"Like you all just saw, this barrier can reflect all forces." Seeing how the barrier remained untouched, her heart sank. The force that had repelled her was the exhibited the same pressure as she when she approached the barrier. It was the exact same as hers.
"The hell is with this barrier?!" Xi Shaoqi cursed. He bent down, picked up a rock, then threw it at the barrier. As they expected, just as the rock was about to touch the barrier, it was bounced back.
There was no way out. No matter how much strength they used, it would all be bounced back.
"Let me try." With a wave of his hand, a giant blade of wind appeared in Feng Yixuan's hand.
"Don't." Qi Aoshuang shook her head.
"If I attack with a force larger than the barrier can bear, then perhaps it won't be reflected and break the barrier instead." Feng Yixuan surmised. He was about to use all his strength to attack.
"And if not?" Qi Aoshuang asked quietly.
Everyone's heart shuddered. If not? Who could block Feng Yixuan's attack? Feng Yixuan's power was not insane. If he used all his strength to attack, perhaps no one would be able to block it, including himself.
Feng Yixuan blinked. He experimentally slashed at the barrier. The reflected force made his jaw drop. Its speed and power was the exact same. Feng Yixuan immediately erected a barrier to dissipate the attack. Inwardly, he was sweating cold sweat. What if using all his strength didn't break the barrier?
"What do we do?" Feng Yixuan sheathed his sword, a little gloomy. The thought of being killed by himself was a little depressing.
"Yeah, what are we going to do? Are we just going to stay stuck here?" Xi Shaoqi glanced at the other people, then shivered. They were already dead, but they still continued what they did when they were alive. It was too creepy.
"Haha, don't waste your brain. No matter what strength you use, you can't break this magic formation. If you want to die quickly, just attack the barrier. If you want to die slowly, just obediently stay inside, hahaha…" a sinister laugh came from outside of the barrier. It was definitely the person who had set up the barrier. Then the voice disappeared. He obviously thought there was no way they could break the barrier, so he left to stay somewhere else more comfortable. He thought that just after waiting, he would be able to collect their bodies.
"Fuck! You bastard!" Xi Shaoqi cursed.
"I'll kill you once we get out!" Feng Yixuan gnashed his teeth.
Leng Lingyun uttered in a low voice, "I have never seen nor heard of such a magic formation spell. There is no record of it in the library of the Temple of Light."
"Tch, just because the Temple of Light doesn't know doesn't mean that no one else knows." Although Xi Shaoqi knew Leng Lingyun was on their side, he still couldn't help but be annoyed hearing the Temple of Light brought up.
"Are you saying you know then?" Qi Aoshuang said coldly, shutting him up.
"Let's first rest. Standing here won't do anything," she said. "Let's sit inside the inn."
Everyone agreed. Xi Shaosi led the way to the inn, whereas Xi Shaoqi stubbornly attacked the barrier, but the result was still the same. It always reflected the attacks the way they had came. Although Xi Shaoqi was prepared for this, he was still unsatisfied. Everyone else simply ignored him.
In the inn, there were no guests in the main hall. The owner continued to clean a cup behind the counter without stopping, while a waiter continued to wipe a table. The two's movements never stopped.
Xi Shaoqi shivered inwardly. He sat at the furthest table, swallowing, trying his best not to look at the undead.
"My lady, I dislike this place…" Xi Shaoqi's voice carried a tremor.
"What do you think?" Qi Aoshuang looked out the window. Out on the streets, the sparse people continued to walk back and forth.
"To break the spell, we must either forcefully shatter the barrier or kill the spellcaster." Leng Lingyun said coldly.
"There is only one choice then. The spellcaster is outside, so if we want to kill him, then we must leave. But we can't leave," Feng Yixuan said with annoyance.
"The problem is, how did he cast this spell? This village is not big, but it's not small either. In the end, we only saw him. The barrier was also erected immediately after we entered." Qi Aoshuang frowned.
"Even master would need us two or other people to assist him to erect such a barrier." Xi Shaosi stroked his chin. "But this barrier is so large. How did he create it by himself?"
