Chapter 304

A Li's hands did not tremble in the slightest, and there was no excess expression on her Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face; she simply tilted the chisel she was holding slightly, raised the hammer again, and struck down.

"Bang!"

This time, the cracks in the skull did not spread over a large area as they had before; they merely extended in a specific direction along the center of the chisel.

This meant that the terrifying commotion of the first strike was expected, and every crack was a main trunk or branch required for what followed.

After his first roar, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng also stopped bellowing; he clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, and sat there steadily.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng could even anticipate the direction of the girl's next strike based on the tilt of the chisel, preparing to counteract the force to achieve better stillness and stability.

Next came the third strike, the fourth, the fifth...

The sound of chiseling continued at a specific frequency.

On the top of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's head, gullies were gradually chiseled into the bone and flesh; once these gullies appeared, they were quickly soaked in blood—bright red and thick, bound to his heartbeat, carrying a rhythmic pulse.

Outside the circle.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin asked Zhao Yi for a cigarette, lit it, and turned his back.

If it were a normal fight where people were missing arms or legs, he would find it easier to accept, but this kind of chiseling and carving—treating a person like stone to be whittled away inch by inch—was something he, as a bystander, could no longer bear to watch.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You also went to ask Zhao Yi for a cigarette, but Zhao Yi slapped his hand away and refused.

A You had no choice but to sit down, put a rice stalk in his mouth to chew on, lower his head, and rub his hands together.

Zhao Yi's brow had not relaxed since the first strike began.

The draft was made by him, and he knew that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan would integrate and upgrade it based on that draft, but he had originally thought this was about turning waste into treasure on the basis of solving Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's physical problems—like channeling a river to connect these dangerous shoals and rugged paths; in Zhao Yi's understanding, this act was already insane.

But the reality was not so, because the chiseling started from the head, which meant that in Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's eyes, these death points and the current problems were categorized as minor issues.

The youth intended to chisel a true great river into Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's body, and then use the momentum of the river water to break through and fuse those death points and difficult barriers.

Zhao Yi reached out, pulled the rice stalk from Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's mouth, held it in his hand, and toyed with it in a carving motion.

To complete this astonishing concept, one first needed a profound understanding of the "Qin Family Dragon-Viewing Method," second, one needed mastery of carving at a master level or above, and third, one had to have insight into the concepts of fate and the Dao of Heaven.

The girl could achieve the first two, and while Zhao Yi was amazed, he was not too surprised.

But this third point...

Could someone who didn't even leave the house or enter the secular world really stay at home and achieve enlightenment of Heaven and Man?

This was unreasonable, and even more impossible; she could not possibly do it.

Unless some Dragon King from the ancestors of the Qin and Liu families suddenly possessed her, but he had paid respects to the offering tables and spirit tablets of the Qin and Liu families, and there was simply no presence of spirits there.

Zhao Yi cast his gaze back onto Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

The problems he could see, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan could not possibly be unaware of, but Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's carving skills were very average; on this point, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had no reason to lie to himself for fun.

Zhao Yi was very curious: what would Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan do in a moment?

The carving on Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's head had ended.

A Li moved downward and stood on the next bench.

The chisel and hammer in her hands did not stop; she continued to carve toward the back of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's neck.

Blood flowed down from his head like lava.

After reaching the lower part of the neck, A Li began to carve toward the two shoulders; as the area grew larger, the restlessness of the lava became increasingly intense, no longer following the rhythm of the heartbeat as before.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the front; Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's eyes were bloodshot, his consciousness extremely tense.

"Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, endure a little longer."

A slight noise came from Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's throat, meaning he understood.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was not asking Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to endure the pain, but to continue suppressing the baleful aura, resentment, and ghost energy within his body so they would not spill out.

From the very beginning, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had been trying hard to do this, because it would have a relatively large impact on A Li.

The impact would certainly not be fatal, and A Li herself was not that weak, not to mention that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was there.

But this was a test of endurance, and this chiseling had to be completed tonight; it was impossible to chisel halfway, bandage him up, and then continue after resting for a few days.

Therefore, the state of the master craftsman had to be maintained from the start.

The entire back was about to be finished, and A Li stood lower and lower.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the empty bench from above and brought it to the front, stacking it up again.

