The atmosphere grew quiet again. For most of the children, Lin Yuan's turn stirred more curiosity than expectation. Those who knew about his health problems seemed almost worried on his behalf.
Bi Xinya gave him a thumbs-up. "Just do it. Don't think too much."
Lin Yuan nodded once, keeping his eyes on the mirror.
Elder Chen Kuo lowered the bronze instrument to a comfortable height.
"Your body has always been delicate. Although the mirror is not dangerous, some children experience discomfort when their Inner Sun is unstable. If you wish to step back, I will not blame you."
Lin Yuan looked briefly at his hand, then at the mirror, and finally at Chen Kuo. "I will proceed."
The elder inclined his head. "Very well. Touch the mirror when you feel ready."
Since he had come this far, there was no harm in seeing it through. Though he kept his composure, a faint trace of curiosity lingered within him regarding the outcome.
Lin Yuan drew in a quiet breath, raised his hand, and placed his palm against the back of the mirror.
Nothing responded. The mirror remained still and quiet, almost indifferent.
"What are we waiting for? He's certainly Barren grade," one of the boys with a Spirit grade scoffed.
Barren grade is often described as having no Inner Sun at all, yet that isn't entirely true. They do possess one, but it is so faint and unstable that the mirror cannot draw out even the smallest trace of its light.
Bi Xinya turned toward him with a sharp glare. "Say that again and you'll force my hand. Hmph."
The boy looked away, though his eyes still held that same mocking light.
Elder Chen Kuo watched the mirror with a calm expression, though a faint crease of concern had formed between his brows.
Lin Yuan didn't pull his hand back or shift his stance. He was hoping—at least—for some light, any light.
A thin spark suddenly appeared deep within the mirror. It formed so quietly that most of the children didn't notice it at first.
A single point began to gather in the center.
Huh?
A sharp pain carved through Lin Yuan's skull before the spark could fully take shape, spreading outward as if something deep within his mind had been struck.
He reached up instinctively, tightening his fingers against his brow, yet the world was already beginning to blur around him.
Bi Xinya stepped forward instantly. "Lin Yuan!"
He didn't hear her as he collapsed, falling before her hand even reached him.
Bi Xinya bent down to help, but Elder Chen Kuo lifted a hand, stopping her with a slight shake of his head, though his eyes remained on Lin Yuan with a hint of concern.
She frowned in confusion. "Why would—"
Chen Kuo inclined his head toward the back of the courtyard. "Look behind you."
Bi Xinya turned—and her expression froze.
Lin Zheng had already crossed the courtyard. His footsteps were almost soundless, and he reached Lin Yuan in seconds.
Without a word, he lifted the boy from the ground, then turned and walked off with Lin Yuan in his arms, ignoring everyone around him—even Chen Kuo, the High Priest.
---
Lin Yuan opened his eyes to a darkness so complete that it felt as though the world had been stripped of all shape.
He could see nothing until he lowered his gaze to his hands and realized, with a quiet shock, that he stood in his current body.
This wasn't the faint soul-image he had appeared in during his earlier dreams. This was his real form—his nine-year-old body.
He touched his chest and muttered, "The pendant isn't here…"
He stood in silence for a while, unsure of where he had been placed, and the emptiness around him offered no clue or direction.
With nothing else to guide him, Lin Yuan simply began walking.
Time stretched without measure as he moved forward, and the darkness neither deepened nor lifted.
Eventually, after what felt like an entire night without stars, a faint radiance appeared in the distance. Lin Yuan's eyes lit up, and he made his way toward it with quiet anticipation.
The light did not brighten as he approached. It remained the same—distant yet steady—but as he drew closer, the shape became clearer. It wasn't a lantern, nor an opening.
It was the ancient eye—floating in the darkness as though it had always belonged there, its surface divided between a quiet, muted gray and a soft gold.
Lin Yuan looked at it with a relieved expression. "So you're here too…"
Nine years in this world had been enough for him to understand that reality here was far more vast than anything he had known. It was a place where immortal life was not a myth, but a clear path for those who could walk it.
Lin Yuan raised his eyes to the floating eye before him.
"That being… the one connected to this eye… must be very powerful."
His disappointment at learning he could not cultivate had been heavy, but the moment he remembered the eye that had fused with him, a faint hope stirred within him. If he understood this thing—if he found a way to use it—perhaps his path wasn't closed after all.
He stepped closer.
The eye hovered silently, one half glowing with a golden hue and the other half gray. Lin Yuan studied the border between the two halves carefully.
"It's… a clock."
His heartbeat quickened slightly. "When I saw you in the temple, you were completely gray. Now half of you is gold…"
His eyes flickered with realization.
"So you're recovering… preparing for something."
"Is this a blessing… or something I should fear?"
"And what will happen… when you fully awaken?"