klisemfg Chapter 480 A New Mission
Chapter 480 A New Mission
As the tremors in the secret room subsided, I was kneeling beside Wen Chen, my fingertips pressing against the bandage on his chest.
Bloodstains had soaked through half of his clothes, but the heartbeat beneath his fingertips was still strong—much more steady than the rapid tremors he had just experienced.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but when I looked up, a piece of gravel hit my forehead, causing a sharp pain that forced back the tears welling up in my eyes.
"Yao Yao." Wen Chen's voice was hoarse like sandpaper, yet he still gently rubbed my hand. "I'm fine." There were still bloodstains at the corners of his eyes, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like a cold pool cleaved by moonlight in a snowy night. "That sword just now... the sword shadow of the Nine Plum Blossoms Breaking Evil Technique had seven more plum blossom petals than when I copied it in the library back then."
That's when I realized I was still holding the plum blossom sword.
The blade had lost all its blood color, turning as white as the first snow, but the plum blossoms on the tassel were all gone—perhaps they had melted into the sword.
Just as I was in a daze, a clear and melodious bell suddenly rang out overhead, making my ears ring.
I looked up and saw the phantom of a woman in a green dress floating in the mist. Her eyebrows and eyes were seven parts like Ling'er's, except that she had two fine lines at the corners of her eyes, as if they had been etched into the rings of time.
"Having passed the ultimate trial, the Plum Blossom Sword has successfully recognized its master." Her voice was deeper than Ling'er's, like ancient jade. "But you must remember, Mo Feng is nothing more than a minor ailment."
Three days later, the extraterrestrial demons will break through the boundary and enter.
My hand trembled, and I almost dropped the plum blossom sword.
Wen Chen, however, grasped my wrist first, his fingertips gently tracing the plum blossom mark on my palm—the mark left when the sword recognized its master, now burning hot, like a live ember. "Senior," his voice was as steady as a mountain, "how do we break this predicament?"
The illusory figure in green robes raised his hand, his fingertip pointing at the crystal statue behind us.
Only then did I notice that the statue on the stone platform, which had been tossed about by Mo Feng's ghostly aura, had somehow lit up, radiating a moon-white light, and even its base was covered with runes I had never seen before. "This is an ancient boundary-suppressing stone," the phantom said. "It can sense the fortune of heaven and earth and guide the swordsman to resolve crises."
But it requires a true 'guardian'—not one based on spiritual roots, not one based on cultivation, but one based on... a steadfast commitment to live and die alongside this world.
My throat suddenly felt tight.
Three days ago, when I was copying the "Nine Plum Blossoms Breaking Evil Technique" in the library, I was still crying as I looked at the bamboo slips—at that time, I couldn't even complete the first two moves. Wen Chen, however, flipped through the crumpled pages I had copied and said, "Yao Yao's handwriting is more powerful than mine was back then." Later, he wiped away my tears, and plum blossom petals fell into his clothes. I stared at that white spot and thought: If only I were strong enough to block all the swords and spears for him.
"Xiao Yao," the illusory figure suddenly called my name, "are you willing to accept this mission?"
I said nothing.
Wen Chen squeezed my hand first, her knuckles turning white from the pressure: "Her injuries haven't healed yet—"
“I do.” I interrupted him.
The plum blossom print on his palm was burning hot, as if it wanted to burn all the resentment, grievances, and fear he had felt hiding behind him over the years into his bones.
I stared at the illusory figure, hearing my own voice tremble, yet clearer than ever before, "I'm not just protecting him, but everyone in this world... just like the good-for-nothings I used to be."
The illusory figure smiled, starlight overflowing from its fine lines: "Alright." She raised her hand, and the crystal statue suddenly hummed, all the runes on the base lit up, and a warm light enveloped the statue as it floated in front of me.
