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墨書 Inktalez
The door was not locked. He pushed the door open without waiting for a response.
The room was also unlit; those who were already asleep would not turn on the lights. In the pitch darkness, however, many pairs of eerie green eyes turned towards him, like a group of ghostly flames floating in mid-air.
"Brother Lin, are you here to visit me?" A voice emerged from the darkness, laced with amusement. "Can't sleep, and thought you'd come to have a late-night chat with me?"
It was Xu Xiaofei.
He stood by the bed in disheveled clothes, as if he had hurriedly gotten up from bed, yet his demeanor was relaxed, showing no signs of panic.
If it were someone unaware of the situation, hearing a scream in the middle of the night and rushing to rescue only to find him in such a state and hear such carefree words might have been infuriating.
Fortunately, Spirit Sword Destiny was not an ordinary person; he smiled and said, "I indeed can't sleep because it seems someone next door is screaming."
"You heard it?" Xu Xiaofei seemed a bit embarrassed, lowering his voice and adding a hint of apology. "Actually, I was startled when I first woke up. After realizing it was just me overreacting, I found it was merely a room full of foxes."
There were indeed many foxes in the room—probably over a hundred—leaving no space to step. One particularly bold fox was climbing up Xu Xiaofei's arm, trying to reach his shoulder. As it looked like it might slip off, Xu Xiaofei reached out to support its rear.
"Just a room full of foxes?" Before Xu Xiaofei could finish his sentence, the largest white fox suddenly swished its tail and spoke in a girl-like clear voice, "If you think that way, don't cry out for your parents later."
The moonlight illuminated its body, which had no stray hairs and shone with a snowy silver glow. As it flicked its fluffy tail, three illusory figures suddenly split off from it, swaying behind like light gauze.
"Four-Tailed Fox?" Xu Xiaofei exclaimed in surprise as he recognized it. "I've heard tales about this. A scholar lost in the wilderness missed his lodging and sought a place to spend the night. He ended up at a brightly lit house where a beautiful girl welcomed him... cough. Later he discovered that the beautiful girl was actually a fox demon with three tails. It is said that the more tails a fox demon has, the more powerful they are. If you have four tails..."
"That's right; three tails can transform into human form. If it's four tails, neither you nor I combined would be her match," Spirit Sword Destiny replied.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Xu Xiaofei was amazed at how well this guy had forgotten everything; he didn't know anything important, yet he remembered quite a bit of trivial stuff.
"You have quite the eye," Four-Tailed Fox said appreciatively, glancing at Spirit Sword Destiny. "I was planning to find you after this, but since you're here, let's go together. We are all under Xiaoyao Sect and Spirit Fox Master," she said, a hint of seriousness showing on her fox-like face. "Ancestor has heard that you are all discussing the 'Xuan Zhen Jing.' Let me ask you, do you have the intention to join our sect?"
Seeing both of them nodding in affirmation, she continued, "Ancestor loves fresh and young talent. If you wish to join, she can recommend you. However, our sect does not accept those with poor aptitude. She has asked me to assess you first; if your aptitude is lacking, then I’m afraid it won't work out."
"How will the assessment be conducted?" Xu Xiaofei asked.
Four-Tailed Fox did not answer immediately. Instead, she opened her mouth and produced a jade vial and two Jade Tablets, which floated in mid-air before drifting toward the two of them.
"The jade vial contains two Suiyuan Dan. You each need to take one," Four-Tailed Fox explained. "The Suiyuan Dan can temporarily store a surge of spiritual power in your Dantian, allowing you to use spells. Of course, this power is not gained through hard training and will dissipate after a short while."
"The Jade Tablet contains the simplest Fire Spell. You have one incense stick's worth of time to practice it, and then you must use the Fire Spell to defeat the fox I send out for the assessment."
This was the "newbie tutorial." Spirit Sword Destiny thought to himself as he listened.
