Dream Crystal Realm?
Hayashi River was quite knowledgeable when it came to history and geography. However, the name Crystal Realm was unfamiliar to him. He quickly searched through his mind, but still couldn't find any relevant information.
Hayashi River pressed his ear and waited for Mossy Bone to give him an answer. He knew that this ancient AI would definitely know about Crystal Realm.
This was because when Fowler mentioned Crystal Realm, a buzzing sound came from the earpiece. This was a very rare reaction from Mossy Bone.
"Crystal Realm! What a nostalgic place. Cromwell actually accepted a genius from Crystal Realm as his student... "
Mossy Bone sighed softly in the earpiece and told Hayashi River that Crystal Realm was a dreamy place in the Eastern and Western Continents. It was as mysterious as the elves' territory.
In ancient times, there were four mysterious places like the Eastern and Western Continents, and they were called the Four Major Realms.
The elves' territory and the Dream Crystal Realm were two of the Four Major Realms.
The third was the birthplace of the dragon race — Dragon Island.
That place had already been destroyed before the Dark Ages.
The races that lived in the Four Major Realms were born with innate talents. In ancient times, they could be said to be high-level creatures of the world.
...
What about the Fourth Realm...
Hayashi River didn't hear Mossy Bone's next words, but he had a general answer in his heart.
At this moment, he heard Fowler mention all kinds of rumors about Crystal Realm. It was said that the beings that came from there were like the elves. The males were handsome, the females were beautiful, and they had magical skills.
It was rumored that the beings of Crystal Realm, together with the elves, dwarves, and goblins, had forged many divine weapons from ancient times.
When the first-generation Heart Origin experts had just risen, they weren't strong enough to fight against the sea beast army. It was these powerful races that fought on the frontlines. They relied on those legendary weapons to clash with the terrifying sea beast experts.
"The beings of Crystal Realm have always taught other races, but they actually took Cromwell as their teacher. This is really..." Fowler shook his head at this point and began his daily dissing of Cromwell.
Hayashi River glanced at it and said with a frown, "You deduced that Lady Rain's ancestor came from the Crystal Zone because she possessed the other half of the key. Was she beautiful enough?"
"Of course not … How can I judge a book by its cover …"
Fowler shook his head repeatedly. Then, he revealed a strange smile. "I know that the beings of the Crystal Realm have a special characteristic, and Lady Rain happens to have it. That's why I deduced that her ancestor was not only a being of the Crystal Realm, but she was also a mixed-blood. That's not exactly what she has. "
"However, that characteristic is very well hidden. I didn't notice it last time, so I took a special look at it this time. Mr. Chuan, do you want to know what this characteristic looks like and where it is located … "
Seeing the expression on Fowler's face, Hayashi River decisively refused to continue listening to this secret. Fowler, on the other hand, looked regretful. This was a rare secret in the world. Apart from him, there were only a handful of people in the world who knew this secret.
Looking at the proud Fowler, Hayashi River pursed his lips and suddenly said, "Mr. Fowler, since you said that Lady Rain was a mixed-blood, then who do you think her ancestor chose as her partner?"
"Uh …"
Hearing this question, Fowler was instantly dumbfounded. Then, his expression became extremely ugly. He clutched his head and cried with a pained expression, "No … This is impossible …"
Having dealt a heavy blow to this licentious fellow, Hayashi River smiled and nodded. Then, he once again organized the clues he had gathered.
"A genius from the Crystal Realm became Cromwell's student …"
Hayashi River muttered to himself. It seemed that what had happened in the past at the Foka Tower was more complicated than he had expected.
In the past at the Foka Tower, Cromwell's research might not have been due to an invitation. Instead, he used the invitation as an excuse to specially come here to conduct research on the God's Stone body.
As he pondered, Hayashi River looked out of the window. The sky above the Foka Tower was still gloomy. Even though it was a rare sunny day, there was not a trace of sunlight.
A thousand years ago, under the same sky, what role did Cromwell, his students, his subordinates, the Oceanic Beast Royalty, and even some hidden forces play in this incident?
Hayashi River had a premonition that the truth of this incident might be very different from the clues he had found.
