Final Chapter
After absorbing the aura of the Origin Return Pearl, the surface patterns of the relief began to light up segment by segment along the toothed paths. The light extended from the edges to the center, converging at the central point, where a longitudinal crack began to appear on the surface of the relief. The crack extended along the central axis of the relief to both ends, dividing the relief evenly into two halves. The two halves of the relief slid in their respective directions along the crack, revealing a dark vertical space below. The boundary of this space, illuminated by the Dragon Shadow's shadow, exhibited a texture different in tone from the surroundings, like a structure with a material difference from the main building.
Long Tian crouched at the edge of the relief, allowing the light layer of the Dragon Shadow to extend downwards along the vertical space. As the light layer continued to descend, it illuminated a section of vertical cavity, reflecting back a layer of residual warmth similar to human body temperature at the end of its depth. He probed the aura of the Origin Return Pearl along the edge of the cavity. After the aura descended along the path inside the cavity, it touched a flexible layer at the end, without a hard boundary, as if it were wrapped in a continuously maintained membrane structure, containing a core that continuously emitted uniform temperature fluctuations.
He withdrew his hand and squatted for a moment at the edge of the relief. Yu Jin came down from the upper level and walked to his side, also squatting down at the edge of the relief. He took off the dark gray bead and held it in his palm, slowly approaching it towards the inside of the cavity. As the bead approached the edge of the cavity, its surface lit up with a halo brighter than ever before, as if it had automatically adjusted its brightness to the corresponding level after sensing the continuously warm envelope deep inside the cavity. A continuous resonance was formed between the edge of the bead's halo and the inner wall of the cavity, like two vibrating sources that were gradually reaching the same frequency through continuous resonance and locking onto each other.
Long Tian squatted beside the Yu Jin, simultaneously adjusting the Origin Return Pearl, the New Core, and the Imperial Seal to synchronized output mode. He allowed their respective frequencies to overlap and form a stable conductive layer that extended downwards along the inner wall of the cavity. Upon reaching the bottom of the cavity, the conductive layer contacted the flexible partition. Under the continuous coverage of the conductive layer, the partition began to contract along its surface towards the center of the cavity, like a shell being pushed open and gradually retracting under sustained traction, revealing the internal space. The internal space was small, with a fist-sized, grayish-white Light Core suspended in its center. The surface of the Light Core had no carvings or engravings, only a uniform layer of light, maintaining its brightness as it remained suspended.
Long Tian crouched at the edge of the cavity, gazing at the Light Core. The light layer behind him, influenced by Dragon Shadow, subtly adjusted the spread of its wing membranes as he focused on the Light Core. The light layer on the vertical line on its forehead remained bright, perfectly matching the brightness of the Light Core. He once again channeled the energy from the Origin Return Pearl into the cavity, circling the surface of the Light Core. The energy was evenly absorbed upon contact with the Light Core's surface. After absorbing the energy, the Light Core's brightness increased slightly, maintained for a moment, and then returned to its original level, as if it had reached saturation.
He withdrew his hand, stood up, and took a step back at the edge of the relief. Yu Jin also stood up and stepped back beside him. The Dragon Shadow moved forward a distance from behind Long Tian, stopping at the edge of the cavity, its wings slightly spread, its four eyes lowered, and the vertical line on its forehead pointing towards the Light Core. It paused in front of the Light Core for a while, and then a continuous beam of light simultaneously shone from the Light Core and the Dragon Shadow 'Dragon Shadow forehead. After the beams formed a connection between the two, the Light Core rose from the cavity on its own, passed through the opening in the vertical line on the dragon shadow's forehead, entered the Dragon Shadow's interior, and sank down along its spine within the Dragon Shadow's body, finally stopping at the Dragon Shadow's chest cavity, like an embedded mark, occupying a fixed position within it.
After the Light Core was embedded, a new layer of light began to illuminate the Dragon Shadow's shadow along the spine, extending from the base of the neck to the tail, covering the entire spine before stopping. The edges of the scales on the surface, covered by the new light layer, exhibited a different luster than before, as if a new layer of primer had been applied. Standing at the edge of the relief, Long Tian clearly felt the contraction and stabilization of the gently sloping transition layer inside the Origin Return Pearl during the process of the Light Core embedding the Dragon Shadow. It gradually occupied a fixed position through continuous adjustment, maintaining a coordinated distance from other structures. After the Light Core was embedded, the Dragon Shadow retreated from the edge of the cavity back behind Long Tian, the wing membranes retracted to fit the spine, and the light layer on the vertical line of the forehead, after returning to its position, had the same brightness as before, without any increase or decrease.
Yu Jin stood at the edge of the relief, tucking the dark gray bead back into his collar, and stood quietly beside Long Tian. His voice was low, as if speaking to Long Tian, but also to the circular room itself. "The Light Core is inside."
Long Tian stood at the edge of the relief, glancing down at the compartment below, which had now retracted to its normal position. He straightened up and walked towards the upper level, retracing his steps. He paused briefly as he passed the main hall, placing the base of the light pillar back into the opening to confirm it was now level with the ground. As he passed through the vortex area, he sensed that the vertical line of light on the Dragon Shadow's forehead behind him was traveling more smoothly underwater than before, as if a more stable light source had been embedded within it, eliminating the need for further adjustments during continuous output. Maintaining his own brightness, he surfaced to find the night sky already filled with stars. A faint layer of light, scattered by the water, still floated on the pale gray sea, as if it were seeping up from underwater. As he climbed onto the boat, water dripped from his clothes and hair onto the deck, gathering into several thin streams at the bow. These streams flowed along the grain of the deck to the gunwale, finally seeping into the seams between the planks, like the last stream of water seeping into the soil through cracks in the rocks as the tide recedes, leaving no trace after it disappeared.