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墨書 Inktalez
Boom—Boom—Boom...
Ouyang Zixin and Nameless were studying the layout of the Underground Palace when they suddenly felt the ground shake, followed by several loud noises. Nameless floated down from the air, shielding Ouyang Zixin behind him, and cautiously looked towards the second door through which they had entered.
This tremor felt different from the one that had cracked the stone and revealed the Taiji Bagua Diagram earlier. Ouyang Zixin seemed to sense danger from this tremor as well, becoming alert like Nameless.
In fact, it wasn't just the Underground Palace that was shaking; the entire Millennium Ruins experienced varying degrees of tremors, affecting the eighteen people currently inside in different ways. The first to be impacted was Nangong Tuo, who was in the middle of breaking through a wall. Just as he punched the wall, the tremor caused it to rebound. Completely unprepared for a wall to "counterattack," Nangong Tuo was thrown backward by the force, crashing against a stone wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
He was indeed unfortunate; usually, one would prepare defenses against enemies or living beings. Who would think to set up defenses against a wall? No one would seriously consider that a wall might suddenly punch back.
So he ended up in a tragic situation.
Aside from Nangong Tuo, Dream Nation's Crown Prince Feng Chengxuan also sustained minor injuries. At the moment of the tremor, he was walking through a passageway, and the sudden shaking caused a small collapse, resulting in some scrapes as he reacted too slowly.
Others also experienced minor bumps and bruises, but Yun Tianying, who should have been most concerning due to his illness, surprisingly had good luck. At the time of the tremor, he happened to be in a very spacious stone chamber, so aside from swaying a bit, nothing else happened to him.
Clack, clack, clack...
The shaking did not last long; it came suddenly and left just as abruptly. However, after the tremors stopped, the faint clattering sounds emanating from the Underground Palace made Ouyang Zixin and Nameless wary. Could it be that each tremor led to some new discovery?
It felt like an unearned reward. Was it possible that the mechanisms triggering this Underground Palace were outside? And these fortunate master and servant were simply waiting for those outside to activate them? Then...
"Ah haha! Who says I have Bad Luck Physique? Is there anyone luckier than me?" Ouyang Zixin exclaimed as she looked towards the clattering sound and noticed numerous cracks appearing on a stone platform. Upon approaching it, she saw that its surface was covered with stones. It didn't seem special at first glance. However, with cracks forming all over its surface, faint light could be seen emanating from within. Judging by its quality, it must be an extraordinary Mystical Artifact.
Once the exterior of the stone platform completely shattered, what emerged looked like a shield. Previously wrapped up, it had formed what appeared to be a stone platform surface. This shield looked quite unique; it seemed not to be a single piece but rather composed of many small particles fused together to create an inseparable shield surface.
The surface of the shield was uneven, and upon closer inspection, it resembled some kind of pattern. Ouyang Zixin bent down to study it carefully, while Nameless also leaned over to observe from the other side of the shield.
"Master, there are patterns on the back of this shield as well, but it looks..." Nameless hesitated. The patterns on the back of the shield appeared strange, not like they were artificially carved, but more like they were naturally formed.
Hearing this, Ouyang Zixin also lowered her head, kneeling on one knee to look at the back of the shield. Indeed, as Nameless had said, the patterns on the front looked relatively normal, but after staring at the back for a while, an inexplicable chill seemed to rise from behind. She reached out and lightly touched the peculiar pattern, realizing that this shield did not possess the coldness typical of ordinary Mystical Artifacts; instead, it had a subtle warmth flowing through it.
"This warmth isn't present on the front," she noted. Earlier, she had touched the patterns on the front of the shield, which had that characteristic coldness of a Mystical Artifact rather than a warm sensation.
Ouyang Zixin felt that something about this shield was very strange. Besides having warmth, what else was off? Rubbing her nose, she stood up straight and suggested, "Should we try standing it up to see?"
After all, shields are not meant to lie flat; they are typically held upright in front of one’s body when in use. Given the size of this shield, it should be able to fit on an arm for defense...
