thenovelthief Chapter 1273 Showdown with the Gemini
Chapter 1273 Showdown with the Gemini
Snowflakes drifted behind Lin Yi, maintaining a distance of about two meters.
The tattered skirt fluttered gently in the wind, and tiny ice crystals condensed and dissipated at the ends of her hair.
"Doctor."
Lin Yi didn't turn around, he just hummed in response.
"Why are you called a doctor? Is it because you can cure diseases? How many people have you treated? What diseases did they have? Have you ever had a patient you couldn't cure? Did you feel sad when you couldn't cure them?"
Lin Yi paused for a moment.
He turned his head and glanced at the snow.
Xue was tilting her head and looking at him, her translucent face full of curiosity, and her icy blue eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge.
"You're asking so many questions at once, how am I supposed to answer any of them?"
Xue blinked and thought seriously for a moment.
"First one. Why are you called a doctor?"
"Because I am a doctor."
"Oh." Xue nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
But less than two seconds later, she spoke again.
"How many people have you treated? Have you ever treated an ice sprite? How do you treat an ice sprite when it gets sick? Our bodies are made of energy, unlike yours humans. Are your medicines effective against us?"
Lin Yi did not answer, but quickened his pace.
The snow fell faster, and the tattered skirt billowed higher in the wind, almost reaching her waist.
She floated to Lin Yi's side and walked alongside him, her icy blue eyes fixed on his profile, waiting for his answer.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Am I asking too many questions? But I'm really curious. I've been here for so long and I've never seen anyone like you. You have so many different powers, unlike them who only have one. How do you do it? Is there some special method? Can you teach me?"
Lin Yi took a deep breath.
He suddenly had a premonition that the ice sprite's mouth might be the most difficult thing he would encounter in this frigid land.
"Snow."
"Ok?"
"Can you be quiet for a moment?"
Xue tilted her head and looked at Lin Yi, a hint of confusion flashing in her icy blue eyes.
"Quiet? Why be quiet? Isn't it good to talk? I've been here for so long, and it's been so long since anyone has talked to me. I used to have companions to chat with, but they've all disappeared, leaving me all alone. Do you know what it feels like to be alone? There's nothing around, just the sound of the wind and falling snow. Sometimes when I'm really bored, I talk to myself, pretending that someone else is listening. But talking to myself is so boring, because I know what I'm thinking, I know it without saying it out loud."
Lin Yi remained silent for a moment.
"Did your former companions stop talking to you because you talked too much?"
Xue's body stiffened for a moment.
The light in those icy blue eyes flickered a few times, her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she seemed frozen in place.
"How did you know?"
Looking at the aggrieved expression on her semi-transparent face, Lin Yi suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling.
"Your companions don't talk to you, not because you talk too much."
Xue raised her head, a glimmer of hope flashing in her icy blue eyes.
"Why is that?"
"It's because you're too noisy."
Xue's expression froze.
Lin Yi sighed as he looked at her. This girl was indeed a headache.
"Let's go."
Xue looked up at his back, and the light in her icy blue eyes shone brightly again.
She quickened her pace and floated to Lin Yi's side, walking alongside him.
This time she didn't speak, but her translucent face clearly showed signs of strain, her lips moving as if she were silently trying to say something.
Lin Yi turned his head and glanced at her.
What are you doing now?
Xue raised her head, and an innocent expression appeared on her translucent face.
"I'm practicing not speaking. You see, my mouth is moving, but no sound is coming out. That shouldn't count as speaking, right?"
Lin Yi fell silent.
He suddenly realized that this ice sprite might not be talkative, but rather that her mouth had its own thoughts.
As expected, Xue remained silent for the rest of the journey.
But her mouth kept moving; her translucent lips opened and closed so quickly it was as if she were arguing with someone.
Her expressions were also very rich, and she looked like she was performing a silent pantomime.
Lin Yi glanced at her a few times, then looked away.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Xue finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Doctor."
"Weren't you practicing not talking?"
"I'm done practicing." Xue's tone carried a hint of pride.
"I've learned how to control my mouth. You see, when I speak now, I speak consciously, not my mouth moves on its own."
Lin Yi glanced at her but didn't expose her.
What were you trying to say?
Snowflakes drifted to his side, and those icy blue eyes stared at his face, their tone tinged with curiosity.
