One year later, on a remote, flat area of the荒海 (Huanghai Sea), the clash of blades and the clang of metal were incessant.
From time to time, bursts of light would erupt, followed by deafening explosions.
"Hahaha!"
The 天空之脊 (Sky Ridge) was planted in the ground, and Ling Feng knelt on one knee, his chest heaving. Beads of sweat, the size of soybeans, slid from his chin to the ground.
"Ling, your spear technique is good, but you still lack practical combat experience," Ying, dressed in martial attire and holding her稻光 (Inari), pointed out Ling Feng's shortcomings.
"Gulp."
Ling Feng swallowed three 复生丹 (Resurrection Pills). The pills melted in his mouth, and simultaneously, he circulated the 元灵诀 (Origin Spirit Art), accelerating the absorption of the medicinal power. His lost stamina and true qi quickly began to recover.
"Ying, I'm not as skilled as you with long-handled weapons. I've recently developed a new move. Want to try it?"
"A new move? Come on."
Ying showed a flicker of interest in the new move Ling Feng spoke of.
"Wait a moment, let me recover for an hour."
Ying nodded. After all, for a sparring match, one had to be at their peak to truly enjoy it.
Ling Feng sat cross-legged, circulating the 元灵诀, replenishing his true qi while also improving his cultivation. Over the past year, his cultivation had reached the late stage of the Golden Core, not far from the peak. He expected to break through within three days.
An hour later, Ying emerged from her meditation, and Ling Feng exited his cultivation state. The moment their eyes met, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became oppressive. Beneath the apparent calm, a storm was quietly brewing.
"Ying, I'm making my move!"
"Bring it on!"
Ying's purple pupils glowed, her body shifting slightly, and a cold glint flashed on the blade of the 稻光. Having spent so much time with Ying and sparred hundreds of times, Ling Feng was familiar with the meaning behind her stance.
"Hoo..." Ling Feng adjusted his breathing, exhaling a breath of turbid air, his expression solemn and serious.
"Ying, be careful!"
Ling Feng gripped the 战神之刃 (God of War Blade) and took a step forward, surging forward like a cannonball. The ground beneath him caved in with a resounding thud.
Ying remained calm and collected, swinging the 稻光 downwards. Just as the 战神之刃 was about to collide with the 稻光, Ling Feng vanished instantly, blade and all. The 稻光 struck empty air.
Ying's pupils constricted, clearly startled. Her movements paused for a fraction of a second before she spun and unleashed another strike!
Clang!
The 战神之刃 and 稻光 collided, sparks flying, and a wave of energy rippled outwards. After unleashing her strike, Ying didn't press her advantage. She stood her ground, watching Ling Feng, who was sent flying backward, plowing a long furrow in the ground before planting his foot heavily to stop himself.
"Teleportation? No, it's not that simple."
A slight smile curved Ying's lips. To be honest, Ling Feng's new trick had piqued her intense interest.
"Full power!"
Ling Feng didn't answer Ying's question. He took another step, and halfway through his movement, he vanished again. The next moment, Ling Feng appeared at Ying's side, the 天空之脊 sweeping outwards. Ying reacted swiftly, blocking the attack in an instant. Ling Feng vanished once more, reappearing above Ying, unleashing a 烈焰斩 (Flame Slash).
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Disappear. Appear. Disappear. Reappear. Ling Feng's movements were like a phantom, appearing and disappearing at will, constantly shifting positions. He alternated between the 战神之刃, 天空之脊, 焚寂 (Fénjì), and 傲雪 (Àoxuě), switching weapons based on the situation. Ling Feng's attack frequency and movement speed grew increasingly rapid.
Any ordinary person facing Ling Feng's unorthodox moves would surely be defeated. Even those with greater strength would find the battle thrillingly perilous. You never knew when Ling Feng would suddenly disappear and strike from another direction. You also didn't know which of his weapons he would be wielding at that moment.
But Ying was different. Encountering Ling Feng's peculiar fighting style for the first time had exhilarated her. Their movements became faster and faster, their exchanges more rapid, to the point where their figures, and even their afterimages, were imperceptible to the naked eye. They fought with the fury of heaven and earth collapsing, dust filling the sky and obscuring the sun.
Half an hour later, Ling Feng and Ying sat back-to-back on the ground, both thoroughly satisfied with their battle.
"Ling, your moves are novel and powerful, and the constant weapon switching makes you unpredictable." Ying openly acknowledged the uniqueness of Ling Feng's new techniques.
"They are good, but this move consumes a lot of energy," Ling Feng chuckled.
