Rowan silently nodded in agreement.
The ability to condense building materials using the power of laws was indeed a technique that only a peak-level Immortal King could master.
"Everyone, gather up!"
Kurak loudly called the alliance members together.
"We need to decide which route to take."
Everyone gathered in the center of the platform.
In front of them stood the main entrance to the ancient complex.
It was a massive archway more than ten meters tall, its surface carved with intricate rune patterns.
The interior of the archway was completely dark, making it impossible to see what lay beyond.
"Can anyone decipher these runes?"
Kurak looked around at everyone.
Several warriors who had studied ancient languages stepped forward to examine the carvings carefully.
However, they all shook their heads.
They could not understand them.
The runes were simply too ancient, and they appeared to belong to some long-lost writing system.
"Since none of us can decipher them, we can only explore carefully."
Kurak made his decision.
"I suggest dividing into three groups and entering through different routes. This will reduce the risk and allow us to explore the interior more quickly."
"Divide into groups?"
Brad looked worried.
"Wouldn't that spread us too thin? If we encounter danger, supporting one another will become difficult."
"But staying together creates too large a target."
Morris immediately objected.
"And if we trigger a trap, everyone could be trapped at once."
After a brief discussion, the alliance ultimately decided to split into three groups.
The first group would be led by Kurak and include the Iron Fortress Exploration Team along with two smaller teams.
The second group would be jointly led by Brad and Morris, combining the Blazing Flame Battle Group and the Tidal Exploration Team.
The third group would be led by Rex and include the Wings of Freedom Exploration Team along with several other teams.
"Remember to maintain communication."
Kurak gave them one final reminder.
"If anyone discovers anything important, notify the other groups immediately."
Just as the alliance was preparing to move, a massive explosion suddenly erupted behind them.
The warships of the imperial legions had already reached the outer perimeter of the complex and were testing the strength of the protective barrier.
"They're testing the barrier's strength."
Rex analyzed the situation.
"Looks like they want to enter the complex as well."
"Then we need to move quickly."
Kurak urged them forward.
"All groups, move out immediately!"
The three groups chose different entrances.
Rowan followed the third group under Rex's leadership toward an entrance on the eastern side of the complex.
This entrance was relatively small, but the runes surrounding it were far more complicated.
It gave off an air of profound mystery.
"This entrance looks different."
Amy carefully studied the decorations around it.
"It feels more like some kind of special passage."
"It may lead toward the central area of the complex."
Rex analyzed the situation.
"The Storm King certainly wouldn't place his most important possessions somewhere obvious."
As they approached the entrance, the runes suddenly began to glow.
Soft blue light spread across the carvings.
The darkness inside the entrance gradually faded, revealing a passage that extended deeper into the complex.
"Looks like our arrival triggered some kind of mechanism."
Thomas spoke cautiously.
"Everyone, be careful. It could be a trap."
Rex nodded.
Then he gave the entire group an order.
"Everyone, maintain formation. I'll take the lead, and Amy will bring up the rear. If you notice anything unusual, stop immediately."
The group entered the passage one after another.
Rowan walked near the middle of the formation, secretly observing his surroundings.
The walls of the passage were made from the same special crystal material.
Under the illumination of the runes, they shimmered with a strange, almost dreamlike light.
"This feeling..."
Rowan suddenly realized something.
"This complex isn't merely a residence. It's more like a massive research facility dedicated to the study of the Laws."
The third group had advanced less than fifty meters when a vast hall appeared ahead.
The design of the hall was breathtaking.
The circular space had a diameter of at least one hundred meters, while the ceiling rose to an astonishing height of fifty meters.
A complex star map was painted across the dome.
Countless stars shimmered within it, creating the illusion of a genuine night sky.
"It's incredible!"
Amy looked up at the dome and could not help exclaiming in admiration.
"This level of architectural technology is beyond our understanding."
Thomas was equally stunned.
"The Storm King's abilities truly are unfathomable."
Rex carefully studied every detail of the hall.
"Everyone, stay alert. A place like this is very likely to contain defensive mechanisms."
At that moment, footsteps suddenly echoed from the opposite side of the hall.
Everyone immediately entered a state of alert.
The power of various Laws began to fluctuate through the air.
Soon, another group emerged from a passage on the opposite side.
