The wind arrived first...
It was not the wind that came from nowhere in the temple, but wind carrying the scent of earth, leaves, and distant cooking smoke. It poured in from the edge of the forest, lifting their hems and blowing away the last trace of chill from the pure white space.
They stood at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
There were fewer trees than they remembered. Some were nothing but charred stumps; others had already sprouted tender buds, green with earnest determination.
Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, falling across the ground in scattered patches. All six of their shadows were whole. No one had empty space beneath their feet.
Xiao Wu crouched down first.
She did not summon her Divine Ring. She merely pressed her palm to the soil and let a blade of grass that had been bent beneath a foot straighten again. There was still dew on the grass, cool to the touch. She watched it for a long time before saying:
"We're back."
It was not a question.
Gu Changsheng lowered his head and looked at his hands. The Ninth Ring was still there, but it no longer burned hot, no longer urged him onward. The Gate of the Other Shore remained behind him, closed with only a narrow crack, like a door that could be pushed open but did not need to stay open forever.
Several lines flashed through his Consciousness Sea before quickly dimming.
[Main quest complete.] [The system will no longer urge you onward.] [You can still hear the voices beyond the gate. But what lies beyond the gate no longer has the final say.]
Ning Qing lifted her Broken Sword. It was still only half a blade, and she did not try to mend