However, he was not too interested in the incident itself. As for the truth, let it be buried in the long river of history …
"Let's get ready. After treating Bayun, we'll head to the Northern Region of the Sea-Ao Empire and see if we can find any clues in the ruins of the experimental base where the [Earth King Equipment] exploded …"
Hayashi River packed his things and felt inexplicably relaxed. After staying in a place like the Foka Tower for so long, he missed those sunny places.
He was considering if he should make a trip back to the Mechanical Hive before heading to the Northern Region to raise his Mechanic Star by two levels.
Alternatively, he could head to Woking City. The beach there was sunny and beautiful. During his time there, Hayashi River had not sunbathed on the beach yet.
…
A month later …
Northern Region of the Sea-Ao Empire, Ruins Desert.
The Desert of the Ruins was a narrow strip of land on the Star Ao Empire's territory. It forcefully separated the northern part of the empire from the rest of the region.
Whoosh …
This was a desertified area. Gusts of wind swept through the area, causing the bones on the ground to whimper …
Tracing back to the history of this area, this place had not been so deserted a long time ago, when the Hundred Year War had just started.
Before the Hundred Year War, the Ruins Desert had a very nice name — the City of Dreams.
In the history of the Sea-Ao Empire, this area was once an extremely prosperous city-state. It was connected to the Great Sea-Ao Prefecture and the main route to the North. It was once the most developed place in the Empire.
After that, with the continuous years of civil war in the Sea-Ao Empire, the city-state here was the first to bear the brunt. Cities collapsed one after another, turning into ruins.
Before the Hundred Year War, this was a place where many people panned for gold. Any ancient object they found could make them rich overnight. As time passed, it gained the reputation of the City of Dreams.
However, with the influx of large numbers of gold seekers, even a mountain of gold would be emptied very quickly. It was the same for the City of Dreams. That boom lasted for hundreds of years, and during the Hundred Year War, this place was completely deserted and uninhabited.
Today, in this desert, one could still see the outlines of city ruins from afar. The ruins of those cities were no longer excavated.
Thump, thump, thump …
In the sandstorm, a long object moved forward. It was moving so fast that it looked like a levitating train traveling in the desert.
However, if one were to get close and see the object's true appearance, they would scream in fear.
It was a huge insect with a hard carapace all over its body. Its long body was stuck to the sand, gliding like a fish in water.
This was a special insect of the Ruins Desert — the Giant Sandworm.
It was also the most practical means of transportation in this desert — the Giant Sandworm Train!
On both sides of the Giant Sandworm's body were large boxes. Each box was the size of a small house, and inside were the passengers of the Giant Sandworm Train.
Since a long time ago, the Giant Sandworm had been the means of transportation in the Ruins Desert, and it was still the same today.
It was not that levitating cars and trains couldn't travel here, but there were many terrifying beasts in the Ruins Desert that posed a great threat to these vehicles.
This situation was different from the Forka Plains.
Although the beasts in the Forka Plains were terrifying, they could be countered with defensive measures.
Many of the terrifying beasts in the Ruins Desert were active under the sand. In such an environment, a beast might suddenly jump out of the ground or swallow the levitating car.
Or the tracks of the levitating car might be torn off by the underground beasts. These situations were impossible to guard against.
As time passed, no one was willing to develop a transportation route in the Ruins Desert.
After all, the speed and safety of the Giant Sandworm Train were reputable throughout the entire continent.
Thud thud thud …
As the Giant Sandworm slid forward, Hayashi River, Fowler, Little White Harpoon, and Bayun were all in the extended carriage beside it. Beside them was the little girl who was feeding Blue Kitty.
At the door of the carriage stood the taciturn Lao Ai.
Old Aidan and Hai Wuya were sitting at the side, drinking tea and reading books.
They had been traveling in the Ruins Desert for two days. According to their calculations, they would arrive at their destination in about a day.
The reason why they delayed going to the North of the Sea-Ao Empire for a month was not that Hayashi River had taken a month off.
In fact, Lan Kitty was in Davo City, enjoying half a month of sunbathing on the beach, lying in the arms of the girls, being fed and praised like Master Meow. She had a great time.
Mossy Bone controlled the [Phantom of the Void Bones] and stayed in Dawo City to repair it.
