Boss Lin Patches the Lamp, and Seven Treasure Joins the Fray

Boss Lin Patches the Lamp, and Seven Treasure Joins the Fray

After Spirit Hall continued forward, the shop actually grew quieter.

It was not that no one was nervous. Rather, many people had lowered their heads to study their papers. More and more soul masters gathered before the Strategy Board. Some wrote down wind routes, some noted Phoenix Firewire, and some circled the five words "Lantern Bearer's right to give warnings." Three Review Papers had already piled up beside Grandmaster. The two Seven Treasure disciples behind Ning Fengzhi were comparing notes with each other, while even Zhou Ping squatted nearby, diligently copying down whatever he could understand.

Lin Chuan was quite satisfied by the sight.

Winning an exciting match was not difficult. The difficult part was making people willing to look back afterward and consider why they had won, and why they had lost. If they relied only on Soul Power to crush their way through, then no matter how difficult Yellow Wind Ridge was, it would merely be a patch of ground waiting to be trampled flat. But things were different now. A crack in the Wind-Calming Lamp had shifted everyone's attention from "who is stronger" back to "how should a team proceed?"

That was where the value lay.

Changes soon appeared on Hu Liena's side.

After the Lantern Bearer gained the right to call out the route, Spirit Hall's pace noticeably slowed, but they no longer moved in chaos. Every ten steps, the deacon checked the ground. He called for a stop before they reached soft sand, and whenever he spotted wind patterns, he reminded Yan to hold back his flames. Yan frowned at first, but after realizing the reports were indeed accurate, he kept silent no matter how sour his expression became. Xie Yue's twin blades also stopped pressing blindly forward and instead left half a step of retreat for the Lantern Bearer. Hu Liena walked at the front, occasionally pausing to wait for the lamp behind her to steady again.

They were no longer as sharp as they had been at the start.

But they had begun to fit together like a real team.

Taking advantage of this stability, Shrek slowly closed the distance. Tang San did not rush to seize the lead, and Ning Rongrong would not let Ma Hongjun throw around reckless flames. Several times, Xiao Wu wanted to chase down weakened Little Demons, only for Ning Rongrong to call her back. Xiao Wu was not annoyed. Instead, she smiled. "Rongrong, you're becoming more and more like a captain."

Ning Rongrong's ears reddened slightly.

"I'm just watching the lamp."

Tang San said, "The person watching the lamp should be the one guiding the route."

The female Seven Treasure disciple's hand paused over her pen. She instinctively looked toward Ning Fengzhi, but he was watching the spectator screen. As though he knew what she was thinking, he said softly, "If you want to try, then try. Even if you're afraid, you still have to try."

The girl's eyes immediately lit up.

"Sect Master, can I form a Seven Treasure Support Trial Team?"

As soon as she said that, several young Seven Treasure disciples nearby turned to look. If this had happened yesterday, they would probably have only felt unqualified. Shrek had Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun. Spirit Hall had Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan. Most people on Seven Treasure's side were support types. Once they entered the game, they could not use soul skills, and their physical abilities gave them no advantage either. What could they possibly compete with?

But the review of that match had shown them another path.

A Lantern Bearer was not unnecessary.

Support types did not have to stand behind others and wait for protection.

Ning Fengzhi watched her for a moment, then asked, "If you hold the lamp and your teammates refuse to listen to you, what will you do?"

The girl pressed her lips together.

"Then I'll make them hear me."

A trace of amusement appeared in Chen Xin's eyes.

"And if they still refuse to listen?"

The girl tightened her grip around the charcoal pencil.

"Then I'll change teammates."

Her words were somewhat presumptuous, but they made Ning Fengzhi laugh. Seven Treasure people had always valued harmony, schedules, and the distribution of benefits. But at a true life-or-death moment, if a support type did not even have the courage to make the team listen to them, then no matter how good their judgment was, it would remain nothing more than ink on paper.

"Good."

Ning Fengzhi nodded.

"Seven Treasure Support Trial Team, register as reserves."

Lin Chuan pushed the reservation ledger over.

