Chapter 110: Rest and Routine

As the torches gradually flickered out, Liu Zong, having arranged the night watch, closed his eyes. He did not fall asleep, but instead entered a state of light meditation to commune with the soul fragment deep within his spirit.

This meditation had become as much a part of his daily life as his spear practice. Through his diligent daily efforts, the soul fragment had slowly become more rounded, and many memories that previously required external stimuli to access could now be browsed by Liu Zong at will.

Gradually, Liu Zong began to uncover the origins of this fragment. It likely belonged to an entity from twenty thousand years ago, one with a strength of at least Level 5; within the fragment, he had discovered a "three-in-one" technique, which likely utilized the power of clones or avatars—a hallmark of Level 5 proficiency.

Although he did not know how this individual had died, it was clear that they had not reached the limits of their lifespan or the pinnacle of their growth. This meant that as long as Liu Zong encountered no unforeseen issues, even by simply following this predecessor's path, reaching Level 5 was a realistic prospect.

It was this discovery that bolstered Liu Zong's confidence. Unaware that his own mindset was slowly shifting due to the influence of the fragment, he delved deeper into the knowledge contained within, seeking ways to integrate it with modern technology and skills.

Today was no exception. Before sleeping, Liu Zong reviewed the ancient knowledge he had gleaned during the previous night's meditation, cross-referencing it with modern equivalents before beginning his new studies. This session lasted until the middle of the night, at which point he slipped into a deep, meditative sleep, from which he would not wake unless attacked.

It was Reina’s turn to patrol—or rather, to keep watch. As a summoner, she did not need to keep a constant vigil; she released caterpillar-like creatures to spin silk around the perimeter of the camp, allowing her to sense anything that approached. Even so, Reina barely slept, spending the night in a light meditative state.

At dawn, Xu Ying was the first to wake. He nodded at Reina, who immediately closed her eyes and collapsed to the ground to catch up on sleep. The others soon followed, clearing the camp and preparing breakfast.

Just then, Liu Zong suddenly opened his eyes. He turned his gaze toward a specific direction, raised his right hand, and pointed his thumb firmly toward that spot.

His gesture drew the attention of the others. Xu Ying and the others looked at him with confusion, as he was pointing in the direction they had come from—a path they had already thoroughly searched and found nothing unusual along. Why would Liu Zong react this way after a night's sleep?

Liu Zong said nothing, keeping his right hand extended while straining to sense something. After more than a minute, he lowered his hand and smiled at the group. "I just learned a very useful skill."

Both Xu Ying and Liu Zong were Yin-attribute players. Hearing this, Xu Ying seemed to realize something and asked with surprise, "Underworld Path Locating?"

Liu Zong nodded, offering a smile that confirmed Xu Ying's guess.

Xu Ying then explained to the others what Underworld Path Locating was. It was a positioning method for Yin-attribute players, similar to the "Big Dipper Navigation" that ordinary players could learn. It involved using the properties of the Yin attribute to lock onto the path previously traveled, then using that anchor to map out the current location.

Generally, this technique was cumbersome; if not controlled properly, it could inadvertently irritate the Underworld and attract malevolent spirits. Thus, it was rarely learned by anyone below high-level Yin-attribute players.

Xu Ying hadn't expected Liu Zong to possess this skill, which was why he hadn't suggested it when they were uncertain of their location. Seeing Liu Zong demonstrate it now, Xu Ying’s expression became complex—he felt he was falling further behind Liu Zong in terms of Yin-attribute mastery.

Liu Zong was indifferent to Xu Ying’s internal struggle. He was busy recalling the details of the technique, which he had learned from the memory of the soul fragment. Yet, he felt this method differed slightly from the standard Underworld Path Locating he knew of, and he sensed a connection between this technique and the soul fragment deep within him. It seemed that one of the moves in the martial arts routine he had practiced since childhood bore a striking resemblance to the gesture he had just performed, as if something were hidden behind it.

Liu Zong longed to uncover the truth, but time did not allow for it. He set the question aside and began the day's journey.

With Liu Zong’s navigation and the previous day's discoveries, the group’s morale improved, and they searched for clues with greater care. However, the surroundings remained as dim as ever. Their limited supply of torches could not illuminate much, causing their progress to slow to a crawl. Several hours passed without finding a single useful lead.

Yuan Ying did, however, discover a small stream and a cluster of mushrooms. The eyeless fish from the stream and the edible mushrooms became their lunch. As before, they could not light a campfire, so they had to rely on makeshift methods to heat their food.

This frustrated Yuan Ying, as the soups she was accustomed to preparing required a stove or fire. With few options, she sliced the fish and mushrooms, drizzled them with juice pressed from a yellow fruit, and heated them using friction-warmed stones, resulting in a semi-raw dish. She called it "half-cooked sashimi," claiming it killed parasites while preserving the texture.

Liu Zong didn't mind; he found the mushrooms more to his liking. The heat from the stones didn't fully cook them, but since they weren't subjected to direct searing, the juices remained trapped inside. The semi-raw mushrooms carried a faint, sweet flavor that he found particularly enjoyable.