Chapter 82: Swift Return

Swift Return

The cold spring's clear lake surface rippled with the reflection of a silver‑haired man; his unfurled golden wings had at some point been covered in a soft glow, the feathers along the edge spreading, the edge sharp as a newly forged blade.

The heartbeat sounded like a drum in the quiet air, thumping continuously.

The dark‑blue coral on the seabed emitted a faint glow, illuminating the yellow‑striped little fish that lived around it, swaying their tails; the fish suddenly whooshed into the clusters of coral and vanished.

Several pink jellyfish pulsed upward, their long tentacles swaying with the shifting water.

Fu Guang sprang open her icy eyes from beneath the little sprite's wings, her gaze clear and sleepless, killing intent flashing across her deep‑blue pupils.

He can come out now; tell her to wait.

Fu Guang temporarily housed the little sprite within her mental landscape.

After the Guide and Sentinel sign a contract, each other's mental landscape opens briefly, also serving as an additional safeguard for both their lives.

As long as the spiritual form is intact, even if the mental landscape suffers some attacks, it will not cause great harm.

Xi Guang's body was a bit stiff; although it could be done, this move was still overly intimate.

Relax, inhale, exhale.

The fish has taken the bait; there's still a tough battle ahead, but it's up to you.

A voice rang in his mind. The girl's tone is easy to recognize; when unemotional, her voice is cold, like cool moonlight.

The ending tone carried a smile, as if encouraging him, placing all her expectations upon him.

To be honest, this is the first time they've fought side by side after their contract; Xi Guang couldn't help clenching her fingers.

Fu Guang rose to her feet; the spacious space within her wings hid her movements well, and she patted the Sentinel's tense arm muscles.

Could it be that the enemy is extremely strong, even more dangerous than expected?

Fu Guang's spiritual power is strong and keen; since the Heavenly Pillar descended, she often feels a vicious, piercing gaze behind her, like a shadow that follows, yet she cannot locate its source.

That person harbors great malice and killing intent toward her, yet neither Xi Guang nor Lan An noticed anything.

The chill on her back won't fade; eyes lurk everywhere in the darkness.

The enemy is in the light while we are in the dark; every move exposes us, and the opponent could strike with a blade at any moment—constant waiting is not a good strategy.

Fu Guang cannot simply stop because of the enemy's presence; she has shown weakness many times, but the opponent remains patient, waiting for her to exhaust her strength.

Know that relentless malice is, for a spiritually keen Guide, like a dull knife cutting flesh—it keeps the spirit tense and prevents proper rest.

There will come a moment when the Guide can no longer endure, and the Sentinel beside her will be forced to hold back, unable to act.

That is the hunter's best moment to strike.

Only a patient hunter will reap rich rewards.

Guide, a top‑grade tonic.

Although weakened, it can still serve as a snack.

An Angel Sentinel stood guard at the water's edge, hiding a weak and inept Guide beneath its left wing.

He knows that any slight disturbance will alert this S‑rank Sentinel, but what's the harm in that?

Just a White Tower dog—grab the Guide and force him to kneel, how about that? The person lurking in the darkness idly wonders, is it the Sentinel's bone that's hard, or the Guide's life that's hard?

Perhaps he will soon have a new companion—oh no, make that two.

A green light brand glowed in his sinister eyes.

On a hand without palm lines, a small diamond‑shaped dart jumped up and down, its tip coated with a bright green hue.

Even an S‑rank Sentinel would suffer from this blood‑sealing throat poison, let alone one gravely wounded.

He is confident he can kill that Guide within three moves.

The green in his pupils shrank, and his unknown figure faded into the shadows, disappearing.

Xi Guang reacted instantly; as the water rippled nearby, she raised her sword—though it seemed only water surrounded her, her hand felt constant vibration, a tremendous impact striking the blade along with the stirred waves.

The weapon striking the blade slowly came into view: five neatly arranged darts, perfectly aligned to cover the length of the sword.

The bright‑green toxin on the darts dispersed with the shattered air pockets and the water; Xi Guang's expression shifted, but this bit of leaked toxin meant nothing to her.

But for the Guide, it could be a catastrophe.

He exerted force with his hand, knocking the incoming darts off the blade and flicking away several aimed at his left wing.

These darts all contained potent toxin, and this person was still poisoning the seabed.

Just moments ago the dark‑blue coral was there; in an instant it turned into a pile of scorched earth, the dense toxin corroding everything around Xi Guang.

With the Guide beneath his wing, he cannot move freely and is liable to be hindered; a Guide lacking wing‑space protection would hardly survive even a moment in this green‑tinged water.

The unknown enemy had somehow activated a domain; the toxin grew denser, and the situation truly amounted to waiting for death—inaction meant awaiting demise.

The newcomer was also an S‑rank Sentinel, apparently poison‑type; the toxin in the water deepened, leaving even Xi Guang's hand numb.

If this continues, and he does not seek the enemy, they will all die.

Even if he finds the enemy, his unusable wings will prevent him from exerting his strength.

This move is truly nasty.

Fu Guang observed the outside through the Sentinel's eyes, sighing inwardly that regardless of the Guide's ability, they would die in this stalemate.

Because the Guide cannot afford to wait, there is no difference between A‑rank and B‑rank—only the timing of death varies.

Fu Guang tapped the red ear stud on her left ear; it instantly unfurled, red branches spreading upward to encircle the ear.

On the combat uniform transformed from her ritual robes, a set of red external skeleton was equipped; a cold metallic gleam flashed from the depths of Fu Guang's eyes as icy metal coated her face.

"Go kill him, Xi Guang."

"Yes." Xi Guang paused, realizing the Guide was already equipped with an S‑rank external skeleton that could block the toxin for fifteen minutes.

He sought a quick, decisive battle.

Not long ago, Lan An was lurking at the bottom of the cold spring when she received the Guide's order.

It was only two short words: "Swift Return."

The sharp claws were pulled from the strange beast's heart, seizing the thumb-sized grass stained red with blood beside it, and immediately swam toward a point of light above.

Lan An swam, pressing her right shoulder with her blood-stained long fingernails, wondering why the return speed felt so much faster.

The red traces, after his intense exercise, were like flowing blood vessels.

Is this thing alive?

"You also miss her, so you want to go back quickly, right?"

In the gloomy depths of the cold spring, everywhere are the lifelike corpses of marine creatures that mistakenly entered.

A muffled sound rang out in the spacious cold spring bottom, echoing one after another.