The fog began to rise. I saw thick white mist drifting over the surface of the lake, and soon it started gathering toward the island where we stood.
Within moments, everything around us vanished except for the ground beneath our feet—the lake and the other islands were no longer visible.
“What exactly is inside this egg?”
I asked, already sensing that everything around us had been completely sealed off. We were now trapped in a narrow, enclosed space.
“It is the crystallization of the power of the Four Guardians—the most exalted faith of humanity: justice.”
My heart trembled. Instantly, I thought of Lord Shenyan and the azure flames that always curled around his body.
“Why did you bring me here? What exactly do you want me to do for you?”
Black Tortoise nodded and said.
“You’ve already heard about Ruoxi, haven’t you? To instantly create a force as pure as reincarnation, only then can a shattered soul be reformed.”
I nodded, immediately turning my gaze to the Azure Luan egg.
"If this egg can hatch, we’ll be able to create a power as pure as reincarnation, strong enough to bring Rachel Lan back to life. Her body is already gradually recovering—it won’t be long before she’s completely restored."
I confirmed again that the black substance emerging from the cracked egg was no illusion. I could sense a familiar aura—a force of darkness.
"So, the Azure Luan egg has gone wrong. What should have hatched has died before it could be born."
Black Tortoise nodded helplessly.
"This is closely related to the appearance of the Forsaken. That’s all we know for now—and we hope you can find a way to awaken your instincts."
I nodded. It was the only way. Only by coexisting with this egg—which now seemed utterly lifeless—and speaking to it could I hope to learn the reason. This egg was our only hope of saving Rachel Lan.
I walked to the side of the egg and placed my hand on it. It was icy cold—far colder than it should have been in the Four Sacred Realm. In such a bright and warm environment, the egg felt like a block of solid ice, colder even than the ice I used for freezing with 013.
It was as if the thing had died. I couldn’t sense a trace of life from the egg, as though I was touching something that had been fossilized for tens of thousands of years.
“It seems you can sense it—and you can see the power of darkness as well.”
“Could it be related to the Dark Banquet?”
I asked, and Black Tortoise shook his head.
"We don’t know what those people want, and we can’t understand them. We’ve interacted with them many times, but it’s never been pleasant."
But I immediately grew alert. The problem wasn’t just with this egg—there were deeper issues with the Four Sacred Realm itself.
Black Tortoise looked as if he wanted to say more, but held back. At that moment, the serpent on his back poked its head out again.
"Don’t leave things half-said. If you need help, you should lay out the truth."
Black Tortoise nodded silently, then floated up, gliding over my head.
"Come with me, Ethan Zhang."
I spread my wings again. A streak of violet light pierced through the crimson flames—just a faint glimmer, but I could feel my power growing in the Four Sacred Realm, and quickly.
"In a few days, you’ll be able to wield violet flames."
I looked at Black Tortoise in surprise. Suddenly, with a rush, the fog parted around us, forming a path. Black Tortoise led me across the lake’s surface, and gradually, I felt a chill creeping in.
"We’re here. This is the biggest problem in the Four Sacred Realm."
In an instant, my eyes widened—a black whirlpool of water was slowly spinning. This black substance was Curse Power. Although I’d heard about the decline of the Four Sacred Realm being related to Curse Power, I never imagined it would be this terrifying. Just looking at the swirling darkness made my head pound and my stomach turn.
The Curse Ghost sealed within my body immediately reacted.
I considered releasing the Curse Ghost—maybe she could resolve the Curse Power threatening the Four Sacred Realm. But I quickly dismissed the idea.
"If I unleash the power of the Yin side, will it really be expelled from this world instantly?"
To be safe, I asked directly. Black Tortoise nodded.
"That’s right. When this world was first created, the four of us did exactly that. To keep this world hidden and stable, anything belonging to the Yin side can’t enter. If it does, the world will expel it—no matter how powerful, no one can defy the will of this realm."
I began to understand. The Four Sacred Realm was slowly disappearing, devoured by this massive Curse Power—and no one knew where it came from. I looked around; the vortex was at the center of the realm. Even though the Four Guardians had set up barriers, the Curse Power was still consuming everything.
