Their preparations were indeed thorough, but there was one exception
Qin Wangchuan paused the simulation, and a seemingly minor but extremely important detail surfaced.
"As of now, 'I' have not appeared."
"The reason is that they are from Alien Race?"
"The Alien Race knew I was coming, and then they prepared something in advance that caused me to get entangled."
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable this explanation seemed.
Lv Yingxin had previously stated that, with her intervention, the Alien Race would not attack her in the short term.
Even so, they still managed to find him and had the ability to entangle him.
"Xuanye?"
"She really is troublesome."
With just a seemingly unrelated sentence, Qin Wangchuan deduced Xuanye's existence.
By now, we have gathered almost all the intelligence we need.
But sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood, so he refocused his attention on the system panel.
[Simulation continues]
[Day 58 of entering the Secret Realm]
[The seal surrounding the Sacred Relic has been lifted.]
[But the dragon egg is sealed in its slumber, needing to be awakened by its destined one.]
[Although you explicitly refused to enter the dragon egg, you still agreed to their final request—to use the special resonance between you and the dragon egg as a catalyst to help remove this final barrier.]
[Day 59 of entering the Secret Realm]
The ceremony to awaken the dragon egg is complete and is scheduled to take place tomorrow.
[At the same time, that day will also be the day you leave the Ancient Dragon Minor Realm and return to the Azure Cloud Sect.]
Surprisingly, Long Yue didn't try to dissuade her this time; instead, she remained unusually calm.
[This, on the contrary, makes you feel a strong sense of unease and a touch of... loss.]
"No one's destiny is to serve another person; you have better options," you couldn't help but say to her again.
However, Long Yue's response was as calm and resolute as ever. "You're wrong."
"Everything I've done isn't for any one person, but for the True Dragon Clan."
"With the arrival of this Great Era, the True Dragon Clan is like a fledgling bird that has just shed its wings, precariously vulnerable in the face of adversity. To guide the destiny of Heaven and serve the Ancestral Dragon is my duty as the Master of Fate Warden, my destiny, and also... the atonement for our lineage."
Qin Wangchuan nodded slightly upon seeing this.
"Sacrificing herself for her people, Long Yue... she's quite a pure person."
"Focusing on one thing at a time, without distraction. Such goal-oriented executors would be a great asset if they could be put to my use."
[During the conversation, you learn that there are many lineages within the True Dragon Clan, and Long Yue comes from the Heavenly Directorate Lineage.]
This lineage regards the Fate Warden as the highest honor and divine duty, passing it down through generations.
[But in a distant era, the current Fate Warden of destiny committed a colossal error, causing the loss of the clan's Sacred Relic and plunging the entire clan into an eternal predicament and catastrophe.]
"So, this is also a form of atonement, a way to wash away the shame left by our ancestors." Long Yue's voice was soft, yet every word was heavy.
[Listen, look at this woman before you, who bears the heavy burden of her people's fate and history, yet remains beautiful and resilient. A stronger sense of heartache and pity wells up within you.]
The words "I'll stay" almost slipped out.
But you held back.
[While the past month together has undoubtedly been exciting, you can clearly distinguish between the ten years of warmth and belonging you've shared with the Azure Cloud Sect.]
[But... the resentment and lingering affection in my heart grew wildly like weeds.]
"I... will come back to see you someday," you said softly but firmly to her retreating figure.
"Mmm," she responded softly, her tone completely indifferent.
[Day 60 of entering the Secret Realm]
Today marks the final breaking of the seal on the dragon egg.
[This is also the day you bid farewell to the True Dragon and return to an ordinary life.]
[You rise early and, as required by the ritual, go alone to a Spirit Spring Pool used for purification.]
[The pool water was filled with Spiritual Qi, and the surroundings were quiet and deserted.]
[In the enormous pool, only your reflection remains.]
[You scoop up the clear spring water, your thoughts wandering, a mixture of relief at being freed from the call, reluctance to leave, and a touch of uncertainty about the future.]
Just then, you heard light footsteps behind you.
[You turn around and exclaim in surprise, "Eldest Brother Long Yu? What are you doing here?"]
[Long Yu's complexion has fully recovered, but there seems to be a complex emotion hidden deep in her eyes that you cannot understand.]
["I'm leaving soon, and my mind is a bit unsettled. I thought I'd come and talk to you." Long Yu walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and looked at your reflection in the water.]
"I'm a little nervous too," you confessed, a childlike smile on your face. "These past two months have felt like a bizarre dream. Now the dream is ending."
[Long Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Long Yin, do you regret coming here?"]
[You paused for a moment, then shook your head: "No regrets. Although it was a bit troublesome, I also met many different people and experienced many different things. Most importantly, I met you, Eldest Brother Long Yu, and... Long Yue."]
[Your voice lowered when you spoke of Long Yue.]
She's really beautiful and has a great personality; I might never meet someone like her again.
[Thinking, you suddenly remembered a question: "By the way, Eldest Brother Long Yu, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."]
["What?"]
["What exactly are you doing here in this Ancient Dragon Minor Realm?" you ask innocently.]
"Take the dragon egg."
"To get the dragon egg?"
"Isn't that Sacred Relic? How can it be taken away??"
[You haven't grasped the meaning behind his words yet; a sudden change occurs!]
[Long Yu's hand moved with lightning speed, her five fingers coming together, the tips instantly covered with a layer of sharp, bird-beak-like blue light, and with a speed you couldn't even react to, it pierced your chest!]
[Pfft!]
[The excruciating pain overwhelmed you instantly!]
"Long... Yu... Eldest Brother?" A metallic taste rose in your throat as you struggled to utter the words, your eyes filled with shock and confusion.
[The next moment, Long Yu twisted her wrist and pulled it outwards sharply!]
[A heart that was still faintly beating was forcibly ripped from your chest cavity by him!]
[Then, he sealed his heart away and put it in his sleeve.]
[You could no longer hold on and fell backward into the Spirit Spring Pool. The icy water quickly submerged your mouth and nose, carrying a strong stench of blood.]
[Life force is flowing away like a flood breaking through a dam.]
Your last gaze, blurry, lingered on the indifferent figure looking down at you from the poolside.
"Look at your eyes."
[Long Yu's voice was icy cold, devoid of any warmth, "The eyes of a fledgling who knows nothing... What a waste of such fine bloodline."]
After saying that, he turned around without hesitation, strode away, and didn't look at you again.
[Your body slowly sinks into the pool, and your vision grows increasingly dark.]
[Until the very end, you still stared wide-eyed in the direction he had left, your heart filled not with hatred, but with a bewilderment you could never comprehend until your death--]
[Why?]
Why did Eldest Brother Long Yu attack me?
[In the last moment before your consciousness faded, you saw Long Yu's aura begin to rise, and a dragon shadow appeared behind her.]
[However, interspersed within that perfectly formed Dragon Form were several eerie peacock feathers.]
[Peacock... the Heavenly Peacock Clan?!]
[The instant this thought arose, an eye suddenly opened on one of the feathers.]
[Your consciousness was completely extinguished in that single glance.]
You are dead.
(The place feels so deserted, let's get some people here to warm things up:)