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墨書 Inktalez
Since childhood, we have been bound by a phrase often uttered by elders or those who claim to understand us: "It's for your own good."
Shang Qing hurried along the path to Fire Attribute, initially planning to capture Yu Long at Water Seal and deal with the arriving Meng Jiang. However, his plans were partially ruined by Long Shan's unexpected friendly assistance. At that moment, Shang Qing suddenly closed his eyes and extended his hand, releasing a surge of vitality in a certain direction. Coincidentally, this vitality was brought back by an unexpected visitor.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Hen San, a companion of Long Shan, who had come to deliver a message to Shang Qing.
"Lord Shan, your direct welcome is quite disconcerting," Hen San said, casually dispersing the vitality into scattered light points with a wave of his hand.
"It seems you have already taken action. If you have something to inform me, please speak quickly," Shang Qing seemed unwilling to waste time with Hen San and immediately used Wind Dust Bewitching Heart to immobilize Hen San, who appeared harmless.
"I think that's not appropriate, Lord Shan. I merely came to inform you that our side's tasks are nearly complete. We would appreciate your assistance in handling the aftermath so everyone can have a proper explanation later. What do you think?" Hen San said while estimating Long Shan's retreat progress. If all went well, Long Shan would return to Wraith Mountain in four to six hours. Shang Qing only needed to complete half of his task before he could withdraw early.
"This trivial matter doesn't require your personal involvement; I can handle these guys alone," Shang Qing scoffed at Hen San and suddenly realized he had been overly enthusiastic earlier, leaving Hen San unable to move. After taking a couple of steps forward, he released his technique and gently set Hen San down on the ground.
"With your assurance, my trip here is not in vain. Now then, please take care!" Hen San noted Shang Qing's confidence and ceased further questioning about Shang Qing's earlier actions. His attention was drawn to the girl accompanying Shang Qing.
"What's this? Lord is busy with official matters but still brings along a little concubine?" Hen San seemed to sense something peculiar about the girl: an exceptionally pure vitality. Curiously extending his hand, although he did not touch her, the powerful pure vitality was enough to captivate him.
"Since you've completed your task and exchanged a few words with me, it might not be good for you to return empty-handed," Shang Qing interrupted Hen San's hand with a cold response before turning around and disappearing with the girl.
Hen San sneered; if one bait didn't work, he would use a larger bait instead. Once everyone gathered, they would naturally come forward one by one to offer their farewell drinks!
The night was long; the road was equally long. As Shang Qing walked slowly under the moonlight with the girl beside him, he increasingly felt the fluctuations of the God Pendant.
In her usual state, the girl lacked her own consciousness; she merely saw the outside world through a veil while following Shang Qing who wielded the God Pendant. She did not speak or cry because her emotions had been stripped away by Fire, leaving only a shell behind.
However, recently due to the fluctuations of the God Pendant, her gaze was no longer vacant but carried a hint of sadness. Every day she tightly gripped her Bracelet while sitting there. Except during moments when Shang Qing infused vitality into her, tiny tears would occasionally fall from her eyes. Although she could not speak, it was evident that there were factors around Shang Qing that made her sensitive.
Shang Qing paid no mind to these details; calculating their journey, he estimated that within half an hour he could reach the outskirts of Fire Attribute ahead of schedule and prepare for the final tasks.
On the other side of the night, Ran Xing's ears seemed filled with another voice—faint yet clear enough that she hesitated to believe it.
Was that really her sister's voice? Was she also in this forest? No! It must be an auditory hallucination; how could that be?
It felt like an arduous mental struggle as Ran Xing frantically scratched her head. Ever since leaving Long Shan's place, every time she tried to sleep, her sister's voice echoed in her ears.
Ran Xing stood up and rubbed her sleepy eyes as she headed towards Luo Yue who was standing guard nearby.
At that moment, Luo Yue was assessing the situation and happened to turn around just as their eyes met again in surprise.