But I couldn’t help but observe Black Tortoise closely—his body showed no signs of change. Vermilion Bird and White Tiger were the same. They had already defied the Law of Karma, while Azure Dragon had been punished.
"So, aside from Azure Dragon, the three of you haven’t been affected by the Law of Karma?"
Black Tortoise nodded.
"Azure Dragon endured the erosion of the Law of Karma alone, so the rest of us weren’t affected. But we’re far weaker than before. In the past, the four of us together could create pure power equal to reincarnation—but not anymore."
As Black Tortoise spoke, he began to talk about the denizens of the Hades Circle. Though they still hold faith in the Four Guardians, that faith is built on self-interest. The power of the Four Guardians condenses into Hades Power, allowing the people of Hades to keep their bodies intact—so most of them worship the Four Guardians.
But it isn’t pure, not like Lan Ruoxi’s unwavering trust in the Four Guardians. There’s no simple trust. The Four Guardians have long understood this—faith born from the people of Hades only creates spirits with the same self-interested nature. Those who worship the Guardians are only bound by mutual benefit. As Black Tortoise spoke, sadness flickered in his eyes.
"We don’t expect people to completely devote themselves to us. Without realizing it, things have become this way—it’s not what we wanted. Just being able to exist here is already difficult; we can’t ask for more. Ethan Zhang, it’s a sad fate for us."
I neither nodded nor shook my head. I couldn’t deny their choices, nor those of the people. Not even the Forsaken—I couldn’t deny them either.
"Existence is justified."
I finally spoke. After careful thought, I realized their existence was tied to humanity—and their decline, too. But they truly do exist in this world.
"Those two are on the move. Ethan Zhang, go stop them—make sure they stay put in that cave."
Suddenly, the serpent on Black Tortoise’s back spoke up. I spread my wings and took flight. Black Tortoise glanced toward the Azure Domain and smiled.
"It seems the Saints we sent out have already found Lan Yin and the others."
I widened my eyes, forced a stiff smile, and nodded. With a rush, I soared into the sky, quickly found my bearings, and headed toward the Whitewind Domain.
Soon, I neared the water outlet, when I was suddenly met by a fierce gust of wind.
"Are you Ethan Zhang?"
A soft voice called out. I looked over—it was Rachel Lan.
She wore a long white robe trailing past her feet. This Rachel Lan looked about ten years old; her delicate face glowed with excitement and a cheerful smile, revealing two pointed tiger teeth. She was adorable, with her hair braided into two plaits and a tiger stripe on her forehead.
With a rush, Rachel Lan floated up to me, sniffing curiously.
"You really are Ethan Zhang."
I looked at her, puzzled.
"My name is Little Lan. Rachel gave me this name—hello."
A soft little hand reached out. I quickly extended my own, and Little Lan’s gentle hand grasped mine. I smiled awkwardly.
"You don’t look bad at all. I heard from Aimee that Rachel was looking for someone ordinary—but I think you’re pretty handsome, coming here all by yourself."
No matter how I looked, the girl before me was the spitting image of Rachel Lan as a child. I was overwhelmed—meeting Rachel’s childhood self should have made me happy, but I felt no joy at all.
"Why aren’t you happy?"
"No, I..."
Just as I began to speak, a cold current swept toward us—it was White Tiger.
"Little Lan, one more round! This time I’ll definitely win."
White Tiger put on a humble face, lifted Little Lan onto his shoulder, but she pouted and looked away.
"Hmph! No way. Lord White Tiger, your skills are terrible—I don’t want to play with you anymore."
White Tiger gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head.
"Come on, just one more game—I’ve gotten better!"
I watched the water outlet in silence, praying that Entity 013 and Entity 016 wouldn’t come out. But soon, I saw two figures behind the water curtain. With a rush, I flew to the curtain and poked my head through—it really was them.
"Are you two trying to get yourselves killed? White Tiger is outside—if you want to do anything, hide quickly!"
As I spoke, I turned around—sure enough, Little Lan and White Tiger were staring at me in confusion. I quickly shook my head.
"The water here is so sweet—pretty nice."