Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Earth Rift Three

The Earth Rift is right before them.

What the eye can see, the rift's force extends to the end of the hazy, poor visibility, at least 20 meters long and 3 meters wide.

It resembles a wound on the earth, brutally exposed in the gray mist, revealing the deep, radiant core of the earth.

Guo Tianyang lowered his head, looking down. A strong red light emanated from below, intertwined with dull black light, as if two dragons were constantly merging and clashing.

Human retinas are more adept at recognizing the color red than gray.

The "visibility" of Yang Qi wind is much greater than that of Yin Qi wind.

No wonder on the train, they only saw red and not gray.

Guo Tianyang thought, crouching on the edge of the rift, feeling the terrifying pull from the gap.

This force seemed to want to give Guo Tianyang a free haircut.

The short hairs on his head stood upright, almost flying off his scalp and into the gap.

Guo Tianyang silently recited a calming chant in his heart, igniting a revealing talisman, and extended his hand into the rift—

It was hot to the touch.

About 40-50 degrees Celsius.

Guo Tianyang clicked his tongue, picked up the revealing talisman, which was nearly corroded, and examined it carefully.

The red and black traces on the talisman intertwined, winding in a chaotic manner, like the brake marks left by a two-tone painted race car skidding into a tree.

It was at this moment that Mingyue brushed up beside Senior Guo.

“The speed of the Yin and Yang currents is fast enough.”

“The Yin and Yang clash in this rift is much more intense than the one at the high-speed train station.”

Guo Tianyang: "..."

Guo Tianyang was startled by the sudden voice, almost slipping into the rift. Mingyue quickly and skillfully pulled him back.

"What are you doing here?!""Dangerous, hurry back to the high-speed train!"

Guo Tianyang coaxed the younger student like a little chick.

Around them, ten senior students were paired up, some surrounding the rift to survey it, others quietly discussing strategies. The walking corpses kept crawling out of the rift, and everyone was also dealing with these "guests from the earth."

Mingyue watched her seniors busy around the rift and smiled.

"It’s not that I refuse to follow the management, Senior."

"I was just helping with handling the corpses earlier—after I dealt with a batch, Senior Chen Xiu called me over."

Guo Tianyang froze for a moment.

He had a good relationship with Chen Xiu and figured that since Chen Xiu made full use of people, Mingyue was so capable that leaving her on the high-speed train would be a waste. Plus, her presence would likely bring glory to the Spirit-Sealing Academy. He couldn't think of a reason why Chen Xiu would send her to the rift unless there was a purpose.

"It shouldn’t be."

"Did you tell anyone about something?"

"There was someone."

Mingyue admitted frankly, "Senior Zhao Yibai from Spirit-Sealing Academy."

"I was using the Golden Light Divine Spell at the time, and he asked me a couple of questions."

"It was all normal stuff, like who I am and what kind of talisman this is."

At this point, Mingyue even felt a little embarrassed, speaking a few good words for Zhao Yibai:

"Senior Zhao Yibai from Spirit-Sealing Academy is really nice."

"My talisman was drawn poorly, which embarrassed Spirit-Sealing Academy, but he didn’t criticize me."

Guo Tianyang: "…"

What’s there to criticize? He wondered if Zhao Yibai could even draw at all.

Guo Tianyang, who had known Mingyue since medical school, had been asked many times by her about drawing talismans [Note]. He couldn’t help but laugh: "Yes, your talismans aren’t that great." But he didn’t blame Mingyue—Eight Divine Spells are complicated, and it takes practice for lower-level students to draw them properly.

"However, aesthetics come second; effectiveness comes first.""Alright, I understand Chen Xiu's intention."

"You stay in this group at the rift."

After saying this, when Mingyue looked like she wanted to ask something, Guo Tianyang started shooing her away like a little chick:

"Go, go, go, the Heavenly Gate is over there."

"—Yes, the one with its rear end sticking up near the crack."

"Follow him and figure out how to neutralize the yin wind."

Mingyue was pushed away.

Guo Tianyang watched her retreating figure and couldn't help but complain about Chen Xiu and Zhao Yibai in his heart.

Chen Xiu is really an idiot!

Guo Tianyang spat.

Earlier, during lunch in the dining car, he had been chatting with Mingyue Yan Jun and Zhao Yibai, throwing bait out, but now that Zhao Yibai had caught on, he had turned into a protector.

