As Ling Xiao walked out of Ling Qin's bedroom, he bumped into Emilia who had just come from the garden.
"What's wrong, why are you running?" Ling Xiao asked as he held on to her shoulders to stabilize her.
"What time are you leaving?" Emilia asked him
"I need to leave now, any later, and I'll be late." Ling Xiao said as he looked at his watch. " Why, what's wrong?"
"I have something with me that can increase your strength but the process takes about an hour to complete, will you be able to come back here before you depart for your mission or should I come there," Emilia responded a little anxiously
"What do you mean you have something to increase my strength?" Ling Xiao asked puzzled. At this point, Ling Qin now stood by the door of his room as he looked at his parents. he also wanted t know what his mom was talking about.
"I got a space like a thing that gives me a few chances to undergo baptism and increase the strength of the body. There is not enough time to explain since your leaving, but you definitely cannot leave for your mission without undergoing It."
Seeing how serious Emilia was, Ling
Xiao went silent for a bit as he thought about what he should do. As a soldier discipline is one of the most important values they need to have so he couldn't delay leaving as that would cause problems. It also didn't seem likely for him to come back after the meeting as preparations would also take long, and Emilia couldn't come herself to the base as that would require a lot of permission and paperwork and it might raise suspicions from some unwanted people.
"How about you go wait for me at Prowling hotel at around 4 am, we plan to stop at that area for about an hour and a half before we head off."
"Alright I'll head over there, but won't your teammates find it strange if you suddenly disappear for an hour? Especially when you are doing a mission? And why would you guys stop by a hotel when you're supposed to be heading for your mission" Emilia asked worriedly.
"You don't need to worry about that, I'll make all the arrangements properly, as for stopping at a hotel. We don't plan on staying at the hotel, but we do plan on losing some people there. Not everyone is to be trusted in that place." Ling Xiao responded. "But as for now, I gotta go before I'm late." He said as he glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Mhm ok, go ahead" Emilia nodded.
Nodding his head Ling Xiao bent down till he was Ling Qin's height. stretching out his hand he rubbed his head. " You take care of yourself, okay bud and I'll see you soon."
"mhm," Ling Qin nodded his head silently.
"Good boy.." Ling Xiao said kissing his head before he stood back up. He then stood up and kissed Emilia's head as well. '' I'll see you in a little while."
"Mhm, keep safe" Emilia responded.
After taking another look at the two Ling Xiao tightened the straps of his bag and headed out the door. Ling Qin and Emilia walked him to the door and watched him enter the car and drive off. Not before waving at them once more. The two stood there up until the car disappeared before they headed back inside.
Noticing Ling Qin's mood not being too good, Emilia reached out and rubbed his head.
"Don't worry, he's going to be okay. Alright? "
"Mhm," Ling Qin hummed. "Mom what was it that you were referring to when you said you have something that can increase our strength "
"Right, come on, follow me!" Emilia said as she pulled him towards the greenhouse upstairs. Quickly entering the code she opened the door and pulled him inside before making sure to close it.
Ling Qin kept quiet the entire process just wondering what was it that could make his mom so cautious yet excited.
"Come on, hold onto my arm, and don't let go." She said placing Ling Qin's hand on her arm. Ling Qin immediately tightened his grip on her arm.
Once she made sure that Ling Qin was holding her securely Emilia immediately used her right hand to create three circular motions on the plumeria ring and just like that the two went blind for barely a second and when they opened their eyes again they had appeared by the lake.
"This...This!!" Ling Qin stuttered as he looked around.
"It's crazy right I've also got space now, though it might not be as reliable as yours with how unstable it is, it's still a space never less." She muttered
"This space where did it come from?" Ling Qin asked Emilia. "And when did you get it?"
" I got it during my trip to the farms about six months back. I just didn't know that I had it." She said as she moved towards the trees slowly. "The only problem though, compared to your space this one already has an owner so I'm more or less renting this space?" she said looking over at him.
"What do you mean renting? "
"This place has a tree spirit owner or something of the like. The entrance to its space is through that lake over there." She said pointing at the lake before she turned back to look at the tree with the plumeria embedded in Its trunk.
She didn't notice though that Ling Qin had already walked towards the lake.
"It has given me an ultimatum of sorts, that I have to collect energy for it if I want to use the space and if I don't then the transaction will be canceled. Therefore... "
"Mom!!" Ling Qin screamed,
Emilia whipped her head back so fast she almost got whiplash. Her head turned just in time to see Ling Qin's arm slowly sinking into the lake the rest of his body already out of sight.
"Qinqin!!!" Emilia shouted as she sprinted to the lake. The bottom of the lake was so dark that she couldn't even see anything.
Just as she was panicking her right eye caught a glimpse of a flower petal and her mind quickly went to work.
She immediately thought of the baptism and ran straight back to the tree as fast as she could. She knew that without the petal in the water, no baptism would take place and long ain would be crushed to death by the pressure of the lake.
Removing a petal from the tree she charged straight back to the lake and threw the petal straight into the water. Standing at the edge Emilia stared anxiously at the water checking for any reaction and just when her tense nerves were about to break, the lake finally reacted.
An almost golden light began sipping out of the lake, slowly at first before soon the whole lake turned a light golden color. Only then did Emilia relax a little knowing that the baptism had begun. Even then she still couldn't completely relax if she didn't see her son safe and sound in front of her.
Ling Qin on the underhand was in a lot of pain. He had only reached out his hand to touch the water, who would have thought he would have been sucked right in? Not only that, but the pressure he felt once he fell in was enormous. He couldn't even move let alone try to save himself. He could only watch as he was pulled under, water filling his lungs and his body felt as if it was about to break apart.
Fear began to sip into his heart.
Ling Qin had thought that, since he had already died once, he was no longer afraid of death so much, but he was wrong. He didn't want to die! He had only just gotten another chance at life, another chance with his family. He didn't want to die again!
After what felt like forever, just as his conscience was about to disappear Ling Qin sensed some heat in his lungs, and not soon after his whole body felt like it was on fire. Sharp pain in his legs made his eyes shoot open and right in front of him, in the dark water he could see glowing golden vines approaching him.
After a very short pause, the vines shot straight at him and pierced him all over his body. Feeling the pain Ling Qin wanted to scream but he wasn't able to even open his mouth.
He could feel his blood being drained from his body. The pain was so severe that after enduring it for only two minutes he couldn't stand it anymore and finally passed out.
After what seemed like an hour, Emilia finally noticed a change in the lake. The gold on the surface began to recede into the center of the lake. A whirlpool appeared in that exact spot. Growing at a rapid pace.
From the center of the whirlpool, Emilia could see Ling Qin being lifted out.
A wave then rose from the side and gently brought a passed-out Ling Qin to the shore.
Emilia quickly charged to the spot where the wave dropped him and brought him into her arms.
" Qinqin! Qinqin!, Are you alright?!" she shouted anxiously while patting his face. Her finger moved under his nose and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief when she felt his breathing. Her anxious heart could finally relax when she confirmed that he was alive.
She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself if he died in the lake.