After exchanging a few pleasantries with Hanya, Stelle joined Dan Heng as Hanya led them toward the Records Office.
They followed the walkways, using various mechanical contraptions to travel between stretches separated by considerable distances.
The journey was rather long, and with the Wardance approaching, Hanya brought it up, a trace of nostalgia in her voice:
"I hear the world of the living will soon hold the Wardance. I still remember watching one of its sword fights with my sister when I was young.
"The Cloud Knights swordsman defending the Luofu's honor was valiant beyond compare, his sword flashing like lightning. The challenger from abroad had fiery hair and a hand forged from refined iron, his punches booming like thunder. They fought for a long time, neither able to gain the upper hand.
"In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed. My sister and I have both become beings of the netherworld. No competition will ever make us jump with excitement again.
"Are there many people in Starskiff Haven for this Wardance?"
"Packed shoulder to shoulder, as far as the eye can see," Stelle said.
"How wonderful. Sadly, my duties keep me too busy to watch the matches... With the way I look now, I would probably frighten people if I went."
The three soon reached the lower level, where the atmosphere was far more sinister than above.
If the previous level merely looked eerie, this one felt eerie as well.
The moment Stelle stepped onto this level, she couldn't help shivering. Even protected by the power of Trailblaze, she still muttered, "...So cold."
"This place draws cold air from Beihao Peak in the Extreme Grotto-Heaven," Hanya explained. "Even the tenacious vitality of the long-life species cannot withstand it."
They walked a little farther before several thuds