However, he also understood Chen Xiu’s intention.

In the first three years, Jinda had declined, and the political advantage held by Dida had dethroned them from the top spot.

As a result, Dida, the victorious side, had managed to remain steady, showing no signs of arrogance from their win. They humbly stated that the gap in actual strength was still large and promised to keep improving. It was the other institutions that followed, each like a bunch of over-enthusiastic individuals, willing to risk everything to bring down the demon king. Everyone wanted to show off their strength, hoping to outshine others.

The year before last, Chang'an Normal University and Spirit-Sealing Academy fought over the national best ancient site protection.

Last year, Xiang University and Spirit-Sealing Academy competed over the number of published papers, and the "second-authorship" grudge between Chen Xiu and Zhao Yibai was one of the key events in that series.

Spirit-Sealing Academy was attacked from all sides.

Surrounded and feeling quite embarrassed.

As for Zhao Yibai, Guo Tianyang had dealt with him before.

He's not a bad person [Note], but there are many little schemes and careful thoughts.

As the top-tier, face-to-face competitors, Chen Xiu’s straightforward and harsh personality really made him dislike the hidden tricks beneath Zhao Yibai’s surface.

It was no secret that Spirit-Sealing Academy’s undergraduate professors taught the Eight Divine Spells.But other institutions don't teach this.

This is what makes Jinda's Spirit-Sealing Academy most worthy of being revered.

So when a rare occasion happens, and you find someone with loose lips, “limited experience,” and exceptional talent who can perform the Eight Divine Spells, you have to take the chance to have a good chat, right? Maybe get some extra information.

Like, “How is the undergraduate curriculum at Spirit-Sealing Academy structured? What do you practice?”

Or, “Little sister, you have great talent, how about teaching our good sisters from Xiang University how to draw the Golden Light God?”

Or, “Does Spirit-Sealing Academy have any plans for the upcoming exam, junior?”

Guo Tianyang: “……”

Although Mingyue is also a sly one at heart, there’s no need for Zhao Yibai to realize this deep truth before the exam, especially when they haven't even entered Fengdu yet.

The rift's wind is howling, carrying the chilling presence of the yin wind.

Chaotianque is squatting on the ground, digging into the soil, adjusting the angle of the Yang Qi talisman, trying to figure out how to maximize the effectiveness of a talisman.

Behind him, two walking corpses are climbing up.

Mingyue jumps out and swings a fork, knocking the two big guys away, then hops over:

“Senior, be careful.”

“Don't just focus on the work and ignore what's behind you.”

“You almost got pushed into the rift just now.”

Chaotianque smiles and thanks her, then pulls Mingyue over so they can brainstorm together.

The rift is like an abyss, the gloom dark enough to obscure one's sight.

The yin wind blowing against Chaotianque's chest makes him feel dizzy and dark before his eyes.

Mingyue, on the other hand, feels clear and refreshed.

The yin qi on the surface used to be considerable, but of poor quality, with a chemical pollution-like scent.

This time, the quality of the yin wind in the rift far surpasses that of the surface. It carries the essence of the earth’s core, full of a damp, powerful breath, entering Mingyue's left eye without feeling dry, but instead soothing and soft.Chaotianque looked at Mingyue, whose forehead seemed almost to be reaching into the rift: “……”

“Junior, what did you just say about me? Did you forget?”

Chaotianque said this, grabbing Mingyue by the collar and pulling her up.

Mingyue wiped her left eye and felt that she looked “delicate and refined” at this moment:

“Thank you, senior.”

“It’s just that the quality of the yin qi in the rift is exceptional—couldn't help it, couldn’t help it.”

Exceptional quality.

Chaotianque laughed: “Are you talking about taking drugs?”

“I heard about the Water West Gate incident. How’s your eye now?”

“Great.”

“It feels even better than before.”

Mingyue widened her eyes, allowing Chaotianque to face her stunning beauty:

“Senior, look at me. Am I particularly delicate and refined now?”

“......”

Chaotianque’s heart skipped a beat.

No wonder she’s the face of the Spirit-Sealing Academy.

He tried to focus his attention in the direction Mingyue mentioned. Upon a closer look, he could indeed tell a difference:

“Junior, your left eye wasn’t very sensitive to light before, was it?”

