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墨書 Inktalez
Today was just like yesterday, everyone tried to gather together to search for other handprint patterns.
The crowd dispersed slightly and began a thorough search, while Ouyang Zixin took the opportunity to approach Yun Tianmo, whispering, "You come early every day."
Yun Tianmo would sneak in every day, disturb her for an entire night, and the next morning she would wake up to find him gone, feeling as if he were a secret agent, keeping everything under wraps. Initially, Ouyang Zixin was unhappy with his behavior, but later thought that keeping it low-key was better. After all, the Exiled Nation's Sovereign kept trying to arrange a marriage for her, so it was best to stay discreet for now.
Yun Tianmo smirked, his hands that were behind his back reached out and grabbed hers, smiling, "Do you miss me?"
Ouyang Zixin was startled when he held her hand. How could he be so bold with people all around? She pouted playfully, "Pervert! Let go."
"I won't." To prove he meant it, he tightened his grip, making it impossible for her to escape no matter how much she struggled. He also signaled her with his eyes to look around; since he dared to hold her hand, he must have made thorough preparations. On one side, Yun Tianying had blocked Nangong Tuo's line of sight, while on the other side, the shadow guards were conveniently positioned behind Zhao Feiyu. If either of them turned around, they wouldn't be able to see the small actions between Yun Tianmo and Ouyang Zixin.
If one were to say that Yun Tianmo was considerate, he truly was; he always handled these subtle details well. Ouyang Zixin nodded in satisfaction and allowed him to hold her hand as they walked at the back of the group. If it weren't for the need to find that cursed handprint, it would feel like a pleasant outing—though the scenery left much to be desired.
"Are you not going to tell me about that secret?" Yun Tianmo looked at Ouyang Zixin. He wasn't surprised that someone had exited the Millennium Ruins ahead of time; what he wanted to know was why Ouyang Zixin knew about it.
Ouyang Zixin then remembered she had come over to discuss this matter. She adjusted her expression and said, "It's strange. When I woke up this morning, I felt like I knew about this. Don't look at me like that; I really don't know why."
Since entering the Millennium Ruins, too many inexplicable things had happened to her; she truly didn't understand why.
"Mo, come look at this." Yun Tianying's voice came from ahead. He hadn't deliberately used sound transmission techniques, so everyone heard him and gathered around.
It turned out that Yun Tianying had discovered an indented handprint on a huge Stone Cauldron. It looked as if someone had forcefully struck it, creating a groove. However, this Stone Cauldron wasn't made of metal; surprisingly, there were no signs of cracking despite the indentation. It appeared peculiar enough that it stood out against the intricately patterned cauldron.
Seeing everyone turn towards them, Ouyang Zixin quickly pulled her hand away from Yun Tianmo's grasp and smiled lightly with a slightly flushed face before walking over first; after all, she needed to identify the handprint.
This handprint looked strange. The most obvious features were the index and middle fingers pressed closely together; the other three fingers were indistinguishable. However, beside the index and middle fingers was a smaller pit that was relatively deeper.
Aside from the Ghost Escape Hand Seal, the two fingers pressed closely together could also represent the Divine Escape Hand Seal and Earth Escape Seal. The Divine Escape Hand Seal involved the index and middle fingers together while the thumb and Nameless finger and little finger were pinched together; the Earth Escape Seal had the thumb pinching the index and little fingers while extending the middle finger and Nameless finger together. Therefore, this indented handprint should be a remnant of the Divine Escape Hand Seal, while that deeper pit should have been made by forcefully striking with the thumb pinching together with the Nameless finger and little finger.
"Master, we can only recognize the handprint like this without understanding its specific meaning; it seems rather useless."
Nameless was right; from Five Elements to Qimen Dunjia, unknown elements were increasingly appearing and becoming more complex. These were all things Ouyang Zixin knew by name but not by meaning; even if she found them all without knowing their specific significance, they would be of no use at all.
"What's wrong?" Yun Tianmo noticed that Ouyang Zixin seemed to be lost in thought, so he stepped forward and lightly tapped her shoulder to bring her back to reality.
Ouyang Zixin jolted and then smiled apologetically at him, saying somewhat helplessly, "I recognize these handprints, but I don't know their purpose."
"It doesn't matter."
