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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 17 - Teleportation Array
The collapse of Mountain Valley was as if the stones within had come alive to devour the living. The aftershocks of the collapse were felt by Ji Zichen, as the ground beneath him trembled slightly. He sensed a terrifying truth: something must have happened, for Mountain Valley would not simply collapse without reason. However, this thought was fleeting.
Before him stood a demon more terrifying than the fallen Mountain Valley. The Gravel Demon was a living embodiment of evil; it could kill any life form at will, no matter how far they tried to escape or how deeply they buried themselves underground.
The fate of the stones in Mountain Valley had already been shattered, and Ji Zichen and his companions were not in a much better situation. Once again, he swung the Demon-Slaying Sword at the left arm of the Arbitrator. Pain shot through his palm from the recoil, and his head was rattled as well. The pain in his hand made him want to drop the sword, but he held on.
As its name suggested, the Gravel Demon was like gravel itself—both soft and hard. It had the ability to turn people into stone because it could manipulate earth elements.
Ji Zichen's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the Saint King relentlessly attacking the Arbitrator. The shockwaves from the Saint King's strikes were surely no less than his own, yet its attacks showed no sign of weakening. Ji Zichen even noticed small cracks forming on the Saint King's claws, but they quickly healed themselves. The Saint King must possess some special healing ability as it fought alone against the Arbitrator.
Ji Zichen and Xia Lian maintained their stern expressions, but that was all they could do. No matter how they attacked the Arbitrator, it showed no signs of injury. Meanwhile, the wounds on the Saint King's claws multiplied, and its healing slowed down. With the Arbitrator seemingly impervious to harm, Ji Zichen began to doubt whether his Five Elements Pearl would be effective against it.
In any case, the three of them were powerless and at a loss. They sought weaknesses in the Arbitrator through physical attacks, but there was not a soul around them—not even insects—as if everyone had rushed to join in on the chaos at Mountain Valley.
-
Deputy Wei and his group arrived near Zhang City, where Prince Huixin's entourage had long been waiting outside the city gates. Despite his injuries, Prince Huixin sat upright on his horse, showing no signs of weakness to those around him. As Deputy Wei's horse approached, Prince Huixin nodded at him with a firm voice that conveyed both reassurance and concern.
"Just glad you're back," Prince Huixin said to Deputy Wei.
Deputy Wei nodded with effort. "I've taken my leave from Zhang City Lord; we are heading back to Qingyang City."
"Zhang City is not far from Fierce Death Valley," Deputy Wei remarked. "With their help, if we leave now... will it be safe?"
"It’s fine," Prince Huixin replied. "The Hall of Malevolence's forces managed to breach the city so quickly because no one was prepared. Now that all cities have united, if they wish to try again, it won't be so easy."
The battle had come to an end, yet Prince Huixin's excitement had not subsided. He believed others felt the same way; every scene of the battle was etched in his mind. Hundreds of soldiers marched swiftly across the undulating terrain, while those from the Hall of Malevolence pursued them closely from the other side.
As the two armies clashed, explosions echoed, and the cries of the wounded lingered in the air. Prince Huixin could not discern whether these sounds came from his soldiers or the Cult. Although he and Wei Deputy had escaped danger, the faces of the soldiers flashed through his mind. Their expressions were filled with unwavering determination, but a harsh reality loomed: despite the alliance among the cities, they were very likely to lose this war.
Seeing Prince Huixin's somber expression, Wei Deputy thought that he might be reflecting on the fallen soldiers. Leaning closer to him, Wei Deputy whispered, "Your Highness, we should return to the city. You need to rest and recover from your injuries."
Prince Huixin looked at Wei Deputy's face, which was smeared with dirt and blood. He knew that the blood did not belong to Wei Deputy. As he surveyed the other generals waiting for him, he realized he was at the center of their attention. He had once thought that even if he donned armor, he would not participate in battle; yet now, he had emerged victorious.
"Wei Deputy, have those Zhang City Soldiers who went to rescue our comrades retreated safely?" Prince Huixin asked.
Wei Deputy replied, "I saw them maneuvering skillfully; they must have a strategy in place. Otherwise, Zhang City Lord wouldn't have sent them."
Prince Huixin felt grateful for Zhang City Lord's assistance and said, "Zhang City Lord has been a great help this time."
"I believe many more like Zhang City Lord will join us," Wei Deputy added.
Prince Huixin shared this belief; although their forces had suffered heavy losses, the main strength of their army remained intact.
"Let’s return to the city," Prince Huixin instructed.
"Yes, Your Highness," Wei Deputy immediately ordered their retreat.
---
Xia Lian's Vengeful Spirit shattered the Arbitrator's defenses, revealing cracks in Saint King's claws that showed no signs of healing. Ji Zichen had yet to use the Five Elements Pearl but was reluctant to do so; after all, that fire dragon had proven that his Five Elements Pearl was ineffective against a foe like Gravel Demon. The only thing Ji Zichen felt confident could harm Gravel Demon was Primal Vortex.