Chaotianque asked uncertainly. It had been half a year since the Qing Dynasty Old Man incident at the Medical School, and Chaotianque had almost forgotten what Mingyue’s eye used to look like.

However, right now, her left eye's grayish pupil was bright, with a small sparkling bright core, soft and beautiful, exuding a vibrant sense of life.

But.It still couldn’t compare to the bright golden right eye, which blazed like a torch.

“Yes, senior remembers.” Mingyue nodded.

Chaotianque smiled: “I can’t forget.”

“You’re especially delicate and refined now.”

“You look absolutely beautiful.”

Mingyue: “……”

Ah ha, I’m so delicate and refined now!

With the praise, Mingyue felt like she could float to the sky. Chaotianque was starting to suspect that he could see a tail swaying behind his junior sister.

When Mingyue was in a good mood, she wanted to help others.

She noticed a stack of yang qi talismans beside Chaotianque, and he was gesturing at the rift, likely still thinking about adjusting the yin and yang environment at the center of the rift’s massive transformation.

If it could be adjusted properly, though the rift wouldn’t close, the wandering corpses crawling around should be stopped.

“Senior, can you tell me the reason for the rift that’s been surveyed so far?”

“I also want to help!”

Mingyue enthusiastically nodded.

Chaotianque chuckled, “There’s no need to know the root cause. In the past month, Fengdu has been full of strange occurrences. We just need to treat the symptoms. Once the fifteenth of July passes, it’ll naturally take care of the underlying problem.”

“Just now, when we measured the rift vertically, the underground xue wind changed drastically. The yin and yang qi were so strong that even the level lines we drew were broken — at the deeper levels, we can’t help much.”

“But near the surface, due to the overflow of the corpses, the primary yin-yang environment is more yin—otherwise, the corpses wouldn’t be able to crawl out.” Chaotianque patted the yang qi talisman beside him.

Mingyue understood immediately, continuing:

“So, we are now in a vicious cycle. The external leakage of the earth’s core’s yin qi is causing more and more corpses to emerge. The more corpses there are, the more the yin qi spreads from the core…”

Mingyue clapped her left hand onto her right hand, indicating the cycle:

“We should take some mandatory measures to ‘rebuild’ the yang qi environment near the surface, right?”

Chaotianque: “Correct.”Mingyue climbed up the metaphorical ladder, asking: “Senior, what do you think of the Fierce Sun Talisman?”

“Light it, and it will guarantee endless yang qi!”

Chaotianque: “……”

Chaotianque was choked up for a moment, “Not so great.”

“You want the underground yin and yang environment to become unbalanced?”

“Also, these ancient corpses underground could be relics from some historical period’s ancient layers. If you burn them, the Yuzhou Cultural Relics Bureau will come knocking on Fengling’s door.”

Mingyue scoffed, “Help them deal with things, and we still have to be cautious.”

Chaotianque smiled, “That’s the crux of the problem.”

“The simplest method is to stack a large number of low-level yang qi talismans — we already tried it just now. Slow, but safe and effective.”

……

Mingyue imagined the scene for a moment.

“Do we have to cover the entire edge of the rift, over twenty meters?”

“With the wind blowing, the whole place would be covered with yellow paper. Anyone who doesn’t know would think it’s a funeral offering paper near the railway.”

Chaotianque: “......”

Chaotianque burst into laughter.

Mingyue looked at her watch; it had almost been an hour since they got off the vehicle. The Fierce Sun Talisman was in her bag behind her. She recalled her personal experience under the tea tree at Shuixi Gate just a while ago:

“Senior, have you considered using the Land God Talisman along with the Fierce Sun Talisman?”

Mingyue tapped her fingers, asking in a soft but firm voice.

“Using the gentle power of the Land God Talisman to control the Fierce Sun Talisman.”

……

A spark of understanding flashed in Chaotianque’s mind. He paused his actions, “Continue.”

“What’s your reasoning?”

Mingyue briefly explained the danger she encountered under the tea tree.“...It was that time at Shuixi Gate...”

“...I was in yang qi fire for over four hours, being stubborn, running into the fire to pick up bones...”

“The yin-yang eyes in yang qi fire, it’s indeed very dangerous...”

“But my yin eye was protected by the Land God Talisman.”

“Otherwise, as you know, Senior, it definitely would have burned my eyes out — and it would have been irreversible.”

