"Who is he?" Despite having lost all curiosity about the world, Theodore couldn't help but ask. Even he couldn't see through the mystery of the attack, so could the one this girl spoke of see through it? Or was it all just the girl's assumption, and that person would soon arrive here?
Xia Lan blinked, a strange feeling suddenly welling up inside her. She managed to push aside her negative emotions. She knew clearly who Xiao Rou was referring to. Perhaps, her trip to Hong Kong was to see him again. Her experience at the Superpower Headquarters was etched deep within her heart, something she would never forget. That stubborn and lonely figure, that boy who wouldn't yield even to the entire Superpower Headquarters, had unknowingly filled the void in her memory.
Xia Lan suddenly felt a pang of guilt. It seemed her younger sister, Xia Zhen, also liked him. Could it be that after only meeting him once, she had already developed strange feelings for him? But she was three years older than him—how could this be? Besides, Xiao Rou was his real girlfriend…
It has to be said, a woman's mind is truly terrifying. As Xia Lan's thoughts wandered, she no longer felt the chilling negative energy emanating from her. Xiao Rou softly said, "He is Ling Yun, the most unique superhuman in the world."
"Oh..." Theodore responded, puzzled. Ling Yun? He had never heard of such a person. Was he a newly emerged young hero? Or a top expert who was unknown to the world? Could it be that Ling Yun, whom this beautiful lady spoke of, could see through the source of the dark aura?
The three people's expressions suddenly changed again. An even more despairing and chilling wave of thought suddenly surged into their consciousness. The noisy mental fluctuations seemed to be the language of aliens. Fortunately, their mental fields could automatically identify such mental fluctuations with information frequencies. After a moment of information translation, the wave of thought formed a chilling sentence.
I'm going to kill you all!
The radiant spiritual energy field spread out instantly, exploring every place it could reach like a tide, even between thick layers of soil, but finding nothing, it had no choice but to retreat helplessly.
This fluctuation of thought, like the dark and negative aura, was without cause and nowhere to be found.
In an instant, the hearts of the three men, including Theodore, sank into an abyss. Were they just going to wait to die like this?
A wave of despair washed over them again, the same words carrying a cruel message: I will kill you all… Seemingly trying to crush the three men's spirits first, the fluctuations in their consciousness merely repeated this phrase over and over.
But this time, the fluctuation of consciousness abruptly stopped halfway through, as if someone's vocal cords had been severed midway through a sentence, abruptly cut off. Such an abrupt stop should have been unpleasant, but as the fluctuation ceased, it vanished completely, like dew under the blazing sun.
Theodore and his companions stared in astonishment at this sudden change. Had things taken another turn for the better? Just then, a crack suddenly appeared again in the massive barrier where Duke William had escaped, and a deep, familiar voice echoed through the air: "The Gu of Barriers?" [Website: www.WR]
The gap widened, and the person slowly walked into the underground bar. After Duke William fled, the gap had closed, but after it reopened, although it was slowly shrinking, it never closed completely.
The negative, dark aura suddenly became chaotic, swirling erratically in the air, like a steady pistol firing at its attackers when it accidentally discharged, the trigger still being pulled, turning the bullets into stray bullets. Normally, this chaos would have been the most dangerous situation for the three, as it could have worsened their erosion by the negative aura at any moment. But now, at their limit, the chaos of the negative aura ironically brought a sliver of hope.
Footsteps approached slowly, each step seeming to tread on the source of negative energy. After reaching a point of extreme chaos, the dark energy suddenly began to decrease at the same rate as it had increased. In the blink of an eye, the agonizing feeling of utter despair in the three of them had lessened considerably.
The changes seemed to go beyond that. The reduction in the dark, negative energy wasn't due to the emergence of a channel for its circulation, but rather because its source had suffered a fatal blow, and even the barrier itself appeared to be affected. The three people standing inside the barrier felt this particularly acutely. The entire massive isolation barrier suddenly began to tremble in an unnatural way. This tremor wasn't due to the barrier's own adjustment, but rather a powerful external force acting from the outside, striking a structural point within the barrier. As the frequency of the tremors increased, the barrier's interface temperature quickly reached its limit, and faint, grayish-white flames began to ignite. This meant that the barrier was soon on the verge of collapse.
Theodore, Xiaorou, and Xia Lan all took a deep breath, and boundless hope arose in their hearts. No matter who the person was, they had brought hope of salvation.
Chapter 267 Last Night's Stars, Last Night's Wind
The crack created by Duke William's forceful impact had been slowly closing. Most barriers have an automatic adjustment function; with the support of supernatural abilities, they can repair damaged parts of the barrier themselves. However, repair accelerates the barrier's lifespan. Therefore, simple functional barriers like isolation barriers, if damaged, generally collapse before they can be repaired.
However, this isolation barrier with special properties clearly still had enough energy to support it. As soon as the vampire escaped, the gap immediately began to close. However, because the structural points were damaged too badly, although the gap had closed, it was still very weak. This is like a person who has been injured. Although the wound has stopped bleeding and has begun to heal, it is still a wound.
