Xi Xiu did not want to say too much about the future at a time like this. Let time decide what came later.
The night was quiet. She looked up at the starry sky. On clear days, Suxida's night sky was exceptionally beautiful.
Unlike seeing planets while out in space, all she could see now was the shimmering light of stars, just like in Xi Xiu's memories from long ago.
That tranquil sight of countless stars scattered across a black curtain was a world in itself.
A distant scene surfaced before her eyes. Xi Xiu thought about everything that had happened since arriving in Jingsu, the people she had met. It had all been so wondrous.
Some things might truly have been destined.
The room was quiet. A Xian did not speak again either, merely watching the stars like Xi Xiu.
After emptying her mind, she practiced the mnemonic Xi Xiu had given her.
Xi Xiu was doing the same.
Very soon, the two currents of Mental Power in the room reached their peak. Mental Power should have been something where the stronger prevailed when opponents met on a narrow path, yet after colliding once, theirs settled into peace and each returned home.
A tranquil, gentle smile appeared at the corner of Xi Xiu's lips before she drifted into sleep.
Mental Power wrapped around her, as though carefully protecting an infant.
A Xian was the same. She lay in her cradle as if someone were humming a soft, comforting lullaby. Inside the room were children who had fallen asleep.
Early the next morning, Xi Xiu opened her eyes promptly at five. A few stars were still occasionally blinking in the sky above.
The gray-blue sky had yet to see the sun rise. No light had pierced the clouds. Only