Chapter 28: The Realm of Pure Lapis Lazuli, Radiance of Sun and Moon

"Beep!"

With that, Xia Ye hung up the phone. Xia He handed it back to Xiao Zizhai and let out a soft sigh.

"Phew..."

"Our boss is quite an interesting character. Who exactly is he?" she asked, shifting her persona with remarkable speed.

"He is a good man," Xiao Zizhai replied as he tucked the phone into Duoduo’s satchel. "It is precisely because of his help that I have been able to find my true self. Duoduo... should be the same."

"We haven't actually known him for long, and we were complete strangers before. He appeared as suddenly as we appeared before you today, yet I don't feel it was abrupt. It feels more like..." Xiao Zizhai paused to reflect. "Destiny."

As a practitioner of the Buddhist path, he believed in reincarnation and, consequently, in "fate." This was his most intuitive feeling since Xia Ye had entered his life. Though they had only just met, he felt a strange sense of being "old friends" with Xia Ye. Perhaps it was because being in his presence felt more comfortable and natural than anywhere else.

He couldn't help but think so.

"Hmm... sounds like a decent guy. Alright then." Seeing the sincerity in Xiao Zizhai’s answer, Xia He nodded and turned to look at Chen Duo, who was sitting beside him. "Little girl, is your name Duoduo? How old are you?" She offered a gentle smile.

But Chen Duo flinched at the sight, instinctively leaning toward Xiao Zizhai with a wary, fearful expression.

"Don't misunderstand. It's not that she doesn't like you; she's just shy," Xiao Zizhai explained in good time. "We only rescued her from a group of evil cultists a month ago. Because she was never treated like a human being growing up and never had any contact with the outside world, she lacks even the most basic awareness."

"Is that so?" Xia He was stunned. Her eyes softened with pity as she looked at Chen Duo, and she sighed, "It seems I am not the only poor soul in this world. Life is hard for everyone."

Xiao Zizhai, feeling particularly reflective today, nodded. "Indeed. It is so for ordinary people, and even more so for Outsiders—perhaps even worse. That is why we all need a chance, don't you think?"

"True enough, heh..."

At this point, Xia He had fully accepted this sudden "chance." Though she didn't know what the future held, she had already hit rock bottom; things couldn't possibly get any worse.

Just as she looked out the window, trying to calm herself and prepare for an unknown, brand-new life, a delicate, childish voice suddenly rang out:

"Why... are you crying?"

"Huh? Duoduo?"

Xia He was taken aback. Xiao Zizhai looked at Chen Duo in surprise; the voice had indeed come from her.

"Why... are you crying?"

The next second, she tilted her head, looked at Xia He, and then glanced at the others around them. "And them, too. They are clearly alive, so why do they seem like they're dead?"

"Them?"

The two froze and looked at the surrounding people. Due to Dou Mei's ability, they were still in a deep sleep, having lost their "emotional perception."

Only Dou Mei likely knew how long this state would last or if they could ever recover. Xiao Zizhai, having only just mastered the method of control, could only issue simple commands to the three individuals he was currently manipulating; he could not yet orchestrate complex actions like Xia Ye, and he found himself in a dilemma.

*We can't just leave them like this, can we?* he thought. *Should I wait for the company to arrive and let them handle it?*

It seemed like a plan, but he was clearly worried.

Just then, he recalled what Xia Ye had said earlier: "Take Duoduo with you. This trip... she might come in handy!"

Furthermore, before they had set off, that man had specifically crouched down and instructed Duoduo: "Duoduo, if you feel uncomfortable, try using your new ability, just like I taught you!"

"Duoduo, do you feel uncomfortable right now?" With that in mind, Xiao Zizhai decided to test the theory.

"..."

"Yes."

Chen Duo thought for a moment, then nodded and stood up from her seat, recalling Xia Ye's instructions.

After her treatment that morning, Xia Ye hadn't taken her out immediately; instead, he had taught her more about how to use her new power. It felt very comfortable to use, and in the words Xia Ye had taught her... she liked it!

Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Duo closed her eyes and began to circulate her Qi according to the method she remembered.

*Whoosh—*

A radiance suddenly ignited around her entire body!

The light was pure and luminous, bright yet warm, soft and easy on the eyes. Bathed in it, Xiao Zizhai and Xia He felt their bodies relax as a sense of happiness welled up from deep within.

Soon, tiny orange-yellow specks of light drifted from Chen Duo’s body. Carrying the glow, they expanded and covered the carriages affected by Dou Mei, as if transforming the space into a world of radiance.

"Pure Lapis Lazuli Realm!"

This was the first new ability Xia Ye had taught Chen Duo—the most important and fundamental one. Its principle was to use the connection of the "Pure Lapis Lazuli" parasite to expand the reach of her power, linking everything together to form a "Domain!"

Following that, as all the carriages were covered, Chen Duo’s intent shifted. The orange-yellow glow split into distinct "crimson" and "silver-white" lights, which then began to entwine!

"Sun and Moon Radiance!"

This was the second ability Xia Ye had taught her. It could borrow the power of the sun and moon to expel and purify evil. Under the shroud of the Sun and Moon Radiance, the Qi that Dou Mei had injected into the others was instantly expelled. Specks of purple-red light rose from the tops of their heads and then vanished into nothingness!

"Mmm?!"

All at once, everyone’s bodies trembled. Though they remained asleep, smiles surfaced on their faces, as if they were immersed in a happy dream.

It wasn't over yet. The next second—

*Swish!*

Chen Duo opened her eyes. The crimson and silver-white light intertwined within her emerald pupils. Guided by her intuition, she reached out and touched Xia He’s cheek.

"!!!"

The moment Chen Duo’s palm made contact, Xia He’s body jolted. The sadness, self-reproach, panic, and anxiety that had remained deep within her heart began to peel away, piece by piece. In no time at all, they had dissipated into thin air!

It was only then that Xia He realized she had been wrong—terribly wrong. Her previous words to Dou Mei had been arrogant and presumptuous!

"So, there really is a way in this world to not just numb... but to purge negative emotions!" she murmured, smiling from the bottom of her heart.

After the light faded and Chen Duo returned to normal, the phone rang again.

*Beep, beep, beep!*

"The company has noticed. Open the window on your side and jump from the train immediately!" Xia Ye warned as soon as Xiao Zizhai picked up.

"Understood."

Xiao Zizhai nodded without hesitation, opened the window, and while controlling the "Three Crazy" members in the other carriage, he jumped out with Chen Duo and Xia He.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Several figures vanished into the mountain forest in an instant.

"Heh..."

Back in his luxury sleeper cabin, Xia Ye watched the figures jump from the train through the window and smiled slightly.

Everything was under control.

He turned toward the door as rapid footsteps approached the carriage where they had previously been. Raising an eyebrow, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, you'll soon receive a report about an anomaly on a train from Jiangxi to Henan. Push everything onto the All-Nature Sect. You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, rest assured!"