Volume One: Entering the City Chapter Fifty: Withdrawal and a Promise

Lu Yi also sensed that the power of the Demon Eye was extremely restrained, as though it was afraid of something, merely passing him this information.

“Don’t move. No one move.” Lu Yi managed to utter, his mind racing. What’s going on? What exactly is happening? On the upper floor, he had dreamed of this layer and that terrifying scene. Now, as he tried to avoid that occurrence, a real sense of danger welled up. What should he do? What on earth should he do?

Suddenly, he noticed that the two bones behind the skeleton were one black and one white. He remembered that in his dream, this very skeleton had merged into Helian Xun’s body.

Among those present, there were two with the attribute of darkness, but only one with the attribute of light. Yet, when Lu Yi tried to pull Helian Xun back, he felt a sense of crisis. Wait—just now, did Helian Xun try to touch the skeleton? No, no. We’ve been standing here for a while. Why hasn’t anything else happened?

Lu Yi once more looked at the skeleton, especially the striking black and white bones at its back. Suddenly, a word leapt into his mind: “Balance.”

Yes, the reason nothing had happened so far was simply that the two people standing before the skeleton were one of light and one of darkness. As long as he, without activating the Demon Eye, was merely an ordinary person, he wouldn’t disrupt this balance. That’s why the Demon Eye was so cautious—if it revealed too much of its presence, the skeleton might undergo some sort of transformation.

“Listen to me. I’ll count to three, and then we all step back together.” Under Lu Yi’s guidance, the three slowly put some distance between themselves and the skeleton.

It wasn’t until they had moved a good distance away that the skeleton stirred. From its hollow eye sockets leaped two flames—one black, one white—which seemed to fixate on someone. Then the skeleton returned to stillness. Behind it, a fissure slowly opened, revealing a door.

“Let’s go,” Lu Yi urged them at once.

“Yes,” the others echoed in unison. Cedric, still shaken, muttered, “There really are things like this!”

Quickly, they retraced their steps and left the secret place. When they passed the floor where they’d previously encountered the white deer, all the animals turned on them at once. Cedric explained that it was because they carried foreign auras. Yet Lu Yi had another suspicion: it was to prevent something inside from escaping.

Outside the cave, Lu Yi took out three Sourceflow Fruits and handed them to Helian Ying. “I have a request. I hope you can deliver these three fruits as soon as possible to a girl named Katharina.”

“Hey, hey,” Cedric sneered, “I’ve figured it out. Before you invited me, you made a bet with this girl. You can only ask her for three favors, and now this is the third. How about you give them to me? I can get them to Katharina through my own channels.”

But Helian Ying snatched the Sourceflow Fruits from Lu Yi’s hand. She shot Cedric a glance out of the corner of her eye, then turned to Lu Yi. “The first two favors don’t count, since I benefited from them. This one, consider it a gift—you can still ask me for three favors.”

She grew serious. “You won this bet. I hope someday we’ll have another chance to compete, whether it’s in insight or in strength.”

“Xun, I’m heading out first. Let’s meet at the usual place.” With that, Helian Ying leapt into the woods down the mountain.

After she left, Helian Xun appeared rather sullen, occasionally glancing at Lu Yi.

Lu Yi scratched his head. He knew this moment was inevitable. Before this adventure, only Helian Xun had had faith in him, expressing that if he was the person she admired, she’d be willing to make a name for herself with him.

But after leaving the secret place, Lu Yi had only spoken with Helian Ying and Cedric. This must have hurt Helian Xun deeply. If things went on, there might even be friction between her and Helian Ying. If that happened, Lu Yi would have drastically altered the course of the story.

He thought for a moment, then went over to sit beside Helian Xun. She glanced at him but said nothing.

“What’s wrong? Who upset you, Xun?” Lu Yi asked, forcing himself to sound cheerful.

“Why are you talking to me? Anything I can do, Ying can do better,” she pouted.

Lu Yi glanced at the sky. It was already noon. He dug at the dirt by his side, finding no clever metaphor, so he simply pressed on. “Xun, do you like watching the stars?”

Helian Xun was taken aback. She looked up, then at Lu Yi. “If you don’t like me, just say so. Don’t talk about stars in the middle of the day.”

