The Wizard's Secret Journey

Chapter 206 Persuasion and Advancement (4k)

Lynn's voice wasn't loud; in the oppressive, confined room, his tone was even calmly cold.

But in the hearts of Ortiz and the other five, the Kalek before them seemed like a bewitching divine crystal.

No one was not curious about how Lynn, or rather Kalek, could possess such power, especially after being utterly and desperately defeated by him.

The wounds on the five Spirit Crystal people's bodies were still throbbing, but that did not diminish the curiosity in their eyes.

Feeling five tangible gazes directed at him, Lynn continued:

"Several years ago, I had a strange encounter on the surface of the earth, a real one, which was far beyond what the celestial crystal could compare to."

"That was the legacy left by a pioneer named Lynn. It was thanks to those resources and knowledge that I was able to possess such great power today."

This story is cliché, but the more clichéd it is, the more it stands up to scrutiny.

Ortiz and the others did not doubt it; instead, they showed expressions of sudden realization.

Kalek of the Xunshi family is only in his early twenties, but his strength far surpasses that of a level 10 Crystal Master. If it weren't for some kind of fortuitous encounter, the five Spirit Crystal People present would probably have had their Dao Hearts shattered.

But now, they are clearly feeling a little better.

So it was a fortuitous encounter... Wait, what kind of fortuitous encounter could allow an ordinary spirit crystal cultivator to leap to become a crystal master beyond level 10 in just a few years?!
Thinking of this, a hint of suspicion flashed beneath Meng En's wrinkled eyelids. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't help but ask in a low voice:
"May I ask what level of Crystal Master Lynn, the pioneer you mentioned?"

"Level 10."

Meng En's brows furrowed even more, and the other crystal masters also showed doubt in their eyes, quickly exchanging glances.

Lynn smiled faintly: "In fact, I'm only a level 10 Crystal Master."

These words caused an uproar among the five crystal masters.

“Impossible! I’ve sparred with Lord Monen, and no level 10 Crystal Master is as strong as you!” Ortiz murmured.

Meng En's face darkened as he looked at Lin En, his expression one of disbelief.

Level 10... If he had that kind of strength at level 10, he would have unified the Spirit Crystal people long ago!
“There are differences even between levels 10.” Lynn looked around at everyone and asked, “Do you know what the biggest drawback of Crystal Master cultivation is?”

Before Monon and the others could answer, Lynn replied on his own:

"The biggest flaw in Crystal Master cultivation is that it only accumulates crystal energy but does not increase spiritual energy."

"Therefore, for a Crystal Master to use their own power is like a child using a sledgehammer; it is already difficult enough to swing it, let alone wield it with ease."

"The difference in power between the two is naturally huge."

Having said that, he unleashed his almost tangible spiritual power and said calmly:

"This is spiritual power. Your spiritual power can only penetrate half a foot from your body, while mine can extend more than ten meters away... And this is the most fundamental difference between me and you."

Ten meters was already a huge reduction, but the crystal masters present were still greatly shocked and had no more doubts about Lynn's words.

Seeing this, Lynn felt he had laid enough groundwork, his expression gradually darkening, and he spoke again:
"The Spirit Crystal World is on the verge of destruction, everyone."

This time, his words were clearly taken much more seriously.

Although the Crystal Masters were very interested in his talk about the spirit and wanted to ask how to improve it, when they caught the undeniable coldness and solemnity in Lynn's eyes, they all seemed to have their throats gripped by an invisible hand, swallowing their questions and falling silent.

"Do you know who the enemy is?" Lynn asked slowly, deliberately slowing his pace, as if scrutinizing everyone's reaction.

He had assumed that this question, like the previous ones, would require him to ask and answer it himself.

But Ortiz's eyes flickered a few times, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked with some uncertainty, "The Mother Pillar of Twilight?"

“That’s right.” Lynn looked at him in surprise and nodded. “The Celestial Crystal came from the conspiracy of the Mother Pillar of the Azure Dust.”

"Judging from the list I just saw, half of all the Spirit Crystal people who have used the Brilliant Golden Crystal in the past twelve years have died due to various accidents... This is probably the way the Azure Mother Pillar is weakening the entire Spirit Crystal world."

However, to Lynn's surprise, the Spirit Crystal Man in front of him did not show the expected shock and agreement after listening. Instead, a look of indifference appeared on his face.

Mon glanced at Lynn, seemingly considering his words, and hesitated before speaking in a tone that was as tactful as possible but still firm:
"Lord Kalek comes from a noble family of the Light Vein, and may not be aware of some things clearly."

