The moon was hidden behind the clouds at some unknown time.
The pitch-black night was dominated by sound.
Even at a distance, Ning Li could still hear the “Pearl Bullets” fired by the Clam Abnormal Species slicing through the air.
Beyond the reach of sight, even imagination began to run wildly.
Though it was just the sound of something breaking the air, it evoked the image of Pearl Bullets piercing flesh and blood.
After calling twice for Bai Lang to stop and being ignored, Ning Li gave up forcing it.
She leapt forward on Bai Lang’s back as he ran at full speed, landing lightly in the arms of the Necromancer like a graceful cat.
The Necromancer caught Ning Li and headed back.
With one less person on his back, Bai Lang’s spirit immediately sensed it.
His spirit immediately transmitted the thought, “That guide ‘jumped off the vehicle.’”
The Sentinel, carrying four teammates and running swiftly, hesitated for a moment.
Where did that guide come from?
So bold!
His speed running alongside Bai Lang’s spirit wasn’t slow.
Panting heavily, he looked back, but even with the Sentinel’s superior dynamic vision, he couldn’t spot the guide’s silhouette.
It was too dark near the Guardian—so dark that not even a sliver of moonlight broke through.
In the open field, the guide’s casual voice came drifting over, already dozens of meters away, “Don’t worry about me.”
Bai Lang Sentinel put down his teammates, wiped his face, and muttered, “Brother, your teammate just isn’t listening. That’s not my problem.”
He was already overwhelmed by several teammates’ injuries and had no spare hands to manage someone else’s guide.
He would help once he settled these people.
Until then, all he could do was wish them luck.
Still, the fact that the guide could jump off mid-run and land unharmed, he wondered what kind of spirit entity it was—looking at it…it was somewhat impressive?
No wonder they dared to “get off” midway.
People have different relationships—close or distant.
Ning Li had long guessed that the Bai Lang Sentinel wouldn’t chase stubbornly.
He simply didn’t have the energy.
For example, earlier, he was busy helping four teammates escape, and Bai Lang’s spirit stayed tightly with his master.
No one noticed the huge crisis Ning Li faced.
Or rather, even if they noticed, they couldn’t spare the time to help her.
But the new teammate, despite being stretched thin, still noticed.
The state of “being protected” has always existed.
To maintain the world’s peace, someone must bear the burden.
Before, Ning Li only knew this as a concept, but had never truly experienced it.
At that moment, “being protected” became concrete.
The one protecting her was a new teammate.
So now, she decided to go back and support, rather than just stay safe.
What Bai Lang’s spirit took five or six minutes to traverse, the Necromancer covered in about a minute.
Concealment and stealth were the Necromancer’s strengths.
Arriving at the battlefield, Ning Li didn’t approach but stayed at a safe distance and used the spirit entity’s talent—
【Death’s Mandate】.
The Necromancer floated in midair.
With its staff raised high, ripples like water appeared in the air, and from those ripples, a black shadow emerged, recklessly charging at the Clam Abnormal Species.
The shadow was about 1.9 meters tall, looking burly and powerful, with thick and mighty legs.
Though its facial features were indistinct and it seemed roughly modeled with only a blurred outline, it was a vast improvement from before.
Summoned undead could understand basic commands and carry out simple communication.
Under Ning Li’s command, the undead pushed her new teammate tangled with the abnormal species out of the battle and took its place.
The undead would fight until victory or until it could no longer hold on, then its form would dissipate.
Yin Que looked up.
The moon had quietly slipped out from behind the clouds, its pale light spilling over the earth.
The newcomer to the battlefield was this black shadow.
Though it had no facial features and appeared insubstantial, it was extremely valiant and fearless, attacking relentlessly.
It was like a battle machine unaware of pain or death, tightly entangling the Clam Abnormal Species.
For some reason, Yin Que saw traces of a certain predecessor in that black shadow.
That predecessor had died over a decade ago, once briefly teaching him various combat skills and could be considered one of his enlightenment teachers.
The predecessor was kind and brave, but was ultimately betrayed by a teammate and died at the hands of an abnormal species.
At that time, Yin Que had attended the predecessor’s funeral.
Of course, the traitorous teammate didn’t have a good ending either.
That predecessor’s fighting style was bold and sweeping, agile and precise, and he was skilled in Ancient Martial Arts.
At a time when Ancient Martial Arts had faded, Yin Que unexpectedly once again admired the grand, profound beauty of these arts from a faceless black shadow.
The vigorous and sharp fist technique seemed to be that predecessor’s signature move.
This set of fist techniques was called Flowing Water Fist.
Water is the strongest yet gentlest thing in the world; its nature is changeable, capable of assuming any form, able to break any defense.
Water benefits all things without competing, breaks through all obstacles without stopping.
Therefore, though water appears soft and boneless, when used properly, it is the most powerful and relentless.
Yin Que noticed about ten meters from the black shadow, a tall, thin humanoid figure draped in black robes.
Even from such a distance, he could sense the cold, eerie, deathly aura emanating from the robed figure.
