25 Barrier Bead

Just as she opened her front door and was about to step inside, Cui Lie grabbed her hand, yanking her aside. A heavy, solid wood chair crashed against the elevator door directly across from the entrance with a loud clang, leaving a deep dent in the metal.

Rong Xianxian felt her hair stand on end, frozen in shock.

In the corner of the living room, her young son, Xiao Luo, was holding one of the legs of that heavy, solid wood table—not lifting it, not carrying it, but brandishing it as if it were a club.

Though Xiao Luo was nearly three years old, he was shorter and thinner than his peers, looking more like a two-year-old. The sight of a tiny toddler effortlessly wielding a heavy, solid wood table made one wonder if it was just a flimsy prop. However, after glancing at the dent in the elevator door, Wang Lin and the others shivered involuntarily. The son that Sister Rong had been shielding so carefully was, in fact, a little tyrant.

Upon seeing his mother, Xiao Luo immediately dropped the table and pounced on her with excitement.

"How did you get out?" Rong Xianxian checked her son from head to toe. She had locked them in the safe room of the master bedroom—how had he escaped?

"I climbed out the window," Xiao Luo replied, with an expression that suggested it was no challenge at all.

Rong Xianxian recalled the small, high-set window in the safe room and couldn't fathom how her son had managed to climb up there.

She opened the door to the safe room. Seeing her, Xuanxuan’s eyes turned red. She pointed to the small window above and sobbed, "Mom, Xiao Luo climbed out of here to fight the bad guys. I couldn't reach it, boo-hoo-hoo."

Rong Xianxian glanced at Xiao Luo, who was hiding behind her, afraid to show his face. She poked his forehead and said, "You made your sister cry; go and comfort her."

Seeing that the children hadn't suffered any psychological trauma—and that Xiao Luo seemed ready to take on any villain who dared to approach—Rong Xianxian felt relieved.

She called Wang Qirui away to re-bandage his wounds and sent the others to prepare dinner. After the meal, the group gathered to examine the day's spoils: a skill book, a leather pouch that looked like a balloon, a calligraphy brush, a set of soft armor, a fiery red long whip, and a dagger.

Rong Xianxian also brought out the cracked glass bead.

"I suspect that the girl was able to turn invisible because of this bead," Rong Xianxian said.

"Everyone, give it a try," she said, placing the bead on the table.

They took turns attempting to activate it with their spiritual energy, but there was no response. Had she guessed wrong? Was the girl’s invisibility unrelated to the bead?

"Could it be because of the cracks? Maybe it’s broken and can’t be used," Xia Kai speculated.

"The girl was just an ordinary person; she hadn't practiced any cultivation. Don't use your spiritual energy. Focus your minds and try using your mental energy instead," Rong Xianxian suggested, suspecting the item required a mental connection.

Jiang Jie, Cui Lie, Wang Lin, Xia Kai, and Wang Qirui tried one by one. Only Cui Lie frowned, saying, "I feel a membrane-like sensation coming from the bead."

The others shook their heads, having felt nothing.

Rong Xianxian’s mental energy was strong and profound. As soon as it touched the glass bead, the thin, film-like layer shattered with a pop. The bead emitted a faint hum and radiated a brilliant light.

When Rong Xianxian snapped back to reality, the others were staring at her intently. She smiled brightly. "We’ve found something good. You guys take first pick of the rest of the loot."

"Sister Rong, can this thing really make you invisible? Show us!" Wang Qirui exclaimed eagerly.

"That will have to wait for another day. Although I’ve wiped away its original mental imprint, the cracks need to be repaired before it can be used," Rong Xianxian said, in a very good mood.

"Now, let's divide the loot!" She gestured to the items on the table with a smile.

"There are six items in total. The skill book will be shared; we can all study it together. For the rest, Xia Kai, Wang Lin, and Wang Qirui, you choose in the order we previously established. Then it’s Cui Lie’s turn. Jiang Jie, you received a spear recently, so you aren't participating in this round. However, since there’s an extra bead, you can take whatever is left last. If it’s not something you need, we can keep track, and you can pick first next time." Apart from her own priority, Rong Xianxian aimed to keep the distribution as fair as possible.

Usually, the primary attackers get priority, but since this was a group mission, this was the only way to divide the spoils.

Xia Kai took the soft armor, Wang Lin took the dagger, and Wang Qirui chose the long whip. Cui Lie looked at Rong Xianxian, who pointed at the balloon-like object. Jiang Jie thought about it and left the brush; as someone who struggled with learning, he despised anything related to writing.

In the following days, the six of them frequently ended up with minor injuries as they incorporated live-fire training—dismantling traps—into their routine.

Nonetheless, their combat experience grew, and their instincts became sharper.

Rong Xianxian had been studying the bead. She guessed that when the girl was bullied, her intense emotional fluctuations had triggered the bead, granting her access to its use.

Rong Xianxian named it the "Barrier Bead."

When activated, the bead created a space similar to a barrier. Those inside could move freely, and the space automatically absorbed all attacks. However, if an attack was too powerful, it would damage the bead, which explained the cracks.

Fortunately, the cracks could be repaired. The strength of the bead was directly related to the user. It had broken so easily before because the girl’s mental energy was too weak. She hadn't practiced any cultivation techniques, and her movement was too slow. If it were Rong Xianxian, capable of turning invisible while moving freely, it would be impossible for her to be struck.

Twenty days ago, Rong Xianxian had reached the peak of the Spirit Induction Realm. Sensing that she could continue absorbing spiritual energy despite deliberate suppression, she kept holding back, hoping to build a more solid foundation. Recently, Cui Lie, Wang Lin, and the others had all broken through their own bottlenecks. She felt she was reaching her limit as well. With the army only a few days away, she knew she had to visit a place she had been in her past life. She hadn't managed to find a copy of the "True Spirit Scripture" yet, and since her advancement was imminent, she couldn't afford to miss the one she knew from her past life.

It seemed it was time to ask about their plans.

Rong Xianxian gathered everyone together and asked about their intentions. They looked at one another.

"Sister Rong, didn't we agree to stick together through thick and thin?" Wang Lin asked, worried that someone had some other plan that Rong Xianxian had discovered.