Chapter 34

Chapter 34

As soon as Xingxing finished speaking, she gave a light snap of her fingers.

Several streaks of purplish-black light swept toward the collapsed members of Starfall.

Bei Chen, Qing Shu, Hong Lan, Lao Liu, and the others didn't even have time to utter a muffled groan before they slumped to the ground as if their spines had been pulled out, losing consciousness.

Only Bai Yan in the distance remained, still holding the lantern emitting a pale flame, his silver-gray eyes taking it all in.

The next moment, he too closed his eyes, his head bowing low as if sinking into that forced slumber.

Ji Xia's limbs were tightly bound by icy chains, unable to move at all.

She didn't look at her fallen teammates but stared unblinkingly at Xingxing.

Xingxing tilted her head, her face still wearing that lively, innocent smile. "Aren't you surprised?"

Ji Xia's voice betrayed no emotion. "So, Mo was your puppet all along."

"Oh my," Xingxing blinked, grinning playfully. "How can you call him that? He is my teacher, he taught me a lot."

From the shadows, Mo walked out.

His steps were steady, but his eyes were terrifyingly hollow.

There was no focus, no emotion within them, not even a reflection in their pitch-black depths.

He had a human shell, at first glance seemingly no different from a normal person, but there was no doubt that his inner self had long been emptied.

So, the invisible threads extending from his fingers weren't manipulating others but were being manipulated themselves.

A bone-chilling cold spread through Ji Xia's heart.

This wasn't fear of power but the thought that after the game devoured reality, living people had indeed been turned into soulless puppets like this.

"What do you want?" Ji Xia looked at Lin Xingxing.

Xingxing walked lightly toward the Spirit Ink pool, her fingertips almost touching the surging golden-silver light. She smiled and retorted, "And you, what do *you* want?"

Ji Xia pressed her lips together.

"Let me guess," Xingxing's gaze fell on Ji Xia's surroundings, scrutinizing the dull yet light-as-wind white robe. "You want to activate it, don't you?"

As she spoke, she snapped her fingers again, and a flash of purplish-black abruptly erupted on the white hem of the robe.

"Ah!" Yun Ling let out a short cry in Ji Xia's heart, as if scalded by a hot iron, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "It hurts! Ji Xia! It hurts..."

"I'm from 'Abyss Guide'," Xingxing's fingertips were wreathed in a wisp of unsettling purplish-black Spirit Ink. She smiled, tearing off the final layer of disguise, her tone as casual as discussing the weather. "What do you think I want to do?"

Ji Xia's eyes narrowed sharply.

"Destroy it, of course," Xingxing's tone was actually brimming with a sense of justified pleasure. "This Spirit Ink pool has such immense energy. It can not only activate the 【Divine Cloud Brocade】... but also be destroyed!"

From her tone, it was clear she had Ji Xia completely at her mercy.

However...

Now.

Ji Xia called out in her heart, "Release 'Misty Swirl'."

In an instant, the "mist" enveloping Ji Xia, invisible to others, vanished.

Her originally empty Spirit Ink value skyrocketed.

Xingxing was extremely perceptive, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Ji Xia.

Then, she froze.

With "Misty Swirl" lifted, Ji Xia's appearance, transformed by the 【Divine Cloud Brocade】, was also exposed.

Though her facial features hadn't changed much, they suddenly radiated a breathtaking brilliance.

She stood there, her white robes flowing like clouds, enveloped in an aura of serene, otherworldly transcendence.

The surrounding atmosphere became clear and pure, like the first breath of air atop the highest peak, leaving no room for distracting thoughts in one's heart.

Yet, beneath this ethereal, immortal exterior, her eyes burst forth like molten lava breaking through ice, burning with a searing intensity.

That was the fluctuation of Spirit Ink...

The "Inspiration Pen" was charging!

"You really are..." Xingxing murmured, the playful grin on her face replaced by surprise for the first time. "...incredibly composed."

After entering "Lu Ban's Locked City," the entire team had gone through so many life-and-death crises, yet Ji Xia had stubbornly held onto this trump card without revealing a hint of it.

Boom!

Spirit Ink energy erupted from Ji Xia!

