Along the way, Ning Li encountered all kinds of sentinels.
Some lived by the motto “Drink while there’s wine today,” eating meat heartily and drinking deeply amid the snowstorm;
Others wore faces full of gloom, embodying a pessimistic outlook;
Still others placed all their hopes on others, wishing the storm would simply cease on its own.
In such a short journey, Ning Li seemed to have witnessed the myriad faces of humanity.
There was a natural pull between Guides and Spiritual Companions, and relying on that pull, Ning Li successfully found Little Hei squatting by a pit.
In the white world around them, it seemed only the fiery red of Bawanghua remained—so vivid, so passionate.
At the sight of her, Little Hei happily twisted its body and called out, “Master, you’re here!”
In this perilous environment, with a snowstorm like there was no tomorrow, only Little Hei remained carefree, leisurely wandering through the biting cold and occasionally weaving through the busy sentinels.
Ning Li no longer restricted its movements at all.
A competent master should never constrain or suppress the nature of their Spiritual Companion.
“Where’s the Yin Se Zhu Zi?”
“In the hole.”
Ning Li leaned in for a closer look.
Snowflakes fell near the muddy ground, melting quickly.
She saw a pit about half a meter deep, and at the bottom lay a silver bead emitting a faint glow.
Clearly, this was the hole Little Hei had dug, and the pit was quite deep—surprisingly, Little Hei had shown patience.
Digging to this extent required a considerable effort.
Ning Li asked Little Hei to wrap up the bead and bring it up.
It was obviously an exquisitely shaped bead, its surface warm to the touch.
This bead was slightly larger than the Amber Eye but still could be held in one hand.
As Ning Li carefully examined this seemingly perfect bead, she accidentally touched a certain spot.
Suddenly, the silver bead emitted a burst of white light, completely enveloping her.
Faintly, she heard a familiar voice calling her name, “Ning Li.”
It seemed to be her previous teammate.
But hadn’t her teammate gone to find friends?
Why were they now here in the Forbidden Zone?
Before Ning Li could think further, her consciousness felt like it was sinking into a quagmire of mud.
[Congratulations on unlocking a Shen Ci Zhi Wu: Lun Hui Qiu.]
[What do you wish to obtain?]
[Power, influence, status, or perhaps eternal love…]
At this moment, Ning Li felt as if she were in a lucid dream—aware she was dreaming, able to respond and think, but unable to wake.
When the question sounded a second time, she gave her answer:
Sincerity… and trust.
A sincerity that would never be betrayed, a trust that could be given without worry.
The moment she finished answering, her consciousness plunged into darkness.
In a corner unseen by her, just as the white light was fading, Yin tightly grasped her arm.
Then, the two vanished from where they stood.
Ting Rui: !!!
Little Hei: !!!
Events unfolded too quickly for Ting Rui to react.
He couldn’t understand how something he had buried so deeply could be found so easily.
He also couldn’t understand why, having possessed the silver bead for nearly five years, he had never unlocked its function—yet someone else unlocked it immediately upon obtaining it.
Ning Li groggily opened her eyes.
What fell into her sight was a sky full of stars.
Beneath the vast starry sky, she was lying on someone’s back, her entire body heavy and drowsy.
Memories churned in her mind.
She knew she was now Ran Wu, and the person carrying her was Ran Fu, her brother.
She was an ordinary person who had not awakened a Spiritual Companion.
An ordinary person?
Ning Li always felt she had awakened a Spiritual Companion—an exceptional and powerful one at that—but now, no matter what, she could not summon any Spiritual Companion.
What a pity.
She had transmigrated into the world of Guides and Sentinels but was a fragile person with no means of self-defense.
Her brother, Ran Fu, was gifted with extraordinary talent, but unfortunately, having her as a burden made his life far from easy.
If Ning Li still retained memories from the past few months, she would realize Ran Fu was a famous historical sentinel, with a formidable Spiritual Companion and a life full of grandeur.
Ran Fu was born in the year 1057, exactly 300 years before the 1357 she had transmigrated to.
She had once reviewed that history, but sadly, those memories were lost.
They were now on the run.