I reached out and caught it. The moment my fingertips touched the stone, a warm current flowed through my veins and into my limbs and bones—it felt like I had drunk ten jars of the strongest liquor, or like I was soaking in a hot spring, and even my bone marrow softened.
When the heat subsided, I was surprised to find that my spiritual sea had expanded by a whole circle. The stagnation that had previously been stuck at the bottleneck of the Golden Core had melted away completely, like spring snow meeting the warm sun.
"This is the power of the Boundary-Suppressing Stone recognizing its master." The illusory voice began to fade. "Three days later, the location where the Heavenly Demon broke through the boundary will appear on the Boundary-Suppressing Stone."
"Remember, the real danger isn't in the swords and guns, but in..." Her words were suddenly interrupted by a crisp "Sister!"
Ling'er had somehow gotten close to my feet, and Xue Po in my arms was tugging at her clothes, her wet nose nuzzling against my hand.
She tilted her head back, her eyes shining like two glass beads: "Sister was so impressive just now!"
"I knew it! My sister and Brother Wen would definitely pass the trial!" She tilted her head to look at the World-Suppressing Stone in my hand. "But the Heavenly Demon that Senior mentioned... is it much more powerful than Mo Feng?"
I crouched down and touched the top of her head. Xuepo took the opportunity to lick the back of my hand, which had a bit of the roughness of a wolf cub. "Perhaps." I looked at Wen Chen. He had stood up at some point. Although he was still clutching the wound on his chest, his back was as straight as a pine tree.
He smiled at me, the bloodstains at the corner of his eye still visible, which only made the smile seem more vivid: "But we're also much stronger than before."
The light of the phantom grew fainter and fainter until only the words "Make good use of this stone" remained before it completely vanished.
Ling'er, carrying Xue Po, hopped to the stone platform and poked at the still-lit runes: "I'll go clean up the rubble in the secret chamber!"
"When we go out later, I want to eat the pine nut candy that Brother Wen roasted!" As she ran away, Xuepo let out a "howl" and darted out after her shadow.
"Yaoyao." Wen Chen suddenly pulled me to his side, his chin gently resting on the top of my head. "Are you scared?"
I looked up at him.
In his eyes, there was me, the light of the boundary stone, and the sunlight filtering through the ceiling of the secret chamber—light that fell on his shoulders, making him look like a breathing painting. "I was afraid," I said truthfully. "When I first arrived, I couldn't even learn how to cultivate internal energy. I hid in the woodshed and cried, thinking I was destined to be a useless person for life." I gripped the boundary stone tightly; it still held the warmth of the previous encounter. "But now... I have you, I have the sword, I have this stone." I smiled. "Besides," I kissed his lips on tiptoe, "the people I want to protect must stand in front of me—otherwise, how can I take a hit?"
Wen Chen chuckled softly as I teased him, the vibrations in his chest traveling through his clothes to my heart.
Just then, a "crack" sound suddenly came from outside the secret room, like the soft sound of a stone being pried open.
We both looked up at the same time. His hand was already on the unsheathed sword at his waist, and I gripped the boundary stone tightly—the runes on the stone surface were slightly warm, as if responding to some distant call.
"Shall we go out and take a look?" he asked.
I nodded, the plum blossom print on my palm intertwined with the warmth of the boundary stone, a comforting sensation.
The stone door to the secret chamber creaked softly beneath our feet. As the sunlight streamed in, I heard a faint sob drifting in the wind, much like the unfinished words Mo Feng uttered before his death.
But this time, I will not let any voice become our shackles.
Another strange sound came from outside the secret room, like gravel rolling down, but it was more muffled than the previous sound.
I gripped the boundary stone tightly, feeling the vibrations of the runes on its surface spread from my palm to my arm—it was issuing a warning.
Wen Chen's sword was already three inches out. As the cold light flashed past the corner of my eye, he gently pushed my back with his other hand and pulled me to his side: "Stay close to me."
