Just outside the perimeter of an almost completely undiscovered new realm, one that was hidden for no one knew how long, and was only found due to the abnormalities it caused to the energy waves and ripples that occurred earlier, which were the products of the previously broken fabric of the world.
Just like Realm Greenrock, where Josephine Wong and Jianmen first met, this place had very chaotic energy fields, which meant that any spells and enchantments would have limited effects and even could not be cast at all in it; but there were a couple of things slightly different from Realm Greenrock - one of which was that this was not a "planet-style" realm, where the realm itself was like a small planet and you could see the whole shape of it as long as you flew high enough. Instead, this was a realm of a single plane - the plane was like an uneven and curved map, with concave and convex spots as far as they could tell. And on the edge of this plane were various dark energy vortexes almost invisible to the naked eye - if one was to go beyond the edge, they might be teleported to some other place or just get shredded by the turbulent energy.
"Oh, the work ethic, even when he doesn't have a fully regrown body." Josephine Wong smiled as Jianmen drew in the air with the meat cleaver of his. A portal glowing of orange and golden light gradually took shape in front of them - this would be the semi-permanent gateway for them and maybe even the subsequent development and excavation personnel to go in and out of this newly discovered realm. "Glad to see your portal crafting technique is unaffected."
"My physical fighting abilities are no longer what they were, regrowing my bones, my muscles and tendons needs a lot of time and effort." Jianmen smiled as he tossed in a few finishing touches to the portal: "But crafting a portal is mostly about the mind and will. Plus, what do you think I do to pass the time when I was trapped in that room?"
"I sure hope it's something that requires more drawing and infusing rather than rubbing." Josephine Wong shrugged and took a look at her phone: "Tony said he couldn't come, Dorothea the same. So I guess headmasters are busy right now. Glenda can come with us, and she would bring a small team with her."
"Good, with more people we could do more." Jianmen raised his rattan broom and brushed a small seal on the side of the portal with it. The portal spewed out a few orange and golden energy sparks and flashed a few times, then it became stable, and through it one could see a plot of land on the other side. There were three rings of energy enclosing the portal that were still flashing and running - they were arrays of calibration, and they just needed some more time.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean, the Division and the academy will definitely appreciate the material, but their appreciation is way less valuable and useful." Josephine Wong held Jianmen's left arm and asked: "You know if you want, you could definitely claim more from this realm. It's not like anybody else has uses for that 'Neutral Stone' you collect."
"And maybe it's time they learn - we know a lot more about the Defilers now than we did. And these stones are gonna be powerful weapons against them." Jianmen shrugged: "Maybe it's just time to share this knowledge."
"Aren't you worried that it's just gonna be hogged by a few powerful players and make them more bold and irresponsible when it comes to using world-altering mechanisms like Stone of Negation?"
"Yeah, it's a risk. But what new knowledge and technology doesn't come with it?" Jianmen sighed, then looked Josephine Wong in the eye: "After all, I will be staying here for a very long time, aren't I?"
"Ding!" The three rings of energy stopped spinning, and the portal itself slowly became solidified - the energy constructs became stone and metal, and a metal gate appeared in the middle, blocking the view on the other side.
"Let's go." Josephine Wong gave Jianmen a peck on the lips.