As the notification vanished.
The Jade Coiling-Dragon Statue turned dull and gray, like any ordinary rock by the roadside.
Jiang Yuechu pursed her lips.
That was it?
But... there had been a notification.
Where was the path?
According to the Old Flood Dragon, once she gained recognition, a passage should open, leading straight to the Dragon-Ascending Platform.
Yet now.
Rather than granting recognition, she had simply bound the one who was supposed to grant it.
What was that supposed to mean?
In the corner.
The Red Sun Demon Venerable knelt prostrate on the ground, his legs trembling.
Though he dared not raise his head, he kept his ears pricked, listening for any movement around him.
He waited a while.
There was not a sound.
Had she... passed?
Uncertainty churned in the Old Flood Dragon's heart. Mustering his courage, he raised his head slightly.
The girl stood with her hands behind her back, frowning at the statue with a distinctly displeased expression.
"M-Master?"
The Red Sun Demon Venerable swallowed. "D-does this mean it worked?"
"More or less."
If it worked, it worked. What did she mean, more or less?
The Red Sun Demon Venerable grumbled inwardly but dared not ask further. Wearing an ingratiating smile, he carefully rose from the ground and sidled over.
One look left him stunned.
"Oh!"
The Old Flood Dragon cried out, pointing at the jade statue. "How did it end up like this?"
Jiang Yuechu glanced at him. "Probably got tired. Taking a rest."
"..."
The Red Sun Demon Venerable's mouth twitched.
Taking a rest?
This was a spirit statue formed from a True Dragon Cast-Off Shell. It had stood here for who knew how many years, and he had never heard of a rock getting tired.
Still, he dared not argue. He looked around, utterly