CHAPTER 213: RETURN TO THE SURFACE

He still had about half an energy pack left. Disengaging the safety mechanism, he gave it a light telekinetic push to propel it forward.

Teleportation, in simple terms, was the ability to control both space and time.

Though in truth, it wasn’t nearly as grand as it sounded. What teleporters like him actually did was skim along the folds of space-time, slipping through the thin layers that separated one reality from another.

Because it was such an instinctive ability, those who could consciously control it like him were extremely rare and considered highly gifted.

Normally, teleportation involved traveling through a distorted zone detached from regular space-time.

During that brief transit, time itself could feel nonexistent or endless.

That was why first-time travelers often experienced confusion. Once, when he had brought along someone not suited for teleportation, they had described it as "wandering through an eternity."

And so, within that stretched-out flow of time, Shiao Yi waited.

Then suddenly, the space itself trembled.

A shockwave rippled through the void. The energy pack from the needle gun had collided with the powerful barrier and detonated.

In that instant, the explosion tore open a small gap in the magical seal, barely enough to create a weak point.

Without hesitation, Shiao Yi hurled himself into the hole before it could close.

When he opened his eyes, he was met by a blinding blue sky.

The sun shone brilliantly above, and far below the drifting clouds, he could see what looked like a mountain range in the distance.

"Is this... a desert?" Dominic’s voice came from behind him.

Shiao Yi turned to look around. Golden sand dunes stretched endlessly in every direction, rolling and uneven.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but barren land.

The harsh sunlight burned against his bare upper body.

They stood within the remains of an old ruin that was barely recognizable as such.

The chunks of broken stone lay half-buried in the sand, scattered and weathered by countless years of wind and rain.

The pale color of the stones reminded Shiao Yi of the same kind of material that had formed the underground ruins below.

Since they had teleported by following the path that pierced the crust of the earth, this place was probably located directly above that massive rock wall they’d seen earlier.

If so, then this ruin, this wreck of collapsed stone, might once have been an ancient church.

Maybe, long ago, a great city or kingdom had flourished here, in this now-lifeless desert.

No one was left to answer their silent wonder. Only the dry wind spoke, sweeping across the dunes and carrying clouds of yellow sand into the air.

"Could this be the place that guardian called the ’exit and entrance’?" Dominic asked, scanning the horizon.

Shiao Yi nodded slightly and reached out with his senses, trying to feel any trace of such a power.

"We passed through the path," he said. "So it must still be open."

"Even if there’s a barrier," Dominic replied, "if this really connects the surface to the demon world, it’s dangerous. It should be destroyed and sealed off completely."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Shiao Yi asked quietly, his eyes still on the endless sand.

Right now, Shiao Yi had no dynamite and no detonator. Even his last needle gun had been used up.

"Don’t worry," said Dominic calmly. "I’ll take care of it."

Of course. The living weapon of destruction was right beside him and it would be clean, precise and without a trace of residual radiation.

Dominic’ expression was serious as he scanned the area. He searching carefully for even the faintest trace of magical energy. His focus was absolute.

Shiao Yi looked up at him. The sharp line of his mouth, the firm and handsome face with its straight nose, all of it made Shiao Yi sigh every time he saw it.

When Dominic faced something with such intensity, his presence became even stronger, even more striking.

He was so breathtakingly beautiful it sent chills down Shiao Yi’s spine.

The sunlight gleamed against Dominic’ nearly naked body that was covered only by a strip of tanned hide.

The sweat glistened on his bronzed skin and beads of it sliding slowly down his broad back.

The tight muscles beneath his skin, the sculpted abs, the strong chest, the long, powerful limbs, everything about him was the picture of masculine perfection, it was everything Shiao Yi himself did not possess.

A man like that, muscular, graceful, and impossibly good-looking, could easily make any woman fall in love at first sight.

He could have chosen anyone, man or woman.

And yet, for reasons Shiao Yi still couldn’t understand, Dominic had chosen him, a small, underdeveloped man who always felt inadequate beside him.

"I found it," Dominic suddenly said, his voice carrying a hint of excitement as he waved for Shiao Yi to come closer.

But Dominic always said that he loved Shiao Yi because he was different, that Shiao Yi was his only one, his irreplaceable person.

And because of that, Shiao Yi always gave him everything he had in return.

Dominic was the most precious person in his world.

Kicking up the fine yellow sand, Shiao Yi ran toward him.

The spot Dominic pointed to looked completely ordinary, a small mound of sand with a few fragments of broken stone columns scattered nearby.

"Here?" Shiao Yi asked, doubtful. To his eyes, it looked no different from the rest of the barren desert around them.

"Yes," Dominic replied, lowering his voice. "The same kind of energy from the demon world is flowing from here. It’s very faint, so thin it’s almost impossible to sense unless you already know it’s there. But I’m sure of it. That kind of power couldn’t pass through the barrier unless there was a path. This is the place."

Shiao Yi nodded his head and then wrapped his arms around Dominic’ waist. Using telekinesis, he lifted them both off the ground and floating upward until they had gained a safe distance from the spot.

Once they were high enough, Dominic gave him a small, steady nod, a signal to begin.