I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality

Chapter 418: Speculation and Action

What was the reason?

Was it an inherent “energy cost” built into the process of time reversal itself—an unavoidable loss akin to friction generating heat, steadily draining the plane’s foundational energy?

Or was it the series of “paradox experiments” they had conducted—especially the act of storing native plane materials inside an independent spacetime like the Inner Cave Heaven—that had inflicted tiny “tears” or “disturbances” upon the world?

Jie Ming leaned strongly toward the latter possibility.

The reasoning was straightforward: before this batch of reinforcements arrived, Lord Frost’s vanguard legion had already fought through more than a hundred loop cycles in this Reincarnation Plane.

If every time reversal caused such noticeable degradation, the signs should have been keenly detected by external wizards dozens of loops ago, not only now.

Of course, it was also possible that both factors were overlays.

That is, time reversal itself inflicted minor loss, while their experiments acted like new scratches on fragile glass, amplifying the effect.

“We need more data, and longer-term, more systematic monitoring.” In the tactical meeting, Jie Ming spoke frankly. “In the earlier loops we lacked baseline records of environmental ‘constants.’ The benchmarks we’ve established now are still unstable. At least one or two more complete loops are required before we can preliminarily judge the trend and rate of degradation.”

Frost acknowledged the assessment. He ordered the combat-sequence wizards to continue applying pressure on the Sickle-Skull according to the established strategy while creating more experimental windows for research.

The logistics and research sequences, meanwhile, threw themselves fully into deep analysis of existing data and refinement of even more precise monitoring plans for the next loop.

But apart from these busy tasks, Jie Ming himself had one even more critical verification to perform.

He needed to see with his own eyes what had become of the “source points” in this plane for those samples he had stored in the Inner Cave Heaven—after time reversal.

Did they perfectly heal with the original, as though never severed?

Did they leave indelible scars?

Or… did something even stranger occur?

He submitted a request to Frost for an excursion, presenting a detailed plan: using coordinates and descriptions from the recording crystals, he would revisit one by one the Sickle-Skull strongpoints and battlefields where large quantities of samples had been collected, conducting on-site investigation.

Frost did not object.

Seeking truth was the natural duty of a wizard—especially when it bore directly on understanding the essence of the loop.

Out of safety considerations, however, he attached one condition.

“You may go, but you must have companions.” Frost’s stance allowed no argument. “Additionally, I will place a ‘Star Mark Vigil’ upon you.”

He extended his index finger. A point of concentrated, substantial silver starlight ignited at the tip.

Three star marks sank respectively into the foreheads of Jie Ming and the two sixth-tier wizards assigned to accompany him—Roland, specialist in defense and energy manipulation, and Vivian, expert in reconnaissance and spatial concealment.

“This witchcraft can automatically block one attack reaching eighth-tier intensity,” Frost explained. “More importantly, whether it is triggered or not, as long as it shatters, I can instantly locate and reach you regardless of distance. Do not stray too far beyond the limit of my perception range. Understood?”

“Understood, Commander.” The three replied in unison.

After reviewing the relevant recording crystals, Jie Ming set his first target on an abandoned Sickle-Skull city more than ten thousand kilometers from the main camp.

According to intelligence, the city had been strategically abandoned early in the wizard invasion, but was later reoccupied by a Sickle-Skull reconnaissance force and converted into a forward outpost.

In a medium-scale sweep operation during the previous loop, wizard troops had cleared this outpost. The combat-system wizard in charge had “collected” over a thousand intact first- to third-tier low-level Sickle-Skull corpses.

Those samples now lay categorized within his Inner Cave Heaven.

The sample source was clear, coordinates precise, environment relatively simple—making it the perfect first verification site.

To avoid any potential differences in the loop caused by his own experiments, Jie Ming set out at dawn the day after the battle concluded, quietly departing the bustling camp together with Roland and Vivian.

Roland raised an almost invisible energy shield enveloping the three of them. It provided not only defense, but also optical camouflage and a degree of aura concealment.

Vivian took point, her figure flickering between clear and indistinct as though blending seamlessly with the surrounding spatial fluctuations, constantly scouting the optimal route and potential threats.

The trio did not use long-distance teleportation, instead advancing with high-speed flight combined with short-range spatial leaps to avoid alerting the Sickle-Skull.

Along the way, the landscape was desolate and oppressive.

The earth bore countless scars of battle.

Charred craters, crystallized soil, twisted metal wreckage, and scattered fragments of Sickle-Skull carapaces already beginning to weather under lingering witchcraft effects.

The air carried a faint energy radiation and an indescribable aura of withered desolation—the sediment left by countless lives extinguished upon the same ground.

“This land… is unexpectedly fragile,” Vivian suddenly said softly. Her spatial perception was far keener than most. “The ‘resilience’ of space seems to be weakening. Certain areas feel… off in terms of stability.”

Hearing this, Jie Ming carefully swept the ground below with his mental power.

Indeed, in regions where energy clashes had been especially intense, the “fibers” of space appeared particularly brittle—as though they might tear with the slightest pull.

Jie Ming rubbed his chin. The witchcraft unleashed by wizards in previous battles absolutely did not produce this effect. Was this a problem inherent to the plane itself?

Unable to determine the cause for the moment, Jie Ming suppressed his doubts and continued onward with the other two.

After more than half a day of rapid travel, as evening fell, the silhouette of their target city finally appeared on the horizon.

It was a classic Sickle-Skull-style hive city.

Towering spiral structures built from a mix of biomass and minerals rose like enormous pupae, connected by web-like aerial corridors.

The ground was riddled with dense clusters of holes and tunnel entrances of unknown function.

The entire city was cast in a deep brownish-black hue, looking in the afterglow of sunset like a sleeping behemoth crouched upon the earth.

Yet now, the city was eerily silent.

No patrolling aerial units, no movement on the ground, not even the faintest active signal from what should have been a pervasive pheromone network.

“The intelligence is accurate. They withdrew very cleanly,” Roland assessed. “Energy residual reactions are faint. No signs of large-scale life congregation. But… stay cautious. There may still be scattered remnant individuals or automatic defense mechanisms.”