Lixuan, Zhichen, and Jinhai slowly made their way toward the old chamber. The night had grown even deeper. The flames of the torches cast shifting shadows across the stone walls. When the three entered, Elder Zhiyun was already seated in his place. Xiangu was sitting calmly on his right side. Lanxin was also there. The exhaustion was still clearly visible on her face, but she quietly observed everything. On the other side, Rongwei was seated. His gaze fell on Lixuan for a moment, then silently returned to Zhiyun. Jinhai said softly, "Elder, everyone has arrived." Zhiyun nodded. "Please, take your seats."
Everyone sat down in their respective places. A deep silence filled the chamber for a few moments. Only the faint crackling of the torch could be heard.
After a long while, Zhiyun slowly began to speak. "What happened yesterday..." "I have seen very few things like that in my lifetime." His gaze slowly moved over everyone. "The sudden appearance of a demonic dragon..." "Its control being broken..." "...and finally, disappearing without anyone killing it." He took a deep breath. "None of this was normal." Silence once again filled the chamber.
Everyone remained quiet. Then Xiangu spoke softly, "Elder..." "Do you think Mo Yan was not able to completely control that dragon?" Zhiyun answered directly. "No." "In the beginning, it was under his control." "But later..." "...some other power broke that connection." Hearing this, a thoughtful expression appeared on Rongwei's face. "Then that means..." "After what happened yesterday, Mo Yan was just as surprised as all of us?" "Exactly." Zhiyun said calmly. "For the first time, I saw confusion in his eyes." Jinhai frowned. "But whose power was it?" No one answered. Zhiyun remained silent for a few moments.
Then his gaze slowly settled on Lixuan. "Xiu." "You were the closest to it yesterday." "Did you feel anything?" Everyone sitting in the chamber turned their gaze toward Lixuan at once. Lixuan's face remained hidden behind his mask as always. He thought for a few moments. Then he said calmly, "Only this..." "That there was a very different kind of energy in the air at that moment." "That energy contained not only the dragon's power..." "...but another power was also clashing with it." "But what it was..." "I do not know." Zhiyun stared into his eyes for a few moments. As if he wanted to read the truth hidden behind his words rather than his words themselves. But Lixuan remained completely calm. Once again, the atmosphere of the chamber sank into deep silence. The torch flame flickered softly... And it seemed as though all the questions left behind by yesterday's battle... still had their answers very far away.
Just then, Zhiyun slowly looked at everyone and said, "But there is one thing... that I still cannot understand." Xiangu asked softly, "What is it, Elder?" Zhiyun remained silent for a few moments. "Only two people possessed the power to stop that demonic dragon."
He slowly looked toward Zhichen. "One... Zhichen." Then his voice became even quieter. "And the other... Lixuan." The moment that name was spoken, silence once again filled the chamber. Lanxin and Jinhai exchanged a glance. Rongwei also fell into deep thought. Zhiyun continued, "That is why, for so many years, we believed... if that dragon ever returned, stopping it would be impossible." Xiangu slowly nodded. "Because Lixuan..." "...is no longer in this world." Zhiyun nodded. "But what happened yesterday..." "...shook that belief of mine." Everyone listened to him without saying a word. "I clearly felt it..." "When Li Chen's power awakened..." "...the energy that emerged from within her not only forced the dragon to retreat..." "...but within that energy, I sensed two different currents." Zhichen's eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Two... different currents?" Zhiyun slowly said, "Yes." "One of those energies felt familiar to me." "It was similar to Zhichen's spiritual energy." Hearing this, everyone in the chamber looked toward Zhichen for a moment. Zhiyun completed his words. "But the second energy..." "...I could not identify it." "I can only say this much..." "...its nature resembled that power..." "...that Lixuan once possessed."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone sitting in the chamber froze. Only Xiu... remained completely calm in his place. His face hidden behind the mask revealed nothing. But his clenched fist slowly tightened further. The same question echoed in Lixuan's mind as well—"Where did that power inside Li Chen come from...?" Because... the answer to this question... was something even Lixuan himself did not know.
For a few moments, no one in the chamber said anything. Then Lanxin slowly looked toward Lixuan. Her voice was calm, but her curiosity was obvious. "Xiu..." "You are Li Chen's master." "You have spent the most time with her." "Have you ever sensed any signs of such power within her before?" The moment she asked this question, everyone's gaze once again settled on Lixuan. Lixuan was about to say something when Zhichen's voice was heard. "No." Everyone turned toward him. Zhichen said calmly, "If Xiu had already known something about this..." "...then he himself would not have been so surprised at the battlefield yesterday." He glanced at Lixuan for a moment. "...I saw it with my own eyes." "When Li Chen's power awakened..."
"...there was just as much confusion on Xiu's face as there was on all of ours."
