NOVPUBTalia had read quite a number of books from the South Continent.
The duration of stay in the Shadow World increased substantially with rank advancements, but the correlation was not absolute. According to statistics from the South Continent’s Shadow World Association, the average historical duration for an Eighth-order Shadow World was 107.5 days. However, the variance was extremely high, which made it common to encounter both unusually short and incredibly long Shadow Worlds.
"Isatia is still waiting for you to get her the antidote."
Talia hoped it would be a shorter Shadow World.
It seemed to her that after encountering her sister again, Isatia had turned back into a harmless, adorable little bread.
Now Isatia borrowed Barton’s Communication Magic every day to chat with Talia in Lanci, and the sisters could chat for an hour or two at a time.
"Once the Shadow World ends, Headmaster Violet might come back, even if she’s just around the Botswana Province, the Empire won’t let her leave the Capital for too long."
Lanci and Talia communicated their thoughts, and their destination slowly came into view outside the window.
In the central area of Saint Kray Temple, a magnificent and peculiar building stood tall, silently dominating amidst the surrounding sectors.
Its outward appearance was out of place compared to the other structures, more like an impregnable fortress. The deep blue construction resembled a Mechanical Magic Cube, wrapped in layers upon layers of Barrier Magic Techniques, emitting a cool, pale purple glow—a visible protective shield that isolated the building from the outside world.
Even from a kilometer away, one could sense the invisible pressure exerted by the building.
Only with the official credentials of Saint Kray Temple or an Empire Challenger’s license could one enter through the sole main entrance after several strict security checks.
The bus came to a stop, and Lanci, holding his cat, got off.
He passed through the gates and entered the building, before him lay a hall with a transparent floor—spacious and vast. At the innermost part of the subterranean area, stood a Giant Void Gate.
It was bizarrely beautiful, like a masterpiece of the creator, with a mirror-smooth surface; its edges trickled with fluid starlight, shifting constantly between black-purple and silver-white.
"Good morning, Professor Landry."
The staff, dressed in Moon God Priest garb, registered him with their Magic Instrument, and greeted Lanci with a smile.
"Good morning."
Lanci responded politely.
Entering the Shadow World in the Tei Empire was not as complicated as in many of the South Continent nations, with Tei Empire having its own complete and independent supervision system.
People like Professor Landry were on the whitelist.
For him, the gates slowly opened.
"May the Goddess of the Moon bless you."
The Moon God Priest gestured for Lanci to proceed.
"And may she bless us all."
Lanci took back his credentials, thanked the priest, and then headed toward the Void Gate.
The whole gate was pulsing with a faint purple light, appearing and disappearing; myriad stars gently rotated within the vortex, reflecting his silhouette.
After covering a few hundred steps with his apprehensive cat, they arrived in front of the Void Gate.
"Ready?"
Lanci asked Cat Boss with a smile as he looked down.
Although this was not Cat Boss’s first challenge in the Shadow World, Lanci felt that Cat Boss was scared in this unfamiliar environment.
Approaching the gate, one could feel an invisible pulling force, as if the Void Gate sought to absorb the souls of those who approached into this unknown world.
"Meow!"
Just the thought of the temptation of the Divine Spirit Beasts dispelled Cat Boss’s fear, and he patted his paws.
"What about you, Master?"
It was his first time teaming up with Talia to enter the Shadow World.
He never thought there would come a time when he would face the challenge of the Shadow World with Talia.
Each time entering the Shadow World, he had different teammates.
But in the end, the Princess of the Demon Clan he had received at the start was finally set to make an appearance.
"What do you mean ’received at the start? I am the chosen one, and the only one," Talia asserted.
"Huhu."
Lanci moved forward directly, stepping through it as if crossing the surface of the water.
In an instant, sound, vision, consciousness, and even time vanished.
All that remained was the breathing of the cosmos, the endless stars, and the unfathomable void.
There, two worlds wove into each other, became interdependent, and after all was reversed, they finally arrived at an entirely new world.
[Blood Moon Bad World, final node "Eternal Tears," historical projection unbound.]
