323 Are You Starving? (1/2)

Under the Eye of Silence, disorganized lights and ripples flashed through the dark cave constantly. Every crystal was like a piano key that was silently playing a melody. He could see all the way to the sky from the abyss. The war had ended centuries ago but the song still hung over the battlefield. It was the scars left in the aether by the glorious battle.

Ye Qingxuan leaned against the wall and sat on a jutting crystal. He stared at the radiant glow. Compared to such a large relic, humanity was as insignificant as dust.

”Abandon oneself,” Ye Qingxuan murmured as he pondered.

The core of the School of Abstinence was the construction of order and disruption of nature. He felt that he might be able to find some inspiration in this chaotic aether environment. However, he realized he was too idealistic after he came here.

Bolero’s perception threads dissipated the moment they extended from his fingertips. The water vapor was too fragile and could not explore in this type of environment at all. He could only change the medium.

He slit his finger. A strand of blood floated out and spread in all directions, reflecting the pale moonlight. The moonlight spread as well, rippling like water when touched by stray aether currents.

Next, a heartbeat sounded in the darkness. The dust began rippling in the air. They floated and danced. Called forth by the heartbeat, they formed various small rings. They gradually enlarged and enveloped Ye Qingxuan.

Within the dust rings, the restless aether seemed to enter a stable white zone. They no longer crashed or changed and instead grew still. The small dust rings enlarged to about five meters in diameter before bursting like a bubble.

Ye Qingxuan’s heart beat furiously and his expression twisted. After a short pause, the dust rings began to spread again. He was trying to create a zone of stable music theory within this restless environment. After dozens of attempts, he finally managed to maintain a range of five meters.

Within that range, all was calm, even if all was in turmoil outside of it. Perspiration began beading on Ye Qingxuan’s forehead. If he did not have his sub-originator, he definitely would not dare to mess around in a black zone-like place. However, this was a rare opportunity so there was no reason why he shouldn’t try creating a stable white zone.

Establish order, disrupt the nature, and create music theory…these were the essences of the School of Abstinence. There was no better way to grasp the essence than personally experiencing it. However, the pressure was so heavy it felt like he was suffocating. It was too much to manage.

In the silence, Ye Qingxuan could only hear his heavy breathing and his tired heartbeat. Each beat felt like it carried a burden of a thousand tons. It took a long time before he was slightly accustomed to the giant pressure.

He slowly took out some food and nibbled at it. The rest went back into his pocket. He was already ready to fight a long war. He would not leave unless he discovered something.

Three days later, Ye Qingxuan climbed out of the black hole. His face was white and his vision blackened occasionally.

He was well-prepared but he had forgotten one thing. Unless he had special containers, preserving food was a joke in such a chaotic environment. Six hours after he had descended, he discovered that all his food had all molded, dried out, or changed color. A portion had no changes but Ye Qingxuan did not dare eat them. So he starved for two days. And did not discover anything.

Actually, his understanding of the School of Abstinence and aether had both increased but he made no progress with the question about ”abandoning oneself.” Instead, he had almost ”abandoned” himself in this giant ditch.

He was starving. If he did not have the help from the Governor, he would not be able to climb up. Right now, Ye Qingxuan was the definition of ”hunger” and ”sad.” He even had the urge to eat dirt. An even sadder fact was that the horse he had tied to the tree had run away too.

Staring at the gnawed rope, Ye Qingxuan wanted to die.

”Oh heavens! Such hatred! I have to starve and…” The youth with a turban lamented to the sky. His sad cries traveled countless miles and mixed with the howls of wolves. It was indescribably pitiful.

-

”Wolves?” Beside the fire, Donald subconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword. However, he quickly relaxed.

Dozens of carriages surrounded a notch in the mountain and set up a camp around the various bonfires. The merchants had traveled for the entire day. Now, they were holed up inside their tents and fell asleep instantly.

Only some burly men were still sitting in the carriages and conversing casually. Beside them, oiled crossbows shone. There were even some alchemist bows. Usually, these illegal items would not appear in caravans. However, who really cared about laws in these barren places? The robbers did not. For their own safety, the merchants did not care either.

”Boss, I told Rabbit to set all the traps,” a muscular man with a sword said beside the fire. ”Those guys who want to come play at midnight need to worry about their life first. But to be honest, I kind of wish they’ll come.”

”Don’t say that.” Donald shook his head. ”It’s unlucky.”

”Best to be careful, right?” The man laughed, playing along.

Donald did not reply. Looking at the steel basin hanging above the fire, he thought for a bit and tossed some wild vegetables in. The stew inside the basin bubbled and emanated a smell that was not exactly delicious. It was good enough to have food in the wilderness. Who cared about the details?