Chapter 31: Three People Together
"We have to get out of here as soon as possible," Chu Yun's voice broke the silence. He supported Li Ge and glanced at Mo Li, who was bandaging his arm. Mo Li expertly tied the last bandage into a tight knot, then stood up, stretched his injured arm, and frowned slightly. "The core energy of the Tianshu Tower has reversed. In an hour at most, the entire tower will self-destruct. This will trigger a chain reaction, razing half of the Mechanical City to the ground." "We can't take the main road," Li Ge said, his voice a little hoarse with weakness. "Although the people from the Shadow Pavilion have been eliminated, there are still other trapped martial artists in the city. We're not in a good condition to interact with them too much." Chu Yun nodded in agreement. "Mo Li, are you familiar with the secret passage here?" "Follow me." Mo Li said without further ado, turning and heading towards an inconspicuous wall in the control room. She felt around for a moment, then tapped three times in a rhythmic pattern. With a subtle mechanical sound, the wall silently slid inward, revealing a pitch-black passageway that was only wide enough for one person to pass through. "This was an emergency escape route built back then to deal with emergencies, leading directly out of the city. No one knows about it except for the great masters of the Mohist School throughout the ages." Mo Li explained and walked in first. Chu Yun followed closely behind, supporting Li Ge. The stone door slowly closed behind them, isolating them from the outside world. The passageway was dark, and the three of them could only rely on the faint golden light condensed from Chu Yun's fingertips for illumination. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the three of them felt exhausted and leaned against the wall of the passageway to rest for a while. "How are your injuries?" Chu Yun looked at Mo Li. "I won't die." Mo Li's answer was still brief, but his tone was less sharp. "It's just a superficial wound and exhaustion. How do you feel now after forcing yourself to activate your vital energy?" "Not bad." Chu Yun felt the situation inside his body. "My strength has stabilized, but my meridians are a little damaged. It will take time to recover." "Where's Li Ge?" Mo Li's gaze turned to Li Ge, who was leaning against the wall on the other side, closing her eyes and regulating her breathing. Li Ge didn't open her eyes, but just shook her head gently, indicating that she was fine. After a brief silence, Mo Li spoke again, and the question was very direct: "Chu Yun, what are you going to do next about the Evil-Suppressing Seal?" "Find the remaining 'source'." Chu Yun answered without hesitation. "We have the blueprints and tokens. The Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy must be stopped. And I also want to know how much my father's death is related to this matter." "I'm afraid...
"We have to get out of here as soon as possible." Chu Yun's voice broke the silence. He supported Li Ge and glanced at Mo Li who was wrapping a bandage around his arm.
Mo Li's movements were very skillful. He tied the last piece of bandage into a knot, then stood up and stretched his injured arm, frowning slightly. "The core energy of Tianshu Tower has reversed. In an hour at most, the entire tower will self-destruct. When that happens, it will trigger a chain reaction, and half of the mechanical city will be razed to the ground."
"We can't take the main road." Li Ge said, his voice a little hoarse due to weakness. "Although the people from Shadow Pavilion have been eliminated, there are still other trapped Jianghu people in the city. Our current state is not suitable for excessive contact with them."
Chu Yun nodded in agreement: "Mo Li, are you familiar with the secret passage here?"
"Follow me." Mo Li said nothing more, turning and heading towards a nondescript wall in the control room. She fumbled with it for a moment, then tapped three times in a rhythmic pattern. With a subtle click of a mechanism, the wall silently slid inward, revealing a pitch-black passage barely wide enough for one person.
"This is an emergency escape route built back then to deal with emergencies, leading directly out of the city. No one knows about it except for the Mohist masters of all generations," Mo Li explained, and walked in first. Chu Yun, supporting Li Ge, followed closely behind. The stone door slowly closed behind them, isolating them from the outside world.
The passage was dark, and the three could only rely on the faint golden light condensed by Chu Yun's fingertips for illumination. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the three of them felt exhausted and leaned against the wall of the passage to rest for a while.
"How is your injury?" Chu Yun looked at Mo Li.
"I won't die." Mo Li's answer was still brief, but his tone was less sharp. "It's just a superficial wound and exhaustion. As for you, you just forced yourself to activate your vitality. How do you feel now?"
"Not bad." Chu Yun felt the situation in his body. "The strength has stabilized, but the meridians are a little damaged. It will take time to recover."
"Where is Li Ge?" Mo Li's gaze turned to Li Ge, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and regulating his breathing.
Li Ge didn't open his eyes, but just shook his head gently to indicate that he was fine.
After a brief silence, Mo Li spoke again, his question very directly: "Chu Yun, regarding the Evil Suppression Seal, what are you going to do next?"
"Find the remaining 'source'." Chu Yun answered without hesitation, "The blueprints and tokens are in our hands. The Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy must be stopped. And I also want to know how much my father's death is related to this matter."
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy." Li Ge opened his eyes, his face still pale, but his eyes had regained clarity. "The Shadow Pavilion is very meticulous. Since they dared to leave the 'nightmare' mark in the Tianshu Tower, it means they are not afraid of us tracking them down. In fact... they even hope that we will go."
"A trap?" Mo Li reacted immediately.
"It's very likely." Li Ge nodded. "'Nightmare' is an extremely special evil creature that exists in the spiritual realm. Conventional physical attacks and Taoist talismans have little effect on it. The Shadow Pavilion may want to use this to lure us into the battlefield where they are best at."
