Chapter Forty-Seven: The Spell Formation Left Behind

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Array Left Behind

Shen Ce and Sylos traversed countless mountain ridges, the sound of breaking wind constantly in their ears. After a while, they finally stopped atop a mountain whose color was unusually deep. The entire area was eerily tranquil; aside from its peculiar hue, it differed little from the other peaks—sparse vegetation, animals nowhere to be seen, and even insects were scarce. It was desolate beyond comprehension.

Shen Ce walked slowly to a bare, withered tree, resting his hand upon its branch. Turning to the black-clad assassin behind him, he said, “Sylos, don’t you think the Mist Spirit Mountains are somewhat strange?”

Sylos picked up a handful of pale purple sand from the ground, a faint, inscrutable smile curling his lips. “Strange indeed. I’ve never seen sand of this color. And though the weather is cool today, this sand feels hot to the touch.”

Shen Ce gazed at the sand in Sylos’s palm for several moments, then stooped to gather some himself. As Sylos had described, the sand was indeed warm—almost scorching—but with boots on, Shen Ce wouldn’t have noticed just by walking over it.

A thought flickered in Shen Ce’s mind and began to take shape. “Sylos, perhaps this sand is a clue for entering the Demon Realm. Since it’s hot, let’s try to find the source of the heat.”

Seeing Sylos nod in agreement, Shen Ce immediately realized a fatal flaw in his plan. “But how are we supposed to search? Are we to test the temperature of every patch of sand along the way?” His expression was grave, no hint of jest.

The smile on Sylos’s lips deepened. With a wave of his hand, a snow-white fox appeared from nowhere. Noticing Shen Ce’s astonished look, Sylos explained, “This is a spirit fox. It loves warmth. If we follow it, we’ll find the heat’s origin.”

Shen Ce had seen plenty of players keep pets, most not for their fighting prowess but simply for amusement. After all, a full-immersion game could skip many cumbersome steps of real-life animal care. The fox Sylos summoned was clever and adorable; it would surely be a hit among female players if sold in the pet market. Shen Ce, however, had never imagined Sylos would keep such a creature.

The little white fox, though short-legged, ran swiftly. Shen Ce and Sylos hurried after it, and after half an hour, the fox lay still atop a large boulder. Its eyes were half-closed, curled up as if in utter comfort. Sylos glanced at the fox, then moved his right hand and the fox vanished from sight.

Shen Ce approached the deep-purple stone, brushing its surface and discovering its heat. He quickly withdrew his hand. “Sylos, can you move this stone?” As a priest, Shen Ce’s physical strength was not high. While he could blast the stone to pieces if necessary, he preferred to avoid unnecessary complications, so that option was his last resort.

Sylos came beside him, a long sword appearing in his hand. He struck the right side of the stone twice, and it slowly shifted aside, revealing a pitch-black entrance.

Shen Ce stared in surprise at the opening. He exchanged a glance with Sylos; without a word, they proceeded toward the entrance with perfect tacit understanding. Shen Ce cast a light spell—a basic spell from the light arts—making vision no longer an issue. Unfortunately, the tunnel was barely a meter high, forcing both Shen Ce and Sylos to stoop as they walked.

At first, the passage was extremely narrow; progress was difficult. Gradually, it widened, and its height allowed them to stretch their limbs. Yet the deeper they ventured, the hotter the tunnel became. After more than half an hour, they came upon a hot spring, steam swirling above the water, tempting Shen Ce to test its warmth.

Both approached the spring. Shen Ce, fastidious by nature, found his priest’s robe so dust-covered it was unrecognizable as white. With Sylos present, he could only sigh inwardly and resist the urge to bathe. He bent down, dipping his hand into the water; burning heat spread along his fingers. He estimated that, with a light-based defensive spell, the water would be just right.

Sylos, of course, noticed Shen Ce’s inner thoughts. He folded his arms and watched Shen Ce play with the water, his smile utterly content. Then Sylos surveyed the area around the spring. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to the stone wall beside it. He called Shen Ce over. “Zero, come look at this.”

Shen Ce responded immediately, striding over. He was shocked as he touched a protrusion on the rock wall. “Is this amethyst?”

The rock wall glittered with a magnificent purple; some parts were translucent like jade, others as dull as ordinary stone. Shen Ce followed the protrusion, growing ever more astonished—the wealth here, if it truly was amethyst, would be immense for him and Sylos.

Sylos folded his hands before him, his tone calm. “It seems to be amethyst, but these must already belong to someone.”

Suddenly awakened by Sylos’s words, Shen Ce followed his gesture and spotted a pile of metal and wood in a corner, with a small flag planted in the wood. It seemed to be a magical array left by someone. The poor lighting and remote location had kept Shen Ce from noticing it before.

He walked toward the array, sensing a faint magical pulse, almost negligible. Shen Ce couldn’t help but admire the skill of its creator. He gazed solemnly at the little flag, then said to Sylos, “How about I go in first, and you stay here to guard?”

Sylos raised his brows, his eyes deep as the sea. “Since you said this mountain range lies at the border of light and dark, shouldn’t you use that spell the priest taught before you enter?”

Only then did Shen Ce realize that entering might take him straight into the dark lands. Ashamed of his carelessness, he promptly cast the spell taught by the High Priest to disguise himself as a demon.

Instantly, a surge of powerful magic swept through him, an uncanny tension lurking in his body, unsettling him. Shen Ce’s brow furrowed. Watching the High Priest cast this spell had seemed effortless, yet for him it was agonizing. He squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to withstand the pain, but within seconds, the strange tension dissipated.

Shen Ce abruptly opened his eyes, looking at his hands and feeling changed, though he couldn’t quite say how. He looked hesitantly to Sylos, who walked over and smiled quietly. “Your eyes are beautiful.”

—So, his eyes had turned purple, just like the High Priest’s last time?

Author’s note: [Sigh, please forgive me. I spent the whole day on the road today and feel completely off. Might be short and abrupt...]