The steles in the ruins began to slowly dissipate.
Like ashes scattered by the wind, they gradually turned into tiny specks of light, merging into the air.
The specks of light flickered in the sky for a moment, then completely vanished, as if they had never existed.
Jinyao squatted before the stele, looking up, its right paw still pressed against it, but as the stele dissipated, the space beneath its paw gradually became empty.
It froze for a moment, looked down at its paw, then looked up at the three vanishing megaliths.
“Yanyan?”
It chirped, its voice filled with confusion.
“Why is it gone?”
Ziyue walked over from the side, standing beside Jinyao, her ears twitching slightly.
Chiying watched the last remaining outlines of the three steles, and when the top of the final stele also dissolved into specks of light and vanished into the air, it spoke.
“Mo.”
“The energy here is empty.”
Liu Yi looked at the empty space left after the three steles vanished. The flagstones on the ground were as flat as before, without any indentations or traces, as if three ten-meter-tall steles had never stood there.
She raised her wrist. The bracelet screen was still lit, displaying the words “Task Completed,” along with the line that caught her attention—“Task Status: Closing Soon.”
“What does ‘Closing Soon’ mean?”
She stared at the words for a few seconds, then exited the task page and opened the map.
The location of the Blazemark Ruins was still there, but the label had changed—from “Blazemark Ruins” to “Completed Area,” followed by a line of small gray text: Trial Steles activated, main quest for this area concluded.
She looked at the small gray text, silent for a moment.
“Yanyan?”
“Where are the steles? Why are they gone?”
Liu Yi looked down at Jinyao: “They disappeared.”
“Yanyan?”
“Why?”
“Because the task is complete,” Liu Yi said, her voice calm, but her fingers rubbed Jinyao's ear twice more as she pondered something.
Jinyao tilted its head, seemingly processing the meaning of her words.
After a while, it lowered its head, looking at the Mark of Radiance on its chest that was slowly fading, and gently touched it with its paw.
“Yanyan?”
“Can others still come and activate them later?”
Liu Yi's fingers paused.
This was precisely what she was thinking.
The three steles had vanished. Could contestants who came to the Blazemark Ruins later still complete the main quest?
Or was the main quest only meant for the first to arrive, leaving latercomers with only side tasks?
She didn't know.
Jinyao looked up at her.
“Yanyan?”
“Did I make them disappear?”
Liu Yi looked at Jinyao's slightly uneasy golden eyes, a faint smile curving her lips.
“You didn't make them disappear. The task was completed—the task related to the steles was finished, so they vanished. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Yanyan?”
“So what do we do next?”
Liu Yi: “The main quest is complete, but we haven't done any of the side tasks yet.”
Jinyao tilted its head.
“Yanyan?”
“Side tasks?”
“Yes,” Liu Yi nodded. “Those we saw on the way: Ore Vein Survey, Canyon Cleanup, Ruins Investigation. We only did the Ore Vein Survey; there are still several we haven't done.”
“Besides, you now have the Heart of Flame and the Will of Fist within you, and you need time to adapt. Instead of rushing to the next big thing, it's better to use side tasks to integrate them.”
“Yanyan.”
Jinyao chirped, a hint of seriousness in its voice.
“Okay.”
Ziyue walked over from the side, squatted beside Jinyao, and gently brushed its back with her tail.
“Bingbing.”
“Are you tired?”
Jinyao turned to look at Ziyue.
“Yanyan.”
“Not really, just a little hungry.”
Ziyue retracted her tail and looked at Liu Yi.
“Bingbing.”
“It's hungry.”
Liu Yi took out a latent energy pill from her backpack and offered it to Jinyao.
Jinyao took it in one bite and crunched it.
Ziyue also took her latent energy pill and moved aside to eat it quietly.
Chiying descended from the air and wrapped its tail around its share.
Liu Yi took an energy bar from her backpack, tore open the wrapper, and took a bite.
The energy bar tasted bland as usual, but it provided enough calories and quickly replenished stamina.
She leaned against a broken stone pillar nearby, chewing as she opened the side task list on her bracelet.
The task entries on the screen were fewer than in the morning; most had been taken by other contestants.
What remained were tasks that were more time-consuming or in remote locations, some marked with “Recommended for multiple teams.”
She quickly scanned them, her gaze falling on one particular task.
【Side Task: Blazing Plains - Ley Line Survey】
【Task Location: Southern Blazing Plains, Ley Line Fissure】
【Task Content: Delve into the Ley Line Fissure to collect ley line energy samples from different depths. Wild pets are active deep within the fissure; caution is advised.】
【Estimated Time: 3-4 hours】
【Recommended Pets: None specified】
【Task Reward: Trial Points +80, additional rewards based on sample collection results】
Liu Yi stared at the words “Recommended Pets: None specified” for a few seconds, then turned to Jinyao.
Jinyao had finished its latent energy pill and was squatting on the ground, licking its paws.
“Yanyan?”
“There's a task,” Liu Yi said. “Southern Blazing Plains, Ley Line Fissure. It requires collecting energy samples and is estimated to take three to four hours.”
Jinyao looked up.
“Yanyan!”
“I'll go!”
Liu Yi's lips curved into a slight smile, but she didn't immediately agree, instead turning to Ziyue.
“Ziyue, how are you feeling? Is your Frost Path still stable in this high-temperature environment?”
Ziyue stood up from the ground and shook her fur.
“Bingbing.”
“I'm fine, though the energy consumption is higher than usual. But if it's just collecting samples and no combat, it should be fine.”
Liu Yi nodded, then looked at Chiying.
“Chiying, what about you? Does the high-temperature airflow affect your flight?”
Chiying rose slightly from its hovering state.
“Mo.”
“The airflow is indeed unstable, but I can manage.”
Liu Yi tucked the energy bar wrapper into her backpack's side pocket and stood up.
“Then let's go. The Ley Line Fissure is in the Southern Blazing Plains. From here, it will take about—” She opened the map and quickly estimated the distance, “—forty minutes or so.”
She took out energy liquid from her backpack and distributed it to the three pets.
“Replenish now; we won't rest on the way.”
Ziyue and Chiying took the energy liquid, and Jinyao also came closer, licking it in small sips.
After they finished, Liu Yi put the empty bottles back into her backpack.
“Let's go.”
As they walked out of the Blazemark Ruins' plaza, Liu Yi looked back.
The empty space left after the three steles vanished was still as flat as before, but a certain warm aura seemed to linger in the air, as if something was slowly dissipating.
Jinyao poked its head out from her embrace.
“Yanyan?”
“Will they reappear?”
Liu Yi averted her gaze.
“I don't know.”
She paused, looking down at Jinyao.
“But what it gave you won't disappear.”
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