"All eight machines are occupied. Register as reserves first. When this round ends, you'll be arranged in order."

Ning Fengzhi did not haggle. He picked up a brush and wrote down the team's name. Yue Guan watched from the side and smiled. "Sect Master Ning isn't slow to act either."

Ning Fengzhi replied gently, "Spirit Hall has already entered the field. If Seven Treasure merely stands by and watches, that would be rather unbecoming."

Yue Guan smiled but said nothing more.

At that moment, the screen on the right suddenly flickered. After Spirit Hall's cracked lamp traveled for some distance, another thin gust slipped into the fracture, making the flame sway violently. The deacon's expression changed, and Hu Liena immediately stopped.

Yan's voice came through the Synchronized Headband, suppressing his irritation.

"Boss Lin, didn't patching the lamp stabilize it already?"

Lin Chuan glanced at the prompt.

"Stabilizing the crack doesn't mean walking the route for you. You just passed the second sand slope. The lamp opening faced the wind for too long, and the crack caught the wind again."

Yan wanted to say something else, but Hu Liena had already spoken.

"It was my fault for not stopping."

The deacon also lowered his voice. "This subordinate's warning came too late."

Lin Chuan shook his head.

"No need to fight over the blame. The game hasn't declared you dead yet."

As he spoke, he took a thin wooden slip from the Small Counter. The slip was pale in color, with scorched edges. There were no words on it, only a fine lamp pattern. Everyone's expressions shifted slightly. The paper packet and lamp oil had already been surprising enough, but when this wooden slip appeared, even Ning Fengzhi gave it another look.

Lin Chuan placed the wooden slip on the counter.

"A Lantern Guard Token. It can only keep a cracked lamp from going out until the next wind gap. It won't repair your evaluation, block damage, or be taken away. It can only be used once per round. If you want to keep competing, use it. If you think it isn't worth it, you can stop here and save the record."

A glint flashed in Yue Guan's eyes.

"How much?"

Lin Chuan named the price.

It was not cheap.

But it was not a price Spirit Hall could not afford. What truly concerned everyone was not the money, but what the item represented. It was unlike a treasure that could change one's real combat strength. It was more like a patch grown from the rules of Grand Dao Internet Cafe itself. A team made a mistake and paid a price. That price could not be erased, but it could buy them one more chance to keep moving forward.

Hu Liena did not hesitate.

"Use it."

The deacon said anxiously, "Holy Maiden, if we continue, the risks ahead will be greater."

Hu Liena looked at him.

"You think we should stop?"

The deacon gripped the lamp handle tightly, his forehead covered in sweat. He knew a single sentence from him could either preserve Spirit Hall's record or cause them to lose their chance to catch Shrek. Before entering the internet cafe, he would never have dared suggest stopping in front of Hu Liena. But now the lamp was in his hands, and the team had just acknowledged his right to call the route. If he still only knew how to read expressions, then he might as well never have held the lamp.

"We won't stop."

His voice was hoarse, but clear.

"But we must slow down for the next section. There are three backdraft points on the old route. We can't fight Shrek for the same passage. We need to go around the low wall on the right."

Hu Liena nodded.

"We'll go as you say."

Yan muttered, "Taking a detour will slow us down."

The deacon looked at him, not avoiding his gaze for the first time.

"If we don't detour, it'll go out."

Yan choked on his words. His expression darkened, but he did not argue. Xie Yue said flatly, "Detour."

A few quiet laughs rose in the shop. They were not mocking laughs, but the sort people made when they saw a domineering team finally learn to listen to someone in the back. Lin Chuan tapped the Lantern Guard Token on the counter. A ring of faint light appeared around the edge of the Wind-Calming Lamp on the screen to the right, as though invisible threads had temporarily stitched the crack shut.

[Lantern Guard Token used.]

[Wind-Calming Lamp's unextinguished state will last until the next wind gap.]

[Notice: This effect does not negate team mistakes.]

Lin Chuan withdrew his hand.

"Continue."