"How can it not matter? My brother disappeared because of such handprints, and now another one has appeared. How can you say it doesn't matter?" Zhao Feiyu was clearly agitated; she had thought they had found another handprint that might lead to a breakthrough, but Ouyang Zixin said she had no idea what it was for.
"Why don't we let someone try touching this handprint?" Nangong Tuo suggested from the side. Since Zhao Feihong had disappeared after touching the previous handprint, they could find out if this one had the same effect by letting someone else touch it.
"I'll do it!" Zhao Feiyu stepped forward with a determined expression. This was the only clue to confirm that her brother was safe. Although she wanted to trust Ouyang Zixin's words, she hoped to see with her own eyes that her brother was still alive; only then could she feel at ease.
As she spoke, Zhao Feiyu reached out to touch the handprint, but Ouyang Zixin slapped her hand away and said irritably, "What's the rush? Do you think you won't get another chance?"
The last handprint had led to the sudden appearance of the Blood Basin Mouth, which vanished just as abruptly. They hadn't even figured out what was going on yet, and Zhao Feiyu was impatiently trying to touch this one. What if another confusing illusion appeared and caught everyone off guard? That would be disastrous.
"If we're going to try, we need to be fully prepared," Ouyang Zixin glared at Nangong Tuo, who was being overly talkative. She then turned back to discuss defensive measures with Yun Tianmo.
Nangong Tuo felt wronged by the glare; he hadn't meant for Zhao Feiyu to volunteer. He had hoped to push Yun Tianmo forward since he had the highest cultivation level among them. If there were any dangers, he wouldn't have to worry, and ideally, he would disappear from this Millennium Ruins just like Zhao Feihong. That would be even better.
However, despite his thoughts, he didn't dare speak up again; after all, being glared at by Ouyang Zixin was enough to keep him quiet for a while.
"For defense, I remember you have that Source Serpent Scale Shield, right?" That item hadn't been used since Yun Tianmo acquired it. He wondered if it really was as powerful as claimed.
"The coverage is limited." The Source Serpent Scale Shield wasn't a large-area Defensive Artifact; with so many people present, Yun Tianmo wasn't sure if it could protect everyone effectively.
Ouyang Zixin thought for a moment and raised two fingers, asking, "Two people should be fine, right?"
Yun Tianmo considered briefly; if the duration wasn't too long, two people should be manageable. He nodded. Even if he couldn't protect two people completely, he would find a way to ensure Ouyang Zixin's safety.
Seeing him nod, Ouyang Zixin smiled, thinking that if they defended in pairs, at least there would be some mutual support. She then turned to Nangong Tuo; as a prince, he should have some kind of Mystical Artifact for self-preservation. She beckoned him over with a finger, and Nangong Tuo hurried over while throwing a challenging glance at Yun Tianmo.
"Ouyang Zixin, you called for me."
"Third Prince, do you have any life-saving Mystical Artifacts? It would be best if it can protect more than two people," Ouyang Zixin got straight to the point. There was no telling how many handprints were left to discover; even if they weren't repeated, there were still seven unaccounted for. It was better to save time wherever possible.
Upon hearing that the Mystical Artifact needed to protect two people, Nangong Tuo immediately became proud. He patted his chest and said, "I am the Sovereign's most favored prince; how could I not have a Defensive Artifact? Plus, it can protect exactly two people." He raised an eyebrow at Ouyang Zixin with an ambiguous expression. "I will definitely ensure your safety; I..."
"Cut the nonsense. Is it only for two people?" Ouyang Zixin felt a bit uneasy. If it could protect more people, that would be ideal—after all, double insurance meant just that.
For instance, if Yun Tianmo's Mystical Artifact could only defend two people, then if Nangong Tuo's Mystical Artifact had a larger protective range, they could layer another defense outside of Yun Tianmo's protection. Wouldn't that provide an extra layer of security?
Unfortunately, Nangong Tuo's thought process was clearly different from Ouyang Zixin's. When he heard her question, he assumed she wanted to protect Yun Tianmo as well and quickly waved his hand. "No, it can only protect two people, and that's really the limit."
He had no intention of protecting a man who was his rival. No, he only wanted to protect Ouyang Zixin; he wouldn't be pleased with anyone else being included. After all, while the Mystical Artifact had good defensive capabilities, it also required Mysterious Energy to activate. He was absolutely confident in protecting Ouyang Zixin alone, but if there were more people involved and the range expanded, it would consume a significant amount of Mysterious Energy—he wasn't going to do that.