"What if he used a treasure?" Xi Shaoqi blinked. He sat down and scooted towards Xi Shaosi. Every time he saw those two undead, he would shiver.
"A treasure?" Everyone looked at Xi Shaoqi.
"Just a guess." Xi Shaoqi shrugged.
Suddenly, Qi Aoshuang thought of something. "Do you guys remember how the barrier appeared?"
"Something flashed overhead, and then the barrier formed," Feng Yixuan answered, recalling.
"Which direction?" Qi Aoshuang pressed.
"Which direction? Yes, it did seem to spread from a center." Everyone was impressed that Feng Yixuan was able to see everything so clearly that short moment.
"Let's go." Qi Aoshuang stood up.
"Where?" Everyone asked.
"The center of the village." Qi Aoshuang was excited. The people of this world did not know, but she did. There was a certain kind of magic that required a spiritual Eye. If Feng Yixuan didn't see wrong and her guess was correct, then the huge barrier had an Eye in the center of the town. It was the key to break the spell!"
"The center of the village is the lake. At the bottom is a spring," Xi Shaosi said. He was confused. What could Qi Aoshuang be thinking? What was there? It was just water, wasn't it?
"Just follow along, the words of my wife are truth!" Feng Yixuan glanced sideways. Xi Shaosi remained silent, rolling his eyes.
Currently, Qi Aoshuang wasn't in the mood to slap Feng Yixuan. Instead, she hurried along to the center.
As Xi Shaosi said, the center of the village was indeed just a small lake. Along the shore grew a few plants they had never seen before, lush and green. Steps built of stone were around the lake, making it easier for people to go down and fetch water.
"Is there something wrong with the lake?" Xi Shaosi frowned, unable to see anything out of the ordinary.
Qi Aoshuang did not respond. Instead, she sat down and closed her eyes, concentrating on sensing underwater. Feng Yixuan followed suit, also sensing underwater.
Just when Xi Shaoqi was about to ask what they were doing, Leng Lingyun motioned for him to stop, to be quiet.
As expected!
A faint smile appeared on Qi Aoshuang's lips.
There was indeed something in the lake. In the depths, there was a faint magic ripple coming from something.
Qi Aoshuang withdrew her consciousness, then opened her eyes.
Feng Yixuan also opened his eyes. Before Qi Aoshuang could speak, Feng Yixuan frowned and said, "There's a bright, circular object that seems to be emitting a slight magic ripple. I don't know if it's related to the magic formation spell."
Qi Aoshuang was shocked. Feng Yixuan was actually able to know the appearance of the object. She hadn't be able to see it, only sensing the ripple.
"It should be." Qi Aoshuang nodded.
"Ah? Really?" Xi Shaoqi was doubtful. "Isn't it related to the person outside? What does it have to do with something that's inside?"
"Perhaps the disk is the spiritual Eye of the magic formation," Qi Aoshuang said faintly.
"Spiritual Eye? What's that?" Xi Shaoqi asked. This time, it was not he that was confused, everyone else didn't know either.
"The core of a high level magic formation, like the heart of a person." Qi Aoshuang could not explain it in any other way.
They understood vaguely.
"My lady, how did you know?" Xi Shaosi suddenly asked.
Everyone looked at Qi Aoshuang with a complex expression.
"You want to know?" Qi Aoshuang smiled prettily.
"No." Xi Shaoqi felt a chill down his spine. He knew that every time Claire smiled like that, someone was going to suffer. He would bet his life that her next words would be, because you want to know, I won't tell you. Too nasty, too too nasty. It was best if he didn't ask. If she wanted to tell him, then she would.
"My lady, what do we do now?" Xi Shaoqi was not focused on why Qi Aoshuang, but rather how they could leave this creepy place.
Wait until it is night. At night, we will fish out that object. If the spellcaster sees us go underwater, he might do something. At night, he will loosen up." Qi Aoshuang replied.
"Perhaps he is watching us right now."
