The Ren Sea.
Within the Water Palace, shadowy waves shifted, and violet lightning departed only to return. Dark radiance gathered upon the central throne, taking the shape of a fierce, majestic ink-black flood dragon. A heart-stopping trace of Violet Aura flickered on his reverse scale.
Amid the incessantly crashing violet thunder, several discordant glimmers of Gen Earth still lurked, obstructing the circulation of energy and staining the edges of the grim Ink Scales a bright yellow.
Ink-black eyes opened, and everything within the hall dispersed like an illusion. Only a man remained upon the black jade throne, his jade horns coiling like an imperial crown, lightning spilling from his sumptuous dark-purple robes.
Xu Xuan's internal injuries had largely healed. Only a little stubborn Gen Earth energy remained, requiring patient, water-wearing-stone effort to dissolve, or the help of an experienced apothecary.
There was no urgency to the matter. He turned his hand over and took out another object: an Edict wreathed in dark radiance. Unfurling it, he saw words condensed from that radiance.
"[Deep Abyss]."
Following those two words was a complex Incantation, similar to the method Tiantuo had once taught him for opening the Deep Abyss, except that it pointed toward a different destination.
At long last, the Dragon Court had responded. They intended to use the Deep Abyss as a medium through which the two sides could meet.
"I can ask about their plans for the next step."
Xu Xuan settled his thoughts, and his consciousness returned to his Inner Scenery. He walked across a vast Thunder Marsh, where violet lightning liquid surged and roared without cease, while a Heavenly Dragon could faintly be seen churning through the ink-black clouds overhead.
Holding the Edict, he activated the Incantation. A doorway surged into being, flowing with dark Ren Radiance and