Who left their last words here?

Chapter 69 [The Sacred Boundary], I am truly a master of magic runes! (Second update, 4kbps)

"……you?"

The witch looked bewildered.

Although in the eyes of others,

The visitor was mysterious and seemed incredibly unfathomable.

But she just happens to be the one who knows Bai Zhou's situation!

Of all those present, only Bai Zhou's spirituality was concealed by a mysterious cloak.

But she would never forget the faint spirituality within Bai Zhou, like a candle flame...

She could extinguish that tiny flame with a single spit.

A novice who has just entered the extraordinary realm, who hasn't even figured out how to walk yet, wants to repair the magic runes that seem like heavenly scripture?
Even she, after studying "Magic Runes" for a few days, decisively chose to give up.

The flashy, intricate patterns made her dizzy, reminding her of the calculus she learned in her freshman year of college...

If you don't understand it, you really don't understand it; if you can't do it, ... and you can't force it.

After all, every extraordinary person has limited talent.

It is truly difficult to specialize in one area and achieve something; trying to do too much at once will inevitably lead to failure... This is common sense in the mysterious world.

—Well, that's common sense for most people.

In the mysterious world where talent is highly manifested, Bai Zhou, who is already five feet five inches tall, is obviously not among them, but no one knows it.

—Of course, there is another, most important reason.

The study of mysticism cannot be separated from various practices, observations, and exercises.

All of these rely on rare materials.

Just like that quill pen and glowing paint from that expert surnamed Li...

—All of these cost money!
"you……"

She instinctively wanted to refuse, but the witch suddenly realized that she couldn't reveal that she knew the other person.

Because she was not sure whether the other party had recognized her or not, if she rashly showed any abnormality, wouldn't that be an admission of guilt?

"Are you really sure?"

Therefore, she could only ask uncertainly, and the questioning voice remained ambiguous, neither male nor female.

"Since no one else can fix it, I might as well give it a try."

Having learned from the witch, Bai Zhou deliberately lowered his voice, making it slightly hoarse.

"……All right."

Under the watchful eyes of others, the witch had no choice but to grit her teeth and hand over the wand.

Seeing Bai Zhou take the wand with one hand and examine it, she couldn't help but speak up:

Be careful, don't fall!

As she spoke, she kept her eyes fixed on the magic wand, very close to the white boat, ready to respond to any sudden changes at any moment.

Judging from her expression, she practically had "worry" written all over her body.

"..."

Bai Zhou glanced at the witch, shook his head, and ignored her.

He found a corner to stand in and, with the help of the dim light, focused on examining the magic runes on the wand in front of him.

really……

Just as he had thought, the mysterious patterns carved on the wand were extremely similar to the magical patterns he had seen on that pile of "junk".

There are many differences, even in the smallest details.

However, these differences... gave Bai Zhou an indescribable feeling.

The magic patterns Bai Zhou had seen before were characterized by sharp, cold, and regular brushstrokes.

Even though each magic rune has slight differences in details, they are ultimately similar in spirit and function, carrying a heavy aura of killing.

But the wand before us, though its lines appear intricate, lacks sharp strokes; each stroke seems to be carefully depicting something, as if afraid of making a mistake.

—It has plenty of craftsmanship, but lacks spirit!
At several key energy nodes, the wand has several more swirling patterns with unknown functions, completely different from the clean and crisp connections in Bai Zhou's memory.

Is it the wand that distinguishes it from other weapons, or...?

For some reason, Shirazuki had a kind of "illusion":
The magical runes on this wand are perhaps an imitation of the "ancient junk" that Bai Zhou had seen.

...but that doesn't make sense.

This magic wand is clearly an antique; the bronze is badly corroded, and there are traces of mud in some places that can't be wiped clean.

It's definitely "old".

"How's it going? Do you have any idea?"

The witch muttered to herself from the side:

"It's okay if you have no clue, you've already done your best... How about giving me back my wand?"

Bai Zhou glanced at her and suddenly asked:

"Do you have a pen?"

The witch paused for a moment, then asked, "What pen?"

"Anything is fine, as long as it has color, I'm not picky."

Bai Zhou's answer left almost everyone who had been eavesdropping looking astonished.

"—That's not how you draw magic runes, young man."

The elderly expert couldn't help but speak up:

"Which school of thought do you belong to? Quill pens and special paints are essential materials. Didn't your teacher teach you that?"

"..." Bai Zhou glanced at the expert and nodded thoughtfully.

“My teacher definitely didn’t teach it that way.”

What paint or not...

Just forget it.

Not to mention magic runes, even the magic potion he used to awaken his destiny was made with cucumber and beef noodles.

The mystical techniques taught by Ya, regardless of their specific aspects, all prioritize cost-effectiveness.

