Eternal Hell.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Then she saw five faces, crowded extremely close, each wearing a different expression.
"She's awake! She's awake!"
Xiao Fung was the first to shout.
"Basha's awake!"
Po Kong stretched out her short, thick arm, trying to poke her face.
"Hold it."
Basha slapped her hand away, swished her fish tail, and sat up in the void.
"I'm fine."
"Your soul just left your body!"
Tchang Zu flipped over, dropped down from above her head, and crouched in front of her.
"This is Eternal Hell! Having your soul leave your body is completely impossible in here!"
Hsi Wu picked up where he left off. His voice was calm, but his wings trembled slightly.
"Hell's seal is still in place, and your authority is draining away."
"How could your soul possibly leave your body?"
Basha looked at them as they gathered around her.
She fell silent for a while, then spoke.
"Tso Lan."
The moment she said that name, the air around them changed.
Hsi Wu folded his wings.
"What did you say? Tso Lan?"
"You made contact with him, Basha?"
Basha said,
"That's right."
"I sensed him, his soul. He's in another world."
Silence.
A very, very long silence followed. Then Po Kong was the first to shake her head.
"Tso Lan has been gone so long without any news."
"How could you possibly sense him?"
"What I sensed was water demon chi,"
Basha said.
"Complete, undiminished Authority of Water, stronger even than mine at my peak."
"That power was calling to me, so I followed that thread and projected my soul over."
"I saw him."
Xiao Fung's mouth slowly closed.
"He has your power, Basha?"
"You're not pulling our legs, are you?"
Basha recalled that blue merfolk figure and those purple eyes.
"I have