Multiple Personalities

"What is that?" Renault squinted, staring intently at the flickering light ahead, shrouded by the fierce wind. His voice held a trace of imperceptible tremor, yet more so it was a suppressed curiosity and anticipation.

Shen Jingqi, at this moment lean but with a determined gaze, said, "Let's go take a look."

The two tightly gripped the swaying trees beside them that seemed on the verge of breaking. Every step was incredibly difficult, as if battling against invisible giant waves. The fierce wind howled like an enraged beast, tearing at everything. The veins on the back of Renault's hand bulged, and his knuckles turned white from exertion.

"Hold on, Renault!" Shen Jingqi's voice sounded somewhat feeble against the wind, but his gaze was like a lighthouse, giving Renault strength to move forward. They exchanged a glance, needing no words; their tacit understanding and trust grew stronger amidst the storm.

Finally, after a tremendous effort, they reached the source of the light. The scene before them made all three of them gasp in amazement—there lay a strange stone, resting quietly amid the chaos. Everything around it seemed intimidated by its light, even the fierce winds appeared to soften.

The stone emitted a faint yet exceptionally pure light, instilling awe at first sight.

"This... what kind of stone is this?" Li Baiyu, usually smiling, looked utterly amazed, his eyes, which had seen countless rare treasures, now overwhelmed by the seemingly ordinary stone before him.

Shen Jingqi squatted down, carefully examining the stone. His fingers gently touched its surface; the sensation was both cold and inexplicably gentle. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to connect with the stone. Moments later, he opened his eyes suddenly, a flash of enlightenment shining within them.

"I think this must be the incarnation of the stone tablet." Shen Jingqi's words dropped like a pebble into a calm lake, creating ripples. Renault and Li Baiyu exchanged glances, full of confusion.

"Stone tablet? What stone tablet?" Renault inquired, filled with bewilderment. He remembered that their mission was to find a way to combat that imminent Dark Power threatening to consume everything, and this stone seemed far from their goal.

Shen Jingqi stood up, gazing around, his eyes deep as if piercing through the bounds of time and space, seeing a distant past. "Have you ever heard of the 'Yin-Yang Stone Tablet' legend?" His voice was low and powerful, each word seemed to bear the weight of a thousand years.

Renault and Li Baiyu shook their heads, their eyes full of eagerness for knowledge.

"According to legend, at the world's creation, heaven and earth were not yet separate, yin and yang yet undivided, all was chaos. Later, a mysterious stone tablet descended from the heavens, splitting into two, forming the yin and yang fragments representing the world's extremes. The Yang Stele contained endless light and vitality, while the Yin Stele concealed profound darkness and destruction. These two steles are both the foundations and the keys to balance of the world." Shen Jingqi slowly explained.

"Then this stone..." Renault pointed at the peculiar stone before them, a foreboding feeling welling up inside him.

"I think this must be a part of the Yang Stele, or its incarnation. The world is dialectical; yin and yang are a unity, with no absolute light, nor absolute darkness. The nearly devouring dark power might be due to the imbalance of yin and yang. And this stone might be the key to restoring balance and combating the darkness." Shen Jingqi's voice was filled with determination, a hopeful light shone in his eyes.

Renault and Li Baiyu exchanged glances, their hearts filled with both astonishment and unprecedented excitement. If they had truly found the power to confront darkness, then perhaps this land shrouded in despair might still be saved.

However, at that moment, an even fiercer gust of wind suddenly struck, as if nature itself was warning them. The stone's light flickered erratically, as though it might extinguish at any moment.

"Not good, this force seems to be trying to stop us!" Renault shouted, a strong sense of crisis surging in his heart. He knew that if they failed to protect this stone, everything would turn to nothing.

Shen Jingqi furrowed his brow tightly, decisiveness shining in his eyes. "We must protect it, no matter the cost!" His words were full of unwavering resolve.

The three quickly formed a circle, tightly shielding the stone in the middle. Their eyes were filled with determination and courage, as if declaring to the world: no matter how arduous the path ahead, they would not give up.

The fierce wind, like a raging beast, repeatedly battered their defenses. Renault's hands gripped a protruding rock tightly, his knuckles white from the exertion, yet his eyes never left the stone.

Shen Jingqi stood on the other side of the stone, his posture as straight and robust as a pine tree.

Li Baiyu remained vigilant, his sharp gaze like an eagle's, seemingly able to penetrate any fog.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment, as the three waged a silent battle against the fierce wind. Though filled with uncertainty and fear of the future, there never was a hint of retreat in their eyes.

Suddenly, an even greater force erupted from the stone, lighting up everything around them. Renault and the others felt a warm power coursing through their bodies, filling them with endless strength and courage.

"Look, the stone is responding to us!" Renault exclaimed, excitement gleaming in his eyes. He realized, an unspoken bond had been formed between them and the stone.

At that moment, an even darker force suddenly surged from afar, like a tide, overwhelming, seemingly intent on consuming everything.

"Not good, it's that Dark Power!" Li Baiyu shouted, a trace of terror flashing in his eyes.

The three quickly adjusted their stance, concentrating all their power on the stone.

The Dark Power, like a raging beast, repeatedly assaulted their defenses. Renault felt immense pressure from all sides, his body seeming about to be torn apart, but his gaze never wavered from the stone.

Li Baiyu gritted his teeth tightly, his hands gripping a protruding rock.

In this critical moment, the stone's light suddenly became even more dazzling. A mighty force erupted from the stone, hot and bright like the sun, instantly dispelling the surrounding dark force into nothingness.