Shield of Radiance (III)

Compared to a year and a half ago, Long Haochen's Divine Seal Block could now be described as perfected to the point of pure mastery. Divine Seal Block might be powerful, but its demands on timing were extraordinarily high. Its effect only lasted for an instant, so it required the most precise prediction to work.

Relying on Divine Seal Block, Long Haochen forcibly withstood the Repulsion Ice Ring without retreating, defeating Lin Jialu in a way she had never expected.

If Lin Jialu had used her Magic Equipment or taken him seriously from the beginning, Long Haochen—whose Internal Spiritual Power had been heavily depleted by fusing with the spiritual furnace—would have stood almost no chance against her. Unfortunately, Long Haochen's age was simply too deceptive. Coupled with Divine Seal Block, that heaven-defying knight skill, Lin Jialu had met with tragedy.

Li Xin was shocked by Long Haochen's judgment in using Divine Seal Block. What she did not know was that this had all been beaten into him by Long Xingyu's daily abuse. Two shichen of actual combat every day had turned Divine Seal Block into Long Haochen's instinct; he judged entirely by feel.

Seeing Lin Jialu's unwillingness and dazed expression, Li Xin was the first to recover from her shock. She burst out laughing. "What do you mean, impossible? It can only mean you're ignorant. You can't even beat my little brother, yet you still dreamed of challenging this young lady. A bet is a bet—hand over the stakes."

Lin Jialu shot her a vicious glare, then looked at Long Haochen. She stomped her foot hard. "I'll have someone deliver it later. Let's go." She did not even stay for the meal, turning and leaving. After staring at Long Haochen in shock for a few more moments, her two attendants finally followed Lin Jialu away.

"Ha ha, that felt so good." As she spoke, Li Xin wrapped an arm around Long Haochen and planted a hard kiss on his cheek.

Long Haochen froze. The next instant, his handsome face turned bright red.

Li Xin giggled. "Little brother, you're so cute when you blush. You're like a completely different person from how calm you are in battle. Come on, let's eat."

Lin Jialu's defeat put Li Xin in an excellent mood, and she took Long Haochen out for a lavish dinner. Though she had ordered plenty of dishes, her appetite was actually even more astonishing than Long Haochen's, despite him being at the age when he was growing. Like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, the two of them truly finished most of the food.

"Wow, I'm so full. Little brother, if I eat with you every day from now on, your sister is definitely going to get fat."

Long Haochen still had not quite recovered from that kiss. Her cool, soft lips had only touched him for an instant, but the sensation had carved itself deeply into his heart. That warmth also gave Long Haochen his first sense of family since his parents had left. Having a sister like this was truly wonderful.

"Big Sister, what exactly is the conflict between you and Sister Lin?" Long Haochen asked curiously.

Li Xin snorted. "Just bringing it up makes me angry. When we were little, we were best friends who told each other everything. About five years ago, we both fell for a boy from their Mage Temple. He wasn't as handsome as you, but he was all right, I suppose. His talent was quite high too. Lin Jialu and I were still friends then. Once I learned that she liked him too, I was prepared to give him up to her. But that boy came to me and said Lin Jialu had used her family's influence to force him to be with her. For the sake of his future, he had no choice but to submit. I never saw him again after that."

"I went to argue with Lin Jialu, but she started fighting with me instead. She called me a liar, said I was despicable, and all sorts of things. The more we talked, the angrier we became, until we came to blows. Since then, our relationship has become what it is now. Who knows which one of us is really despicable? Hmph."

Long Haochen asked doubtfully, "Could there have been some misunderstanding? Big Sister, I think you should talk things over properly with Sister Lin."

Li Xin said, "What misunderstanding could there be? That boy disappeared. Maybe she even had something to do with his disappearance. All right, let's not talk about this anymore. Thinking about what happened back then makes me angry. Still, Lin Jialu may be unpleasant, but she keeps her word. Ha ha, we made a profit this time. The Shield of Radiance will be enough for you all the way to Fifth Order."

"For me to use?" Long Haochen was stunned.

Li Xin said, "Of course! Why else would I have bet with her? I don't want her things for myself. Aren't you going to train as a Guardian Knight? How can a Guardian Knight be without a shield? Those standard-issue shields at our branch temple are far too poor. With this Shield of Radiance, your defense will at least rise to another level."

Warmth flooded Long Haochen's heart. He truly had not expected that Li Xin had made him fight and bet against Lin Jialu all to find him a good shield.

Li Xin sighed softly, somewhat embarrassed as she played with her fingers. "It's all Dad's fault. He refuses to give me more spending money. Otherwise, your sister would have just bought you equipment directly. Why would I have needed to think of a way like this?"

"Big Sister—" Long Haochen called softly.

Li Xin giggled. "What is it? Why are your eyes getting red? Little cuties really are so sentimental! Come on, let's head back. You start classes tomorrow, and your sister still has some experience to pass on to you."

The moment the two returned to the entrance of the Knight Temple, a middle-aged man was already waiting there respectfully, holding a large cloth bundle in his hands.

"Miss Xin'er, my young miss asked me to deliver this." The middle-aged man handed the bundle to Li Xin and turned to leave.

Watching his departing back, Li Xin smiled. "I wonder how much this must hurt Lin Jialu. It seems her spending money isn't much more than mine."

After returning to the Haoyue Branch Temple, Li Xin followed Long Haochen straight back to his residence.

"Little brother, look! This is the Shield of Radiance." As she spoke, Li Xin excitedly unwrapped the cloth bundle and took out a shield, handing it to Long Haochen.

It was a round shield roughly two chi and five cun in diameter, a medium-sized shield. Its entire body was dark silver, and its first impression was one of ancient simplicity and grandeur.

At the very center of the shield was a round gemstone the size of a pigeon's egg. The gem was pale gold. Centered around it was an engraved sun design, its radiating lines extending all the way to the edge of the shield.

The shield did not appear particularly heavy or thick, yet it emanated a steady aura of light.

"Quick, try it." Li Xin handed the Shield of Radiance to Long Haochen.

Long Haochen did not decline. Once he considered someone family, he would never refuse what they gave him. At the same time, he was willing to give everything he had for them.

Only after taking the Shield of Radiance did Long Haochen see that its interior did not have a simple handle. Instead, it had a metal sleeve resembling an armguard. He slid his left arm inside. The metal sleeve was slightly loose, covering his entire forearm. When his palm reached the innermost part, it found a metal grip perfectly placed for him to hold. This made the entire shield seem as though it had fused with his arm. In particular, the faint aura of light gave Long Haochen a deeply comfortable feeling.

Li Xin came over and adjusted the metal sleeve on his arm. Inside it were several delicate metal clasps, which she easily adjusted to fit Long Haochen perfectly. When Long Haochen swung his arm again, he felt as though he and the shield had become one.

The Shield of Radiance was not heavy. With a light swing of his arm, Long Haochen immediately fell in love with it.

Li Xin said, "The Shield of Radiance itself can defend against impacts below three hundred spiritual power. Once Internal Spiritual Power is poured into it, its defensive strength will continue to increase. The light spiritual power it emits can block most negative magical effects, such as the freezing effect of Lin Jialu's ice magic. It works quite well when paired with certain Guardian Knight skills. See this gemstone? It's a Melting Gold Stone. With it, as long as the shield isn't damaged too severely, it can repair itself. Perhaps it isn't the strongest shield below Fifth Order, but it is absolutely the most practical magic shield."