A crimson sun spilled over the white domes of Spirit City, casting its warm light upon the towering spires and elegant bridges that arched over its shining canals. The city, usually bustling with spiritual sects and rigid discipline, seemed to hold its breath, as if sensing the return of something long lost.
Inside the highest spire of Spirit Hall inner sanctum, a heavy silence lingered, disturbed only by the faint clink of porcelain teacups.
Chrysanthemum Douluo eyes narrowed as he slowly placed his cup down on the stone table. "He has returned… and he declared it in front of the entire central plaza?"
His voice trembled between disbelief and awe.
Across from him, Ghost Douluo face remained veiled behind shadow, though the gleam of calculation never left his exposed eye. "With three girls at his side. None of them bearing our insignia," Ghost Douluo said softly. "One from Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. One from Star Luo. And one… an unknown origin just normal person same as us before this." When it reach the last name the Ghost Douluo only smile a little at his own memory of when he from normal person becoming Title Douluo.
Chrysanthemum Douluo turned sharply. "Don't say that of Xiao Wu, old ghost. She has chosen her path, and Li Wei has chosen her. Just like us befor this."
"That is precisely the problem." Ghost Douluo's voice grew cold. "He was meant to be our spear. Our light. But now—he is his own sun."
Behind them, an elderly man walked in silently, white robes trailing across the polished obsidian floor like drifting clouds. Elder Li Lu, serene as ever, let out a quiet sigh. "And what good is a weapon that forgets why it was forged?" Li Lu spoke calmly, yet with quiet strength. "He returned. Of his own will. That should tell you something."
Chrysanthemum Douluo gaze softened. "He's still him… isn't he?"
Li Lu smiled faintly. "He is more than he was. And less bound than we dared hope."
Behind them, the shadow of Bibi Dong passed silently through a viewing mirror. She said nothing. But her eyes narrowed. 'Li Wei... What will you become next?' She remember the kid that just a snot nose brat that always running around the place, always coming and going secretly between the Elder hall and Supreme Pontiff hall. Now he become one of the key player when he disappear. Most of the higher up between the Elder Palace and Supreme Pontiff Hall already aware of his own abilties when Li Lu, Golden Crocodile Douluo make a mess when he disappear.
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Evening – The Moonlit Pavilion
The air outside was sweet with the scent of night-blooming orchids. The small tea pavilion by the quiet river glowed under the moonlight. A single lantern burned gently above them, casting twin shadows on the stone floor.
Li Wei sat cross-legged across from Elder Li Lu. His armor was gone, replaced with the ceremonial black-and-silver robes of Spirit Hall—though he wore them loosely, carelessly, the collar open, the sash slightly crooked.
Elder Li Lu poured tea for them both. Steam curled between them like whispered thoughts. "You haven't changed much, Wei'er," the elder said softly. "Still don't know how to tie a proper sash."
Li Wei smiled faintly, eyes half-lidded. "I changed enough to know that tying it tighter won't hold the world together."
Li Lu chuckled.
A silence fell between them.
"Tell me," the elder finally said. "What did you see in the Rift?"
Li Wei took a slow breath, the steam from his cup rising past his face like a memory.
"Endless choices amd endless battle," he said. "Paths that led to gods, demons… solitude. I was given the chance to become something beyond human. Beyond mortal. But it meant giving up everything I held."
He looked down at the tea. "And I would have. If not for them."
Li Lu said nothing.
Li Wei voice dropped to a whisper. "Zhuqing, Rongrong, Xiao Wu… They kept me tethered. Even when my soul cracked, even when I didn't recognize my own reflection. They pulled me back."
The elder finally lifted his cup. "Then I thank them. For returning my grandson to me."
Li Wei blinked. The words landed harder than he expected. "You still…"
"Of course." Li Lu smiled gently. "You are my blood. You are my pride. Not because of your strength—but because even in the face of oblivion, you chose love something that your grandpa failed before."
He reached into his robes and handed Li Wei a sealed letter, embossed with the golden sigil of the Supreme Pontiff.
"She wishes to speak with you. Privately. Before the world begins moving again and before you going back."
Li Wei held the letter, feeling the weight of it. He nodded slowly. "I'll go. But not alone."
They then talk a little more with Li Wei asking how his grandfather doing over the year and Li Lu asking what happen and where he do during disappearance.
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Balcony of the Guest Quarters – Under the Moon
Three figures sat on the stone railing, their legs swinging lazily as the breeze played with their hair.
Zhu Zhuqing leaned against one of the pillars, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the distant lights of Spirit City. Her long black hair swayed in the wind like a whisper. Beside her, Xiao Wu reclined like a cat, munching on a spirit-fruit with a grin. Ning Rongrong dangled her legs over the edge, eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"So," Xiao Wu said, nudging Zhu Zhuqing. "Any regrets? We're sharing a boyfriend and future husband now. That's supposed to be weird, right?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer for a while. When she did, her voice was quiet.
"I thought it would be. But in that place… jealousy seemed so small. All I wanted was to stay alive long enough to see him again."
Ning Rongrong hugged her knees. "And now that we're here… I keep thinking someone will take it away. That someone will say, 'No, you can't have him.'"
Xiao Wu shrugged. "Let them try. I've already died once. Not planning to do it again for someone else's rules."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "We made a promise, didn't we? That we'd fight for him. For each other."
Rongrong looked over. "So what now?"
Xiao Wu smiled. "Now? We get stronger. So we don't get left behind."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at her friends. Her rivals. Her sisters.
"And if the world comes to tear us apart again," she said softly, "we burn it down."
"Did no one want to mention that Li Wei seem to be someone really important in Spirit hall." Xiao Wu asked. She hate spirit hall for killing her mother but after Li Wei tell her that the one that kill her mother was other Spirit Beast close to the core of Star Dou forest, she believe it. Like Li Wei said there was no fight that destroy the forest that happen that day, the only thing she saw was that her mother dead.
"I know that he confess that he come from Spirit Hall but I never thought that he really that higher up." Ning Rongrong remember what Li Wei tell them before after they confess their love for him.
Zhu Zhuqing only thought in silence like calmness of water. The thought in her heart was anything but that. She felt happy as now she will be able to stay with Li Wei, even Star Dou empire will not dare to use force to make her going back.
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Spirit Hall – Morning
The sky broke into gold and crimson as dawn painted the city in new colors.
Li Wei stood on the highest terrace of Spirit Hall, wind fluttering his loose robes. His fingers lightly touched the letter from the Pontiff, now tucked inside his sash. He didn't need to open it to know what it meant.
"She just wants to see how much I've changed," he murmured.The meeting can be said to be really peaceful as not many thing happen. Bibi Dong just asking about what happen in that dimension, what he encounter and whether there any wound that need healing.
He closed his eyes.
The Rift had left scars that even the brightest morning couldn't erase. But in that silence, he felt the fire in his heart stir again.
A faint cry broke his thoughts. A spirit bird descended, its wings carrying a sealed scroll. He caught it gently and opened the letter.
The handwriting was sharp, confident, unmistakable.
"Your path is your own. But your family waits. Come home when you're ready. – Flender."
Li Wei exhaled. "Home…"
He turned. At the entrance to the terrace stood Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong.
None of them said anything.
They didn't need to.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward, her hand brushing against his. "Are you ready?"
He looked at them. At the three lights that had pulled him back from the abyss.
And he smiled. "Let's go home."