As the first challenge faced by players, it wasn't too difficult; it mainly served to familiarize players with the combat system. If they couldn't even get past this stage, the game Lin Yan would lead to an undeniably short ending—the protagonist would leave Xiaoyao Sect after healing from injuries and wouldn't get far before encountering a massive beast... The screen would go black, marking a bitter end.
Given Xu Xiaofei's abilities, he believed he could pass this challenge.
"May I ask one more question," Spirit Sword Destiny said. "Will you personally participate in the assessment?"
"Of course not, your opponent is at most the Two-Tailed Fox," the Four-Tailed Fox shook her head. "Otherwise, even if you had a year, it wouldn't be enough."
She was speaking the truth. Spirit Sword Destiny felt relieved; it seemed that even with him, a time traveler, intervening, the difficulty of the plot remained within a reasonable range.
Spirit Sword Destiny had already walked through the crowd of foxes and reached Xu Xiaofei's side, pouring another Suiyuan Dan from the jade bottle for him. At this moment, he could sense that although Xu Xiaofei was momentarily speechless, his breathing had become a bit rapid, as if he were somewhat nervous.
After all, he had always hoped to join the immortal sect, and this desire for enlightenment was sincere.
Spirit Sword Destiny suddenly asked, "I have one more question: what will happen if we lose?"
"If you lose," the Four-Tailed Fox grinned, revealing a set of sharp, cold teeth, "then I will eat you."
She was baring her teeth while speaking cheerfully, sounding like a smiling girl.
Spirit Sword Destiny knew she was joking and looked back at Xu Xiaofei.
Xu Xiaofei was clearly taken aback by her words. "Ah, do you eat people?"
He seemed to genuinely believe it.
Before the Four-Tailed Fox and Spirit Sword Destiny could explain, Xu Xiaofei laughed again and said, "We will never lose; it's a pity you won't have that chance! However, you do have good insight. I wonder if you've heard of this? I once assisted a butcher who was hired by all the wealthy families in town to slaughter pigs because he knew a bit of Daoist technique—he had a spell that could confuse the pigs' minds. The pigs he slaughtered would die happily and contentedly. Pigs that died like that have better-tasting meat."
"So I believe my own meat must be tastier than most people's because I live my life very happily."
Four-Tailed Fox seemed to have never seen someone like him before, and after a moment of being stunned, said, "I was just joking. You are a guest of our sect; how could we eat you?"
Spirit Sword Destiny could tell he was just talking nonsense. After such a long stretch of nonsense, Xu Xiaofei's emotions calmed down significantly, and his breathing returned to normal.
Compared to his appearance, this person might actually be reliable.
"Really? You really won't eat me?" Xu Xiaofei asked. "You all look nothing like ferocious beasts; how could you possibly eat people?"
He wasn't done with his nonsense yet and turned to Spirit Sword Destiny: "Are you looking at me like that because you think I was just talking rubbish? Actually, there is some truth to what I said!" He smiled cheerfully and added, "By the way, your meat should taste good too because the flesh of good-looking people is always delicious."
He looked at Spirit Sword Destiny with bright eyes, appearing quite sincere.
"You should say that to your Red-Faced Confidante, not to me," Spirit Sword Destiny glanced at him and replied lightly.
This guy is flirting… but the target is me. Spirit Sword Destiny really wanted to pull out a notebook and note down “Favorability towards the protagonist -5.”
"I don’t have any Red-Faced Confidante," Xu Xiaofei hurriedly said. "If you don't want to hear it, I won't say it next time."
"Cough," Four-Tailed Fox probably also felt that the situation was awkward and turned his head to glance out the window. "It's getting late; let's cut down on idle chatter. If there are no other questions, we can start timing now."
One incense stick's worth of time is definitely not very generous. Upon hearing this, Spirit Sword Destiny immediately sat down on the spot, and Xu Xiaofei also restrained his smile, obediently closing his mouth and sitting cross-legged beside him.
