Chapter 629: The Ancestor's Gift (18)

Luo Qi saw an "I don't know" about to habitually spill from the mouth of Zhao Laoda, that young old-timer, but at the very last moment he paused, changed his mind, and a fully formed new thought appeared on his face. From refusal to wanting to cooperate, to finding some advantage from them, this turn was as steep as a ten-thousand-foot cliff. In Zhao Laoda's Consciousness World, this leap of thought was nothing; Luo Qi vaguely sensed his exceptionally agile mind and his almost non-existent emotional burden.

"I have been searching for the lingering traces of the Du Clan," he said slowly, looking much more honest, though even Luo Qi could not distinguish whether his current appearance of shedding his mental burden to speak the truth was real or not. "This work is too difficult; it is not something I can complete alone. To be honest, it was my predecessor who discovered that the Du Clan might be the breakthrough point for the secrets of the Qionglin. He spent his whole life trying to decipher the Du Clan, investing his entire life's energy. The reason I was chosen to follow by his side was for no other reason than that I possess a tiny, insignificant bit of Du Clan bloodline."

Luo Qi thought with weariness that Zhao Laoda was quite charming when he wasn't so full of himself; he could be extremely infectious, and as long as he wanted to, he could captivate others into listening to his thoughts. As Zhao Laoda spoke, his gaze rested frankly upon them, those eyes seemingly yearning to reach straight into their souls. But Luo Qi knew he had no interest in their souls at all; he looked at people this way only because he knew it would make others feel that he cared about them.

Zhao Laoda's words were directed at Du Zhengyi, yet his eyes were mainly toward Luo Qi, as if they had something in common, something that might spark a knowing resonance. Luo Qi watched him indifferently, pushing back the feelings of disgust and curiosity that had welled up within him unawares. This corridor was both bare and oppressive, and this place could not calm him either; the various emotions pressed deep in his consciousness were like tangled snakes, writhing in the abyss beneath the manhole cover.

"We have the most research on the Seal Land, and we have made some progress," Zhao Laoda continued. "I know that every Seal Land has a Guardian Spirit, or fragments of a soul, or half a soul created by an Ancestor Mage, and I have been lucky enough to master some ways to communicate with the Guardian Spirits. We met briefly in the burning valley last time, and I think you have probably guessed the extent of my understanding in this matter."

Luo Qi saw Du Zhengyi nod slightly, "This is not the first time you have discovered a Seal Land."

"Yes," Zhao Laoda admitted honestly, "Most of them are empty, and they are very dangerous; we have paid a huge price."

Luo Qi thought of the former leader of the Lotus Burners who died a violent death on the Highland Mage Sacred Mountain; he was one of the costs. This also explained why he had chosen such a young assistant, why the assistant was closest to him when he died, and why he had ultimately handed the authority over to this young assistant.

But...

"Most?" Du Zhengyi said.

"I have indeed been lucky enough to encounter surviving Seal Lands, but I fear those places were not registered in the records during the Ancestor era, places that were not highly valued. It seems they had already been abandoned in the Ancient era, neglected for thousands of years, and the only remaining Seal Beasts were some harmless little things." Zhao Laoda smiled at Luo Qi, "For example, that beloved little kitten that Luo Mage bought for zero dollars."

"I thought it was smuggled goods from the Qionglin," Luo Qi said.

"The Qionglin did indeed let some out, but they were all highly aggressive, Psychic Beasts that could be weaponized—you have already seen them outside, haven't you?" Zhao Laoda said candidly, "This place is different; perhaps this is the last surviving key relic of an Ancient Mage in this world, besides Gushan."

Luo Qi looked at him; so this was why he, Zhao Laoda, and the Clownfish were all gathered here. This was a drill, and the experience gained from exploring this place could help them walk into the depths of Gushan. Oh, of course, this was also why Du Zhengyi had to be here; he was a Gushan Guard.

"As long as I can find the general location of this place," Zhao Laoda smiled at Du Zhengyi, "I can also feel the call of the Guardian Spirit."

"You said those things the mages led to attack us were released by the Qionglin?" Du Zhengyi asked with a displeased expression.

"Du Mage, we are short on time; we can find an opportunity to trade these things later," Zhao Laoda said. Du Zhengyi did not interrupt him, and he continued, "From my intelligence, this is a heavyweight Seal Land. I have also received the Magic message broadcast outward by the Guardian Spirit; I know the storage of Seal Beasts here is astonishing, and they are well-preserved. But more importantly, the seal here is about to collapse."

Luo Qi couldn't help but glance at Du Zhengyi; he wondered if Du Zhengyi also knew such details. Du Zhengyi needed the help of Liu Ziyu to capture Magic messages; he could not use Magic as he pleased.

Zhao Laoda continued, "But you see, my bit of bloodline inheritance can only interpret so much. To be honest, I can only passively accept the information the Seal Land is willing to give me. I know the Seal Land is calling for help, but that is all. But the true Du Clan can actively use the Magic here. In other words, you can command the Seal Spirits here; your blood inherits the authority here, and I also believe your mind inherits the Magic to control this place."

Luo Qi moved, and the Clownfish turned toward him, "Luo Qi, I believe this bit of driving Magic consumes less energy than heating a pot of water; it won't do anything to your friend."

Zhao Laoda gave them an apologetic smile, as if apologizing for the Clownfish's rudeness. "Du Mage can work right in front of me; your mind is solid, I cannot get your Spell, and I cannot make my bloodline as pure as yours. I cannot steal your Magic, nor will I ever be able to do what you can do."

"Zhao Mage," Du Zhengyi finally said, "You know I intend to destroy everything here, right? You rushed over, losing men and suffering hardships, just to watch the show?"

"Being able to see the Ancestor's Magic with my own eyes is the lifelong pursuit of us idealists," Zhao Laoda said calmly.

Du Zhengyi stared at him, and he smiled, "Do I have any other choice? If I could have been a step earlier, perhaps the Magic here would be more stable than it is now."

"Wait."

Luo Qi immediately turned to look at the person who spoke; the Doctor rarely spoke on such occasions. "What's wrong with you?" he asked Mahjong nervously. Mahjong seemed to be trying hard to think, using so much effort that Luo Qi almost wanted to help him. "The burden on my shoulders seems to have lightened."

"What?" Luo Qi never expected Mahjong to jump out and talk nonsense at a time like this. But the others clearly didn't think so; for a moment, the atmosphere among the Battle Mages solidified. "What's wrong?"

Du Zhengyi said in a low voice, "The Medical Entanglement, it has probably loosened a few strands."

Luo Qi's heart tightened, "The people who went to the mountaintop?"

(End of chapter)