Ran Fu had awakened outstanding spiritual power.
The Sentinel Corps Commander of the Sentinel Corps of Area 53 wanted him to join the corps, but Ran Fu refused.
His reason was simple—because of his burden of a sister.
Ran Wu was born weak and was predicted not to live past twenty.
She was already nineteen this year.
The only way to extend her life was by awakening a Spiritual Companion.
Once she awakened her Spiritual Companion, whether as a sentinel or a Guide, she would have a longer life.
Ran Fu had been searching for ways to help her awaken for years.
If he joined the corps and had no energy to care for her anymore, death would likely be her only outcome.
Ning Li thought Ran Fu was a bit foolish, quite different from the clever and calculating older brother she had in her past life.
That brother was selfish and cold, indifferent to her fate as a sister.
But as someone who needed protection, she certainly preferred a brother like Ran Fu.
Upon entering the border of Area 60, Ran Fu slowed down.
This was the Burial Ground, a place seldom visited, where they could rest briefly.
After setting Ran Wu down, Ran Fu instinctively reached out and touched her forehead.
“No fever.”
Ning Li instinctively turned her head, uncomfortable with such closeness.
Fortunately, Ran Fu quickly withdrew his hand, seemingly unaware of her avoidance.
Ran Fu surveyed the environment and concluded, “We can rest for about an hour.”
After an hour, they would have to continue fleeing.
Their destination this time was an Abnormal Lair in Area 63, rumored to hold a Shen Ci Zhi Wu.
Such information was often mixed with truth and falsehood, and after so many people passed on the rumor, much of it was distorted.
But to Ran Fu, whether true or not, he had to see it with his own eyes to feel at ease.
Although Ning Li had only just transmigrated, she knew this would be a difficult path.
Even if such a Shen Ci Zhi Wu truly existed, it might not awaken her Spiritual Companion, nor be retrievable at all.
To obtain something from an Abnormal Lair meant risking death a hundred times over.
But she did not want to die.
She had no attachment to her previous world; in terms of family and friendship, she had failed miserably, becoming accustomed to betrayal.
In this new world, though still lonely, she wanted to live well.
She was now just an ordinary person.
If such a thing truly existed, she had to rely on Ran Fu.
So after hesitating for a moment, she slowly moved closer to Ran Fu.
The siblings huddled together for warmth in the silent night.
Ran Fu was tending a fire.
They had only brought some flatbread and water.
After some time, the bread had grown cold.
Ran Wu was frail and could get sick from eating cold food, so the bread had to be heated before she could eat it.
Ning Li wondered if it was her imagination, but she felt that Ran Fu’s way of roasting the bread was somewhat unfamiliar, less skilled than usual.
Perhaps he was too exhausted.
After carrying her for hours, even a superhuman would be weary.
The flatbread tasted slightly different from her memories, but this was her first time eating it, so the disparity between recalled taste and reality was natural.
Just as she finished eating and took a few sips of river water nearby, sounds of footsteps crunching over dry branches and leaves came from not far off.
Ran Fu reacted quickly, hoisting Ning Li onto his back and fleeing at full speed.
Ning Li was dizzy from the jolts but could turn her head slightly to see the starry sky.
Behind them were pursuers, but the sky remained vast and deep as ever.
Not long after their departure, three high-level sentinels caught up.
Seeing the still-burning fire and faint scent of roasted bread in the air, one sneered, “Why bother? Isn’t it better to eat and drink well with the corps commander? Why choose the cheapest flatbread?”
“Enough talk. The corps commander has his eye on Ran Fu’s abilities. We must bring him back.”
The pursuers arrived faster than expected—or perhaps there had been more than one group chasing them all along.
Ning Li and Ran Fu were soon overtaken.
“Ran Fu, give up resisting and come with us.”
“Being favored by the corps commander is your fortune—don’t be ungrateful.”
“Forget about your sister. As long as you agree to join the Sentinel Corps of Area 53, the corps commander has promised she’ll be well cared for.”
In response, a sudden gust of fierce wind swept over them, lifting the dry leaves and branches.
The biting wind stung their faces.
