Should They... Ask the Clan Chief?

Darkness.

Endless darkness, like being submerged at the very bottom of the deep sea. No light, no sound, no warmth.

Only consciousness drifted through the chaos, like a kite with its string cut, unable to find a direction or touch a boundary.

Jiang Bai felt that he should already be dead.

That excruciating pain—the tearing sensation of eight spider legs piercing through his body, the dull agony of his internal organs being shredded, the coldness of life draining away with his blood—had all been too real, far too real to be a nightmare.

The last thing he remembered was Bibi Dong's cold purple eyes and the kick that sent him into the river.

Then there was darkness. Eternal darkness.

But—why could he still think?

The dead were not supposed to have consciousness.

Could this be the world after death? A void of chaos?

He wanted to wake up, but he could not open his eyes no matter what.

Outside, beneath the waterfall.

This was a secluded river valley, flanked by steep cliffs. The riverbed was littered with massive boulders polished smooth by the current.

Last night's torrential rain had raised the water level considerably. The river ran swift and muddy, carrying broken branches and fallen leaves downstream.

Within a sheltered hollow in the rock wall, a figure lay quietly.

It was Jiang Bai.

The wounds on his body had stopped bleeding, but his face was still terrifyingly pale, and his breathing was so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

Beside him, three dragon beasts, each shrunk to the size of a child, huddled close together.

They had not returned to the tower's internal space. Instead, they remained outside in these low-consumption forms, constantly watching over their master's condition.

The Fire Dragon carefully rubbed its head against its master's cheek, letting out low, mournful whimpers from its throat.

Its crimson-gold dragon eyes were filled with anxiety and worry.

The Earth Dragon lay on Jiang Bai's other side, pressing its warm body tightly against its master's icy arm.

The Wind Dragon kept scanning the surroundings, wary of any potential threat.

Last night, when Jiang Bai had been kicked into the river, the three dragon beasts had burst out of his body at the same time. Seeing their master swept away by the current, they had pursued him without hesitation.

The Earth Dragon had caught up first, pulled Jiang Bai out, and carried him to shore.

They had brought Jiang Bai to this relatively dry cave, then kept watch over him through the night.

The next day, the sky gradually brightened.

The Fire Dragon gently nudged its master's face once more, but those tightly shut eyes still did not open.

"Roar—" It let out a suppressed growl.

The Wind Dragon lowered its head onto Jiang Bai's chest, carefully sensing that weak yet steady heartbeat.

After pondering for a moment, a trace of resolve flashed through its emerald eyes.

"I have an idea!"

"This place isn't far from the Star Dou Forest. I used to live there, so I'm fairly familiar with the area."

The Fire Dragon and Earth Dragon both turned to look at it.

"I know where to find Emerald Swans."

The Wind Dragon continued, "Their healing abilities are extremely powerful. If we can find them, perhaps—perhaps they can save our master."

Emerald Swans?

The Fire Dragon and Earth Dragon exchanged a glance, both seeing hope in the other's eyes.

They had clearly heard of the top-tier Soul Beast clans within the Star Dou Forest.

Emerald Swans were indeed famed for their powerful healing abilities. If they could gain their help—

"But," the Earth Dragon cautiously raised a question, "would Emerald Swans be willing to help a human? And—we're only thousand-year Soul Beasts. Would they—"

The Wind Dragon shook its head. "We can't worry about that now. Our master's wounds have been stabilized by some miraculous power, but they're too deep, and his internal organs are severely damaged. Natural recovery alone will be too slow, and the risk is too great. We have to try."

It paused, looking at Jiang Bai's pale face. A trace of determination seeped through its mental waves.

"Besides, our souls are closely linked to our master's. If he truly dies, we will vanish along with the Martial Soul and perish as well."

"And," the Wind Dragon added, a hint of relief in its voice, "our bodies are stable right now. There are no signs of us dissipating.

This means that although our master's soul is asleep, it has not perished. The core contract of the Martial Soul still exists."

"His current condition should not be the most critical kind—if the Emerald Swans cannot help, we will still have time to seek other solutions."

The three dragons reached an agreement and wasted no more time.

Their bodies rapidly expanded, returning from child-sized forms to the normal size of thousand-year Soul Beasts.

Although maintaining this state would continuously consume Soul Power, they could not afford to care about that if they wanted to travel quickly.

The Fire Dragon carefully lowered its head, gently gripping Jiang Bai's collar in its jaws and lifting him up before placing him softly onto the Earth Dragon's broad, flat back.

Earth-yellow light flowed around the Earth Dragon's body, condensing into a soft, cushion-like layer of energy across its back and securing Jiang Bai firmly in place.

The Wind Dragon was the first to spread its wings and take flight. Its azure figure shot like a streak of light toward a gap in the cliffs above. "Follow me!"

The Fire Dragon and Earth Dragon followed close behind.

The three dragon beasts carried their unconscious master toward the depths of the Star Dou Forest.

The terrain below constantly changed, gradually transitioning from mixed woodland into older, denser primeval forest.

Ancient trees towered overhead, blotting out the sky. A faint mist hung among the woods, and from time to time, chilling beast roars echoed in the distance.

They had already entered the region of the Star Dou Forest, where Soul Beasts could be found everywhere.

The three dragon beasts held their breath and carefully restrained their auras, avoiding unnecessary conflicts.

Time slowly passed as they flew.

The sun gradually rose, then slowly sank westward.

Just as dusk approached, the Wind Dragon suddenly slowed down, delight flashing in its eyes.

"There seem to be several Emerald Swans ahead!"

The Fire Dragon and Earth Dragon perked up and looked forward.

Through the gaps in the layered canopy, they could faintly make out a lake ahead.

The lake water was a dreamlike emerald green.

Its surface was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the evening glow in the sky and the silhouettes of ancient trees around it. It was so beautiful that it hardly seemed real.

On the shallow shore by the lake, several elegant figures could be seen.

They had long necks, snow-white feathers, and emerald-like green radiance along the edges of their wings. They were Emerald Swans!

"We're landing!" the Wind Dragon said in a low voice. "Approach slowly. Don't alarm them!"

The three dragons slowly descended and landed in an open area not far from the lakeshore.

The Earth Dragon carefully laid Jiang Bai flat on the soft grass, while the Fire Dragon and Wind Dragon vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.

Their arrival had already drawn the attention of the Emerald Swans.

The swans took flight from the lake's edge, gliding over gracefully before landing some distance away.

They warily watched the three unfamiliar dragon beasts and the unconscious human. Their long necks rose slightly as they gave clear, ringing cries, seemingly asking why they had come.

The Wind Dragon took a deep breath and stepped forward.

It displayed no aggressive posture. Instead, it lowered its head slightly and conveyed its message through the gentlest mental waves possible.

"We mean no harm. We have brought our grievously injured master here and humbly ask your clan for aid. We are willing to pay any price."

Its words were sincere, and its posture was exceedingly humble.

The Emerald Swans glanced at one another. One of them, an especially large swan with particularly rich emerald coloring along the edges of its wings, stepped forward several paces. Its clear eyes examined the unconscious Jiang Bai, then the three dragon beasts.

It spread its wings, and a beam of emerald-green light fell upon Jiang Bai.

When the light faded, Jiang Bai's wounds had stopped seeping blood, but the sinister corrosive power of Eternal Trauma still remained.

Seeing this, the large swan scratched its head with its right wing and exchanged glances with the other swans.

Should they... ask the clan chief?