Seeing Tristan's expression, Liam finally felt a glimmer of hope that he was close to getting Derek back home but the very next second, the young sword palace elder poured cold water on the entire thing.
"I am sorry, Grandmaster Dante. I hate to break it to you but from the way you are explaining, it is clear that there was a teleportation option on the weapon. Someone activated it which was why your friend disappeared." "No. That's not. " Liam tried to explain but Tristan shook his head. "It doesn't have to be your friend. It could be the one who is bonded to the weapon or perhaps even the one who forged the weapon. It is impossible that he was sucked into a primeval realm."
Seraphine also nodded. "The world you are talking about is the stuff of legends. Swordmasters from the olden eras have written about it but no one has ever managed to get there or even find those realms. Until now only rumors and speculations abound. If you ask ten different people they will tell you ten different stories."
"Essentially these primeval realms are ancient realms which no one has ever stepped onto. At least no one from our entire sector. I can guarantee that." Tristan affirmed. "Trust me, Dante. My master is one of the patriarchs of the Eternal Sword Palace and if something existed he would have already told me about it, especially since I am close to my path of claiming a lordship."
Seraphine gasped at the sudden news. "You have already staked a claim?" The both of them exchanged glances and Liam did not intrude too much on it. Tristan did not seem to be lying about the information but what about Crawford's words…
As Liam silently contemplated everything, Tristan leaned forward with a thoughtful expression. "However," Tristan began slowly, "I have something else you might be interested in."
A small gemstone appeared on Tristan's palm. It was an emerald stone with intricate golden runes etched across its surface. "This," Tristan began, "is the Echo Crystal. It's a rare artifact that can resonate with a world's core. If you feed this crystal to a world core that has become sapient, it will have the ability to mask itself for a hundred years."
Liam's eyes widened in shock. "Yes, even if you did not mention it to me explicitly, I could tell that your world is a newly integrated one. A world that has birthed a genius like you doesn't deserve to be destroyed or enslaved."
Tristan extended his hand, offering the Echo Crystal to Liam. "This artifact can help. A hundred years is more than enough time for your world to develop and defend itself against external threats." He winked.
Liam knew what he meant. He was giving Liam a hundred years to establish himself so that other forces would hesitate to touch Earth. This crystal was worth a lot more than the pill he had given the man. "Why are you helping me?" Liam asked quietly. "You barely know me."
Tristan extended his hand, offering the Echo Crystal to Liam. "This artifact can help. A hundred years is more than enough time for your world to develop and defend itself against external threats." He winked.
Liam knew what he meant. He was giving Liam a hundred years to establish himself so that other forces would hesitate to touch Earth. This crystal was worth a lot more than the pill he had given the man. "Why are you helping me?" Liam asked quietly. "You barely know me."
Tristan smiled. "Because I believe that every world deserves the chance to thrive without the looming threat of destruction or enslavement. And perhaps, in helping you, we can forge a bond that benefits all of us."
Seraphine nodded in satisfaction. "Even if elder Tristan is a cultivation maniac, he is also very kind and generous."
Taking a deep breath, Liam accepted the Echo Crystal. "Thank you," he said earnestly. "This means more to me than you can imagine."
Tristan's expression turned serious. "But be cautious. Using the Echo Crystal isn't without risks. Powerful beings may sense its activation, even if they can't locate your world directly. And if they really wanted and if they were powerful enough, then echo crystal or not, there is nothing that would be able to save your world."
Liam nodded. "I understand."
Seraphine smiled and added. "Grandmaster Dante, the best option is to form an alliance with one of the ten empires. Elder Tristan's family is-" "That's enough." Tristan once again cut her off. "I am sure Grandmaster Dante will make an informed decision after taking his time. There is no need to talk about unnecessary things." He then turned to Liam. "As for your friend who is missing, the best chance you have is to contact one of the seers here. Though I should warn you, I hate those bastards. They are never honest and always cook up some schemes. They see more than they should and covet what is ours. Ptui!" Tristan spat out angrily.
"Not all of them are like that." Seraphine smiled awkwardly but Tristan didn't seem to care.
"Well, there is an old friend of my master. He is someone my master occasionally visits for reading. He is also a conniving old fart but it is not like you have any other chance. Go and visit him and ask about your friend. There is a 50-50 chance that the old man might let slip something useful."
Liam nodded accepting the information crystal that Tristan handed him regarding the seer.
"Oh and if you want to catch him off guard, you should attend that legacy trial Engo gave you the ticket for. System organized Legacy trials like that sometimes will have some unique items and the old guy is a collector of the bizarre. He is very interested in artifacts from the olden eras."
The three of them continued to chat for a while and Liam came to learn that Tristan was in fact quite talkative and loved to chat. Seraphine even joked in exasperation about how the man had two switches. He is either in a cultivation maniac mood or a chatterbox mood.
After a while Liam bid farewell to the two of them "Thank you for everything," he said sincerely to Tristan and Seraphine. "I will heed your advice and proceed cautiously."
Tristan gave a curt nod. "Just remember, time is of the essence. The sooner you act, the better your chances of finding your friend."
Seraphine smiled encouragingly. "And should you need any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. We'll be here. Don't forget to visit the repositories. Now that you are an auxiliary elder you can access all of the archives of the eternal sword palace up to gold rank membership."