The Umber Domain is the lowest among the Four Sacred Realms—a cluster of lakes and islands. Right now, I am beneath the water. The moment these curse energies were unleashed, everything visible around me was corroded and dissolved.
The thought of the Azure Luan Egg fills me with anxiety.
"It won’t be swallowed so easily. After all, that egg is extremely tough."
The Wraithlord continued, and I nodded, starting to search around. Navigating through those pale waters required utmost caution; a single misstep could get me dragged into the depths by the dark curse energy.
I searched every visible spot on the lakebed with care, forced to keep circling. I’d been at it for ages, but still hadn’t found the Azure Luan Egg.
Suddenly, I noticed a splash of color in the distance. I glanced around, then swam out of the pale waters toward it. As I drew closer, I found it—the egg, its surface glowing with a faint azure light.
I reached out and cradled the egg, then took off my T-shirt, tore it up, and strapped the egg to my back. I started to swim.
Soon, I broke through the surface, gasping for air. I began to stir what little power I had left in my body. Wings unfurled from my back. I rose from the cursed lake, flying upward slowly, still careful to avoid the dark curse energies drifting through the air.
"Found it."
I shouted in excitement, but as I ascended, I saw the Four Faith Spirits and Qi already asleep. They were gathered at Spirit Snake’s neck. Spirit Snake wasn’t flapping its wings, so I quickly lowered my voice.
Though my body was utterly exhausted, I couldn’t sleep. I stared at the sky outside the window as it slowly darkened, thinking about those curse powers. The Wraithlord said they were this world’s curse upon itself. Maybe, everything in this world is a curse by nature.
Precisely because I’ve come here, I understand now—faiths that die may be an eternal curse for humanity. Until the day a person dies, they might discover their heart is as barren and empty as wasteland. But by then, death has come; nothing can be done, nothing can change.
I stood up, glanced back at Rachel Lan, then walked over to the Azure Luan Egg. I pressed my hand to it—a gentle warmth spread into my palm, and I smiled.
"This is enough."
The third floor had a balcony extending several meters outward—almost absurdly so. There was nothing supporting it below, yet when I stepped out, it was perfectly solid, without a hint of shaking.
I sat at the edge of this railing-less balcony, stretching my legs out. It had been so long since I’d felt this way. In the distant sky, the moon gleamed like a silver orb, slowly rising.
I lay down, gazing at the now-black sky. Points of starlight scattered across the dark canvas, beginning to twinkle.
A breeze brushed across my face, gently tousling my hair. My greatest wish was right there in the room behind me. I imagined the moment Rachel Lan would awaken, and quietly drifted into sleep.
In a haze, I opened my eyes wide. In the boundless darkness, a blue-green bird flashed past me—the Azure Luan, formed of turquoise flames. It looked a bit like a phoenix, but it wasn’t. This time, the Azure Luan was much smaller, and the golden light in its eyes had faded.
The Azure Luan seemed to want to speak to me. I jolted awake, shaking my head as a chill brought me back to my senses. It was still night, but dawn was near. The moon had sunk behind the mountains, leaving only a sliver of pale light.
The Azure Luan’s mournful eyes from my dream lingered in my mind. I sprang up and rushed straight into the room behind me, eyes wide with alarm.
Something was wrong—the Azure Luan Egg, once smooth and white, had turned black and was covered in cracks. I reached out, and the moment I touched it, bits of shell began to flake away from the cracks.
I felt a searing heat and quickly withdrew my hand. The whole egg was scorching, as if about to melt. Hot steam oozed from the fissures, as if the inside were burning.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs—Qi appeared at the doorway and hurried over.
"It shouldn’t be like this."
Qi’s first response was shock, as if she knew something. The Four Faith Spirits rushed up as well, and Spirit Snake slithered in through the window.
Everyone’s gaze fixed on the egg. The shell was peeling off faster and faster, and fine cracks spread across its surface.
Panic gripped me. My heart pounded wildly—anyone could see things were dire.
"Look outside."
Suddenly, Ai clung to the left window and screamed. We rushed over, and in an instant, everyone was stunned—the black lake formed by curse power had expanded and now reached the side of our building, its dark water flowing and shifting.
The shadowy curse lake had more than doubled in size, quickly surrounding our small building. The black water kept moving, steadily devouring the wasteland.
"We should move."
I said, reaching out for the Azure Luan Egg. But just as my hand was about to touch it, I froze—my body wouldn’t obey me.
"What are you trying to do?"
I blurted out the question. The Wraithlord had taken control of my body—so easily that I couldn’t even resist.
"Don’t touch it. If you do, the egg will collapse immediately. The only thing you can do now is think—otherwise, the egg will die."
I swallowed, and my body returned to normal. I told everyone what the Wraithlord had said. Things were grim—curse water encircled us once again. Even on the third floor, I could feel the chill rising from the black surface below.
I stared at my own hands as my body began to tremble violently. Fear crawled up my spine, enveloping me. I stiffly gazed at Rachel Lan on the bed. The egg’s shell kept peeling, and more steam-like vapors billowed out.
This started right after I touched the egg—a wave of guilt surged within me.
"It’s not your fault, Ethan Zhang. To withstand this sudden disaster, the egg used all its remaining power to protect itself from the curse. Now it’s spent its last reserves—it will soon perish."
Choking back tears, I crouched beside the Azure Luan Egg, overcome by a helpless, bitter sorrow. I looked up, desperately searching for a solution, but there was nothing I could do.
No one spoke—no one knew what to do. Qi’s face grew heavy as she sat at the bedside, her eyes blank as she stared at Rachel Lan.
"If only it wasn’t me..."
"Don’t say that, Qi."
I stood up and walked to the window. Looking down, I saw the water level rising—we were trapped. Luckily, the curse hadn’t yet dissolved the strange things scattered across the wasteland. It would take time, but how long, no one could say.
If there’s to be hope, we cannot give up. I calmed myself, sat cross-legged, and closed my eyes. Even if I couldn’t touch it, I had to find a way to enter the Azure Luan’s space—at least to understand its current state.
I focused, letting my consciousness drift toward the egg. The cold, oppressive aura pressed in from all sides, but I forced myself to keep going.
A faint, flickering light appeared in my mind—a fragment of the Azure Luan’s soul, barely holding on.
"Azure Luan, can you hear me?" I called out softly, hoping for a response.
The soul fragment trembled, its light growing even fainter. I felt its pain, its longing to survive.
A faint voice echoed in my mind, barely audible: "Help me..."
My heart clenched. "Don’t give up," I whispered, pouring all my will into that flickering light.
The oppressive darkness pressed in closer, threatening to snuff out the light entirely. I fought to hold on, refusing to let it fade.
Suddenly, the light flared—just for a moment—before dimming once more. My consciousness snapped back to the room, drenched in cold sweat.
Everyone was staring at me, anxiety written across their faces. I forced myself to steady my breath.
"It’s not over yet," I said, voice hoarse. "We still have a chance."