Within half an hour, they carefully avoided the detection alarm devices on the bridge, silently flying under the Blue River, and then found an abandoned path from the western rocks, climbing up.
"It is said that this used to be a small town outside the west side of the Academy, where all the residents were employees of Eminens, and there were quite a few small shops." Upon reaching the destination, they surveyed the surrounding environnt.
This is the outskirts of the Academy, with few patrol Autonomous Units, only so abandoned cabins and stone houses could be seen.
"Preserved quite well." Jian Xin'er walked through this dieval-style small town and stopped in front of a shop.
"It's said that the Gem Witch Servis once lived in seclusion here, running a clothing store."
"This should be the place." She looked up at the long-faded and dim sign. If it weren't for human civilization's protection of this area over the years, these places would have weathered away long ago.
"The Gem Witch's retreat has been visited by many historians and archaeologists, we're unlikely to find anything valuable, but as a witch, she must have had contact with Sels." Speaking, Jian Xin'er took out an ancient and gilded Incense Burner.
"Inside is once Sels's veil." She carefully infused Magic Power into the burner, activating the Secret Technique engraved upon it.
Wisps of Water Smoke rose, drifting around, finally vaguely dividing into several directions.
"Very faint now, after all, too much ti has passed here. Even if witches have eternal traits, their traces are scarcely detectable." Jian Xin'er sighed, her previous high hopes now slightly deflated.
"Let's go, follow the direction of the Water Smoke carefully search."
"Yes."
At night, they followed the direction of the Water Smoke, exploring everywhere. The instrunts they carried could penetrate underground to survey the conditions below.
After several hours, the group gathered again.
"The Water Smoke ended here, no remnants." One mber answered.
"However, there's still a wisp extending into Eminens, which should be the Temple of ditation Academy over there."
"Let's go, check it out inside." Jian Xin'er put away the Incense Burner, and the group discreetly approached the ancient Academy.
Even in the Fifth Epoch, it remained unscathed because even the Black Suns had an understanding to protect this human mother star, keeping it away from battlefields.
Evading the flying Autonomous Units, the group blended into the night, entering Eminens.
Ti passed, the classrooms once filled with students now stood silent and empty, only the carvings on stone walls still echoed the past days, reminiscent of those tis.
Passing through the architectures of the Temple of ditation, they continued north, towards mountains to the north, where towers stood tall, once known as one of the Four Academic Classes, the Observatory Tower.
Broad stone columned bridges crossed the valleys, vaguely carved with Giant Dragons, though details were too eroded to make out, with many places entwined with vines, covered in moss.
Once again trekking the long mountain paths, they arrived at the base of the towering tower, Jian Xin'er gazed at the ancient Observatory Tower, feeling an urge to explore inside.
"It's a pity, going there is impossible."
The Observatory Tower is an extrely important historical site, with people stationed on night watch continuously, even today, a dimly visible Lantern swayed gently inside the tower against the Night Wind.
"That's where the Witch who sealed the Sealing Book and resided continuously, there are special seals placed now. If we break the seals, it will be sensed imdiately." The accompanying staff reminded, fearing the Songstress might act impulsively.
"I know, anyways, that's not our goal this ti."
"Let's go, continue exploring with the Water Smoke."
Blending into the night once more, they traveled through iron chains and stone bridges between mountains, reaching the northern edge of the Academy.
"Didn't expect a hidden valley here." Turning past a large stone, a narrow, densely vegetated valley ca into view.
"It shouldn't have had so much grass and shrubbery before." Soone transmitted the results of the detection instrunt.
"It's over there." Soone pointed out, the Water Smoke drifting towards that direction.
"Didn't expect an underground Dark River in this valley." Looking at the projected 3D map, they felt a trace of anticipation.
"Indeed, Sels belonged to Tao Lexi's faction, and Tao Lexi was once head of the Observatory Tower Academy, nurturing many Sages and geniuses of Magic Sequence. They must have mastered special channels for entering and contacting other witches."
"So, Sels's Authority is probably similar to Crossing Magic Mirror's Witch Chris, can traverse underground Dark Rivers to reach worldwide?" Soone boldly guessed.
"Very possible, but her Authority use must be more stringent, not as straightforward as Chris's." The scholar in the team analyzed.
"Possibly requires a lightless night environnt, plus elents like river water, boats, etc."
"Let's go, check out the underground Dark River." The group turned into the brushwood, proceeding along the ancient riverbed ruins.
An hour later, they erged underground, the one in front took out a light stick to illuminate the surroundings.
"It should have been occupied by wildlife, perhaps so creature fond of damp, dark places." They noticed a corner of the cave filled with bones and foul traces.
"No threat to us, but their activities ruined the environnt, we may need so effort to find clues."
"Continue."
Ti quietly passed, by this ti it's around 4 a.m. outside, they searched for traces in the underground cave with instrunts, finally having a new discovery before dawn.
"This is it, the water seeped down here, this used to be a Dark River, but the geographical environnt drastically changed over ten thousand years."
"Excavating?" Soone asked.
"Use sothing special." Then a mber stood out, together with a companion, laid down special nodes around, and after so operation, extracted a rectangular column of soil and debris from below, without collapsing the surrounding earth.
After several iterations, they delved hundreds of ters underground, finally finding a cave leading to the underground Dark River.
"This is it, the scent from the Water Smoke is evident." One analyzed, watching the traces rising from the Incense Burner.
"Forward." Jian Xin'er moved forward with excitent and anticipation.
Along the Dark River, while the strands of Water Smoke were faint, they never ceased. The group proceeded continuously until they completely lost the Water Smoke trace in a water channel.
"This?" Hearts sank, but so were reluctant to give up, using instrunts to search for any discoveries.
The results didn't favor them, ti spanning millennia, even the most precious witch relics likely deteriorated and disappeared.
The river was icy and chilling, Jian Xin'er subrged, attempting to explore unusual features using her strong spiritual power.
Unfortunately, there was no reward.
The traces of Water Smoke seed like a dream.
No witch relics… Jian Xin'er felt especially disappointed, as if the entire world turned dull and uninteresting.
She truly had no interest in cumberso political struggles and societal ideals, solely loved the Third Era full of heroic tales, Chaos Calamity, witches, Angel Church, Empire, the world composed of these elents brought her endless fantasies, and its legends inspired great longing.
Soaking in the water, the Songstress allowed the undercurrent to engulf her, gently taking her into the darkness.
Such a dull life and Universe, she didn't at all look forward to a future brimming with technology and data, only wanting to revisit past beautiful dreams, that era with a tinge of simplicity, purity, and full of songs and lants.
If reborn in that era, she'd beco a wanderer, experiencing the magnificent historical chapters.
Slowly, her body slipped into the water's lightless depths, her thoughts gradually ceased, all sounds drifted away from her.
It seed a mont, or perhaps many years later, she awoke again, finding herself lying beside the Dark River, though no one was around, and her body strangely dry.
"You're awake." A strange, magnetic female voice sounded behind her.
This, she turned back, full of surprise, and saw a woman sitting under an orange Lantern, her head veiled, hair deep purple, an expression in her eyes both serene and distant.
"You are... Sels."
She finally recognized this historically rare-recorded witch.
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