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墨書 Inktalez
The sunlight pierced through the haze, and hurried footsteps disrupted the quiet forest. Questions followed the rapid pace in search of answers. Indeed, whether it was Shao Meng and Ran Xing or Meng Jiang's group advancing through the impending fog of the three districts, a new moment was about to arrive. The morning light would eventually replace the unpredictability of night.
"Teacher Yu Long, just ahead, not far from us, there are two vitality reactions with water and fire attributes!" Luo Yue sprinted ahead, almost surpassing Yu Long. The feeling of vitality seemed to be exactly what she was looking for.
"It can't be wrong; it's our companions, Ran Xing and Shao Meng!" Yu Long's earlier judgment became even more resolute as he continued to accelerate forward.
The silent forest was filled with the sound of footsteps rushing from three directions, like a wind that mutually acknowledged each other, racing toward one another.
"It can't be wrong; they're right ahead. We need to go faster! It must be Teacher Yu Long and them! Luo Yue must be with Teacher Yu Long!" In Ran Xing's mind, she already envisioned Luo Yue's face. She ran recklessly, like a beast that had spotted its prey, racing forward in pursuit, desperately seeking what she was certain of within her heart.
"Hey, using vitality to run like this will expose us; slow down!" Shao Meng shouted loudly, but Ran Xing had already dashed ahead like a hungry wolf, too caught up to heed the warning. Shao Meng had no choice but to speed up and continue chasing after Ran Xing, plunging deeper into the lingering fog. Was it really as this kid thought?
Finally, after an endless sprint, Shao Meng and Ran Xing stood side by side. On the other side of the fog, two familiar figures emerged. Shao Meng immediately clenched his fists infused with vitality and shouted, "Who goes there!"
The two vitality forms on the opposite side appeared simultaneously—one golden and one green; could it really be Teacher Yu Long?
"Who are you?!" A familiar voice came from within the fog. This person reached out to stop another who seemed hesitant beside him. Both sides fell into a brief silence across the mist.
"There are indeed evil spirits that can disguise themselves; how do you prove you are not an imposter? Just because your voice sounds familiar?" After a moment of thought, Shao Meng responded.
"But as far as I know, evil spirits have no means of disguise; how do you know this?" The familiar voice continued questioning. Before Shao Meng could react, that person boldly pulled both of them closer using vitality.
"It really is you, Teacher Yu Long!"
Shao Meng was overjoyed; nothing could confirm identity better than Teacher Yu Long's overwhelming vitality.
"It seems you've been through quite a lot; you've worked hard. From now on, you can rejoin the team!" Teacher Yu Long released the binding of vitality. Shao Meng slowly descended to the ground while Ran Xing half-squatted on the ground, breathing a sigh of relief.
Luo Yue approached quickly, grabbing Ran Xing with one hand while controlling her vitality with the other. She meticulously checked Ran Xing from top to bottom and confirmed she was fine before briefly checking Shao Meng with her vitality.
"Teacher Yu Long, they are both fine. Once we resolve the water and fire seals, we can unleash our full abilities," Luo Yue said after completing her check, her furrowed brow finally easing; this person was unharmed.
Luo Yue's unusual behavior made Ran Xing feel uncomfortable; she instinctively lowered her head to avoid Luo Yue's gaze.
"It seems you two have a lot to talk about. Shao Meng, come with me," Yu Long said as he patted Shao Meng's shoulder and gestured for him to step aside for a word.
Questions raced through Luo Yue's mind one by one as she pondered how to ask them. She scratched her head in frustration; earlier on their way here, she had clearly thought about what she wanted to ask. Why couldn't she find the words now?
A breeze blew between them, causing their hair to flutter as their eyes locked onto each other intensely for a moment before they both instinctively took a step back.
It was this gust of wind that brought back memories of their meeting under the Trial Grounds' sacred tree. For the first time, Ran Xing noticed what was written in the eyes of the girl before her.
Luo Yue kept brushing her hair back; there were so many questions swirling in her mind, yet why did she choose silence at this moment? Why couldn't she just say something? No, it shouldn't be like this.
Ran Xing's mind raced; she couldn't let the atmosphere remain so tense any longer. Taking a deep breath, she felt their heartbeats for the first time—so distinct and clear—beating in sync with the same emotion.