Leng Lingyun walked forward. His hand flashed with white light. "The water is not poison."
"Why do you care if the water is poisonous? I definitely won't drink the water here." Xi Shaoqi looked at the water with revulsion.
But Qi Aoshuang ordered, "Go get some water."
"Why? Whyyy? My lady, don't you have enough water in your storage ring?" Qi Aoshuang howled, feeling wronged.
"You fool! Just pretend. If he sees us here, he'll be suspicious why we're here." Feng Yixuan crossed his arms.
Xi Shaoqi dejectedly filled his water pouch with some water. Xi Shaosi followed suit.
Qi Aoshuang's guess was indeed correct. The strange spellcaster was indeed watching them through a crystal ball. When he saw everyone around the lake, his heart tightened, but when he saw Leng Lingyun test the water for poison and the others get water, he relaxed. He put away the crystal and readjusted his posture for sleep. Of course, who would guess that the key to the magic formation was under the lake. Their captain was too cautious. Even though one of them was said to have killed twelve cardinals, compared to their organization, the Temple of Light was nothing. He alone was enough to kill them all!
At night, the temperature started the drop, the moonlight a haze.
The people on the streets continued what they did during the day, walking back and forth.
Now, they walked to the center of the village, draped in mantles.
At the lakeside, Qi Aoshuang turned to Xi Shaoqi. "Go down."
"Ah?! Nooo why is it me again!" Xi Shaoqi protested in a low voice.
But Qi Aoshuang's words stopped him. "Because you are the one who wants to leave here the most."
"No fair, it's so cold, you want me, a weak bodied magician to go down? Are you trying to kill me?" Xi Shaoqi wailed, walking towards the pond.
"Shut up!" Qi Aoshuang ordered coldly, then flicked her finger.
Xi Shaoqi crouched down subconsciously, but the pain he was expecting did not come. Instead, he was filled with warmth. Only then did he look down at his body to see that he was wrapped in a faint, golden barrier.
"Go down quickly. In a while, the barrier will disappear," Qi Aoshuang pressed.
"I will do anything for you, my lady. You are the most kind hearted person in the world." Xi Shaosi stood up, entering the water without another word.
Xi Shaosi stood at the shore, his lip twitching. What an idiot! Giving him a barrier was normal, but he acted as if it were a favor from a god.
As Xi Shaoqi descended into the water, much to his delight, the water didn't touch him. Recalling Qi Aoshuang's warning, Xi Shaoqi knew that there was a time limit, so he dove in quickly.
The lake was not deep, so Xi Shaoqi soon felt the slight force of the spring. A round, shiny disk appeared within his line of sight. Approaching slowly, he felt the magic ripple. What was this? The something-eye?
Just as he was about to reach out and touch it, he suddenly remembered Qi Aoshuang's warning, so he hastily withdrew his hand and swam up, deciding to first report to Qi Aoshuang before doing anything.
Above water, everyone was waiting. "So?" Qi Aoshuang walked up to him.
"There's a bright, round disk emitting a slight magic ripple. I didn't touch it," Xi Shaoqi reported.
"Yes," Qi Aoshuang nodded. "That should be it."
"My lady, what do we do now?" Xi Shaoqi looked down to see the barrier gradually disappear. He blinked. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"I'll go down and look. You guys wait up here." With a flick of her finger, a thin, golden layer wrapped around her.
"I'll go with you." Feng Yixuan approached.
"No." Qi Aoshuang shook her head. "You guys will alls stay here. You are all magicians. Your bodies don't have enough strength to sustain if we are down there for too long."
Once she said this, everyone realized that indeed, Qi Aoshuang was the only magician warrior among them, able to use both magic and Dou Qi.
"But!" Feng Yixuan wanted to say something, but then Qi Aoshuang raised her hand.
"You can't help me either. It's better if you stay up here as reinforcement. Do you know what a spiritual eyes is?" Feng Yixuan could not respond.
"Don't worry. Breaking the spell will take time. Just stay up here." Then, Qi Aoshuang went underwater.
