Southwestern Province
Though it was an ordinary mountain range, the distant pale mountains, lush forests, slender waterfalls and springs that scattered like shattered jade and splashing pearls, clear birdsong echoing through empty valleys, made it exceptionally secluded and tranquil.
In the north, snow would soon be falling at this time of year. Though the plains here had turned yellow, nearly half still remained green, retaining the look of autumn.
The birds and beasts had been busy before, but now all was silent, as if some terrifying presence had entered the mountains and forced them all into hiding.
"Chirp, chirp." The Giant Eagle flew through the air, but in the blink of an eye its cries turned into docile coos as it landed on a rocky outcrop.
A young girl with unfocused eyes seemed drawn by something. She jumped down and followed a mountain path onward.
Though she was a delicate young girl, she moved with remarkable lightness. The mountain road that would exhaust even a strong man after a long walk felt as level ground beneath her feet.
She did not stop until she reached a small waterfall. It was a thin cascade hanging from a protruding cliff, its spray gathering into a tiny pool before winding down a shallow stream toward lower ground.
The girl's autumn-water eyes quietly gazed at the waterfall.
"I don't want to come here. I want to go home, back to the Capital City." Had Su Ziji been here, he would have recognized the girl as Zhou Yao. Spiritual energy now filled her entire body, making her seem utterly different from before, though her eyes remained unfocused.
"But everything must come to an end." After pacing for a long while, Zhou Yao finally made up her mind and waved a hand.
Boom!
The waterfall instantly