Volume One, Chapter Sixty: Word Spirit

Human and gun, speed and shadow moved as one. As Li Dongdong plunged into the thick fog, she fired a shot without hesitation. Deep within the mist, a colossal silhouette reacted, a massive hand descending upon the tiny human before it. Winds from gun and palm collided, the resulting blast instantly sweeping away the fog that shrouded the area, revealing the true form of the giant shadow to the world.

It was a Titan beast, its body shaped like a human but endowed with four robust arms. Over seventy meters tall, each of its four giant palms was as large as a small mountain.

Despite the overwhelming disparity in size, Li Dongdong did not hesitate for a moment. She advanced, spear in hand. She had slaughtered Titan beasts far larger than this four-armed one before; a mere mid-stage creature of this realm was hardly worth mentioning.

Its demise was only a matter of time.

Overhead, in the sky behind Li Dongdong, Li Yanxi, having activated the Word Spirit “Shared Sight,” no longer concerned herself with her sister’s battle. Harnessing the power of “Ascension,” she soared higher, reaching a level nearly parallel with the top of the Boundary Wall of An City. The higher she climbed, the more she realized the vastness of the sky. Upon reaching the summit, she took in the entire city and its surroundings at a glance. Once more she chanted the Word Spirit “Communication,” establishing a mental link between herself and Li Dongdong.

“All done?” she asked once the connection was established.

“Give me five more minutes,” Li Dongdong replied succinctly.

“I’ve shared the wide-area view with you. Once you’ve dealt with that one, assess the situation and support others as needed. Use your abilities sparingly,” Li Yanxi instructed.

“Understood.” Li Dongdong knew well they had come to support in secret, and that their trump cards should only be used if absolutely necessary.

“Carry on, then. I have guests arriving here as well,” Li Yanxi’s rainbow-tinted eyes turned toward the distant sky.

“Don’t push yourself. If negotiations fail, call me.”

“Don’t underestimate me. I am, after all, the eldest among us. My realm may be lower, but my abilities are strong.”

With no further instructions, Li Dongdong quickened her assault. The shared wide-area view showed plenty of troublesome guests; she could not let this opponent slow her down.

“Translation.” Activating another Word Spirit, Li Yanxi gazed at the gathering cloud sea in the distance and called out in a clear voice, “You never show yourselves, yet with the tide of the moon you grow bold? Have you truly forgotten the agreement your king made with him that year?”

A long whale song echoed from the depths of the clouds, ethereal, melodious, mysterious, and graceful.

“Small human girl, I remember you.”

The cloud sea hovered outside the Boundary of Qin City, suspended quietly above the heavens, casting a sharp line between light and shadow upon the earth. Human and beast alike, standing outside the breach in the Boundary Wall, were startled by the strange phenomenon above, but the sky was so high—and their battles so fierce—that none could spare the attention to investigate.

“‘Small’ is somewhat redundant,” Li Yanxi said, hands clasped behind her back, striving to appear more mature.

“But you are the same size as when we first met. By human reckoning, it’s been...” The whale song carried a trace of doubt, as if the presence within the cloud sea were recalling details of their earlier meeting.

“Enough. Let’s get to the point.” Li Yanxi knew if this continued, her lifelong lack of growth would be revealed.

After all, she was the oldest of the children Li Changsheng had taken in, and once the tallest among them. Naturally, she assumed the role of big sister, caring for Li Dongdong and the others as they grew. Somewhere along the way, during their outings, she went from holding their hands to being led by them. Her height, once the highest, gradually slipped to the lowest among them.

If one looked on the bright side, perhaps this was the first step toward eternal youth.

But why not wait until she was more mature before freezing her age? She hadn’t even begun to develop properly!

“We mean no harm.” Seeing the small human unwilling to dwell on the past, the presence within the clouds ceased its reminiscing. “We are only passing through this time. If we have offended that one, we are willing to apologize.”

“Remember, the contract wasn’t made with him, but with all humanity he represents. Don’t test his limits. Judging by your aggressive approach, are you here to…”

“You misunderstand, human, we do not...” A roar rose from another part of the cloud sea, seemingly trying to explain.

“Silence.” A cold snort resounded, rainbow light surged in Li Yanxi’s eyes, and the voice was abruptly cut off.

“Don’t interrupt me. It’s very rude.” Word by word, the small figure stood atop the sky, staring at the boundless cloud sea.

Li Yanxi extended her hands behind her back, crossing them within her sleeves.

The girl’s expression was stern, commanding respect without anger.

“This is the airspace of the Boundary. You are to remain hidden.”

The entire cloud sea fell silent, and the one who had first spoken sank into contemplation.

“Since you have appeared to provoke us today, be prepared to pay the price.” The girl smiled, arching her brows. The rainbow light spilling from the corners of her eyes lent her an alluring charm.

