Handling It Alone, Sudden Change

Zi Yan's eyes were tightly shut, her long lashes trembling faintly against her eyelids.

Her breathing was exceedingly weak, almost imperceptible. She sat cross-legged in silence atop the altar, like a jade statue that had lost its luster, or as though she had sunk into an incomparably deep nightmare from which she could not be awakened. She seemed utterly unaware of all the commotion and energy fluctuations outside, having already fallen into slumber.

From her current state alone, it was clear that she was in far from good condition. Although the energy spilling from her body appeared vast and powerful, she could not make use of it. Instead, it was like an illusory mist enveloping her.

Even though Xiao Ling had long anticipated Zi Yan's current condition and had been mentally prepared for it, seeing her so frail with his own eyes, as though she might fail to hold on at any moment, still made his heart tighten painfully, as if an invisible hand had fiercely clenched it.

Suppressing the bitterness and worry in his heart, he slowly turned and looked toward First Elder Qing Shan beside him, whose aura was steady. His voice carried an imperceptible gravity. "First Elder, could you tell me in greater detail about Zi Yan's exact condition? What exactly caused this outcome? Elder Zhu Li did not explain it to me in detail before. Now that things have come to this, I think I should be allowed to understand it clearly, shouldn't I?"

Hearing this, First Elder Qing Shan let out a long sigh, his face revealing a trace of helplessness and solemnity.

He slowly said, "The development of this matter was actually beyond our expectations as well."

He paused, gazing at Zi Yan atop the altar before continuing, "To tell the truth, this old