Floating Island - Triple S Talent - Chapter 474

Chapter 474: Building a pillar
A vast landscape stretched out before him—a range of towering stone mountains, with steep cliffs that seemed to scratch the sky. Strong winds howled through the narrow gaps, creating a whistling sound that echoed through the air.

Amidst the harsh terrain, a young man shot forward swiftly, his agile body weaving through the gap between two tall cliffs. His movements were so fluid, it was as if he were part of the wind itself, slipping through the narrow spaces. With expert control, he landed atop a rough rock, ignoring the dust swirling around him.

“Here,” he muttered, his breath slightly heavy after the long journey.

He raised his hand, and with a simple motion, he retrieved something from his spatial ring. A faint light flashed, revealing a silver hexagonal plate with intricate winding patterns etched across its surface.

“The fourth pillar,” he said softly, before tossing the plate onto the rocky ground in front of him.

Tang… Teng…

The object vibrated as it hit the stones, rolling slowly before coming to a halt. A few seconds later, its surface began to glow, a blue light creeping outward to form a hexagonal formation around it. Then, from within the pattern, a silver pillar emerged, rising slowly with tiny stars flickering around it.

The pillar continued to grow taller—one meter, two meters—until it finally reached ten meters in height. Once it reached its maximum, the top of the pillar transformed, forming a bright orb of light that pulsed like a beating heart.

Suddenly—

Ziiing!

A beam of light shot out from the orb at the top of the pillar, stretching into the distance. Like a tether, the beam linked this pillar to another that had already been established. Once the two pillars connected, a transparent blue energy curtain formed between them, hanging like a thin veil that separated the rocky land below.

“Done. I need to set up the next pillar,” he murmured, a spark of excitement in his eyes.

Wasting no time, he launched into the air once more, leaving behind the newly activated pillar.

Efan was one of ten people assigned to erect the pillars.

They were the foundation of the entire strategy. The rest, known as the ‘cleaners,’ had a more brutal task—ensuring the area remained secure, and seizing or destroying pillars belonging to other Sketes if necessary.

As he soared toward the next location, Efan activated his Luck Eyes.

The world around him changed in his vision. Several points of light appeared, indicating fortune in various places, but none were as bright as usual. The only truly radiant light was located at the center of this land—right in the heart of the battlefield. But he knew better than to charge in recklessly.

“That place isn’t cleared yet. If I force my way in, it could end badly,” he thought.

Efan furrowed his brows, feeling something odd.

“In this area… my body feels a bit heavier. My movements are harder to control,” he muttered as he scanned his surroundings.

He slowed his flight, sensing a subtle shift in the air. Something unusual. But before he could fully grasp what was happening, his instincts whispered that something far greater awaited ahead.

There was nothing strange in the air, aside from the rough, rocky ground stretching around him. The environment resembled a high, barren mountain range, with not a single plant growing on its surface. Yet something felt different—something that made Efan’s body feel heavier, as though an invisible pressure was bearing down on his every move.

“Is this due to the law energy embedded in this area?” he wondered, feeling a strange sensation.

He remembered hearing a conversation between Lein and Luxador about the law manifestation zones. Luxador had explained that a grandmaster or a first-tier king could begin studying basic laws in places like this. However, as far as he could tell, there were no signs of any place or object that could help him understand or absorb those laws.

“Is there a difference between cultivators and players in how they absorb law energy?” he murmured, still deep in thought. But his train of thought was suddenly cut short.

Boom!

A massive explosion echoed in the distance, followed by a powerful wave of energy that knocked him back uncontrollably. Efan, who was floating atop his Vortex Plate, was flung dozens of meters away before his body slammed into a massive rock.

Crack!

The stone shattered into pieces from the impact. Efan winced, pain shooting through his body as he tried to get up. His hand reflexively touched his chest, making sure there were no serious injuries.

Boom!

Another tremor hit, causing stone fragments around him to shake and fall. Efan growled, then stepped back a few paces before clenching his fist. With a single powerful punch, he shattered the large boulder blocking his path.

Holding his breath, he scanned the area. The rocky surface that had once been rough now appeared slightly more even than its surroundings, as if something had just struck it with immense force. Not far from where he stood, a rocky hill rose—its shape resembling the trunk of a giant tree, split at its base.

“Damn… an attack that strong?” he muttered with a serious expression. “Where did it come from?”

He was certain he was still within Invistus Sect territory. There shouldn’t be any enemies in this area.

Even if there were intruders, an explosion of that magnitude wasn’t something an ordinary grandmaster could produce.

Without wasting time, Efan waved his hand, summoning his Vortex Plate once more. With a light leap, he rose back into the air, flying higher to get a clearer view of the surroundings.

The higher he ascended, the more clearly the landscape unfolded. The thick mist that had previously cloaked certain areas was beginning to lift, revealing the terrain below. As he looked back, he saw that much of the fog had vanished thanks to the intervention of the Grand Elder of the Invistus Sect.

From above, the pillars they had constructed were clearly visible, standing like boundary markers. Defensive walls made of energy curtains stretched between the pillars, like glowing roots dividing the rocky land below. But in the distance, beyond the protection of the sect, he could see something else.