Now, someone has ripped open the newly healed wounds of the barrier, meaning the newcomer doesn't know where the exit is, or that Theodore has blocked the exits, making it impossible to enter even with the key. However, the newcomer has a deep understanding of the barrier and immediately discovered its weak point, then forcibly blasted it open to enter.
As the newcomer drew closer, the negative dark aura suddenly receded like a tide, and bright holy light once again shone a dazzling milky white. The gray aura seemed to have been gently washed away by some invisible force. In the blink of an eye, the corrosive had become the corrosive. With the burden in their consciousness lifted, the three's overburdened minds immediately felt much lighter. Although a small portion of the negative dark aura remained, it no longer posed a fatal threat to them.
Could it be another savior? His heart, which had sunk to the bottom, was suddenly filled with renewed hope. Theodore looked through the crack, his face filled with surprise. To his surprise, the person who entered this time was such an unremarkable young man.
As if sensing something, Xiao Rou involuntarily took a few steps forward. Her heart, which had remained calm even in the face of death, suddenly began to pound wildly. Her usually strong and aloof face instantly revealed a mixture of excitement and joy, transforming in the blink of an eye from a stunningly beautiful young woman into a passionate young woman experiencing her first love. She opened her mouth, calling out the name that had always resided deep within her heart, with a mixture of surprise and delight: "Ling Yun!"
A young man appeared before the three of them and slowly approached. His familiar face and bright eyes stared at her, instantly causing Xiao Rou's beautiful eyes to well up with tears. Although the time they had been apart was short, the events and dangers they had experienced felt longer than a century.
The burning longing in their hearts, the tender affection that seemed to pierce through autumn waters, intertwined with their fervent gazes. In that instant, a thousand words were exchanged. There was no need to say anything more, no need to express anything more; at this moment, silence spoke louder than words, and even in silence, it was moving. Xiao Rou gently stepped forward, tilting her head slightly to look at Ling Yun, her bright eyes unblinking, as if she wanted to etch him into her heart forever.
Ling Yun slowly stepped forward and embraced his girlfriend tightly. An unparalleled feeling of exhilaration emanated from the depths of his heart and permeated every pore of his body—a feeling of joy and excitement. Only at this moment could the young man fully release his emotions. And only Xiao Rou could completely unleash his pent-up passion.
Last night's stars, last night's wind, the painted pavilion to the west, the cassia hall to the east, though we lack the wings of a colorful phoenix to fly together, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding. What could be more moving than the love between a young boy and girl?
Theodore smiled as he watched the couple basking in happiness. The unforgettable warmth of their affection deeply moved him. The deputy chief arbitrator, who had been working diligently for many years, had not felt such emotion in many years. For a moment, he was filled with emotion and a strange sense of sadness.
Seeing Lingyun and Xiaorou's tender embrace, he couldn't help but recall his youth. Once upon a time, Theo had also fallen in love with a beautiful young girl, but then... a damned dark creature suddenly appeared, turning his lover into a vampire vassal. It cruelly tormented and abused her, leaving her almost unrecognizable before abandoning her in the midday sun. The raging fire instantly burned her to ashes. After her tragic death, the tormented girl was subjected to countless curses from those who didn't know the truth, who accused her of being a monster.
Young Theodore, his hands trembling, painstakingly collected his lover's ashes, one by one, and placed them in a small box. He already knew of the existence of dark creatures, but how could an ordinary man like him seek revenge against powerful beings with supernatural abilities? Just then, the Arbitration Council opened its glorious and sacred doors for him…
From then on, the Arbitration Council had a devout and powerful Vice-Arbitrator. The dark creatures paid a heavy price for their brutality; under Theodore's rule, no vampire below the rank of Duke could escape. Theodore even channeled all his hatred into eliminating the dark creatures. Having lost his emotional anchor, faith in the God of God became Theodore's pillar of life.
Upon seeing Ling Yun and Xiao Rou embracing, Theodore, who was already over sixty years old, couldn't help but reminisce about the past. He silently chanted a hymn in his heart, his fingers constantly making the perfect cross on his chest. A soft and bright holy light shone from the center of the cross he was drawing, transforming into a milky white light curtain like stars, gently illuminating the legendary couple immersed in love.
The Praise of Light can only be cast by the most powerful and devout Christians with a pure heart. Legend has it that after being blessed by the Praise of Light, any curse or dark spiritual power weaker than the caster cannot be cast upon the blessed couple, and those who wield curses or dark spiritual power will suffer a backlash. Of course, this only applies to ordinary people; it doesn't mean much to superhumans like Ling Yun and Xiao Rou, but it still expresses Theodore's beautiful wishes.
Looking at Ling Yun and Xiao Rou, Xia Lan's expression darkened, and a complex feeling welled up inside her. She should have offered her blessings to Xiao Rou and Ling Yun, but for some reason, Xia Lan couldn't feel happy at all. She even felt a faint sense of jealousy. If that girl bathing in the holy light were me...
