"The Purgatory World..."
There seemed to be a flash of light in Leylin's eyes. "That's a world renowned even in ancient times — not only does it house the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents, but numerous other existences of the same calibre hold court there. Moreover, the Purgatory World hasn't declined like the Wizard World; it still retains the might of the ancient era..."
"Setting aside the dangers within, just figuring out how to locate the Purgatory World's coordinates is a huge problem in itself!"
Leylin rubbed his chin. "Based on the records left behind by countless predecessors of the Ring of the Ouroboros, we can more or less confirm that the Purgatory World is situated within the Anxuan Nebula. But pinning down the exact location is still a massive issue!"
Due to the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents and the constraints of bloodline shackles, the Dawn Star Warlocks of the Ring of the Ouroboros had never given up their exploration of the Astral.
The raw data and experience accumulated over generations, combined with the Chip's analytical simulations, had already narrowed down the Purgatory World's coordinates to a certain region.
Unfortunately, the Anxuan Nebula was still far too vast.
The warlocks of the Ring of the Ouroboros had essentially managed to narrow the search for Earth from the entire cosmos down to the Milky Way.
And what Leylin now had to do was pinpoint Earth's exact position among the countless stars, planets, and other celestial bodies in the Milky Way.
It had to be said — this was an enormously monumental task, and even with the Chip to assist him, it would require an excruciatingly long wait.
But right now, the Ten Thousand Serpents Curse Mark clearly wouldn't afford Leylin that much time.
"Besides — even if I find the Purgatory World's coordinates! This curse mark!"
Leylin couldn't help but reach up to his cheek. The Dreamless Mask radiated a cold, hard sensation.
Ever since donning this mask, he had no longer been dragged into the Dream realm, yet he could constantly feel a malicious presence from within it — vast and savage, relentlessly battering against the Dreamless Mask's defences as though waiting for the day Leylin let his guard down or the mask shattered.
"As the master of a bloodline clan, the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents must possess incredibly keen perception of her descendants — to say nothing of me, who's been branded with her Curse Mark! If I set so much as a foot in the Purgatory World, she'd likely detect me instantly. Wouldn't that be like delivering myself right to her doorstep?"
Leylin's expression darkened. Separated by an entire Wizard World and under massive suppression, the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents could still casually deal him blows that made him wish he were dead. If he were actually inside the Purgatory World... heh.
Therefore, before heading to the Purgatory World, finding a way to effectively conceal himself was absolutely essential.
"Chip! Establish a task: devise a method to conceal my aura and avoid detection by the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents!"
Leylin commanded.
*Ding! Task established. Commencing data collection, modelling in progress...* The Chip's response came without delay.
Come to think of it, the preparations needed to travel to the Purgatory World were simply overwhelming...
Leylin rubbed his brow with some irritation. "Locating the world's coordinates, simulating concealment techniques, spatial shielding technology, methods to hide myself and avoid drawing the attention of the World Will — and I'll have to evade those Guardians as well..."
Had it been some ordinary small world, these problems might have been more manageable. But the Purgatory World Leylin intended to visit was a colossal realm — second only to the Wizard World and the Dawn Star World in ancient times. Powerful existences at the seventh tier and above numbered not a few. One wrong step meant death, and even death would be a mercy. Leylin simply couldn't afford to be careless.
*Simulation complete! Probability of concealing yourself from the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents: 89.7%!* The Chip projected the results almost immediately, and a look of delight appeared on Leylin's face.
"A pretty good probability. What do I need to do?"
[Plan outputting... Requires the subject to undergo Spiritual Power and soul modifications, with the Dreamless Mask facilitating the transformation...]
The Chip listed out the specific measures one by one, forming a table that surfaced within Leylin's sea of consciousness.
"Good! The Chip has reserves of all the materials and techniques needed — it just needs some time!"
Leylin rubbed his chin. "I don't have much time. I need to get started as soon as possible..."
……
Several months passed in the blink of an eye, and during that time, Leylin remained deep within the mountain, completely cutting off all contact with the outside world.
For him, although the resources and vast knowledge of the underground world held a tremendous allure, under the relentless pressure of the Curse of Ten Thousand Serpents, he was well aware which mattered more.
If he couldn't resolve the Curse of Ten Thousand Serpents and break through the shackles of his bloodline, then his path would be permanently severed — something Leylin absolutely could not tolerate!
And so, he threw himself into the preparations with every ounce of his enthusiasm.
"Months of hard work, and just two more steps to go!"
Leylin gazed at the black cultivation vessel before him, where a mass of dark brown liquid continued to spread.