139: Chapter 139 [Exploring the Runestone Ruins of West Mountain]

Wednesday.

When Chen Zhen arrived at school, a crowd was gathered at the classroom door.

He squeezed in and saw a notice posted on the blackboard.

"Citywide mock exam for seniors, next Monday and Tuesday. Exam scope: All high school content. Please prepare diligently, students."

Zhang Meng stood next to him, his face turning green.

"A mock exam? A citywide one? And all the content? I've forgotten everything I learned last semester."

No one paid him any mind.

Chen Hao turned his head from the front row and looked at Chen Zhen.

"Have you reviewed?"

"Not yet."

Chen Hao nodded and didn't ask again. He turned back and continued working on problems.

The first period was Old Zhao's math class.

As soon as Old Zhao entered, he slammed his book onto the podium.

"Did you all see the notice about the mock exam?"

There was a chorus of wailing below.

"What are you wailing about? The students in the rocket class have been reviewing since the second year of high school. If you start now, there's still time."

He began the lecture.

Chen Zhen didn't listen.

He lowered his head and summoned the system panel, flipping to the "Task" page.

The countdown for [Explore the West Mountain rune stone Ruins] had 54 hours remaining.

Leaving Saturday morning, there was enough time.

He closed the system panel, pulled a piece of paper from his drawer, and began drawing a talisman.

It wasn't a new talisman; it was a Conductive Talisman.

He had drawn dozens before and given them all to Zhou Rui.

Now he needed them for himself.

One, two, three.

By the time he drew the fifth one, the bell rang for the end of class.

Chen Hao turned around and glanced at the paper in his hand.

"Drawing again?"

"Yeah."

"Not reviewing for the mock exam?"

"Reviewing at night."

Chen Hao stared at him for a few seconds, then turned back.

At noon dismissal, Chen Zhen didn't go to the cafeteria.

He left the school gate and walked toward the old street.

Passing an appliance repair shop, he stopped.

The shop wasn't large, and various old appliances—TVs, electric fans, washing machines, refrigerators—were piled up at the entrance.

A man in his fifties was squatting at the entrance, repairing an electric fan.

Chen Zhen walked over.

"Master, can you help me stick something on?"

The man looked up and glanced at him.

"Stick what?"

Chen Zhen took a Conductive Talisman out of his pocket and folded it into a small square.

"This. Sticking it on the motor of an appliance can save electricity."

The man took the talisman and looked it over back and forth.

"What is this? A sticker?"

"It's a type of energy-saving sticker."

The man stared at him for a few seconds and laughed.

"Young man, are you pulling my leg?"

Chen Zhen didn't speak. He took the talisman back, walked over to the old refrigerator in the shop, squatted down, and stuck the talisman on the compressor.

The refrigerator hummed for a few seconds, then the sound quieted down.

The man was stunned for a moment, walked over, and reached out to touch the refrigerator casing.

"The temperature hasn't changed."

"The electric meter is outside, take a look."

The man walked to the entrance and looked up at the electric meter. The meter was spinning a bit slower than before—not by much, but it was noticeable.

He turned back to look at Chen Zhen, his expression changing.

"What is this?"

"An energy-saving sticker. Here's one for you."

Chen Zhen took another talisman from his pocket and handed it to him.

The man took the talisman and examined it for a long time.

"Is... is this a talisman?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer and turned to leave.

The man stood at the entrance, holding the talisman, watching his back disappear.

[Conductive Talisman · Application successful]

[Current progress: 1/10]

[Reward conditions not yet met]

The system panel popped up a notification.

Chen Zhen glanced at it and continued walking forward.

In the afternoon, at the Secret Base.

Chen Zhen pushed open the door. Zhou Rui was squatting in front of the Mutant Seedling, staring at those golden patterns.

Shen Nian stood beside him, holding a magnifying glass.

Yun Xi was leaning against the wall, eyes closed in rest.

"How is it?" Chen Zhen walked over.