This startled Luo Yue; Ran Xing received a light punch from Luo Yue but it wasn't forceful—just meant to scare her.
"Ran Xing! Why do you keep doing this?" Luo Yue took a deep breath to calm down; she nearly reacted instinctively by throwing Ran Xing down.
"I'm here to switch shifts with you!" Ran Xing scratched her head and calculated the time; it turned out there was still half an hour left for their shift change. Unable to sleep due to nightmares again, she decided to take over for Luo Yue.
"Is it that dream again?" Luo Yue sensed something from Ran Xing mentioning her sister last time; the Bracelet was tightly clutched in Ran Xing's hand.
Ran Xing nodded gently but seemed unsure how to express what had happened this time.
"By the way, what does Shang Qing look like? Did you see anything during your assessment?" Ran Xing suddenly shifted topics as she sensed something off in the atmosphere.
Luo Yue froze; during her recent assessment she had indeed seen Shang Qing accompanied by someone else. All of this was recorded in Luo Yue's notebook. However, she hesitated to reveal this information immediately; if Ran Xing discovered that she had concealed such an important matter and something went wrong later on—the consequences would be dire. But if she continued hiding it, how would she respond when Ran Xing asked?
"Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?" Luo Yue forced a smile but did not dare take out her notebook even though it was right in her bag.
"I heard Teacher Yu Long say he's quite an impressive contender—a big star—so I wanted to see what Shang Qing looks like," Ran Xing skillfully fabricated an excuse.
"Teacher Yu Long did mention that; however, I have one condition," Luo Yue nodded and cautiously sat down next to Ran Xing within two inches of Fire without stating her condition.
Ran Xing felt a rush of anxiety but couldn't refuse such hospitality; she quickly scanned their surroundings and confirmed that Teacher Yu Long and Shao Meng were sound asleep before nodding at Luo Yue.
Thus began an uncomfortable moment with Ran Xing resting her head on Luo Yue’s thigh as she received Luo Yue’s notebook. Little did Ran Xing know that upon opening it, some shocking revelations awaited her clear mind freshly awakened from sleep!
The man in the book was tall and sturdy, dressed in a garment made of hemp rope, wearing long boots and a wide-brimmed hat. He seemed to be walking alongside a short-haired woman. Luo Yue was enjoying the conditions she had come for when suddenly, Ran Xing's hands tensed up, and she widened her eyes at the slowly tightening skin and muscles of her right hand. Could all of this be real?
Luo Yue immediately realized that she should not have shared this information with Ran Xing and tried to retract the book. However, Ran Xing was already gradually recalling the scene from that time: a rainy night, thunder, a stranger who took her sister away—what a regret! The cry that caused her sister to faint, the desperate shout of "Run!" from her sister echoed like thunder in Ran Xing's nervous system. She immediately stood up as if stimulated by something, ready to move forward, but was stopped by Luo Yue.
"Ran Xing, don't get agitated! I'll go tell Teacher Yu Long right away!" Luo Yue frowned, having understood the situation but still trying to buy some time for Teacher Yu Long to join them.
"No, it's not true, Ran Xing! Listen to me; we need to wait for Teacher Yu Long!" Luo Yue blocked Ran Xing's path. She did not want to witness another scene of losing one's soul at this moment, but how could Ran Xing let this opportunity slip away? The enemy who took her sister seemed to be right in front of her; if she didn't act now, when would she?
Luo Yue knew she could no longer stop the furious individual and headed towards Teacher Yu Long. Just before leaving, she heard the sound of the book dropping to the ground while Ran Xing seemed to have sensed something and started moving in a certain direction.
Yu Long awakened from Luo Yue's shout and looked at her reporting the news without surprise. "Where are they headed?" Yu Long asked flatly.
"South, towards the Fire Attribute!" Luo Yue pointed in the direction where the book had fallen, anxiously awaiting Yu Long's command.
Shao Meng stood silently with his head down, not saying a word.