When the back was finished, A Li walked to the front, went up, and stood on the highest bench.

The chisel rested against the center of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's brow, and the small hammer struck down.

"Bang!"

The transition from back to front brought a new round of terrifying impact, and Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's endurance had reached its limit.

From his head and back, the blood that had been flowing along the chiseled paths first turned purple, then gray, and finally was covered in deep black.

Three strands of aura spilled out; wind rose within the circle, and black mist filled the air, enveloping A Li as well.

Fine sweat had already appeared on the girl's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, and fatigue had actually appeared long ago, but that was secondary; the main thing was that after being enveloped by the black mist, countless terrifying figures appeared before her.

A Li's body began to tremble, her lips curled slightly, yet she still tried hard to focus, tilted the chisel downward, and struck the hammer again.

"Bang!"

The carving continued.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng should have been subconsciously aware of the pressure this scene would bring to A Li, and he tried hard to attempt to reclaim those auras, but as more paths were opened and the momentum became more violent, his control over his own body was becoming thinner and thinner.

"Snap!"

A crisp sound.

Afterward, A Li saw a hand reach out from the black mist, holding an opened can of Jianlibao with a straw inserted in it.

The girl opened her mouth, bit the straw, and drank a few mouthfuls.

The ghost shadows in the surrounding black mist faded rapidly in her eyes and were no longer so terrifying.

The girl had always been in a state of fear toward this world; the only one who could give her true security was the youth.

While drinking the beverage, the carving continued.

The girl released the straw.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan withdrew his hand, drank the remaining half-can of beverage himself, and then walked several steps outward before exiting the range of the black mist.

The black mist was becoming thicker and thicker, and its range was growing larger.

Within this circle, it occupied more area than what remained, and it was no longer surging unconsciously; it was increasingly forming into bundles and shapes, as if there were thin streams of water flowing within the black mist.

If nothing went wrong, it would soon become an existence similar to a swimming dragon.

Outside the circle, Zhao Yi looked at Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, who had walked out of the black mist.

As it stood, the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control.

Even Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng should have been unable to control the power within his body by now, and the girl was still carving, yet Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had not let her stop.

The most normal and reasonable deduction was that before long, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's body, along with the power within it, would completely explode; if Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and that girl did not leave the circle in time, they would also be caught in the blast.

But Zhao Yi was not worried about this terrifying result; because he understood Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan too well, he was now more curious about how Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan intended to solve it.

Hmm?

Zhao Yi saw that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had closed his eyes.

"No, you're going to take a nap at a time like this?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan entered the depths of his own consciousness.

The youth walked on the path leading to his grandfather's house, and upon looking up, he saw his true self standing on the dam, likely waiting for him on purpose.

When he got closer, his true self spoke first: "I originally thought you would have some special ideas, and I was still waiting to witness some surprise."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Sorry to disappoint you."

Zhao Yi in reality was still racking his brains, trying to deduce what method Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan would use to carry out such a high-difficulty conclusion.

In fact, Zhao Yi had wasted his thoughts, because Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan himself had no method at all.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan hadn't even spent a single bit of mental energy in that direction.

Just as Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had replied to Zhao Yi before: no one has the energy to learn everything; it's enough if it works.

Two identical youths walked up the stairs, one after the other.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, walking behind, looked at the back of his true self in front of him.

To have a profound grasp of the "Qin Family Dragon-Viewing Method," be proficient in master-level carving, and most importantly, have a deep understanding of the principles of the Dao of Heaven.

The only one who could satisfy these three conditions simultaneously was his true self.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had long guessed what his true self was tinkering with in the basement of his grandfather's house, not to mention that last time, when he was lingering in the fish pond at the brink of life and death, his true self had dumped a cart of discarded materials into the pond right in front of him.

The two arrived at the terrace, facing forward; as far as the eye could see was a field of rice, fully displaying the atmosphere of a bountiful harvest.

True self: "I'm afraid outsiders wouldn't believe it if they heard that you actually used the lives of your subordinates to threaten me into helping you?"

Without any foreshadowing, without discussion or conversation, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had come at this node where things had already happened and were about to become impossible to conclude.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Your goal is to replace me, so you cannot allow Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to die in this accident that happened so hastily."