Wait a minute, fit on an arm?
Just as Ouyang Zixin stood up, she suddenly crouched down again. Looking up, she realized that there were no arm straps! How could a shield be used if there was nowhere to grip it?
"Master, have you discovered something?" Nameless asked when he saw Ouyang Zixin's lips curl into a smile, guessing that she had made a discovery.
Ouyang Zixin glanced at Nameless with a hint of pride and waved him over. "Tell me, if a shield can't be held in hand, how can it be used? It's so inconvenient."
"Master..."
Nameless was about to say something when he suddenly felt someone appear behind him. Startled, he immediately leaped into action and struck out without thinking. If Nameless used all his strength in that strike, there were probably very few people in Yuhai Continent who could withstand it—let alone those within the Millennium Ruins.
However, just as he unleashed his full power with that strike, he noticed that the newcomer didn’t even regard him; they merely sidestepped and struck his elbow with a wave of Mysterious Energy, neutralizing most of his own Mysterious Energy. What sharp insight! They knew that was the quickest way to neutralize his Mysterious Energy. Nameless praised inwardly but did not dare relax. Just as he prepared to turn around and continue attacking, he heard a cold snort.
In an instant, Nameless felt as if he had kicked an iron plate. Could it be that he was becoming abnormal like his master? He hadn’t even realized who was behind him before acting recklessly...
At this moment, Ouyang Zixin felt as if millions of alpacas were running through her mind. The Ice Mountain chose the perfect time to appear just as she discovered something good.
Yun Tianmo had actually been in the Underground Palace for a while. It was unclear whether the two of them had become too relaxed, thinking that no one would enter the Underground Palace anytime soon, or if they were simply too focused on observing the shield. Glancing at the shield, he pressed his thin lips together; if he wasn't mistaken, this should be the legendary Source Serpent Scale Shield, hidden away here.
"Ha ha. What a coincidence. You’re here too," Ouyang Zixin greeted Yun Tianmo with a forced smile. Noticing his gaze linger on the shield for a moment, she thought to herself that this guy always seemed to want to take something from her. She just didn't know what he would try to trade for it this time.
The Source Serpent Scale Shield was said to be a top-tier Mystical Artifact passed down from a divine source serpent that once existed in the Yuhai Continent. The source serpent had existed for millions of years and could easily be considered a deity; at that time, humans were merely the most humble beings on the Yuhai Continent, often treated as food. The source serpent could be regarded as a ruler of the Yuhai Continent, and in order to further its own evolution towards a higher level, it was said that every hundred years it would extract an essence from its scales and preserve it. After ten thousand years, it finally gathered ten thousand essence scales and then fused them together to create its own top-tier Mystical Artifact—the Source Serpent Scale Shield.
According to legend, there were humans who witnessed this shield transform into armor, enveloping the already formidable source serpent. Its combat and defensive capabilities increased by hundreds of times. Because of this, the source serpent ruled over the Yuhai Continent for a hundred thousand years. Even when other beings came to challenge it, they could only retreat under its Source Serpent Scale Shield.
"Hey, hey?" Ouyang Zixin waved her hand in front of Yun Tianmo's eyes several times. It was rare to see him lost in thought; could it be that he really wanted this shield?
Ouyang Zixin pouted and saw that Yun Tianmo had come back to his senses. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "If you want it, just say so; after all, this shield has some flaws."
Seeing her expression made Yun Tianmo chuckle; it felt as if he had stolen something from her. Although the Fortune Day in the Millennium Ruins emphasized first come first served, he hadn't insisted on taking it for himself. Wanting to tease her a bit, he placed his hands behind his back and said, "Yours?"
"It’s… not really…" Although Ouyang Zixin had discovered the shield first, claiming it as hers didn’t seem quite right either. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Just as she was pondering this, she caught sight of Yun Tianmo smiling at her and realized she had been played. With a huff, she turned her head away from the Ice Mountain.