"The Treasure Seekers Alliance?"
Rowan's heart jolted.
He immediately searched the group for Silver Moon.
Sure enough, he spotted her near the rear of the group.
She appeared to notice him as well.
Their gazes met for a brief moment.
"Captain Lia."
Rex took the initiative to greet the leader of the Treasure Seekers Alliance.
"I didn't expect you to choose this route as well."
"Captain Rex."
Lia Stardust smiled faintly.
"Looks like we reached the same conclusion. This hall is clearly unusual. It should be the central hub of some important area."
The two groups met in the center of the hall.
Together, they now numbered more than thirty people.
Taking advantage of the moment when the groups were reorganizing, Rowan quietly moved closer to Silver Moon.
"How did you end up here?"
He sent the question through a faint strand of spiritual power.
"I used reconnaissance as an excuse and requested permission to explore a different route."
Silver Moon responded through spiritual power as well.
"Captain Lia agreed to let me lead a few people ahead to scout the route. That brought me here."
"Good."
Rowan felt somewhat relieved.
"At least we're in the same space now."
Just as the two group leaders were discussing their next move, a massive ring of light suddenly appeared in the center of the hall.
The ring was a deep blue color.
Powerful fluctuations of Space Laws radiated from within it.
"What is that?"
Someone cried out in surprise.
"It looks like some kind of teleportation formation."
A warrior who had studied ancient formations carefully examined the glowing ring.
"But it's far larger than any teleportation formation I've ever seen."
The appearance of the formation immediately put everyone on edge.
An unknown formation of this scale could be a trap.
It could also be a passage leading toward a deeper region of the Storm Temple.
"Should we activate it?"
Lia asked Rex for his opinion.
"Study it first."
Rex answered cautiously.
"Activating an unknown formation without understanding it is too dangerous."
Several warriors who had knowledge of ancient formations began carefully examining the structure of the glowing ring and the arrangement of its runes.
However, the complexity of the formation far exceeded their understanding.
The runes were written in an extremely ancient language.
"I can't understand the meaning of these runes."
One of the formation experts shook his head.
"This formation technology is at least several thousand years ahead of ours."
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
Amy asked anxiously.
"We can't stay here forever."
Just as everyone was discussing the matter, an ancient and imposing voice suddenly echoed from the walls of the hall.
The voice spoke in an ancient universal language.
Strangely, every person present could understand its meaning.
"Welcome to the Storm Temple."
The voice echoed through the hall.
"I am the consciousness projection left behind by the Storm King, Severus."
"Those capable of reaching this place have proven that they possess sufficient strength and wisdom."
The moment they heard the voice of the Storm King, everyone was stunned.
The legendary Immortal King had actually left behind a consciousness projection inside the complex.
This meant they might have the opportunity to receive precious guidance, or perhaps even inherit a legacy.
"Now, you face a choice."
Severus's voice continued.
"This teleportation formation will send you to different regions of the temple."
"Each region contains different opportunities and challenges."
"But be warned. Once you enter the teleportation formation, you will be randomly assigned to different trial spaces."
"Randomly assigned?"
Rex frowned.
"Does that mean our teams will be separated?"
"Precisely."
Severus's voice answered.
"True experts must learn to face challenges independently."
"However, if a sufficiently deep bond exists between you, the formation may arrange for you to enter the same trial space."
Rowan's heart stirred.
A bond?
If that was truly how the formation worked, then there was a chance he and Silver Moon could be sent to the same space.
But there was a problem.
They were not supposed to know each other.
How could the formation recognize the bond between them?
"Do we have the right to refuse to enter?"
Lia asked.
"Of course."
Severus answered.
"But you should know that the enemies outside are currently attempting to break through the temple's protective barrier."
"If you do not act quickly, you will soon be surrounded."
At that moment, the entire hall suddenly trembled slightly.
Clearly, the attacks from the imperial legions had already begun to affect the ancient structure.
"Looks like we don't have much of a choice."
Rex made his decision.
"Entering the teleportation formation is still better than being surrounded by the imperial legions."
"I agree."
Lia also expressed her support.
The members of both groups began moving toward the teleportation formation.
Although Rowan and Silver Moon belonged to different teams, they both tried to move closer to each other.
If Severus's words were true, then the subtle coordination between them might be recognized by the formation as a bond.