Lixuan looked toward Zhichen for a moment. As if he had not expected Zhichen to answer on his behalf. Zhichen finished speaking without looking at him. "That is why I do not think Xiu hid this from us." "Because..." "...perhaps he himself does not know the answer." The chamber once again fell silent. Lanxin slowly lowered her head. "I apologize, Xiu." "I did not intend to doubt you." Lixuan simply said calmly, "It is alright." "The truth is..." "...I also still have not understood what exactly happened yesterday." Hearing these words, Zhiyun's eyes sank into deep thought. He could feel that... the answer to this mystery... was still in no one's hands.
A deep silence filled the chamber for a few moments. Then Xiangu spoke softly, "Elder..." "I just remembered one more thing about yesterday." Everyone turned their gaze toward him. Xiangu slowly said, "When Han Zeyu attacked Xiu..." "At that very moment, Li Chen also suddenly bent over in pain." Lanxin immediately nodded. "Yes..." "I saw that too." "She suddenly cried out in pain without any apparent reason." Jinhai said thoughtfully, "And not just once..." "When Zhichen's hand was injured..." "...Li Chen felt that same pain at that exact moment as well." Hearing this, Rongwei's eyebrows furrowed. "Then..." "Her pain..." "...occurred at the same time as the injuries of Xiu and Zhichen?" Silence once again filled the chamber. Zhiyun's eyes sank into deep thought.
"This cannot be merely a coincidence..." he said slowly. "If it had happened once..." "...it could have been called an accident." "But the injuries of two different people..." "...and both times Li Chen bending over in pain at that exact moment..." "This points toward some deep connection." At these words... both Zhichen and Lixuan fell silent for a moment. Both remembered that same scene from the battlefield. But... the biggest thing was... that neither of them knew what that connection meant. Then Zhiyun slowly said, "For now..." "We know no more about Li Chen than what we have already learned." "Therefore, there is no benefit in making assumptions." Everyone quietly listened to him. Zhiyun's voice became serious again. "But one thing is certain." "Mo Yan will definitely return to understand this very thing." Jinhai frowned. "Do you think his next target will be Li Chen?" Zhiyun did not answer immediately. After a few moments, he said, "I cannot read his mind." "But yesterday, on the battlefield, he watched Li Chen very carefully." "He also sensed that power." Xiangu said softly, "That means..." "Li Chen is now in even greater danger than before." Hearing this, the atmosphere in the chamber became even heavier. Rongwei said without thinking, "Then we cannot leave her alone." Lanxin also nodded. "Whatever the secret behind that power may be..." "We will not let her fall into Mo Yan's hands." Hearing this, Lixuan, who had remained silent until then, slowly said, "Mo Yan will never reach her." His voice was calm... But hidden behind that calmness was a firm determination.
Zhichen looked toward him for a moment. He said nothing... But he understood... that if any danger came toward Li Chen again... the first person to draw his sword... would be Xiu.
Zhiyun looked at everyone sitting in the chamber. "The answers to some questions..." "Time itself will reveal them." "So, this is enough for today." No one said anything. Everyone knew... today's meeting had left behind more confusion than answers. Zhiyun slowly stood up. "From tomorrow morning, the security of the Yuzhen Tribe will be increased further." "The guards at every entrance will be doubled." "When Mo Yan will return again..." "None of us knows." "But this time..." "We will be prepared." Xiangu nodded. "I will personally give the soldiers their instructions." Jinhai also stood up.
"I will go with them as well." Lanxin said softly, "I will check on the wounded soldiers." Zhiyun nodded in satisfaction. "Very well." "There must be no carelessness." Everyone slowly began getting up from their places. The faint sound of chairs being moved echoed through the chamber. Rongwei glanced at Xiu for a moment. As if he wanted to say something. But then, without saying anything, he walked outside. Zhichen also slowly turned around. Before leaving, he looked toward Xiu once more. Their eyes met for a few moments. Neither said anything... Neither asked anything. But both understood... that the matter between them was not over yet.
The very next moment... everyone left the chamber one by one. In the end... only Elder Zhiyun remained there. The torch flame flickered across his face. He slowly closed his eyes and thought to himself, "It seems... history is about to repeat itself once again..." The chamber once again sank into deep silence.
Everyone began making their way toward their respective chambers. The first rays of morning slowly spread across the Yuzhen Tribe. The torches that had burned throughout the night were beginning to go out, and soft golden sunlight was taking their place. The cool wind passed through the leaves of the trees. The marks of yesterday's battle were still clearly visible throughout the tribe, but the atmosphere was calmer than before. The disciples of the Shenmei Tribe were preparing for their journey. Xiangu gathered his belongings and slowly said, "We should leave now." Zhichen nodded without saying anything. Rongwei looked around. "Where is Li Chen?" Just then... the sound of slow footsteps could be heard from a distance.
