Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 146: The Dilemma Deepens

As soon as Mo Wentian finished speaking, Gao Xingchen asked anxiously: "What seal? What world? What is going on?!"

Mo Wentian was silent for a moment, as if he was choosing his words, and then he slowly said, "A long time ago, the Nine Star Realm was not as peaceful as it is now. At that time, there existed an evil being full of destructive power. It attempted to devour the entire star realm and drag all living beings into endless darkness."

"In order to prevent this catastrophe, the most powerful guardians in the star field joined forces to seal it, and this space you mistakenly entered is the sealed place." Mo Wentian pointed to the bottomless black vortex, "This seal separates the two worlds, and also isolates the destructive force."

“Your arrival has broken the balance of the seal.” Mo Wentian said in a heavy tone, “Although I don’t know how you got in here, your appearance has alarmed the guardian of the sealed land. If you continue to insist on your own way and try to open the teleportation array, the seal will completely collapse. At that time, the consequences will be disastrous…”

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were stunned. They had never thought that the space they had mistakenly entered would hide such a shocking secret. A chill rose from the soles of their feet and rushed straight to the top of their heads, making them feel like they were falling into an icy cave.

"Then what should we do?" Nan Li's voice trembled slightly. She had never felt so powerless.

Mo Wentian did not answer, but sighed deeply, then turned and left, leaving only one sentence echoing in the air: "This is your destiny, the choice is in your own hands."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at Mo Wentian's departing back, speechless for a long time. They originally thought that they could return to their hometown by finding the teleportation array, but they didn't expect that such a cruel truth was waiting for them.

They were like chess pieces played by fate, trapped in a dilemma. If they continued to look for a way home, they might release a terrible force that could destroy the Nine Stars Realm; but if they gave up, it would mean staying in this strange place forever, never to see their relatives and friends again.

Gao Xingchen clenched his hands tightly into fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, but he felt no pain at all. His heart was full of struggle and pain, and he didn't know what choice he should make.

Nan Li, who was standing beside her, seemed unusually calm. She stood there quietly, staring into the distance with empty eyes, as if she had already seen the despairing scene in the future...

Gao Xingchen sat down dejectedly. Mo Wentian's words weighed on his heart like a huge rock, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Returning to his hometown was his biggest motivation, and it was his only belief that kept him going through all the difficulties. But now, this only belief has turned into a sharp knife, hanging over his head, and could destroy everything he cherished at any time.

Nan Li walked up to Gao Xingchen and gently held his hand, trying to give him some strength. Her heart was also in turmoil, but she knew that this was not the time to be weak. They had to make a decision as soon as possible, a decision that would affect the lives of countless people.

At this moment, a cold voice suddenly sounded in their ears: "It seems that you already know the truth. It's really sad, you poor creatures being played around by fate."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked up suddenly, and saw a figure in a black robe with his face hidden under a hood appear in front of them at some point.

"Who are you?" Gao Xingchen asked vigilantly, his spiritual power circulating secretly.

The man in black robe sneered contemptuously: "It doesn't matter who I am. What's important is that I know who you are and what you want to do." He paused and continued, "I can give you a chance, a chance to survive."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other, and a glimmer of hope rose in their hearts. "What opportunity?" Gao Xingchen asked.

The man in black robes said slowly: "Give up, give up your ridiculous idea. Stay here, I can guarantee that the seal will never be broken, and your secrets will never be leaked. Your relatives, friends, and your hometown will all be safe."

Gao Xingchen clenched his fists, his heart full of struggle. Staying here means giving up hope of returning home forever, but if they refuse, can they really bear the consequences of breaking the seal?

The black-robed man seemed to see through his thoughts, and said with a hint of temptation in his tone: "Make a choice, do you choose to live in mediocrity, or choose to become a sinner who destroys everything?"

Gao Xingchen remained silent, his eyes fell on Nan Li, hoping to get some advice from her. However, Nan Li's face was also full of confusion and struggle, and it was obvious that she couldn't make a choice either.

The man in black robes did not urge them, but just stood there quietly, waiting for their answer. The air seemed to freeze, and it was so oppressive that it made people breathless. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were trapped in a dilemma. Each of their choices could bring completely different destinies...

Gao Xingchen felt his heartbeat echoing in his ears like a drum. The choices offered by the black-robed man were like two thorny roads, each leading to an unknown abyss. Giving up meant betraying what he had always insisted on, and would forever isolate his hometown and relatives from the sea of stars; taking risks meant taking the risk of breaking the seal, and the consequences might be something they simply could not bear.