Xia Lan shook her head, forcefully banishing these irrelevant thoughts from her mind. What did it matter to her what happened between Ling Yun and Xiao Rou? She was only in Hong Kong with Deputy Chief Instructor Li Zhongqi on a mission, the core of which was to protect Ling Yun and Gu Xiao Rou. Furthermore, she also needed to repair the relationship between Ling Yun and Xiao Rou.
This was the implicit message conveyed by the Superpower Headquarters. After Luo Panxi made a serious mistake, Tang Tiejin had taken the lead in expressing goodwill. This was consistent with the Superpower Headquarters' spirit of never being opportunistic and treating all superpowered individuals equally. Moreover, Ling Yun and Xiao Rou possessed the Heavenly Eye, which, in a sense, placed them at the very center of the world's superpowered population. Furthermore, given that both were Chinese and lived in China, the Superpower Headquarters had no reason to be indifferent to such important individuals.
Oh… Several low, somewhat painful groans suddenly reached everyone's ears. As the negative aura gradually faded, the several unconscious Arbiters actually sat up from the ground, groaning in pain as they looked at the group blankly, touching their heads. Although they still seemed listless, they were much better than when they had lost control of their consciousness.
Theodore looked at the Arbitrators with a mixture of surprise and delight. He had thought that his students had been severely injured under the influence of the negative energy, and that even if the negative emotions subsided, they would have difficulty recovering. Attacks at the level of consciousness, though silent, often signify extreme cruelty. Unexpectedly, they had shown remarkable resilience, actually managing to pull through. Although they still appeared to be badly injured, as long as they did not suffer irreparable damage, they could fully recover to their peak strength in the Holy Light Pool of the Arbitration Hall.
Another characteristic of Holy Light is its unparalleled effectiveness on injuries. Moreover, this effect is not simply healing, but resurrection. No matter how severe the injury, it can be restored to its original state.
The awakening of the Arbiters not only surprised Theodore, but also startled the young man and woman who were enjoying their love. Seeing the several Arbiters staring blankly at them, Lingyun and Xiaorou blushed and quickly separated.
Xia Lan walked up at just the right moment, smiling as she said, "Ling Yun, it's been a long time." Although she had tried her best to control her disappointed emotions, her heart still couldn't help but pound. After all, the two of them were enemies at the Superpower Headquarters, and she had even verbally insulted Ling Yun. Although this mission was to provide protection, it seemed that in the end, Ling Yun was the one who saved her, and she, the protector, had become the one being protected.
For some reason, Xia Lan, who wouldn't even be nervous in front of the head instructor, suddenly felt an unprecedented tension when facing this ordinary boy. No matter what she tried, she couldn't suppress or hide this tension; it seemed like a feeling that arose instinctively from the depths of her heart, or perhaps an urgent desire—a need to make amends for something she had done wrong. What Xia Lan truly wanted was Ling Yun's understanding and acknowledgment. If Ling Yun remained cold towards her, it would undoubtedly be the greatest cruelty to Xia Lan.
Ling Yun glanced at Xia Lan, a faint smile appearing on his face, and said softly, "Long time no see, Xia Lan. I have already met Chief Li Zhongqi. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have been able to get here. I am truly grateful to the headquarters for going to such lengths to protect me and Xiao Rou. Let's put the past misunderstandings behind us. As long as the chief instructor acknowledges it, I will always be a member of the Superpower Headquarters."
Hearing his sincerity, Xia Lan's anxious heart softened instantly, a warmth rising from the depths of her soul. A strange light shone in her bright, beautiful eyes as she whispered, "So you've already met Chief Li... Ling Yun, I've always wanted to apologize to you. I said many things I shouldn't have at the Supernatural Abilities Headquarters. I know it was very bad for you, and I hope you can forgive me... I came to Hong Kong this time to apologize to you in person. I hope you can treat me like you treat Xia Zhen, as a close friend, okay?"
Ling Yun couldn't help but glance at Xiao Rou. Being good friends wasn't a problem, but the issue was why all his good friends were beautiful women. He wondered if his jealous girlfriend would be unhappy about it. Having learned his lesson once, Ling Yun had already learned his lesson and certainly couldn't show too much enthusiasm towards Xia Lan.
Xiao Rou smiled slightly and affectionately took Xia Lan's small hand: "Xia Lan, you're too kind. Ling Yun, you, and I are good friends. Although there was a misunderstanding before, it's all in the past. If you hadn't saved me in the barrier, I probably wouldn't have seen Ling Yun again. If you think about it that way, you're still my savior. How can a savior ask for forgiveness?"
Ling Yun glanced at Xiao Rou with some surprise. When did his aloof and reserved girlfriend become so good at handling interpersonal relationships? With just a few words, she not only interrupted his conversation but also gave Xia Lan a lenient outcome. Of course, there was another layer of meaning in her words: Ling Yun and you are just good friends, so don't cross the line!
Women are naturally vigilant and protective of their emotions. They will nip any potential problems in the bud. Ling Yun was no longer an inexperienced young man and immediately understood Xiao Rou's meaning. He smiled gently and said, "Sister Lan, you are too kind. It is a great honor that you consider me a good friend. When we return to the mainland, we must invite Xia Zhen along for a proper get-together."