"Ran Xing, what are you afraid of? This isn't an interrogation; just speak your mind. This is an opportunity." Ran Xing took a deep breath and decided to break the silence that had settled after the wind died down.
"Are you worried? I'm fine, see—I'm still okay, right? But I appreciate your concern for me all this time. Smile a little," Ran Xing said, trying to suppress the rapid beating of her heart as she spoke in a low, soothing voice to Luo Yue.
Luo Yue lowered her head, her uncooperative hair shaking like a head shaking in denial, expressing something unspoken while also complaining about something. Yet she gently nodded, perhaps having heard what she wanted to hear. She lifted her head again, nodding in response to Ran Xing's words.
"Disappearing without a word isn't something companions do. But I understand that the situation that day was unexpected; there were things I couldn't foresee. Now that you're standing right in front of me, I have no more worries," Luo Yue said as she stepped back and steadied herself. Her complexion had improved significantly, and her hair fell gracefully over her shoulder. Both of their faces flushed as they lowered their heads. Ran Xing took a step forward to meet Luo Yue's fist as she expressed another sentiment.
The punch landed on her body but didn't hurt. Ran Xing didn't dodge; she stood there and gently took out a handkerchief from her pocket to catch a tear that was easy to overlook.
In that moment, as another gust of wind blew, Ran Xing was being playfully hit by Luo Yue's fist like a teacher's stick, both of them breathing more easily. Ran Xing boldly reached out to wipe away another tear.
"Alright, alright. We're not just heroes; first and foremost, we're companions. No matter where we are, we won't abandon our companions. This is something I stated when I joined Teacher Yu Long's group. I won't go against those words," Ran Xing continued to comfort Luo Yue while holding her hand tightly, stepping forward to close the distance Luo Yue had retreated.
"Thank you, but this is the first time someone has done this for me," Luo Yue said, awakening Ran Xing from her thoughts and causing her to instinctively withdraw her hand. The handkerchief was caught by Luo Yue, whose previously tense muscles relaxed as if she had received a satisfying answer, but she instinctively held onto Ran Xing's hand to prevent her from moving forward again.
Ran Xing's earlier boldness seemed to have triggered an unknown reaction in Luo Yue. However, with the weight lifted from her heart, she playfully tousled Ran Xing's hair.
"I'll remember this; let's leave it at that for now. You left me behind to face Liu Hen alone!" Luo Yue said with a triumphant smile as she admired her handiwork.
Ran Xing understood immediately and nodded before stepping back half a step towards Fire. The two stood in the shallow mist, each lost in thought.
Suddenly, a large hand landed on Luo Yue's shoulder—"Alright, since we're all gathered here, let's listen to Teacher Yu Long's arrangements."
Luo Yue gently removed the hand from her shoulder and held it tightly for a few breaths before immediately letting go. "Hmm, I understand now. Let's go see what Teacher Yu Long has planned next!"
Their brief exchange came to an end as Yu Long regained composure after a moment of shock.
"Teacher Yu Long, after we dispersed on the suspension bridge that day—Luo Yue, Ran Xing and I discovered that vitality was being drained by something. So we tried using some objects to find the direction of the vitality loss. My plan was to create an opening for these evil spirits so they would think we were walking into their trap, giving us a chance to learn something from them. We did just that, but right after making that decision during our advance, we were suddenly ambushed by a group of evil spirits and ended up at some base of Eight Desolates," Shao Meng recalled the place with a frown as if reluctant to reveal too much.
"You mean the laboratory? A place filled with corpses and bones piled high, blood flowing like rivers—a place full of wails and despair. Did you discover anything new when you went there?" Yu Long asked, recalling the place with dread. During past missions with Shang Qing, he had seen places where evil spirits conducted experiments on countless captured heroes or innocent civilians who underwent unknown experiments there—heroes' remains piled up in valleys leaving behind chilling memories.
Shao Meng rubbed his eyes and lowered his head in silence for a moment before continuing: "When we woke up, it seemed like the enemy had already completed some tasks. I didn't see any signs of experiments; there were four Liu Hen guarding the area who mentioned keeping an eye on Shang Qing's movements. What exactly are they researching? We may need further reconnaissance to verify this; however, now is not the time for continued scouting." Shao Meng speculated boldly while furrowing his brow as if shrouded in lingering uncertainty.
