Rebirth from Embers

Gold light, like the dawn, pierced through the rubble, casting dappled shadows on the ruins. *Lan, Lan · Wen · Xue! ? Chase, Zui, Xin? Cockroach, Jie _ Star Radiance staggered towards the light source, his old hands trembling as he pushed aside the debris, revealing the scene below--

Ning Xiaochuan, Su Linger, and the Sacred Spirit Dragon lay quietly in the center of the ruined formation, all three holding hands, encased in a golden-blue cocoon as thin as a cicada's wing. Their faces were as pale as paper, but their chests still rose and fell faintly.

"They're alive!" Star Radiance cried with joy, immediately calling to the other elders, "Quick! The Sacred Source Spring!"

When the three were carefully carried to the side of the only remaining half-pool of the Sacred Source Spring, the entire Sacred Source Land was in an uproar. The annihilation of the Lava Behemoth and the World Devourers' army, the closing of the portal—all of it had saved this land like a miracle.

The spring water sensed their presence and rippled automatically, its gentle light coiling around their bodies like ribbons. Star Radiance and the elders sat in a circle, chanting ancient healing incantations.

"Can they be saved?" the youngest elder whispered.

Star Radiance didn't answer, only increasing the power of his incantation. The spring water's glow intensified, eventually engulfing the three completely.

Darkness. That familiar darkness again.

Ning Xiaochuan felt himself floating in the void, his consciousness sometimes clear, sometimes hazy. Occasionally, he could hear sounds from the outside, as if through a thick frosted glass.

"Life force is failing..."

"The Primal Covenant is maintaining the last thread of connection..."

"It's been three days. If they don't wake up soon..."

The voices were intermittent, fading away. Ning Xiaochuan wanted to shout but couldn't make a sound; he wanted to move but couldn't feel his limbs.

After an unknown amount of time, a warmth suddenly seeped into the darkness. It felt like sunlight, or... Su Linger's hand?

"Ning Xiaochuan..." Her voice echoed directly in his mind, "Can you hear me?"

"Ling'er?" he "thought" with effort, "Where are you?"

"Right beside you. Tremble. Mian Fei Yue, you..." Her voice held a smile, "We're all in the Sacred Source Spring. The little one is here too, and it's very worried about you."

Only then did Ning Xiaochuan notice the third presence—the Sacred Spirit Dragon's mental fluctuations, like a small, warm flame, flickering between him and Su Linger.

"We... succeeded?" he recalled the final scene.

"Mm." Su Linger's voice softened, "The King of World Devourers was driven back, and the portal was closed."

"The cost?"

A moment of silence.

"Our bodies were almost burned by the purification energy," Su Linger finally replied. "The Primal Covenant kept our souls from dissipating, but..."

She didn't finish, but Ning Xiaochuan understood. They were on the brink of death, and could perish at any moment.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

"A little," Su Linger admitted. "But being with you makes it less scary."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon also sent a wave of firm emotional fluctuations, as if saying, "Me too."

The warmth grew stronger, and the darkness began to recede. Ning Xiaochuan felt a light shine on his "eyelids," and he strained to "open his eyes"—

The dazzling light made him close them immediately, but it was enough to make out the surrounding shapes. They were indeed soaking in the Sacred Source Spring, which was now almost depleted, most of its energy used to sustain their lives.

On his second attempt, he managed to open his eyes. His vision blurred for a while before focusing, and he saw Su Linger lying to his right, and the Sacred Spirit Dragon curled up between them, both still with their eyes closed.

"Ling'er..." he rasped, his voice like sandpaper scraping. -Idi, Shu¨Cheng_ ′Geng+Xin. ZuiHui+

Su Linger's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Ning Xiaochuan, her silver-gray eyes instantly welled up with tears. "You... woke up first..."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon was also awakened by the commotion. With a "gugu" sound, it pounced onto Ning Xiaochuan's face, its little tongue constantly licking his cheek.

"Little guy... stop it..." Ning Xiaochuan smiled weakly, reaching out to pet it, only to find his arm covered in golden patterns, like cracks stitched with golden thread.

Su Linger also noticed the changes on her own body. "What is this..."

"Traces of life force exhaustion," Star Radiance's voice came from the edge of the pool. The old man looked ten years older, but his eyes were filled with joy. "The Sacred Source Spring has reshaped your bodies, but these patterns may take a long time to fade."

