On the third day after returning to Shrek, Cao Longyan's eyelashes finally fluttered a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes. The familiar ceiling came into view. A faint yet familiar fragrance touched his nose, and the even, gentle sound of breathing reached his ears.
His whole body was weak and sore; he didn't even have the strength to lift a hand. All he could do was slowly turn his head toward the direction of the breathing.
Zhang Lexuan was lying beside his bed, her hair mussed and clinging to her cheeks. Dark circles had formed around her eyes.
Her hand still gripped his wrist tightly, her fingertips faintly cool.
Cao Longyan squeezed his eyes shut, his brows drawn together, and raised his other hand to his head.
His mind was a blank. His only memory was of that all-out slash in the valley.
His heart full of confusion and unease, Cao Longyan closed his eyes again. Focusing the last trace of his mental power, he slowly entered his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness.
The Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, once bright and warm, was now shrouded in darkness. The fireball that had radiated scorching light had grown dim and dull.
The space that had once bustled with Guardian Spirits now lay empty and desolate. Only Sky Dream Ice Silkworm remained, all alone.
"Xu Chu? Dian Wei? Xiahou Dun? Xiahou Yuan? Scarlet King?"
Cao Longyan called softly within his sea of consciousness, his voice carrying a faint, barely perceptible tremble. He carefully sensed every corner of his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, trying to catch the five familiar auras. But no matter how he searched, he found nothing but Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's presence...
"My lord, stop looking. Xu Chu and Dian Wei sacrificed themselves. The others have all fallen into a deep sleep."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hurried to Cao Longyan's side.
"Sacrificed themselves? Fallen asleep?"
Cao Longyan's spirit jolted, his voice full of disbelief.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent for a moment, then told Cao Longyan everything that had happened in the valley, without leaving anything out.
Except for the part about them calling Zhang Lexuan their madam.
With every sentence, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice grew heavier, and Cao Longyan's body grew stiffer.
No... No, it couldn't be...
They were so strong. How could this happen?!
He could no longer keep calm. He left his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness at once and, heedless of his weakness and exhaustion, forced himself upright through sheer determination.
The commotion was so great that he accidentally woke Zhang Lexuan, who was beside the bed.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes flew open. When she saw Cao Longyan awake, joy and excitement flashed through her eyes. She quickly rose, her voice hoarse with sleep.
"Longyan, you're awake? How do you feel? Does anything hurt? You..."
But Cao Longyan acted as though he hadn't heard her. His eyes were vacant and dull, his face expressionless. He simply threw off the covers, got out of bed, and leaned against the wall as he slowly made his way outside, his steps heavy and numb.
Seeing that Cao Longyan could barely stand, Zhang Lexuan hurried forward to support him, her voice urgent.
"Longyan, you haven't recovered yet. Don't move around. Get back into bed and rest!"
But the moment her hand touched Cao Longyan's arm, he abruptly knocked it away.
Cao Longyan didn't look back or say a word. His eyes only grew duller.
Zhang Lexuan saw the desolation and grief in his eyes—something she had never seen before, not even during the half year he'd been stuck at level twenty-nine. The unfamiliar sight made her swallow the words that had been on the tip of her tongue.
She watched his lonely, frail back, her eyes instantly growing wet. All she could do was follow silently behind him, afraid to disturb him again.
She knew he must have found out...
Leaning against the wall, Cao Longyan made his way out of his room, step by step. When he opened the door, he saw Mu En, Xuan Zi, and Bei Bei standing not far away.
The three wore complicated expressions, their eyes full of concern and heartache. Clearly, they had been waiting there for a long time.
After all, some things couldn't be kept secret...
Xuan Zi and Bei Bei instinctively wanted to approach and say something to comfort him. But as soon as they took a step, Mu En gently stopped them.
Mu En shook his head slightly and sent the two a voice transmission.
"Let Xiaoyan walk on his own. He needs space, and he needs time to get through this himself."
At his words, Xuan Zi and Bei Bei could only sigh and stop, watching Cao Longyan from a distance, their eyes full of concern.
But there was one thing Mu En hadn't said. Even if Cao Longyan couldn't recover, he had a way... It would only cost him his life...
Cao Longyan walked past the three of them, numb and silent, his gaze empty. He didn't stop, but continued down the stairs of Sea God Pavilion, one step at a time.
By the time he reached the first-floor hall, it was already filled with people.
Li Meng, Su Qingyue, Zhao Rui, and the other members of the Inspection Group, along with all the elders of Sea God Pavilion, watched him with solemn expressions. Their eyes held guilt, concern, and worry, yet none of them dared speak.
When they saw Cao Longyan come down, they started to approach, wanting to say something. But his drooping eyes swept over them, his desolate gaze so heartbreaking that they stopped.
Then he looked away and lightly waved a hand. He didn't look at anyone again, heading straight out of Sea God Pavilion.
Outside Sea God Pavilion, the warm sunlight fell across his body, but he couldn't feel its warmth at all.
Just then, a faint glow suddenly appeared around his right hand, and the Ten Halls of Yama Martial Soul slowly emerged.
Its purple-gold exterior had grown dull, and the golden dragon patterns that had once encircled it had vanished. There wasn't even the faintest trace of Soul Power. Its four Soul Rings, too, had turned into phantom images and completely disappeared.
The Ten Halls of Yama was now truly no different from an ordinary staff.
Mu En, Xuan Zi, Zhang Lexuan, and the others following behind him saw this. Their feelings grew unbearably complicated, and they all stopped in silence.
Cao Longyan looked down at the Ten Halls of Yama in his hand, its radiance gone. His body trembled uncontrollably. He knew Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had told the truth. They might really never come back...
He slowly raised his head to gaze at the sky, calling out the Guardian Spirits' names one by one.
"Xu Chu... Dian Wei... Xiahou Dun... Xiahou Yuan... Scarlet King..."
His voice trembled more and more, growing hoarse until, at last, it became a heart-rending cry. Every name carried grief and despair that cut to the bone.
"Xu Chu, Dian Wei, didn't you say you'd always stay by my side and protect me? Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, didn't you say you wanted to see me become a king? Scarlet King, didn't you still want to become the Dragon King?"
At last, he could bear it no longer. His knees buckled, and he dropped heavily to the ground. The Ten Halls of Yama fell from his hand. He clutched his head with both hands and broke into sobs.
"You broke your promise..."
His despairing cries echoed across the plaza outside Sea God Pavilion, stabbing at everyone's heart and bringing tears to their eyes.
Just then, Zhang Lexuan could no longer hold back. She rushed out from the crowd, disregarding everyone's stares, and tightly embraced Cao Longyan as he knelt on the ground. She cradled his head against her chest, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes and dripping onto his hair.
"Longyan..."
Zhang Lexuan's voice choked, but she still tried to sound gentle as she softly stroked his back and comforted him.
"They may not have left you. Maybe they're just tired, and have only fallen asleep for a little while... What they want is for you to live well, to grow stronger, and to awaken them one day!"
Cao Longyan leaned against her, his sobs growing even more wrenching. All his guilt, grief, and despair burst forth at that moment.
Zhang Lexuan said nothing. She simply held him tightly, patting his back softly again and again, using her own warmth to comfort his cold, despairing heart.
Just as Cao Longyan was nearly crying himself unconscious, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice suddenly rang out in his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, carrying a faint but resolute glimmer of hope.
"My lord, I... I might have a way..."
A black-and-white figure gradually took shape in Cao Longyan's Spiritual Sea of Consciousness.
"Longyan, I can give it a try too..."
Before you continue