Ling'er, carrying Xue Po, darted out from behind the pile of stones. The little girl had run so fast that half of her hair tie had come undone, and stray hairs clung to her sweaty forehead. "Sister! The communication talisman that the senior left behind is burning hot in my pocket!" She held up a charred crumpled piece of paper, its edges still emitting wisps of smoke. "The talisman says, 'Leave the ruins immediately, the Heavenly Demon vanguard has broken the seal!'"
My heart skipped a beat.
Wen Chen's sword tassel suddenly taut, like a musical string—this was his habitual action when he sensed danger.
I remembered what the phantom said earlier: "The Heavenly Demon will break through the realm in three days." But only half a day has passed. Could the timeline be messed up?
The boundary stone burned even more intensely in my palm, and pale blue patterns appeared on its surface, like living vines climbing up my wrist and forearm.
“Take the secret passage.” Wen Chen quickly scanned the corner of the secret room, and picked up a stone slab engraved with a star map with the tip of his sword. “This is the hidden array I set up back then, which leads to the bamboo stream in the back mountain.” As he turned around, the blood that seeped from the bandage on his chest stained the back of my hand, making me shudder involuntarily—his injury was not fully healed, but he did not even frown.
Ling'er stood on tiptoe, grabbed his shoulder, and asked, "Brother Wen's injury... should I put some of Xuepo's spirit hair on it for you? Its hair smells like healing herbs!" Xuepo immediately poked its head out from her arms and licked Wen Chen's hand with its wet tongue.
Wen Chen chuckled softly, amused, but quickened his pace: "Let's go out first."
As the musty, moss-scented air rushed out of the secret passage entrance, I heard a crisp "crack" sound overhead—like the sound of some kind of barrier breaking.
Ling'er gripped my sleeve tightly: "Sister, that sound just now... it was like the sound of the glass bottle I hid in the tree hole shattering." Her fingertips trembled, but her eyes shone with an astonishing light. "But this time it's not bad, right? We're going to fight the big bad guy!"
Wen Chen walked at the front, his sword pointing forward, each step landing on a star map node in the crack of the secret passage's brickwork.
I counted the number of times the stray hairs on the back of his neck were ruffled by the stone wall. When I counted to the seventh time, he suddenly stopped.
I bumped into his back, my nose brushed against his clothes, and I smelled a familiar scent of agarwood mixed with the smell of blood and rust.
"Here we are," he said.
He pushed open the stone door at the end of the secret passage with one palm, and the sunlight poured in all at once.
I squinted to adjust to the light, and the first thing I saw was the ground covered with withered yellow bamboo leaves—this was the bamboo ravine behind the mountain. I recognized that old, crooked bamboo tree; last year, Ling'er and I had hidden osmanthus cakes in its hollow.
But when I looked up again, I froze.
The once azure sky was now cracked open, as if someone had drawn a mark with a red pen.
Inky mist churned within the crack, and scales could be vaguely seen within it—not the scales of ordinary demonic beasts, but those with barbs, each scale shimmering with an eerie purple hue.
The wind swirled the mist in my face, and I smelled the stench of rotting flesh mixed with rust, which made my stomach churn.
Ling'er shivered, and Xuepo let out a "woof," its fur standing on end, turning into a spiky ball.
Wen Chen's sword was drawn with a "hum," and the sword energy stirred up the bamboo leaves all over the ground, weaving a green barrier around us.
He gripped the back of my neck with his other hand and pulled me into his arms: "Yaoyao, take out the boundary stone." Only then did I realize what was happening, and I hurriedly took out the boundary stone—the vine patterns on the stone had already climbed up to my elbow, and were now emitting a ghostly blue light, as if it were struggling against the cracks in the air.
“That was… the vanguard of the Heavenly Demons.” My voice was a little hoarse.