True self: "Didn't you learn about emotions?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "It is precisely because I possess a portion of emotions that I would do this."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was the person who most desired to become stronger right now.

It was precisely to take care of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's feelings that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan chose such an extreme method this time.

True self: "You are using Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's life to bet that I will definitely take action; it's really hard to imagine that this is something you would do."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I am the inner demon, after all."

His true self turned his head and glanced at Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Looking at the big picture should be something the true self needs to consider."

His true self reached out his hand, and the next moment, the wind blew through the rice flowers.

"Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, if you continue like this, I will consider opening the struggle for this body ahead of schedule."

"You should be more rational. Before you feel the timing is not yet ripe, improving the strength of your team partners aligns with our mutual interests.

You wouldn't want to find that the people around you are too weak to help at all once you replace me, would you?"

The Original Body: "This time, you won the bet."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "Master taught me that a 100% guaranteed lottery result isn't called gambling; it's called stocking up."

The Original Body: "Aren't you afraid that next time, you'll lose the bet?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I won't step onto this gambling table unless I create the premise for that 100%. Therefore, there can only be one reason for losing: that you have also started to let emotions dictate your actions."

The Original Body said no more, and the wind around them grew stronger.

Amidst the rolling waves of rice, the shape of a flood dragon appeared. At first, it swam wantonly, but then it was pulled and fixed by individual points.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, standing to the side, watched this scene intently and memorized these carving points in his heart.

Finally, the flood dragon in the rice field was thoroughly pinned down, and in the wind, it seemed as if a long, unwilling roar could be heard.

This was the final finishing method.

The Original Body: "Go tell her; she knows how to carve it."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded, and after obtaining what he wanted, the youth turned around, preparing to leave.

The Original Body remained facing the rice field and said: "You can consider taking her to walk the river."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "It's not the right time yet."

The Original Body: "She has astonishing talent."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "On this point, I knew earlier than you did."

The Original Body: "She needs tempering and quenching to grow better, so she can be of great use in the future."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I never forced her to go to school before because she didn't like it; by the same logic, I won't force her to walk the river now, because she still harbors deep shadows regarding the outside world."

The ghost aura radiating from Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng could make A Li feel immense pressure—this pressure didn't come from the harm of the ghost aura itself, but from the barrier in her own heart.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew that if he were by A Li's side, he could effectively help her overcome her fear of the outside world, but walking the river required facing various emergencies, and situations of being alone or separated were unavoidable.

When that time came, what would truly crush A Li wouldn't be substantive danger, but her instinctive fear and resistance toward this strange world deep within her heart.

Admittedly, just as the Original Body said, the tempering and quenching of walking the river could allow her to gradually adapt, but what would likely emerge from that adaptation would be the expressionless A Li sitting indoors with her feet on the threshold, just as she was when they first met.

One of the main reasons he chose to apprentice under Qin Liu to light lamps and walk the river was to protect her and help treat her illness.

If, as a result of trying to walk the river better, he had to forcibly push her out and make her condition worse, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

The Original Body: "You should know that your protection is not conducive to her growth."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I am an inner demon; letting emotions dictate my actions is my right."

The Original Body said no more.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Are you finished speaking?"

The Original Body: "Speaking one more word to you makes me feel disgusted."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan did not refute him and walked downstairs.

In reality, the youth opened his eyes.

The black mist had already shrouded eighty percent of the area within the circle.

This time, it wasn't just Zhao Yi; Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You also sensed that something was wrong.

That was because within the black mist, strange things were vaguely appearing, moving and surging; once this power was completely unleashed, this formation barrier would be unable to withstand it at all.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan moved forward through the black mist, and soon, he saw a tall figure sitting there; the figure's body was covered in gullies, flowing with a repressive, thick substance like black lava.

Standing before him was a girl, her small hammer still falling against the chisel.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to A Li's side and stood still.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The last chisel fell, and A Li stopped.

There was no relief of completion on the girl's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, because she had followed the carving diagram the youth gave her during the day and completed the entire process, yet the problem not only remained unsolved, but was about to spiral completely out of control.

Those flood dragon shadows, as if substantive, were making their final buildup of strength; Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's consciousness was being suppressed tightly, and the red in his eyes was so thick it was almost dripping out.

In fact, even if Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng were awake at this moment, he would be powerless against this situation.