What was the relationship between the black shadow and the robed figure?
Who was the black shadow?
Could it be that cheerful and generous predecessor?
But that predecessor had been dead for over ten years.
If it really was him, what state was he in now?
And who was the robed figure?
In the blink of an eye, the robed figure vanished on the spot.
Judging by their behavior, they seemed more friend than foe.
While Yin Que silently observed the struggle between the black shadow and the Clam Abnormal Species, Ning Li quietly approached and grabbed his arm, pulling him away.
Long before Ning Li was three or four meters away from Yin Que, he had sensed her arrival.
Yin Que pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Didn’t Bai Lang take you away? Why are you back?”
Ning Li didn’t waste words.
“We have to go!”
The abnormal species was still tied up.
If they didn’t retreat now, when?
From the moment she summoned the black shadow undead, Ning Li knew the battle was critical, and victory uncertain.
If luck favored them, the undead could win; if not, they wouldn’t.
After all, the summoned undead could only inherit part of the strength they had in life.
Even the most formidable Sentinel, once dead and turned undead, suffered diminished power.
Yin Que didn’t resist and cooperated as Ning Li pulled him away from the battlefield.
He looked at the fluffy back of Ning Li’s head and seemed to understand something.
After running about three kilometers, they met up with Bai Lang Sentinel who had come looking for them.
Seeing them alive, Bai Lang Sentinel quietly breathed a sigh of relief, “Good, good, you’re still alive.”
After speaking, he turned his head toward a certain direction.
“My teammates are over there. Are you coming?”
Ning Li didn’t ignore the wounds on Yin Que.
He had a cut on his forehead with blood dripping down the sharp outline of his face.
His clothes were torn and stained with blood from Pearl Bullets grazing him.
His spiritual power fluctuated wildly, and his Spirit Sea needed tending.
Ning Li said decisively, “We’re going.”
Bai Lang Sentinel wasn’t surprised.
“Follow me.”
Along the way, the three said nothing about the battle.
Bai Lang Sentinel didn’t ask how the Clam Abnormal Species was doing either.
Every battle, no matter the outcome, was a success if all participants survived.
After another kilometer, they reached the place where Bai Lang Sentinel’s teammates were resting.
The Firefly Guide was already awake.
Though his complexion remained pale, he had recovered considerably compared to earlier.
Seeing them, the Firefly Sentinel waved and greeted them proactively.
“I heard you jumped off Bai Lang’s back while he was running? That’s gutsy.”
Bai Lang’s speed wasn’t slow, and it was easy to get hurt if not careful.
From her look, she seemed quite adept at it?
Too bad he was unconscious at the time and didn’t see it.
Ning Li shrugged, saying nothing.
Yin Que’s fingertips twitched slightly.
Of the four sentinels, two had woken up; the other two remained unconscious.
Bai Lang Sentinel looked at Ning Li, a hint of probing in his tone.
“Xiao Xiang used over a dozen spiritual power supplements today—too many already, can’t use any more. I’ve treated their wounds; two of them are fine after Xiao Xiang’s spiritual care, but the other two haven’t had their Spirit Seas tended yet. You see…”
Ning Li knew what he meant and spread her hands.
“I’m not good at spiritual tending. Not only can I not save anyone, I might make things worse.”
Bai Lang Sentinel didn’t believe it.
“Impossible, right?”
“But that’s the fact. If you don’t believe me, you can try with your two teammates. If their condition worsens after my tending, I won’t be responsible.”
“Uh…”
Bai Lang Sentinel was speechless.
For the moment, he couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or just making excuses.
He looked at her teammates but still suspected it was a pretext.
“Your teammates need spiritual tending too, but my guides have no spiritual power left. Won’t you help your Sentinel teammates?”
Your teammates are in bad shape now.
Without tending, they won’t die, but they’ll suffer.
The calmness of a Sentinel’s Spirit Sea is very important.
When the spiritual power is restless, Sentinels get splitting headaches and their temper worsens.
Bai Lang Sentinel feared the two teammates wouldn’t wake up and could only pin his hopes on Ning Li.
“Don’t be fooled by how calm your teammates look. That only means they’re enduring it—super enduring. But enduring doesn’t mean they’re not suffering.”
Bai Lang Sentinel was impressed by them—one super tolerant, managing to keep a straight face while the Spirit Sea was in turmoil; the other super bold.
He could only say, they truly were teammates.
Ning Li squatted in front of Yin Que.
Blood still trickled down his forehead.
Though he was disheveled, his clothes soaked with blood, his eyes were as deep and clear as ever.
“No need to force it.”
His words showed he believed her truthfulness.
Ning Li rested her elbows on her knees.
“I really am no good at spiritual tending.”
Yin Que said, “I know.”
“How do you know?”
“You said so.”
Did he trust her that much?
[Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.]
[He was uncomfortable.]
[He looked pitiful.]
[Pitiful.]
[So pitiful.]
Ning Li compromised and gave a suggestion to her new teammate.
“How about this? I’ll try on you first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll stop immediately. What do you think?”