The mountain morning carried the moist scent of grass and trees. Tang Xiaoqi and Liu Yun walked side by side, their speed not fast, as if both were adapting to the feeling of leaving the sect's protection, or perhaps tacitly waiting for something. The rabbit spirit was unusually excited, standing upright on Xiaoqi's shoulder, its pink nose constantly twitching, catching the unfamiliar scents of the mountain forest.
Sure enough, about the time it takes to burn an incense stick after they left Qingxu Temple's range, hurried, slightly stumbling footsteps came from behind, along with a panting, anxious call.
"Xiaoqi! Wait! Junior Sister Liu! Wait for me—!"
Both stopped and turned to look. At the corner of the mountain path, Second Senior Brother Luo Feng appeared, one hand on his knee, the other waving high, his face even paler than usual, with cold sweat on his forehead—clearly his injuries hadn't healed and he'd forced his spiritual energy to catch up. On his back was a bulging, seemingly heavier-than-himself large cloth bag that clinked and clattered as he ran.
Liu Yun frowned slightly, speaking low: "This Luo Feng, his injuries aren't fully healed—what's he running out here for? Eldest Senior Brother should have stopped him."
Xiaoqi understood in his heart, looking at Second Senior Brother's disheveled yet urgent appearance, warmth and helplessness rising in his eyes. He quickened his pace to meet him.
"Second Senior Brother, why have you come? Your injuries..."
Luo Feng ran up, not even bothering to catch his breath as he grabbed Xiaoqi's arm, as if afraid he'd run away, speaking brokenly: "Good... good thing I caught up! Why... why are you walking so fast!"
He lowered the heavy cloth bag from his back with a "clang" muffled sound, seemingly filled with metal objects. Luo Feng himself was exhausted too, leaning against a nearby tree to catch his breath, taking quite a while to recover.
"Second Senior Brother, your injuries haven't healed—you shouldn't exert yourself like this." Xiaoqi looked at his pale face with concern.
"It's fine! Won't die!" Luo Feng waved his hand, completely unbothered, his gaze burning intensely at Xiaoqi. "Xiaoqi, you're going out for training—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
He suddenly squatted down and began clumsily untying the large cloth bag's cords, rambling: "The outside world is so big, with so many strange things—perfect for helping me test so many ideas! I'm cooped up in the sect working alone, so many concepts I can't verify..."
The bag opened, revealing an assortment of items, packed with all kinds of strange shapes, spiritual lights flickering unevenly.
Luo Feng first pulled out a thick stack of talisman papers in various colors, covered in twisted runes, and shoved them into Xiaoqi's arms without allowing refusal: "Here! These are the experimental versions of my newly developed 'multi-function combination talismans'! This red one—theoretically, inputting fire spiritual energy triggers a fireball spell, inputting water spiritual energy triggers a water arrow spell, but the specific effects and power... haven't been fully tested. Find suitable targets on your journey to try them out! And this golden one—an improved version of the 'Diamond Body Protection Talisman'—it should be able to withstand a full-strength strike from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator... probably. Last time during testing it detonated prematurely. No one was hurt, but the defensive effect wasn't recorded..."
Xiaoqi looked at the stack of talismans in his arms emanating unstable spiritual energy fluctuations, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. Liu Yun beside him couldn't help but facepalm, wearing an "I knew it" expression.
"And this!" Luo Feng pulled out a palm-sized metal disc composed of countless tiny gears and runes, with a cloudy crystal embedded in its center. He presented it like a treasure to Xiaoqi: "'Fully Automatic Environment Recording and Danger Warning Compass'! It can not only record the terrain you've traversed and spiritual energy concentration changes, but theoretically also alert you when encountering intense killing intent, demonic energy, or spatial fluctuations! It's just... sometimes it gets interfered with by large demonic beast auras or special mineral veins, and the needle might spin wildly, or even report good omens as bad—pay close attention and record any anomalies..."
Xiaoqi accepted this heavy, extremely complex-looking compass, feeling more pressure than facing a late Foundation Establishment opponent.
"And this! 'Portable Multi-Function Artifact Refining Crucible'!" Luo Feng picked up a silver metal implement that folded to the size of a rice bowl but unfolded to basin-size. "Don't let its size fool you—I used spatial expansion runes and constant temperature formations! Most convenient for refining pills or melting materials in the wild. Just the temperature control might be a bit sensitive—be careful not to blow up the furnace..."