After Bayun's injuries were healed, he stayed in the Forka High Tower. With Fowler's company, he happily lived the wonderful life that he had not had for more than a decade.
It was said that in the past month, Bayun had become the object of love for many noble (resentful) ladies, and he had become the private topic of many noble ladies. His life could be said to be extremely comfortable.
…
Compared to these people's wonderful days, Hayashi River's life was terrible. First, he stayed in Dawo City for a week to repair the [Phantom of the Void Bones] without sleep or rest.
Then, he was urged by Master Barce to return to the Mechanical Hive to organize what he had obtained in the Forka High Tower.
The information that Hayashi River submitted was actually just some scraps. It did not touch on the core parts of Cromwell's research.
However, it had already attracted the attention of the Mechanical Hive, and it was listed as a research project of the highest level. Hayashi River was almost kept there and became one of the main people in charge of the project.
If he had not used Professor Teixo and Master Tieyin as a shield, he would still be in the Mechanical Hive, being groomed as the next owner of the Fireblade Machinery Workshop.
But that was not enough. He used the other two teachers as a shield, and trouble came one after another. Lin Chuan, Tekso, and Tie Yin had to spend a lot of time talking to each other before they managed to head to the north of the Star Ao Empire in the name of purchasing items.
Now, seeing Fowler and Bayun with their arms around each other's shoulders, looking like good brothers who had done it together, Hayashi River was very displeased.
"That Fowler actually followed us …" Lin Chuan was a little displeased with this lecherous fellow.
The main reason why Fowler followed him on this trip to the Northern Lands was to accompany Bayun.
After the Centaur recovered from his injuries, he did not intentionally hide his identity. After the higher-ups of the Forka High Tower found out about it, they treated Bayun even more warmly.
The son of the Centaur chief in the Northern Lands of the Sea-Ao Empire. The weight of this identity was comparable to that of the son of a duke with real power in a duchy. In the entire Forka High Tower, there were not many people who were more important than Bayun.
When Bayun returned to the Northern Lands this time, Fowler accompanied him as an outpost.
However, seeing the two fellows huddled together and discussing the noblewomen of the Northern Lands, Hayashi River was speechless.
Turning his head, he saw the Blue Kitty lying in the arms of the little girl, its eyes half-closed and half-awake. Hayashi River's mood worsened.
"Sigh … When I reach the place, I must take the opportunity to relax. Reasonable work and reasonable rest are the way of the king!"
Hayashi River muttered to himself in search of self-consolation.
Suddenly, he sensed something and looked out of the window. As far as he could see, there was a sandstorm in the sky.
It was already afternoon, the time when the sandstorm in the desert ruins was at its strongest. The strong winds swept up large amounts of sand and dust. In such a sandstorm, it was not much different from a pitch-black night.
Hayashi River activated his mental energy and extended his senses, allowing him to "see" the situation a thousand meters away.
In the distance, he could see the ruins of the city, faintly discernible in the sandstorm. As the sandworm train advanced, the ruins of the city seemed to be moving.
Such a scene was not visible to the average person. Hayashi River even saw shadows scuttling in the sandstorm, bobbing up and down from time to time like swimming fish.
These shadows were the ferocious beasts of the desert ruins. Their speed was comparable to that of a level-five fighter.
Their numbers were even more shocking. If these desert beasts were to move together, their destructive power would be somewhat terrifying.
At this moment, on the other side, Hayashi River also sensed that there were many ferocious gazes directed at him, following the sandworm train.
These were ferocious beasts buried in the sand. Even with Hayashi River's senses, he could not detect their specific location.
"The dangers of the desert ruins are indeed much more terrifying than the Foka Plains …" Hayashi River muttered to himself.
Suddenly, streaks of blazing flames lit up and extended into a stretch. This scene could not be concealed by the sandstorm, and everyone in the carriage saw it.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh …
Streaks of flames spouted like a fountain of fire surging out of the sand. It was a spectacular sight.
However, Bayun, who was happily chatting with Fowler, suddenly stood up and moved to the window, looking out carefully.
This action attracted the attention of his companions. Ever since this burly centaur recovered from his injuries, he had never had such a grave expression on his face.
"Mr Bayun, is there any danger?" Hayashi River asked.