"Everyone enters together."
Rex gave the order.
"Remember, no matter where you are sent, remain calm and find a way to reunite with the others."
More than thirty warriors stepped into the teleportation formation at the same time.
In an instant, powerful fluctuations of Space Laws surrounded everyone.
The entire world began to spin and twist.
Rowan felt a tremendous force pulling at his body.
The spatial force seemed capable of tearing them apart.
But at the exact moment the teleportation began, something suddenly went wrong at the center of the formation.
A blinding red light erupted from the ground.
The entire teleportation process instantly became chaotic.
Clearly, the formation had developed some kind of malfunction after remaining sealed for countless years.
"Something's wrong! The formation has malfunctioned!"
Someone shouted in terror.
Chaotic spatial forces began pulling at everyone in random directions.
What should have been an orderly teleportation process had transformed into a disaster.
Rowan felt a powerful force dragging him toward an unknown direction.
At the same time, Silver Moon was being pulled in the opposite direction by another force.
"Silver Moon!"
Rowan did not hesitate.
He immediately released a portion of his true strength and forcibly resisted the spatial turbulence.
Then he reached out and accurately grabbed Silver Moon by the wrist.
"Rowan!"
Silver Moon also reached for him.
Their hands locked together tightly.
However, several warriors nearby saw the scene.
In the middle of such chaos, two people from different teams had managed to find each other with such precision.
That could not possibly be a coincidence.
"They know each other!"
Thomas stared in shock.
"Even in this situation, they were able to find and rescue each other."
Amy also noticed the detail.
"Their relationship must be far from ordinary."
But there was no time to explain.
The chaotic teleportation force swept everyone into the spatial vortex.
Rowan held tightly onto Silver Moon's hand while secretly mobilizing his understanding of the Space Laws.
He tried to stabilize the spatial fluctuations surrounding the two of them.
Through his efforts, the two were enveloped by a relatively stable current of space.
They were still moving at incredible speed, but at least they were no longer being pulled apart.
The others were not nearly as fortunate.
Under the influence of the chaotic spatial forces, every person was dragged in a different direction.
"Hold on to me."
Rowan spoke to Silver Moon.
"This teleportation process will last for a while."
"Understood."
Silver Moon gripped Rowan's hand tightly while struggling to stabilize her own body.
After roughly a minute of chaotic teleportation, the two finally felt the spatial forces weakening.
The distorted scenery around them began to stabilize.
They were about to reach their destination.
A flash of brilliant light burst forth.
Rowan and Silver Moon were violently thrown onto a stone floor.
Once their vision recovered, they discovered that they were in a completely unfamiliar environment.
It was a massive underground space.
Ancient stone walls surrounded them on every side, covered in countless complicated runes.
The entire space was illuminated by a faint blue glow.
The source of the light appeared to be some kind of luminous crystal embedded within the walls.
"What about the others?"
Silver Moon looked around.
There was no one else.
"Everyone else was probably sent somewhere different."
Rowan rose to his feet and carefully examined the surroundings.
"Looks like the malfunctioning formation scattered everyone."
"That may actually be a good thing."
Silver Moon let out a small sigh of relief.
"At least we don't have to keep hiding our identities anymore."
Indeed.
Now that only the two of them were present, they could temporarily set aside their disguises and communicate using their true identities.
"What do you think this place is?"
Silver Moon asked for Rowan's judgment.
Rowan carefully observed the surrounding environment.
"Based on the architectural style, this should be a deeper region of the Storm Temple."
"The complexity of these runes far exceeds anything we've seen before."
"It may be an important research laboratory or a treasure vault."
"Then perhaps our luck isn't bad."
Silver Moon's eyes brightened slightly.
"If this really is an important area, we might find something valuable."
"Don't celebrate too early."
Rowan warned her.
"The more important the place, the more dangerous its defenses are likely to be."
"We need to proceed carefully."
The two began carefully exploring the underground space.
Before long, they discovered that the area was actually a complex maze.
Countless passages extended in different directions.
Each entrance bore a different rune symbol.
Unfortunately, neither of them could understand what those symbols meant.
-------------------------------
Already hooked? Tell me what reeled you in leave a review, spark the fire with a comment, and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
The evolution's just begun. Dive deeper into Unbound Evolution and stay leagues ahead!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.