20demayo Chapter 817 - 751: Moving Mountains
Chapter 817 - 751: Moving Mountains
The rushing water of the dark river became an extension of Duke’s body, his consciousness surging forward with the current.
The water traveled through underground caverns, sometimes merging into deep pools, sometimes cascading down hidden waterfalls, and sometimes splitting into countless streams seeping into rock crevices.
Duke let himself be carried along by the current, rushing towards the unknown ahead.
After an unknown amount of time, a bright light suddenly appeared in front.
It was the glow of some luminescent moss, marking the end of the dark river at a cliff.
The water poured over the cliff, crashing into the depths of an unseen gorge.
Duke didn’t hesitate, letting himself fall with the waterfall.
During the descent, he transformed once more.
The water elemental form rapidly altered in the air, becoming a wisp of almost imperceptible mist, which then condensed, darkened, and transformed into the dark elemental form.
Duke morphed into a shadow, merging into the fissures of the cliff.
He flowed down along the rock wall, silent and seamless, like an extension of the night.
The luminous moss flickered slightly as he passed.
The shadow slid across the rock wall, navigating around protruding rocks, passing through narrow cracks, continuously descending.
Finally, he sensed the bottom of the gorge.
A river meandered at the valley’s floor, flanked by dense primordial forests.
Moonlight pierced through layers of foliage, laying a silver sheen upon the river’s surface.
Duke’s shadow detached from the rock wall, drifting towards the river.
Yet he did not plunge into the water.
At the moment of contact with the river’s surface, the shadow exploded, scattering into countless tiny sparks.
These sparks were even fainter than fireflies, even more ethereal than moonlight.
They wafted on the wind, merging with the night, flying in all directions.
They had no substance, bore no scent.
They flew through the night sky at high speed, crossing rivers, forests, hills, always moving forward.
After an unknown duration of flight, a solitary mountain finally appeared ahead.
The sparks converged at the mountaintop, solidifying, reshaping.
In the end, Duke’s figure emerged from the light, landing on a moonlit rock.
Sitting on the rock, he took a brief rest, sensing that the menacing threat behind him had vanished without a trace.
Duke had fled a sufficient distance, thoroughly shaking off that frightening Level 3 Ancient Fairy.
He didn’t know the fate of the others, could only wish them good luck.
The Wizard Plane had yet to establish adequate infrastructure in the Ancient Fairy Plane, making the Wizard’s Mark unusable here.
This plane was vast and expansive, with the Wizard Plane being just a minor player here.
Duke had anticipated this, remaining vigilant throughout.
He had immediately fled using elementalization, while Vera had secured crucial escape time for them.
Duke was uncertain if others could escape, but since they chose to come here, they must be prepared to face death.
The roles of hunter and prey constantly changed.
After resting for fifteen minutes, Duke stood up and began to assess his current location.
He recalled they initially departed from a base in the southwestern part of the Wilderness Forest continent, exploring eastward for ten days before reaching the Strawberry Tribe.
After that, he had fled frantically, traversing underground rivers, gorges, and the night sky for at least seven to eight hours, heading roughly northeast.
Looking up at the night sky, Duke saw that it was entirely different from the Wizard Plane, yet basic directional rules remained consistent.
They had studied star charts here beforehand to discern direction at crucial moments.
He identified a few brighter stars, roughly determining north.
His current location should be in the central eastern region of the Wilderness Forest continent.
Returning directly west to the base might intersect with the pursuit path of that cyan silhouette.
Given a Level 3 powerhouse’s speed, even if he took a detour, the figure could possibly intercept him halfway.
Directly heading west was not an option.
After a brief contemplation, Duke decided to first head north, make a large loop, and then return west.
Though this would take more time, it was considerably safer.
Duke didn’t hesitate for long, taking one last glance in the direction he’d come from, and then turned north, disappearing into the night.
In the following days, Duke remained extremely vigilant.
During the day, he mostly moved in elementalized form, sometimes becoming a sand flow traveling underground, sometimes a mist drifting through dense woods, occasionally reverting to human form to hurry along.
At night, he sought concealed places to rest, replenishing his spiritual power.
This region was more primitive than the areas they had previously explored.
The trees were more robust, vines thicker, and the concentration of energy particles in the air was higher.
Duke occasionally sensed potent presences, some not weaker than Level 2 Peak.
He always kept a safe distance, never provoking them.
On the evening of the fifth day, he discovered something unusual amidst a region of hills.
It was a valley, relatively flat, surrounded by low hills.
Dozens of huts constructed from giant leaves and vines were scattered throughout the valley’s interior, with a small stream flowing through its center.
Perched atop a hill, Duke transformed into a patch of inconspicuous gravel, observing from afar.
Another group of Ancient Fairies.
He studied them closely for several hours, silently tallying.
There were three Level 2 presences, two in the tribe’s central and largest hut, another in a northeastern hut, presumably on guard duty.
The Level 1 presences numbered around forty to forty-five.