"It seems you need to hold Ran Xing accountable tonight; she owes you a good dream!" Yu Long teased slightly before immediately ordering them to pursue Ran Xing heading south.
Everyone sprinted southward when another group—Meng Jiang and his three students—happened to encounter them on the way.
"Yu Long!" Meng Jiang exclaimed joyfully and quickly explained what had happened since he arrived.
"Now, we have broken four out of five seals; only the one in the south remains—the Fire Attribute. That might be Shang Qing's last stronghold or their final position for ambushing us. We need to break that seal as soon as possible; otherwise, the consequences will be dire," Yu Long informed Meng Jiang about their progress and outlined their next plan.
"We don't have much time left. It seems Ran Xing has discovered Shang Qing with someone and has taken the initiative to search for them. We will follow Luo Yue's lead and head towards the Fire Attribute first; we'll decide what to do based on the situation," Yu Long said while arranging for Luo Yue to gather information about Ran Xing for herself and Meng Jiang. Yumeng would scout for enemies nearby while Shao Meng and Lan An prepared ropes. An Qi would keep track of all supplies. This rope was a temporary measure for emergency action if anything unexpected happened with Ran Xing. At that moment, Commander Qian Wen's words echoed in Yu Long's mind.
"This Evil Suppression Spirit Box only has one chance. If you really encounter a moment when Ran Xing erupts with evil thoughts, you cannot hesitate even slightly. If evil thoughts run rampant, that person will lose all conscience; any unintended losses would not bode well for this mission. The failure of the mission is not important; minimizing mistakes is our best outcome."
"Understood, Commander. However, after this incident, if the worst happens..." Just as Yu Long was about to continue Qian Wen's thought, she saw Qian Wen raise his right hand and refrained from asking further.
"All questions will be answered when you return to the Trial Grounds," Qian Wen said as he walked away with his hands behind his back, his brow slightly furrowed.
The Evil Suppression Spirit Box is a tool designed specifically for extracting evil spirits from special cases. It concentrates evil thoughts into a trial jade within the box; if it is corroded by evil thoughts over time, it will dissipate its contents on its own. Therefore, this item only offers one chance for Yu Long at present—something everyone hoped would never happen!
After running frantically, Ran Xing stopped at an exit of a forest, seemingly sensing the presence of some barrier that prevented her from advancing further.
"Damn it!" Ran Xing shouted angrily as she gathered vitality to break through the barrier just as Yu Long and others arrived in time. With just Ran Xing's abilities alone, it was insufficient to break Shang Qing's barrier. Yu Long immediately used vitality to bind Ran Xing back beside her while approaching the barrier and gently touching its surface.
Sure enough, it was a simple vitality barrier. Yu Long glanced at Meng Jiang, who immediately understood and joined her in preparing their technique to break through the barrier.
Shang Qing watched everything from behind the barrier with a cold smile. "You really aren't afraid of death; it seems today there will be four new graves here!"
After discussing thoroughly with Meng Jiang, they agreed that if anything unexpected happened, they would use vitality to push their students out of harm’s way from Fire. They exchanged silent nods confirming their purpose without hesitation when suddenly there was a loud bang—the barrier released a massive shockwave that knocked Yu Long and others back several meters. The Fire Attribute was thus exposed before them; before they could steady themselves, Yu Long felt the ground shaking violently beneath her feet and immediately ordered her students to prepare to jump into Fire here—but it was too late.
It turned out that not only had there been an explosive shockwave but also a brief burst of bright light—could it have been that moment?!
Yu Long instantly realized with alarm: "This is Shang Qing's trick!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her body go numb and fell hard onto the ground before she could stand up again. Once the tremors ceased, atop a giant rock stood Shang Qing revealing himself from beneath his cloak.
"Yu Long! I’m truly touched that you and your impoverished companions came looking for me; do you want me to erect a monument for you?" Shang Qing sneered at those immobilized below him. Before he could say more, he felt a chilling wind filled with condensed water vitality brush past his ear—a spear made of ice shards pinched between his fingers.