He helped the three to sit up slowly. Ning Xiaochuan then realized that the entire Sacred Source Tower was gone, replaced by ruins. Only this half-pool of spring water and the formation had miraculously survived.

"The others?" Ning Xiaochuan asked urgently.

"All safe," Star Radiance reassured him. "Most people evacuated before the tower collapsed."

"The World Devourers?"

"All purified." A flicker of reverence crossed Star Radiance's eyes. "The energy you released swept across the entire Sacred Source Land, cleansing all darkness."

Ning Xiaochuan let out a long sigh, immediately followed by a wave of sharp pain. He looked down to see a gruesome wound on his chest, slowly healing.

"Don't rush," Star Radiance handed him a cup of fragrant liquid. "Take your time. Your bodies need time to adapt."

The liquid went down his throat, nourishing every inch of his parched meridians like sweet dew. Ning Xiaochuan felt strength slowly returning, but it was still far from a full recovery.

Su Linger was slightly better, at least able to sit up steadily on her own. She carefully checked the Sacred Spirit Dragon's injuries. The little creature's scales had lost their usual luster, and its four wings drooped, but its spirits were still good.

"How long has it been?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"Seven days," Star Radiance replied. "The seventh day after the Night of the Blood-Soaked Double Moons."

Seven days... Ning Xiaochuan recalled that earth-shattering battle, still feeling a lingering fear. They had almost vanished forever.

"Shadow Valley? Lava Rift?"

"All purification is complete." Star Radiance pointed north, "The portal is completely shut, and both nodes have been destroyed. The pollution in the Silent Forest is receding, and the Lava Behemoth's remains have cooled."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded and tried to stand up. His legs felt like noodles, and he almost fell, but Star Radiance caught him just in time.

"I told you, take it slow," the elder chided. "Your current state is more fragile than a newborn's."

Indeed, Ning Xiaochuan felt like a porcelain doll, liable to shatter at any moment. Su Linger's attempt to stand resulted in the same outcome; she could only remain seated.

"What do we do next?" she asked.

Star Radiance's expression turned serious. "First, you need to recover completely. Then..." He hesitated, "The King of World Devourers was repelled, but not destroyed. It will return sooner or later."

Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger exchanged a glance, seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

"We will be ready," Ning Xiaochuan said.

"Before that," Star Radiance clapped his hands, and several attendants brought clean clothes and food. "Fill your stomachs first, then go meet your people."

"People?"

"The people of the Sacred Source Land call you 'Messengers of Light,' heroes who returned from the brink of death," Star Radiance smiled. "They prayed day and night, contributing their Source Qi to your recovery."

Ning Xiaochuan's heart warmed. These strangers, whom they had never met, loved them so dearly.

After a simple meal, the three were settled in a makeshift tent. Though rudimentary, it was comfortable enough. The Sacred Spirit Dragon immediately curled up between Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger, letting out a contented yawn.

"It's exhausted," Su Linger gently stroked the little dragon's scales. "The little one bore the brunt of the purification energy."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded, recalling the feeling during the fusion. "Without the Primal Covenant, the three of us would already be..."

"But we are here," Su Linger clasped his hand. "And we will always be together."

Their fingers intertwined, golden patterns glowing faintly where they touched. Ning Xiaochuan suddenly realized these patterns were not just scars, but proof of their souls being connected.

"Star Radiance said these patterns might never disappear," he said softly.

Su Linger smiled. "That's good, like a medal of honor."

Cheers erupted from outside the tent, as if someone had discovered they had awakened. Ning Xiaochuan suddenly thought of a question: "What about the Open Source Continent?"

"I sent Yun Yi to scout," Star Radiance answered from outside the tent. "Word is the Black Tide has collapsed, but Han Li's whereabouts remain unknown."

Ning Xiaochuan frowned. As long as a scourge like Han Li was alive, he would always be a threat. But for now, they needed to regain their strength.

"Sleep," Su Linger seemed to sense his fatigue. "Worry about that tomorrow."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded, lay down, and closed his eyes. The Sacred Spirit Dragon was already asleep, emitting soft snores. Su Linger's hand still held his, warm and reassuring.

In the last moment before drifting into slumber, Ning Xiaochuan vaguely heard a voice echo in his mind:

"Son of Sacred Source... this is just the beginning..."

He jolted awake, only to find the tent silent, save for the three of them breathing. Was it a hallucination? Or...

With this question, he closed his eyes again. No matter what, tomorrow was another day.