"But in reality, all the nobles of the Radiant Vein know that the struggle between us Spirit Crystal people and the Mother Pillar of the Twilight has lasted for thousands of years, and it only officially ended when all the Spirit Crystal people retreated underground nearly a thousand years ago."

"Therefore, we actually know the Cangmu Mother Pillar very well. It is dull and ignorant, a huge creature that survives by instinct and has no intelligence. If it weren't for its incredibly tenacious vitality and countless ferocious beasts as its followers, we Spirit Crystal people would never have been driven off the surface by it."

"Forgive my bluntness, Lord Kalek, but the Mother Pillar of Twilight could never have created such a wondrous creation as the Celestial Crystal."

Lynn remained noncommittal, only asking, "So what do you think the extraterrestrial crystals are?"

"The extraterrestrial crystal is probably a 'relic of the Great Fission,' just like the spaceship beneath our feet," Monen stated confidently, adding as if afraid Lynn wouldn't understand.

"Legend has it that tens of thousands of years ago, the Spirit Crystal World was far larger than it is now, and it was home to countless powerful beings. A level 10 Crystal Master today would have been nothing back then."

"But one day, the world suddenly shattered into pieces, and countless objects, like spaceships, fell. Some were worthless, while others were priceless. They were collectively known as the relics of the Great Cataclysm."

Lynn remained silent, knowing in his heart that the legend Monn had mentioned was most likely true, and it probably told the story of the collapse of the Mossy World.

There are many reasons that could lead to the collapse of the world. For example, it could be the end of the world's lifespan, or, to put it more professionally, the depletion of the world's fundamental resources.

The quantity of the world's origin is directly linked to its lifespan, and like people, it will continuously decrease over time.

Just as people can increase their lifespan through cultivation, the world can also increase its own origin. However, since the world's will is not true wisdom but merely a collection of consciousness, it rarely increases its own origin proactively. Usually, it can only passively increase its own origin by relying on the increase in the prosperity of the world's creatures and the growth of their life levels.

However, while the beings in this world can extend its lifespan, they can also cause its collapse. For example, if a being drains the world's resources, it might do so excessively. Or, if a group of beings goes to destruction, the world will gradually perish due to the massive loss of its resources.

These two points are the most common causes of world collapse in the astral plane.

But the situation described by Monn clearly does not fit either of these two scenarios.

The situation he described was more like the world being shattered by some external force.

Only such an unexpected collapse could happen so suddenly and rapidly.

'At the same time as the collapse, relics of the Great Cataclysm also fell... Could it be that the Mossy World was in the midst of a war at that time?'

Lynn thought a lot, but reality was fleeting. Almost as soon as Monn finished speaking, he began to shake his head. "If it were a relic of the Great Cataclysm, it wouldn't have taken so long to fall from the sky."

"Furthermore, who says the Mother Pillar of Twilight has no intelligence? Have you ever been to the depths of the Mother Pillar?"

"Deep within the mother pillar..."

No one dared to respond to this. Ever since the Spirit Crystal Clan was driven underground by the Azure Twilight Mother Pillar, few Spirit Crystal people have ventured to the surface, let alone ventured deep into the Azure Twilight Mother Pillar.

"Lord Lynn has been there," Lynn continued. "The Twilight Mother Pillar is not as simple as you think; it is the root of this world's anomalies."

Lynn wasn't entirely making things up. After all, Felicity's coma indicated that there was definitely something wrong with the Mother Pillar of Twilight, otherwise Durant wouldn't have insisted on rushing to the Mother Pillar.

As for why the Celestial Crystal is most likely from the Azure Mother Pillar, it's because the influence this man-made treasure can cause perfectly aligns with the interests of the Azure Mother Pillar, the intruder.

Whoever profits is most likely the mastermind behind it all.

"The Azure Mother Pillar isn't just the enemy of the Spirit Crystal Clan; its true purpose is to devour the entire world. The Spirit Crystal Clan are merely tiny pebbles standing in its way," Lynn said in a deep voice, followed by a series of questions.

"Have you noticed that the climate has become increasingly extreme and abnormal in recent years? Have you noticed that fewer and fewer new Spirit Crystal People are being born? Have you noticed that fewer and fewer Spirit Crystal People are capable of becoming Crystal Masters?"

One piece of evidence after another, one question after another, left the crystal masters in front of them speechless.

Upon closer examination, Lynn's subsequent questions were all consistent with the facts!