However, as Ji Zichen considered the side effects of Primal Vortex, he hesitated. Given the current situation, he realized he had no choice but to use it. Just as he opened his eyes to reveal his patterns, a blinding white light descended upon them. The light was so intense that it rendered them unable to open their eyes. The Arbitrator was no exception; with eyes slightly closed, it waited until it could finally open its eyes again.
The figures of Ji Zichen and the others had already vanished from his sight. The Arbitrator sneered, "Have they escaped?"
At that moment, the Great Seat returned on horseback. Seeing the Arbitrator standing gracefully in the center, the Great Seat approached and said, "Arbitrator, I have returned, albeit late."
The Arbitrator smiled slightly. "Not too late. Your timing is just right. The damage in the valley is severe; immediately call everyone back. We need to discuss how to deal with those reckless individuals."
---
By the Teleportation Array in the Grand Palace Kingdom, the guards collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from their efforts to forcibly teleport Ji Zichen and the others back. They had to continuously cast spells without rest, and by the end, they were nearly drained; now they could finally catch their breath.
The Great Palace King was present along with all the palace lords except for the Second Lord, and Canglin was there as well. When the white light faded and Ji Zichen's vision cleared, his first sight was of Canglin. The Saint King looked at Canglin and exclaimed, "Oh! You didn't return to the Spirit Immortal Realm?"
Ji Zichen and Xia Lian exchanged glances. "Isn't this the Spirit Immortal Realm?"
Only then did they begin to survey their surroundings. They found themselves on a teleportation platform in a garden; this was indeed not the Spirit Immortal Realm. Canglin's form appeared somewhat translucent as he said, "My spirit has been injured and I can no longer travel so far to Fierce Death Valley to assist you. I could only barely maintain some of my spirit to come to the Grand Palace Kingdom and ask for help from the Great Palace King to teleport you back."
The Great Palace King smiled at the Saint King. "It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has," replied the Saint King.
Xia Lian was also quite familiar with teleportation arrays. A question arose in her mind; this was her first visit to the Grand Palace Kingdom, and she didn't recognize anyone here, but she knew Canglin. She turned to Canglin and asked, "There is no teleportation array beside us; how did you manage to bring us back?"
Seeing Xia Lian's puzzled expression, the Great Palace King chuckled. "Your perspective shows that you understand teleportation arrays. When Canglin came to ask for my assistance with this matter, I found it quite challenging as well. However, after internal discussions, we devised a complex repair method to ensure your safe return."
Canglin interjected, "Xia Lian, there's no need for further questions. Just know that many people in the Grand Palace Kingdom have been working tirelessly for your sake; many are already exhausted."
Xia Lian was very curious about this. She understood that how to repair the teleportation array was an internal secret of the Grand Palace Kingdom; her curiosity had led her to ask. "Fortunately, you managed to bring us back safely. But that Arbitrator seems invulnerable; he is truly difficult to deal with."
As soon as Canglin thought of the Arbitrator, he couldn't help but fall into deep contemplation. Just then, his body flickered and vanished from everyone's sight. Ji Zichen, confused, asked, "What is he doing...?"
The Saint King replied, "Kai Zhou Shen has summoned the spirit back."
At that moment, the Great Palace King said, "You three have worked hard. You should go back and rest."
The Great Palace King summoned a new group of law enforcers, who used the Teleportation Array to send Ji Zichen and the others back to the village. When the Saint King saw that Ji Zichen and the others had returned to the village, he opened a rift for himself and said, "I will return to Gu Diao Mountain Valley. If anything comes up, we will stay in touch."
Before the Saint King left, Ji Zichen asked, "What’s the difference between this Teleportation Array and a rift? I remember Canglin suddenly appearing in the secret chamber; he must have opened a rift to get in. Why didn't he open a rift for us to return instead of asking that Great Palace King for help?"
The Saint King explained, "Opening a rift allows anyone to enter before it closes. In that situation, it wasn't appropriate to open a rift. But the Teleportation Array is different; it can transport designated individuals."
Ji Zichen nodded in understanding. "So that's how it works."
The Saint King stepped into the rift, which paused for a few seconds before closing on its own.
Ji Zichen entered a room that contained only a wooden bed, a table, and an oil lamp. This was the room assigned by the clan leader for Ji Zichen to rest in. He noticed Lin Chuyu was not there and didn’t inquire about where she was; all he wanted was to sleep because he felt utterly exhausted.
At the same time, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He thought it might be a side effect of the forced teleportation. Although the wooden bed was not luxurious, Ji Zichen made do with it. He was not someone accustomed to a life of comfort; he had long been used to such harsh living conditions.
He recalled the times spent searching for ruins when he could sleep in places far dirtier than this. Now, he had no mind to worry about anything else; he needed to recover his strength to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
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