“Not that I want to say it, Sisters,” said the one bearing the pressure of desire reflected in the official’s shadow, “but this really is a bit too surreal.”
Yeah, it is a bit abstract.
The meaning is only protective on the surface, not in a cyber sense. If we use a more academic term, it ought to be called White Study—
Leaving aside the shadow, Shen Ning himself thought the same, because he could see a Sub-Interface of the System glowing inside the sea.
[Moonlight Ritual (3-4): Usable count]
The moonlight, gathered for so long, was right here. It was just like the shadow cat’s Moonlight from the rogue delivery team—since the official power was at the threshold between the Three and Four Stages, upgrading from physical to metaphysical, then perhaps the required moonlight also came from a more academic source.
That night in the courtyard, the effort had all been wasted; inviting Li Yao up to the Clock Tower to watch the moon all night had been useless. Its only effect was letting forty thousand souls in the Crystal Stone World relive a moment of joy.
Facing the girl, Mei Tao, who pointed the way under the Queen’s seat, was still cheerfully noisy:
“It’s like a piece of moonlight, yes, that’s right. A warm and gentle moonlight, you can look straight at it without worrying about hurting your organs. I’m thinking, the person in your life must be very skilled at getting along with others, so much so that you never feel uneasy because she’s too nice to you. Instead, it becomes a perfectly natural way to exist…”
The old gentlemen here are just too cultured, Shen Ning felt a little embarrassed.
But the one bearing the pressure of desire in the shadow heard the news and said, “The intention is completely pure, you won’t feel guilty.”
That’s how it is.
“Of course, why would I lie to you? But then again, I’m thinking commercially…” The pressure-bearer lay flat in the shadow on the ground, holding her head with both hands. “If Li Yao always treats you with all her heart, then what would this sub-system be called? Sunlight Ritual? Solar Ascension?”
“That would never happen. Li Yao is already quite rare as she is.” The rogue shadow couldn’t help but chime in, “Aside from blood relatives, there’s no one in this world who would, for no reason, devote themselves to another so selflessly.”
But there are those who, for no reason, will treat others badly—like Li Yao, that annoying Little Devil.
Don’t ask why. That’s just life.
Mei Tao was still speaking, but Shen Ning’s mind was already focused on the interface, lightly tapping “Use”.
[Activated. The second strand of moonlight has been triggered.]
Chilled, clear moonlight—though it seemed to have no warmth, perhaps that was just a disguise for its gentle undertone.
After all, in the endless darkness, moonlight is the only clear light.
With a flick of its tentacles, the Sea Monster’s massive body surfaced, its enormous octopus head facing the crowd on the sand with a menacing presence, then suddenly spewing forth a black cloud, Poisonous Tentacles sweeping through and poisoning many.
The sound above did not come from the sea beast, but from Wang Li, who was seated in the crowd, dubbing its voice.
“Do you know, octopus venom in seawater isn’t all that potent—nothing compared to the toxin from jellyfish tentacles.” She told her subordinates, “So what comes next will be worth watching.”
The toxin from the stinger is effective but not pretty—just like some mechanics in games, efficient but unsightly. Yet the Venom Mist is quite a sight. Those shrouded in it suffer agonizing pain, but don’t die instantly, so for a time screams filled the air, people’s bodies covered in various horrifying wounds. Apart from Wang Li, no one wanted to look twice.
“My hand! My hand!!”
“Help! Please! Help us!!”
“Chant, howl, wail—help us!!”
“What a beautiful sound!”
The last line came from Wang Li, her eyes shining, not wanting to miss a single moment.
At this moment, Wang Li was deeply moved inside. The impossible dream of her youth, after years of effort, had finally come true. To realize this wish, she had striven tirelessly, become stronger, joined a good organization, sold her future for support, and even arranged for Mendos, the peak of the Four Stages, to lend a small hand. At last, she had torn open the Defensive Line, letting a few little cuties slip inside.
What a wonderful result—enjoy every second.
The Delivery Team on the sand fought hard to resist, but their strength fell short. Even if they didn’t die easily, injuries were inevitable.
As for the ordinary people on the beach, they could only despair. Whether it was the Sea Monster’s Poisonous Tentacles or the Venom Mist rolling in like a tidal wave, both were fatal to them. Especially since the sand was littered with sharp ice shards, impossible to avoid.
Someone’s foot slipped and they fell, wearing only a pair of sand shorts. With just one swipe, their whole body was pierced by dozens of ice shards and they died on the spot, not even waiting for the Searing Aura to finish them.
“Run! Hurry!”
Those behind unceremoniously stomped over them, using their bodies as stepping stones to escape death beneath. The one standing atop his head also became dizzy.
No one in front to trample—what to do?
Before he could figure it out, a sudden force from behind shoved him, his body pinned to the ground by ice shards. Worse than the man before him, because the person who pushed him trampled straight over.
“Run, damn it!”
Wang Li laughed as she watched, explaining to her subordinates, “That’s right, this is what real natural selection looks like! This is survival of the fittest—this is Great Nature itself!”
“Is that so?”
