Chapter 45: Forty-five spiritual entities, You need it too. (2/2)

A few days later, they arrived safely at the seas of Zone 77.

A small section was beach; the rest, an endless expanse of ocean.

The sky was dark and heavy, as if a storm could break at any moment.

The beach was crowded with Abnormal Species, along with sentinels and Guides fighting them.

Everyone seeking something would come here for tidepicking, dreaming of getting rich overnight.

Ning Li wasn’t after overnight riches, but overnight power.

She wanted to become stronger, and deep down, she knew it.

But why did she want to become so strong?

Was it vanity, or something else stirring within her?

Did she want to protect someone?

Or did she want to find her own worth, to live up to her natural gift for spirit forms?

“Bamboo cake, are you ready?”

The little dolphin had already returned to Xu Feng’s side, floating by his shoulder.

Even the cute, cuddly dolphin turned solemn on the battlefield, motionless and staring straight ahead.

Ning Li exhaled.

“I’m ready!”

As a Guide, she needed to constantly observe the state of the sentinels on the field, occasionally using [Glimmer] to dispel the negative effects caused by the Abnormal Species.

She cast the skill again and again.

But Ning Li never found it dull or boring.

Because she was always fighting alongside Xu Feng, charging about the battlefield.

Xu Feng never challenged Abnormal Species far above his level, always choosing the right match.

During breaks in the fighting, he would take the time to introduce the opponents to Ning Li, explaining the traits and weaknesses of each Abnormal Species.

Xu Feng was truly a great teacher.

He led Ning Li to improve bit by bit, slowly breaking through her own limits.

He was a patient leader, guiding her to adapt to the battlefield.

His battle rhythm was perfect.

Ning Li knew it was Xu Feng adjusting his pace to suit her, which was why she felt so at ease.

Ning Li lost herself in the joy of battle.

Here, she encountered more sentinels and Guides than ever before, the variety of spirit forms dazzling her eyes.

For the first time, she truly saw what it meant for ‘hidden dragons and crouching tigers’ to be everywhere.

Powerful sentinels were everywhere.

Most were easygoing, and when they met Xu Feng and Ning Li, they’d generously compliment, “Good teamwork, you two.”

Occasionally, they’d encounter indifferent, strong sentinels who, upon seeing Xu Feng and Ning Li’s ranks, would just walk by without a glance.

Both Ning Li and Xu Feng kept a good mindset; neither felt inferior about being just intermediate-level sentinel and Guide.

With each battle, their cooperation became ever more seamless.

No one was fiercer than Ran Wu on the field; he fought the Abnormal Species as if his life depended on it.

Ran Wu always stayed far away, in the safest place, spending most of her days just waiting.

After the tide receded each day was Ning Li’s favorite time.

She combed the beach for treasures, hoping to find something that suited her.

But tidepicking was just like sifting sand for gold—these days, all she’d found were a few useless stones and shells.

It was the same for Ran Wu and Ran Wu.

As for Xu Feng, he didn’t bother searching at all.

He didn’t believe in getting lucky; clearly, he knew the odds at Zone 77’s coast and had a realistic grasp of the chances.

At first, Ning Li enjoyed playing on her own, but later, she liked to drag Xu Feng along to comb the beach together.

Some familiar sentinels teased, “Hey kid, weren’t you not interested in tidepicking?”

Xu Feng really wasn’t interested.

But he found it hard to refuse Ning Li’s invitations.

Besides, even doing nothing, simply walking the beach with her gave him a rare sense of ease and joy—one of his few truly relaxing moments each day.

Ning Li hugged the dolphin as she walked ahead, Xu Feng following behind, the setting sun casting a soft orange halo around their backs.

After a while, they sat down together on the sand.

This was the one time of day when no Abnormal Species would come close—the only safe time of day.

“I really want to be strong.”

She didn’t know why, but this desire had become an obsession for Ning Li.

Ever since waking up as bamboo cake, she’d wanted to become stronger.

“Why do you want to be strong?”

Xu Feng’s gentle question drifted on the salty sea breeze.

“Because I want to protect you.”

The moment those words left her lips, both of them froze in surprise.

It had just come out so naturally, even catching Ning Li off guard.

When Xu Feng didn’t answer, Ning Li turned her head to look at him.