"Brother Xingchen..." Nanli called softly, her voice full of helplessness and confusion. Although she was cold-tempered, she also longed to return to her warm hometown deep in her heart. However, facing such a cruel choice, she felt at a loss.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions. He held Nan Li's hand and gave her a firm look: "Li'er, don't be afraid. Let's think about it. There must be other ways."

Just then, a black shadow flashed by, and Xiao Hei suddenly appeared in front of them. It rolled on the ground anxiously, making low humming sounds from its mouth, as if it wanted to express something.

"Xiao Hei, what's wrong with you?" Gao Xingchen's heart moved and he asked hurriedly. He knew that although Xiao Hei could not speak, he was extremely intelligent and extremely sensitive to the power of space. Perhaps it had discovered something.

Sure enough, Xiao Hei raised his head, called out to them a few times quickly, then turned and ran deep into the cave, looking back from time to time, motioning them to follow.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other and saw a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes. Perhaps Xiao Hei really found a chance to turn things around. They followed without hesitation. The man in black robe didn't seem to care about Xiao Hei's actions. He just stood there with a sneer, as if he was watching a ridiculous farce.

Xiao Hei led them to a corner deep in the cave, which was full of rocks and looked insignificant. He used his claws to dig open a stone, revealing a stone slab engraved with ancient runes.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were stunned. They recognized at a glance that the runes on the stone slab were extremely similar to the runes on the teleportation array, but they were more ancient and complex.

Xiao Hei pointed at the stone slab and called out to them a few more times, as if to say that when he was studying the teleportation array, he sensed the existence of the stone slab, and he felt that the stone slab might hide the secret about the teleportation array.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were immediately excited, as if they had grasped a life-saving straw, and they quickly began to carefully study the runes on the stone slab. The runes were obscure and difficult to understand, but they did not give up, but instead became more focused, as if they were pinning all their hopes on this.

The man in black robe looked at their busy figures with a mocking smile on his face. He stood with his hands behind his back, as if he had foreseen their ending.

Time passed minute by minute, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li still had no clue, but they did not give up. They believed that as long as they persisted, they would find the answer.

As night fell, the cave was silent, with only the runes on the stone slabs shining mysteriously in the faint light...

The air in the cave was dull and humid. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li carefully studied the runes on the stone slab in the weak light. These runes were ancient and complex, like some lost language, full of mysterious charm.

"These runes seem to be even older than those on the teleportation array..." Gao Xingchen murmured to himself, gently stroking the rough stone slabs with his fingers, trying to feel the traces of time from them.

Nan Li frowned slightly, and her cold eyes flickered with a thoughtful light, "I vaguely feel that this stone slab contains a powerful spatial force, perhaps it is really related to the teleportation array."

Xiao Hei paced anxiously beside them, rubbing his head against Gao Xingchen from time to time, as if urging them to uncover the secret of the stone slab as soon as possible.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath, put all distracting thoughts behind him, and devoted himself to interpreting the runes. Time passed unknowingly, and the sky outside the cave gradually darkened, but Gao Xingchen and Nan Li still had no clue.

"Is this just an ordinary stone slab?" Nanli said tiredly, with a hint of disappointment in his tone that was hard to conceal.

Gao Xingchen shook his head and said firmly: "No, I believe in Xiao Hei's feelings. It would not bring us here for no reason. There must be something we overlooked..."

At this moment, a sinister laugh suddenly came from the depths of the cave, and a deep voice echoed in the empty cave: "Haha, don't waste your energy. The secret on this stone slab is not something that you ants can unravel."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked up suddenly, and saw that the man in black robe had stood behind them at some point. The dagger in his hand emitted a faint green light, which looked particularly strange in the darkness.

"Who are you? Why are you stopping us?" Gao Xingchen stood up, protected Nan Li behind him, and stared at the man in black robe vigilantly.

The man in black robe sneered and slowly took off his hood, revealing a pale and handsome face, but his eyes were cold and ruthless, as if they came from the Nine Nether Hell.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you will never be able to return to your world." The man in black robe said in a grim tone, "Because the door to your world has been completely closed."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were suddenly struck by lightning. They looked at the man in black robe in disbelief, as if expecting him to give a different answer.

"You...what did you say?" Gao Xingchen's voice trembled, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

The black-robed man raised his lips in a cruel arc, and said word by word: "I say, you...can never...go back!"

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, completely shattering Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's last glimmer of hope. Their eyes went dark, as if they had fallen into an endless abyss...