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墨書 Inktalez
Wind never expected that the seemingly honest neighbor was actually a big boss. After a deep conversation one night, Wind's questions suddenly multiplied. Does the Sun God really exist? What is the power of the Sun God like? Why does the kingdom's legacy involve interference from the Sun God? How can Mages succeed... and so on. Zhir hardly answered any of them; after all, he had already told the story and was too lazy to discuss the details.
However, knowing Zhir's identity had its advantages. Like Cui Ming, Wind began to accept training from the Sand Soldiers. The Sand Soldiers were no longer just Spear Soldiers or focused on Melee Weapons. Instead, they transformed into Toads, Wardens, Wraiths, and Oracles. Faced with their shock, Zhir arrogantly declared, "In the desert, I am a god."
Zhir did not treat the two as friends; he continued to do his own thing—daydreaming, wandering, enjoying solitude—without any change from before. He did not engage in conversation and rarely answered questions, showing no interest in the Force Alliance or the practitioners and strong individuals on the continent. To put it nicely, Zhir bore no malice toward them. To put it bluntly, he looked down on their company.
Thus, Wind and Cui Ming began their arduous training alongside the simulated Sand Soldiers created by the Wardens.
Among the Toads, Wardens, Wraiths, and Oracles, the Oracle was the most difficult to deal with. Even combining their strengths, they could not defeat the Oracle. The Oracle could freely create a void area where he was completely unaffected while others would be harmed by its Void Power. The most formidable aspect was his ability to exert void pressure; using himself as a medium, he could transmit void matter to suppress his opponents. Not only would they be unable to move, but the void matter would quickly devour their protective Force.
To defeat the Oracle, Cui Ming had to use explosive cards to interrupt the void pressure. However, if Cui Ming got caught in it, he would be unable to unleash his explosive cards. Thus, dealing with the Oracle could only be done through a group assault. But the void area was quite challenging; within it, the Oracle thrived while others floundered like ducks out of water.
The Oracle did have weaknesses; his speed was not particularly fast. He could traverse any void area he created through Void Gates. This was advantageous in battle within that area but ineffective for pursuing fleeing enemies who would escape into it.
Although powerful, the Oracle was not terrifying because he could choose not to engage in combat. Additionally, lacking assassin-like stealth made him less intimidating.
The Toad was a unique Otherworldly Creature capable of swallowing any being smaller than itself. Once swallowed, practitioners would be immobilized; however, under sustained resistance from their Force, the Toad's stomach would eventually give way and expel them. The swallowing effect was neither insignificant nor overly significant; for instance, being swallowed whole and then spat onto lava would be unbearable even with protective Force.
Zhir provided a brief introduction about the Toad: it could use Force secret techniques to become immune to any single attack. For example, if an attack had an intensity of 100 and was immune to it, a shield would appear on the Toad's body capable of resisting 100 points of damage once or 50 points twice. Cui Ming could easily defeat a Toad in one-on-one combat; his card slicing caused immense pain to the Toad. Wind also triumphed over it effortlessly. However, if there were allies involved? Swallowing an enemy and then spitting them out next to a companion’s firepower network could lead to instant demise. The Toad also possessed an Earth Escape Technique—the strongest escape method that Cui Ming and Wind had ever witnessed.
The Wraith was inherently fierce; part of its demise stemmed from being abandoned by its companions since it was merely an oracle's servant with a lower status. Another reason for its downfall was its attempt to rely on its clone to escape from being surrounded by the Great Wall. This resulted in both its main body and clone appearing weak. However, when attacking enemies directly, its offensive power remained formidable. The two had fought against Wraith for an extended period with victories hanging by a thread each time.
The Warden's greatest strength lies in the Soul Domain. Within this domain, the movements of others are severely restricted. In addition to that, there is the Chain Scythe. The Chain Scythe can be considered the Warden's trump card; once ensnared by the scythe, there are no means of resistance aside from Cui Ming's Fate Card teleportation. The combination of the Chain Scythe and the Soul Domain is nearly perfect. Before training with Cui Ming, Feng was unable to judge the direction in which the scythe flew, making him an easy target for the Warden's Sand Soldiers. Eventually, he learned to slide left and right, but he often found himself lost, leaving the Warden unable to catch him.
Once the Warden unleashed his domain, Feng could resist by creating a wind domain of his own to counter it, but this was a very passive approach and could only be sustained for a short time. Cui Ming was completely unable to resist; even when drawing the Escape Route Red Card, his movement speed remained painfully slow. However, the Warden was not invincible. To create his domain, he would leap into the air, causing his scythe to slam into the ground. As soon as he jumped, Cui Ming would send out an explosive flying card, causing the Warden to falter in mid-air and fail to activate his domain. Another jump, another flying card...
Feng watched from the side and shook his head. "Strategy is indeed the most underhanded; you’ve even started practicing Spiritual Connection now." Feng believed that Cui Ming's explosive flying card definitely belonged to Spiritual Connection, as it accurately halted his opponent's next move.
"Spiritual Connection?" Cui Ming replied.