His move, a combination of spatial displacement and attacks with three different weapons, could also be called Flying Thunder God. Its inspiration came from a blocky figure in a blue shirt and purple-blue jeans.
"After sparring, shouldn't we head back? Otherwise, Zhen and the others will starve."
"Let's go."
The two then returned to the 天守阁 (Heavenly Watch Pavilion). Upon arriving, Ling Feng saw three creatures that had suddenly come back to life, lunging at him like zombies. These were Zhen, Shagiri, and Yaezaki, all famished. Ling Feng quickly got to cooking. After eating, the three of them were fully revived.
In the afternoon, Ling Feng was busy with official duties in the 天守阁 when he suddenly heard the system's prompt.
[Ding! Chain quest, Phase 1: 'Warning' has been completed. Rewards have been distributed.]
[Ding! Chain quest, Phase 2: 'Pandora's Box'. Please proceed to the 永夜海渊 (Eternal Night Abyss) and find the book《日月前事》(Chronicles of Sun and Moon).]
"Hmm, this quest is actually complete? Proceed to the 永夜海渊? Where is that?" Ling Feng furrowed his brow and muttered the unfamiliar place name. In his memory, there was no information about this place called 永夜海渊.
Ling Feng opened the system map to search. The map of Inazuma had already been unlocked. Soon, Ling Feng noticed something amiss. The map surprisingly did not show Watatsumi Island! In its place was a brand-new name—the Enkanomiya. Judging by its location, it was deep underwater.
Ling Feng brought up the quest panel.
[Chain Quest]: Truth
[Current Phase]: Phase 2: 'Pandora's Box'
[Current Difficulty]: Normal
[Quest Duration]: None
[Quest Description]: Proceed to Enkanomiya and find the secret tome 《日月前事》.
[Quest Reward]: One thousand Wish Energy, one 4-star Water-Repelling Pearl.
Was Enkanomiya the 永夜海渊? Just how terrifying was 《日月前事》 to be called Pandora's Box by the system? Could it be that Orobashi met his demise after reading its contents? What was recorded within? The more he was forbidden to look, the more curious Ling Feng became about its contents. The system had classified the difficulty as Normal, indicating that safety was assured, both externally and internally. Therefore, Ling Feng decided to go for it! He also wanted to experience this place that was called both 永夜海渊 and Enkanomiya. When he first arrived in Teyvat, this map hadn't been unlocked, so he had to explore it himself. As for the issue of Watatsumi Island, he was utterly baffled. During the Archon War, Watatsumi Island didn't exist. He mused that it was no wonder he hadn't seen Watatsumi Island recorded on the war maps; it simply hadn't come into existence yet.
As Ling Feng was contemplating his upcoming journey, a petite figure ran in excitedly.
"Ling Feng, what do you think of this painting?" Shagiri eagerly handed a scroll to Ling Feng.
Seeing Shagiri's excitement, Ling Feng didn't interrupt her enthusiasm. He took the scroll and unrolled it, his eyes widening in astonishment.
"This... this..."
Purple hair, wearing a pink and white kimono, holding a parasol. Isn't this Zhen? However, Ling Feng couldn't shake the feeling that the Zhen in the painting seemed a bit... suggestive. Hmm... Let me take a closer look.
"How does it look?" Seeing Ling Feng staring at the scroll without speaking, Shagiri asked again.
"Cough, cough, cough. It's a good painting, but it feels a little strange. Some aspects of the colors seem a bit off." Ling Feng evaluated seriously. He had seen Shagiri's painting skills before. The suggestive beauty on the scroll, while captivating, also showed a significant difference from Shagiri's previous works.
"As expected, you noticed. The brushes and paints of this era are very uncomfortable and unfamiliar to me, which is why the painting is much worse than before." Shagiri said with a hint of helplessness.
"Since the brushes here are not to your liking, why don't we go back to Blue Star and buy some?" Ling Feng chuckled.
"Buy them on Blue Star? Yay!" Shagiri happily waved her arms.
*Hiss! So cute! ฅฅ**
Shagiri noticed Ling Feng's gaze on her and a wave of shame washed over her.
"Ling Feng, you're staring at me with a lewd gaze. Are you thinking of something naughty?" Shagiri covered herself with her hands, her face flushed, and said softly.
"How could I!" Ling Feng cried out indignantly.
"Hmph, ╯^╰ I'm going to tell Zhen-neechan that you're trying to bully me." With that, Shagiri turned to run out.
"Wait, let's talk business. Go back to your room and prepare. I promised your brother I would cure you and take you back to see him." Ling Feng said seriously.