The Spirit Hall team set off again. This time, Hu Liena no longer placed "speed" above everything else. After listening to the Lantern Bearer report the three backdraft points, she led the team around the low wall. Sure enough, a gust of fine sand soon swept across the direct route. If they had forced their way through just now, that cracked lamp would not have lasted ten breaths. Yan's face stiffened at the sight. On the screen to the left, Ma Hongjun grinned as though he wanted to laugh, only for Ning Rongrong to glare him back.

"Watch the road."

Ma Hongjun immediately withdrew his gaze.

"I'm watching."

The two teams passed through the wind gap one after the other. Although Spirit Hall took a detour, their lamp survived. Shrek moved steadily, gradually overtaking them in speed. The stage evaluations beneath the spectator screen continued to jump, and everyone in the shop felt their hearts rise and fall along with them. In the end, both teams arrived at a half-collapsed village entrance almost simultaneously. The stone marker at the entrance was buried more than halfway in yellow sand, exposing only two blurred characters.

Sand Gate.

[Yellow Wind Ridge Approach, first section complete.]

[Shrek Temporary Cooperative Advance Team: Lamp flame intact, route steady, first in stage rankings.]

[Spirit Hall Cooperative Advance Team: Continued after Wind-Calming Lamp damage, team structure corrected, second in stage rankings.]

[Hidden Evaluation: Follow the Lantern's Light achieved by Spirit Hall Cooperative Advance Team.]

[Hidden Evaluation: Dual-Line Shared Breath achieved jointly by both teams.]

When the prompts appeared, the shop did not immediately erupt into noise. Shrek had won the first section, and Ma Hongjun naturally wanted to cheer. But when he saw Spirit Hall's hidden evaluation, he felt that this victory was not so simple. Yan also did not wear his previous dark, unconvinced expression. He stared at the words "Follow the Lantern's Light," looking deeply awkward.

Hu Liena removed her Synchronized Headband and looked first at the deacon.

"Next time, you'll keep holding the lamp."

The deacon froze.

Even Yue Guan was somewhat surprised.

But Hu Liena remained calm.

"This is not a reward. The team needs you."

The deacon stood and gave a solemn bow.

"This subordinate understands."

That scene made the female Seven Treasure disciple watch even more intently. She had thought what she needed to fight for was a chance to enter the game. Only now did she understand that what she truly needed to fight for was the willingness of her teammates to listen to her at a critical moment.

Ning Fengzhi watched her expression and said nothing more. He merely pushed the reservation ledger toward Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan lowered his head to check the system.

[The first section of the two-team Cooperative Advance race trial is complete.]

[Team Evaluation Rankings updated: Race category added.]

[Third reserve team detected: Seven Treasure Support Trial Team.]

[Open three-team rotation reservations?]

[Yellow Wind Ridge Approach, second section preview: Sandgate Village Entrance.]

Lin Chuan looked at the final line and smiled inwardly.

Yellow Wind Ridge really knew how to strike where people itched the most. Shrek had just tasted the pressure of first place, Spirit Hall had just learned to listen to the lamp, and Seven Treasure was about to enter the field as well. From here on, the academies, sects, and Spirit Hall would all understand that at Grand Dao Internet Cafe, a team was not formed simply by gathering four people and sitting down.

He picked up a new wooden sign and wrote several lines on it.

[Three-team rotation reservations open.]

[Support-type trial teams may register.]

[Next section: Sandgate Village Entrance.]

The wooden sign was hung on the wall, and everyone's eyes in the shop gathered there again. The Seven Treasure disciples behind Ning Fengzhi all straightened their backs. Grandmaster had already begun considering Shrek's positioning for the next section. Yue Guan, meanwhile, studied Spirit Hall's deacon again, as though he had discovered for the first time that even a low-ranking soul master possessed something worth recording.

Lin Chuan flipped over the time plaque.

"Next round, line up first."

He said it casually.

But this time, no one felt that the words "line up" were ordinary.

Because on the Team Evaluation Rankings, after Shrek and Spirit Hall, the third empty slot had already lit up.