“Uh... At that time, I didn’t have anything reliable on hand, so I used the Land God Talisman to cover my left eye and charged right in.”

Mingyue even demonstrated the charging gesture.

Chaotianque: “...”

How to describe this?

It’s like someone drinks the same water, eats the same food as you, but the things they come up with can lead you to discover a whole new world.

Chaotianque realized that Mingyue really had the potential to be a storyteller, as her heart-pounding story was told as if it were a joke.

Mingyue was still trying to prove that her method was feasible:

“The Land God doesn’t govern yin and yang, it governs protection.”

“The textbook says the Land God Talisman balances the yin and yang environment, keeping all sides calm, right?”

“Our Fierce Sun Talisman and the extreme yin environment are like two pieces of radish. The Land God can make them return to their respective baskets — dividing the radish, right?”

Mingyue’s analogy was rather peculiar.

Chaotianque’s gaze was complicated.

Mingyue truly was someone skilled in the laws of yin and yang.

As a fellow student, Chaotianque was happy that she was one of their Fengling Academy’s students.

As someone closer in age, Chaotianque also felt immense peer competition pressure from this junior.

Sigh, really.Living in the same era and industry as someone like this, I really don’t know whether it's a blessing or a curse.

Chaotianque sighed inwardly.

But... cold water still needed to be thrown when necessary.

“To correct something, the Eight Divine Spells don’t govern yin and yang.”

“Your method is theoretically feasible.”

“But it lacks practical experience, and the Fierce Sun Talisman is too dangerous, so the spell formula isn’t included in the curriculum. In other words, we don’t understand it well enough. If it gets out of control, it’ll be hard to get things back in place—” Chaotianque pointed around, the gray mist thickening. “Think about it, if the yang fire starts burning, can we control it?”

“This is not a confined space, Mingyue.”

Mingyue: “...”

Mingyue felt deflated and didn’t try to be strong: “You’re right, Senior.”

However, as soon as she turned her head, Chaotianque slapped himself in the face, “But we could find someone with a more yin constitution to use the Fierce Sun Talisman—” Chaotianque mentally pointed to someone.

“This spell, no matter how powerful, relies on both the pattern and the one writing it.”

“We can’t control the pattern, but we can adjust the person writing it.”

Mingyue raised her hand quickly.

“Senior, I recommend our classmate Jun Weiran!”

“He has a very yin constitution!”

“And,” Mingyue paused, changing “the Jun family and Ming family have a history, with some shared teachings” to, “His family has an excellent education, and the Fierce Sun Talisman, maybe he already knows how to draw it!”

Chaotianque had originally intended to find an upperclassman since the Fierce Sun Talisman requires a skilled talisman maker. But since Mingyue was so confident, he didn’t mind taking a look:

“Alright, I’ll call him over.”

Jun Weiran was quickly called over.

He didn’t say anything about Chaotianque’s request.

In fact, when facing the majestic fissure terrain and the third-year requirements for the Fierce Sun Talisman, he had no reaction. He didn’t even spare Mingyue a glance and just nodded.“I can draw it.”

Chaotianque was surprised: “Junior, you’re impressive.”

“Mingyue said you could, and you really can.”

Mingyue frantically waved her hand behind him, signaling Chaotianque to stop talking, but it was too late.

Jun Weiran: “.......”

Jun Weiran finally gave Mingyue a glance, then quickly turned his head away.

There was nothing readable in his eyes.

Mingyue only felt that when Chaotianque mentioned that Mingyue knew Jun Weiran, Jun Weiran seemed... happy?

Mingyue: “.......”

Mingyue: “?????”

The straight man, Mingyue, really couldn’t understand the twisted, winding teenage thoughts of Jun Weiran.

It was perfectly normal to know him.

Even if things fell apart now, we were once childhood sweethearts.

When we were young, who knows how many things Jun Weiran learned were taken from my house.

Mingyue’s mindset was calm.

She had already accepted that Jun Weiran didn’t like her and would never like her.

You really are changeable.

Watching Jun Weiran half-kneel beside the fissure, drawing the talisman, Mingyue mocked herself.

She had once said to others that sincerity could prove the sun and the moon.

Now, she had just accepted it without feeling much.

But, there was nothing she could do—he didn’t like her.Mingyue sighed and stomped out the little flame in her heart.