[The Hollow Silence]
The black mist closed, swallowing the last of Gu Xingyu's shadow. The Sanctuary fell into a silence so heavy it felt like stone. The Five Yao stood wounded and bleeding, while Si Moheng stared at the void with eyes of madness.
Luo Ye's hands trembled, trying to reignite his rings, but only ash remained. "Xingyu... I didn't even get to hear you say 'wait for me' before you left?"
Cang Yuan wiped the blood from his face, a bitter, hollow smile on his lips. "She said I was in her heart... then she left so easily?"
Sang Qi clutched his silver needles, his voice cracking. "Who's going to listen to my gossip now?"
Lin Lie squeezed the ash of his talons. "I promised... but I never wanted to agree to this."
Li Yan stood like an iron pillar, his broken shield still in hand. He said nothing, but his gaze held a lethal vow: Wherever she is, I will tear her back with my bare hands.
Lin Lie was the first to speak, his voice rasping. "Let's go. She wants us back at the Capital. We live... and we wait for her."
One by one, they turned away, carving her name into their hearts. Si Moheng was the last to leave, his footsteps heavy with a murderous aura. He didn't look back; he only focused on the fading warmth on his fingertips—the last trace of her. If you dare to stay with them, Xingyu... I will burn this world to find you.
[The City of Eternal Night]
Gu Xingyu followed the four generals into the Rift-曜 Underworld. Unlike the brilliance of the Yao-Capital, this was a land of graves and iron. The city walls bled ghost-fire, and the air hummed with the whispers of the dead.
She pressed her hands against her chest, feeling the Heart of the Yao-Spirit—now a small, pulsating crystal—beating against her own heart. It was the only light in this world of darkness.
[The Denial of a Father]
In the Great Hall, the four generals knelt before Hades You Nian.
"Emperor!" Tu Tan roared. "We have brought back the Saintess! She has the Crimson Pupils—the mark of your blood!"
"She is your daughter!" Lian Yu croaked, his bone-staff striking the floor.
But You Nian sat motionless on his obsidian throne, his red eyes cold. "My daughter?" he said, his voice a deep, chilling rumble. "My daughter was taken years ago. She is dead or lost. This woman... is likely just a distant descendant of the Crimson line who fell into another world."
His denial was like a blade of ice. "Do not be blinded by illusions," he commanded.
Xingyu stood frozen in the center of the hall. Am I not his daughter? Am I just a stranger with the same curse in my eyes?
[The Mother's Hope]
In the side palace, Wan Luo heard the rumors. Her heart raced with terror. The Crimson Pupils... the girl from the vortex? She couldn't let the truth out, but she needed to see for herself.
She approached Qing Fei, who was staring out the window with hollow eyes. "Sister," Wan Luo whispered, "I heard the generals brought back a girl. They say she might be your daughter."
Qing Fei's entire body shuddered. "My daughter?"
"Go to the Hall," Wan Luo urged, her eyes gleaming with hidden intent. "Even if it's just a possibility, you must see her."
Qing Fei didn't hesitate. She rushed toward the Great Hall, driven by a decade of grief and a flicker of impossible hope. Behind her, Wan Luo followed, her face a mask of concern, but her mind a whirlpool of fear. If it is her... I must make sure she never speaks.