Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After a brief silence, Qing Shu pushed his glasses up and continued in a calm tone:

"We tried every method to treat that NPC, but he never improved, only repeating those delirious ramblings over and over. Until his life force was completely exhausted and he died..."

"After that, our guild automatically activated the first-clear rights for [Lu Ban's Locked City]."

"So there was no other clue?" Ji Xia pressed.

"No," Qing Shu shook his head. "His mad words are the only lead we have."

Ji Xia chimed in again, perfectly timed, her tone exactly like a new player's: "Then... could there still be clues in that introductory dungeon? Shouldn't we go check it out again?"

"You wouldn't know this," Hong Lan explained with a smile. "In *Two Principles Painting Scroll*, once a dungeon is cleared, it disappears completely. That's one of the coolest things about this game—there's always new unknowns waiting to be explored!"

Having lived a second life, how could Ji Xia not know this?

On the surface, *Two Principles Painting Scroll* seems brimming with infinite possibilities.

But in reality, what is truly endless is human civilization!

It's using this very method to lure players, one after another, to explore, to manifest the essence of civilization as 'Fragments,' only to be ultimately consumed by it.

Ji Xia's heart turned cold, but on her face, she wore an expression of 'Oh, I get it,' just like every new player, finding this setting novel and exciting.

Lao Liu blinked his big eyes and chimed in: "Relax! Our guild leader is a hidden whale! He has a super expensive treasure called the [Mirage Pearl]. It can completely record and simulate everything about a dungeon before it disappears. Although the simulated dungeon doesn't drop any loot, it's a divine tool for review and practice."

Bei Chen coughed: "Whale or not, please call me a god-tier whale."

Qing Shu facepalmed, steering the conversation back on track: "Liu is right. We did replicate that prerequisite dungeon. The plan is to use it for team coordination, and also to brainstorm and see if we missed any clues about [Lu Ban's Locked City]."

"Use that prerequisite dungeon for coordination?" Ji Xia, always mindful of her newbie persona, asked like a curious child, "Is that also a ten-player dungeon?"

Hong Lan answered first: "It's a five-player dungeon. Last time, it was me, the guild leader, the vice president, Lao Liu, and A Mu who cleared it."

As she spoke, a complicated look crossed her handsome face.

Ji Xia asked again: "If it's for five players... we have ten now. Won't the difficulty be too low to serve as effective practice?"

Qing Shu explained: "Don't worry. The dungeon simulated by the [Mirage Pearl] allows for difficulty adjustments. We'll set it to the standard ten-player raid difficulty, which will be sufficient for practice purposes."

The other members of Starfall also wore expressions identical to Hong Lan's complex look.

It was enough to show how grueling clearing that prerequisite dungeon had been for them.

Just then, a low, indifferent voice abruptly sounded: "I won't participate."

All eyes instantly focused on the source of the voice—Mo.

He lifted his eyelids slightly, his tone completely flat: "No practice needed. I can coordinate with you when the time comes."

A flicker of awkwardness passed over Bei Chen's face, but he didn't say much more.

Mo was an external expert he had called in using personal connections. His strength was unquestionable, but his personality... was clearly not a team player.

But Starfall genuinely couldn't find a more suitable teammate at the moment.

"Ahem... Mr. Mo is a practical type, prefers to coordinate in real combat. Understood, understood." Bei Chen laughed it off to ease the tension.

Almost the moment Bei Chen finished speaking, Xingxing immediately raised her hand, showing her signature little fangs, and said breezily: "As long as Teacher is here, I can naturally coordinate. So I'm also withdrawing from the practice."

Qing Shu's brows furrowed completely, his gaze behind his glasses filled with clear disapproval.

Team actions.

The worst thing for them is this kind of uncooperative clique.

But he opened his mouth, and in the end, just said calmly: "In that case, we won't force it. We hope the two of you can coordinate with everyone as well as you claim during the official dungeon."

Mo closed his eyes again, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

Xingxing remained smiling.

Qing Shu stopped looking at them and turned to the remaining eight people, outlining the next steps: "It's getting late today, and none of you are in peak condition. We'll meet here tomorrow at 8 AM sharp for practice."

The meeting concluded, and everyone gradually left.

From beginning to end, Ji Xia and Bai Yan didn't so much as glance at each other.

Even if Ji Xia wanted to probe his background, she wouldn't do it in front of so many people.

And Bai Yan truly acted as if he didn't know her, remaining very quiet throughout the entire meeting, constantly clutching his lantern, looking half-asleep.

