Chapter 3260: Chapter 3261: Unyielding and The Spectacle

"Why did Fada let Lita leave Crystal City? Our previous guess was actually correct because Fada foresaw that Lita might be in danger..."

Glaipnir had just begun when Gutalace asked via the Mind Ribbon: "Lita? Isn’t he the grandson of your ’friend’ Hiluda? He would encounter danger in Crystal City?"

"Even needing Fada, Hiluda’s servant, to give a warning? Why didn’t Hiluda warn him herself? Or perhaps, Hiluda is the source of Lita’s danger?"

Whenever Gutalace mentioned Hiluda, her tone changed. Even Angel, who wasn’t very informed about the matter, could sense Gutalace’s sarcastic and envy-laden tone.

Glaipnir glanced at Gutalace irritably: "Listen if you want to, if not, disconnect the Mind Ribbon. Stop interrupting me."

Gutalace shrugged: "I’m just asking what’s happening, is that not allowed? Besides, isn’t Hiluda an elder? How could anyone dare move against her grandson in Crystal City?"

Perhaps it was Gutalace’s normal tone this time, or maybe her relentless questioning was giving Glaipnir a headache. After a moment of consideration, she briefly explained the background and outcome.

"Hiluda left Crystal City a long time ago and hasn’t returned. We met Lita before the gathering; he was near the city gate and seemed to be planning to leave because his mother went to the snow mountain. But according to Lita’s account, we found out this matter might be unusual. Lita’s departure was more instigated by Fada."

"As Hiluda’s loyal servant, Fada wouldn’t let Lita leave for no reason; there must be another motive behind this."

Gutalace nodded in realization. Essentially, Glaipnir uncovered some unusual signs and started to dig into the story behind them.

Gutalace: "I understand. You want to find Fada to confirm the reason behind her suggesting Lita leave Crystal City?"

Glaipnir nodded. Indeed, she took Lita with her and promptly went to find Fada.

Gutalace: "I bet you didn’t find the answer with Fada. If even Fada could only hint... and Hiluda’s departure surely has something fishy?"

Glaipnir: "You seem quite concerned about Hiluda. I’ll discuss Hiluda’s situation later. Just keep listening... and don’t interrupt me."

With that, Glaipnir glared at Gutalace.

Gutalace nonchalantly nodded and said no more.

Glaipnir continued her narration.

Originally, Glaipnir intended to directly speak about the clues she found in Hiluda’s study. But considering that Gutalace was unaware of the subsequent incidents, she started from the beginning.

"When I took Lita to find Fada, I noticed that there were Crystal Eye Clan guards secretly following Lita."

"Not only that, I could sense an indistinct gaze from the unknown void watching Lita."

"These two points were very unusual, confirming once again the danger lurking behind Lita, and this danger likely originates from within the Crystal Eye Clan’s upper echelons."

Otherwise, who could command the guards to follow Lita?

Also, the gaze from the void was undoubtedly from the Spirit of Crystal City, now the Giant City Spirit!

"Fortunately, today was the gathering, and the attention of the Giant City Spirit was more focused on the Ring Fort. I managed to shake off the guards, then used the ’Silent Star’ to obscure Lita, temporarily severing the gaze behind him."

"I then took Lita to see Hiluda’s loyal servant, Fada."

At Fada’s place, Glaipnir, as Gutalace guessed, encountered obstacles. Fada completely denied suggesting Lita to leave.

However, even though Fada verbally denied it, she kept holding onto a handbook written by Mrs. Hiluda during her conversation with Glaipnir.

Moreover, while talking, Fada constantly showcased the handbook from various angles.

Glaipnir was no fool; she immediately realized that Fada was unable to speak plainly. Without any surprise, it was most certainly the Crystal Eye Clan’s upper echelons at work, perhaps issuing a ban or signing some contract, leaving Fada unable to mention related secrets.

Perhaps Fada noticed that Glaipnir had understood, she then casually placed the handbook on the table.

Glaipnir promptly asked if she could view the handbook.

Fada did not refuse: "This handbook is merely Mrs. Hiluda’s travel notes, with no secrets. Astrologer grandma, you are one of Mrs. Hiluda’s close friends, so it’s naturally okay if you want to see it."

Without hesitation, Glaipnir picked up the handbook and started reading.