Within the cloud sea, the one silenced by Li Yanxi’s Word Spirit seemed to struggle, but was subdued by a giant fin.

“Impertinent.” The whale song sounded again, seemingly apologetic.

“Remember today’s probe, and bear tomorrow’s consequences,” Li Yanxi’s tone remained forceful.

The cloud sea offered no further words, retreating and vanishing into the horizon.

“A probe, is it? Disgusting, isn’t it? Well, let’s see—prove yourselves in battle.” She made a face at the departing clouds, and the aura of dominance that had filled the sky faded, replaced by cuteness and playfulness as the small girl returned to herself.

Though she longed to call their greatest weapon to confront the enemy head-on, the immediate priority was to sweep their own doorstep and ensure the Boundary Wall healed smoothly. As for the enemy’s demonstration, there was no need to rush. There would be time enough to settle accounts.

Once she ensured nothing unwelcome approached from above, Li Yanxi refocused her attention on the ground, providing precise guidance to Li Dongdong below.

“All clear?” The mental link reestablished, Li Dongdong’s voice sounded.

“It was just a branch of the cloud vein—not all the atmospheric beings descended,” Li Yanxi sensed the conditions below.

On the ground, Li Dongdong was already darting rapidly across the battlefield. The dangerous red dots near the Boundary, visible in the shared wide-area view, had all been cleared by her. Yet farther afield, more red dots formed a curtain of light, appearing in the view.

“A pack of annoying mosquitoes, endless,” Li Dongdong muttered, flicking blood from the tip of her spear. Through the shared view, she too saw more and more exotic beasts converging here. Even if she could dispatch them one by one, their sheer numbers would keep her busy for a good while.

“Dongzi, there is an Exotic Moon to your due north—I’ve marked it,” Li Yanxi continued gathering battlefield intelligence, her eyes flashing as she locked onto an airspace.

At the same time, a black marker appeared in Li Dongdong’s vision.

She planted her feet, twisted her waist, drew power from the earth, and hurled her spear with the force of a dragon piercing the moon.

Li Dongdong made no move to retrieve her spear, instead drawing a short knife from her waist and continuing to eliminate the dense array of red targets in her view.

In the air, Li Yanxi’s gaze sharpened, locking onto the spear that had shattered both the white shell and black core of the Exotic Moon. Her lips parted as she spoke the Word Spirit, “Weapon Command.”

The spear maintained its momentum, adjusting its trajectory to swim across the battlefield, extinguishing one red target after another.

“Hmm?” Sensing something, Li Yanxi turned toward the distance, a pulse from a shattered Exotic Moon caught her attention.

“Who’s there?” Li Dongdong, holding her short blade in reverse, twirled it to fling off blood before sheathed it, then grasped the returning spear. She too sensed the pulse.

“A friend, not a foe. He’s hunting Exotic Moons,” Li Yanxi explained, and Li Dongdong ceased to concern herself with that direction, becoming a streak of light as she continued to clear the field.

Watching the man and his daughter wave friendly greetings and then help clear the beast horde gathering in the west, Li Yanxi deactivated the Word Spirit “Insight.” Since they were here to help, it would be improper to pry into their identities.

She continued to check the details of the wide-area battlefield. Dongzi faced no trouble, and the military and other experts’ defensive lines held against the beast tide. For a time, the battle was deadlocked.

It seemed the breach in the Boundary Wall had leaked power, attracting many exotic beasts. Even as the military and Li Dongdong relentlessly slaughtered the berserk giants, they were locked in grueling combat, the battle stretching on for nearly three days.

During this period, aside from Li Yanxi returning within the Boundary to take Su Ziwen’s phone call, the sisters scarcely rested.

Even after the crack in the Boundary was fully healed, the beast tide drawn by it had grown considerable; without thorough cleansing, trouble might arise.

Throughout the fight, Li Dongdong encountered no formidable foes, but was wearied by the endless throng of lesser creatures. She could have used her abilities to harvest the field in bulk, but doing so would risk exposing their forged identities to military scrutiny.

Finishing breakfast, Li Dongdong grew so sleepy she began nodding off, head bobbing like a chick pecking at grain. Li Yanxi, still full of energy, tidied up the dishes and led her sister back to her room.

After tucking her in, Li Yanxi tiptoed out, closing the door gently.

She skipped back to her own room, climbed onto a chair, and prepared to write tonight’s diary.

Her surplus energy had always made Li Yanxi lively. Li Changsheng, exasperated, devised the diary-writing ritual to calm the little girl before coaxing her to bed.

Over the years, the bedtime diary had become a habit. Only after recording the day’s events could she sleep contentedly.

Above the desk, the pen tip rasped across the paper with a soft “sha sha.”

Below the desk, two small feet in pale yellow slippers swung restlessly in the air.