"Star of Destruction" shattered the chains binding her, and the formation beneath her feet was pierced through by the spear's shadow.

She broke free from her restraints!

Mo, who was controlling the formation, also collapsed to the ground due to the backlash.

The next moment, "Star of Destruction" moved again. The Inspiration Pen transformed into the phantom of a long spear, thrusting without hesitation toward Xingxing, who was now within arm's reach.

Xingxing reacted with lightning speed, her figure drifting backward like a ghost. Simultaneously, "Flowing Firefly" slid from her palm, extending into that slender sword used for high-speed assassination.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The crimson of "Star of Destruction" clashed fiercely with the cold gleam of "Flowing Firefly."

Sparks flew in all directions!

Spirit Ink surged violently!

However, they knew each other far too well.

Whether it was "Star of Destruction's" fierce assaults or "Flowing Firefly's" swift advances, their numerous past battles side-by-side had led to an intimate understanding of each other's attack patterns.

Now, turned against each other, every move targeted the other's weaknesses. It looked perilous, yet for the moment, neither could gain the upper hand.

"What a nuisance," Xingxing sneered coldly, parrying a thrust before using the momentum to leap backward.

With a flick of her wrist, the slender sword retracted into her palm as if melting away.

In its place, she now held a seemingly ancient bronze cylinder.

Ji Xia’s breath caught in her throat.

Hazy memories from her past life surged violently—

The devastating, blinding white beam, the silent artillery fire that reaped everything in its path, and that codename… “Silent Destroyer.”

It was actually her!

The eleventh-ranked Guide of the Abyss Guide!

Star held the bronze cylinder in one hand while the other brushed over its surface, tracing the intricate geometric patterns.

The patterns lit up in sequence, and the cannon emitted a low hum.

Both ends of the cylinder unfolded, transforming and assembling as if possessing a life of their own, ultimately morphing into a massive, heavy cannon brimming with classical mechanical beauty.

Its muzzle was deep and dark, with a blinding white light gathering within.

A smile spread across Star’s face, but the eyes that were once brimming with lively mirth now held nothing but cruelty and brutality.

“Th-this is…” Yun Ling screamed in Ji Xia’s mind, “This thing is terrifying! Y-you can’t beat her! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to be destroyed, waaah!”

Ji Xia had no time to comfort her.

The light at the cannon’s muzzle grew increasingly intense, with terrifying Spirit Ink gathering frantically.

After dispelling “Misty Swirl,” Ji Xia not only regained half of her Spirit Ink capacity but also reduced her own resistance to potions.

She quickly used a Spirit Ink Bottle and, leveraging the movement speed bonus from “Star of Destruction,” lunged sideways to dodge.

A blinding white beam blasted forth!

Ji Xia barely avoided it, and the ground struck by the beam simply vanished!

“Silent Destroyer.”

Her Civilization Fragment possessed an extremely high evaluation of “Above Divine,” wielding the power to erase everything from existence!

Ji Xia knelt on one knee, breathing heavily.

Not only was her Spirit Ink severely depleted, but her stamina had also reached its limit.

The Spirit Ink Pool was right before her, brimming with immense Spirit Ink, yet she dared not approach.

Jumping in would activate the “Divine Cloud Brocade.”

At that point, she might stand a chance in a fight.

But Ji Xia couldn’t take the risk, because the moment she jumped in might be the perfect opportunity for Star to destroy the “Divine Cloud Brocade.”

Star swung the heavy cannon, aiming it at her once more.

The cannon’s glow gathered again, even more intense and overwhelming than before.

“Goodbye, ‘God of Mechanisms,’” Star’s voice came through the cannon’s hum, carrying a hint of lighthearted cruelty.

The blinding white light was about to erupt.

Truthfully, Ji Xia wasn’t afraid of death.

Dying once or twice before the Descent Day and finding the key item to cleanse the corruption wouldn’t turn her into a monster. The real problem was this “Divine Cloud Brocade”…

A thought struck her—Bai Yan.

He wasn’t unconscious; he definitely still had the strength to fight.

