742 Trap

As Xu Jingming and his team scoured the Primordial Gold Mountains for mineral deposits, other high-dimensional lifeforms roamed the vast terrain.

Whoosh!

A mutated beast stealthily ventured into a crevice within the mountains.

I’ve already been fortunate to find a single piece of Primordial Gold in the outskirts of the range. If I want to hit the jackpot, I have to risk delving deeper! The creature’s yellow eyes scanned its surroundings.

I don’t ask for much! As long as I unearth 100 Primordial Gold Beads, I’ll immediately leave the Primordial Gold Mountains, the mutated beast thought to itself. 100 Primordial Gold Beads are enough to exchange for resources to ascend to the Eternal realm.

Born a natural high-dimensional lifeform named Yisan, he and his two siblings, Yida and Yier, were raised by their protective mother.

Their mother had gone to the trading center one day and never returned; she died. The three brothers were driven apart by a myriad of conflicts.

I’ve unwittingly reached the apex of the Firstborn realm, but how should I proceed with my cultivation? My mother’s legacy has left me with more questions than answers. Yisan was deeply troubled.

I can definitely advance by mining resources to trade for more comprehensive legacies, or even personal guidance from an Eternal. As Yisan walked, his fur transformed into multiple incarnations.

His incarnations also scouted ahead.

Incarnations were inherently weak, so Xu Jingming deployed his true bodies to investigate.

Most high-dimensional beings, however, were left with no choice. Possessing only one true body and unable to afford hiring powerhouses from the Heart Realm lineage, they were forced to rely on incarnations to scout their paths.

A sharp sound. One of the scouting incarnations perished.

Yisan was unaware of the precise danger. After all, incarnations were frail.

Time to take another route.

Upon the death of his incarnation, Yisan promptly turned around and retraced his steps to the original junction, choosing a different crevice.

Deep within this new crevice, Yisan was pleasantly surprised to detect a barely discernible aura.

The essence of Primordial Gold. Yisan’s heart leaped with joy. Although the aura was faint, it likely indicated the presence of a few Primordial Gold Beads.

Yisan glanced at the mountain wall before him and swiftly drew out his twin short spears, attacking the wall.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The rocks of the Primordial Gold Mountains were extraordinarily hard, and they also made for excellent high-dimensional materials. If refined, they could even produce some Primordial Goldstone Liquid.

However, such materials were abundant in the Primordial Gold Mountains and therefore held little value. Primordial Goldstone Liquid commanded high prices mainly because the refining process was incredibly arduous.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

As a high-dimensional being at the peak of the Firstborn realm, Yisan exerted all his strength to strike his twin spears for half an hour. Finally, he shattered a small piece of stone, revealing a Primordial Gold Bead.

Another Primordial Gold Bead. That makes 19 in total. Yisan eagerly grasped the bead.

The moment his hand made contact with the Primordial Gold Bead, darkness completely enveloped Yisan and the surrounding area.

Yisan’s heart instantly turned ice-cold, realizing he was in grave peril.

Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother. As death loomed, Yisan’s thoughts turned to the family he had cherished most since birth. He had once quarreled with his two brothers, but as his life ebbed away, he felt only longing for them. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you must live on.

Within the inky blackness, Yisan was silenced in less than a second.

A shadowy phantom descended from the Abyss, seizing the high-dimensional being.

Ten minutes later.

A figure clad in gray robes sauntered into view. He eyed the darkness that shrouded the area and nonchalantly reached out his hand, causing a large portion of the darkness to surge into his grasp.

The prey this time is merely a Firstborn realm high-dimensional being. Sacrificing him to the Abyss yields me a pitiful amount. The figure’s eyes brimmed with disdain as he gazed at the artifacts Yisan had left behind after his demise.

Huh? This Firstborn realm powerhouse was surprisingly wealthy. With these Primordial Gold Beads, he had amassed 20,000 Abyssal True Blood. Only then did the gray-robed figure feel somewhat satisfied. He looked around. I’ll set up a trap elsewhere.

…

The expansive Primordial Gold Mountains were home to many high-dimensional lifeforms who had built cave dwellings and palaces throughout the range.

Within one such palace, the gray-robed figure returned and addressed a golden-armored figure from a distance. “Natuo, you have it easy, just spacing out here while I do all the hard work setting up traps and collecting prey.”

“I’m observing the Abyss from afar,” the golden-armored figure replied, the shadows of the Abyss visible in his eyes. “Even deep within the Primordial Gold Mountains, its presence is inescapable. What was your haul, Shadow Transcendence?”

“Meager. A Firstborn realm prey doesn’t yield much. Including the rewards from the sacrifice to the Abyss, it totaled just over 20,000 drops of Abyssal True Blood,” the gray-robed figure reported. “We should sell some of the spoils of war we’ve accumulated over the years at a trading hub.”

They had plenty of items they didn’t need, which could be traded for more valuable resources.

“How many spoils have we gathered?” the golden-armored figure inquired.

“Approximately 470,000 Abyssal True Blood,” the gray-robed figure answered.

“Let’s reach 500,000 before heading to Ancient Tree World to trade them off,” the golden-armored figure decided.

