Only after a full hour did White Fox withdraw her tail.
Little Crane's eyes were still closed.
No one spoke. They all knew Little Crane was absorbing the information White Fox had passed to her.
Three hours later, Little Crane slowly opened her eyes.
White Fox asked her, "Well? Did you remember it all?"
Little Crane nodded. "Some parts are blurry, as if some power is blocking them."
"That's the barrier around each node's trial," White Fox said. "Only when you reach a node yourself and pass its trial will the barrier lift, allowing you to see the next stretch of the path. It's a safeguard to keep the map from leaking."
She raised a forepaw and tapped the Void. A beam of white light shot into Little Crane's brow.
"This is the information I've recorded over the years while guarding this path: which nodes have natural dangers, where you're likely to encounter Patrol Teams, and which trials need special attention. I can't help you pass the trials, but at least I can spare you a few wrong turns."
Little Crane closed her eyes and absorbed the information.
A moment later, she opened them, their silver glow brighter than before. "I understand. Thank you, Senior."
White Fox nodded, her body growing translucent. "Then I'll wait for you at the next node. Remember, once you pass a node's trial, don't linger. Every node has a time limit. Exceed it, and you'll be forcibly sent back to the starting point."
With that, she vanished completely from the tunnel.
Little Crane said to Fang Chen, "Master, the information Senior White Fox gave me is very useful. The next node is about three thousand star regions away. We'll have to cross a Law Mire on the way. It's dangerous, but there's a safe route