Lynn was not surprised, because the change in climate and the decrease in the number of newborn beings of the main life form made cultivation... that is, the improvement of life level, increasingly difficult. These are all external manifestations of the reduction of the world's origin.

“I suddenly remembered the crystal cluster disaster that broke out twelve years ago…” Ortiz suddenly said, looking at Lynn and pleading, “Please allow me to get some information.”

Lynn nodded.

A moment later, Ortiz returned, holding a chronicle in his hand: "12 years ago, the Crystal Cluster Disaster broke out; 43 years ago, the Evil Crystal Incident occurred; 108 years ago, the Poisonous Crystal Calamity; 201 years ago..."

“Since its establishment, Radiant Pulse City has experienced many large-scale disasters like the Crystal Cluster Catastrophe. It’s clear from the timeline that the intervals between these disasters are getting shorter… Kalek is right, the Spirit Crystal World is gradually being destroyed!”

Ortiz raised his head, his eyes filled with unspoken fear.

In the sealed room, silence fell.

After a long while, Monen slowly raised his head and looked at Lynn: "Lord Kalek, you spared our lives and told us all this... I suppose it wasn't just to share this terrifying truth."

Lynn nodded and finally revealed his purpose: "I hope you can come with me to the depths of the Twilight Mother Pillar."

These words caused the entire secret room to fall silent once again.

Lynn frowned, about to say something more, when Weston, standing on the far left, suddenly stepped forward and said firmly:

“I am willing to go with you, Your Excellency Calek.”

After Weston finished speaking, he turned to look at the other Crystal Masters: "You all heard it, running away won't help!"
"The Spirit Crystal Clan has already escaped from the surface to the underground, so where else can they escape to?"

"Do you still remember the oath of the Huijing family?"

"—The crystal shines in the moonlight."

"There is no moon underground, nor a moonlit night as gentle as silk; there is only a ghastly green night... We can no longer sit idly by and wait for our demise."

The surface faction of the Spirit Crystal race is also divided into two categories. One is the conservative faction, which only thinks about holding on underground, accumulating strength, and waiting for the day when they can launch a counterattack on the surface.

The other type is the radicals like Weston, who are tired of waiting and only want to start now to gradually reclaim the territory on the surface that belongs to the Spirit Crystal race!
Now Lynn has brought evidence that the world is gradually being destroyed, and has also proven that the Azure Mother Pillar or something else is using the Celestial Crystal as a covert means to weaken the entire Spirit Crystal race.

Then the "stability" and "improvement" touted by conservatives are just self-deception.

Spirit Crystal Clan, it's time to fight back!

Lynn was not familiar with the complex ideological factions of the Spirit Crystal race, but what Weston said was exactly what he wanted to hear.

The reason he was willing to spend so much time talking to these crystal masters was not only to learn more about the Azure Mother Pillar through them, but also to have some cannon fodder when he went to the Azure Mother Pillar.

Such a practice was clearly despicable, and Lynn knew it in her heart, but she didn't care, just as she hadn't cared about the feelings of Kalek's relatives and friends back then.

Although, given the current situation, these Spirit Crystal people do indeed have no choice but to fight to the death, in a way, Lynn has served as a wake-up call for them.

In conclusion, among the surface faction members, there are quite a few who support the radicals, especially among the high-level crystal masters, whose powerful abilities give them the confidence to fight back.

So, following Weston's speech, the remaining Crystal Masters also stepped forward one by one.

In the end, only Monk remained in the same place.

Lynn turned his gaze to the old crystal master.

"Lord Kalek, may I pass this information on to a high-level crystal master in another city?" Monen asked.

“Of course you can.” Lynn readily agreed.

“Then perhaps we can wait a few more days and gather more Crystal Masters to go to the Twilight Mother Pillar,” Meng En suggested.

To be honest, his suggestion was correct, but Lynn couldn't wait that long.

With each passing day, the probability of finding Durant decreases, and his chances of leaving become even slimmer.

However, he certainly couldn't say that to this group.

After a moment's thought, Lynn said, "A counterattack on the Mother Pillar of Twilight is not something that can be accomplished in a day. We can set out to investigate first, find a suitable place to establish an outpost, and prepare for those who come later."

Monn said no more. He glanced at Ortiz and said in a deep voice:
"Ortiz, you stay here and spread this information to more Spirit Crystal people. I will go ahead with Lord Kalek in your stead."

Ortiz paused for a moment, then nodded.

The matter was settled, and at Lynn's urging, the group prepared some basic supplies.

They set off towards the Mother Pillar of Twilight before dawn!

(End of this chapter)