"Master," Yanlong said after a brief pause, "all these years you have never tried to cure your curse. Why are you ignoring it? Slowly, it is consuming you."
"I have told you many times not to discuss this topic," Zeyan replied coldly.
His tone turned serious. "Do not raise this again. We have more important matters to focus on. Night Valley is becoming dangerous. If the evil spirits regain their original form, all the realms will be destroyed."
"I understand, Master," Yanlong said anxiously, "but I want you to consider yourself as well."
Zeyan ignored his plea as if he had not heard a single word.
"I am heading to Night Valley to find the one behind the nourishment of the evil spirits," he said firmly. "You remain here."
With that, Zeyan left the room.
Yanlong stood there silently. His face revealed how deeply he cared for his master.
The curse was something only a few knew about, and Yanlong was one of them—being the closest to Zeyan. Yet, despite everything, he was still unable to convince him.
By evening, Lingxi was resting in her room.
The events of the morning had left her disturbed and exhausted.
As night descended, she suddenly felt a strange cold breeze brushing against her skin.
She sat up on the bed and placed her bare feet on the floor and closed the window, rubbing her arms uneasily.
"Why am I feeling so cold all of a sudden?" she whispered.
The next moment, her breathing grew uneven, her heartbeat slowing unnaturally.
"Wait…" Lingxi snapped to herself.
"Is this… is this the eclipse night?"
Her voice trembled, her breath shaking, but her mind remained alert. She remembered clearly—every eclipse night, the same unbearable sensation returned. A feeling she dreaded the most.
She didn't want to think about what would happen next.
Placing her hand on the window, she hoped desperately that it was just an illusion.
Gathering all her strength, she opened the window and looked up at the sky.
The moon was red.
Her eyes widened, her face drained of all color. She shut the window immediately and leaned against the wall, her eyes tightly closed.
"Not again…" she cried.
The next moment, she felt a powerful pull. She almost fell but managed to grip the bed. The white curtains surrounding it fluttered violently as she held onto them, trying to resist.
But the force was too strong.
The curtains tore free, and Lingxi was dragged toward the door.
A terrifying power was calling her—something she had faced every eclipse, something she could never resist.
She struggled, her body jerking again and again, but it was useless.
As she stepped outside, guards noticed her unusual behavior. News quickly reached Yanlong that Lingxi was heading out, and something was terribly wrong.
Yanlong immediately followed her—alone.
"Where is this girl going at night, especially during an eclipse?" he muttered as he followed.
Lingxi entered the forest.
Yanlong didn't had any idea about Lingxi's condition. He couldn't even imagine that she was not doing this willingly.
She was fighting it with everything she had, but her strength was not enough to resist the pull.
Unaware about all this scene Zeyan stood there within Night Valley.
His hands were held close to his chest in a composed position, his eyes shut in intense focus. A red light glowed from his palms as he searched for something—yet remained unable to grasp it.
In the dark valley, his face glowed faintly, his loose hair moving with the night wind.
Suddenly, something interrupted him.
Zeyan opened his eyes.
A small, white, glittering mist circled near him. He touched it with the tip of his finger, and the mist transformed into glowing letters in the air.
It was a message from Yanlong—about Lingxi.
Even while following her, Yanlong had managed to send it.
"What should be this, she was resting why in this condition she has gone outside!" Zeyan snapped.
He was already struggling there on finding that person related to the evil spirits as this work was important and the delay would be dangerous.
On the other side, Lingxi finally stopped.
She stood inside the forest, right before a deep lake. The water shimmered blue under the red moon, dark and endless.
Yanlong watched her from behind a tree, unable to understand why she had come here.
"What is going on in her mind?" he whispered, stepping closer.
Lingxi was breathing heavily. She stood there for a moment, staring into the lake, then—without hesitation—she jumped in.
Yanlong's eyes widened in shock.
He rushed to the edge, but Lingxi was nowhere to be seen on the surface.
"What is this girl trying to do?!" he snapped.
"What kind of madness is this?!"
He raised his hands, blue light flaring as he struck the air toward the water. His eyes closed as he focused, stepping back slightly.
"She's inside… but why can't I pull her out?" he muttered, frustrated.
Unaware that this was far more complicated than he imagined, Yanlong tried again—but failed.
"Master hasn't arrived yet… and this girl has no powers. What the hell is she doing in there?" he growled. "Is she playing any trick? Whatever it is I have to figure it out!"
With no other choice, Yanlong jumped into the lake himself.
He saw Lingxi beneath the surface—her eyes closed, her body completely unconscious.
He tried to reach her.
But the moment he tried to came close, an invisible force pushed him back.
No matter how hard he tried, even with all his power, Yanlong couldn't touch her—not even a finger.
It was looking like the water has bounded her body ,an invisible force was holding her inside the water, and at that place her aura became so strong that Yanlong was even not able to come near her.
Lingxi was just in front of his eyes but he couldn't help out , he can just watch her but not able to understand what actually is happening.
She remained there, deep under the water, unreachable.