"It seems we've arrived too late. If we continue dragging things out within this seal, we might end up becoming fish in Jiang Taigong's pond!" Yu Long sighed lightly; indeed Commander Qian Wen's prior information had been validated at this moment. The pressure on his shoulders felt somewhat lighter until he suddenly recalled a detail that prompted him to ask again.
To break the seal requires first understanding techniques related to Fire Attribute, Water Kan, Heaven Qian, Ze Dui, Kun, Wind Attribute among others; yet they currently lacked any knowledge in these areas—how could they escape from the heavily guarded laboratory of four Liu Hen? And did Ran Xing also possess Water Kan techniques?
"The strange guy challenged me to a duel. If I won or drew, I could take Ran Xing Fire with me. He called himself Long Shan, but I couldn't verify that. Several times he could have killed me to eliminate the threat, yet he always held back. Whenever I was pushed to the brink, he would stop. Just as I was about to be slowly worn down by him, perhaps due to hatred, I felt a surge of vitality and subsequently defeated him." Shao Meng continued recounting his battle with Long Shan, while also revealing Ran Xing's current situation.
That is, Ran Xing had been knocked unconscious by an evil spirit before Shao Meng and Long Shan fought and was unaware of this.
The wind brushed against Yu Long's face, and sunlight streamed through the gaps created by countless overlapping leaves.
After a moment of silence, Yu Long turned to the now quiet Ran Xing, clasping his hands behind his back as if a general preparing for battle.
"Since that's the case, listen carefully. Our companions have gathered. Currently, we cannot break the seal of the Water Attribute. For now, both Luo Yue and I have regained our abilities, but we must ask for Ran Xing's patience because we need help from a companion with the Earth Attribute. They are on their way and should arrive soon. In the end, they will help you break the Water Seal, and together we will defeat our enemies. How does that sound?"
Yu Long approached Ran Xing, who nodded helplessly. He explained that this was only temporary; now that there were signs of retreat from Long Shan, the defenses of each seal would not overly hinder their actions. Soon they would likely only have to face Shang Qing. With the assistance of Meng Jiang, two Tai Chi Swordsmen, if Shang Qing thought this through, he would surely have a backup plan. Thus, meeting up with Meng Jiang to break the Fire Attribute seal and then dealing with the Water Seal became reasonable.
"Teacher Yu Long, I understand. However, I still don't grasp the techniques you discussed with Shao Meng. Why can you materialize vitality into specific shapes to attack enemies while I can only shoot it straight?" Ran Xing asked curiously about the lessons where Teacher Yu Long demonstrated how to shape vitality for different purposes during training.
"If I remember correctly, you are of the Water Attribute, right, Ran Xing?" Yu Long laughed; it was a good opportunity to expand his students' knowledge.
Just like the butterfly in Luo Yue's consciousness and the anger transformed from resentment in Shao Meng's memory, these materialized objects carried different meanings. Only by experiencing certain situations could one transform these abstract meanings into their own concrete understanding.
The part that truly becomes useful depends on how the user comprehends the battles they face. As the saying goes: when the enemy advances, I retreat; when the enemy retreats, I pursue. When defense is needed, water can freeze into a shield; when offense is required, ice can take shape as blades or spears to chase down and capture foes; flowing water can turn cold into ice or hot into steam—high temperatures breaking through coldness and melting solid shields—striking when the enemy is unprepared for victory.
However, this complex concept clearly exceeded Ran Xing's understanding; he racked his brain but couldn't come up with anything.
"Teacher Yu Long, you're making it too complicated! Can you explain it in simpler terms?" With a belly full of questions, just like during training, he raised his hand to speak.
"Alright, I can't explain everything in detail right now; perhaps Shao Meng will find a way to help you," said Yu Long, which genuinely stimulated Ran Xing.
"Teacher Yu Long, you mean—he!" exclaimed Ran Xing. What could this guy possibly help him with? It seemed that since they met, they hadn't really gotten to know each other well at all; he had no idea what surprises this guy might bring him.
"The pleasant segment has ended; next up, Luo Yue will begin scouting to find our friends!" With clenched fists, Yu Long declared. With Long Shan retreating and Shang Qing missing in action while friendly forces from Meng Jiang were close at hand, breaking the seals was imperative. As sunlight rose over the horizon, they set off again toward the direction of the Meng Jiang Squad.
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