Why Not... Ask the Clan Chief?

Darkness.

Boundless darkness, like sinking to the deepest floor of the sea—no light, no sound, no warmth.

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

Jiang Bai felt that he should already be dead.

The searing pain, the tearing sensation of eight spider legs piercing his body, the dull agony of his organs being shredded, the chill of life draining away with his blood—it had all been too real, too real to be merely a nightmare.

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

Then came darkness, eternal darkness.

But—why could he still think?

The dead should not have consciousness.

Was this the world after death? A void of chaos?

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

Outside, beneath the waterfall.

This was a secluded river valley, flanked by steep rock walls, its riverbed scattered with massive boulders polished smooth by the current.

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

In 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 frighteningly pale, and his breathing was so faint that it was nearly imperceptible.

Beside him, three dragon beasts, shrunk to the size of children, huddled close together.

They had not returned to the tower's internal space. Instead, they remained outside in this low-consumption form, watching over their master's condition at all times.

The Eldest, the Fire Dragon, cautiously rubbed its head against its master's cheek, letting out a low, mournful whine from its throat.

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

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

The Third, the Wind Dragon, continually swept its gaze across the surroundings, wary of any threat that might appear.

Last night, when Jiang Bai had been kicked into the river, all three dragon beasts had rushed out of his body at once. Watching their master's body get swept away by the current, they had pursued him without hesitation.

The Earth Dragon was the first to catch up. It scooped up Jiang Bai and brought him ashore.

They had taken Jiang Bai to this relatively dry rock cave and guarded him there through the night.

The next day, the sky gradually brightened.

The Fire Dragon gently nudged its master's face again, 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 his faint but steady heartbeat.

After pondering for a moment, determination flashed through its azure-green eyes.

"I have an idea!"

"This place is not far from Star Dou Forest. I used to live in Star Dou Forest, so I know this area fairly well."

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 Star Dou Forest.

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

"But," the Earth Dragon cautiously raised a concern, "would Emerald Swans be willing to help a human? And—we are only Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Would they—"

The Wind Dragon shook its head. "We cannot worry about that now. Although our master's injuries have been stabilized by some mysterious force, his wounds are too deep, and his internal organs are badly damaged. Natural recovery alone would 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 resolve showing through its spiritual fluctuations.

"Besides, our souls are closely bound to our master's. If our master truly dies, we will also vanish along with the Martial Soul."

"And," the Wind Dragon added, with a hint of relief in its tone, "our bodies are stable now, with no signs of 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 condition should not be the most critical kind—if the Emerald Swans cannot help, we still have time to seek other methods."

The three dragons reached a consensus and wasted no more time.

Their bodies rapidly expanded, returning from the size of children 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 faster.

The Fire Dragon carefully lowered its head, gently grasped Jiang Bai by the collar with its jaws, lifted his entire body, then carefully placed him onto the Earth Dragon's broad, flat back.

Earth-yellow light flowed around the Earth Dragon's body, gathering on its back into a soft, cushion-like layer of energy that firmly secured Jiang Bai in place.

The Wind Dragon took flight first. Its azure figure shot like a streak of light toward the gap high in the rock wall. "Follow me!"

The Fire Dragon and Earth Dragon followed close behind.

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

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

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky. A faint mist filled the woods, and from time to time, chilling beast roars echoed in the distance.

They had already entered Star Dou Forest territory, where soul beasts could be found everywhere.

The three dragon beasts held their breath and focused, concealing their auras as much as possible to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Time slowly passed in flight.

The sun gradually climbed higher, then gradually sank westward.

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

"There seem to be several Emerald Swans ahead!"

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

Through the gaps in the overlapping canopy, a lake could vaguely be seen in the distance.

Its waters were a dreamlike emerald green.

The lake's surface was still as a mirror, reflecting the evening glow and the silhouettes of ancient trees around it. It was so beautiful that it hardly seemed real.

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

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

"We're landing!" the Wind Dragon said in a lowered voice. "Approach slowly. Do not startle them!"

The three dragons gradually descended and landed in a clearing not far from the lakeshore.

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

Their arrival had already drawn the Emerald Swans' attention.

The swans took off from the lakeside, gliding elegantly over before landing some distance away.

They warily watched the three unfamiliar dragon beasts and the unconscious human. Their long necks lifted 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 slightly lowered its head and conveyed its message through the gentlest spiritual fluctuations.

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

It spoke sincerely and humbled itself greatly.

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

Then it spread its wings, and a stream of emerald-green light fell upon Jiang Bai.

When the light faded, Jiang Bai's wounds were no longer bleeding, but the sinister corruption of Eternal Trauma still remained.

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

Why not... ask the clan chief?