After taking the Suiyuan Dan, countless streams of warmth surged from his limbs and bones, converging into his Dantian.
Spirit Sword Destiny According to the Jade Tablet, visualize a star chart of the firebird Vermilion Bird in your heart, guiding spiritual energy to flow out from the Dantian, running along the corresponding meridians of the star chart for a full cycle before releasing it outward—
The spiritual energy injected into the body by Suiyuan Dan initially felt quite raw, but as it circulated, it became smoother. By the final stroke of the Vermilion Bird Star Chart, it was as swift as lightning.
Spirit Sword Destiny opened his eyes, turned his palm upward, and with a flash of fire, a faint yet brilliant blue flame floated above his palm.
Almost simultaneously, Xu Xiaofei also awakened from meditation and exhaled sharply, igniting a large burst of flames! As the two were in deep concentration, a group of foxes approached curiously, peering at them like clay sculptures. When Xu Xiaofei suddenly released fire, they were instantly frightened and scattered.
“Hahaha!” Xu Xiaofei said, “Sorry, I should have given you a heads-up!”
“Do you think you're impressive? You have only the appearance without substance; I bet your fire can barely scorch a few mosquitoes,” Spirit Sword Destiny retorted.
His friendship with Xu Xiaofei was still shallow, and Xu Xiaofei often provoked him with a few jabs.
“Even if I can only scorch mosquitoes,” Xu Xiaofei replied defiantly, leaning closer to examine the blue flame in his palm, “with such little fire, do you really think you can cook an egg?” He reached out to touch the edge of the Flame, but as soon as he made contact, he yelped and withdrew his hand.
The air was filled with a burnt smell.
“You're right,” Xu Xiaofei said, looking at his charred fingertips. He blew on them twice and murmured to himself, “Your fire is indeed more refined and powerful… it needs to be even more refined…”
His eyes glazed over as if he had come to some realization.
Spirit Sword Destiny did not disturb him and closed his eyes to meditate, practicing the Fire Spell several more times. This most basic spell was something he had long mastered; what he called practice was merely for show.
When the Four-Tailed Fox announced, "A stick of incense has arrived," Spirit Sword Destiny remained calm, while Xu Xiaofei appeared eager to try his hand at it.
"You seem quite confident," the Four-Tailed Fox smiled as it looked at him.
"Of course," Xu Xiaofei replied, "I've learned a new spell, and I can't wait to give it a go—just watch me and your Ancestor!" As he spoke, he picked up a cloth bag leaning against the side of the bed and pulled out its contents.
The foxes watched his hands with curiosity until they realized it was just a wooden sword, and their chirping laughter immediately filled the room.
The Four-Tailed Fox couldn't help but remind him, "Our fox clan's fur is tough, stronger than gold or iron; not even a steel sword can pierce it."
After all, the novice trial only allowed the use of the newly learned Fire Spell; one couldn't just wield a kitchen knife and hack away recklessly.
"Thanks for the reminder. Even so, I can still use the sword to block, right?" Xu Xiaofei said, holding up the wooden sword and glancing at Spirit Sword Destiny. "You just stand behind me; I'll take the hits for you. I know a bit of swordplay, so it should be easier to handle them."
This time, Spirit Sword Destiny didn't say much and simply replied, "Then I'll leave it to you."
The room where Xu Xiaofei lived was clearly too cramped to serve as a battlefield. Everyone moved to the courtyard instead. The courtyard was paved with Azure Stone and quite spacious. The Four-Tailed Fox flicked its tail, lighting up the Stone Lanterns resting in the flowerbeds on either side: "Let's begin!"
It also summoned three One-Tailed Foxes and two Two-Tailed Foxes to join the fray while the other foxes stepped aside.
