Chapter 114: Hero's World, the Fire Light and Shadow Stone

Hangcheng, beside the West Lake.

Twilight deepened, the sunset glow dyed half the sky red, reflecting on the shimmering lake surface like a flowing painting; a gentle breeze brushed past, willows swayed lightly, and the air was filled with a faint mist and the fragrance of grass and trees.

Yet unlike the usual throngs of tourists, the West Lake shore today lacked some of its clamor; the arrival of the Qi Tide increased the number of mutated creatures, and although the Heavenly Secret Bureaus everywhere had strengthened their defenses, the number of visitors had visibly decreased.

Even so, the lakeside remained lively.

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

Although he had already obtained three top-tier Heavenly Treasures at home, that feeling of being pulled by fate still persisted, as if something else was waiting for him.

The echo of Strong Luck had not yet dissipated.

This was also the reason he chose to go out.

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

The shop was not large, with a sign reading "West Lake Specialties" hanging at the entrance, but the items displayed in the window were nothing more than crafts seen everywhere in scenic spots across the country: keychains printed with landscapes, inferior silk scarves, mass-produced ceramic cups; and also beautifully packaged but unknown-quality Longjing tea, silk, and lotus root powder.

Not far away, an old woman's stall was more locally characteristic.

Freshly picked lotus pods lay in a bamboo-woven basket, the green pods still carrying moisture, with a faint sweet fragrance detectable; several tourists were selecting some, while the old woman skillfully peeled open the pods with her rough fingers, revealing the lotus seeds inside.

Stalls selling lotus seeds like this were numerous around the West Lake, but at this time of year, it was rare to find such fresh ones.

Ye Xuan's gaze, however, bypassed these and fell directly on a corner inside the shop.

There, standing alone, was a red stone; at first glance, it seemed no different from a pebble, its surface smooth, its color dark red, as if washed by the lake water for millions of years, with nothing special about it, except that it was much larger than ordinary pebbles.

But in Ye Xuan's sight, that stone emitted a soft, flame-like red aura, pulsing slightly as if alive, completely out of place among the surrounding items.

He walked into the shop and pointed at the stone:

"How much is this?"

The shopkeeper, who had been looking down at his phone, glanced up upon hearing this, his expression somewhat strange:

"Just that stone?"

"It's just a stone with a slightly peculiar color? Are you sure you want it?"

He walked over, picked up the stone, and asked Ye Xuan for confirmation.

"Sure."

Ye Xuan nodded, his gaze never leaving the stone.

Seeing his firm attitude, the shopkeeper shrugged:

"Two hundred yuan."

Seeing Ye Xuan's eyebrows furrow slightly, he added:

"Don't think it's expensive; stones with such special colors are naturally a bit more expensive."

"And who knows, it might be a Heavenly Treasure."

"It's just that I have no affinity with it, so I cannot awaken it."

Ye Xuan said nothing, simply took out his phone and transferred two hundred yuan, then left while holding the stone.

The shopkeeper watched Ye Xuan's departing figure and shook his head slightly.

"Heavenly Treasures aren't that easy to obtain."

"Young people these days believe in anything; do they really think they're so special?"

Although Ye Xuan had already left, he could still hear the shopkeeper's low muttering, but he paid no attention, simply tightening his grip on the stone in his hand.

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

Indeed, at this very moment, he already knew what the stone was; he just hadn't expected that items of this level had already invaded reality at this point in time.

Hero's World, one of the Light and Shadow Stones, the Fire Light and Shadow Stone.

Although in the Hero's World, the performance of the Light and Shadow Armors, including even the Emperor Armor, was not particularly great, according to the settings, every set of Light and Shadow Armor possessed infinite potential.

Given their level, they absolutely should not have appeared at this point in time.

Could it be because the Light and Shadow Armors place more emphasis on the Armor Master themselves; if the Armor Master is weak, then even if the armor's upper limit is extremely high, it would be of no use?

But without the Five Elements bloodline, even with a Light and Shadow Stone, it seems one still cannot summon the armor.

Ye Xuan pondered, preparing to try it out after returning.

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

Meanwhile, deep within the West Lake.

Two long, massive figures slowly swam in the darkness; their bodies coiled and intertwined, and with every movement, they stirred up undercurrents, lifting sediment from the lake bottom; in the turbid water, faint wisps of Qi could be seen being greedily devoured by them.

Their breathing grew heavier and heavier; with every inhalation and exhalation, the temperature of the lake water plummeted.

Suddenly—

One of the figures shuddered violently; the patterns on its scales suddenly lit up, and surging Qi began to converge toward its body; its form started to swell, and its bones emitted a teeth-grating "Crack! Crack!" sound, as if some ancient shackles were breaking apart.

"Boom!!!"

An invisible shockwave erupted from the lake bottom, causing the water to ripple and even the lakeshore to tremble slightly; in the next instant, that figure suddenly accelerated, its long body shooting straight toward the water surface like an arrow!

"Splash—!!!"

The lake surface exploded, sending a vast spray of water pouring down like a rainstorm.

A giant white python burst out of the water, its body dozens of meters long, its scales as clear as ice crystals yet shimmering with a metallic luster.

Its snake eyes were blood-red; as its vertical pupils contracted, water vapor around it gathered wildly, forming swirling vortices around its body.

"Roar—!!!"

A deafening hiss resounded across the sky; the sound waves spread like solid matter, shaking the willow trees on the shore violently and causing fallen leaves to fly about.

The crowd on the shore and even on the bridge instantly erupted into chaos.

"Mutated creature! It's a mutated creature!"

A young man wearing glasses, his face pale, suddenly grabbed his girlfriend beside him and, without saying a word, ran toward the edge.

The people around did the same; the moment they saw this mutated white python, they fled without hesitation toward the nearest building.

They were unsure whether these buildings could block the mutated white python's attack, but having something block it was better than using their own bodies.

Fear spread like a plague.

The crowd began to shove and scream; someone fell and was trampled by those behind, a vendor's stall was knocked over, lotus seeds rolled everywhere and were crushed by frantic footsteps.

Several quick-witted ones called out to the people around to enter the shops, then, once the interior was full, slammed the doors shut with a "Bang!" and pulled down the rolling shutters without the slightest hesitation.

"Everyone evacuate immediately! Repeat, evacuate immediately!"

The Tian Shu Bureau's stationed alert personnel at West Lake quickly assembled; their black uniforms stood out starkly in the crowd. The team leader at the front raised his hand and waved; over a dozen gun barrels instantly aimed squarely at the giant shadow in the lake's center.

(End of this chapter)