Lu Yi ignored her words. “In the night sky, some stars are especially bright. People connect those stars, imagining constellations and giving them beautiful meanings. Do you know why these legends are passed down?”

“Isn’t it because of those beautiful meanings?” Helian Xun replied.

“No. It’s because they shine on their own. I don’t know how extraordinary the person you admire is, but those around them are remembered not because they stood beside a dazzling star, but because, even standing next to such brilliance, their own light wasn’t overshadowed.

“Each one, taken alone, is a legend in their own right.” Lu Yi looked at her intently. “I believe you’ll become such a person, too.”

Helian Xun finally lifted her head. “Really?”

Lu Yi nodded. “Of course. I also hope that someday I’ll hear your story—not see you dim beside me.”

Her eyes blinked rapidly. Then she clenched a fist. “Okay! I’ll never let you leave me behind.”

“That’s the spirit,” Lu Yi said with a smile.

“In that case, let’s set a date.” Helian Xun looked at him, her fighting spirit rekindled. “Just like you and Ying did before. When the day comes, we’ll see who has achieved more.”

“Uh?” Now it was Lu Yi’s turn to be dumbfounded. How should the date be set?

“What, was all that talk just empty words?” She gazed at him, a little hurt.

He stretched out his hand, resolute. “Five years. I’m still in danger right now, and even if I enter this field, it’ll take time to catch up with you all.”

Helian Xun’s gloom vanished, replaced by a mischievous grin. “Alright, five years it is.”

Lu Yi was startled, then realized she’d tricked him—she must have figured things out some time ago. Still, he kept his word, extending his fist. “We’ll meet again in five years.”

She shook her head and raised her pinky. “Pinky swear.”

“Alright, pinky swear,” Lu Yi replied, gazing into her bright eyes.

With their pinkies linked, they made their vow. Helian Xun giggled. “I knew you cared about me. That’s why you came to comfort me as soon as you saw me like that.” She pecked his cheek, then whispered a few words in his ear.

Lu Yi felt himself flush with embarrassment.

“In that case, shouldn’t I leave something on you as well?” Helian Xun suddenly mused.

Lu Yi broke into a cold sweat. What was she up to? With the other two, it had been a matter of life and death—was this really necessary?

After a moment’s thought, Helian Xun took his right hand and slipped a ring onto his finger. “Good. Now you’ll remember our promise.”

Just then, the city’s system voice rang in Lu Yi’s mind: “A native is equipping you with gear. Add it to your equipment template?”

“Name: Amethyst Moon Spirit Glass Ring.
Quality: Tier One, purple.
Weight: 63 grams.
Equipment requirements: none.
Spirit Glass Shield: Reflects one mental attack the ring can withstand, 12-hour cooldown.
Amethyst Moon’s Calm: Wearing it for 24 hours increases the wearer’s spiritual power slightly.
Spirit of the Amethyst Moon: Summons a projection of the Amethyst Moon’s spirit, able to restore a target’s spiritual power and dispel certain negative effects, usable twice daily, with uses restored by exposure to moonlight.
Special ability—Oath: When activated, the wearer can teleport into this world during rest, arriving within two hundred meters of Helian Xun or another suitable nearby location, and Helian Xun will sense it. Five uses remaining, non-replenishable.
Description: Handcrafted and gifted by Helian Xun, symbolizing her promise with you.
Special note: This item is unique, non-tradable and non-transferable. Copies will lack special abilities. Upon being discarded or the wearer’s death, it is destroyed.
Note: Maximum stay in this world is affected by story progress and will be announced before entry. Final duration depends on your actions and other factors. Entering this way carries no mission, so no reward points can be earned, and the city will review items brought in or out.”

“Add to equipment template,” Lu Yi responded crisply after glancing at the attributes.

“Huh?” Helian Xun pressed the ring, looking a bit puzzled. Just as she was about to speak, the ring suddenly glowed with purple light.

Seeing this glow, she murmured, “That’s strange. It wasn’t responding just now. Why is it working now?”

She looked at Lu Yi, as if anything happening to him was to be expected. “Alright, I’m off too. Don’t forget our promise.”

With that, Helian Xun also turned and leapt into the woods.