Chapter 659: Revisiting The World's Core

"How much do I know and how far back, you ask?" 

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman paused for a moment before he shook his head.

"This old man has read records of history dating back hundreds of thousand years ago, but the information is very incomplete—full of missing timeline in between. Still, if you ask me how much I know about history, Young Master Leonhardt could say that I know a lot. Or, I know nothing at all." 

"Because the truth of the matter is unless we have lived through those times, no one truly knows what actually happened. Anything can be written about history. It can be altered to mislead, subvert black and white, or changed entirely."

"This old man can tell you what this old man knows, but this old man can only guarantee that the past couple hundred years of history that this old has lived is true. Anything beyond that is an uncertainty."

Shortly after, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman asked, "So, what does Young Master Leonhardt to hear about first?"

"Since senior has put it like that…" Leon smiled wryly and said, "I'd like to hear about the big events that happened in senior's life—if it's fine with senior, of course." 

"Fair enough." The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman nodded before muttering, "Now, where should I begin? Oh yes. We start with the Bone Calamity…" 

In the following half-hour, Leon listened attentively to the One-Eye Venerable Shaman recount about the past Bone Calamities that occurred after rogue warriors took ancient bones from the burial ground in the Black Swamp. 

Evidently, the humans did add their bones to the piles found throughout the Black Swamp when they first migrated to the Infertile Plains, but it only covered a tiny fraction of it.

The rest came from an ancient battlefield that occurred further down in history—in which no one really knew was the cause to spark such bloodshed.

Without the wisdom of the aged, the truth behind history will always remain vague and unknown.

Eventually, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman briefly mentioned the Starfall event before sharing his thoughts regarding the matter, bringing them back on the Eternal Night Secret Realm topic.

"The Starfall event? A fallen star that fell from the heavens and brought darkness to the land, huh?" Leon muttered thoughtfully with doubt. 

Was it really a fallen star or just a large piece of space debris from a bygone era?

"In the past couple hundred years, this old man has observed and discovered that the darkness covering this land grows denser over time…" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman mentioned.

"However, this old man does not believe the Starfall event was the cause for its existence. At most, it was only the catalyst that sparked it. The darkness might have come from the Eternal Night Secret Realm."

"Is that how the secret realm got its name, senior?" Leon asked curiously. 

He was just wondering about this. 

However, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman shook his head and said, "The Eternal Night Secret Realm wasn't called the Eternal Night Secret Realm due to the dark clouds that blot out the skies of this continent, but because there is no sun there. It's a lightless place."

"I see…"

After some small chat, Leon eventually left the Fragrant Tea Abode and returned to Barrenrock Courtyard with a thoughtful look. 

Upon his arrival, he swept the place with his divine sense before seeing that the three ladies and six maids were all deeply immersed in meditative cultivation.

As such, he chose not to disturb them. 

'Only someone who lived through those times can tell the truth of those events…' Leon thought back on the One-Eye Venerable Shaman's words while picking a relatively clean spot to be seated in the open courtyard. 

There was someone in mind that he could ask. 

But whether that person or being was willing to communicate with him or not was a different matter entirely. 

Nevertheless, it was worth a shot. 

'I didn't expend much mental energy in the confrontation with the Black Warbear Tribe's people… I should use this chance to make another trip to that place…' 

Shortly after, Leon closed his eyes and immersed his consciousness into the depths of the earth…

…

…

…

Under the Divine Demon Tree, Chief Valencia absorbed the Darkness Profound Energy from the tree and practiced the [Black Turtle Heavenly Guard]'s first volume.

Feeling the beneficial effects of the technique as her fleshly defense improved along with its strength, Chief Valencia's eyes flickered. 

'It's so effective!'

Nevertheless, the so-called effectiveness was only a fraction of what Leon enjoyed when he cultivated with True Grandmist Energy.

In other parts of the Darkmoon Tribe, Warriors, Great Warriors, Battle Masters, and even the Venerable Shamans also similarly experienced the beneficial effects of cultivating higher-grade techniques.

But while it was a time of transformation for most people in the tribe, it was also a time of reckoning for others.

Bang!

The wooden gates of the Golden family's courtyard were suddenly busted down with a strong kick!

Shortly after, several retired seniors at the Low-rank Battle Master Realm accompanied by a couple of dozen Great Warriors barged inside, alarming the Golden family.

"Whose place do you think this is? How dare you damage our property and barge in here like this!" a servant immediately criticized the group furiously.

Pak!

Towards such words, one of the retired seniors responded with a tight slap across the servant's face, sending the person crashing into the wall. 

The servant remained motionless afterward. 

The rest of the servants and branch family members of the Golden family gathering in the courtyard were immediately shocked silly.

"The home of traitors do not need any respect nor mercy from this old man!" Lord Darkrig stated coldly before sweeping the Golden family's people a look. 

Lord Goldenfang and his two sons, Goldeneye and Goldenrod, shortly arrived before Lord Goldenfang asked, "Brother Darkrig, what's the meaning of this? Is there some sort of misunderstanding?" 

"By orders of Chief Valencia, the Golden family will be executed on the spot, no questions asked, for the crime of selling Young Master Leonhardt's information to the Black Warbear Tribe!" Lord Darkrig stated coldly. 

The Golden family was immediately shocked!