After Bi Ji left, Gu Yuena sat alone within her cavern dwelling, head tilted slightly upward, her silver eyes seemingly gazing into nothingness.
Yet within her spiritual realm, faint human silhouettes darted through the Star Dou Forest.
Among them, one particular figure drew her attention. Just as she focused on the youth, he suddenly turned around and cast a deep glance in her direction.
It was merely a glance—one tinged with faint curiosity—but it was enough to make her spiritual power tremble slightly under the pressure.
"Aether…" Gu Yuena murmured, her soft pink lips parting as she whispered the name like a prayer.
The spatial portal slowly faded, and the Lake of Life once again returned to stillness.
Only, the snapped trees and the rugged craters surrounding it bore silent testimony to the fierce battle that had taken place.
"Big bro! Help me move this rock mountain already~!"
The Titan Giant Ape, seeing his lord ignoring him yet again, wasn't upset. It wasn't like this was the first time.
He turned his head to where the Sky Azure Bull Python was still playing dead and called out loudly for help.
"Big bro?"
When no response came, he called again.
Boom—!
A sudden crack of thunder split the sky, bolts of lightning writhing across the stone pile—but to no effect.
Seeing his attack do nothing, the Sky Azure Bull Python finally rose, his lithe and muscular form slamming bodily into the stone.
"Big bro, it's working! One more time!"
Inside the stone heap, the Titan Giant Ape could feel that his brother's physical blows were more effective than using soul power. He was overjoyed.
Boom!
"Again!"
Boom!
"Again~!"
Boom!
"Keep going—!"
Feeling the tremors growing stronger, the Titan Giant Ape figured if he got hit another hundred times or so, he'd definitely be free.
"Eh? Big bro? Where are you going? Keep going!"
Just as he had this thought, he saw the soot-covered Sky Azure Bull Python dragging his body back toward the Lake of Life.
"If I keep smashing into that, I'll die. You just stay there for now. It's… relatively safe."
"Big bro! Don't leave me! Big bro—!"
Blub blub…
Ignoring the ape's frantic cries, the bull python dove into the lake and vanished, leaving a string of bubbles in his wake.
"Crap… am I really going to be stuck here forever?"
The Titan Giant Ape tried to escape on his own again, but after exhausting himself, he was left panting like a dog, his massive head drooping.
"Wait! Big bro—wasn't Sister Xiao Wu asking us to find her?"
That sudden realization made his eyes light up. He'd come back to tell Da Ming the message Xiao Wu left!
"Eh? Where's that little rock with the map carved on it?"
He lifted his head as far as he could, scanning the shattered rubble around him.
Lots of debris—but no sign of that little stone.
"What do I do now…"
The Titan Giant Ape sighed in frustration.
"Sister Xiao Wu, it's not that I don't want to find you—I can't move… and big bro won't help…"
…..
"Traveler, why is there a Electro Hilichurl King here? For a second I thought we'd made it back to Teyvat~!"
The group was trekking through the forest. Paimon perched on Aether's shoulders, voice full of confusion.
"Huh? Where's a Hilichurl King?" Aether looked puzzled. Had there been one just now?
"That big guy! All pitch-black and huge!" Paimon waved her tiny hands around for emphasis.
"Hmm~ he even smelled like grilled meat! That's right, grilled meat!"
"…"
Aether, hearing the description, immediately understood—Paimon had mistaken the Titan Giant Ape for a Hilichurl King.
Though honestly, now that she'd said it… the resemblance was there. Just in appearance, of course—the strength didn't quite match.
"That wasn't a Hilichurl King. That was a Titan Giant Ape…"
"Giant ape? Then why did it smell like grilled meat?"
"You'd have to ask Fire Meow Meow about that."
Aether turned to glance at Fire Meow Meow. The little beast was carrying Lightning Mink and looked slightly embarrassed as everyone turned to look.
"Hehe… that was me. That thing beat me up once, so I got even today—burned him real good~"
Aether grinned. "Well, that explains the barbecue smell."
"Ugh…"
Paimon made a face of mock disgust.
"I really thought it was a Hilichurl King… Traveler, I kinda miss Teyvat now…"
"Do you miss the people… or the food?"
"…The food! Well, the people too!"
Paimon giggled.
"We left in such a rush, we didn't even get to say goodbye…"
As a traveler, one was bound to leave things behind. A place, a face… always something that tugs at the heart. Paimon knew this. She just figured… so long as she stayed by the traveler's side, it was enough.
But seeing something today that looked like a Hilichurl King… it brought those memories bubbling up.
"It won't be long. We'll go back and say goodbye to everyone properly."
Aether looked toward the distant horizon and made that promise.
"Mm-hmm!"
Campfire. Cooking. Dinner.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Aether called Yu Keke over.
"Keke, are you ready?"
Off to the side, the Lightning Mink was barely clinging to life thanks to Fire Meow's overenthusiastic 'grilling.' If it died before the timing was right, the soul ring might vanish.
"I'm ready!"
Yu Keke looked toward the fallen beast and gave a firm nod.
"Good. Let's begin. You got this."
Aether patted her head encouragingly.
"You can do it, Keke~" Paimon chimed in, and Zhu Zhuqing joined her in a cheer.
"Hah—!"
Keke didn't have a dagger, so she had to use her martial soul. Activating her soul power, she drove a fierce punch into the Lightning Mink's neck.
Already at death's door, the beast finally released its last breath. A black soul ring slowly rose from its body.
"Chrysanthemum… this…"
Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo were watching from the side. Ghost was about to speak, but Yue Guan cut him off.
"Don't be shocked. Just another day with them."
These two girls following their mysterious master—each was a monster in her own right.
Zhu Zhuqing absorbing a black soul ring had already been astonishing. But now this Yu Keke—her first two rings were both purple?
Ghost Douluo's lips trembled. They hadn't been with their master long, yet time and again, their entire understanding of soul cultivation had been shattered.
Purple for the first two rings was insane enough. And now… she was going for a black ring?
The overwhelming pressure radiating from it—this beast was at least 50,000 years old!
What kind of concept is this?!
If her third soul ring was already at that level… what about the ones after?
The more Ghost thought about it, the more terrified he felt.
That terror didn't come from her power—it came from the crumbling of everything he thought he knew.
But beyond fear… he could see it.
A shadow of a future Limit Douluo, emerging from the girl called Keke.
_
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