"Spiritual realm..." Chu Yun frowned. This was indeed a blind spot in his knowledge. The techniques used by the Evil Suppression Division had always been used to deal with physical or energy-based evil spirits. There was almost no record of enemies that acted purely on the mind and soul in the classics.
"Do you have any way to deal with it?" Chu Yun looked at Li Ge.
"The art of ghost medicine deals with souls," Li Ge said. "I can try to enter the dream and search for its core from within. But this process is very dangerous. Once my consciousness is destroyed in the dream, I will die immediately in reality."
"I can't let you take the risk alone." Chu Yun said immediately.
"You have no choice." Li Ge looked at him, his tone calm but unquestionable. "In the spiritual world, your overbearing power will not only be of no help, but your overly masculine attributes will make you the most conspicuous target and the most delicious food for the Nightmare. If you go in, you will only die faster."
"Then I will protect you outside." Chu Yun said in a deep voice, "I will set up a heart-guarding formation to ensure that your body is safe."
"Not enough." Mo Li suddenly interrupted, "It's not enough to just protect the body. Li Ge has entered the collective dream of all the victims, a world made up of countless chaotic mental fragments. She needs an 'anchor point', a signpost that will allow her to maintain her self-awareness in the chaos and not get lost."
She looked at Chu Yun, her eyes gleaming with the logical light of a craftsman. "Although your power cannot directly attack the 'Nightmare', its essence is protection and order. If you can transform its power into pure 'protective will' and then connect it with Li Ge's consciousness through some medium, perhaps you can become her 'beacon' in that world."
"Medium?" Chu Yun and Li Ge looked at her at the same time.
"I need some materials," Mo Li said. "For example, the talisman paper that carries your vital energy; the silver needle stained with Li Ge's Yin energy; and most importantly, a core that can stably 'connect' two completely different energies. Just like that evil talisman, we need to make our own 'connector'."
Chu Yun and Li Ge were both silent. They were both shocked by Mo Li's bold and creative idea. Talismans, ghost medicine, and mechanical devices—three completely different skills—were now connected in a completely new way by Mo Li.
"I need time and your cooperation," Mo Li continued. "Chu Yun, I need you to provide a blank talisman containing the purest 'protection' concept. Li Ge, I need the silver needle you used in battle, which is stained with your life force Yin Qi. Leave the rest to me."
"Yes." Chu Yun and Li Ge answered almost in unison.
This time, no one questioned the other's proposal. The previous atmosphere of wariness and mutual testing had vanished, replaced by absolute trust based on professional competence. They all understood that to fight a monster like Shadow Pavilion, a fusion of multiple systems, they must learn to integrate their strengths.
After a brief discussion, the three continued on their way. After walking for about half an hour, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead. They had successfully exited the maze of traps and arrived at a secluded valley. Instead of leaving immediately, the three found a cave and began preparing for their next move.
Chu Yun sat cross-legged, attempting to draw the special talisman Mo Li had mentioned. He cast aside all offensive thoughts, recalling his father's teachings, his focus on protecting Li Ge, and his determination to protect Mo Li at all costs. He slowly channeled this pure intention into the tip of his pen.
Li Ge handed Mo Li the silver needle she had used in battle. After absorbing her Yin Qi, the needle turned a dull grey and emitted a hint of chill.
Mo Li took the talisman and silver needle, then from her tool bag, pulled out a bunch of tiny parts made of unknown materials and a small energy crystal she'd scavenged from the ruins of Tianshu Tower. She didn't start immediately, but instead took out a charcoal pencil and parchment and quickly sketched. Her eyes were focused, as if the only thing in the world was her and these parts.
Chu Yun and Li Ge didn't disturb her, simply recuperating quietly beside her. Watching Mo Li lost in her own world, Chu Yun felt a genuine respect for the "Mohist mechanical arts" for the first time. It was no longer a simple "trick or tactic," but a magnificent "creation" that blended imagination, logic, and an understanding of the laws of the world.
After an unknown amount of time, Mo Li finally put down her pen. She looked at the sketch filled with complex circuits and structures and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Alright." She looked up, her face showing fatigue, but more of the excitement and confidence of a creator. "Theoretically, it's feasible. A 'heart knot' that can connect the power of the three of us is complete."
She handed the sketch to the two of them.
Just as Chu Yun and Li Ge's fingers touched the sketch at the same time, something strange happened.
The "Heart of Heavenly Craftsmanship" and the "Key" of the Evil-Suppressing Seal in Chu Yun's arms, the cracked "Mirror of Reincarnation" on Li Ge's body, and the mechanical parts in Mo Li's hands, seemed to have received an unknown call and made a low humming sound at the same time.
An invisible, vast energy wave suddenly spread out with the three people as the center.
Chu Yun felt that the power within him resonated with the two people around him in an unprecedented way. He could clearly see a golden light rising from him, a grayish-white light rising from Li Ge, and a silvery-white light rising from Mo Li.
Three rays of light of different colors and attributes slowly intertwined and merged above the "Heart Knot" sketch, and finally converged into a point.
At the center of that point, a blurry, yet extremely majestic, and complete shadow of the "Seal to Suppress Evil" flashed by.
At that moment, the three of them heard a voice at the same time. That voice did not come from the outside world, but resounded directly in the depths of their souls.
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