Feng Yixuan stood at the edge of the lake, worriedly looked into the water.
Qi Aoshuang dove down following the magic ripple. Indeed, there was the small, crystal disk. Only when she swam close did she see it clearly. It was only as big as an infant's palm and was spinning slowly. The top side smooth like a mirror, made of crystal, and the back was made of copper, carved of mysterious, ancient runes.
Should she take it? But how?
She pondered for a moment. In the end, she reached out and touched the crystal disk.
As soon as her fingers brushed the disk, the scene before her changed!
Before Qi Aoshuang was an endless beach. The sea was dried up, not a drop left. Many colorful shells dotted the landscape.
Swish…
Qi Aoshuang whipped around alertly at the slight noise, only to see a face that was exactly like hers.
She took two steps back.
Illusion?
Strangely, they too also took two steps back.
"Who are you?" The other person frowned and asked Qi Aoshuang. Her voice was also exactly like hers!
Qi Aoshuang was shocked. It was the exact question she was going to ask.
She watched quietly watched the person before her whose appearance and even dress were the same as hers. Even their expression was the same, it was like looking into a mirror.
Their expression darkened. Her ice cold expression was so familiar. Her thin lips spat out disdainfully, "Illusion!"
Before Qi Aoshuang could act, a giant sword of golden flames appeared in her hand! The pressure of the sword Qi made Qi Aoshuang shocked! She quickly dodged as the sword struck past. A green thread fluttered to the ground.
"Humph!" They sneered seeing Qi Aoshuang dodge the attack, then brandished the sword again.
"Who are you?" Qi Aoshuang once again agilely dodged the attack.
"Claire Hill!" The other person continued to attack. "I must quickly destroy this illusion, they're waiting for me."
The next moment, "Claire's" eyes widened. Blood trickled out of her mouth. She stared at Qi Aoshuang's cold face incredulously. Her body had been impaled by Qi Aoshuang's sword. The blood continued to flow.
"Why?" The so called "Claire's" eyes were wide. She didn't understand why she had been killed. She had copied everything, how had she been killed so easily?
"First, the name Claire died along with Mother. Second, you talk too much." Qi Aoshuang pulled out her sword, smiling coldly. Claire Hill… this name was gone the moment Katherine died. Was this the power of the treasure? Able to create a barrier that could reflect all attacks, and able to copy a person to stop them from taking it when they touched it? But it seems this treasure had not seen deeply enough. She was no longer called "Claire Hill"!
The next moment, "Claire" disappeared. The blood on the ground disappeared along with the blood on Qi Aoshuang's sword. The dried up seabed was suddenly overflowing with azure seawater. Wave after wave crashed onto the shore.
On the beach, a little girl in a white dress appeared, smiling brightly at Claire.
Before Qi Aoshuang could realize what was happening, everything before her disappeared. The dark blue sea, the beach littered with colorful shells, and the smiling little girl all disappeared.
When Qi Aoshuang returned to her senses, she looked down to see that she was holding the small, round disk.
The four people above ground looked up at the sky in awe.
The barrier gradually faded, and then disappeared.
The spell was broken!
The weird man suddenly woke up, his face pale, then green, then black!
The spell was broken!
And his treasure, the Rainbow Inkstone, had changed owners!
Damn it all! How could the Rainbow Inkstone have changed owners just now! He could not sense her presence at all now.
Who? Who was it that was able to make the Rainbow Inkstone acknowledge them as her master?! The strange person pulled his hair, wanting to how at the sky, but afraid to catch the attention of person who had broken the spell. He definitely was not their match if they worked together! It seems he had underestimated them!
The strange man was regretting so much, his heart hurt. If he had known how strong they were, he would have listened to the captain and worked with everyone else. That way, he wouldn't have failed and even lost his precious treasure without even killing a single person.
Damn it all!
The strange person was extremely angered, but he stood up and left wisely. He needed to tell the captain what had happened. He had to get the Rainbow Inkstone back!