Chapter 114: Armor Warrior World, the Fire Light and Shadow Stone

Hangcheng, by West Lake.

Dusk settled, twilight staining half the sky red, reflected on the rippling lake like a flowing painting; a gentle breeze stirred the weeping willows, and the air carried a faint mist and the fresh scent of grass and trees.

But unlike the usual crowds, the lakeside now lacked its usual bustle; the arrival of the Qi tide had increased the number of mutated creatures, and although the Tian Shu Bureaus everywhere had strengthened defenses, the number of tourists had visibly declined.

Even so, the lakeside remained lively.

Ye Xuan walked slowly along the shore, hands in his pockets, his gaze calmly sweeping over the lake.

Although he had already acquired three top-tier Celestial Treasures at home, that sense of being pulled by fate still lingered, as if something else awaited him.

The echo of his great fortune had not yet faded.

This was why he had chosen to go out.

Ye Xuan strolled along the lakeside, and without realizing it, arrived in front of a souvenir shop.

The shop was small, its entrance bearing a sign reading “West Lake Specialties,” but its display windows held nothing but generic tourist trinkets found at any scenic spot: keychains printed with landscapes, cheap silk scarves, mass-produced ceramic cups; and exquisitely packaged but questionable-quality Longjing tea, silk, and lotus root starch.

Farther away, an old woman’s stall offered more local flavor.

In a bamboo basket lined with freshly picked lotus pods, the green pods still glistened with moisture, faintly emitting a sweet fragrance; several tourists were selecting them, and the old woman skillfully peeled open the pods with her rough fingers, revealing the lotus seeds inside.

Such lotus-seed stalls were common around West Lake, but it was rare to find them this fresh at this hour.

Yet Ye Xuan’s gaze passed over them all, landing directly on a corner inside the shop.

There, alone, sat a red stone. At first glance, it looked no different from a river pebble—smooth surface, dark red hue, as if washed by the lake for millions of years, utterly unremarkable, only much larger than ordinary pebbles.

But in Ye Xuan’s eyes, the stone emitted a soft, flame-like red aura, pulsing gently as if alive, utterly out of place among the surrounding items.

He stepped into the shop and pointed at the stone:

“How much?”

The shopkeeper, Ditou scrolling on his phone, looked up, his expression strange:

“That stone?”

“It’s just a stone with an odd color? Are you sure you want it?”

He walked over, picked up the stone, and held it out to Ye Xuan for confirmation.

“Yes.”

Ye Xuan nodded, his eyes never leaving the stone.

Seeing his determination, the shopkeeper shrugged:

“Two hundred.”

Seeing Ye Xuan frown slightly, he added:

“Don’t think it’s expensive—stones with unusual colors are naturally pricier.”

“And it might even be a Celestial Treasure.”

“I just have no connection to it, so I can’t awaken it.”

Ye Xuan said nothing, simply pulled out his phone and transferred two hundred, then picked up the stone and left.

The shopkeeper watched Ye Xuan’s retreating back and shook his head slightly.

“Celestial Treasures aren’t that easy to obtain.”

“Today’s youth believe anything—they really think they’re so special?”

Although Ye Xuan had already left, he still heard the shopkeeper’s muttered words, but he ignored them, gripping the stone tightly.

He could feel the flame-like aura spreading along his fingertips, as if responding to his touch.

He already knew what the stone was—only he hadn’t expected such a high-tier item to have infiltrated reality at this time.

Armor Warrior World, one of the Light and Shadow Stones: the Fire Light and Shadow Stone.

Although in the Armor Warrior world, the Light and Shadow Armors’ combat performance—even the Emperor Armor’s—wasn’t particularly impressive, according to the lore, each Light and Shadow Armor possessed infinite potential.

By their rank, they absolutely should not appear at this time.

Could it be because Light and Shadow Armors prioritize the strength of their wielder—if the wielder is weak, even the armor’s maximum potential is useless?

But without the Five Elements bloodline, even with a Light and Shadow Stone, summoning the armor seems impossible.

Ye Xuan pondered, planning to try after returning home.

If all else failed, he could use the Rat Talisman to transform into the Emperor Armor and communicate with the Fire Light and Shadow Stone.

Meanwhile, deep within West Lake.

Two long, massive figures glided slowly through the darkness, their bodies coiled and intertwined; each movement stirred undercurrents, churning up silt from the lakebed, and in the murky water, faint threads of Qi were greedily consumed by them.

Their breathing grew heavier; each inhale and exhale caused the lake’s temperature to plummet.

Suddenly—

One of the figures shuddered violently; the patterns on its scales flared brightly, and surging Qi began converging into its body. Its form swelled, bones cracking with a sickening “crack-crack,” as if ancient shackles were shattering.

“BOOM!!!”

An invisible shockwave erupted from the lakebed, rippling the water and causing the shore to tremble slightly; the next instant, the figure surged forward, its long body shooting toward the surface like an arrow.

“SPLASH—!!!”

The lake’s surface exploded, water cascading like a downpour.

A colossal white serpent burst forth, its body dozens of meters long, scales as translucent as ice crystals yet gleaming with metallic luster.

Its serpentine eyes were crimson, pupils narrowing as surrounding mist violently gathered, swirling into vortexes around it.

“ROAR—!!!”

A deafening roar echoed across the sky, its sonic wave spreading like a physical force, shaking the willows on shore and scattering leaves in all directions.

The crowd on the shore and the bridge instantly erupted in panic.

“Mutated creature! It’s a mutated creature!”

A young man with glasses turned pale, yanked his girlfriend’s arm, and without a word, sprinted toward the edge.

Others did the same—upon seeing the mutated white serpent, they fled without hesitation toward the nearest buildings.

They weren’t sure if those buildings could withstand the serpent’s attack, but having something between them and it was better than using their own bodies as shields.

Fear spread like a plague.

The crowd shoved and screamed; someone fell and was trampled by those behind, vendors’ stalls overturned, lotus seeds scattered across the ground, crushed under frantic footsteps.

A few quick-thinking people herded others into shops, then slammed the doors shut and pulled down the metal shutters without hesitation.

“Evacuate immediately! Repeat, evacuate immediately!”

The Tian Shu Bureau’s stationed guards at West Lake swiftly assembled, their black uniforms stark against the crowd; their captain raised a hand, and over a dozen gun muzzles snapped into alignment with the giant shadow in the lake center.

(End of Chapter)