“What? You don’t believe me?”

Xu Feng shook his head.

“No.”

He was simply surprised.

He’d protected many people before, but Ning Li was the first to ever say she wanted to protect him.

When he faced death, he’d felt no sadness; when he was reborn as Xu Feng and fell from top-tier to mid-tier sentinel, he hadn’t felt sad; but now, hearing Ning Li’s words, for some reason, he suddenly felt an odd, indescribable sadness.

Why?

Was it because those words came from bamboo cake to Xu Feng, or something else?

In front of Xu Feng, Ning Li revealed an ambition she never showed in front of the Ran Wu siblings.

“I will become incredible.”

“Mm. I believe you.”

And so the days passed in a cycle of battle, rest, and tidepicking.

Just as Ning Li thought life would continue peacefully like this, she found a silver-glossed cube on the beach.

The moment she picked it up, Ning Li instinctively sensed something, immediately stashing it away.

Her heart raced.

It seemed she’d picked up something extraordinary.

After weighing it over, she decided to share the good news with Xu Feng.

But when telling him, Ning Li felt as if she’d split in two—one half said, why tell him?

Keeping the secret to herself would be enough.

The other half said, you trust him, don’t you?

The first half countered, what if he betrays you?

The other replied, he won’t.

And if he does, it’s worth it to use a cube to see a person clearly.

Ning Li had thought it through carefully.

She could have kept her gold brick to herself, holding the secret all her life.

But by nature, she was someone who liked to share her daily life.

Whether happy or sad, she hoped there was someone to share it with.

She wanted feedback—comfort or praise.

After all, living in this world, maybe emotional feedback is important too.

What’s the point of sitting alone in a high tower?

She could never be one to hide away from the world.

Keeping the news to herself would bring Ning Li peace, but not happiness.

Telling Xu Feng would bring her a bit of anxiety, but also happiness.

She chose to give Xu Feng this trust.

If he betrayed her, she could take the loss.

At worst, it was just one more loss.

While walking on the beach as usual, Ning Li opened her pocket and let Xu Feng see.

The moment he saw the thing, Xu Feng’s eyes widened slightly.

Ning Li caught every nuance of his expression.

“Aren’t I amazing?”

“Yes. Bamboo cake is amazing.”

Xu Feng truly hadn’t expected her to pick up such an interesting thing on the beach.

Her efforts hadn’t been wasted.

“But I still haven’t… found a way.”

She didn’t know how to use it.

A Divine Gifted Relic only awaits the destined.

That phrase suddenly flashed through Xu Feng’s mind.

He comforted her, “Don’t worry, we’ll study it slowly. We’ll figure it out.”

Ning Li stared at Xu Feng, scrutinizing his reaction.

“I haven’t told anyone else. Do you think I’m too selfish?”

Ran Wu and Ran Wu were practically losing their minds over this thing; for years, they’d been obsessed with searching for Divine Gifted Relics.

Ran Wu’s heart was full of nothing but Divine Gifted Relics, but never found one.

And now, the Divine Gifted Relic so many desired had been effortlessly picked up by Ning Li on Zone 77’s beach.

The moment she picked up the Silver Cube, Ning Li knew—it must be what Ran Wu and Ran Wu were looking for.

But she didn’t want to give it away.

She found it, so why give it to someone else?

Ran Wu was pitiful, yes.

But what did that have to do with her?

Ning Li knew her thoughts were cold, but this was a Divine Gifted Relic—a treasure of unparalleled power.

Xu Feng placed his hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair.

“Why do you think that way?”

“Because she’s pitiful.”

Of all things, Xu Feng couldn’t bear to see pitiful people.

That was something Ning Li had noticed on this journey.

When he encountered ordinary people struggling to survive, Xu Feng would always lend a hand if he could.

He saw all the world’s suffering and wanted to change it.

Xu Feng’s hand moved from her head to her shoulder, his voice low and soft.

“You work hard every day.”

Always looking down, searching for things,

Never slacking off.

To pick up treasures under the noses of countless sentinels is no easy feat.

But she’d never feared hardship.

“You have your own dreams.”

You want to become stronger, want to survive better in this dangerous world.

Xu Feng’s gaze was gentle.

“You need it, too.”

So, she wasn’t selfish at all.