Bayun did not speak and only nodded, causing everyone's expression to turn ugly.
They could not be so unlucky as to encounter terrifying ferocious beasts on their journey to the desert ruins …
Wasn't it said that the sandworm train was the safest of all the trains on the continent? There had been no accidents in the past thirty years.
"There might be trouble, but it's not dangerous …"
Bayun stared out of the window. The flames in the sandstorm in the distance were getting brighter and closer.
Bang!
Just outside the carriage, less than a kilometer away, a tongue of flame shot up and spread with a whistling sound.
"The fire is coming …" Little White screamed with its harpoon.
Hayashi River turned to look at the harpoon and asked, "Do you think it's dangerous?"
"That …" The harpoon was taken aback and shook its head. "I don't think so …"
Then what are you screaming for …
Hayashi River secretly shook his head. The harpoon's talent in sensing danger was indeed outstanding. If it could use it freely, it would be an outstanding talent.
Unfortunately, Little White still had a long way to go before it could use its talent freely.
At this moment, with a whoosh, the tongue of flame had already reached them. Outside the window, holes suddenly appeared in the shell of the giant sandworm, and clouds of viscous gas spurted out, extinguishing the tongue of flame immediately.
In front of them, a shrill and angry howl came from the head of the giant sandworm. That was the sound of the sandworm, and the sandstorm could not drown it out.
In the distance, the spitting tongues of fire dissipated, and something seemed to have left the sand and dust that filled the sky.
Hayashi River sensed that the gazes had also disappeared, and the dangerous feeling quickly faded.
When he turned his head, he suddenly realized that Lan Xiaomiao was staring at the window with her small eyes. She had a rarely seen look of interest in her eyes. Only when the tongues of fire disappeared did the little fellow's ears droop and return to her lazy cat form.
Hayashi River's heart stirred, and he asked Bayern, "What kind of creature is this in the desert?"
"Sir, this is a Fire Pygmy, a dangerous species unique to the desert …"
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Bayern dutifully took up the role of a northern guide and explained, "The Fire Pygmy and Giant Sandworm of the desert are the two unique species here, and they are also the two ferocious beasts that stand at the top of the food chain in the desert. Unlike the Giant Sandworm, the Fire Pygmy is ferocious and difficult to tame … "
Just now, Bayern said that there might be trouble because the Fire Pygmy and the Giant Sandworm were sworn enemies in the desert.
As long as these two species came together, a battle was bound to break out, and the powers of these two species coincidentally restrained each other.
The flames spewed by the Fire Pygmy were completely restrained by the sticky mist secreted by the Giant Sandworm.
These Giant Sandworm Trains were all carried by the Giant Sandworm, and unless they encountered the Fire Pygmy, they would at most be a little troublesome.
"Fire Pygmy? It's said that the area where the Fire Pygmy is active is bound to have top-notch fire-attribute energy crystals. I wonder if that's true … "Fowler exclaimed.
"That rumor is true, but the actual situation is a little different …"
Bayern spoke of the Fire Pygmy. Unlike the Giant Sandworm, the Fire Pygmy was extremely rare, and was now considered a mutated species.
In order to breed, the Fire Pygmy had to devour large amounts of fire-attribute energy crystals, and they had to be high-grade ones or above. This was the reason why the Fire Pygmy was so rare.
As for the Giant Sandworm, it was different. Since a long time ago, it had been artificially bred by the Northern Shipping Company. Although its reproduction rate was not high, it was still far superior to the Fire Pygmy.
"If we find the Fire Pygmy, we can indeed find high-grade fire-attribute energy crystals nearby. However, it's hard to say how many there are …"
Bayern laughed. There were many rumors about the Fire Pygmy in the Northern Lands, but only the Centaur Tribe knew the inside story.
In the past, the Centaur Tribe had a strict trial, which was to find the location of the Fire Pygmy and hunt it.
Today, this trial was only for show. As the Fire Pygmy was too rare, it had already been listed as a rare animal in the Northern Lands. Many environmental organizations had already protested to the Centaur Tribe, banning the hunting of the Fire Pygmy.
Before Bayern was injured, the Species Protection Association of the Eastern Continent had proposed to the Northern Royal Tribe that the Fire Pygmy should be listed as a rare animal.
