Chapter 450 - 337: Shadow Plane, Lucian’s Visit

The days passed, one by one.

Ian’s life fell into a regular, cyclical rhythm.

During the day, he refined potions, researched formulas, and purified Blood Essence.

At night, he would meditate and cultivate, comprehend Rules, and deduce possible paths for Tier Three Potions.

During this period, Ian increased his collection of Tier Two and Tier Three Magical Beast Essence Blood.

He then used the Bloodline Purification Technique to continuously refine the Essence Blood, accumulating resources.

Anything suitable for Gaga was kept; anything unsuitable was given to Aidele in exchange for dozens of times the amount of Essence Blood. The cycle continued.

As for Gaga, it spent its days immersed in Shadow Element resources: Shadow Crystals, Shadow Spring Water, Tomb Moss...

...as well as the Shadow Blood Essence that Ian specifically set aside for it.

Most of it was Tier Two, with only a very small amount of Tier Three Blood Essence, which Ian put away for emergencies when Gaga was ready to break through to Level Three.

With Ian feeding it regardless of cost, the little one’s aura grew stronger by the day.

Its feathers gradually shifted from dark silver to a deeper "Night Shadow Black."

Under the light, they reflected almost nothing, and even seemed to unconsciously devour the light around them.

The silver-gray of its pupils grew more solid, like two burning beads of mercury.

It no longer wanted to sleep all day.

Full of energy, it flew back and forth in the laboratory every day, practicing its Shadow Jump.

The distance grew longer and its activation speed became faster and faster.

From needing half a second to prepare, to 0.3 seconds, to 0.1 seconds... until finally, it could merge into the shadows almost instantly.

Ian watched this with a sense of gratification.

He knew Gaga was rapidly absorbing the resources.

’It’ll be ready to advance again soon.’

’Keep it up. Other Summoned Demons could only dream of having so many resources!’

「Two months later.」

Late at night, in the underground laboratory at No. 7 Wisteria Lane.

Ian sat at his lab bench, deeply analyzing a formula for a Tier Two Bloodline Potion.

The tip of his quill rustled across the parchment, writing down new ratio figures.

Suddenly, he stopped writing and looked up toward a corner of the laboratory.

There, Gaga was curled up in the center of a specially made Shadow Array.

The array was drawn with Shadow Crystal powder, its surface shimmering with a silver-gray light.

Gaga’s eyes were closed, its breathing long and slow, its chest rising and falling gently.

With each breath, the surrounding Shadow Energy fluctuated like the rising and falling of the tide.

Ian put down his quill and walked to the edge of the array.

He stared at Gaga, and deep within his pupils, three Star Orbits slowly rotated.

His Perception of three Rules locked onto the little one simultaneously.

"The advancement is about to begin..." he murmured to himself.

The words had barely left his lips when Gaga’s body abruptly swelled, expanding from the size of a palm to a three-meter wingspan in an instant!

Its feathers flared out, each one like a black blade, its edges shimmering with a dark purple halo.

The Shadow Energy in the laboratory surged madly into its body.

The air distorted, and the light grew dim.

Even the light from the Crystal Stone Lamp was devoured, plunging the room into darkness.

Ian paid this no mind. He took two steps back, and with a flicker of his will...

...a pale silver Order Barrier rose, enveloping the laboratory to prevent any energy from leaking out.

Inside the barrier, Gaga’s advancement entered its most critical stage.

Its body continuously expanded and contracted, like a beating heart.

With each expansion, it absorbed a massive amount of Shadow Energy.

With each contraction, it compressed, refined, and fused that energy into its bloodline.

This process continued for a full three hours.

When the final tide of energy subsided, Gaga’s body stabilized into its new form.

Its wingspan retracted to 1.2 meters, its feathers now black as night, with fine, dark purple patterns flowing across their surface.

The silver-gray in its pupils grew deeper, resembling two vaporized silver nebulas.

It opened its eyes and looked at Ian, its gaze suddenly brightening.

"Ian, I... Ga?"

Gaga was startled. Its voice had changed.

