Night fell, and Dragon Island took on a different face.
A river of stars stretched across the sky, starlight pouring down and shrouding the entire island in silvery white.
The mountain wind blew in from the sea, carrying the scent of grass, trees, and earth. The occasional dragon roar or beast cry echoed in the distance, yet it held no hint of danger. Instead, it made the night seem even quieter.
Fluorescent lights bobbed up and down in the forest, tiny nocturnal insects flickering in and out of view.
In the direction of the Heaven-reaching Divine Tree, a group was climbing up its steep trunk.
Xiao Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked up at the treetop vanishing into the clouds, gritted his teeth, and continued upward.
Three ghastly white skeletons followed behind him, inching up along the folds of bark with uneven steps, their bone joints clacking loudly.
The one truly leading the way was a snow-white little beast.
It was barely half a foot long, with the traits of both a tiger and a lion, yet far more beautiful than either.
Its soft, fluffy white fur gave off a faint glow, while its gemstone-like eyes shone especially brightly in the night.
Every so often, it turned back and chirped, pointing forward with its little paw to urge Xiao Chen onward.
"Stop rushing me. You have four legs, I have two. How can we be the same?" Xiao Chen complained between breaths.
Keke tilted his head, gave another "Yiya," and continued hopping ahead.
The three skeletons followed behind. One of them opened and shut its jawbone, producing a clacking sound.
"What are you laughing at?" Xiao Chen glared back at it.
The skeleton immediately shut its mouth and put on the appearance of seriously climbing the tree.
After