Chapter 100: Location of the Ruin Map
The Blackstone Empire was one of the many great empires that had vanished without a trace in recent times.
For a long while, Jun Wu and Mei Ling sat in silence, the weight of that knowledge pressing heavily on them.
The history of the continent was already fractured and unreliable, riddled with contradictions and missing pieces.
Yet this revelation unsettled them more than most.
Neither knew how to even begin piecing the puzzle together.
As for traveling to the location marked on the ruin map, they did not dare think about it.
The valley existed only on the ancient map.
On any current map of the Soaring Cloud Region, no such valley was marked.
It was as though the place itself had been swallowed by time.
"It’s as if the land itself has vanished," Mei Ling murmured, her cold gaze lingering on the fading ink of the map.
Then she looked at Jun Wu, her eyes sharpening. "Do you know anyone you can ask?"
Her tone was measured, but he caught the subtle caution beneath her words.
The situation was far too sensitive. The fewer people who knew about the ruin map, the better.
Jun Wu frowned slightly, rolling the matter over in his mind. He carefully folded the ruin map, slipping it back into his sleeve.
For a moment, his gaze lingered on the ancient map spread before them.
Then, without saying a word, he stood and approached the elder seated at the front of the library hall.
"Elder, we need your assistance," Jun Wu said politely, bowing slightly. His voice was calm, but there was a quiet firmness to it.
The elder raised his head, blinking in confusion.
The two young stars had been buried in books since early afternoon, and now the sun was already sinking toward the horizon.
What more could they possibly require at this hour?
"Young Master," the elder replied kindly, "Tell this old man what you need. If it lies within my ability, I will certainly help."
"Thank you, Elder." Jun Wu smiled faintly, a rare warmth flashing across his face.
He gestured for the elder to follow him back to their table.
When they arrived, the elder’s eyes widened at the sight.
Piles of books, some stacked precariously, others left open on the ground, surrounded their table like a fortress.
"These two..." he muttered under his breath, but he quickly fell silent as Jun Wu pointed at the map laid out before them.
"Elder, could you tell us where this valley might be on the current map?" Jun Wu asked, tapping a small mark drawn upon the ancient parchment.
The elder squinted, leaning closer.
His brows furrowed as he studied the aged paper.
As the guardian of the city library, he possessed vast knowledge of history, maps, and records that few others could rival.
But even so, the past was complicated, fragmented, riddled with gaps, and burdened with mysteries that no amount of study could fully resolve.
After a few seconds, he straightened his back, his voice thoughtful. "I recognize this.
This map is from more than two thousand years ago."
Jun Wu and Mei Ling exchanged a brief glance but kept their silence, waiting for him to continue.
"The world has changed greatly since then," the elder said slowly. "Many strange things have happened. These changes began during the Shattered Era..."
He paused, as though carefully choosing his words. "Our Soaring Cloud Region is one of the largest in the known world, but during the Shattered Era, its boundaries began to shrink. Don’t ask me why—it is something even I do not know."
The statement silenced Jun Wu and Mei Ling.
Questions burned on their tongues, but they swallowed them, sensing that the elder was not finished.
"As the Soaring Cloud Region contracted, countless landmarks vanished," he went on. "At the same time, new lands emerged from nowhere."
"New land?" Jun Wu muttered, unable to contain his shock.
Even Mei Ling’s usually composed expression faltered. They had scoured countless histories and records, yet not once had such a phenomenon been mentioned.
The elder sighed softly at their reactions. "Like I said, the world is far more mysterious than we realize."
He turned and walked toward the back shelves. "Give me a moment."
Jun Wu and Mei Ling sat in silence, still grappling with what they had just heard.
The idea of land vanishing and reappearing was something they never imagined. And now...
Minutes later, the Elder returned, carrying a large tome bound in dark, worn leather.
Bang!
The weight of the old tome shook the table when he set it down.
Jun Wu and Mei Ling both stared, startled. For such an ancient book to be so heavy.
The elder chuckled at their expressions. "Don’t be surprised. Ancient texts were crafted with materials far beyond ordinary leather and ink. To preserve them for thousands of years, they had to be."
With slow, reverent hands, he opened the tome, careful not to damage the brittle pages.
"There..." He pointed at an old map etched in faded ink.
Jun Wu and Mei Ling leaned forward.
The map resembled the ancient one they had studied, though it was far more detailed.
"This is a fragmented map from the Shattered Era," the elder explained. Then, turning the pages, he revealed another map. "And this is from the Middle Era."
The difference was striking.
The Middle Era map bore similarities to the Shattered Era, but new landmarks had emerged, while many old ones were gone.
Before the pair could voice their amazement, the elder flipped further.
Another map lay revealed, this one from the early years of the Current Era.
It bore traces of the Middle Era remained, vast swaths of land had shifted or disappeared entirely.
"Do you see?" The elder raised his head, studying their faces. "In every era, the landmarks are never the same."
Jun Wu and Mei Ling nodded slowly, the truth settling over them like a heavy cloak.
The world they lived in was far stranger and more unstable than they had ever imagined.
The elder seemed pleased that they grasped the gravity of it. "Although the land keeps changing, careful study of the maps can still allow us to deduce many things."
He tapped the ancient valley mark on the parchment before them.
"Take the valley you’re so interested in. According to the maps, it once lay at the middle of three regions. Over time, it vanishes—but if we follow the shifts carefully..." He trailed off, his lips curving into the faintest of smiles.
"We can deduce that the valley should now lie within the Shadowless Region."