"This proposal seems to have been implemented this year …"
Fowler took out the light screen and searched for the relevant laws of the Northern Lands. The Fire Pygmy was one of them.
Bayern mumbled, "Doesn't that mean that I won't be able to eat Fire Pygmy eggs when I return this time? That's a delicacy of the Centaur Tribe! I wanted to invite you guys to try it … "
Hearing this, his companions in the carriage glanced sideways at Bayern, who was swallowing his saliva. They could not help but suspect that the reason the Fire Pygmy was on the brink of extinction was not because of the harsh breeding conditions, but because of the Centaur Tribe's hunting.
However, judging from the strength of the Fire Pygmy just now, the Fire Pygmy's strength did not just increase by one level. It was most likely a level-seven ferocious beast.
Such a terrifying ferocious beast had become a trial for every generation of the Centaur Tribe. This showed how powerful the Centaur Army was.
"Hmph … the Centaur Tribe is much better than before. In the past, the Centaur Tribe was a valiant tribe that had fought many wars with the Sea-Ao Empire's royal family …"
"If I remember correctly, the Centaur Tribe was in that generation. Oh, right, not long after the end of the Age of Darkness, the Centaur Tribe of that generation produced a powerful and awe-inspiring chief. He led the Centaur Army and almost conquered the Great Star Ao Prefecture …"
Old Aidan shook his head and spoke of the secrets recorded in the Redbud Classics that no one knew about.
"Oh, there's such a thing …"
Hayashi River and the rest were curious. This was not recorded in the history books.
Bayun's majestic body trembled as he shouted, "Lower your voice, don't talk about this. You'll attract big trouble!"
This was something that the Sea-Ao Empire's royal family, the Centaur Army, and the Northern Royal Family were unwilling to mention. A long time ago, the three parties had reached an agreement to erase this part of history from the history books.
"Heh … it's already happened. What's there to hide? Since when did the Centaur Tribe become so timid …" Hai Wuya chuckled.
When the two old fellows were young, they had stayed in the Northern Lands for a period of time and had interacted with the Centaur Tribe's powerhouses. Those Centaur powerhouses were all fearless beings.
Old Aidan and Hai Wuya could not understand why Bayun, who looked like a burly man and did things boldly, would be so timid when it came to political matters.
Bayun's behavior made the two old fellows look down on him. This fellow was the son of the Centaur Tribe's chief. It was no wonder that he was not a candidate for the position of chief.
"Elders, you two don't understand …"
Bayun shook his head, his smile a little bitter, but he did not say anything else.
At the side, Hayashi River looked at the Blue Kitty, who was licking her paws from time to time, as if drooling over some food.
The little fellow raised its head and glanced at its master, giving him a look that they both understood.
Immediately, Hayashi River understood that the Blue Kitty was interested in the aura of the Fire Sparrowhawks.
Were there fire-type energy crystals on the Fire Sparrowhawks?
Or could he find clues about the giant Fire Sparrowhawks from these Fire Sparrowhawks …
Hayashi River's thoughts raced, and then he shook his head, indicating for the Blue Kitty to stop thinking. The giant Fire Sparrowhawks were extraordinarily powerful and were level-seven powerhouses.
From what Bayun had said, hunting the Fire Sparrowhawks in the desert ruins was not an easy task. Even the Centaur Tribe would have to mobilize a large number of elites.
On this trip to the Northern Lands, they had to keep a low profile, and it was better not to do anything that would attract attention.
Thump, thump, thump …
As they spoke, an oasis appeared in front of them, and the Sandworm train stopped at the edge of the oasis.
On the walkway, several burly guards held a megaphone and informed the passengers to alight. Because of the incident just now, the Sandworm train would need to undergo a two-hour maintenance.
In an instant, the doors of the carriages opened one by one, and the passengers came out.
"Why aren't there any beautiful women among the guards and attendants on the Sandworm train?"
As they came out of the carriage, Fowler spoke of the regrets he had been harboring throughout the journey.
"Were the attendants on the Sandworm train all beautiful women in the past …" Hayashi River asked.
Fowler opened his mouth, but did not reply. They were indeed beautiful women in the past, and they were purebred beauties from the Northern Lands.
