Chapter 149 - Discussion
The Heart-Guiding Soul-Lamp Talisman emits a constant and warm glow in the peaceful night, quietly echoing the warmth of the Star-Warming Sun Talisman in the sleeve pocket through the fabric of the clothes.
Xie Zhao leaned against the cold star-patterned iron structure, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the Jinghong Talisman Pen.
The light from the bonfire danced on his face, making his peach blossom eyes look particularly bright.
He secretly glanced at Chu Linyuan, who was closing his eyes and regulating his breathing beside him. The man was wearing black clothes, and the coldness between his brows seemed to soften a little in the light of the fire.
"Brother..." Xie Zhao lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear, "Can you show me that piece of Frost Silence Sword?"
Chu Linyuan didn't even raise his eyelids, but his right hand had already reached into the storage bag and handed over the piece of black metal fragment with jagged edges.
The icy blue light at the center of the fragment flickered in the night like breathing.
Xie Zhao carefully took it and gently tapped the tip of the Jinghong Talisman Pen on the fragment. A pale golden light flowed along the irregular cracks, outlining a fragmented pattern.
"Look at the direction of the lines..." Xie Zhao frowned slightly. "The Frost Silence Sword must have more than one broken spot. That old man in Chenyuan Gorge said he found it in the ice cave on the ancient battlefield?"
Chu Linyuan finally opened his eyes, his cold gaze falling on the fragments: "Hmm."
"Then we'll do it another time..." Xie Zhao hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly felt the fragments in his hand tremble violently! An icy blue light suddenly surged, and a biting chill instantly spread along his fingertips!
"Hiss—" Xie Zhao sucked in a breath of cold air and almost dropped the fragment.
Chu Linyuan reacted extremely quickly, grabbing his wrist. Mysterious ice energy surged in from the point of contact, instantly suppressing the surging coldness.
The evil spirits and talismanic powers of the two people converged on the fragments. The ice-blue and pale-gold lights entangled for a moment before finally returning to calm.
This thing is quite loyal to its master." Xie Zhao shook his numb fingers and returned the fragment to Chu Linyuan. "It seems you have to study it yourself."
Chu Linyuan collected the fragments, his gaze lingering for a moment on Xie Zhao's red, frozen fingertips, before suddenly saying, "Tomorrow, we'll go to Shenyuan Gorge."
"Huh?" Xie Zhao was stunned. "Go find more fragments?"
Chu Linyuan nodded slightly, then closed his eyes and returned to the state of regulating his breathing. It was obvious that he had made a decision.
Xie Zhao's lips curled up unconsciously. He knew Chu Linyuan was inviting him to join him. This unspoken tacit understanding warmed his heart even more.
As the night deepened and the bonfire grew dim, everyone returned to their makeshift shelters to rest. Xie Zhao lay on a straw mat in the corner of the main hall, listening to Chu Linyuan's even breathing not far away, and gradually fell asleep.
The morning light penetrated the evil clouds, casting mottled light and shadows on the Immortal-killing Square.
Xie Zhao stretched lazily, his Jinghong Talisman Pen spinning around his fingertips. He walked to the base of the Talisman Array Tower and looked at the "Guixu Town" rune that had been "tasted" by the Moon-Devouring Rabbit. Although it had been repaired, its starlight was still a little weaker than before.
"Dead rabbit..." Xie Zhao muttered softly, removing the black jade box from his storage bag and carefully pouring out a few grains of Chenji Star Sand. The star sand shimmered a deep blue in the morning light, its dark golden particles swirling like living things.
He was about to put pen to paper to reinforce the rune when he felt someone approaching from behind. The familiar cold presence made him know who it was without even turning around.
"Brother, good morning." Xie Zhao greeted without turning around. "Help me attract a demonic energy here. I want one with the properties of Xuanbing."
Chu Linyuan stood silently beside him, his finger like a sword, and a stream of pure black ice evil spirit accurately injected into the tip of the Jinghong Talisman Pen. The pale golden light of the talisman instantly took on a layer of dark blue, appearing even more condensed.
