Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 262

“Oh la la, Master, are you wondering why teleportation to this place is supposed to be disabled, yet you were still able to return?” Guo Guo, who had been secretly eavesdropping on Ye Tian Xie’s conversation with Zuo Po Jun, finally couldn’t hold back and spoke into his ear.

Ye Tian Xie looked up and asked, “Guo Guo, do you know why?”

“Eeya! Of course, I know! Now, let the smartest Guo Guo explain it to Master…” Guo Guo puffed up with pride, her sparkling eyes glimmering like stars. “It’s because Master now possesses the power of 『Orange Fang』! Orange Fang’s ability is to forcibly devour magic energy, which means it can also easily consume magical barriers. The town’s teleportation system actually works through a hidden magic teleportation array beneath the town center. When teleportation is disabled, it just means a small isolating barrier has been created around the array. However, since Master has the power of Orange Fang, such a tiny magic barrier can’t affect you at all. Master, did my explanation make sense?”

“…More or less.” Ye Tian Xie rubbed his slightly overwhelmed head. “So, having Orange Fang means I can pass through any barrier at will?”

“Ah! Master, you’re so dumb. Of course not” Guo Guo shook her head. “Only magic barriers! Those formed by other forces cannot be devoured by Orange Fang… Mm, Master, Guo Guo explained for so long, I’m thirsty now. Do you still have crystal apples to eat?”

Ye Tian Xie had expected this… Every time Guo Guo did something she believed was helpful or remarkable, she would immediately demand rewards. Expressionless, he pulled a crystal apple from his backpack and handed it to her… Soon after, the sound of 『CrunchCrunch』echoed beside his ears as Guo Guo happily munched on her apple.

For someone like him, who had an abundance of gear and an inventory filled with odd items, even 200 backpack slots felt insufficient. Out of those 200 slots, ten had to be reserved just for Guo Guo’s food supplies…

Ye Tian Xie started walking towards the outskirts of the town. With no players in sight, it seemed the entire force had gone out to face the enemies. NPCs were sparse as well. After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped in his tracks…

In his line of sight, on a low dirt mound, sat a little girl with twin buns tied like ram horns. She rested her chin on her hands, her eyes gently closed. Her expression was one of deep tranquility, mixed with an almost sacred devotion… an expression that a child her age should not have.

Ye Tian Xie immediately recognized her—the little girl, Shasha, who had given him the Light Magic Lamp during a random quest.

That Light Magic Lamp had helped him immensely on two occasions, leaving a deep impression of her in his memory. Instead of hurrying out of town, Ye Tian Xie changed direction and approached her. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of his footsteps made Shasha open her eyes. When she saw him, her eyes sparkled, and her delicate eyebrows curved into adorable crescent moons. “Big Brother, it’s you! We meet again… Big Brother still remembers me, right?”

“Of course, I remember. Your name is Shasha” Ye Tian Xie replied with a gentle smile, reaching out and lightly tapping her small nose. He wasn’t even sure why he instinctively made such an affectionate gesture—perhaps because she was too adorable and endearing, or maybe because, deep down, he felt a trace of gratitude.

Hearing Ye Tian Xie call her by name, Shasha’s smile became even brighter, and she didn’t mind his affectionate gesture in the slightest. “Big Brother, don’t you think we have… hmm! Fate? There used to be only people I knew around here, but ever since that day, so many new faces have appeared. When I see them, I feel a little scared and usually hide inside, taking care of my mother… But that day, when I saw Big Brother, I felt so warm and familiar. And today, I’m so happy to see Big Brother again.”

Her innocent and sincere words filled Ye Tian Xie’s heart with a gentle warmth, making him feel even closer to her. He sat down beside Shasha and asked, “Shasha, just now, were you sitting here with your eyes closed, thinking about something?”

“No, I was closing my eyes to pray to the colorful clouds in the sky… asking them to bless my mother and help her recover soon.” Shasha turned to look at him, her eyes shining like stars in the night sky.

“Pray?” Ye Tian Xie looked up at the sky, where only a few scattered clouds drifted above. He vaguely remembered that during their first meeting, Shasha had casually mentioned that her mother was unwell… and that the doctors had called it an incurable disease.

“Yes! I pray every day. I pray to the sky, the clouds, the sun, the moon, the stars, the wind, the big trees, the little grass… I pray to everything I see, asking them to bless my mother. The doctors say my mother’s illness can’t be cured, but I believe that if I pray every day, they will hear me, and they will bless my mother and make her well again.”

As she spoke, there was no sadness in her gaze—only pure, unwavering hope and a bright, innocent smile.

At this moment, Ye Tian Xie’s heart was deeply moved. An indescribable emotion wrapped around his chest… This girl, she didn’t just have crystal-clear eyes—she had a heart as pure and transparent as crystal itself.

“Shasha, you are so kind. The heavens will surely hear your prayers and make your mother well again.” He smiled, his voice gentle and comforting.