Ji Xia didn't log out of the game. Instead, she paid 100 Spirit Coins to rent a room at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

For her, the deep sleep function of the game pod was enough to restore her energy.

On the contrary, leaving the game would make her think of her sister because of the familiar room, leading to sleeplessness.

The next day.

Everyone gathered on time at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

Mo and Xingxing were indeed absent.

Qing Shu didn't elaborate, getting straight to the point: "Although we've cleared the prerequisite dungeon, for the sake of team practice, we won't spoil the strategy in advance. Everything depends on everyone's on-the-spot reactions."

He didn't say it explicitly, but those who understood, understood—this was also the best opportunity to observe Ji Xia and Bai Yan's capabilities.

Lao Liu's little face fell, lamenting: "A ten-player difficulty dungeon, and we're tackling it with eight people... we're in for some suffering."

Hong Lan beside her nudged him with an elbow, raising an eyebrow handsomely: "Beg me, and big sis will protect you."

Lao Liu gave her a big eye-roll: "Get lost! You're a glass cannon DPS. When have you ever protected me? It's always been me protecting you!"

Amidst the banter, Bei Chen took out that radiant, colorful "Mirage Pearl."

As he infused it with Spirit Ink, clouds and mist churned within the pearl, and a light gate slowly unfolded in the private room.

[System Prompt: You have received an invitation from World Painter - Bei Chen. Do you wish to enter the simulated dungeon "Lost Wooden Kite" generated by the special item "Mirage Pearl"?]

Everyone accepted the invitation one after another.

"Lost Wooden Kite..." Ji Xia silently repeated the name. It was likely based on the legend of Lu Ban crafting wooden kites.

No wonder it was the prerequisite dungeon for "Lu Ban's Locked City."

After accepting the invitation, everyone was transported into the simulated dungeon within the "Mirage Pearl."

The light and shadow before their eyes swirled and shifted. After a brief moment of darkness, they materialized within an exceptionally vast nest.

The surrounding walls were constructed from countless sturdy wooden beams and mechanical debris, exuding the scent of aged timber and the unusual fluctuations of Spirit Ink.

"Heads up!" Qing Shu, while not divulging details, still provided necessary tactical reminders.

Instantly, several thick, gnarled vines as wide as bowls and covered in thorns lashed out from the shadows with a sound of tearing air, striking toward the group!

"Immovable!" Lao Liu barked. A faint golden silhouette of the Immovable Wisdom King Armor instantly materialized, firmly blocking the initial volley of strikes.

Hong Lan moved like lightning. With a flick of her long spear, the baleful aura of "Star of Destruction" erupted, shearing through one of the vines!

Bei Chen, Qing Shu, and the elite Starfall players named A Mu and Sui Yu also sprang into action immediately. Blades flashed, defenses were raised, and buffing spiritual lights intertwined, clearly demonstrating their well-coordinated teamwork.

Ji Xia reacted swiftly. Her steps were light and nimble, allowing her to narrowly dart past a vine that swept along the ground like a butterfly flitting through flowers. Simultaneously, her gaze rapidly scanned the entire area.

Bai Yan still wore his perpetually sleepy expression, yet his movements were strangely fluid. He consistently dodged attacks by a hair's breadth, seemingly without even his clothes being grazed.

The combat simulation of the Two Principles Painting Scroll was remarkably realistic.

Even though players possessed Civilization Fragments and gained "special abilities," they still had to engage in genuine combat. This not only consumed Spirit Ink but also drained stamina, endurance, and—health points.

Injuries could lead to death.

Most players were ejected from the instance immediately upon death.

Therefore, clearing instances in the Two Principles Painting Scroll was extremely difficult. You either succeeded on the first try or died and started over.

However, whether you'd get another chance to enter after failing was another matter altogether.

Although this was a simulated instance, everyone was giving their all to practice teamwork.

Seizing the moment, Ji Xia voiced a "newbie's" confusion. Panting slightly from her constant dodging, she said, "These vines seem endless..."

"Yeah!" Lao Liu grumbled while tanking hits, unable to hold back. "Last time, the five of us held out here for half an hour! We fought until our Spirit Ink ran dry and were exhausted like dead dogs before we finally wore them all down!"

Ji Xia hadn't used the Inspiration Pen yet.

No one was surprised, as in the current situation, illusions seemed of little use.

Just then, Bai Yan, who had been lingering on the outskirts of the battle, finally made a move.

A biting chill suddenly permeated the air as the "Slow" field of Swift Snow silently expanded.

All vines within its range instantly slowed down, as if trapped in an invisible quagmire.

