Chapter 2086: Thunder Fortress

Three hundred years is not a long time, but it’s not short either. The invasion of the Star Abyss has already had some impact on this starfield. Cultivators finding breakthroughs in their cultivation more difficult than before is just one aspect; even the formation of spirit jade has decreased compared to three hundred years ago.

Another effect is the emergence of numerous wormholes!

Currently, the number of wormholes in the starfield is several times greater than it was three hundred years ago, and this number is still continuously increasing.

It seems that the Star Abyss invasion has left this entire starfield scarred. Places where space was once stable have become prone to tearing, and this is the root cause of the wormholes' emergence.

Paradoxically, the increased number of wormholes has one advantage: it has made travel between different locations much more convenient for cultivators.

The nearest front-line battlefield was several star systems away. Using the star map provided by Leopard Five, Lu Ye and Jiu Yan found a nearby wormhole and traversed a long distance through it.

Several days later, a massive floating fortress appeared in their sight. From afar, Lu Ye was awestruck. The artifact refining techniques in this starfield were indeed far superior to those of his home realm. Such a colossal fortress was practically a super battleship; refining it would not have been easy.

According to the star map, this Thunder Fortress was one of the front-line battlefield's strongholds. There were hundreds of such strongholds on this front-line, dispersed throughout the starfield, forming a circle that enveloped the entire battlefield.

The scale of the battlefield also differed from Lu Ye's initial imagination. This front-line battlefield encompassed a vast star region spanning several star systems.

The intelligence Lu Ye gathered from Leopard Five made him realize the immense trouble the starfield would face if the Star Abyss wormhole had not been contained in its initial stages.

Understanding this made him feel extremely fortunate.

After the Star Abyss wormhole on the Myriad Manifestation Sea opened, it seemed to have alarmed the Astral Palace. This supreme treasure suddenly exerted its power to seal it, preventing further trouble. Otherwise, the Myriad Manifestation Sea would now be in chaos, and over time, this chaos would spread outwards, becoming uncontrollable.

The arrival of the two clearly drew attention from the Thunder Fortress. After all, they were two Divine Realm experts with unfamiliar auras, especially Jiu Yan, who had almost reached the peak of the Divine Realm.

At such a sensitive time, the Thunder Fortress would not ignore the appearance of any unfamiliar Divine Realm expert.

Therefore, even before they reached the Thunder Fortress, a battleship sailed out to meet them. Powerful energy signatures emerged from the battleship, locking onto them from a distance. These signatures were not from cultivators, but from the various offensive formations and magical artifacts on the battleship. Should either of them make any rash move, they would undoubtedly be met with a storm of attacks.

On the battleship's deck, a figure stood, watching them cautiously.

Lu Ye and Jiu Yan advanced calmly and fearlessly. A short while later, they stood about ten li away from the battleship.

They clearly sensed the Divine Realm expert opposite them scrutinizing them. She was clad in an elegantly crafted humanoid mech-armor, appearing to be a woman. The mech-armor, only twice a person's height, held a spherical orb. She aimed it at Lu Ye and Jiu Yan from a distance, then lowered her head to inspect it.

Seeing this, Lu Ye immediately recalled Leopard Five's previous instructions, realizing that this Divine Realm expert was currently investigating his and Jiu Yan's origins.

Because Star Abyss infiltrators occasionally slipped into various parts of the starfield to cause trouble, all powerful individuals in this starfield were currently registered. This allowed them to ascertain others' origins through various means, even if they were strangers.

That orb was likely one such device.

However, Lu Ye and Jiu Yan were newcomers and had no existing records, so the other party naturally found nothing. Yet, under her perception, neither Lu Ye nor Jiu Yan bore any trace of Star Abyss energy, which caused her to feel puzzled.

Star Abyss infiltrators were actually quite easy to distinguish; the Star Abyss energy simply couldn't be concealed, especially from a Divine Realm expert.

Feeling perplexed, she asked in a clear voice, "Where do you two come from?"

Following the pre-arranged story, Lu Ye stepped forward and cupped his hands from a distance, saying, "We are hermits who have been in seclusion for several hundred years. Upon hearing the dire news from the starfield, we specifically came to offer our assistance."

"Hermits…" The woman was stunned. In the first hundred years of the Star Abyss invasion, some hermits were indeed forced out of seclusion, each possessing considerable strength. "But it has been three hundred years now; how could there still be hermits oblivious to worldly affairs?"

After a brief contemplation, she gestured, "Please come over, both of you, so we can talk."

Lu Ye nodded and, together with Jiu Yan, stepped forward, quickly arriving on the battleship. The woman did not remove her mech-armor, and the numerous energy signatures on the battleship remained firmly locked onto Lu Ye and Jiu Yan, clearly indicating she hadn't easily believed Lu Ye's statement.

This was to be expected. Even if she didn't detect any Star Abyss energy from Lu Ye and Jiu Yan, it didn't mean there was no issue with these two suddenly appearing, unfamiliar Divine Realm experts.

"Where were you two secluded before?" she inquired.

Lu Ye casually named a star system: "Inside an unnamed desolate planet there. We hadn't left for hundreds of years, until we sensed some unusual activity a few days ago and emerged to investigate, only to discover the starfield was already in peril."