Li Chen slowly walked toward them. Her face still looked slightly pale after yesterday's events, but she had composed herself. "Master..." she said softly, "I am ready." Lixuan looked at her for a few moments. "How are you feeling?" Li Chen tried to smile slightly. "Better than before." Lixuan said nothing, only nodded slowly. At that moment, Jinhai and Lanxin also came to see them off. Jinhai said, "I wish we were saying goodbye to all of you under different circumstances." Xiangu replied calmly, "That is how it is with war." "We will meet again." Lanxin slowly approached Li Chen.
She took her hand in both of hers and said, "Take care of yourself." Li Chen smiled and nodded. "You too." Zhiyun also slowly came toward them. His gaze moved over each of them. "The road is long." "Stay alert." Then he looked toward Lixuan for a moment. "Xiu..." "Take care of the girl." Lixuan replied calmly, "Yes." Zhiyun said nothing more. Xiangu gestured with his hand. "Let's go." Saying this, he moved ahead. Zhichen followed behind him. Then Rongwei. Lixuan slowly looked toward Li Chen. "The road is rocky." "Walk carefully." Li Chen smiled and said, "Yes, Master." Lixuan began walking beside her at a slow pace. Before long... the five members of the Shenmei Tribe had left the Yuzhen Tribe. Jinhai, Lanxin, and Zhiyun stood behind, watching them... until they slowly disappeared from sight among the dense forest. None of them had any idea... that this journey back to Shenmei... was about to bring a new turning point into all of their lives.
Soft morning sunlight filtered through the trees of the dense forest and scattered across the ground. A clear river flowed alongside the path. The gentle sound of water and the cool breeze made the journey peaceful. Xiangu was walking at the very front. A few steps behind him, Li Chen walked with a calm expression. Even though she was blind, her steps did not falter in the slightest. As if she could sense her path through the wind, the earth, and the energy around her itself. Rongwei was walking beside her. At the very back... were Lixuan and Zhichen. The distance between them was only two steps. But the silence between them was far deeper than that distance. For a long time, only the sound of the river could be heard. Then Zhichen said softly, "Do you still drink liquor?" Lixuan answered without looking at him, "Sometimes." "You remember?" Zhichen asked calmly. Lixuan smiled slightly. "You never drank." "Never." Zhichen slowly said, "I drank last night." Lixuan looked toward him for the first time. "That is not a good habit." A faint smile appeared in Zhichen's eyes. "You are saying that?" Lixuan remained silent for a few moments. Then he said, "At least I know that it is a bad habit." Zhichen slowly turned his gaze forward. "You have changed." Lixuan replied calmly, "People do not change..." "Circumstances change them." Both fell silent again. After a while, Zhichen said softly, "At the Training Hall..." "You used to come to me every day." Lixuan rolled his eyes. "You used to run away every day." Zhichen nodded slightly without denying it. "Yes." "Back then, I did not like talking to people." Lixuan slowly asked, "And now?" Zhichen remained silent for a few moments. Then he looked toward Lixuan. "Now..." "The person I wanted to talk to..." "...is the very person who does not want to talk." Hearing this, Lixuan's steps slowed for a moment. But the next instant, he looked away. "You are misunderstanding." Zhichen said nothing more. He simply continued walking beside him quietly. After a while, Lixuan frowned. "Why did you become quiet?" Zhichen answered directly, "You were the one who said..." "...not to talk too much." For a moment, Lixuan became completely silent. He had no answer. A very faint smile appeared on Zhichen's lips. And for the first time... Lixuan realized that without saying a single harsh word... this calm man had used his own words against him.
Lixuan remained standing there for a few moments. His face was calm as always... but his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. The next moment... he walked quickly toward Zhichen. "What did you mean?" he asked directly. Zhichen stopped. He slowly looked toward Lixuan. "About what?" Lixuan stood directly in front of him. "What you just said." "'The person I wanted to talk to is the very person who does not want to talk.'" "What does that mean?" Zhichen remained silent for a few moments. His eyes were fixed directly on Lixuan. "It meant exactly what I said." Lixuan frowned even more. "Why do you always speak in riddles?" Zhichen answered calmly, "I am not speaking in riddles." "You simply do not want to listen." Hearing this, Lixuan grabbed his shoulder in slight irritation. "Give me a straight answer." Zhichen looked at his hand, then slowly into his eyes. "You really do not understand..." "...or are you pretending not to understand?" Lixuan's grip slowly tightened. Just then... his foot slipped slightly on the wet soil near the riverbank. As he lost his balance, his body leaned forward. Without thinking, Zhichen immediately placed a hand near his waist and steadied him. Lixuan came straight toward him. There were only a few inches between them. For a moment... neither of them said anything. Only the sound of the river and the rustling of the wind could be heard. Lixuan immediately regained his balance and stepped back. "Let me go." Zhichen withdrew his hand without saying anything. His expression remained calm. "I was only stopping you from falling." Lixuan looked away. "I do not need anyone's help." Zhichen said softly, "You say that every time." "But you do not have to carry every burden alone." Lixuan wanted to say something... but the words stopped before reaching his lips. He simply let out a cold breath and walked ahead without saying anything. Zhichen watched him walk away. A very faint smile appeared on his lips... as if he knew that Lixuan was still the same as before— The farther he ran away... the less easily he could hide his restlessness.