Until he was out of the crow's sight and had dealings with other extraordinary beings...

Bai Zhou then realized that everyone was completely different from him.

Look at them, how "delicate" and wealthy they are! Even their paints are different from the rest!
But perhaps they are the normal ones, perfectly fitting the public's stereotype of "mystic".

On the contrary, his "poor and stingy" appearance made him somewhat of an oddity...

"I have one, use mine... I'll give it to you."

Someone, eager for a good show, handed over a Copic marker that they were carrying with them.

But the witch standing nearby would certainly not be happy about Bai Zhou leaving random marks on her precious baby.

She approached him with a worried expression:

"Are you sure you can handle this? Or maybe you should just give up..."

She was about to ask Bai Zhou for the magic wand.

Then they saw Bai Zhou stand up straight and raise his head, pick up the tip of a marker and draw a few lines in the air.

—To be precise, it was drawn in a lot of light strokes.

First, draw a circle.
Then draw a horizontal line.

Next came the solid inverted triangle, the sharp equilateral triangle, the gentle wavy lines, and a spiral that turned upwards one and a half times...

The movements were executed in one fluid motion, at a speed so fast it was dazzling and difficult to see clearly.

Only those in the know understand how complex this is:
The pressure of each stroke, the details of each movement, and the incantation silently recited in one's mind—even a single mistake can ruin the effect!
"Contract reached."

Finally, Bai Zhou put down his pen.

At the same time, he silently recited in his heart:
“Guide me—”

"Buzz!"

A white light emanated from Bai Zhou's body.

From this moment on, his movements were amplified by the ritual, his spirit resonated with the world, and the success rate of repairing the magic runes was greatly increased.

However, any minor mistake will be seen as a disruption of the ritual, potentially leading to terrible repercussions.

This is why Ya kept making Shiraishu practice the basics repeatedly.

The light emanating from Bai Zhou illuminated the witch's stiff figure.

In her astonished gaze, the gleaming light of the pen in Bai Zhou's hand shone through.

no……

Are you really good at it?

She was really dumbfounded.

In the dimly lit ghost market, this conspicuous glimmer of light drew gasps of surprise from onlookers.

"This is……?"

The old man's expression under his cloak suddenly changed.

He suddenly fell silent, only staring at Bai Zhou with suspicion and uncertainty.

Although he knew nothing about the corresponding incantations and details, this expert, Mr. Li, was actually familiar with this "ritual"—

【The Sacred Boundary】!
The circle symbolizes standing in an inviolable sacred space.

The horizontal line symbolizes division.

At the other end of the division, the inverted triangle symbolizes "mountains", the upright triangle symbolizes "flames", the wavy line symbolizes "ocean waves", and the spiral line symbolizes "wind".

Earth, fire, water, and wind—that is the world!

By defining the boundary between themselves and the mundane, a sacred identity transformation is achieved, allowing the ritualist to temporarily detach from the mundane world. Standing on the sacred boundary, the ritualist temporarily becomes the balancing focus and communication channel between the two, thus possessing the magical power of "writing as if guided by the gods."

Any ordinary object will be imbued with a special spirit in the hands of the artist, giving the brushstrokes a sense of life.

Everyone can become half of the legendary "Ma Liang with his magic paintbrush," capable of drawing all sorts of magical patterns.

This is a ritual that every enchanter dreams of.

However, it is also rejected by many magic rune masters as a shortcut or unorthodox method that cuts corners.

but……

This ritual is a signature feature of a certain school of magic runes!
Regardless of skill level, once one has mastered the basics of this ritual, one can be considered a formal "magic rune master".

The expert, Mr. Li, was well aware of the weight and domineering nature of this school of thought.

They were extremely strict in testing their disciples and never allowed their knowledge to leak out.

In a certain official department in Tinghai, this school of thought held an extremely high status.

If this person stole the knowledge, then he's doomed...

But if that's the case, he has no reason to show it in front of others!
and so……

This extraordinary being, draped in a cloak that reads "Real Estate of the Mass Graveyard," seems to be a local ghost from the Reflection Ruins Realm—

He's actually a successor of that school of thought?

The old expert Li's face twitched, his expression one of surprise and uncertainty.

What is his purpose in coming to the ghost market?

Does this attire also correspond to some kind of curse or ritual? Perhaps it employs a special magic rune technique?
...Could it be that he also came for the auction?

"..."

On the other side, Bai Zhou was intently guiding the continuation of the mysterious patterns on the magic wand.

My strokes are steady and I never make mistakes, all thanks to the eggs I used to draw in my dorm room.

The magical runes on those "ancient ruins" deep within the Void Realm are the only materials that Bai Zhou can actually access after he enters the sect.

