Cyber Ghosts

In no more than two or three minutes, most walls of the hall had disappeared or turned into white powders. At that moment, the roof of the Dragon God Hall, lost of supportive strength, was booming ceaselessly, as if to collapse at any time!

“God! Run now!” Hao Ning and Liu Shuai got badly frightened. They covered their head with hands and were about to rush but ended up being gripped by Zhou Yuan, “Don’t worry. We’re in Virtualised Reality, in which case anything collapsing can’t reach us.”

“Oh, yeah.” Hao Ning patted on his chest, thinking of that even the waiter could go through him directly the first time when Zhou Yuan exerted Virtualised Reality, “But we have to move anyway. It’s a bit insecure.”

“We can’t move yet.” Xiao Hong peered at Long Fei lying on the floor. Thanks to the aid of the tendon of Dragon King’s third prince, Long Fei was recovering quite soon. In the course of their conversation, he’d almost shaped up to a human with the color of his skin more and more natural. “More time and he would totally restore. Wait and see.”

“That makes sense. Based on the current condition, we can only do that, in which case Zhou Yuan have to support the Virtualised Reality all the time.” Hao Ning pondered, gazing at the walls which were eaten up little by little, “What is this in the end? How can it be so powerful?” He wasn’t clear about whom the question was aimed at but taking account of Xiao Hong’s resourcefulness that benefited from Avalokitesvara’s accompany, he should know about that.

“Never seen it.” Xiao Hong squinted at the swiftly dissolving wall, “It doesn’t look like a magic weapon. I’ve never heard of a spell that destructs objects in this way.”

“I keep an impression on some particular termites or bacteria,” Liu Shuai was at least a biology student. He nipped his chin and recollected, “Which are able to eat up timber and concrete. But all these effects now were caused by a sword plunged into the wall. In addition, they shouldn’t work so fast. Whatever, the sword couldn’t be covered with termites, could it?”

“Then it seems too weird.” Nezha wanted to step up and look closer but was pulled by Xiao Hong. Knowing about Xiao Hong’s goodwill, he stuck there and said, “I apparently have picked it up somewhere but on the other hand never seen it.” He pondered for a while without any idea occurring to him, so gave up.

With a smash, the roof of the hall eventually failed to hold and collapsed directly. As they knew that it couldn’t reach them, they posed for defending instinctively. No one expected that the roof had already turned into white powders in the air before falling to the ground and dispersed in the mild wind. There remained nothing of the palace except for the floor as debris.

“The Yin Yang Sword is really usable. Yin to destroy the soul, and Yang to swap the world.” The Fourth, witnessing the collapse of Dragon God Temple’s roof, came and picked up the falling hilt. He frowned and said, “What a pity it can only be utilized once. Once for Yin, and once for Yang, then it goes valueless. Moreover, the sword is not easy to obtain. A real pity.”

“If only we had that treasure!” The Fifth muttered, “However, the method to drive it is too mysterious. It can only be reined by two people bonded in heart, or…”

“How dare you even mention that!?” The Fourth’s face changed drastically, “Binary Star Men haven’t been found yet. It has become the thing averted by all the clans. There are even rumors saying that Binary Star Men lost their lives owing to the eroding effect of that stuff. What else do you want?”

“Binary Star Men?” Hao Ning got it promptly and looked at Liu Shuai, “Your hypotheses are right. The Yin Yang Sword works in a way similar to the Soul Cutter!”

Liu Shuai nodded to show his approval, “All in my expectation! Whereas, I understand it when they say Yin of Yin Yang Sword is to destroy the soul, but why Yang to swap the world? What does the ‘swap’ mean?” Finishing that, he peered at Hao Ning, “Having used it for times, do you have any idea?”

“Please, you’re a descendant of a family specialized in making knock-offs of the magic weapon.” Hao Ning giggled. At the sight of the blush on Liu Shuai’s face, his lips quivered and shifted his words, “Okay, not making knock-offs, but researching into magic weapons—So how can I know now that you don’t know?”

“I just have a talk.” The Fifth didn’t care about the Fourth’s alert at all, “The usable times of that are not limited, while how long did it take us to accumulate enough and get the Yin Yang Sword? If it weren’t for such an urgency, I wouldn’t have used it. For more, once one side of the Yin Yang Sword is used, the other side is supposed to be used in three hours, or it would go noneffective. Or why do I make such a violent stir only to destruct a wall?”

“You accumulate to consume it later. Don’t be miserly. We can afford the Yin Yang Sword anyway.” The big bro said, “By the way, when it comes to ‘not easy’, what could beat over our flying mantle? How long did we wait, and how many tasks did we undertake to gather the seven mantles together?”

“That’s the point.” The Second was setting the array with the Third while responding, “If it were not for the mantle, how could we have caught up with the Mysterio? We have to admit that he’s strong. He should have retreated safely under our combined attack!”

The Third snorted and said, “Safely? In my view, his soul was about to break into pieces and disperse also! The only thing is that we lose too much this time. If Mr. Fei didn’t entitle the one who caught him to big award, we wouldn’t have taken it.”

“Mr. Fei?” Hearing that name, everyone stared at Nezha in grudge, “What’s it?”

“I don’t know! There’s nothing doing with me. I know none of it. Don’t ask me!” Nezha waved agitatedly at their question. Receiving their contemptuous eyesight, he waited for no time to swear as if he had been on the same side with them, “What the hell is Mr. Fei planning? Why be so cruel with Long Fei? The guys we met before has said that no award would be bestowed for killing a Dragon God like Long Fei, right?”