The handbook was indeed exactly as Fada described, Hiluda’s travel notes. However, the theme of this travelogue was entirely unified, and that was... ceremonies.

Ceremonies are not prevalent in the Mirror Domain, and rarely do mirror races hold formal ceremonies.

But many races have their unique informal ceremonies.

Hiluda recorded precisely these informal celebrations, generally with no clear effects, purely for the sake of "ritualistic" ceremonies.

After Glaipnir finished reading the handbook, indeed, no hidden secrets were visible, only various strange and peculiar ceremonies filled her mind.

The handbook itself had no cryptic writing, making Fada’s suggestion to view the handbook somewhat odd.

Could it be because... of the ceremonies?

Back then, Angel and others hadn’t reached the Ring Fort outpost yet, nor had they begun broadcasting the Ring Fort ceremony. Thus, Glaipnir kept the perplexities the handbook brought her, hidden in her mind, without voicing them."

Upon Glaipnir finishing her read of the handbook, Fada casually said: "Ever since Mrs. Hiluda left, her study has been left to me to manage. This handbook was brought out from the madam’s study."

With Glaipnir’s understanding of Fada, she knew perfectly well that Fada wouldn’t do anything superfluous.

Moreover, Fada emphasized the words when mentioning the "study," clearly indicating to Glaipnir that there are "secrets" in Hiluda’s study.

With such a clear hint, Glaipnir naturally did not miss it and proactively proposed visiting Hiluda’s study.

Letting Glaipnir go to the study was Fada’s original intention, so she naturally wouldn’t refuse.

Subsequently, Glaipnir went to Hiluda’s study, searching for more clues.

During this process, Fada didn’t say another word, seemingly indicating she had no more clues to offer, and all clues lay within the study.

And indeed, Glaipnir found a "puzzle piece" in Hiluda’s study.

This so-called "puzzle piece" wasn’t a real puzzle but a concealed and unique form of communication.

Glaipnir did not disclose what this communication method entailed, but according to Angel’s understanding, it was likely akin to "acrostics" or "Morse code" encryption.

On the surface, it appeared insignificant, yet only those familiar with the relevant scenarios could grasp its mysteries.

And Glaipnir clearly belonged to the group of "knowledgeable individuals."

While searching for different "puzzle pieces" scattered across the study in varied books, she began to decipher the secret messages hidden within them.

Guided by clues, Glaipnir quickly found several hidden stories left by Hiluda in the study.

These hidden stories, arranged in chronological order, are: "Tunyta’s Unsatisfaction," "The Spectacle," "The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal," "The Elegy of the Boy’s Demise," "The Eternal Old Friend," and "The Plot of Resurrection."

"Tunyta’s Unsatisfaction" is somewhat akin to an unofficial history, telling unknown tales of Tunyta, the Great Prophet of the Crystal Eye Clan over two thousand years ago.

Though this story isn’t closely related to the "Lita Crisis," its roots can be traced to "Tunyta’s Unsatisfaction," the origin of many tragedies for the Crystal Eye Clan.

As luck would have it, the story opens with a great existence residing in the Sea of Void Mirror.

This great existence is none other than Laplace’s true form.

As a young man, Tunyta ventured into the Sea of Void Mirror pursuing the mythical Void Mirror Demon, accompanied by peers. Here, due to their ignorance and contempt, Tunyta faced the greatest crisis of his life.

Tunyta not only failed to find the Void Mirror Demon, but all his companions fell into the Sea of Void Mirror and became nothingness. Luckily, Tunyta was noticed by a great existence and was rescued onto the shore.

During the days spent with this great existence, Tunyta not only underwent a transformation but also saw visions of the Infinite Planes through the Sea of Void Mirror, scenes which he deemed belonged to a higher level of "landscapes."

If Tunyta was once akin to a frog in a well, through this encounter, he leapt from the well and glanced at the broader sky.

His vision had expanded.

Tunyta dreamed of pursuing this vast sky, wanting to glimpse the landscapes of the Infinite World.

And the prerequisite for all this is strength and influence.

Fueled by motivation, Tunyta embarked on this path of pursuit.

Subsequently, Tunyta indeed achieved self-worth, from Great Scholar to Elder, and then from Elder to Prophet, taking Tunyta only two hundred years.

