Long Miaomiao paid little mind to Helian Sheng’s disdain and misunderstanding. In fact, because his attitude wasn’t particularly poor, she didn’t even feel offended.
Although she didn’t understand why Ye Tiancheng hadn’t revealed her true identity to the man, Long Miaomiao didn’t mind. Since Ye Tiancheng hadn’t said anything, Long Miaomiao saw no reason to elaborate.
After all, when venturing out into a world that had undergone such drastic changes, there were many new rules she still needed to grasp. Listening to Ye Tiancheng was always the right choice. She trusted his character, which was why she was willing to accompany him and offer him so much assistance.
In essence, as far as Long Miaomiao was concerned, Ye Tiancheng always had his reasons for doing things, and she simply had to follow his lead. Ye Tiancheng wouldn’t try to harm her.
Long Miaomiao had no interest in wasting words with Helian Sheng, as they truly had little in common. Since she had obtained the fragments from Ye Tiancheng, and they had given her space, Long Miaomiao focused on researching how to use the fragments to temporarily resolve the issue at hand.
The direness of the situation here was truly unexpected for Long Miaomiao.
Having been in deep slumber and cultivation for too long, Long Miaomiao was unaware that the outside world had deteriorated to such an extent.
Although she didn’t fully understand, as a member of the dragon race, Long Miaomiao could grasp what this land, where she was currently located, meant to the world.
If the situation were allowed to worsen, it was uncertain what would become of cultivators, but the living space for ordinary people would undoubtedly shrink until they eventually perished.
It was the first time Long Miaomiao realized the significance of what Ye Tiancheng was trying to accomplish. She thought to herself that it was fortunate she was willing to hand over the fragments to Ye Tiancheng, otherwise, he would likely have faced considerable difficulty.
She knew how challenging it would have been if Ye Tiancheng had tried to seize the items from her.
However, Long Miaomiao had a good impression of Ye Tiancheng and felt that regardless of how they met, she would have likely given him the fragments.
Long Miaomiao meticulously studied the two fragments in her possession.
She had held onto these two fragments for a very long time. Ever since the day her fate changed, these fragments had been with her, serving her needs. During her less powerful years, it was thanks to these fragments that Long Miaomiao was able to cultivate successfully and ultimately achieve her transformation.
Therefore, Long Miaomiao possessed an unparalleled understanding of these fragments.
She was extremely adept at using these fragments, but she was temporarily uncertain about which of their abilities to employ to resolve the current problem. She couldn’t say she was entirely confident.
This was because she had never done anything like this before.
Long Miaomiao sensed the situation of the land, holding the two fragments and pondering, trying to find a clue. She mobilized the power within the fragments, attempting to apply different fragment abilities to the land to observe the results.
Ye Tiancheng and Helian Sheng had no idea what Long Miaomiao was doing. However, at this moment, they could only entrust the matter to her and place their hopes in her, praying that Long Miaomiao could find a reliable method to solve their current predicament.
After much effort, Long Miaomiao began to get a sense of what to do.
She channeled her cultivation, using the power of the Fuxi Qin fragment to construct a protective barrier around the periphery of the land. Initially, it went smoothly, but then she gradually felt her strength waning. She then utilized the power of the second fragment.
Helian Sheng had been stationed here for a long time and was the most sensitive to the changes in the situation.
He didn’t know what Long Miaomiao had done, but he could clearly feel that the situation was gradually improving and the pressure on him was lessening. He surmised that once this pressure completely disappeared, he would be free to leave the area.
Helian Sheng felt a surge of excitement.
He had been confined here for far too long, too long since he had truly been able to venture into the outside world.
Now, seeing a glimmer of hope for temporary departure, even though he would have to assist Ye Tiancheng after leaving, Helian Sheng felt a sense of lightness, as if shackles were about to be removed.
However, uncertain of how far Long Miaomiao’s research had progressed and whether she could fully bear the pressure, Helian Sheng dared not withdraw the power he was using to support the area. He continued to cautiously observe the changes, awaiting Long Miaomiao’s next move.
Long Miaomiao had used the power of two fragments consecutively. Just as she felt the barrier she had constructed becoming more seamless, she also felt a sense of depletion. When she could no longer sustain it, Helian Sheng felt the familiar, overwhelming pressure return.
His eyes betrayed his worry as he looked at Long Miaomiao and cautiously asked, "Miss Long, has it failed?"
Hearing Helian Sheng’s question, Long Miaomiao diverted a sliver of her attention to him and answered his question, "I'm beginning to get a handle on it, but the situation here is likely more severe than we initially thought. The power of two fragments might not be enough."
Ye Tiancheng understood Long Miaomiao’s implication.
He asked Long Miaomiao, "How many more fragments do you think are needed? I’ve collected quite a few fragments, perhaps enough to suffice."
Long Miaomiao didn’t answer immediately but said, "Let me calculate."
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Ye Tiancheng and Helian Sheng didn't disturb her, allowing Long Miaomiao to quietly calculate and contemplate.