Then he brought out several pitch-black, egg-sized metal spheres: "'Disposable Directional Shockwave Generators'—throw them out, activate with spiritual energy, and they produce intense sound waves and spiritual energy oscillations that disrupt enemies' spiritual sense and movement. Suitable for breaking out or creating chaos. The power... should be considerable, but the affected range hasn't been precisely calculated—stand far away when using."
Then came several pairs of ordinary-looking cloth socks: "'Divine Travel Socks' prototype—embroidered with light body runes and acceleration formations. Put them on and you can run faster, saving spiritual energy. Just the rune stability is still being adjusted—they might suddenly fail while running, or lose speed control..."
Items of all kinds, too numerous to mention. There were mirrors that could cast strange lights and shadows, whistles that emitted piercing noises, pendants that looked like jade pendants but were actually small defensive formations... Each item revealed Luo Feng's unconstrained imagination, and each item bore the obvious "prototype" label and uncertain risks.
Xiaoqi's storage bag was quickly stuffed full. Even Liu Yun was forcibly given several "ladies' exclusive" small artifacts said to automatically clean clothes and arrange hair, leaving her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Finally, the large cloth bag was emptied. Luo Feng looked at his junior brother and sister now "armed to the teeth," satisfiedly clapping his hands, but then his excited and eager expression slowly settled, replaced by a complex emotion—concern, reluctance, and deep worry.
He no longer looked at those artifacts but raised his head to seriously look at Xiaoqi. His lips moved as if wanting to say something cautionary, but feeling he'd already said too much "nonsense" about artifact testing.
Mountain wind blew past, carrying a chill, curling up his slightly disheveled hair. The flush from rushing and excitement faded from his face, making it appear even paler.
"Xiaoqi..." Luo Feng's voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible hoarseness. "Outside... it's not like home. These things..." he pointed at the "inventions" stuffed full in Xiaoqi's storage bag, "...are all over the place. Use what works, and for what doesn't... or what has side effects, just throw them away. Don't be reluctant, and don't blame me."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xiaoqi and Liu Yun, finally settling on Xiaoqi's face, his tone becoming incomparably solemn: "Take care. You must... take care."
A thousand words, finally condensed into these two most simple ones. He knew what Xiaoqi carried on his shoulders, knew how dangerous the road ahead was. He hated that his injuries hadn't healed, his cultivation hadn't recovered, that he couldn't wield his sword and go with them like Liu Yun. He could only stuff these inventions—possibly useful, possibly more trouble than help—that he'd poured his heart into, as if by doing so he could participate in their journey, adding a negligible safeguard for them.
Xiaoqi looked at the deep concern in Second Senior Brother's eyes, at his especially fragile appearance due to injuries and worry, and a hot current surged in his heart. He nodded firmly, clutching the bulging storage bag tightly in his hand, as if it weren't a pile of unreliable prototypes but the most precious treasures in the world.
"Second Senior Brother, don't worry." Xiaoqi's voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually firm. "I'll use these things carefully and record everything in detail. You... heal well in the sect, don't keep pushing yourself. When we return, we'll still need to see you create even more powerful things."
Luo Feng's eyes reddened slightly at these words. He abruptly turned his head away, blinking forcefully. When he turned back, his face wore that signature, slightly manic smile again: "Of course! When you return, I'll definitely have built a flying house! No—a spatial-transverse flying boat! Then I'll take you to see the moon!"
"Good, we'll be waiting." Xiaoqi smiled too.
Liu Yun stood to the side, watching this pair of senior brothers, swallowing the words she might have mocked. She only sighed softly and said: "Luo Feng, go back. The mountain wind is strong, and your injuries aren't healed yet."
Luo Feng nodded, taking one last deep look at Xiaoqi and Liu Yun, as if to carve their images into his heart. He waved his hand, said nothing more, and turned to slowly walk back the way he came. That silhouette, in the morning mountain mist, appeared somewhat thin, somewhat lonely, yet carried its own stubborn persistence.
Only when Luo Feng's figure disappeared from view did Xiaoqi withdraw his gaze, exchanging a look with Liu Yun, both seeing the complex emotions in the other's eyes.
"Let's go." Xiaoqi spoke softly.
He carefully stored the heavy storage bag, then turned with Liu Yun to set forth again.
This time, their steps were even more determined. Because they knew that behind them lay not only the sect's expectations, their master's unfulfilled aspirations, the father who needed saving, but also family like Second Senior Brother who supported and awaited their return in their own ways.
Mountains high and waters long, the road ahead endless, yet we do not walk our path alone.