Her black ponytail flew up as she tossed her head back, brushing against Yun Tianmo's nose with its tips and releasing a faint scent of Purple Bamboo Incense that wafted into his nostrils. Yun Tianmo generally disliked various women's fragrances; although Purple Bamboo Incense was often used by women, Ouyang Zixin's version seemed different from others and gave him an indescribably pleasant feeling.
He recalled that during their last brief encounter when he had tasted her lips, he had also caught a hint of her Purple Bamboo Incense; however, at that time his attention was entirely captured by her red lips. Now, with her long hair sweeping across his nose, he remembered that he had already accepted this fragrance long ago.
Nameless stood nearby in shock; how could the usually aloof Cloud Young Master be smiling… so warmly? Oh my god, Nameless began to doubt whether his eyes were deceiving him. If not for blocking his attack earlier and being able to connect with him somehow, Nameless might have suspected that someone was impersonating Cloud Young Master.
Looking at his master again—wasn't he just acting like someone whose intelligence was barely sufficient in front of Cloud Young Master? How did he suddenly seem so clever now?!
Nameless silently screamed in his heart—oh my god, what has happened to this world?
Yun Tianmo's warm smile was only seen by Nameless, and he didn't even notice it himself. Now, he was only thinking about how to tease this seemingly stingy girl who actually didn't care about anything. Seeing her still looking angry, a slightly amused voice gradually spoke, "Since it's not yours, what's the harm in me taking it?"
"What's the harm? Go ahead and take it. Let's see how you use a shield that doesn't even have a handle." Ouyang Zixin didn't even want to look at Yun Tianmo; she knew what he was thinking. She didn't really want the shield either; it was too big and not suitable for a woman. However, she was really annoyed by Yun Tianmo's confident demeanor, as if he was certain she wouldn't be able to compete with him. What infuriated her the most was that she hadn't even thought about competing with him.
He knew she must not know the origin of this shield. Although it seemed to lack a handle and appeared flawed, in reality, it didn't need one at all. Generally, shields—even slightly higher-grade Mystical Artifacts—came with arm straps or handles, but this one was a top-tier Mystical Artifact, practically a divine item that could protect its owner entirely. What would it need those extra parts for?
The Source Serpent Scale Shield's journey to this place and how it got here were no longer worth investigating, and Yun Tianmo didn't care about those details at all. What mattered now was that this item would soon belong to him, and that outcome was what he had his eyes on.
"I'll trade you." It was still that same phrase; last time it had taken Ouyang Zixin's Howling Twin-Headed Serpent Gallbladder in exchange for a Polar Bear Gallbladder. So what would he offer this time?
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Zixin finally turned her head slightly, her gaze scanning him thoroughly. She couldn't see anything valuable on him; after all, this shield was quite large. Her eyes were full of questions, almost as if she wanted to directly ask Yun Tianmo what he had to offer.
"What do you want?" As soon as those words left his mouth, Ouyang Zixin felt truly frustrated. It seemed this guy really had nothing on him; anyone could make empty promises.
Seeing her turn away again, Yun Tianmo found it amusing. It was clear she thought he was brushing her off. To show that he wasn't someone who acted casually, he decided to bring out something substantial. However, after thinking it over, aside from the Cicada Jade stored in his spatial ring, he couldn't think of anything else worth offering.
He frowned slightly, pondering whether sealing the Cicada Jade with Mysterious Energy would make her happy. The Cicada Jade looked beautiful; most women would like it. Unfortunately, it couldn't be exposed to air; otherwise, Yun Tianmo could just take it out for trade without any difficulty.
Ouyang Zixin didn't know what Yun Tianmo was thinking. Seeing his troubled expression made her feel like she might have gone too far. It was just a flawed shield that she couldn't use anyway; she could just give it to him. So she stopped hesitating and turned to face Yun Tianmo again, changing her previous demeanor and generously said, "Alright then, since you want it so much, you can have it." (To be continued.)
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