“That’s it.” Hao Ning recalled the conversation between the people from Soul Hunting Sect and Godslayer Sect that night and nodded, “We can tell that Mr. Fei didn’t trust Nezha by the large amount of Spiritual Flying Bugs used on him. As for why he decided to deal with Long Fei, we can only get the answer by asking Long Fei after he recovers consciousness.”

“Yes.” Zhou Yuan nodded also, “Fortunately, Long Fei’s now in Virtualised Reality. They can’t find him anyway.”

“No!” Xiao Hong, peering at the array about to be finished by the Second and the Third, didn’t hold back his groan, “He knows that array!”

“Which array?” Liu Shuai studied it for a while but failed to make sense. Zhang Quan once taught him many arrays. Though he couldn’t apply many of them, he could recognize a mass.

“It’s not an array of magic,” Xiao Hong sighed, somewhat anxious, “but an array of witchcraft, which composes a root praying method.”

“Root praying method?” Liu Shuai got glazed and had a thought, “Seems like something I’ve never heard of.”

“You fool. It appeared in online novels or other fictions.” Hao Ning said, “It definitely isn’t an array of magic. Xiao Hong doesn’t go too far by calling it an array of witchcraft. But the root praying method, once shows up in novels online or other fictions, is used as a remedy, isn’t it? They don’t look like bothered with a disease, then whom are they intended to cure? Anyone but Long Fei, I suppose.”

Saying that, Hao Ning turned back and took a glance at Long Fei. He could move slightly now.

“You’re right.” Xiao Hong nodded, “Root praying method is definitely witchcraft. As for your words about the reference in novels online, that makes sense as well. But it’s actually a cure which has been documented since ancient times. It’s recorded by not only Chinese medicine but also by history. Therefore, people hold more or less some incense of faiths towards it. As far as what they use it for, I don’t suppose it’s for saving Long Fei. In opposite, they’re using the curing traits of it to their advantage and kill Long Fei.”

“Exactly!” Zhou Yuan nodded and agreed. Here Zhou Yuan finally showed how he benefited from classical books. He explained, “Root praying method is to save people by invoking the lost soul or spirit of them. There’s even a theory asserting that one can be saved by invoking a ghost—”

“Liu Shuai, are you there?” Before Zhou Yuan wrapping up his presentation, Long Fei’s voice came from the back, “Is Liu Shuai there?”

“I am. I’m here.” Liu Shuai promptly walked to the side of Long Fei who just recovered his human appearance. They could tell that his conscience hadn’t totally come back yet, thus he couldn’t see the surroundings. But he was already able to listen and speak. Liu Shuai said attentively, “Take your time. We’re trying to save you. You will restore very soon. Don’t talk now.”

“No, Liu Shuai, you listen to me.” Long Fei’s tone sounded agitated, “They’re skillful. The moment I heard that they’re deploying another array, I got to know that I wouldn’t stay alive for long. Liu Shuai, there are three things I’m going to tell. Is Brother Hao Ning here, please?”

“Yes, yes! I’m here!” Hao Ning, hearing Long Fei, glimpsed at Hong Hai’er and walked to Long Fei also, “You’re now amid the Virtualised Reality created by Zhou Yuan, so however skillful they are, they can’t hurt you. Don’t worry.”

“That’s it, Long Fei.” Xiao Hong nodded at the moment, “People hold such little faith towards the Root Praying Method that it wouldn’t work out a big effect even if they make an array. Take it easy.”

“Bro Child of Saint, thanks for your care for me all the time. But…” Long Fei was recovering as he spoke, but he looked even more urgent, “Three things I’m about to tell. The first is to Liu Shuai—”

“OK, OK. Fire up.” Liu Shuai wore a solemn face with his brows tensing, “I’m listening. I do whatever you tell me.”

“No, no. Liu Shuai, you’ve got it wrong.” Long Fei shook his head, seeming slightly impatient. Part of his body, which condensed into the shape by a lot of effort and melted into the water again, “On the contrary, don’t do anything. Master Yunzhongzi cared about you very much in the heart. He acted as if he’d caught some mysteries since that time and planned for a search all alone. He couldn’t help worrying about you before his leave and he feared you might get into danger. So, he meant to quarrel with you and made you curse never to trail the big confidence. Then he let me protect you secretly. He put off restoring your power to hide your capacity from some specific people. I hadn’t figured it out until learned about what happened to Godslayer Sect a few days ago. Then I came to understand Master Yunzhongzi’s painstaking deeds. Liu Shuai, I presume Master Yunzhongzi left you since you were young out of some other intentions. He just hoped you to be a normal person and live your life safe and sound.”

Liu Shuai never expected that the first thing Long Fei in such crisis was about him and Zhang Quan. The even more unexpected was that the reason Long Fei shamelessly packed into the company he worked with was, bearing Zhang Quan’s request, to protect him. Liu Shuai associated everything happened at a wink, then he got to realize how much he had misunderstood Zhang Quan. All his grudge on Zhang Quan’s silence and neglect was actually all misperception. It was absolutely fake. He lowered the head, losing his words.

“I’m sorry, Liu Shuai. I am probably not able to protect you anymore.” Long Fei continued without seeing Liu Shuai’s expression, “But protect yourself, and please don’t do anything. Stay away from the conflict. When parents love their child, they always plan furthest for them…”