As soon as the battle started, Spirit Sword Destiny noticed that Xu Xiaofei's skills were even better than he claimed. He breathed fire while swinging his sword to deflect the foxes' sharp claws, moving swiftly and maintaining his composure. Unfortunately, that sword was ultimately just a piece of ordinary wood shaped into a blade; after blocking a few strikes, it snapped in half with a crack.
Xu Xiaofei paused for a moment, and just as a Two-Tailed Fox was about to scratch his chest, Spirit Sword Destiny raised his hand. A fireball shot from his palm like an arrow and plunged into the fur on its chest.
Both of their Fire Spells were quite well mastered, and it didn't take long for the foxes to be defeated.
Both sides looked quite disheveled; one side had charred fur, while the other was in tattered clothes and covered in wounds. The Four-Tailed Fox chanted a spell, and fragrant green rain fell from the sky, drenching everyone. In an instant, all their wounds healed completely.
"Congratulations on passing the assessment. I will report back to the Ancestor now," the Four-Tailed Fox said with a nod of approval. It added, "Your performance today was quite impressive. You can come find me to practice spells more often; I usually stay at Yuling Peak."
It shook its fluffy ears and smiled, "By the way, I haven't told you my name yet. Fox spirits also have human names; I am called Zhuan Yu."
"Great! I will definitely come to spar with you in the future!" Xu Xiaofei replied cheerfully.
Zhuan Yu summoned a cloud of mist and led the foxes away from there.
Spirit Sword Destiny understood that her invitation was actually a hidden quest—if they visited a few more times and performed well in their sparring sessions, they could form a contract with her and make her their Spirit Pet. A Four-Tailed Fox that could grow would be a very capable companion in the early stages of the game, until later when the protagonist acquired divine beasts like Qilin and Chaos, at which point she would be replaced.
Zhuan Yu's words were directed at both of them, suggesting that this opportunity would fall upon them both. However, as an Evil Sect Left Guardian, Spirit Sword Destiny had seen many things and did not take a mere Four-Tailed Fox seriously.
"Brother Lin! Brother Lin!" After Zhuan Yu left, Xu Xiaofei, disregarding her lack of an outer robe and her inner clothes being torn with holes from fox claws, excitedly ran around the courtyard several times. "We're both going to join Xiaoyao Sect and start our path of cultivation! Why are you so calm?"
Spirit Sword Destiny simply smiled at her words. "Well, from now on we will be fellow disciples. Good junior brother, call me senior brother so I can hear it."
"Huh? But you might not even be older than me!"
"Is that so? You won't acknowledge our agreement now?"
"Why don't you recognize me?" Xu Xiaofei immediately said, "Senior... Senior Brother, hello."
"Good." Spirit Sword Destiny casually replied and added, "I suppose the Sect Leader will summon us tomorrow. Tonight, you might as well think about what to cultivate and which path to take. There are many ways in cultivation; you can learn swordsmanship, spellcasting, alchemy, or formations... Although I haven't practiced the Dao myself, I know it's best to specialize in one area. If you try to wield a sword and cast spells at the same time like you did earlier, you'll find it hard to manage both." He glanced at the half-broken wooden sword on the stone floor, and Xu Xiaofei followed his gaze.
Although they would inevitably become enemies in the future, Spirit Sword Destiny didn't mind giving him a few pointers now; after all, these were things that Xu Xiaofei's future master would surely tell him.
"In that case, I'll learn swordsmanship. I love sword techniques and have always yearned for Sword Control Technique," Xu Xiaofei said without much thought and then asked Spirit Sword Destiny, "What about you?"
"I'll study Alchemy."
"You've already thought it through? Good, then let's work hard together!"
If there were wine at this moment, Spirit Sword Destiny had no doubt he would pull Xu Xiaofei for a drink.
"Yes, let's work hard together." Spirit Sword Destiny's response was much colder than expected. "It's not dawn yet; I'm going to sleep a bit more. You should return to your room and rest too." He turned and went back inside.
Even though he said that, he knew that tonight, Xu Xiaofei would probably find it hard to sleep.
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