Shen Nian looked up. "The flower bud has gotten bigger. It was the size of a rice grain yesterday; today it's the size of a mung bean."

Chen Zhen squatted down, looking at the bumps on the back of the leaves.

They were indeed bigger.

The golden patterns had increased from thirty-three to thirty-five.

"It's accelerating," Shen Nian said. "It adds two or three patterns every day, and the flower bud is growing too. At this rate, it might bloom by next weekend."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

He stood up and walked to the workbench.

He took the sketch of the Composite Rune Array out of his Storage Space and spread it on the table.

"Going to the West Mountain this weekend, this is what we need to find."

Zhou Rui walked over, looking at the drawing.

"The runes from the East Mountain and North Mountain stacked together?"

Chen Zhen nodded. "There should be one on the West Mountain as well. If all three are combined, they might form a complete Talisman Array."

Zhou Rui stared at the drawing for a long time.

"Master, what is the use of this Talisman Array?"

"I don't know."

Chen Zhen put the drawing away.

"That's why we need to go see."

Zhou Rui nodded and walked back to his own workbench.

He began drawing talismans—not practicing, but preparing.

Protective Talisman, Tracking Talisman, Purification Talisman.

One after another, a small stack piled up on the table.

Yun Xi opened her eyes and walked over.

"I've contacted Han Lie. He said the space under Changbai Mountain is huge, and we can test the Talisman Array there. But he said that place is a bit ominous, so we should be careful."

Chen Zhen nodded.

"What about the West Mountain? Any news from Elder Lin?"

Yun Xi shook her head. "He said he only knows it's in the West Mountain, but the specific location is unclear. We'll have to find it ourselves when we get there."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"Then let's leave a day early."

"Friday afternoon?"

"Yeah."

Yun Xi nodded, took out her phone, and started making arrangements.

At night, Chen Zhen returned home.

His mother was watching TV in the living room, and his father was looking at blueprints in the study.

He changed his shoes, entered the house, and walked to the study door.

"Dad, I'm going out this weekend."

His father looked up.

"Where to?"

"Sichuan. Going hiking with some classmates."

His father stared at him for a few seconds.

"For how many days?"

"Back Sunday night."

His father nodded and didn't ask again.

Chen Zhen returned to his room and closed the door.

He sat at the desk and took the North Mountain jade plaque out of his Storage Space.

He held it in his palm.

The jade plaque was still the same, glowing faintly, but there was no reaction when spiritual power was injected.

He placed it on the table and stared at it for a long time.

Then he picked up his phone and sent a message to Zhou Rui.

"For the West Mountain, what do we need to bring?"

Zhou Rui replied instantly: "Talismans. I've prepared fifty Protective Talismans, thirty Tracking Talismans, and twenty Purification Talismans."

Chen Zhen replied: "That's enough."

Zhou Rui sent another message: "Master, for that Composite Rune Array, should we bring Materials to test it on-site?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"Bring them. Chalk will do."

"Okay."

He put down his phone, pulled a piece of paper from his drawer, and began drawing.

It wasn't a talisman; it was a map.

The location of the East Mountain, the location of the North Mountain, the location of the West Mountain.

Connecting the three points formed a triangle.

The East Mountain was southeast of the North Mountain, and the West Mountain was southwest of the North Mountain.

The triangle wasn't large, with sides about three or four hundred kilometers long.

If there was a rune stone at each point, there should be a connection between them.

He drew a few lines on the map.

East Mountain to North Mountain, North Mountain to West Mountain, West Mountain to East Mountain.

The intersection of the lines was in the middle, slightly to the west.

What was there?

He didn't know.

But the System wanted him to find the West Mountain, and he would know once he got there.

He put away the map and turned off the light.

Lying on the bed, he used Internal Vision on his Dantian.

The seed was still spinning, and the patterns were still glowing.

The seedling was accelerating.

The seed was also accelerating.

He was accelerating.

Friday, departure.