Chapter 186: Wise: Belle, Can We Please Not Think About Horror Stories?
Dan Heng turned to Zhongli, his expression solemn as he offered a respectful nod. "So that's how it is. Congratulations. To make such great progress on the Grand Dao is a truly fortunate event."
He understood that every step forward on the path of cultivation was built upon a mountain of accumulated effort and sudden moments of enlightenment. For Zhongli to advance so quickly was nothing short of a miracle.
After adding her own congratulations, March 7th looked over at Dan Heng, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "By the way, Dan Heng, aren't you also studying that cultivation technique Paimon drew for us? How far have you gotten?" Both she and Stelle were eager to hear about their ever-reliable companion's progress.
Dan Heng's answer was as calm and practical as ever, tinged with his characteristic humility. "I've only dabbled a little. It's nothing compared to the rapid progress of Mr. Zhongli. The mysteries of Core Formation are extraordinary, and I'm still a considerable distance from it. For now, I'm still solidifying my foundation within the Foundation Establishment stage, cultivating diligently."
"Whoa! Dan Heng, you've already reached Foundation Establishment?" Stelle's eyes widened, genuinely surprised this time.
But then she reconsidered. Dan Heng was knowledgeable, incredibly resolute, and constantly preoccupied with finding a solution to the Mara-Struck crisis on the Xianzhou. With such powerful motivation and unwavering focus, it was only natural that his progress would be swift.
Besides, a familiar, strange confidence bubbled up within her. She was certain that if she ever decided to get serious about cultivating, she could definitely become just as powerful as them—or maybe even surpass them.
When March 7th heard Dan Heng's answer, however, that little seed of anxiety in her heart began to sprout again.
'Stelle only took nine days to master the Fire Dance Whirlwind, and Dan Heng reached Foundation Establishment in less than a week...'she thought, a small frown forming.'It feels like I'm the only one who's completely forgotten about improving myself, just playing around and taking pictures every day...''If this keeps up, I'll become the weakest one in the crew! No, no!'
The thought seemed to jolt her. She shook her head vigorously, pressing her hands over her ears as she muttered, "This is too competitive! I need to start cultivating diligently, too! I don't want to be a burden and get left behind!"
Seeing that the topic was about to veer from a serious debrief into a full-blown "cultivation competition," Zhongli skillfully guided the conversation back on track. "Alright. Since Dan Heng has returned and everyone is here, why don't we first summarize today's exploration? As for cultivation, simply proceed step by step. There's no need to focus so heavily on comparing yourselves to one another."
Stelle's attention was easily diverted, especially when she heard the word "summary," which she took to mean that she could finally relax and soak in the hot springs.
She immediately threw her hands up in a cheer. "Woohoo! Finally, hot springs time! I'm going to get changed first!"
Her enthusiastic shout was enough to pull March 7th from her fretful thoughts, and it also recaptured the attention of Wise and Belle, who had been listening quietly. That's right—after a long day of running around, wasn't this the moment they'd all been waiting for?
Everyone got up and returned to their rooms, re-emerging soon after clad in comfortable yukatas.
Not long after, the six of them, weary from a day of travel, settled into the steaming outdoor hot spring. The warm, mineral-rich water enveloped their bodies, melting away the soreness in their muscles. It felt as if the water could wash away every trace of fatigue and dust, drawing a collective sigh of contentment from the group.
As they soaked in the deeply relaxing water, Dan Heng and Wise, the de facto leaders of their respective teams, began the day's gains.
Wise spoke first, his tone steady and analytical. "On our side, we primarily gained 378 points from clearing out monsters and opening treasure chests." For the siblings, who were venturing into this type of battlefield for the first time, it was a respectable haul.
"In addition, we obtained a few green and white quality items." He paused briefly before adding the key point. "Among them was a new bottle of Meridian-Nourishing and Blood-Activating Pills, as well as a bottle of the same Rejuvenation Pills that Lumine's team acquired previously. Both are very practical gains."
Dan Heng immediately followed up. "Our team was slightly more efficient. We obtained a total of 561 points." This was a proof of the Astral Express crew's long-standing tacit understanding and their well-honed combat methods, which had allowed them to clear more ground and open more chests.
"The items we found were also mainly green and white quality resources," he continued, "including a batch of Low-Grade Spirit Stones and another bottle of the Rejuvenation Pills."
Judging solely by the points and item count, Dan Heng's team had clearly gained more. But everyone present knew that the practical experience Wise and Belle had acquired was far more valuable than any cold, hard data.
For the Proxy siblings from New Eridu, who had previously relied more on strategy and technology, this excursion into a relatively safe environment had allowed them to acclimate to the rhythm of the battlefield. They had begun to overcome their initial awkwardness and panic when facing enemies, building a foundation of valuable confidence. The invisible growth was plain to see in the genuine satisfaction on Wise and Belle's faces.
As for Zhongli, he no longer needed to concern himself with points or ordinary resources. For him, simply being able to protect these outstanding juniors and witness their keen progress and steady growth was a pleasure in itself.
Beyond these tangible rewards, the day's exploration had also yielded a few fragmented pieces of information.
After they had defeated some of the more powerful Damned Vanguards, their crumbling stone bodies would sometimes emit faint, broken imprints of thought. These manifested as intermittent words, which the observant Wise and Dan Heng had managed to capture.
"Blood sacrifice..."
"Soul rending..."
"Reconstruction..."
"Hanging Edge City..."
"Wrong... ritual..."
Most of the words carried a heavy, dark, and almost bloody connotation that left one feeling deeply uneasy.
Floating in the soothing atmosphere of the hot spring, the group couldn't help but discuss these cryptic fragments.
Under Belle's guidance, she unconsciously began applying the framework of the countless horror movies and suspense stories she had consumed. A vague, terrifying story outline began to emerge from the ether. A powerful entity in Hanging Edge City, she theorized, might have performed a dangerous ritual of soul-rending through blood sacrifice. But the ritual seemed to have gone horribly wrong, and now that entity required the "reconstruction" of its soul.
Wise, who had no defense against such plots, instinctively hugged his arms. "That sounds like the beginning of one of those classic cult horror films..." he whispered, as if the water temperature had suddenly dropped a few degrees.
This "story," pieced together from fragmented words and colored by a healthy dose of imagination, was indeed captivating and carried a powerful sense of foreboding.
However, everyone—including the person who had deduced it—overlooked a key issue: chronological order. They were subconsciously sorting and filling in the blanks according to their own understanding, ignoring the possibility of a different sequence or a different purpose behind the words.
still, Stelle was already hooked. "Is it possible this is a true story that happened here?" she suggested eagerly. "Dan Heng, Mr. Zhongli, could you pay more attention to any legends or forbidden records about 'soul rending'or'reconstruction' in the history of Hanging Edge City?"
Hearing this, Dan Heng gave a steady nod. "Yes. These words are indeed worth a deeper investigation into their meaning and implications." Zhongli, too, inclined his head in agreement.
But besides these obvious gains and deductions, Zhongli held a much deeper discovery close to his chest, one he had not yet shared with the others.
Just at the moment the day's exploration had concluded and the event's progress meter had jumped to 75%, he had clearly perceived a change. The invisible restriction that had been subtly hindering his deep communication with the earth beneath his feet had suddenly vanished.
The long-lost and incredibly familiar sensation reappeared. His perception easily penetrated the rock layers, spreading outward, intending to listen to the memories and stories carried by this land named Fate Abyss.
But the information that flowed back to him only plunged him into even deeper thought.
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