Becoming a Prophet granted Tunyta natural "influence," thereafter, he focused entirely on pursuing "strength," but to Tunyta’s chagrin, despite his wisdom illuminating the ages, his talent in cultivation remained ordinary.

Centuries passed with no progress.

The Crystal Eye Clan’s lifespan typically ranges from seven hundred to a thousand years; compared to humans, the Crystal Eye Clan is considered inherently of the Longevity Tribe.

However, perhaps due to high congenital limits, breaking through the limit is much harder than for humans.

A comparison will clarify.

The lifespan of a Wizard Apprentice typically extends to two hundred years, breaking through to an Official Wizard extends lifespan to five hundred years, further breakthroughs can extend it to a millennium.

For instance, Angel’s lifespan at present is counted as five hundred years. This five hundred-year count isn’t a cap, rather, barring other risks, one is assured to live at least five hundred years. Maximum extension, considering various methods such as breakthrough techniques or life-extending artifacts... are possible for thousands.

Thus, once humans break through as Official Wizards, while their lower limit is low, their upper limit is notably high.

Moreover, further breakthroughs, whether advancing towards True Knowledge or to Second-level Wizard, will dramatically extend lifespan.

But not for the Crystal Eye Clan, whose limit is locked. Without breaking through to Crystal Level, few means exist to extend life.

Tunyta possessed no cultivation talent nor developed any methods to extend life for the Crystal Eye Clan. Exhausting every avenue, he failed to break the shackle of Crystal Dust Level, ultimately extending his lifespan only to the maximal thousand years.

Filled with dissatisfaction, Tunyta, the most renowned prophet in Crystal Eye Clan history, fell after a millennium.

Above is the story of "Tunyta’s Unsatisfaction."

In summary: In his youth, Tunyta glimpsed landscapes of higher tiers, which changed his life; but faced with life’s limits, his pursuits faltered, thus he ended dejectedly.

"Tunyta’s Unsatisfaction" is merely a prelude, or the grand backdrop. In this tale, the "Lita Crisis" has yet to unveil any truth.

Thus, Glaipnir commenced recounting the second puzzle piece.

—"The Spectacle."

The story’s protagonist remains the same prophet, Tunyta.

With approximately two hundred years left of his lifespan, Tunyta seemed resigned, ceasing pursuit of life extension, turning his focus to the construction of the Crystal Kingdom.

His first grand proposal upon resignation was... the construction of Crystal City.

Tunyta aimed to build a vast fortress accommodating all Crystal Eye Clan in one place.

According to Tunyta, the Crystal Eye Clan shouldn’t mirror other clans in ranking people in tiers. Living together eliminates distinct class divides, dispelling discrimination, ensuring no clansmen collapse from cold upon the frozen tundra.

Simultaneously, the entirety of Crystal City could condense richer Aggregation Energy, providing all Crystal Eye Clan a long and blessed life.

Tunyta’s idea is incredibly audacious.

As building a fortress to house all Crystal Eye Clan faced manifold obstacles: how much material is needed? What will the land area encompass? How long will construction take? Can the Mirror Space sustain lasting stability?

Many inwardly doubted Tunyta’s potential success, yet hoped immensely to reside in such a grand fortress.

In amidst of conflicting sentiments, Tunyta began investing immense manpower and resources on the Frozen Tundra to construct Crystal City.

The challenges encountered midway weren’t worth mentioning.

Finally, Crystal City was completed successfully, becoming not only famous within the Daylight Mirror Domain but also surpassing all as... Wonder Architecture!

Above is the content of "The Spectacle."

Superficially, it’s merely an inspirational tale of Crystal City’s construction, however, after Glaipnir finished this story, she added a few remarks.

"Previously, I hadn’t understood the purpose of Hiluda’s Travelogue always held by Fada. But after reading ’The Spectacle,’ I suddenly recalled an incident recorded in the Travelogue."

"In her travels, Hiluda witnessed a variety of different ceremonies. She discovered that most high rituals not only demand diversity in arrays, the number of priests, but also the grade of the ceremony location."

Both timing and human alignment are achieved, now there needs to be geographical advantage.

And in terms of ceremony location, "Array" is inferior, "Dais" intermediate, "Altar" superior.

However, the optimal location isn’t a large altar, but rather a universally aspired, greatly influential, even favored by time... Wonder Architecture.

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