The jungle path continued slowly ahead. The cool breeze from the river brushed against everyone's faces. Everyone walked at their own pace. Xiangu was at the very front. Rongwei and Li Chen were walking with him. A little behind... Lixuan and Zhichen followed them with quiet steps. For a while, everyone remained silent. Then Li Chen softly asked, "Master..." Lixuan answered without looking at her, "Yes?" "How is your injury now?" "Better than before." "But it has not completely healed." Li Chen slowly nodded. "I see." Then Rongwei smiled. "By the way, Li Chen..." "Did you sleep well last night?" Hearing this... a mischievous smile slowly appeared on Li Chen's face. As if an idea had occurred to her. She remained silent for a few moments. Then, in a completely innocent voice, she said, "Yes..." "But last night, I thought..." "...Master was fighting with someone." Hearing this... Lixuan's steps stopped for a moment. Zhichen decided it was better to keep looking straight ahead. Rongwei became surprised. "Fighting?" "With whom?" Li Chen said with a completely straight face, "I don't know." "I could just hear voices." "'You are very troublesome.'" "'Stay away from me.'" "'Don't tease me.'" Xiangu slowly raised his eyebrows. For the first time, he turned around and looked at Lixuan and Zhichen. Rongwei's eyes widened. "Master..." "Who were you fighting with last night?" Lixuan remained completely silent. A very faint smile appeared on Zhichen's lips. Li Chen continued, "Then..." "Someone said something in a very calm voice." "After that, everything became quiet." Rongwei was now even more confused. "That is even stranger." Xiangu asked calmly, "Xiu..." "Did you go outside last night?" Lixuan let out a deep breath. "Yes." "I couldn't sleep." "That is all." Li Chen immediately said innocently, "Oh..." "Then I must have heard wrong." Saying this, she struggled to hold back her laughter. Zhichen glanced at her for a moment. As if he understood that Li Chen was deliberately teasing Lixuan. At that moment, even Xiangu's lips curved into a very faint smile. "Li Chen." "Your imagination is quite good." Li Chen immediately put on an innocent expression. "I was only telling you what I heard..." Lixuan slowly said, "Li. Chen." His voice was calm... but the warning was obvious. Li Chen immediately straightened and said, "Yes, Master." "I won't say anything now." Rongwei still could not completely understand what was true and what was not... and because of this, Xiangu walked ahead while suppressing a faint smile. Behind them... Zhichen glanced toward Lixuan for a moment. And Lixuan simply gave him a cold look... as if saying— "All of this happened because of you."
For a while after Li Chen's words, everyone continued walking silently. The jungle was gradually becoming denser. The thick branches of the trees blocked almost all of the sunlight. Only small patches of sunlight were scattered across the path. Suddenly... Li Chen's footsteps slowed. Her face turned slightly to one side.
As if she had sensed something in the air. Lixuan immediately looked toward her. "What happened?" Li Chen remained silent for a few moments. Then she slowly said, "...I don't know." "I am feeling something strange." Rongwei looked around. "What kind of feeling?" Li Chen slowly said, "As if..." "...someone has been watching us for a long time." Hearing this, Zhichen and Lixuan both became alert at the same time.
Xiangu also stopped. He spread his spiritual energy around the area. The jungle was completely silent. No footsteps... No trace of energy. After a few moments, Xiangu slowly said, "There is no one here." "Perhaps your mind has not completely calmed down after the battle." Li Chen slowly nodded. "Perhaps..." But the uneasiness in her heart did not lessen. Everyone began moving forward again. The sound of their footsteps slowly disappeared into the silence of the jungle.
...Little did they know... that only a short distance away from them... high upon the branch of a very tall tree... a black shadow stood completely motionless. His face was hidden behind black clothing. His gaze was fixed on only one person... Li Chen. After a few moments... he slowly raised his hand. In his fist was a strange, black-colored fragment. Deep purple lines slowly glowed across its surface. A very faint black energy lingered around it. It was... the final fragment of Yin Mo Ji. As soon as the person's fingers tightened further around the fragment... the black energy emerging from Yin Mo Ji became restless for a moment. A very faint smile appeared on the person's lips.
"Now..." "...the wait will not be much longer." He took one last look at Li Chen and her companions as they walked away. The very next moment... a strong gust of wind rose. The leaves of the trees began to shake violently. And when everything became quiet again... the black shadow had disappeared from that place.