“Mhm!” Shasha beamed with joy. “Big Brother, you’re really kind. Nobody else believes my mother will get better, but you think the same way I do. My mother is the most gentle and beautiful mother in the world. She loves me so much—there’s no way she would ever leave me behind.”

Ye Tian Xie: “…..”

If he were to tell this little girl that hope did not always equal reality, how cruel would that be? He couldn’t even imagine the day when her dreams and faith were shattered, and that pure, radiant smile disappeared from her face.

“Big Brother, I’ll tell you a secret” Shasha suddenly said, her expression turning mysterious. She then opened the right hand she had been clutching tightly. The moment her palm opened, a faint but dreamy blue light flickered before Ye Tian Xie’s eyes.

Lying in the center of Shasha’s hand was a tiny core emitting a soft blue glow. It was no bigger than the nail on a pinky finger, resembling a small seed.

“What is this?”

“I picked up this really beautiful seed outside. My mother once told me that seeds are a symbol of hope. If you plant a seed, water it every day, care for it, and watch it grow, then your wish will come true when it finally blossoms.” Shasha gently clasped the seed between her hands and spoke with a devoted, serene smile.

The unique appearance of the seed made Ye Tian Xie instantly realize its extraordinary nature. He asked, “Shasha, where did you find this seed?”

Shasha opened her eyes and said, “Hmm… I found it near a really clear and beautiful lake to the west of the village. But it was strange—I often play there, and I’m sure that lake wasn’t there before. And… what’s even stranger is that when I went back the next day, the lake had disappeared! I told others about it, but no one believed me. Big Brother, do you believe me?”

“Of course, I believe you. Shasha is a child who wouldn’t lie…” Ye Tian Xie started to speak, but suddenly, his expression froze, and his tone became slightly urgent. “Shasha, at that lake, was there a large tree nearby?”

The innocence in her voice and eyes proved that she wasn’t lying. If that lake had truly appeared and vanished overnight… Could it be… Could it be… Wishing Lake? Wasn’t Wishing Lake known to appear unpredictably in different places before disappearing again?

“A big tree?””Shasha thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head. “No, there wasn’t. There was only a really clear lake, but no tree… Big Brother, why do you ask?”

No tree?

Then it wasn’t Wishing Lake? But if not, then what was that lake?

“I was just asking casually. Usually, beautiful lakes have trees nearby. Shasha, can you let me take a look at that seed?”

“Of course!” Shasha gently placed the seed into Ye Tian Xie’s hand.

Holding the softly glowing blue seed, Ye Tian Xie focused his gaze on it:

？？？？：？？？？

The result left Ye Tian Xie utterly stunned.

His Evil Dragon’s Eye had a detection ability far surpassing the standard Insight Skill used by normal players. Yesterday, at the Illusory Beast Clan’s Ruins, his Evil Dragon’s Eye had miraculously managed to glimpse into the details of the Dark Nether Ghost King, an existence whose power vastly outstripped his own. Even the mysterious blue-haired man, whose name he had never been able to detect before, was revealed to him yesterday through his Evil Dragon’s Eye—

Wuming.

The strongest Magus in Tianchen City, Archmage Kong Xiu, had once described this man as the number one powerhouse of the Lost Continent—Lone Wolf Wuming.

At the time, when he discovered that name, he was not so much shocked as he was surprised.

But now, as his Evil Dragon’s Eye locked onto this seed, the only information it returned was a string of “?????”

For his Evil Dragon’s Eye to fail completely, the target’s strength or rank must be vastly beyond his own… Could this seed truly contain something even greater than Nameless himself?

“Big Brother, isn’t it beautiful? I’m going to plant it, watch it grow every day, and when it finally blooms, my mom will be better too!” Shasha’s clear, innocent voice rang beside him.

“Mm, it’s very beautiful.” Ye Tian Xie returned the seed to her. A mysterious lake, an unidentifiable seed—without a doubt, this was an object shrouded in an enormous secret. Yet, at the same time, it was also the pure and precious hope within this young girl’s heart. He could not bring himself to take away her seed of hope just to satisfy his own greed and curiosity. That would be too cruel.

“Ah! I think I hear my mom calling me. Big Brother, I have to go take care of her now!” Shasha clutched the seed tightly and stood up from the small mound.

“Mm, go ahead.”

“Big Brother, can we meet again?” Shasha’s bright eyes shimmered as she looked at him with deep anticipation.

“Of course. I’ll come visit often.” Ye Tian Xie smiled.

“Mm! Big Brother, goodbye!” Shasha cheerfully ran off, waving her hand at him as she disappeared into the distance.

Ye Tian Xie watched her until she reached her home… and memorized the location of her house.

He stood there in silence for a long, long time before finally turning around. Gazing toward the northern part of the village, his once gentle eyes turned piercingly cold.

Wings That Obstruct the Heavens… From today onward, I, Xie Tian, will ensure that your entire faction lives under the shadow of fear—until… you cease to exist!