"Shang Qing!!" Ran Xing had somehow broken free from Yu Long's binding just in time; that binding had helped her evade Shang Qing’s sneak attack so she wasn’t controlled by Shang Qing’s Wind Dust Bewitching Heart as she stood before him.
"Sister!" Ran Xing shouted loudly but received no response from the girl behind the veil.
The girl behind the veil had lifeless eyes devoid of spirit; only her lips trembled slightly as if forming some words that no one present could decipher.
At this moment, only Water Attribute user Ran Xing could attempt to break through Fire Attribute’s seal.
"Ran Xing! Break the seal!" Yu Long urged loudly. To everyone's surprise, Shang Qing seemed uninterested in fighting back; he casually released vitality which sent Ran Xing crashing back beside Yu Long.
"What a waste of your energy, Yu Long! What? Is this what your student is like? Full of romantic notions and personal loyalty—aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourselves?" Shang Qing seemed bored with playing around and raised both hands toward the sky revealing that a great secret lay hidden beneath the final Fire Attribute.
To reverse Five Elements Seal requires breaking all five seals simultaneously; however, Yu Long’s side had only broken four which meant that Shang Qing could reset all five seals at any moment using this move—rendering all previous efforts futile. Yu Long looked incredulously at everything before her; how many secrets had Shang Qing concealed? But why did he merely extract vitality instead of eliminating them?
When Yu Long was at a loss, Shang Qing completed a new reversal of the Five Elements Seal. The five seals split in five directions and fell from the sky, instantly extracting the vitality of everyone present. Those who had just broken through the Wind Dust Bewilderment were also instantly drained of their vitality and collapsed to the ground.
However, Shang Qing, who had just been discussing erecting a monument for Yu Long and the others, seemed to have had enough fun and wasted no words. He turned around to fire.
Suddenly, Ran Xing reappeared in front of Shang Qing.
Impossible! How could he still move after having his vitality drained?!
As Shang Qing was astonished, a deadly projectile shot towards his eye. Shang Qing immediately unleashed a burst of strong light using Wind Dust Heartbreak, instantly leaping back. As he landed, he swept and kicked at Ran Xing's lower body, then pressed a foot against Ran Xing's abdomen, pinning him to the ground.
"Ran Xing!" Luo Yue shouted. Why was he being so ruthless?
"Be quiet; I guarantee he will survive!" Shang Qing sneered as he threw Ran Xing off his foot.
"What? A third-rate Four Valiant Constables is actually a street kid? I think it's better for you to become material for my future monument here," Shang Qing said as he viciously stomped on Ran Xing. He seemed to understand Ran Xing's obsession but acted completely heartless, repeatedly beating him mercilessly. Finally, Shang Qing began to feel somewhat weary.
At this moment, Ran Xing was battered and bruised, blood spilling from his mouth, yet he still stood up. Shang Qing remained astonished; despite having unleashed such inhumane force and vitality strikes, why could he still stand?
No, Shang Qing focused his gaze and felt a chill run down his spine: What?
At this moment, Ran Xing was like when he first arrived at Silent Forest—his sister was so close yet unattainable, right before his eyes, being mocked by his opponent for his helplessness. In that moment, the anger within Ran Xing quietly opened the door to a vast ocean in his heart. In that purple-black sea, his fury called out to him. In his mind, Ran Xing rapidly descended; before him was the reality of the great river flowing eastward, while behind him lay an unknown purple ocean.
"Power..." Ran Xing murmured until he heard the waves crashing back. Slowly opening his tightly shut eyes—killing intent and malice radiated from Ran Xing's body like an evil spirit's roar echoing through the valley. Not only had Ran Xing stood up after being knocked down multiple times by Shang Qing, but he also charged back with a force that Shang Qing could not comprehend...
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