A girl’s calm voice rang out from behind, not far away. She turned and saw the radiant Big Thunder beauty—Xu Chuyao.
Xu Chuyao, a little displeased, said, “You know, I never really liked you, because your figure is just too front-heavy and back-curved. That’s not in line with natural evolution; in harsh Great Nature, it only slows you down and wastes resources.”
“Well, that’s a real shame.”
Xu Chuyao shrugged her shoulders.
“Maybe I’m jealous, but unfortunately I’m not your subordinate, so I won’t listen to your useless nonsense.”
“Useless nonsense?” Wang Li’s already sour expression turned even more furious. “Students like you, raised in peacetime, never excelling in culture classes, how could you possibly appreciate the greatness of Great Nature?”
Hearing this, Yu Jing, who was behind, almost blurted out that Xu Chuyao was ranked first in the entire school’s culture courses, but after a second thought, there was no point. The two were mortal enemies—why bother explaining?
“Enough, I can’t be bothered to argue. Since I’ve caught you now, I’ll take your life. After all, that’s my job.” Xu Chuyao gestured at Yu Jing, and the two exchanged positions.
The Four Stages powerhouse led in front, and as a late-stage Three Defenses, Xu Chuyao moved slightly back, ready to provide backup.
But she hadn’t expected Wang Li to stand still, looking at her in disbelief. “Your job? No, impossible—we have an agreement, remember…”
Xu Chuyao tilted her head, thought for a second, then smiled with a mysterious glint. “Right, that’s why he didn’t do it himself.”
As her words fell, Wang Li finally struck, bone-chilling cold sweeping in from all directions.
Yu Jing quickly chanted, Spiritual energy enveloping both her and Xu Chuyao, holding the cold at bay.
“It’s fine, Head Teacher, I can handle the AOE myself.” Xu Chuyao said, retreating rapidly, “Just fight her. Don’t worry about me.”
After all, even late-stage Three Defenses like Yaoyao, if not able to win head-on, wouldn’t be injured just by getting grazed.
“Alright, take care of yourself.”
With that, Yu Jing advanced. Fire and ice collided, torrents of boiling vapor rippled from the center, turning a corner of the harbor into a world of white mist and symbols.
The high-temperature steam separated both sides, preventing several of Wang Li’s subordinates from approaching immediately. Originally, they had tried to circle around and attack Xu Chuyao, but just like Wang Li, their top priority was not to get caught in the crossfire between two Four Stages unleashing their full AOE.
“You can’t stop me! Xu Chuyao!” Wang Li slapped away the rising mist, sharp ice pillars springing from the ground to block Yu Jing. As a veteran Four Defenses powerhouse, she had a few more years of experience than Yu Jing, and gained a slight upper hand.
Yet Yu Jing’s fighting spirit was unyielding, blazing with Searing Aura as she charged ahead, embodying the most aggressive assault.
Her only goal was simple—not to let the opponent get a chance to threaten Xu Chuyao.
Wang Li found herself unable to get through, but still stubbornly insisted on finishing her speech: “You can’t stop me! Back then, we said…this world has returned to the laws of nature… The strong rule, the weak perish—Aah!!”
Ice crystals burst from her body, pushing Yu Jing back again, unable to come forward for a while.
Finally finding an opening, Wang Li pointed to the people on the sand, face twisted in malice. “Just like those people there! How small, how pitiful—they think they can survive by relying on their own power, trying to find a way out. But they’ll never know, even in death, that their fate was decided long ago. I want them dead, so dead they shall be!”
“Why do you talk so much?” Xu Chuyao muttered under her breath.
She thought, it’s just like Wang Li, always trying to convince others, but actually her own heart is the problem. The bigger problem is that right now, Wang Li truly is stronger and has more experience.
Looking around, she saw that several of the enemy’s late-stage Three Defenses subordinates had already flanked around from a distance, forming a triangle to surround her.
“Good thing I came prepared.”
Thinking so, Xu Chuyao fished out a small piece of Spring Stone from her pocket and threw it fiercely onto the ground, followed by a bolt of lightning.
“By the mark of Big Thunder, answer my call and come forth, my—”
Boom! The girl appeared suddenly on the scorched earth, surrounded by an Searing Aura mixed with ice and fire, naturally greeting Xu Chuyao with a smile.
“Xu Chuyao, they’re already fighting over there!”
“Yes, they are.” Xu Chuyao pressed her girlfriend’s shoulders, pulling her into an embrace. “But we’re about to start fighting, too!”
But suddenly, she sensed something odd—a shift in her girlfriend’s aura.
“Shen Ning, you…you…”
The three people encircling them also froze, because when a Four Stages spirit user doesn’t deliberately restrain their aura, others can definitely feel it.
That pressure from a higher being, making it hard to breathe.
Shen Ning gently squeezed her girlfriend’s hand in reassurance, but didn’t spare a glance for the other three. Instead, she turned to the ocean, to the scene like a hellish inferno, the screams of all sorts intensifying.
So she raised her hand, and a gentle, warm breeze responded to her call.
[Command: Revive]