Ji Xia steeled her heart, preparing to strike a deal with Bai Yan—he had deliberately approached her from the start, undoubtedly for the “Divine Cloud Brocade.”

But before she could speak, a pale figure, weightless as a ghost, appeared silently behind Star’s flank.

Bai Yan!

His face was deathly pale, almost translucent, his eyelids drooping with the same perpetually drowsy demeanor.

And now, he held that ancient lantern.

White flames erupted wildly from the wick, instantly igniting his hand.

In the next moment, the flames shot toward Star, enveloping the entire area around her and forming a translucent white domain.

The flames continued to burn, but like Bai Yan himself, they carried a profound weariness, as if they might extinguish at any moment.

Star’s reaction was astonishingly fast.

The moment the domain formed, the blinding white light from the cannon in her hands peaked once more. Almost without a pause, an even thicker beam slammed violently into the pale barrier before her.

There was no deafening roar, no explosion.

The terrifying beam, capable of erasing matter from existence, collided with that pale barrier that seemed on the verge of extinguishing—as if plunging into a soft, deep sea, all its frenzied energy was completely swallowed!

The pale barrier didn’t even tremble in the slightest.

Bai Yan muttered, his eyes still lowered, “Five minutes.”

“Understood!” Ji Xia responded.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she leaped into the boiling Spirit Ink Pool.

Instantly, the immense Spirit Ink, as if captured by some invisible force, transformed into countless sparks of light, swiftly rushing toward Ji Xia’s body.

Her pure white robes billowed, and the sparks settled upon them.

Snow white was dyed with starlight.

Starting from the hem, it rapidly spread like the night sky at the horizon, reflecting a myriad of stars and tracing the vast expanse of the void.

Bai Yan’s eyelids lifted slightly, taking in a magnificent sight imperceptible to others.

The Spirit Ink Pool transformed into a sea of stars, a universe, and that rainbow-hued soul grew increasingly dazzling and resplendent.

Indescribable colors collided and flourished amidst the boundless stars.

The scene was breathtakingly beautiful, and the soul’s resilience was awe-inspiring.

Within the “Other Shore,” Star’s cannon fire continued to roar madly. Beams representing destruction relentlessly struck the boundaries of the white flames, yet they were like raindrops against a sturdy fortress, unable to shake it in the slightest.

One minute, two minutes…

Three minutes, four minutes...

Bai Yan's form wavered, while Xingxing's barrage showed no signs of ceasing.

Ji Xia was also keeping a close eye on the time. She didn't know if she could do it in five minutes, but Bai Yan holding out for five minutes for her was already his limit!

Finally, a system notification chimed.

"Initial task completed."

"Congratulations, World Painter - Ji Xia, for successfully activating the Civilization Vessel - Divine Cloud Brocade."

"Second stage task triggered."

"Task content: Within 10 in-game days, explore and reach the second corresponding civilization node — Jingde Mystery Kiln, and forge a deep connection with the sacred artifact."

"Failure penalty: The World Painter will be unable to withstand the erosion of the sacred artifact and will be annihilated upon task failure."

"Countdown: 9 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 58 seconds..."

With a resonant boom.

The radiance in the pool abruptly converged, vanishing wholly into Ji Xia's body.

She landed lightly, the starlight shimmering on her garments gradually fading, leaving only a trace of swirling starlight deep within her eyes.

A system panel, jade-like yet not jade, materialized before her.

After scanning the second-stage task, Ji Xia saw the first authority of the "Divine Cloud Brocade."

Initial Realm Authority: True Name Eye.

Authority Effect: Consume Spirit Ink to briefly glimpse the "civilization fragment" information of a single target.

Limitation: Three times per day (can be increased through subsequent cultivation).

Simultaneously, Ji Xia's Spirit Ink maximum capacity soared.

From the original 300 points, it surged to 1000 points.

The natural recovery rate of Spirit Ink also increased tenfold!

Within the pale domain, Xingxing ceased her futile bombardment.

Through that seemingly fragile yet insurmountable layer of flame, she gazed at the utterly transformed Ji Xia outside the domain.

The sweet mask on Xingxing's face had shattered completely, leaving nothing but icy coldness.

Author's Note:

Next chapter continues.