"Doctor, where did you come from? What is the outside world like? Is it different from here? Are there flowers? Grass? Rivers? Sunshine? I haven't seen the sun for so long. I used to be able to fly up to the clouds to see it, but after the passage opened, the sky became like this, gray and gloomy, and I can't see anything."
"The outside world is vast."
Xue blinked, waiting for him to continue.
Lin Yi did not continue speaking.
Xue waited a moment, then couldn't help but speak.
"and then?"
"That's all."
Xue's expression fell.
"Why do you only tell half the story? The outside world is vast, but then what? How vast? Is it bigger than here? Are there ice spirits there? Are there energy beings like us there? What kind of place do you humans live in? Is it as cold as here?"
Lin Yi stopped, turned around, and looked at the snow.
Xue lowered her head, a hint of embarrassment appearing on her translucent face.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself. Please continue, I won't ask anymore."
Lin Yi turned around and continued walking forward.
"The outside world is not cold. There are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Flowers bloom in spring, it is hot in summer, leaves fall in autumn, and snow falls in winter."
Xue's eyes lit up.
"Snowfall? Is it like the snow I'm experiencing?"
"Yes."
Xue laughed, her smile pure, like the pure joy of a child hearing their name written in a poem.
"What does the snow outside look like? Is it as white as here? Does it fall on people and then melt? What does it feel like when it melts? I've never melted before, so I don't know what it feels like."
"Doctor."
"Ah."
"You are a good person."
Lin Yi paused for a moment.
He turned his head and looked at the snow.
Snowflakes were falling beside him, and those icy blue eyes were staring at his profile, the light in their pupils flickering slowly.
Her expression was serious, devoid of her previous playfulness and curiosity, replaced only by a pure certainty.
How do you know I'm a good person?
Xue tilted her head and thought for a moment.
"There's something in your eyes, and although I can't figure out what it is, I really like it."
Lin Yi remained silent for a moment.
"Let's go."
Snow nodded, quickened its pace, and drifted to his side, walking alongside him.
"Doctor."
"Ah."
"Do you think I'll melt if I go to the outside world with you?"
Lin Yi glanced at her.
"You are an ice sprite, not a snowman."
Xue paused for a moment, then laughed.
"Oh right, I'm an ice fairy, not a snowman. Can I go to the outside world with you?"
"No."
Xue's expression fell.
"why?"
"Because you are an energy being, your energy will dissipate rapidly if you leave this extremely cold place."
Xue lowered her head, and the light in her icy blue eyes dimmed slightly.
"Oh."
She didn't say anything more.
Lin Yi glanced at her, took out a Soul Crystal (Medium) from his storage space, and handed it to her.
Xue looked up at the crystal that was emitting a soft glow, and her eyes lit up again.
"Is this for me?"
"Ah."
Xue reached out and took the soul crystal from Lin Yi's palm.
The moment her translucent fingers touched the crystal, the crystal's surface flashed brightly for a moment, then began to slowly merge into her fingertips.
She closed her eyes, and an almost blissful expression appeared on her translucent face, like the satisfaction of someone drinking the first sip of hot soup in the dead of winter.
"Delicious."
Snowflakes drifted behind him, and this time she was truly silent.
It wasn't because she controlled her mouth, but because she was focused on eating the Soul Crystal.
She ate very slowly, taking small sips as if savoring some delicacy.
With each sip, her body would glow.
Energy-evolving beings do not need three meals a day like humans; they only need to replenish their energy periodically to maintain their existence.
However, in this extremely cold land, after the passage was opened, the ice element had been polluted and was no longer pure, so the energy available for the ice spirits to absorb was becoming increasingly scarce.
This is why she now says that she has fewer and fewer companions; with less food, the population naturally cannot be sustained.
After walking across the snowfield for about half an hour, the scenery around them finally began to change.
The gray-black trees grew denser and denser, the snow on their branches grew thicker and thicker, and some branches were bent over and hung down on the snow, forming white arches.
Lin Yi raised his head, his gaze passing over the trees bent by the weight of snow, and landing on the depths of the forest ahead.
Just then, the notification sound of the Paradise of Reincarnation rang in his ears.
[Notification (Paradise of Reincarnation): You have arrived at the Frost Forest.]
Lin Yi's gaze paused slightly. This was a hint from the Paradise of Reincarnation, not from the Tree of Void.
This means that, according to the judgment of the Paradise of Reincarnation, there are special things in this area.
Or rather, this thing is so important that the Paradise of Reincarnation has directly marked this area.
