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墨書 Inktalez
The night was already very deep.
Thick black mist enveloped the surroundings. Tonight was supposed to be a night of bright moon and sparse stars, but as soon as the clear light of the stars and moon fell into the mist, it immediately vanished like dust scattered in muddy water.
If it weren't for Xu Xiaofei and the others having cultivated their abilities, their vision far surpassing that of ordinary people, they would surely have gotten lost in this forest.
They were flying towards the direction of White Tiger Stronghold.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, flashing at the peaks of the mountains.
After a moment, a booming sound echoed from afar.
Looking back, all three showed expressions of shock.
Unbeknownst to them, thick clouds had gathered, and dozens of thunderbolts as thick as giant pillars descended from above, scattered among the mountains. Within the thunder and lightning of the dense clouds appeared a slender silhouette—seemingly the wandering Azure Dragon. Even from such a distance, the shimmering scales of the Azure Dragon still sparkled like twinkling stars in their eyes.
The culprit hiding underground, spewing black mist—the Nightmare—was finally forced out, revealing its massive body spanning several mountain peaks, with countless tentacles thrashing around it.
"That can't be... Azure Dragon?" Rong Han was stunned for a moment before he smiled bitterly and said, "Xu Xiong, your friend can actually summon the Dragon Soul. It seems we don't need to intervene or meddle at all."
"Dragon Soul? What is that?" Xu Xiaofei asked.
"Haven't you heard of it?" Rong Han shook his head. "Xu Xiong, it seems you are still unaware that not just anyone can summon the Dragon Soul and create such a grand spectacle." He gazed into the distance and slowly said, "In a faraway land to the south, there lies an endless abyss where the master of the Azure Dragon, Nine Nether, resides. The Dragon Lord Nine Nether has a penchant for collecting extraordinary skills from below. If you can demonstrate one or two unprecedented techniques to him that leave him astonished, he will agree to connect a strand of your breath with him. When you need him, with just a thought, you can summon his Dragon Soul. Of course, only those who are exceptionally talented can achieve this; I can only think of retired Elders at this moment. I can't recall who your good friend might be."
"Brother Xu," Wei Xuanfeng also chimed in, "your friend is truly remarkable! Next time you see him, make sure to ask him for more techniques."
Xu Xiaofei did not respond. His entire focus was on the Azure Dragon soaring high in the sky.
A strange sense of familiarity arose in his heart.
He felt as if he had seen this scene somewhere before.
Dragon Soul summoned...
This move, I... seem to know how to do it!
Without much thought, Xu Xiaofei's lips moved, and he suddenly whispered a spell. He didn't even understand the meaning of the spell, yet it flowed out effortlessly. It was as if the incantation had been engraved in his heart long ago.
But in the next moment, the chanting abruptly stopped.
The spiritual power surging in his Dantian was instantly drained by the mysterious incantation, causing pain to shoot through his limbs and body, as if a thousand needles were piercing through him.
Xu Xiaofei suddenly came to his senses, breaking into a cold sweat.
He almost fell into madness! With his current meager spiritual power, he was far from being able to forcibly use this Curse.
He dared not try again. He quickly focused on regulating his breath to help himself recover.
Fortunately, Rong Han and the others were momentarily captivated by this rare sight and did not notice his abnormality.
While adjusting his breathing, Xu Xiaofei suddenly felt dizzy, and an illusion appeared before his eyes.
Looking around, he saw boundless, gently rippling water.
He was probably deep underwater; looking up, it was pitch black with no light visible, but there were faint glimmers coming from below.
A large cluster of pearl-like white bubbles floated up; not far away, a group of round, translucent jellyfish emitted a soft glow as they slowly drifted past him. One jellyfish was closest to him; he reached out to catch it, just like picking a flower from a garden. He took a glance and then let it go.
He continued to dive deeper into the water.
After a moment, he saw a massive rock protruding from the towering coral forest, along with a huge silhouette perched upon it. It was a cerulean dragon.
The dragon was so large that at a glance, he could only see its antlered head, two moon-like dragon eyes, and half of its body, far from enough to discern its full form. An even larger part was hidden in the deeper, darker waters.
The Azure Dragon opened its mouth, and a long, distant dragon's roar echoed. He was surprisingly able to understand what the dragon was saying.
"My Friend," the Azure Dragon said, "it’s rare for you to come visit me. What brings you here this time? Do you have new tricks to share with me?"
"You old dragon, can't you care about something else? I came here to bid you farewell and to bring you something. I know you've been coveting this for a long time!"