“Very well, as you wish,” the gray-robed figure acquiesced, despite only receiving 30% of the spoils to Natuo’s 70%. He retreated deeper into the cave dwelling. I’m still too weak. One day, when I no longer needed Natuo’s help, I can act alone and claim all the benefits for myself.

Now? Once traps ensnare powerful prey I can’t handle on my own. I’ll have to rely on Natuo, the gray-robed figure thought.

******

Engulfed in black lotus flames, Xu Jingming soared through the void with an air of dominance. Flames trailed in his wake, engulfing everything they touched.

As a member of the Heart Realm lineage and merely a clone, his capacity for travel far surpassed that of Yisan.

Huh? Xu Jingming halted as he sensed the tremors of spacetime. His surroundings had transformed.

Where is this?

He surveyed the area, enveloped by chaotic spacetime. Using the coordinates of his other clones, he determined his approximate location. This seems to be the spatial layer between the South Pavilion 3609 Dominion and the Eight Drums 1107 Dominion.

I’ll return. With a single thought, Xu Jingming returned to the Heart Realm and teleported back to the Primordial Gold Mountains. Guided by the coordinates provided by his other clones, he easily regrouped with them.

Xu Jingming, the dean, Tower Master, and Island Lord turned to depart.

“I encountered Spacetime Disorientation with my scouting clone,” Xu Jingming reported. “It wasn’t too dangerous, merely depositing me in a chaotic spatial layer outside our dominion.”

“Being sent to the chaotic spatial layer isn’t considered dangerous?” the dean quipped with a smile. “If Tower Master and I were exiled there, we’d never make it back.”

Xu Jingming and Island Lord, however, had means of returning, particularly Xu Jingming. He could do so in mere seconds, so he didn’t perceive it as a problem.

“The danger in the Primordial Gold Mountains is relatively manageable. It’s mainly the Spacetime Disorientation,” Xu Jingming sighed. “If we had ventured to more perilous places, I might not have fared so well.”

“It’s because of your abilities that we chose this location,” Tower Master chimed in. “Of the ten most dangerous places in the dominion, this one is the most suitable for our combined efforts.”

Xu Jingming nodded in agreement.

…

Every ten days to half a month, Xu Jingming encountered Spacetime Disorientation. He could be cast into other areas within the dominion, chaotic spatial layers, other dominions, the depths of the Abyss, or even uncharted, enigmatic realms due to Spacetime Disorientation.

Where am I? Xu Jingming gazed at the enormous dark vortex before him, mildly astonished. I can’t pinpoint my other clones’ locations here. I can’t even sense the Heart Realm.

Deprived of his connection to the Heart Realm, Xu Jingming was unable to leave.

Whoosh.

Unable to resist the terrifying pull of the dark vortex, he had no choice but to self-destruct.

Boom!

His body disintegrated as he vanished into oblivion.

Though the destruction of a clone was a minor concern, Xu Jingming dared not trifle with unknown dangers. They might have repercussions for all his clones.

…

In the blink of an eye, over five years had passed since Xu Jingming and his team set foot in the Primordial Gold Mountains. Only twice had he lost control and been forced to self-destruct his clone, a skill that allowed him to return from any perilous situation.

During these five years, I’ve only managed to collect a total of 20 Primordial Gold Beads. Engulfed in black lotus flames, he sped through a crevice, deep in thought.

Not once have I discovered a mineral deposit. I’ve only ever found one or two Primordial Gold Beads at a time, three at most. Xu Jingming shook his head. A single Primordial Gold Bead was the smallest unit possible.

He longed to find a chunk of Primordial Gold larger than his palm, for such a piece might be worth a thousand Primordial Gold Beads.

According to the dean and the others, their plan was to explore for a thousand years. There was no need to rush, and Xu Jingming was patient.

Whoosh.

Xu Jingming came to an abrupt stop at a specific spot.

Huh? He stared at a mountain wall, sensing the aura of Primordial Gold.

The Black Lotus Fire flared to life, burning the area. With a crackling sound, the stone on the mountain wall swiftly fractured, revealing a hidden Primordial Gold Bead.

Another Primordial Gold Bead. Xu Jingming waved his hand, and the bead flew toward him.

The moment the Primordial Gold Bead took flight—

Buzz!

A dense, pitch-black darkness instantly enveloped the surrounding area, naturally engulfing Xu Jingming as well.

Taken aback, Xu Jingming used his power to sense a wealth of information. This isn’t a naturally occurring Spacetime Disorientation, but a trap deliberately set by high-dimensional lifeforms to target miners?

Meanwhile, in his cave abode, the gray-robed figure known as Shadow Transcendence sensed from afar that one of his traps had been triggered. Trap #19 has been activated. An Eternal prey?

Huh? Wu Ming from Myriad Star Island, an Eternal of the Heart Realm lineage? Shadow Transcendence instantly recognized his quarry, and a headache set in.

He knew most of the Eternals in the dominion and was well aware that Myriad Star Island was not to be trifled with. After all, they had vanquished Asinus and the Abyss Thousand-Eyed Spider Demon in their battle for supremacy.

“Natuo, my trap #19 has ensnared Myriad Star Island’s Wu Ming,” the gray-robed figure immediately informed his companion.

“Those three monsters on Myriad Star Island are not to be underestimated! Let Wu Ming go,” Natuo responded.

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