Nangong Tuo thought this was perfectly reasonable; he didn't see himself as selfish. In royal education, anyone could die for them, so expecting him to protect others was fundamentally difficult. The fact that he actively wanted to protect Ouyang Zixin was already rare; asking him to risk protecting others was simply not something he had been taught.
"Only two people..." Ouyang Zixin frowned upon hearing this. With one arm crossed over her chest and the other pinching her chin, she calculated whether the defense would be sufficient. Since she had gathered everyone together for action, she had to consider their safety.
Both Yun Tianmo and Nangong Tuo's defenses could only guarantee the safety of two people each, but there were six of them in total. Even though she could use Nameless's space to evade some dangers, what about the remaining person?
Nameless's space was a secret weapon meant for escaping in critical situations; Yun Tianmo knew this. However, if she stayed with Yun Tianmo, it would waste one defense. If she didn't stay with him, anyone could potentially uncover the secret of her space, which would not be good for her at all.
What should she do?
"Ouyang Zixin, what are you thinking?" Zhao Feiyu asked anxiously. She had been silent for half an incense stick's time; what exactly was she planning? "If you're scared, you can step aside; I can handle it myself."
"Scared? You're the one who's scared! Your whole family is scared!" Ouyang Zixin regretted ever thinking Zhao Feiyu wasn't foolish; her performance over the past few days had been disappointing. Now she was worrying about how to arrange defenses to protect Zhao Feiyu while Zhao Feiyu stood by making sarcastic remarks.
"Ouyang Zixin, don't be afraid; I will protect you!" Nangong Tuo finally had a chance to express himself and hurriedly patted his chest in assurance, making loud slapping sounds that made others wince in sympathy.
"Do you have any defensive Mystical Artifacts?" Ouyang Zixin looked toward the shadow guard behind Yun Tianmo. This person truly lived up to being a shadow guard; he always managed to make his presence overlooked. If he weren't associated with Yun Tianmo, she probably wouldn't pay much attention to him.
"I..."
"I'm not asking you; I'm talking about you! Keep your head down like that—when someone is speaking to you, you should look at them; it's polite!" Ouyang Zixin brushed aside Yun Tianying. She didn't worry at all about whether a prince had a defensive Mystical Artifact; if he didn't have one, he still had his brother.
Yun Tianying was taken aback and turned to look, only then remembering that there was someone behind him. He smiled brightly and stepped aside.
The shadow guard seemed to still be processing the situation when Ouyang Zixin strode up to him, waving her hand in front of his eyes, finally eliciting some reaction from him.
"I'm asking you a question. Do you have any defensive Mystical Artifacts?" Ouyang Zixin asked again patiently. She had heard about people who lived in the shadows; their personalities tended to be a bit eccentric and reclusive, so she didn't think much of his earlier disregard for her.
"I don't need one." The shadow guard replied stiffly, not having considered why he would need a defensive Mystical Artifact.
His mechanical, cold voice made Ouyang Zixin uncomfortable. She shot him a glance. "If I'm asking, there must be a reason. Are you saying you don't have one?"
The shadow guard fell silent, only looking at Yun Tianmo. Seeing the cold expression on his face startled him, making him unsure if he had said something wrong, and he became even more reluctant to speak.
"How about this: you can stay with the Third Prince; his Mystical Artifact can protect two people." Ouyang Zixin glanced at him before turning away. Nangong Tuo protested, stating that he only wanted to protect Ouyang Zixin, but was glared at again and reluctantly agreed.
"No need." The shadow guard rejected without thinking, though he felt an unfamiliar warmth in his heart for a moment.
This time, Ouyang Zixin wasn't as patient; she rolled her eyes at him. At the same time, the cold aura released by Yun Tianmo swept toward him, causing him to shiver and mumble, "Thank you, Miss."
"Zhao Feiyu, did you faint on your own or did I knock you out?" Ouyang Zixin finally turned her attention to Zhao Feiyu, realizing she would have to take care of her herself.
"Ah?" Zhao Feiyu completely misunderstood what Ouyang Zixin meant. She didn't want to be knocked out and quickly stepped back, increasing the distance between herself and Ouyang Zixin. (To be continued.)
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