Long Miaomiao recalled the previous situation and her sensations while constructing the barrier. In reality, two fragments were sufficient to construct the entire barrier. However, due to insufficient power, the barrier could only hold for a moment before being immediately overwhelmed.
This meant that additional fragments were needed to provide extra energy to sustain the barrier for a longer period.
Furthermore, it was necessary to reserve enough time for Ye Tiancheng to deal with any potential issues that might arise later. Ye Tiancheng’s request for Helian Sheng’s assistance was unlikely to be a short-term problem. The amount of fragment power needed to support this extended period was something Long Miaomiao found difficult to estimate.
She hesitated for a moment before finally telling Ye Tiancheng, "Conservatively estimating, let's try with three more fragments. Do you have that many?"
This would bring the total required to five fragments.
Moreover, Long Miaomiao was unsure how long these five fragments would be able to sustain the barrier.
Upon hearing Long Miaomiao’s words, Ye Tiancheng secretly rejoiced that he had been diligent in collecting fragments. Three fragments were a small matter, and he produced them, handing them over to Long Miaomiao.
"Fortunately, I've been collecting fragments for a while and still have some. Try again. If it's still not enough, I think I have a little more, but beyond that, I truly won't be able to produce any more."
Long Miaomiao took the three new fragments, weighing them in her hand and sensing the energy contained within them. She simply nodded slightly and said to Ye Tiancheng, "I'll try again to see how long the power of these three additional fragments will be sufficient to sustain it."
She once again attempted to construct the barrier.
As she became more proficient, Helian Sheng felt the pressure on him decrease at an increasingly rapid pace. He soon felt a lightness return to him, the sense of oppression and confinement completely vanishing once more.
Helian Sheng’s heart pounded, hoping that Long Miaomiao would succeed this time.
Long Miaomiao settled her mind, carefully constructing the barrier, not daring to make the slightest mistake. They would all be leaving this place eventually. Even if there were no issues now, a single misstep that caused problems here after their departure would not be a good thing. The Helian family members living down the mountain would inevitably suffer.
She did not wish for such a tragedy to occur and was therefore exceptionally meticulous.
As she had estimated, after Long Miaomiao successfully constructed the barrier for the second time, she began to replenish its energy, calculating the rate of energy consumption. Using the worst-case scenario as a conservative estimate, she calculated the duration the barrier could sustain itself.
Finally, with all arrangements complete, Long Miaomiao withdrew her hands.
Seeing this, Helian Sheng anxiously asked Long Miaomiao, "Miss Long, has it been successful?"
This time, Long Miaomiao finally answered him with certainty, saying, "It has succeeded this time. I have constructed a barrier around the periphery of this land. My conservative estimate is that, in the worst-case scenario, this barrier can last for three months. After three months, it must be maintained again, otherwise, the barrier risks shattering."
"From now on, it will need to be maintained approximately every three months. This is for the time being, within a year. As the situation deteriorates, the frequency of maintenance will increase."
Three months was not a short period, and Ye Tiancheng was quite pleased to hear this.
He asked Long Miaomiao, "Can one maintenance session last for at least three months?"
Long Miaomiao told him, "Three months is absolutely no problem. This is a conservative estimate of the worst-case scenario. In fact, it should be able to last longer, but considering the consequences of the barrier shattering without timely maintenance, limiting it to three months is the safest approach."
The freedom came too suddenly, and Helian Sheng was overjoyed.
Helian Sheng immediately pressed Long Miaomiao, "Then what is the method for maintaining this barrier?"
Long Miaomiao replied, "I will need to personally return and use my cultivation to maintain it."
However, Helian Sheng was not entirely satisfied with this answer.
He couldn't help but frown slightly and said, "Can't anyone else do this matter?"
This was, after all, Helian family territory. Helian Sheng certainly preferred to have everything under his own control rather than place all his reliance on others.
Long Miaomiao's appearance had indeed caused some impact, making it difficult for Helian Sheng to fully trust her.
Long Miaomiao was unaware of Helian Sheng's thoughts. She simply stated honestly, "Among us, I am likely the only one who can do this. Even if you wanted to, your cultivation is insufficient."
Hearing Long Miaomiao say this, Helian Sheng felt a surge of defiance.
Initially, it was out of respect for Ye Tiancheng. Later, upon learning that Long Miaomiao was the one who could devise a solution to temporarily alleviate the crisis, Helian Sheng's attitude towards her had softened somewhat.
However, with Long Miaomiao's current statement, Helian Sheng could not be convinced.
How old was Long Miaomiao?
Even if she were a peerless prodigy, could she be more formidable than Ye Tiancheng? Where could such monstrous geniuses come from? Long Miaomiao’s statement seemed excessively arrogant.
Helian Sheng couldn't help but retort, "Miss Long, while we may not be your equal in certain aspects, our cultivation should not be so vastly different. Are you not being too arrogant in saying this?"
"According to your logic, even Mr. Ye's cultivation is not sufficient for this?"
Long Miaomiao looked at him inexplicably, clearly not understanding what he was talking about.