It should be noted that in the past, there were only two places that could be specially marked by the Reincarnation Paradise.
One type is a high-risk area, similar to the Temple of Shia, which was extremely dangerous compared to Lin Yi's combat strength at the time.
The other type is high-value areas.
Undoubtedly, this is not a high-risk area. Any high-risk area would have been clearly indicated in the warnings by the Paradise of Reincarnation.
Lin Yi couldn't understand why this forest, which looked even more desolate than the previous one, could be classified as a high-value area.
He turned to look at the snow.
Is there anything special about this place?
Xue was currently holding the Soul Crystal and grinning foolishly.
She held the fist-sized crystal in both hands and sipped it slowly, taking small bites.
Hearing Lin Yi's words, she raised her head, a satisfied light still lingering in her icy blue eyes.
She looked around, the light in her eyes shifting from satisfaction to confusion, and from confusion to contemplation.
She seemed to be recalling something, a complex expression appearing on her translucent face.
A moment later, a look of understanding appeared on her face.
She floated to Lin Yi's side, her voice very low.
"This is where that group of people conducted their experiments before. I came here with them, so I know the situation in this area."
Lin Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Where is the laboratory?
Xue raised her hand and pointed into the depths of the forest.
"Over there. Keep going, through this forest, there's a large clearing. The lab is there."
Lin Yi looked in the direction Xue was pointing and remained silent for a moment.
"lead the way."
Xue paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in her icy blue eyes.
"But it's dangerous there. They've lost their minds and will only attack anything that gets close, even if I get close, it's extremely dangerous."
Lin Yi looked at her, his tone calm.
"Didn't you say I was a good person?"
Xue blinked.
"Yes."
Would you help a good person if they were in danger?
Xue hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"meeting."
"Then lead the way."
Xue lowered her head, remained silent for a few seconds, then raised her head. The hesitation in her icy blue eyes had disappeared, replaced by a resolute light.
"Okay. I'll take you there."
She turned and drifted into the depths of the forest.
Lin Yi followed behind her, his boots crunching on the snow.
The snow was falling quickly, and the tattered skirt fluttered loudly in the wind.
As she floated, she kept looking back at Lin Yi, as if to make sure he was keeping up.
Lin Yi's pace was slow, and his footprints left deep marks on the snow, forming regular indentations on the white surface.
The surrounding trees grew denser, and the snow on the branches grew thicker.
Some branches were broken off and hung on the snow, mostly buried by the newly fallen snow.
Some trees have deep scratches on their trunks, so deep that you can see the wood fibers inside.
Lin Yi's gaze lingered on the scratches for a moment before he looked away.
The surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate, the gray-black trees became sparser, and some gravel and rubble began to appear on the ground.
The snow stopped behind a large tree, its icy blue eyes fixed on the open space ahead.
"arrive."
Lin Yi walked to her side, his gaze passing over the big tree and landing on the open space in front of him.
It was a large open space. About two hundred meters away, there was a tomb. The tombstone was exceptionally tall, conservatively estimated to be ten meters high. From this, one could imagine how big the tomb behind it was; it looked like a giant's tomb.
"That's it."
Just as Lin Yi was about to step out, two figures suddenly entered his perception circle.
The other party also seemed to have noticed Lin Yi's situation.
A few seconds later, two figures emerged from the other side of the forest and appeared at the edge of the clearing.
The Twin Stars of Death Paradise.
The older brother of the twins looked at Lin Yi, then at the snow drifting behind Lin Yi, and slowly the corners of his mouth curled up into a dangerous smile.
He turned to look at his younger brother, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear on the silent snowfield.
"You're unlucky to have met us."
That's not wrong.
Whenever Lin Yi encounters other contestants, he is neither an ally nor afraid of them.
But the Twin Stars of Death are two people, and in a two-on-one situation, they don't think Lin Yi can turn the tide.
The younger brother didn't say anything, he just nodded.
Lin Yi also understood that the other party had ill intentions.
In an instant, a black and white rose appeared in Lin Yi's hand.
The power of the abyss was activated to an extreme degree, and thick black mist surged from the sword. The mist condensed into fine threads in the air, like countless venomous snakes coiling around the sword.
His figure left an afterimage in place before he instantly appeared beside the two brothers.
The black and white roses pierced out, the sword tip aimed straight for the younger brother's chest.