However, that was something that happened hundreds of years ago, and he naturally could not reveal it.
"The people of the Northern Lands are tough, and beautiful attendants caused too much trouble. As early as a hundred years ago, the system was changed …" Bayun explained.
Fowler shook his head repeatedly, a look of regret on his face. Looking at him, who knew what kind of romantic affairs he had on the Sandworm train back then?
Leaving the two fellows behind to discuss women, Hayashi River and the others followed the crowd and entered the oasis. This was a station set up by the Northern Air Navigation Company, which was equivalent to a small town inside.
From the buildings here, one could see the architectural style of the Northern Lands, which was different from the luxurious architectural style of other places in the Sea-Ao Empire.
The architectural style of the Northern Lands was mainly simple and practical. The houses here were like large bricks that did not look aesthetically pleasing, but could withstand the wind and sand.
The streets and alleys were filled with hawkers, and from time to time, one could see some skilled people among the passersby.
Ding ding ding …
Many of the houses had what looked like wind chimes hanging in front of their doors. Long strings of them, they were very pleasing to the ears as the wind blew past.
"Is this the scenery of the Northern Lands …"
Hayashi River muttered to himself. Whether it was in his previous life or this one, he had only seen such scenery in books, television, and videos.
In all fairness, in Hayashi River's travels, he had never included the Northern Lands.
This was a personal preference. Hayashi River liked places with a sense of science and technology, or to explore the mysteries of the deep sea. In places like the Northern Lands, desertification had always been very serious, and in some places, the signal was not very good.
This was a place that Hayashi River had never been too fond of. Perhaps this was a problem he had picked up from his previous life on Earth.
At this moment, standing in the town of the oasis, looking back, the Giant Sandworm was like a long train that circled half of the oasis.
Turning his head again, on the desert ruins in the distance, sand billowed into the sky, and the outline of the city ruins could be faintly seen. Such a scene gave Hayashi River an unprecedented impact.
That kind of barren scene, but under this barren desert, hid a kind of wild vitality. It turned into a shocking scene that impacted his heart.
The picture of the eyeball on his forehead appeared, and it continued spinning as it absorbed the vast world in his heart. Through his mental energy, Lin Chuan could even see huge birds flying past the sandstorm. Their wings pierced through the violent wind, and with a posture that made them look as if they were flying, they shot into the depths of the ruins with whooshing sounds.
On his chest, the pendulum pattern also appeared, and the needle appeared. It slowly turned, taking in the aura of desolation that permeated the surroundings into Hayashi River's body bit by bit.
Just like that, the boundless scene of heaven and earth suddenly appeared in Hayashi River's heart, causing the Psychic Force and mental energy in his body to immediately boil.
As the strange aura entered his body, Hayashi River's heart beat slightly. This aura was absorbed into his Psychic Force, and the [Windmill Mist Suppression Skill] also quickly circulated.
[Windmill Mist Suppression Skill]!?
In that instant, Hayashi River finally understood what kind of state of mind Cromwell had when he first created this skill.
Looking across this oasis, Hayashi River's eyes became misty. As his mental energy continued to spread, he seemed to be able to peel away the sand on the desert ruins, and see the true appearance of this region.
Beside him, his companions stopped talking and exchanged looks, all of them revealing looks of astonishment.
"Is this another epiphany? This is too …" Fowler muttered softly, his tone strangely sour.
Old Aidan and Hayuya were very responsible, and quickly went to Hayashi River's side to prevent any accidents from happening.
Bayern, on the other hand, blinked his eyes in astonishment. He could not understand this mysterious young Mechanic more and more. The aura on his body was unfathomable. Although it was said to be at the fifth level, it had the majesty of a sixth level, and even had the feeling of a seventh level fighter directly communicating with the energy of heaven and earth …
Hayashi River very quickly came to his senses. This was actually just an enhancement of his state of mind, and it was not difficult for him to extricate himself from it.
However, as he retracted his mental energy, his heart jolted, and he looked at a spot in the crowd. There stood a girl wearing leather armor unique to the Northern Lands, and a hat. On her smooth, wheat-colored face, a pair of clear eyes were wide open, and she was looking at Hayashi River with a look of astonishment.
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