The script on the surface of her skin gradually turned solid, transforming into rough, hard stones that forcefully compressed Yue Lan’s flesh and blood.
She curled up on the ground, letting out painful cries, as fresh blood was squeezed from her contorted skin.
Gradually, she turned into a stone statue, lying alone on the forest floor.
Not long after, several vixen from the Nongli camp hurried over. When they saw Yue Lan’s statue, they all gritted their teeth. “Damn it, this charlatan would rather die than obey Lady Nongli’s orders?”
“What now? Should we transport her out?”
“We can’t help with the Deepwood Zone for now. Let’s hide this charlatan first.”
After coming to a decision, the vixens began moving the statue, heading toward their camp outside the Deepwood Zone.
The conflict in the Deepwood Zone was still raging on. They had just finished notifying reinforcements to rush to the Sacred Land of Deepwood.
*****
“Rrgh… touching me directly, are you?”
One vixen suddenly jolted and stopped. “Hey, did you hear something?”
“Sound?” The companions exchanged glances.
“How dare you lay hands on the body of the Hero? You outsiders.”
“It’s that charlatan!”
The vixens immediately dropped the statue to the ground, stepped back two paces, and drew their weapons.
“Aha… I’ve been holding back for so long, and finally, I’m out.”
Crack!
A woman’s hand burst from Yue Lan’s statue’s head, followed by her face.
The woman’s face resembled Yue Lan’s, but on closer inspection, it was slightly different. Her eyes, especially, were a deep, jade-green like the woods.
Her exposed shoulders, arms, and head emerged in an uncanny posture, gazing at the vixens.
“Now then… it’s Yue Qi’s time.”
The Hero Yue Qi emerged from her younger sister’s petrified form, stretching her itchy joints with nothing on.
“Yue Qi? Where’s Yue Lan?” a vixen asked in confusion.
“She’s right here… Yue Lan·Windchime’s devotion clouded her judgment, but the truth has always been in my heart… I am the Hero. I will protect this land, this world.
No one, nothing, can stop my wish.
Whether it’s Aoki, Lin Qiyou, or Nongli, these outsiders are all parasites bent on destroying this world.”
Yue Qi spoke to herself, and in her hand, a long sword appeared out of thin air. When the vixens’ eyes moved from the sword, they found that she was now also clad in pure white armor. Standing before the shattered remains of the statue, she raised her longsword high as pure white light showered down from the sky.
Holy and solemn, a blessing from the gods clung to her body.
“My Lord is here. Travelers, evil gods, monsters from other worlds dare deceive my Lord?
I see through it all!”
*****
Elsewhere, in another world, Aoki woke up in bed.
He didn’t know whether he had entered the simulation world of his own accord and happened to catch the upheaval, or if the fire and screams outside had roused him.
Stumbling, he opened the door to see one side of Nongli’s palace ablaze, and a small demon came sprinting toward him. “Hurry, hurry, get out of here!”
Before Aoki could react, the little demon clamped him under its arm and bolted in a set direction.
“What’s going on?”
“No time to explain! Lady Nongli told me to get you to safety!”
“Is it Lin Qiyou? Is it the Sword Immortal Youjian attacking?”
“Huh? How did you— Ouch!”
The little demon was about to ask when Aoki suddenly bit his hand. The demon let go, and Aoki dashed off in a flash.
For Aoki, this was a critical moment. He absolutely could not let things fall apart now.
That’s right. He had proven one thing—this world was not fake; it truly existed and could affect the real world, like the powerful effect of a butterfly flapping its wings.
Lin Qiyou and Nongli.
Is there really an irreconcilable conflict between them?
He must resolve it—must get them to lay down their arms in reality!
Besides, the system’s simulation rewards had already given him seven tails. Even if he failed, he could accept it.
Just thinking of those two in the real world fighting to the bitter end because of him gave Aoki a headache.
And, in the simulation world, the same thing was happening.
For a moment, Aoki didn’t know whether the past was affecting the future or the future affecting the past.
Because of what would happen in the future, he had to disrupt his current plans in the present.
No matter how he thought about it, it was an endless loop.
Lin Qiyou, for his sake, probably wanted to unleash a bloody storm here.
“Lin Qiyou! Nongli! Stop fighting, please stop! Don’t fight anymore!”
Right now, Aoki was just a normal child with a bit of energy in his body, nowhere near a cultivator. He could only rely on instinct, running toward the billowing flames, hoping to find Lin Qiyou and Nongli.
If he set his wishes even higher than what he expected in his heart, maybe the result would come out just as he hoped.
At a corner of the courtyard, Aoki saw a swordswoman in white and stopped. The white-robed swordswoman turned her head at the same time.
“You—”
“Shut up!”
Aoki cut Lin Qiyou off, certain that she was about to launch into a lengthy speech. Even if she was always quiet, she would still vent her feelings and tell him her version of the truth. But Aoki had no time to listen.
“That’s right, I’m Aoki—Aoki as in ‘green grass’ and ‘tree’—I know you’re Lin Qiyou, and I know you’re here for me. Now listen: I forbid you and Nongli from fighting anymore! If you two keep butting heads, I’ll run straight into a wall and kill myself, got it!”
Aoki gripped Lin Qiyou’s robe hard. Lin Qiyou, looking a bit stunned, clutched at her clothes to keep the agitated Aoki from tearing them off.
“What?”
Lin Qiyou was clearly baffled by Aoki’s sudden appearance and even more by what he was saying.
She and Qin Shuang had stormed in precisely for Aoki. But for him to appear like this in front of her?
Was something wrong?
Wasn’t she supposed to have a blood battle with Nongli and then claim the prize—Aoki?
How was it that before Nongli had even shown up, Aoki himself came out to mediate?
But…
“I don’t want you to run into a wall and die… but, I refuse.”
Lin Qiyou grabbed Aoki’s arm. “You must have been bewitched by that fox, Nongli, right?
Since your last life as a pill master, all the way until now, she still haunts you… Don’t be afraid, I’ll save you. No matter what, I won’t let her eat you again. Never.”
“What nonsense are you spouting! Listen—stop the fighting! Stop the fighting! Stop the fighting!”
Aoki shouted twice, but Lin Qiyou completely ignored his pleas and instead called to someone behind her, “Qin Shuang, help me out—take Aoki away!”
“Aoki Senior Brother…”
Aoki turned to see Qin Shuang supporting Qin Feng.
“Aoki?”
Qin Feng saw Aoki and said together with his mother.
Mother and son exchanged a glance and froze.
“When I’ve subdued the fox demon, I’ll come see you again.”
Lin Qiyou said to Aoki earnestly.
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