That night, Di Tian stood on the shore of the Lake of Life, sensing the aura deep beneath the lake as it gradually sank into slumber. He remained silent for a long time.
He knew this was the inevitable outcome. Although the Nine-Colored Deer's healing power was formidable, Gu Yuena's injuries were far too severe. The hidden wounds that had been stripped away needed time to fully dissipate, and the newly regenerated tissue also needed sufficient time to stabilize.
He also knew that this opportunity had not come easily.
Over the following days, Di Tian and Zi Ji secretly observed Gu Yuena's condition, confirming that she had indeed fallen into a deep sleep and would not awaken anytime soon.
The energy fluctuations around her became extraordinarily stable, like a volcano buried beneath ice and snow—quiet on the surface, yet slowly brewing its next eruption within.
Until the morning of the fifth day, Di Tian finally determined that Gu Yuena would need at least several more days to fully absorb that power.
He stood beneath an ancient tree, complex emotions churning in his golden vertical pupils. After a moment of silence, he turned around and looked toward Zi Ji.
At that very moment, Zi Ji raised her head and met Di Tian's gaze.
Their eyes met, like two beings who had walked side by side for far too long and no longer needed words to understand each other.
He saw the clear agreement in Zi Ji's eyes, as though she had already known what he was thinking before he spoke.
Di Tian did not say, "Let's go," nor did he say anything unnecessary.
He merely turned around and took his first step toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Zi Ji rose from the rock. The hem of her