In other words, he had secretly practiced those magic runes many times and knew them by heart.

To Bai Zhou, these damaged magic runes were no different from filling in the blanks in poems he had memorized countless times.

It's a piece of cake; I can even draw it upside down!
He quickly finished repairing the magic runes.

The wand seemed to come back to life, and began to tremble slightly in Bai Zhou's palm.

Repairing the last magic rune was a bit difficult. Bai Zhou thought for a long time before he remembered seeing a similar pattern on a broken crossbow.

The brushstrokes are exquisite, penetrating to the core.

The magic runes have been passed down.

With a "buzz"—

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the patterns on the wand glowed from top to bottom, radiating a dazzling red light.

Two thousand years later, the enchanted weapons from the battlefields of yesteryear shine once more.

Sure enough, it worked.

Bai Zhou let out a long sigh, feeling somewhat exhausted.

He watched with considerable satisfaction as the wand revived.

Strictly speaking, this is still his first masterpiece as a "magic rune master" completed independently!
It's not fair to call it a miracle cure; it's more like bringing someone back from the dead.

Even Bai Zhou himself didn't expect that his completion rate would be so high.

I started writing with a "let's give it a try" attitude, and I ended up completely absorbed in it.

—From then on, he was Bai Zhou.

That's what a distinguished magic rune master is like!

Miss Witch, what kind of generous reward will you prepare for the repair of the wand?

Bai Zhou was somewhat curious and glanced discreetly at the cloaked witch who was beaming with delight.

In terms of enchanted weapons alone, this wand may not be much more valuable than White Boat's "junk".

The only difference is that the white boat is in a much worse state of disrepair and is almost impossible to repair, while the witch's wand can still be repaired.

But it seems to have a special meaning for the witch; at least the witch looks like she really needs to fix it.

can only say……

Hopefully, high-level adventurers won't be too stingy, and even more so, won't go back on their word.

"Buzz buzz!"

The wand in his hand trembled even more violently.

The blinding red light carried a hint of unease.

A surge of power flickered faintly on the wand.

...Is something wrong?

Bai Zhou raised his magic wand, which was vibrating wildly at an absurdly high frequency, and asked the witch:

Have you ever seen it like this?

"..."

The witch shook her head blankly.

So Bai Zhou took a few more glances at the magic wand.

The nearly broken gem embedded at the top of the wand shimmered with a red light.

Deep within the gemstone, runes faintly glowed.

Bai Zhou immediately recognized the runes as somewhat familiar.

After racking his brains for a long time, he finally remembered that he seemed to have seen a similar one in some abandoned, unidentified trap deep in the Ruins Realm.

At this moment, the gemstone shone even more brilliantly.

A surge of power began to expand in Bai Zhou's hands.

Like...

It looked like it was about to explode.

"?"

Bai Zhou's expression suddenly changed.

Could this actually be an "explosive wand"?

What exactly did he fix?!

—A dud that hasn't exploded in two thousand years?
It sounds surprisingly reasonable? It's exactly the kind of thing that civilization could make.

...Or perhaps, I went astray while repairing the magic runes?

Before Bai Zhou could think any further...

With a "smack"—

The gem embedded in the wand shattered instantly!
A red flame began to burn "whoosh" at the tip of the wand.

not good!

It's about to explode!

Bai Zhou was jolted awake. He immediately raised the evil self-destructing magic wand and threw it forcefully into the distance.

"Lie down quickly!"

Bai Zhou shouted out.

"What?" someone asked, looking up in response.

The shadow of the raised stick obscured the man's bewildered face.

A cone-shaped wooden stick flew in from the sky, and its tip was spitting fire—this is…

His expression suddenly changed, and he understood the meaning of the words "quickly lie down" he had just heard.

His face visibly turned terrified.

The man immediately retreated rapidly, unleashing all the spiritual energy within him at the same time.

Perhaps this was the "fastest" moment of his life.

As he sprawled to the ground in a flash, he didn't forget to turn back and shout:
"Grenade—!!!"

A hysterical scream of terror echoed through the nearby streets.

Outstanding effect.

The surrounding crowd, men, women, young and old, all spontaneously lay down on the ground.

But then another figure appeared, faster than the screams, bypassing the lying-down crowd.

She is……

"My magic wand—"

The witch, screaming in pain, pounced on the magic wand in mid-air like a hungry tiger.

Seeing this, Bai Zhou, who was squatting on the ground, covered his forehead and closed his eyes.

broken.

What about his "generous reward"?
...It seems that Bai Zhou's path to becoming a magic rune master is not going smoothly.

The first order, before the item was even fixed, seemed destined to blow up the employer.

The next moment.

A small mushroom cloud exploded abruptly and eerily in the ghost market.

"boom--!!!"

(End of this chapter)