Shui chose to play music for Alia because she had shown some interest in the art when they discussed idols. Additionally, Shui had gained some insights on the night of Amaryllis' concert which he believed would be useful for his recovery. There wasn't any time to attempt to apply these insights on the way here, but with the fallen suppressed, Shui saw this as a good opportunity.
After familiarising himself with the different sounds a flute could make, Shui played a simple folk song he heard from his mother. It was rough at first, but after a minute of playing, Shui reached an average level of proficiency. Alia was in no way impressed by his quick improvement, but the nostalgia and sorrow in the song kept her from sharing any snide remarks.
Within five minutes, Shui reached the level of a mortal expert, but he then switched his focus from improving his technical skills to pouring his soul into the song. It was different from using mental control to manipulate his body; it was closer to merging his will with his vessel as if trying to combine the two. This was the technique he deciphered from watching Amaryllis perform onstage, a technique that seemed to mimic Soul Perfection.
As Shui's song delicately trod the line between music and spiritual technique, Alia was reminded of the past. It was a time so long ago that any books made back then would have turned to dust by now. It was before she first entered this world, before she started travelling the countless realms, before the heavens changed. Despite her noble lineage, in that workshop she was just a firekeeper. She helped the workshop master and his disciples forge items that could change the world, and she could proudly state her involvement in those crafts. Even the mightiest of deities had to show them the respect they deserved. And yet, just like those mighty figures, her home was buried by time.
That night, Shui's song travelled farther than his sound, bringing peace to whoever was lucky enough to feel it. To synchronise the soul with the body and then move beyond the soul and body. This was Soul Perfection.
...
A few days later, the Sky Realm experts who had fled Silver City finally decided to return to look at the city. Shui and Alia were gone, but Alia's work remained to bar any who tried to get close. The first barrier was a simple sign that read, 'None shall approach.'
"What is this?"
"Who put this here?"
"Is this some sort of prank?"
Though the experts were confused by the sign, they didn't let it stop them. However, the next obstacle was a tier 3 protection array. It wasn't strong enough to stop these experts, but it made them halt their steps nonetheless.
"It seems that sign was more than a prank."
"What do you think, Senior Inspector?"
As everyone looked over to Senior Inspector Han for his decision, the man tried to investigate inside the protection array. He was able to find a few traps, but that was the extent of his search. No matter how many times he sent out his spiritual sense, he couldn't find any trace of Silver City or the creature that had destroyed it. He was tempted to bypass the tier 3 protection array to take a closer look, but if these barriers and traps were to stop others from approaching the black calamity, then he would be committing a grave sin by ignoring them.
"Pass down my command. Let no one approach this area. I must report to the sect and seek advice regarding our next steps."
"Yes, Senior Inspector."
After a swift assignment of duties, the majority of Sky Realm experts who had been roped into this mission were given the task of spreading the inspector's command and were set free. Some aimed to leave the region to avoid any further interaction with the calamity, but there were a few with greedy motives who remained.
Within Malirin Forest, Shui met Cin and introduced him to Alia.
"So this spirit is your new underling?"
"Hmph, watch your tongue, mutt. There's no one in this world who can make me an underling."
"Hehe! I guess it makes sense for a fire spirit to boost so much."
"This damn dog!"
The two traded insults as naturally as they breathed, so Shui interrupted them before any trouble occurred.
"Okay, let's just move on from there. Have there been any recent changes, bro?"
"Yeah, a couple days ago there was a super ominous feeling coming from that city you stayed in, Silver City, I think? The beast lord ordered everyone to stay inside the forest, but a couple high beasts and their packs left the region, from what I hear. It's calmed down mostly, but you can still kinda sense it from the ground."
Though most evolved beasts in the forest wouldn't be strong enough to detect the fallen, their instincts were able to catch on to its presence. Although Alia had sealed the creature, it was still capable of absorbing vitality from the land by stretching itself through spatial gaps, so it wasn't odd that its aura lingered underground.
"Looks like the dog has a good nose if nothing else."
"Better than a spirit at least."
"That's enough, you two. Anyways, this is what happened."
Shui then went on to tell Cin about the battle Shui and Alia went through to seal the fallen and the deadline to reinforce the seal or take care of the fallen for good.
"I had a feeling it was pretty bad, but I got to admit, this is big. If all of you working together could only seal it, there's probably no one in the region who can kill that thing. What about sending it to the beast lord's secret world?"
Shui was about to deny Cin's suggestion since the fallen had a proven track record of escaping dimensions, but then he remembered the gigantic tree as well as the remains of beast kings around it. He wasn't sure how he managed to survive his encounter with it, but if it was that tree, then there was a chance it could kill the fallen.
"That might work, but won't we need the beast lord's cooperation to execute that plan?"
"You can leave that to me."
Cin still hadn't joined a faction led by one of the three great beasts, and there was no way his strength could rival the beast lord's in a short time, but Shui knew Cin wasn't the type to bluff for no reason.
"Okay, I'll trust you."
Alia quietly questioned Shui's decision, but once he told her about that gigantic tree, she was willing to give Cin's idea a chance.
After catching up with Cin, Shui contacted Lily to hear her account of the recent events. The people of Cyrus proved to be not much different from evolved beasts, with some staying in the city while others left the region. It didn't help that Cyrus was noticeably weaker than the other cities and therefore less able to guarantee the safety of its citizens. Once he heard about the current situation from Lily, Shui told her that he would visit soon and ended their talk. With the fallen still being a pressing issue, it was imperative that Shui recovered his strength as fast as possible.
"Bro, I need to stay here to recover from some hidden injuries. Can I use one of your caves?"
"Sure. You stood guard for me last time, so you can leave everything to me this time."
"Hmph, I'm all the protection he needs."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with being motivated."
"Tch, damn mutt."
Though they were being strangely competitive about it, Shui was glad to have their protection. Thanks to them, he could devote his mind to healing his soul.