Three months ago, I saw a description of this in the Wanbaolou's books: "Before breaking through a boundary, they would send their henchmen to tear apart a small world to test its strength." Wen Chen's fingertips gently brushed against the top of my head: "So they're in a hurry, they can't wait three days." He looked down at me, the bloodstains at the corners of his eyes fading slightly in the wind, "Are you afraid?"
I gazed at the swirling mist within the crack.
Six months ago, I was crying in the woodshed that I was a good-for-nothing, but now I have to face this monster that I've only ever heard of in stories.
But Wen Chen's heartbeat pounded against my chest through my clothes, the warmth of Ling'er's hand tightly gripping mine came through my sleeve, and the heat from the boundary stone surged through my veins—I suddenly laughed: "I'm scared, but I want to beat them back even more."
Ling'er suddenly tugged at my sleeve. The little girl looked up, her eyes no longer filled with fear, but only with bright excitement: "Sister, look! The boundary stone is glowing!" I looked down and sure enough, I saw several bright spots appearing on the stone surface, like scattered stars.
Ling'er tiptoed closer, her nose almost touching the stone surface: "This is... a map? I've seen it in the ruins' library; every dot indicates a danger!"
Wen Chen pointed his sword at the nearest bright spot: "Qingqiu Mountain," he said. "There is an ancient fox clan's protective array there. If it is breached by the Heavenly Demon..." I followed his gaze, and the bright spot was visibly brightening—as if urging us on.
A sharp shriek suddenly came from the crack, like thousands of silver needles piercing the eardrum.
Ling'er covered her ears and squatted down. Xuepo threw herself into her arms, letting out a low whimper.
Wen Chen's sword energy barrier trembled slightly, and black mist seeped in, instantly causing a blister to form on the back of my hand.
I gritted my teeth and lifted the boundary stone. The stone surface shone with a bright blue light, and the black mist made a "sizzling" sound the moment it met the light, like a drop of water falling into hot oil.
"Let's go." Wen Chen's voice was icy cold. "Let's go to Qingqiu first." He bent down and picked up Ling'er. Xue Po jumped onto his shoulder on her own. "Yao Yao, follow the light of the boundary stone." I nodded. The plum blossom mark on my palm and the heat of the boundary stone intertwined, so hot that I could hardly hold the stone. But this heat reminded me of the temperature when Wen Chen covered the back of my hand to teach me how to hold a sword for the first time.
We had just stepped out of the bamboo grove when a loud "boom" suddenly came from behind us.
Looking back, the stone door to the secret passage was collapsing. In the dust kicked up by the rubble, I seemed to see the silhouette of a figure in a blue robe flash by.
Ling'er leaned on Wen Chen's shoulder and waved, "Goodbye, senior! We will protect the world!"
The wind, carrying mist, caught up from behind, and I could feel the boundary stone guiding the way—southeast, towards Qingqiu Mountain.
Wen Chen's steps were very steady; even while carrying Ling'er, each step felt like it was driven into the ground.
As I looked at his taut jawline, I suddenly remembered what he had said: "The most powerful things in the cultivation world have never been magic weapons or spells."
Now I understand. The most powerful thing is having someone willing to stand by you and entrust your back to them.
The shrieking sounds from the crack continued, but I could hear clearer sounds—the sound of the boundary stone trembling gently in my palm, Ling'er humming a tuneless nursery rhyme, and Wen Chen's even breathing.
These sounds, intertwined, were more reassuring than any magic weapon.
We followed the direction indicated by the town's boundary stone, the bamboo leaves rustling softly under our feet.
I looked up at the sky. The crack was still widening, but at some point, a few rays of golden light leaked through the gaps in the clouds, shining on Wen Chen's shoulder, on Ling'er's head, and on the boundary stone.
The road ahead is still long.
But I know that as long as we are together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome.
(A clear phoenix cry came from afar, and the bright spot on the Zhenjie Stone, Qingqiu, suddenly trembled violently. Xuepo pricked up its ears and growled in the southeast—there, something seemed to be awakening from its slumber.)
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