CHAPTER 930: CHAPTER 493: OLD TRAGEDY AND NEW POWER

However, after searching in the Divine Temple for a long time, they found no clues.

Professor Barrett pondered, "My hypothesis cannot be wrong, there must be something we’ve overlooked."

But where was the oversight?

Rod was deep in thought. Suddenly, he felt as though something touched his spirit, and he instinctively glanced at a massive altar.

It was a copper altar covered in filth, laden with numerous religious artifacts.

Professor Bins had, using only those religious artifacts, inferred that the Starry Kingdom was a theocratic regime, the Starry Queen being the highest and sole ruler as well as the spiritual leader, while the Main Star Priest was the practical controller of faith. This was the place they prayed to the stars.

Unfortunately, the items possessing spirituality had long since decayed or vanished, and most of what remained held little value.

Yet, Rod’s gaze was drawn to a skull.

It sat in a corner of the altar, with half a candle still lodged at its crown. Thick white wax covered half of the cranium, looking no different from an ordinary candlestick.

However, Rod felt something was attracting him.

He unconsciously moved closer and gently touched the skull.

Suddenly, the hollow eye sockets emitted a strong black light, black fog surged within the temple, gathering into the skull.

Mina cried out, "What’s happening?"

The space vibrated, the ground trembled, and the entire temple shook as dust and decay constantly fell.

Knowing that something was wrong, Rod lifted his right hand, and the faint glow of spiritual energy scattered away, immediately transforming into a static state that pulled all four together.

Since mastering the external release of spiritual energy, many tasks became much more convenient for Rod.

More black mist surged from all directions, obscuring their vision, with only darkness before them.

Rod deployed spiritual defense, forming a spiritual power field, where the lamp’s light shone inside, shielding everyone.

After an indeterminate time, the tremors gradually subsided, the black fog settled, and only then did they realize they had arrived at a completely new place.

Barrett immediately recognized it.

"This is the rift between the Material World and the Spirit Realm, the Inner Temple was hidden here."

Mina curiously surveyed the surroundings; everything seemed submerged underwater with a strange undulating sensation, the space was exceptionally humid, filled with moisture.

There was no light source nor black mist here; they relied entirely on the lamps they carried.

"Rod, how did we get here? Did you activate something?"

Rod shook his head, "I don’t know, I just touched a skull candlestick, and then I was transported here."

"Is the skull candlestick a mechanism?"

Professor Barrett mused, "That’s strange; I remember touching it too..."

"Does it require Rod’s touch?"

Rod felt a stir within and suddenly had a conjecture, and just as he was about to pose a question to the Book of Knowledge, it spoke first.

"Master, if I’m not mistaken, that skull, that skull... belongs to the previous owner."

The Book of Knowledge’s tone was very complex, tinged with remembrance and loss, mixed with joy and pain, along with a hint of fear and sorrow.

The doll standing nearby also spoke in an unusually low tone, "I sense it, that familiar aura..."

Rod’s heart sank.

The skull of the former Dream Realm owner only responded to him because he was the successor of the Dream Realm?

Then, was this the hiding place?

Rod gazed upon the hall built entirely of cyan stone bricks, similar in style to the Outer Temple, but devoid of carvings, decorations, or lights, evoking a sense of being in a dungeon.

But in the next instant, he felt a strange sense of summons, something in the distance was drawing him.

Dream Fragments!

Rod suddenly realized that there were Dream Fragments here!

Did Heigao’er collect them?

"Follow me."

Rod said, quickly moving to the right.

The others immediately followed, and Professor Barrett murmured, "This direction? Hmm... there’s some logic to it, as its width and height are larger than other entrances, and the hall presents an unusual wedge shape, a symbol of the center and king in ancient history..."

Rod paid no attention to what he was saying, simply following his intuition.

After passing through a long passage, traversing several massive round halls, the five halted before a large door.

Professor Bins softly remarked, "This is the Main Hall."

A strong call emanated from within the door, and Rod instinctively extended his hand to touch it.

In an instant, a massive black hole opened on the door, exhaling an evil and decaying aura, a black hand suddenly emerged, grasped them, and pulled them swiftly inside.

The black hole vanished, with no alteration to the Main Hall’s door.

Inside the Main Hall.

The five of them seemed to have fallen into a black quagmire, solidified blackness enveloping the entire world, with nothing but darkness.

The black hand released them and then vanished without a trace.

A profound sense of fear arose in their hearts, prompting Mina to edge closer to Rod, "This, what place is this?"

Rod’s expression was grave, without answering, he simply said, "Professor Barrett, take them a bit farther away; their protective items might not withstand the forthcoming battle."

Professor Barrett nodded, guarded them with spiritual energy, and retreated backward.

Soon after, a skull slowly emerged from the darkness.

It was a sinister black, with decayed, viscous substances seeping through the black crevices.