A Li looked at the youth beside her, her gaze filled with a hint of confusion, as if she were blaming herself for whether she hadn't done something right.

"A Li, you have already done it perfectly; there is just one last piece of the diagram, which I just received."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the girl's hand.

They had experienced actions like this countless times before.

In the beginning, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan even used entering A Li's dreamscape as special training to temper his own mental will.

The bungalow in the dream, the cracked spirit tablet on the offering table.

The youth held the girl's hand and sat on the threshold.

The weather was clear, white clouds drifted by, and the nightmare scene of the past was now pleasant with the scent of flowers.

Most of those things were no longer there, and the small portion that remained to watch only occasionally raised their heads to glance, mostly turning their backs.

Compared to the lively scene of "all the sages arriving" back then, it was much cleaner and quieter.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand, pulling, wiping, and pushing against the sky; under the blessing of Feng Shui power, the clouds in the sky were being quickly kneaded into the shape the youth wanted.

This was a replica of the Original Body's rice waves.

A Li looked up, watching intently.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and looked at the girl's profile.

If one day A Li's condition truly improved to that point, and she was willing to take the initiative to get in the car when he left home to walk the river, then he would take her with him.

But at that time, it wouldn't be purely for walking the river, but to take her to enjoy the scenery on the river.

After the clouds in the sky finished evolving, they slowly dissipated.

The girl looked at the boy and nodded.

The two of them closed their eyes together.

In reality, A Li, who had opened her eyes, picked up the chisel and small hammer and continued carving Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's body.

With every hammer blow, a muffled groan came from Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's throat, and the black mist spreading outside also shrank inward while trembling.

Outside the circle.

Zhao Yi was so anxious he could have torn his hair out; the situation that should have collapsed was immediately reversed, but he was separated by the black mist and had no idea what was happening inside.

At this moment, Zhao Yi envied Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, because A You only needed to wave his fists and happily act as a cheerleader.

Layer after layer, piece after piece, as the black mist was continuously sucked into his body, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's blood-red eyes began to clear.

After the final strike was completed, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng lowered his head and looked at the girl standing before him.

The girl stepped back and stood beside the youth.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng stood up, tilted his neck, and spread his hands before clenching them tight.

"Hum!"

Black patterns flowed across his body; whether it was baleful aura, resentment, or ghost aura, it could all flow and surge to its heart's content within the unobstructed "waterway."

"Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!..."

Small, mouth-like ruptures continuously appeared and splattered on Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's body; every time, his body shook slightly, but he quickly stabilized his stance.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You asked suspiciously: "Three-Eyes, is this a success or a failure?"

With such powerful momentum, yet his body was like it had been shot, continuously spurting blood from ruptures.

Zhao Yi: "It's a success; this is the death point being cleared, and the hidden danger being thoroughly wiped away."

The long-lasting cracking sounds finally ended, and the bruised and battered Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng placed his fists before him, then smashed them down into his own chest.

"Bang!"

A terrifying wave of air swept up, and the formation circle was directly smashed.

But Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and A Li, standing before Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, didn't even have a single hair flutter.

This indicated that Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's mastery of his own power had reached a very high level.

It must be said that Qin Shu's initial understanding of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was very correct; Qin Shu was the first to perform body carving on Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng proved that as long as your body is tough enough and your willpower is astonishing enough, practicing martial arts really doesn't require using your brain.

After scanning the area with his gaze, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng looked at Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You smiled and twisted his neck from side to side.

Zhao Yi placed his hand on Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's shoulder and said:

"You are no match for him, at least not head-on, not anymore."

Zhao Yi had commanded the team surnamed Li more than once; Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was the most suitable person to stand in the first position, but sometimes, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You wasn't incapable of guest-starring in that spot.

But from tonight on, the gap in their characteristics was thoroughly widened; that position could only be Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "At worst, I'll get beaten up; it doesn't matter."

Both had just improved their strength, and both were itching for a fight.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked over holding A Li's hand, and with one sentence, the youth defused the tense atmosphere:

"Hurry up and restore the field, so Master doesn't curse when he wakes up tomorrow morning."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Oh."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's momentum also leaked away; the black faded, turning into red fresh blood that quickly congealed into scabs, and then he bent down and began to tidy up the rice field.