It was no longer the tender voice of a child but had matured by several years, now carrying the deep, raspy tone of an adolescent.

"I... I succeeded, but... my voice..."

The little one’s joy from its recent advancement vanished upon hearing its own cracked-pot voice, and its eyes went dull.

Ian dismissed the Order Barrier and walked over to it.

He reached out and stroked its head.

The feathers were cool to the touch, but a surging energy pulsed from within.

"Don’t worry about the details. How does your body feel?"

"It feels terrible—no... it feels great."

The little one temporarily set aside its unhappiness. With a light flap of its wings, it instantly vanished from its spot.

It merged directly into the shadows, its aura completely concealed, without any Omen.

Three seconds later, it reappeared silently in another corner of the laboratory.

Ian was shocked. For those three seconds, he hadn’t been able to track Gaga’s trajectory.

’Could it be? Did Gaga just enter the Shadow World?’

He could sense that the little one had not been on the current plane moments ago.

"Gaga, can you take me in there?"

Ian’s expression was excited. If it could really take him into the Shadow World...

...many of his future plans could proceed smoothly and be completed in a much shorter time.

The little one nodded lightly, puffing out its small chest with pride.

"I can, ga, but not for long... I estimate we can only stay for half an hour before we’re kicked out."

"Half an hour? That’s enough. Come on, let’s go in and see what it’s like."

Ian extended his hand. Gaga flew to his shoulder, unfolded its wings, and enveloped him.

Ian felt a slight sense of restraint and a sensation of traversing space. He relaxed his mind and didn’t resist.

Almost instantly, all color drained from his surroundings.

The walls, the lab bench, the Crystal Stone Lamp... everything turned into hazy, blurry silhouettes.

It was like looking at the world through a sheet of frosted glass.

The air grew viscous, like being submerged in mercury, making it extremely difficult to breathe. But Ian didn’t need to breathe.

’So this is... the Shadow World. The "shadow" plane of all things.’

"Ian, can you see anything?" Gaga’s voice echoed in his mind.

"I can only maintain this for half an hour... Any longer, and I won’t have the strength, ga."

Ian nodded and looked around. In the gray, hazy world, he could see some blurry "points of light."

These were projections of the real world’s Energy Nodes.

In the distance, there were also some twisted, squirming "dark figures."

’Native creatures of the Shadow World? They’re very weak, but there are quite a few of them.’

Ian didn’t explore any further.

This was just a preliminary survey. He wasn’t properly prepared, and the risks were unknown.

He stood quietly, sensing the Rules of this world.

Shadow, Void, Concealment, Devouring...

After half an hour, the world around him began to distort, like a reflection on the water’s surface shattered by a pebble.

The next second, Ian was standing in his laboratory again.

The air was fresh, and the familiar sensation returned.

Everything that had just happened felt like a short dream.

Gaga landed back on the ground, panting.

"That took a lot out of me... Ian, was it useful to you, ga?"

"Very useful, Gaga. From now on, you’ll never have a shortage of resources."

A flash of joy crossed Ian’s eyes.

Being able to briefly enter the Shadow World didn’t just give him another way to acquire resources.

It also meant... he had one more escape route.

「Three days after Gaga’s breakthrough.」

It was a sunny afternoon.

Ian was in his laboratory improving a Bloodline Potion when his movements suddenly paused. His Spiritual Power swept out.

’It’s Lucian. Why is he here?’

He put away the potion, a thoughtful expression on his face, and walked to the first-floor living room to open the door.

Lucian stood outside, dressed in a dark blue long robe, a smile on his face.

Ian keenly noticed a trace of gravity hidden in the depths of the other man’s eyes.

"Brother Ian, sorry to intrude."

"City Lord, please come in. There’s no need for such formalities between us."

Ian smiled and stepped aside to let him in.

Lucian walked into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and glanced around.

"It’s... certainly quiet here."

"I’m used to it."

Ian poured him a cup of tea and sat down opposite him.

"Did you have a particular reason for visiting today, City Lord?"

Lucian picked up the teacup, took a sip, then set it down.

