"This looks like the courtyard of an ancient family!" Only after Little One entered did he realize something was amiss. A strange look crossed his face.
The courtyard had three sections. The rear courtyard was where the light-rain fell most heavily, and the moonlight poured down there from the sky. The Sacrificial Spirit was clearly there.
Little One crossed the place and saw that the buildings and everything else had collapsed and been buried beneath wild grass. Even the little stone arch bridge had broken and been covered by vines.
The more he looked, the more he felt this had once been the home of an ancient family.
At last, he approached the rear courtyard. His heart tensed. The essence energy no longer drained away here, but he was overcome by an inexplicable sense of reverence.
"Greetings, Sacrificial Spirit!" He called out while still a long way off, then entered the rear courtyard with careful steps.
"This is..." At last he saw it clearly. Shock shone in Little One's eyes; he found it almost unbelievable!
Endless light-rain poured down, filling the place with silver radiance and a peaceful, sacred aura. There stood a plant—the Sacrificial Spirit of Heaven Mending Pavilion. It was completely unlike what he had imagined. It was neither dazzling nor emerald green, but yellow and sickly, as though it were about to wither.
It was a Gourd Vine, crawling over a pile of stones. Its entire body was dull, without divine radiance—only withered yellow. It was not especially large, only five or six meters long, and its leaves were sparse, as if autumn had come and robbed it of its vitality.
A withered vine, with only a trace of life left. Yellow leaves covered its trellis, and even the light-rain pouring down from the heavens could not