Feng explained, "Spiritual Connection comes in many forms: Seduction, Illusion, Binding, Fear techniques, and so on. Seduction involves injecting one's own Force into another's body to temporarily control their Force. Once you control their Force, you can compel them to perform actions they do not wish to take. Illusion occurs when Forces interact; it deceives the opponent's eyes into seeing multiple targets. Binding is similar to Seduction but differs in that while Seduction manipulates the opponent, Binding temporarily halts their Force. Fear Technique is a more unconventional type of Spiritual Connection; it encompasses various forms aimed at instilling fear in the opponent and stripping them of their ability to attack while redirecting all their Force back to their core."
"Can my move be considered Spiritual Connection?" Cui Ming asked.
"Your technique lacks any real power; it's purely meant to annoy," Feng retorted. "Isn't that a form of mental attack? Spiritual Connection is truly terrifying. Ordinary practitioners using Seduction can only control Force. Some practitioners use Seduction techniques to control their physical bodies. The most formidable among them is the Nine-Tailed Fox."
The Nine-Tailed Fox is actually a person—a woman—an extraordinarily beautiful woman whose beauty leaves men spellbound upon seeing her. Her stunning looks have drawn countless troubles; jealous women have seen men fighting over her and thus dubbed her the Nine-Tailed Fox. This name eventually became her nickname, which she quite enjoys. Additionally, she is also a celebrated singer in the Dawn Empire; at just sixteen years old, she participated in a talent show for ordinary people and became an instant sensation, remaining a household name ever since with new songs released every year.
The Nine-Tailed Fox resides in a grand estate on the outskirts of Dawn Empire’s capital, where no one knows she is a practitioner. During her appearance at the Assessment Match last season, she dazzled everyone present. Afterward, countless men visited her one after another, but she maintained an indifferent demeanor.
The Nine-Tailed Fox is one in five hundred thousand; she was adopted by the Head of the Liu Family when she was twelve years old and has never restrained herself. Fully aware that her beauty would cause a stir, she frequently appears at public events and concerts under her title as a singer; she revels in the attention from men and enjoys the jealous glares from women.
Although this time around at the Assessment Match, the Cao Liu Family participated under the name of Eastern Continent, they reside in Dawn Empire’s second-largest city while Liu Family is based in its capital. Following her appearance at the Assessment Match, there was a surge of matchmaking among noble families looking for suitors for her; clearly, Liu Family was waiting for offers while expressing hopes of finding her an ideal match.
Cui Ming had never seen the Nine-Tailed Fox but had encountered photographs printed from cameras that showcased her beauty—truly perfect. The most striking feature was her pair of eyes that held an irresistible allure... Many women wonder why men do not dislike flirtatious girls; for boys, flirtation isn't a standard by which they judge girls—the real standard lies in their faces. A pretty girl flirting can sway a man's heart completely; however, an average-looking girl doing so might scare him off entirely. Flirtation, shyness, boldness—none of these matter as much as whether one is good-looking or not...
"Not married yet?" Cui Ming asked, as he played a game of ups and downs with the Warden of the Sand Soldiers.
Feng Dao replied, "The Liu Family wants to find an excellent prospective head of the family from either the Ding Family or the Ye Family to be a partner for the Nine-Tailed Fox. However, those qualified from both families are under strict discipline. Who knows? Sigh..." Feng sighed at the end, seemingly regretting that he wasn't a prospective head of a noble family himself.
"Don't think too much about it. A woman who flirts around is only suitable as a lover," Cui Ming said, taking a break and returning to Feng's side to drink some water.
Feng said seriously, "She is not a promiscuous woman."
"Oh, got it," Cui Ming replied. "I was saying that the rainy season is approaching at Moon Lake, and we should move there. After the rainy season, we can leave the desert."
Upon hearing this, Feng sighed, "You've made great progress in two years, but my Wind Sword Technique hasn't broken through. How can I go out? If I do, my junior sister will hunt me down."
"Have some ambition; there's still half a year left," Cui Ming said, looking towards the distant Pearl Oasis. "I feel quite sympathetic towards Zhir. Living alone in this desolate place for over a thousand years... I can't even stand it for a year." It was better than solitary confinement; at least in solitary confinement, you know there are people outside, and you can communicate with those who bring your meals and hear some sounds from the outside world.
Feng gazed at the oasis. "Perhaps this is a form of devotion. He may have wanted to end his life countless times, but he believes that the Sun God has tasked him with guarding this place, so he must protect this desolate land."
"He has also grown accustomed to loneliness." The presence of Cui Ming and Feng did not diminish Zhir's sense of solitude. To Zhir, humans with lifespans of a hundred years were merely fleeting visitors in life, like a sand rat or a rattlesnake—there would always come a time for them to leave this world. Moreover, their stay in the desert wouldn't last longer than that of a rattlesnake's lifespan. Cui Ming remarked, "But he still harbors passion within." Otherwise, he wouldn't have transformed Sand Soldiers to train the two of them.
Feng nodded. "Unless you and I are willing to stay and accompany him for a hundred years, perhaps we could become friends."
"You’re thinking too much," Cui Ming replied. The cost of making friends was too high. (To be continued.)
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