I sit quietly by the lakeside. The surface is calm, covered with a thin mist. I stare at my own reflection in the water—unchanged, as always.
The Four Saints have already gathered in the Vermilion Bird Realm. My words moved them deeply. About the power needed to hatch the Azure Luan Egg—justice, an intangible force. Does such a thing truly exist in reality?
It was the group from the Dark Banquet that shook the Four Saints' resolve, so they decided to try again. In just over two days, the Sacred Spirits will withdraw from this world.
I couldn't find Roxie anywhere. She must have already left the Four Saints Realm. A rush of breath—turning, I see Chloe the spirit serpent coiled beside me, raising her head to silently watch.
“Are you reluctant to part?”
I shake my head. I don't have such feelings. But if I did, what I'd feel for Roxie would be reluctance to part. She's a good girl, and though I can't quite describe the feeling, it's familiar. Being with her would bring happiness.
“Any clues yet? About the power of justice.”
I ask, but Chloe the spirit serpent doesn't answer. She only stretches her head closer, flicking her tongue.
"Is this the last chance?"
I stand up, planning to go to the Azure Luan Egg and try again. But Chloe the spirit serpent blocks my way.
"Your current condition is dire. Don't try to use your innate power again. You don't have enough strength to sustain it for long. Wait—there will be an outcome, whether good or bad."
The result Chloe spoke of is the one I least wish to consider, but I have no choice. It concerns Roxie's life and death.
An entire day passes. Even when the sun sets, Xuanwu hasn't returned, and Lan Yin is nowhere to be found. At this moment, a dusky silhouette skims swiftly across the water toward me.
Gradually, I see clearly—it's the Sacred Spirit of Xuanwu, the female Saint who looks identical to Roxie. She lands gently beside me.
"It's over."
I stare at her, a trace of sorrow in my eyes.
"What's your name?"
"Xiao Run."
I respond with a simple 'Oh', saying nothing more. I keep watching the lake. The four female Saints born of Roxie's faith each have their differences, yet share one thing in common—they all want Roxie to survive.
Now Xiao Run sits down beside me. I don't know what she's planning, but she seems to have something to tell me, yet can't put it into words.
"Come to the waterfall tonight."
I answer with an 'Ah', and Xiao Run quickly gets up and heads off into the distance. I notice Xuanwu has arrived. I watch as Xuanwu lands beside the egg. I get up and walk over, glancing around and asking a question.
"Where's Lan Yin?"
A wave of helpless emotion washes over me—the helplessness of the four Saints. Perhaps they understand Roxie's situation all too well. The danger grows; if nothing is done, Roxie will vanish.
I see Xuanwu's puzzled expression but say nothing. I crawl to the egg, placing my hand on it. A warm current flows from within. The item brought by the Dark Banquet has indeed played its part, but it only solves the immediate crisis and can't change the egg's doomed fate.
Soon after, Xuanwu leaves too. I gaze at the sky, which grows grayer and grayer, waiting in silence. When night falls, I climb onto the spirit serpent's spine. It swims through the water, heading toward the waterfall.
Arriving beneath the waterfall, I see four beams of light shimmer across the lake. With a whoosh, four Sacred Spirits—each resembling Roxie—appear beside me: Xiao Qing, Xiao Ai, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Run.
"How did you all get here?"
"The Four Saints and other Sacred Spirits exist only because of people's faith. When people sleep, they temporarily vanish, going somewhere else. But we're different—Roxie has died, and we remain because of her faith at her death. Still, soon we'll disappear too."
I hum in response, lying down and closing my eyes. Just then, a ball of fiery red light flies in—it's Aimee, who appears in human form before me.
"So now, it's all up to you."
"What do you mean?"
Xiao Yan stands before me, arms akimbo, her face full of indignation.
"Zhang Qingyuan, do you really want to save Roxie?"
I nod. Xiao Run points toward the waterfall above.
"Go deep into the cavern. Take that powerful force into your hands. Maybe Roxie can still be saved."
"What do you mean?"
I ask as I ride the spirit serpent. It seems to sense something, and with a hiss, begins to move. Behind me, the four spirits call out in unison, fading into a faint glow.
"You must get it before sunrise, Qingyuan."