"Indeed, I do." He looked at Ian, his expression serious.

"Lately, there have been multiple instances of ’abnormal planar fluctuations’ in the Eastern Territory."

"The coordinates of several Half-Planes have emerged from the Void and are about to connect with the real world."

Ian’s expression faltered. "Half-Planes?"

"Yes, Half-Planes," Lucian nodded.

"One of them is located in the ’Land of Chaos,’ at the border between the Eastern Territory and the Central Continent."

"That place is a buffer zone for three major powers. It’s a chaotic mix of people, but it’s also... full of opportunities."

He paused and lowered his voice.

"Didn’t you message me last time about collecting Void Crystals and a Phase Core?"

"According to our intelligence, that Half-Plane might contain something you urgently need."

"For example... an extremely high-quality Void Condensed Core, and a Phase Core."

Ian’s breath hitched.

’A high-quality Void Condensed Core and a Phase Core.’

These two materials were crucial for upgrading the Two-Realm Phase Analyzer, and they were extremely rare in the outside world.

He had been searching for them for a long time without any luck.

Now, it seemed an opportunity had presented itself.

’But do I really need to go in person?’

’Right now, the deduction for the Tier Three Bloodline Potion is at a critical stage. Plus, my Skill Level with the Neutralizing Potion needs to be constantly improved.’

’I’m too busy.’

"Are you inviting me to join the exploration?"

Lucian nodded. "Not just you, but also a few other Level Three Wizards I know."

"We can form a temporary team, go in together, and each take what we need."

"For safety, we’ll watch each other’s backs."

Ian looked down, deep in thought, weighing the pros and cons.

’Exploring a Half-Plane offers great opportunities, but as for the risks...’

’If it’s just a team of Level Three Wizards, I don’t think the danger would be that great.’

’The Void Condensed Core and the Phase Core are the materials I need most urgently right now.’

’With them, the Two-Realm Phase Analyzer could be upgraded to Tier Three.’

’The stability of Otherworld Transmissions would increase dramatically.’

’Besides, a Half-Plane might contain other rare resources, Rule Fragments, ancient Inheritances...’

"I’m sorry, City Lord, but I can’t get away."

"Ah? But this is a great opportunity. Are you sure you don’t want to go?"

Obvious disappointment showed on Lucian’s face, and he continued trying to persuade him.

Ian shook his head, his refusal firm.

"I’m truly sorry, but I really can’t get away. Besides, I’ve only just advanced to Level Three. My strength is still weak, and I don’t want to take any risks."

"However, you’re going, aren’t you? I could commission you to help me collect these resources. You can name your price."

"Is that so... That could work."

Lucian stopped trying to persuade him, and the two began discussing the details of the commission.

What Lucian wanted most were Ian’s Tier Three Purification Potions, as well as some of the Earth Tyrant Potions that Ian occasionally refined for practice.

After they had settled everything, both men were satisfied, and the atmosphere became amicable again.

"When do you leave?" Ian asked.

Lucian was in high spirits. Although he hadn’t managed to recruit Ian, he had gotten the potions he wanted.

"In three days, we’ll gather in Stormwind City, then travel to the Land of Chaos via a Teleportation Array."

Ian nodded.

"In that case, I wish you a... fruitful journey, City Lord."

Lucian stood up, ready to leave.

"Haha! Alright, I’ll head back first. I still have some preparations to make."

He turned and left, his figure shooting up into the sky and quickly disappearing from sight.

Ian stood at the door, gazing in the direction he had disappeared, his eyes profound.

’Exploring a Half-Plane... If it goes smoothly, the rewards will certainly be rich, but it’s not worth going in person.’

’With my strength, if I really joined the team, my chances of survival would be much higher than the others.’

’But I’m past the stage where I need to struggle and take risks.’

’And there’s no World Origin there, so it’s just not worth it!’

He turned and went back to the laboratory, continuing his deductions for the Tier Three Bloodline Potion.

’As long as I succeed in deducing this, countless resources will fall into my lap. So much easier.’