The younger brother's pupils contracted to the size of a pinhead.
He reacted quickly, pressing his right hand in front of him, and a semi-transparent energy barrier condensed and took shape in front of him.
But Lin Yi's sword was too fast; so fast that the energy barrier hadn't even fully unfolded before the tip of his sword touched its surface.
'Twins, Intent as Stubborn Stone.'
A binding force surged from his younger brother, instantly enveloping Lin Yi's entire body.
The binding force was not physical, but energetic. It was like countless invisible chains, wrapped around Lin Yi's limbs and torso, trying to restrict his movements.
Lin Yi felt his body become several times heavier in that instant, with every inch of his muscles resisting the binding force.
But he didn't stop.
Purification technique.
A beam of white light shone from above Lin Yi's head and instantly swept over his entire body.
The binding force vanished instantly under the light of the purification spell, like snow meeting the sun.
The younger brother's expression changed.
With a "whoosh," he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Dark red blood splattered on the snow, staining the white surface with a large, glaring red.
His body is very fragile. Forcing the use of the Intention Stone without entering the Twin State would put a great strain on his body.
He felt as if his body was being torn apart, every muscle was protesting, his bones were groaning, and his internal organs were trembling.
But Lin Yi didn't give him a chance to catch his breath.
At the same instant the purification spell removed the restraints, the black and white roses continued to thrust forward.
With a soft "pfft".
The sword blade pierced the younger brother's abdomen.
The blade of the Black and White Rose sword was nearly halfway into his abdomen, with the tip emerging from his back, leaving a trail of dark red blood droplets.
The younger brother's body stiffened.
The power of the abyss surged from the sword into his body, rampaging through him like countless venomous snakes tearing at his internal organs.
His face turned from pale to bluish-purple, and his instincts told him that he had to deal with the abyssal power immediately, or his body would be completely eroded within seconds.
But he didn't have time to deal with it.
Because Lin Yi's next attack is coming.
Lin Yi gripped the sword hilt with his right hand and suddenly flicked it upwards, the blade slicing a long gash in his younger brother's abdomen.
Dark red blood gushed from the wound, flowing down the sword and dripping onto the snow, spreading a large, dark, wet patch on the white surface.
At the same time, Lin Yi spun around, raised his right leg, and delivered a side kick that instantly struck his younger brother's ribs.
boom.
A dull thud.
Several cracking sounds came from the younger brother's side; it was the sound of bones breaking.
The younger brother's body flew out like a kicked pebble.
His body arced through the air, crashing into a dozen or so gray-black trees nearby.
The trees snapped like withered branches from the impact of his body, their trunks shattering and splinters flying everywhere. Snow fell from the branches, creating a white mist in the air.
The younger brother rolled several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop by crashing into a thick tree trunk.
He slumped on the snow, blood still seeping from the wound in his abdomen. There was a noticeable indentation on his side, with broken ribs piercing through his skin, revealing white bone fragments.
His breathing was rapid, and each breath aggravated the wound in his abdomen, causing his brows to furrow involuntarily.
He looked up at Lin Yi, his deep brown eyes filled with disbelief.
But Lin Yi didn't have time to look at him.
Because a heavy punch landed on his back.
boom.
A dull, loud bang.
The older brother's fist slammed into Lin Yi's back with astonishing force, like a high-speed train crashing into his back.
Lin Yi's body flew forward, tumbling twice in the air, his boots carving two deep furrows in the snow.
He was kneeling on the snow, with a clear fist mark on the back of his clothes. The fabric around the fist mark was torn, revealing the purplish-blue skin underneath.
Lin Yi released Dark Soul Silk in mid-air. The fine threads shot out from his fingertips and wrapped around a thick tree trunk next to him.
The Dark Soul Silk tightened, forcibly stabilizing Lin Yi's body in mid-air.
When Lin Yi landed, his feet touched the snow without making a sound.
The older brother stood in the center of the open space, looking at Lin Yi, his expression changing from disdain to solemnity.
An expert can tell the difference the moment they make a move.
The swordsmanship and physical skills that Lin Yi just displayed were at least at the grandmaster level.
This was completely unexpected by both of them.
Wasn't Lin Yi supposed to be a support class? Who has a support class that's this strong?
My brother's brows were furrowed tightly.
If the Gemini weren't two people, Lin Yi could probably have instantly killed either of them.
This is not an exaggeration, it's the truth. (End of Chapter)