Chapter 109: The Awakening of the Amusement Park Memory

Shen Yan’s finger was still stuck in the bronze gear, and the phrase “she’s been watching all along” pierced his mind like a thorn. Without overthinking, he shoved the gear into the charging port on the side of his phone—something that shouldn’t have fit, but his Source Code Spiritual Root vibrated, the interface automatically deformed, and with a click, it locked into place.

The screen went black for three seconds.

The next moment, the scene from the ghost house battle in Chapter 102 played on its own, starting from the beginning, at an absurdly slow speed. The frame where Yu Xiaotang flung the Talisman Paper was infinitely magnified. Pink light mist traced arcs in the air, their trajectories so orderly they seemed less like coincidence and more like the projection of some Ancient Formation.

“These special effects… why do they look so familiar?” Yu Xiaotang leaned in, her nose almost touching the screen. “When I was little… I think I drew something like this.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through her head. She swayed, bracing herself against the wall to keep from collapsing.

Shen Yan reacted instantly, swiping his finger across the phone to activate the neural relief program he’d secretly installed for her in earlier chapters. Once connected via Bluetooth, the Terminal prompted: “Spiritual Patterns patch signal stable. Initiating brainwave soothing protocol.”

Yu Xiaotang’s breathing gradually steadied, but her right hand involuntarily lifted, blood beads seeping from her fingertips as she slowly traced patterns in the air. The blood lines hung suspended, gradually outlining a complete Talisman Array—intricate and complex, with a fragmented emblem appearing at its center, identical to the pattern on Ye Shi’er’s mask.

“Holy shit.” Shen Yan’s pupils contracted. “This isn’t residual data from the amusement park battle—it’s a memory being activated!”

Luo Li instantly stepped in front of him, her Fox Tail bristling as Demon Power condensed into a barrier. “Don’t get too close to her. Those Talisman Patterns are the Devil Clan’s royal Forbidden Technique, ‘Void Talisman Summoning.’ Legend says it can open the Shadow Erosion core—anyone who touches it dies.”

“Wait!” Shen Yan stared at his phone. “A System Popup Window appeared—‘Detected Devil Clan royal direct Bloodline authentication signal. Unlock Void Programming Permission?’ Countdown sixty seconds. Cannot cancel, only view source.”

He tapped “View.”

The Image flashed, revealing a blurry projection: a millennium-old Altar, a woman in purple-gold robes holding an Infant, murmuring, “My daughter’s Bloodline shall wield the Void Talisman, forever suppressing rebellion.”

In the background, a massive gear slowly turned—the very one they had just picked up.

“Is this… Yu Xiaotang?” Shen Yan froze.

“Impossible!” Luo Li cut in coldly. “The Devil Clan’s royal family was exterminated by the Celestial Clan a thousand years ago. How could there be descendants left? And one who’s a silly girl who snacks on Candied Hawthorn and draws talismans to fry chicken?”

Yu Xiaotang, still half-conscious, mumbled, “Mother… you said… if I draw this talisman right, I can find you…”

Blood seeped from the corners of her eyes, veins bulging on her forehead—clearly being torn apart by deep-seated memories.

Shen Yan gritted his teeth, his finger hovering over the confirmation button but unable to press it. Once authentication was complete, the System would automatically upload their location, potentially turning the entire amusement park into a summoning Formation. But if he didn’t press it, Yu Xiaotang’s mind might shatter completely.

“Is there a compromise?” He typed Code rapidly. “Like… forging a fake Response packet to trick the authentication mechanism?”

He tried three times, and the System rejected them all.

The fourth time, he simply deleted the security verification module and manually injected a piece of disguised data: “Authentication passed. Coordinates encrypting. Please wait.”

The Terminal paused for two seconds, then unexpectedly replied: “False response identification in progress… Detected abnormal host permissions. Temporary bypass allowed.”

The countdown stopped.

Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to wipe his sweat when his phone suddenly vibrated, popping up a new notice: “Authentication process entering second stage: Bloodline Resonance requires physical medium activation. Target Talisman Array is 76% complete. Remaining portion must be completed by the individual.”

Before the words faded, the ground violently shook.