"Nice! Much easier now!" Hong Lan, feeling the pressure lessen significantly, perked up, and her slashing efficiency increased sharply.

Immediately after, a large number of new vines surged forth.

"Damn it, this is worse than last time..." Lao Liu yelled.

After applying a buff to her, Qing Shu said, "It is a ten-player difficulty, after all."

With only eight of them present, they were struggling to hold their ground.

Although Ji Xia was pretending to be a novice, she actually possessed extensive experience in clearing instances.

In her previous life, she had started playing the game very late, but by then, the Two Principles Painting Scroll had already invaded reality, generating numerous instances in the real world.

In her search for clues about her sister, she had ventured into many high-risk instances, making her a seasoned veteran.

Based on her experience, even for a ten-player instance, the intensity of this first stage shouldn't be this high.

There must be a crucial clue they hadn't found yet.

Instances in the Two Principles Painting Scroll were distorted derivatives of civilizations.

Often, brute force alone wasn't enough. One needed to gather information, analyze rationally, and use logic to find a way to break the deadlock.

While dodging the vines' attacks, Ji Xia searched for any potentially overlooked clues.

After obtaining the Inspiration Pen, Ji Xia's perception had greatly improved. Combined with her rich experience from her past life, she finally pinpointed an anomaly.

Ji Xia decisively stated, "Something's off over there!"

She posted her localized field of view in the team channel, presenting it to everyone like a screenshot. It showed a complex mechanical sphere faintly glowing with spiritual light.

Ji Xia: "Could this be the energy source for these vines?"

Both Bei Chen and Qing Shu were taken aback upon hearing this. Last time, they had been too busy coping to have any spare energy to investigate their surroundings.

Facing the gazes of the others, Ji Xia had her explanation ready: "For my Inspiration Pen to construct illusions precisely, I need to observe environmental details as thoroughly as possible."

This explanation was reasonable and aligned with everyone's understanding of Mysterious Brilliance-grade fragments.

"Well done!" Bei Chen exclaimed joyfully. "Lao Liu, Qing Shu, cover us! Hong Lan, let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bei Chen and Hong Lan charged forward simultaneously. Qing Shu and Lao Liu, clearly accustomed to their style, promptly followed up with defensive and buffing effects.

Their blade light and spear aura struck the two bronze hubs of the spherical mechanism almost simultaneously!

Boom!

The attacks hit their marks precisely. The core of the mechanism flared brightly, emitting a grating sound of metal scraping.

However, it only flickered violently for a moment. A shield-like ripple spread across its surface, dispersing their attacks completely.

At the same time, the surrounding vines seemed enraged, their attacks growing even more ferocious.

"Something's wrong!" Bei Chen looked at the simulated, illusory blade shadow in his hand, puzzled. "My attack was... diverted?"

Qing Shu's gaze sharpened, fixed intently on the slowly rotating sphere as his mind raced through calculations.

He clearly saw that the moment the two hubs were struck, the flow of Spirit Ink inside exhibited a "lag" caused by the difference in force and attributes.

"I've got it!" Qing Shu blurted out. "This can't be broken by brute force. It's a balancing mechanism!"

He quickly explained: "It's like a precise double-pan balance scale! Both sides need to place weights of exactly the same mass to maintain equilibrium."

"Right now, the 'weights' we're placing on each side are different. The 'scale' can't trigger, so we can't break this mechanism!"

Hong Lan found this headache-inducing. "Let's just brute force it. With Swift Snow's slow effect, I feel it's much easier than last time anyway!"

Before Qing Shu explicitly mentioned balance and consistency, Ji Xia had already grasped the key to solving the puzzle.

Bei Chen's "Tiger Soul" was domineering and fierce, relying purely on overwhelming force.

But Hong Lan's "Star of Destruction" focused more on penetration and rapid assault.

Their attack power and methods were completely different, so they couldn't achieve the "synchronization" required by the mechanism.

The way to beat this puzzle was pretty tough—ordinary teammates wouldn't be able to pull it off, but… Ji Xia could.

She activated the "Inspiration Pen."

As light swirled, the first effect, "Copy," activated.

Ji Xia had already "studied" Bei Chen’s fragment.

Fragment Name: Tiger’s Soul.

Fragment Quality: Mysterious Brilliance.

Copy Effect: The Fearlessness of Tiger's Soul.

In the next moment, to everyone's astonishment, Ji Xia gripped the pen like a blade. A condensed blade aura shot through the air, infused with Spirit Ink of the same origin as Bei Chen’s.

Her calm voice rang out: "Guild Leader, I've got your back."

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