Deep within the canyon.
Sonia’s face was pale. No matter the energy level of a world, during its developmental progression, it would inevitably form cracks of varying sizes.
These cracks serve as the passageways for other Transcendents to enter.
For Fifth Tier Transcendents, finding a world’s cracks isn’t difficult; the challenge lies in forming a stable and continuous channel.
The goal is to ensure that during teleportation, they do not deviate due to spatial turbulence, thus avoiding entry into an unknown world.
Not long ago, with Roger’s guidance, Sonia successfully pinpointed a world crack and established a short-lived channel through rituals and Amanda’s physical form on the other side.
Through rituals, Sonia was able to swap Amanda and Dora’s souls again. During this process, she continued expanding and stabilizing the coordinates of the channel, preparing for her own teleportation.
But at the moment Sonia initiated the ritual, the previously clear crack and stable channel abruptly shifted.
It was akin to a speeding car suddenly experiencing a road displacement due to an earthquake, dealing catastrophic blows to both the car and the passengers.
With her eyes struggling to focus and her attention barely holding together, Sonia had no choice but to continue sketching the Array.
"Erode’s world barrier has been sealed."
Amanda exhaled in frustration.
"You will assist me!"
Sonia refused to give up and urged Amanda by her side.
Reluctant yet resolute, Amanda joined Sonia in clearing the damage caused by the Array’s backlash. Together, they redrew a completely new Array deep within the canyon.
"Now all we can do is wait."
At the center of the Array was a meticulously crafted stone platform, where Amanda lay flat.
Suddenly, the earth began to quake. Rocks cascaded down as an oppressive heat surged from beneath the previously cold depths of the canyon.
Sonia raised her head, peering up through the fissure of the canyon at the sky. Thunder rumbled, and chaotic energy in the heavens formed violent gusts.
Sonia shouted loudly. The energy fluctuations were just a surface manifestation; she could discern that the real cause of the surrounding chaos was a deeper disturbance in spatial structures.
"It seems someone is attacking Erode’s world barrier!"
"How’s that possible?"
"Could there actually be someone capable of challenging an entire world’s might?" Amanda asked in astonishment.
"I’m not entirely sure of the specifics, but I believe this transformation is connected to Roger."
"Erode is not impregnable. The prior world sealing didn’t truly shut off every crack within the world barrier."
"The scale of such an undertaking is far too immense. Even a hundred Fifth Tier Transcendents couldn’t accomplish it."
"The world wasn’t completely sealed; instead, the opposing force devised a clever strategy. They wove a colossal net atop the existing barriers."
"It’s akin to creating an additional shell over the world barrier. Any attempts to bypass the world cracks or construct channels are rerouted to this new layer of defense."
Sonia’s eyes lit up as her thoughts became clearer. "Yes, that must be it!"
"Instead of repairing on the existing foundation, they built a second layer of defense, borrowing a portion of the world’s power to achieve this—creating the illusion."
"The illusion that every crack was sealed and the world barrier was utterly unbreakable."
She exhaled deeply. "In truth, if one could summon enough power to instantly obliterate the second layer of defense, the so-called world barrier would crumble effortlessly."
Sonia’s gaze flickered with doubt. She understood Roger’s strength, but even amplifying her estimation twice over, it still seemed impossible for him to annihilate such defenses.
After all, judging by the spatial feedback from the disturbances, the newly created second defense layer was far inferior to the original world barrier.
However, this power originated from Erode itself, factoring in the energy traits unique to Transcendents of that world.
Using power granted by the world to shatter the world barrier is, from any perspective, an immensely arduous task.
"This is our chance!"
The surrounding tremors grew increasingly intense, signaling the impending collapse of the newly erected barrier.
"Prepare to initiate the ritual at any moment!"
Sonia unleashed her power, forming a protective shield that enveloped the area where they stood. Without her reinforcement, the ground would have likely shattered into pieces by now, taking the Array etched upon it with it.
"Constructing a teleportation channel amidst an energy upheaval is incredibly dangerous. We should reach out to Roger for his guidance," Amanda said, visibly uneasy.
"There’s no time. Trust me, this is the best opportunity!"
Truthfully, Amanda leaned toward waiting for stability before selecting a new location to construct the Array. But Sonia had no idea how quickly the second barrier would restore itself after being destroyed.
Opportunities were fleeting—a choice between risking the ritual and the terrifying prospect of being trapped forever.
Frankly, making the correct decision in such circumstances seemed nearly impossible.
After a moment’s hesitation, Sonia ultimately heeded Amanda’s advice. She pressed her finger to her brow, and a point of light blossomed within the darkness, transmitting rapidly outward.
Moments later, Sonia shook her head.
"I’ve lost contact with Roger. I’m not sure if it’s spatial interference or the turbulence in energy streams."
Amanda’s expression shifted slightly. She tried several more times but found that her thoughts sent out were swallowed by the void.