The three sentinels’ expressions stiffened, as if facing a grave threat.
He appeared. Ran Fu’s Spiritual Companion—
Storm Lord.
A being who commands the storm, able to harness the power of the wind wherever air exists.
And as everyone knows, air is everywhere.
Though siblings, the sister was powerless—a useless burden—while the brother had awakened the Storm Lord, ranking among the top ten Spiritual Companions.
The three sentinels exchanged glances and, in tacit agreement, launched an assault on Ran Fu.
They had clashed with him multiple times before and were well acquainted with his abilities.
They were confident they could capture Ran Fu tonight and bring him back to Area 53.
Perhaps it was their imagination, but they sensed that Ran Fu was in poor form tonight, far weaker than before.
He seemed somewhat unfamiliar with his own Spiritual Companion.
Unfamiliar.
Such an emotion, which should never exist between a sentinel and their Spiritual Companion, was caught by their keen eyes.
But how could it be?
How could Ran Fu be unacquainted with his own Spiritual Companion?
Sentinels and their Spiritual Companions were the closest of partners—it should never be this way.
Just as the three were overjoyed, thinking Ran Fu was weak and ready to be captured, the strange sense of unfamiliarity slowly faded.
He gradually returned to the Ran Fu they knew.
But—something still seemed slightly off.
His use of his Spiritual Companion’s powers had changed.
Simply put, his combat style had shifted.
The sentinels were both surprised and shocked.
The storm roared wildly, sweeping away all attacks from the three sentinels.
The wind shielded Ning Li, creating an impenetrable barrier.
No matter how fierce the battle grew in the distance, Ning Li’s side remained a sanctuary.
But Ning Li knew Ran Fu was tired.
His pale face showed he was far from as relaxed as he seemed.
He had been carrying this burden of a sister for a long time under high strain today.
Ning Li quietly observed for a long time.
She saw Ran Fu begin to struggle in response.
She saw more and more wounds appear on his body.
She saw his hands tremble slightly at his sides.
She saw excitement flicker across the faces of the three sentinels.
She could roughly guess the outcome of this battle.
Ran Fu would likely be defeated by these three sentinels.
But she understood.
Facing three high-level sentinels in their prime while already exhausted was a losing battle.
Ning Li couldn’t help but think: if only he would give up on her.
Wasn’t this a journey with no future?
Even if he could withstand this wave of attacks, more pursuers would follow endlessly.
How long could he last?
So, when Ran Fu was at a disadvantage in this one-against-three fight, she heard herself calmly say,
“Brother, maybe it’s time to give up.”
Don’t seek that so-called Shen Ci Zhi Wu anymore.
Don’t resist any longer.
If you understand how to give up, you won’t have to suffer so much.
After weighing the pros and cons, wasn’t this the best solution?
If he gave up on her, all the troubles would be solved.
How simple.
She was used to it.
Even if Ran Fu abandoned her, she wouldn’t care.
After all, she had been abandoned enough times; one more wouldn’t matter.
Hearing this, the other sentinels laughed.
“Ran Fu, even your sister is telling you to give up. Hurry and come with us.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of your sister in these last days. You won’t have to worry.”
Just as the sentinels lowered their guard, believing Ran Fu had no fighting strength left, the weakening wind suddenly surged back with force.
The wind howled.
When the storm raged, the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees instantly.
“What?”
“How could such a strong wind appear?”
“Wait! Don’t act rashly!”
The furious wind rolled like a wild tide, violently sweeping the three sentinels away, mercilessly tossing them high into the air.
The air was the perfect battlefield for the wind, where it reigned supreme.
The fates of those three sentinels were sealed.
Ran Fu, having just finished the grueling fight, walked over to Ning Li and knelt on one knee.
He gently stroked her head, a faint smile appearing on his pale face.
“Don’t be afraid. I… your brother will not lose.”
He said he wouldn’t lose.
Ning Li looked at the young sentinel before her, smiling with relief, and was silent for a long time.
This was the first time she had been chosen with such certainty.
Even though the one being chosen was Ran Wu.
But she was Ran Wu now.
So, indeed, she had been firmly chosen.
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