to truly step into the Radiant Moon level, where one reigns supreme and dominates the rules.
The other one is the maple tree that resides within Lynn's Azure Sky Spirit.
According to Maple himself, he was once a top genius in the Natural God Dynasty and inherited the lordship of the Natural God Dynasty.
The so-called Lord's succession is essentially equivalent to the succession level of the Crown Prince of the Moon.
If all goes well, the possibility of Maple Tree breaking through to the Radiant Moon level in the future is even higher than that of Hercules.
The reason is not complicated.
While it is difficult for a natural wizard to break through to the next level, they can advance ahead by using their natal extraordinary plants.
Once the extraordinary plant reaches a higher level, it will nourish its host and carry the wizard along for the leap.
The extraordinary plant rank to which the maple tree belongs is the Lord level, which, theoretically, points directly to the Radiant Moon.
This fact means that his potential and ceiling are already above those of Hercules.
Thinking about this, Lynn's sense of distance from the "Radiant Moon Level" not only did not get closer, but became even more confused.
The radiant moon is difficult to reach, as difficult as an ordinary mortal ascending to the heavens.
………………
"Although the Dark Wizards' Conference is about to begin, there is no need to rush it."
Wizard Alder spoke calmly, “We came out early enough that we could have stayed at the Shadow Forge for a day or two longer and taken in the scenery.”
The words were spoken casually, but the unspoken meaning was quite clear: this arrangement was primarily for the benefit of the Sea Emperor.
After all, Lynn and Ald were both Morning Star councilors within the wizarding civilization, and while there were rules governing their interactions with the Shadow Forge, it wasn't difficult for them.
But the Sea Emperor is different.
Although he held a high position in the deep-sea civilization, he had already squeezed out precious time to set foot in the wizard civilization.
If you miss this opportunity, it may be many years before you can return to the Shadow Forge.
“Speaking of the Shadow Forge,” Ald continued, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity.
"Besides the boundless sea of shadows and the observer's corridor that guards it... there's another very interesting place here... the Shadow Library. We can go take a look later."
As they spoke, Ald naturally took on the role of guide, leading Lynn and the Sea Emperor along the shadow bridges through the Shadow Forge.
The Sea of Shadows is truly breathtaking.
However, none of the three were wizards who specialized in the rules of shadow, and they were faced with that darkness that was so condensed that it could be touched.
It can only be considered as viewing flowers through a fog; one can feel the oppressive presence of its existence but find it difficult to glimpse its true mysteries.
They then approached the observer's corridor.
The tops of those extremely slender towers are inlaid with crystal cores that resemble "giant eyes," coldly overlooking all directions.
The light distorted under its gaze, as if any anomaly hidden in the void had nowhere to hide.
After that, Old took the two of them to visit several more areas.
Because they are not official wizards of the Shadow Forge, many areas are not open to the public.
For example, the Castor Spire in the core area, or some more secluded restricted areas.
Even so, the grandeur and profundity of this Radiant Moon power still left a very deep impression on Lynn and the Storm Sea Emperor.
Finally, the three crossed the last shadow bridge and arrived at a completely different area.
This is another wonder of the Shadow Forge: the Shadow Library.
The figures of the three appeared on the platform, and in front of them, a towering structure so large it created an illusion stood silently.
The tower's body is twisted and eerie, as if it were made of countless burning black books.
The pages turned, but no flames fell. The entire tower appeared semi-transparent, with no doors, no windows, and no clear entrance.
Simply standing there, one feels a chill, as if being "watched by knowledge."
“This Shadow Library…” Ald lowered his voice, “is, in a sense, a living thing, and one of the legacies left behind by His Majesty the Moon in the Shadow Forge.”
"Even if you're not a wizard from the Shadow Forge, you can come here, and if you're lucky, you might even get some guidance."
He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"However, there's a rather unfriendly condition... Either you must master the rules of shadow; or you must reach the 'Anchor of Resonance,' allowing you to temporarily transform into shadow and penetrate that mist-like outer wall; or you must be a wizard within the Shadow Forge, possessing the authority to enter..."
The implication is self-evident.
Given Lynn's current level, at the early stage of the fourth-level Morning Star, he is still in the Echo Anchor stage and probably won't be able to get in.
"It's alright."
Lynn remained calm and said indifferently, "You two can go in first."
He spoke frankly, without the slightest hint of reluctance.
Ald and the Sea Emperor exchanged a glance, a hint of apology appearing on their faces, but they said nothing more.
The next moment, the two figures moved slightly, heading towards the semi-transparent Shadow Library, which seemed to be composed of shadows and knowledge. (End of Chapter)
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