"After all, I'm a serpent, and the one before you is also a serpent's representative. And Ethan Zhang, you're one of us too. By human standards, if I don't help you, who should I help? That old turtle is so stubborn. Even now, when things are this dire, he refuses to act. The other three are just the same. Hmph, they've all gone against the natural order, but still won't go further."
"A piece of Blood Jade has been sealed here since ancient times. Xiao Yan learned this from Baihu while playing chess, and the Blood Jade is beneath the White Tiger Domain. They say the Ghost Ancestor is very knowledgeable—maybe he has a way."
Xiao Qing's voice echoes in my mind. I nod—this is the only way. I trust the Ghost Ancestor more than the Dark Banquet, and most importantly, the Ghost Ancestor once helped me in Yin Cao. He doesn't belong to any faction.
A wave of helpless emotion washes over me—the helplessness of the four Sacred Spirits. Perhaps they understand Roxie's situation all too well. The danger grows; if nothing is done, Roxie will vanish.
This chapter doesn't end here ^.^ Please click next page to continue reading!
After entering the cavern, I look around. If I go in this way, I'll surely encounter 013 and 016, but there's no helping it. I follow the river deeper, the spirit serpent beside me. In the night, the cavern walls glimmer with soft, white crystals.
Everything ahead is clearer and brighter. I feel a surge of heat; the four beams of light fly out of my body.
I sense an urgency in Aimee's words. The four beams of light fly outward, and I continue forward.
"By doing this, the four of them are betraying the Four Saints' Realm. Ethan, hurry up—don't waste their kindness."
"If it's sealed, it won't be easy to find. Try using your innate power."
I hum in response, lying down and closing my eyes. Just then, a ball of fiery red light flies in—it's Xiao Ai, who appears in human form before me.
"Hurry, Zhang Qingyuan, leave for now. Continue tomorrow night. Xuanwu seems to sense something abnormal."
I glance around and nod. We quickly return to the outside of the waterfall. The spirit serpent brings me back to a small island in the middle of the lake. The four Sacred Spirits have vanished.
I sense a strange disturbance. The lake ripples, and suddenly Xuanwu bursts out of the water. What unsettles me is that Xuanwu's eyes are closed, as if sleepwalking toward me.
"How did you come back..."
"Finally, this guy's asleep. Heh heh."
A faint rustling sound. The serpent on Xuanwu's spine pokes its head out. The spirit serpent watches quietly and nods.
"Go on, tell me—what happened?"
"Looks like you've found the sealed place."
The serpent sways left and right. When I look at the spirit serpent, it seems both have already agreed on something.
"After all, I'm a serpent, and the one before you is also a serpent's representative. And Zhang Qingyuan, you're one of us too. By human standards, if I don't help you, who should I help? That old turtle is so stubborn. Even now, when things are this dire, he refuses to act. The other three are just the same. Hmph, they've all gone against the natural order, but still won't go further."
A low rumble. The serpent on Xuanwu's spine spits out a golden nail, which clatters to the ground.
"Happy cooperation, Teng Snake. We've agreed, haven't we?"
The spirit serpent nods.
"I know. Someday I'll find a way to separate you and that old turtle."
"That's right. The Sacred Spirits are fading. Any moment, they could disappear, and I don't want to vanish just yet."
The task to update translations for missing or incomplete lines is nearly complete. Remaining lines 67-79 will be translated now.
I sense an urgency in Xiao Ai's words. The four beams of light fly outward, and I continue forward.
"By doing this, the four of them are betraying the Four Saints' Realm. Qingyuan, hurry up—don't waste their kindness."
I nod. The spirit serpent hisses and I leap forward. It carries me into the cavern, and soon I see the underground river's source. The water is no longer visible, and the path splits in two. I haven't seen 013 or 016, so maybe even they can't bear the loneliness and have gone deeper.
"Go left."
I grumble, about to go that way, but the spirit serpent stops me, probing ahead and speaking.
"Go right."
"Do you sense anything?"
"Can't say. The left path is dangerous."
The spirit serpent carries me into the right cavern entrance. Inside is a narrow, winding passage—just enough for us both. Gradually, I see a dazzling light ahead. It's a vast, empty underground hall.
The hall's walls are lined with crystals emitting soft, white light. The empty hall contains nothing. I dismount from the spirit serpent, and we begin searching along the walls.
"Found anything yet?"
I ask. The spirit serpent shakes its head.