He threw out an object. It was an ancient shell that had almost turned to stone; after being thrown, it expanded significantly, reaching the height of a person. The shell was partially open, revealing an Azure Blue Pearl nestled within.
"Oh, you actually parted with it?" Without any visible movement from the Azure Dragon, a whirlpool suddenly appeared in the calm deep water, drawing the shell in, and in an instant, the treasure disappeared without a trace.
Eagerly taking the item away, the Azure Dragon then asked, "What did you just say about bidding farewell? Could it be... sigh, how could you suddenly part with it? Is it because you're settling your inheritance? Why can’t you let go? Is life as a Scattered Immortal really that hard to bear? How about I take you to listen to some Zen for several decades? The more you listen, the less obsessed you'll become."
"Enough with the Zen talk. Though Maitreya Buddha speaks beautifully, I end up with twice as many headaches," he laughed. "You old dragon should focus on your own cultivation! Life as a Scattered Immortal isn’t that difficult; I've been quite carefree for these thousand years. I've traveled from the highest heavens to the depths of the underworld—where haven’t I been? I'm not seeking death nor am I troubled; I want to leave simply because I've planned this for a long time—you know that well. Now that I've finally completed that technique's deduction, I can finally set off; I'm quite happy about it!"
The Azure Dragon fell silent for a moment before finally responding with a sigh.
The emerging illusion abruptly came to an end.
Xu Xiaofei stood there in a daze.
This was a memory drawn back by the Curse summoned by the Dragon Soul... or perhaps it was an overly realistic dream?
He was confused. He had never had any clues about his own origins, and no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember even a little bit. If this memory were true, perhaps it could provide many valuable leads.
As he lost himself in thought, the fierce battle in the distance was nearing its end.
Wielding thousands of tentacles, Nightmare finally collapsed under the fierce assault of Azure Dragon.
Its massive body swelled once more and suddenly exploded into a cloud of gray smoke.
The explosion occurred silently, without any loud noise to disturb the ground, yet that cloud of dust spread out with terrifying speed, quickly engulfing a vast area.
Looking far and wide, wherever the dust settled, trees and grass withered away. Birds and beasts instantly fell lifeless.
There must be deadly poison in that dust!
Fortunately, the White Tiger emitted a faint glow; wherever its light reached, evil spirits retreated.
...Brother Lu?
Xu Xiaofei almost let this name slip out.
At that moment, the White Tiger, quietly crouching beside him, spread its wings and dove into the gray smoke ahead.
Then suddenly, a burst of clear light erupted—like the brightest moonlight or the purest starlight, it spread uncontrollably. The toxic smoke dissipated piece by piece in the radiance. Before long, clarity returned to the mountains.
And that White Tiger had vanished without a trace.
"Wasn't that your Spirit Pet?" Wei Xuanfeng asked in surprise.
Xu Xiaofei shook his head and smiled bitterly, "In a moment of carelessness, it got away."
But deep down, he felt a sinking sensation. Brother Lu, is he already in grave danger?
Upon returning to White Tiger Stronghold, just thinking about what he had done tonight made Xu Xiaofei feel an unbearable headache. Fortunately, the village chief seemed to sense something and wanted to speak with him privately. Xu Xiaofei explained the situation, and after a moment of contemplation, Elder Villager sighed deeply, bowed to him, and expressed his gratitude.
Now that Nightmare was dead, the mission of the people of White Tiger Stronghold had come to an end. From now on, there would be no more warriors kept in the dark to be sacrificed by their kin, but they would likely lose the protection of the White Tiger as well.
As he stepped out of the house, Rong Han and Wei Xuanfeng were anxiously waiting outside, ready to rush in at any moment to rescue someone. When they saw Xu Xiaofei come out safe and sound, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Elder Villager still wanted them to stay in the Village for another day of rest. Xu Xiaofei initially intended to decline, but after exchanging glances with Rong Han and noticing the injuries he carried, they all agreed.
Under their strong insistence, Xu Xiaofei lay back down on the bed of the family that had offered him shelter.
However... how could he possibly sleep?
The fate of Lu Zhi Feng and memories related to Azure Dragon kept replaying in his mind.
He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought when he caught a glimpse of a streak of white light passing by the window.
The White Tiger gracefully and silently crossed through the window, landing at his bedside, transforming into a young man with white eyebrows and white hair, possessing a delicate appearance. A pair of upward-curving horns sprouted from his forehead.
"Who are you?" Xu Xiaofei asked as he sat up.
"I am the Mountain Deity of this mountain," replied the horned youth.