Three blood-red data chains burst from the earth, lunging like living snakes straight toward Yu Xiaotang’s forehead!

“Dodge!” Shen Yan yanked her down, but one of the chains grazed his arm. His skin instantly turned black, and excruciating pain shot through his heart.

Luo Li roared, her fox tail sweeping horizontally as Demon Power blasted out a shockwave, forcibly knocking two of the data chains off course. But the third was already inches from Yu Xiaotang’s face, about to pierce through.

At the critical moment, Yu Xiaotang suddenly opened her eyes, pressing her right hand hard against her chest. Devil Blood gushed from her fingertips, completing the final stroke of the Talisman Pattern in mid-air.

The complete Talisman Array took form.

Hum—!

An invisible wave spread out. Shen Yan’s phone screen went completely black, all programs forced to close. Even the Terminal Interface of his Source Code Spiritual Root flickered twice, displaying a line of text: “Warning: Detected high-dimensional permission override. Local system temporarily downgraded to subsidiary node.”

“What did you do?” Luo Li demanded sharply, her tail stiff as a blade.

Yu Xiaotang gasped for breath, her gaze still somewhat unfocused. “I don’t know… It was just… instinct… Like being hungry and needing to eat, or sleepy and needing to sleep… That Talisman, I had to finish drawing it.”

Shen Yan looked down at his arm. Where the data chain had grazed him, the flesh had already begun to fester, black patterns crawling upward along his blood vessels. He quickly activated the Firewall program, attempting to isolate the toxin, only to find the system permissions locked—completely unresponsive.

“No good. I can’t even load basic protection now.” He looked up at Yu Xiaotang. “What you just did—did it activate something extraordinary?”

Yu Xiaotang shook her head. “I only remember Mother saying that if one day the Talisman Array moved on its own, it meant… someone was waiting for me to come home.”

“Home?” Luo Li sneered. “Is your home the Shadow Erosion headquarters? Or the Demon Lord’s grave?”

“Enough,” Shen Yan interrupted. “Now isn’t the time for infighting. My system is suppressed, defenses are down. If we delay any longer, the poison will reach my heart. And—”

He looked toward the end of the pipeline, where faint light filtered down from above. “We’re almost at the exit. Outside is the hotel next to the amusement park. Once we’re out without cover, none of us can withstand a siege.”

Yu Xiaotang struggled to her feet, her face pale. “I can… interfere with the Tracking Curse. At least get us safely inside.”

“Can you use Devil Blood in your current state?” Shen Yan frowned. “That last move nearly drained your soul.”

“But I still remember how to draw the Talisman,” she forced a weak smile. “And… this time it wasn’t accidental. I initiated it.”

Luo Li remained wary, her tail still not lowered. “I suggest temporarily sealing her. A Bloodline awakening of this level could attract higher-dimensional beings at any moment.”

“Then go ahead and do it.” Shen Yan suddenly smiled. “Are you afraid she’ll lose control, or afraid she’ll learn too much?”

Luo Li froze, her fox ears trembling slightly.

“I know what you’re worried about.” Shen Yan’s voice lowered. “But she is Yu Xiaotang, not some Devil Clan Key. Even if she truly is a royal descendant, she’s still a person, not a tool.”

After speaking, he turned to support Yu Xiaotang and walked toward the exit.

Luo Li remained standing where she was, not moving until their figures were nearly disappearing around the corner, then quickly followed, whispering, “It’s not that I don’t trust her. I’m afraid… you’ll also become a pawn in someone else’s plan.”

The rusty iron cover of the pipe exit was pushed open, and the three climbed up to the surface.

Before them was the back alley of that dilapidated hotel, with peeling paint on the walls and emergency lights flickering dimly. In the distance, the amusement park’s Ferris wheel was still turning, its colored lights flickering on and off, as if mocking their disheveled state.

Shen Yan leaned against the wall, catching his breath, and looked down at his phone.

The screen suddenly lit up.

No Countdown, no Warning, only a line of words quietly appearing:

“Welcome back, little Princess.”

Yu Xiaotang’s fingertip was still dripping blood, a drop landing on the phone screen and slowly sliding down.

(End of Chapter)