Inside the mech-armor, the woman slightly furrowed her brow. She had no way to specifically verify what Lu Ye had said. After a moment's thought, she said, "Never mind. Come with me into the fortress."

If these two truly had any issues, they would undoubtedly expose themselves once inside the Thunder Fortress. Even if they were genuinely Star Abyss infiltrators, they wouldn't be able to cause any significant disturbance within the Thunder Fortress. There had been Star Abyss infiltrators who tried to sneak in before, but regardless of their strength, they all met a tragic end.

The battleship soon retreated back into the Thunder Fortress, landing in a plaza.

Lu Ye looked around, noticing that there weren't many cultivators visible inside the fortress. The few cultivators he did see didn't seem particularly strong, which made him feel curious.

The woman in mech-armor beckoned, "Come with me, I'll take you…" She paused mid-sentence, cocking her head as if receiving an instruction. Then she continued, "The Fortress Lord has summoned you both. Follow me."

She was slightly taken aback. Ordinarily, she would now take Lu Ye and Jiu Yan to a special location to thoroughly verify that they were not Star Abyss infiltrators, and then register them if everything checked out.

However, the Fortress Lord had just sent a direct voice transmission…

Since it was the Fortress Lord's order, she naturally had to obey it unconditionally.

After a short while, the three arrived at a small courtyard. It was a beautiful setting with rockeries and flowing water, and a pond. By the pond's edge, a rotund figure sat cross-legged.

The woman approached the rotund figure, cupped her hands and bowed, saying, "Fortress Lord, I have brought them."

The Fortress Lord slightly nodded. "You may go and attend to your duties."

"Understood!" the woman in mech-armor replied, glancing at Lu Ye and Jiu Yan once more before withdrawing.

"Hermit Lu Ye, and my senior sister Jiu Yan, greet the Fortress Lord!" Lu Ye stepped forward to salute. He couldn't help but wonder what cultivation technique this Fortress Lord practiced to have become so incredibly corpulent. He was a true spherical mass, with his round head appearing to rest directly on his body, no neck visible at all.

The Fortress Lord was fishing, though no fish seemed to be biting. He turned his head to look at Lu Ye and Jiu Yan, then extended a hand with a chuckle, saying, "Sit, don't be so formal."

Lu Ye replied earnestly, "We wouldn't dare act presumptuously before the Fortress Lord!"

Mainly, there was nowhere to sit, so standing was better.

Moreover, this incredibly corpulent Fortress Lord gave him a unique impression. In his perception, he couldn't fathom the other's depths at all. He secretly glanced at Jiu Yan, who also looked solemn and slowly shook her head.

This was a powerful expert, and an extremely powerful one at that!

Otherwise, Jiu Yan would not have shown such an expression.

Lu Ye's heart stirred. This Fortress Lord had likely already forged his own Dao Foundation!

"Where are you two from?" the Fortress Lord asked with a chuckle, seemingly making small talk.

Just as Lu Ye was about to repeat his previous story, the Fortress Lord added, "I'm asking about the starfield you originated from!"

Lu Ye couldn't help but blink. "Fortress Lord, what… do you mean?"

"Heh heh…" The Fortress Lord turned his head, earnestly scrutinizing Lu Ye and Jiu Yan. "Were it not for seeing it with my own eyes, it would be unbelievable! You bear no trace of this starfield. You actually managed to come from another starfield? How did you get here? Has your starfield also been invaded by the Star Abyss?"

He seemed to have many questions, eager for answers.

However, a storm surged in Lu Ye's heart. He never expected that his and Jiu Yan's true origins would be seen through with a single glance.

Could even the traces of one's starfield of origin be discerned?

"Don't be afraid," the Fortress Lord said, as if sensing his concerns, offering reassurance. "If I bore you any ill will, I wouldn't have let you come this far. I simply… have never seen cultivators from another starfield before, which is why I'm asking so many questions."

Lu Ye composed himself and asked, "How did the Fortress Lord see through us?"

Since he had already exposed them, pretending ignorance was pointless and might even offend him. It was better to admit it frankly. Moreover, he could sense that the Fortress Lord truly held no ill will towards him and Jiu Yan.

The Fortress Lord replied, "I didn't see it myself; someone told me."

Someone told him? Who? Since this person was the Fortress Lord, it meant he was the strongest here. If even he couldn't discern these hidden details, who else could?

"As for who told me, that's not convenient to disclose," the Fortress Lord said, winking at Lu Ye. His eyes were already small, and with that wink, they practically disappeared.

"Now, can you tell me your story?" the Fortress Lord asked.

Lu Ye thought for a moment. There seemed to be nothing he couldn't say, and having their hidden secret exposed actually made him feel a bit lighter. So he began, "We indeed come from another starfield. The Star Abyss invasion there hasn't officially begun yet; there have only been some precursors…"

He then recounted all their previous experiences.

The Fortress Lord listened intently.

A moment later, he revealed a look of understanding. "A Ghost Palanquin? I've never heard of such a thing… So, you were able to come here because of that Ghost Palanquin?"

"Precisely. However, after bringing the ten of us here, the Ghost Palanquin vanished without a trace, and we don't know how to return."