He radiated a faint glow around him, pure and untouched by worldly matters. It was a light that belonged to deities.
"Is Lu Zhi Feng still around?" Xu Xiaofei asked, but his concern was for his friend.
"He did not wish to continue in the role of Mountain Deity, so I allowed him to reincarnate."
"Mountain Deity is clearly you. Why do you insist on involving him, a mortal? Why must you torment him like this?" Even when facing Celestial Being, Xu Xiaofei showed no fear.
"Mountain Deity is me, but he, as a member of White Tiger Stronghold, has long since made a pact with me." The young man said calmly, "I only require him to fulfill his promise."
He looked at Xu Xiaofei, a faint anger in his eyes: "Over three hundred years ago, a Nightmare invaded my territory. I suppressed it underground, but my foundation was severely damaged, and my divine form was on the verge of collapse. At that time, a group of refugees happened to arrive here, who are now the White Tiger Clan Member. A plague broke out among their tribe, nearly leading to their extinction. The Young Clan Leader set up a sacrifice of three animals to seek divine assistance, and it was I who descended to save them, granting them shelter and establishing a contract. I caused the longevity-enhancing Thousand Leaf Grass to grow and drove the beasts from their homeland. In return, the White Tiger Clan was to offer a human sacrifice every fifty years so that I could maintain my divine form. That Young Clan Leader, my only friend among mortals, bravely sacrificed himself to me. However, his descendants have grown increasingly greedy, only knowing how to take without honoring their promises."
Xu Xiaofei fell silent and after a moment said, "Though breaking promises is wrong... but you are not one of the human race; how can you understand how cruel this contract is for humans?"
"Mountain Deity has no interest in or desire to know about the entanglements of human love and hate." He replied coldly. "With the death of the Nightmare, the contract is naturally concluded. However, although you have killed the Nightmare, you have left behind a mess. Every blade of grass and every creature in this mountain is my child. Now that the land is barren and all life has perished, I must use what little divine power remains to restore it. You tell the White Tiger Clan Member that from now on, there will be no more Mountain Deity in this mountain; the Thousand Leaf Grass will cease to exist, and fierce beasts will once again enter their homeland. This place will no longer be their paradise; let them take care of themselves."
From now on, there will be no more Mountain Deity in this mountain...
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaofei was taken aback.
"There must be another way; are you really going to sacrifice yourself?"
His sincere attitude softened Mountain Deity's gaze slightly: "I have long been at my limit; for three hundred years I have barely survived through human sacrifices. My mere existence has been solely to suppress the Nightmare. With the Nightmare gone, I am unburdened. A Mountain Deity is originally a spirit of mountains and rivers; after thousands of years, a new deity will naturally emerge from this mountain to nourish all things."
However, the newly born deity would certainly not be the same person as he.
Xu Xiaofei understood this in his heart but ultimately had no words left to say.
The tone and expression of Mountain Deity were unwaveringly resolute. As a deity, he had never intended to discuss anything with a mortal.
The words that needed to be said were finished. The white-haired deity with double horns transformed into countless glowing points of light, slowly dispersing.
Before completely vanishing, a crystal-clear stone flew out from the light and landed in front of Xu Xiaofei.
"This is what Lu Zhi Feng asked me to bring to you before his reincarnation. He wanted me to convey his immense gratitude, and this Purple Gold Stone is a token of his appreciation."
The voice disappeared, and the Mountain Deity was gone.
Xu Xiaofei picked up the stone lying on the floor.
It was much heavier than it looked. Unpolished, its surface was still covered with a layer of honey-colored crystal. Looking closely, one could faintly see a deep and tranquil luster. The Purple Gold Stone... perhaps it was the finest Purple Gold Stone, which should be able to be refined into an excellent Flying Sword.
However, Xu Xiaofei's thoughts were not on the Purple Gold Stone; he was thinking about the Mountain Deity, who had bravely faced death for the countless beings in this mountain who were still unaware and confused, and about Lu Zhi Feng, who had deep feelings and rebelled against fate.
He glanced next door; Wei Rong and another person were still fast asleep, perhaps too deeply. It seemed that the Mountain Deity had played a trick on them during his visit. Lu Zhi Feng had already been reincarnated; for him, it might have been liberation, but the circumstances surrounding this matter... still could not be known by Rong Han.
It was enough for him to bear alone.
He put away the Purple Gold Stone, quietly lay back down on the bed, and tucked himself in.
After being lost in thought for a long time, he finally succumbed to drowsiness and sank into a deep sleep.
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