A gentle breeze drifted by, carrying a faint, comforting fragrance mixed with a chill. I opened my eyes to find Sylvia Blue leaning against me, still fast asleep. The presence of the Azure Luan lingered, its aura subtly woven into the morning air.
I didn't dare move, afraid of waking Sylvia Blue. I just lay there, feeling the morning chill from the lake. The air was remarkably fresh, and the distant horizon was beginning to brighten.
Gradually, dazzling rays burst through the cracks in the mountains. The horizon blazed red as the sun, like a giant fireball, rose above the distant peaks, and the sky grew ever brighter. Somewhere, I thought of Rachel Lan—her soul, scattered, waiting.
Sylvia Blue slowly opened her eyes, then climbed up by herself, stretching her limbs before heading to the lakeside to tidy herself up. After a while, she walked over, refreshed and clear-headed. The Azure Luan Egg, cold and lifeless, was cradled in her arms.
I had no idea what Sylvia Blue and Yin Chou talked about last night. The more I think about it, the stranger it seems, leaving me uneasy. As Ethan Zhang, even in the Four Sacred Realm, some secrets gnaw at me from within.
"One day, you'll understand. The Four Sacred Realm holds truths you aren't ready to face."
It seemed Sylvia Blue could see through my thoughts. She walked over and spoke, then pointed behind me, her expression unreadable.
"Let's go. Time waits for no one. From today onward, you must learn to communicate with the Azure Luan as quickly as possible. The Four Guardians are watching."
With that, Sylvia Blue lifted me up and we floated toward the large island in the center. As soon as we arrived, I saw Black Tortoise and Lan Yin already waiting for us, their forms etched against the misty light.
"Let's begin, Ethan Zhang," Sylvia Blue said quietly. The Spirit Snake coiled nearby, its eyes reflecting a cold intelligence.
As soon as we landed, Lan Yin started talking. His expression looked grim, weighted, as if he wanted to tell me something but held it back. I decided to enter the Azure Luan’s space first and ask him after this communication was over.
"Remember, just don’t push it too far."
Sylvia Blue reminded me. I grunted in response—I knew what she meant. It was also something John Chou taught me: I didn’t need to wait for the darkness in my body to overflow on its own before leaving. I could choose to exit, rest, and then go back in, over and over. That way, the fiends of the Dark Banquet couldn’t do anything to me.
I walked over to the Azure Luan Egg and stroked it gently with my claws. Strangely, today the egg wasn’t as cold as it was yesterday—it felt warmer. I immediately hugged the egg and closed my eyes, my consciousness beginning to blur.
When I opened my eyes, everything around me was still pure white. The snowy plain beneath the cold night sky radiated chill, but the snow hadn’t started falling yet. Fierce winds howled past, though it wasn’t as freezing as the first time I entered.
I sniffed the air and instantly caught that familiar, peculiar scent—it was close. I started running toward it.
In no time, I reached the base of the snow mound I’d seen before. I climbed up, quickly reaching the summit, where I saw those wisps of blue mist drifting in the air. This time, the mist gathered around me.
These blue currents circled me, as if studying me. I asked softly:
"Were you the one crying yesterday?"
After a long moment, the blue currents beside me began to swirl. I sat down and started talking to myself. I didn’t really know what to say, but maybe only I could hear this dying creature’s voice—and maybe it could hear mine.