Bright Canyon!

Bright Canyon in Sunset Forest lay roughly half a day's journey southwest of the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.

The three advanced along the winding path through the forest. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy overhead, breaking into scattered patches of light that shifted continuously across the ground.

The farther they traveled in that direction, the more subtly the air changed. The damp scent of grass and trees gradually faded, replaced by a drier, clearer quality, like the lingering aftermath of sunlight slowly evaporating the moisture from the air over a long period.

The types of trees on either side changed as well. Tall broadleaf trees grew fewer, replaced by species with thinner trunks and sparser crowns. Their branches and leaves spread farther apart, allowing more sunlight to pierce through the canopy and reach the ground directly.

Qian Yao walked in the middle, her gaze sweeping over the changes in their surroundings. While confirming that the area remained quiet, she also observed the changing tree species and the angles and patterns of light passing through the canopy.

Qian Yue walked at the rear, her pace as steady as it had been on the way there. Her attention was focused more on the layer of fallen leaves and the plants growing beside the roots. Occasionally, she slowed by half a step to inspect an unusually shaped plant, determining how it differed from ordinary varieties before quickening her pace to catch up with the two ahead.

After traveling for most of the day, the terrain ahead gradually leveled out. The rock walls on both sides slowly came into view as they drew closer, their color transitioning from dark gray to pale gold, as though minerals had accumulated within the layers of stone over countless years.

The light grew brighter at the canyon entrance, as