"Onii-chan..." Shagiri's gaze became complex. She slowly left the workspace, seemingly lost in thought.
After Shagiri left, Ling Feng looked at the painting on the table, his eyes darting around. He carefully put it away, storing it in the system space as a treasure. This was truly a treasure!
"Clink."
"Who's there!" Hearing the sound, Ling Feng turned to look and saw a pink-haired fox falling from the window.
"Yae?"
"Ermm..." Yae, as if having done something guilty, ran away incredibly fast, disappearing in an instant. Ling Feng: ??? Why run so fast? It's like I'll eat you.
...
In a room in Akihabara, within the multiversal world, Ling Feng and Shagiri materialized out of thin air. Looking at the room covered in dust, Ling Feng casually threw a talisman. The entire room instantly became spotless, so clean the floor could reflect light. Ling Feng summoned Future from his pet space and glanced at the time and date on his phone.
"As expected, the time flow here is different from Teyvat. We've been in Teyvat for over two years, but here, only a little over two months have passed."
Wait, Ling Feng remembered a problem. One month here equals one year in Teyvat. That means one day here is equivalent to twelve days in Teyvat, almost half a month?
"System, can you adjust the time flow of the two worlds to a one-to-one ratio?"
['Yes, synchronizing the time flow of the two worlds will cost one Wish Energy per hour. Execute?']
"One Wish Energy per hour? It's a small price. Execute." Ling Feng said magnanimously. He was no longer concerned about single-digit Wish Energy. Over the past few years, he had accumulated over ten thousand Wish Energy. His Wish Energy count used to be unable to exceed 160, but perhaps after cultivating, he had become much more patient.
[Ding! Synchronization of Teyvat and Multiversal World time flow has been executed.]
"Ling Feng, the time flow rates of the two worlds are different. Will we be too late if we go back?" Shagiri mused.
"Leave that to me. Just remember that our time flow is now synchronized with theirs. Relax and play for a few days, and handle your business."
"Alright." Shagiri nodded obediently. Shagiri moved to the window, looking out at the world, and said leisurely, "Speaking of which, I wonder how Kirito and Asuna are doing."
"I miss them a little." Ling Feng took out two cans of ice-cold cola, handed one to Shagiri, took a calm sip of his cola, and said leisurely, "After all, they are comrades we fought alongside for so long."
"I know Kirito's home address. Shall we go look for him?"
"Logically, Kirito should also know Asuna's address."
"They even got married in SAO and even did 'that kind of thing.' They should still be in frequent contact in reality."
"Among our SAO comrades, besides the two of us, others should still be in contact with each other." This was assuming that in these two months, Kirito had already rescued Asuna from Sugou's scum. If he hadn't, Ling Feng would have been happy to lend a hand, easily hacking into the game system and gaining authority with Future's abilities.
"How dare you say that! If you hadn't always avoided me, I would have... Hmph ╯^╰. You even wanted to leave me alone back then, but now you can't shake me off." Shagiri looked at Ling Feng resentfully and complained.
"Cough, cough, cough, well, Future, let's start collecting data for this world."
"The data energy from the three worlds should be enough for you to grow to 4-star and possess an elemental form." Ling Feng quickly ignored Shagiri's resentful gaze and changed the subject.
Future: Understood, Master.
As the words fell, Future fell silent.
"Shagiri, where can I buy art supplies? I'm unfamiliar with Japan."
"I used to buy them online. I haven't left the house in years, so I don't know either."
Ling Feng/Shagiri: ...
Very good. These two would probably get lost even if they went out.
"Then let's visit Kirito first."
"Oh right, the power of cultivators. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary, or we'll have quite a bit of trouble." Ling Feng warned. He didn't want to be chased by a bunch of nuclear missiles. Over the past year, due to her spiritual roots, Shagiri had cultivated the wind and ice aspects of the 元灵诀. Coupled with a Great Demon Emperor's inner core as an aid, she had already reached the Core Formation stage. As for the heavenly tribulation? Perhaps because Shagiri's other identity was the spirit of the Mist Wind Sword, no lightning tribulation had fallen yet.
"Understood, don't worry." Shagiri patted her chest. Ling Feng: Visually, it's still a landing strip, over.
Sensing the deep "malice" in Ling Feng's eyes, Shagiri pouted and questioned, "Are you thinking of something bad?"
"How could I! Let's go, no time to explain. The old driver is about to hit the road!" Ling Feng guiltily tossed his finished cola into the trash and dashed out the door. The more Ling Feng acted like this, the more Shagiri felt that the scoundrel must have been thinking of something bad about her just now!