"Thanks." Xie Zhao's lips curled slightly as he focused on mending the rune. Every stroke of the pen carried a unique wave of power blended between the two of them.
Su Tang rubbed her eyes and walked out of the side hall. Seeing this scene, she immediately became energetic and tiptoed to take out the photo stone.
Xie Zhao's ears twitched, and without even turning his head, he threw out a silence charm. Su Tang cried out "Ah!", then realized she couldn't make a sound, and stamped her feet in anger.
Chu Linyuan glanced at her coldly. Su Tang immediately shrank her neck, made a gesture of closing her mouth, and ran away in shame.
The rune was repaired, and Xie Zhao admired his work with satisfaction. The Guixu Town rune now radiated a dark golden aura that was even more condensed than before, and a faint blue ice pattern appeared at its core—the mark left by Chu Linyuan's mysterious ice aura.
"Perfect!" Xie Zhao put away the talisman pen and turned around to catch a glimpse of Chu Linyuan's right wrist—tied there with the black headband he had bought at the market yesterday! The dark red warm stone was pressed against the wrist bone, faintly visible at the cuff of his black robe.
Xie Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable warmth surged in his heart. He pretended to be calm and said in an exaggerated tone: "Hey, Senior Brother, this headband is quite suitable for you!"
Chu Linyuan quickly tucked his wrist back into his sleeve. His expression remained normal, but his ears were slightly red. He turned and walked towards the material storage area, leaving behind a cold, "Noisy!"
Xie Zhao smiled like a cat stealing fish, and followed him hopping and skipping: "Brother, don't be shy! Let me see the effect! Ouch——"
A piece of star-patterned iron shard landed precisely in front of his feet, preventing him from getting any closer. Xie Zhao jumped away with an exaggerated hug, but his smile grew even brighter.
Tie Niu came over carrying a large bundle of "Chenyuan Vine" he had just collected from Chenyuan Gorge. Seeing this, he asked innocently, "Second Brother, did you step on a nail?"
"It's worse than stepping on nails!" Xie Zhao said with a look of deep sorrow. "I got frostbitten by someone's cold face!"
Tie Niu scratched his head and looked at Chu Linyuan in confusion: "Big Brother, your face... can it really frostbite people?"
Chu Linyuan: "..."
Luo Hongyi walked over from the herb garden, a wisp of light green poisonous mist entwined around her fingertips. "Stupid cow, ignore those two idiots. Come over here and help me try out the newly cultivated improved version of the Michelia scabra."
Tie Niu's huge body trembled, and he said in a deep voice: "Senior Sister Luo... the Seven Aperture Bleeding Powder I tried yesterday hasn't fully healed yet..."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Luo Hongyi curled her lips slightly, "I added the Star Tear Grass to neutralize it this time, so no one will die."
Xie Zhao laughed heartily without any sympathy as he watched Tie Niu's miserable back being dragged away by Luo Hongyi. Halfway through his laughter, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck—Chu Linyuan had stood behind him at some point, his cold breath brushing against his ears.
"Master, senior brother?" Xie Zhao's laughter stopped abruptly, and his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously.
"Let's have a sparring match." Chu Linyuan's voice remained flat, but Xie Zhao keenly sensed the fighting spirit hidden in it.
"Now?" Xie Zhao blinked. "Right here?"
Chu Linyuan had already retreated three steps, and the Immortal-Slaying Spear was in his hand at some point, with the tip of the spear pointing diagonally at the ground, emitting a heart-pounding sharpness.
Xie Zhao licked his lips, which had suddenly become dry, and the Jinghong Talisman Pen slid into his palm: "Come on! Who's afraid of who!"
The auras of the two men changed instantly. Chu Linyuan was like a sword unsheathed, emitting a cold murderous aura; Xie Zhao was like a talisman ready to be launched, the tip of his pen emitting a golden light that flickered unsteadily.
The first one to lose his composure was Xie Zhao. He flicked his Jinghong Talisman pen into the air, and three pale golden "Shut-off Talismans" instantly took shape, forming a triangular shape and flying towards Chu Linyuan!
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