Before their eyes unfolded the elegant scenery of a bamboo forest.
Lucian asked in confusion, "This place… is Jinzhou?"
The decorations lining the corridor somewhat resembled the interior of City Hall.
Jiyan took a deep breath. "It is and it isn't. To be precise, this is a Jinzhou City fabricated through Remnants."
"Simply put, it's an illusion formed from frequencies of memories, obsessions, and the like. Some scholars refer to it as the Sonoro Sphere—what you commonly call the 'Domain of Sound.'"
Upon hearing this, Lucian fell into thought. So the Sonoro Sphere was the Domain of Sound. The Sonoro Sphere he had seen in the system shop earlier must also be something similar—likely a portable living space, he surmised.
Jiyan tightened his grip on his spear. "The scenery here is unpredictable. One misstep, and you could plunge into the abyss… Stay close to me."
Abby crossed his arms proudly. "Don't worry! Abby's word is as good as gold. I'll protect you all!"
With that, Abby took the lead, flying ahead of the group.
Jiao-Jiao crossed her arms, slightly disdainful. "Hmph, such a big talker for such a little brat."
Jiyan: "...?"
Unaware of the truth, Jiyan didn't quite understand why Lucian and the others had brought this little girl along. But surely, Mr. Lucian had his reasons.
As the group ventured deeper, the path twisted through serene beauty, tranquil and picturesque.
Along the small path, numerous phantoms lingered, seemingly chatting about the Riverside Games.
"A hastily assembled team can't possibly have good coordination."
"No wonder they messed up. What a shame!"
Lucian frowned. "A temporary team? Isn't General Jiyan's squad called the 'Temporary Team'?"
Jiyan's expression remained calm, but a trace of melancholy flickered in his eyes. "…That was the Temporary Team from ten years ago."
Lucian found it odd. "Ten years ago? So these phantoms are remnants from a decade past?"
"And I've heard Lingyan mention the Temporary Team from ten years ago before—they even broke the Riverside Games record…"
Jiyan sighed, his expression sorrowful.
Lucian: "…Are you alright?"
Jiyan shook his head slightly, scanning the golden phantoms around them. "Mortefi previously theorized that the abnormal fluctuations were caused by the Riverside Games' frequencies resonating with this place."
Lucian furrowed his brows, sensing something strange about the frequencies of these phantoms—they were eerily close to those of Tacet Discords…
Before he could voice his warning, the phantoms continued speaking.
"Hey! Isn't that the team that messed up earlier? Their last runner actually caught up!"
"Ah… they overtook them!"
"That kid… I remember he just joined the Midnight Rangers, didn't he? Never judge a book by its cover."
Just as the group grew puzzled, Lucian was the first to detect the fluctuations in the phantoms' frequencies.
He flung Abby forward without hesitation. "Abby, eat them!"
Abby scowled. "Dammit, Lucian! How many times do I have to say I only eat Tacet Dis—"
Before he could finish, the golden phantoms transformed into a swarm of Tacet Discords.
Abby: "…Never mind."
"But I just ate too much! I can't fit any more right now—"
With that, Abby flapped his tiny legs frantically as he flew back and hid behind Rover.
Lucian shook his head in disappointment. "With skills like these, even my Crimson Vanguard wouldn't spare you a glance."
Jiyan nodded in agreement. "Indeed… the Crimson Vanguard has been a great asset to Jinzhou."
Lucian grinned as he watched the approaching Tacet Discords. "Time to test a new trick I just thought of!"
The next moment, Lucian shapeshifted into Jué's form, an overwhelming pressure filling the entire space.
Jiao-Jiao: "???"
While the Tacet Discords were still stunned, Lucian swung his draconic tail, bundling them all together before violently shaking them up and down, leaving them dizzy and seeing stars.
In no time, the humiliated Tacet Discords dissipated into golden Reverberations.
Returning to his original form, Lucian took out the Pangu Terminal and absorbed all the Reverberations.
Jiao-Jiao cleared her throat and glanced at Jiyan. Her true identity wasn't widely known, and she preferred to keep it that way. Leaning close to Lucian, she whispered, "Using my likeness comes with a portrait fee."
Lucian: "?"
"You didn't mention that earlier?"
With that, he lightly tapped Jiao-Jiao's forehead. A line of text appeared before her eyes:
"Lucian is using Transformation Magic on you. Accept?"
Confused, Jiao-Jiao instinctively accepted.
The next second, she transformed into Lucian's appearance.
Jiao-Jiao: "?"
Lucian examined his doppelgänger with satisfaction. "Perfect. Now we're even—my portrait rights aren't free either."
Jiao-Jiao: "?"
She pondered for a moment before suddenly turning to Rover. "Lady Arbiter, can you tell which of us is the real Lucian?"
Rover shrugged. "Jiao-Jiao, have you spent so much time with Lucian that you've gone dumb? Your frequencies are completely different. No matter how you change, I can always tell!"
Jiao-Jiao: "…"
"What if you ignore the frequencies? Could you still tell?"
Rover nodded confidently. "Of course!"
She pointed at the two identical Lucians and asked, "Lucian, who do you love the most?"
Jiao-Jiao was taken aback—wasn't this question too easy?
"Of course it's you, Rover," Jiao-Jiao, now in Lucian's form, answered.
But before she could question how such a simple query could distinguish the real Lucian, a gentle breeze brushed past her.
Lucian slid forward in a dramatic kneel, taking Rover's delicate hand and pressing a light kiss to it.
"Oh~ But of course, it's you, my dear princess."
"Your golden eyes shimmer like brilliant amber, deep and mysterious, drawing me into their depths."
"Your skin is as dewy as morning's touch, soft as the caress of spring."
"Your grace rivals the noble orchid, elegant yet warm."
"Your curves, a masterpiece of nature's artistry, delicate yet commanding."
"Miss Rover, it is you—precisely you—who has ensnared this humble Lucian's heart, leaving me at your mercy…"
Rover nodded in satisfaction. "Good answer. Right on the mark. Rise—you've earned a little reward."
Lucian stood with a smile. Rover pulled his hand around her waist, then rose slightly on her toes, pressing her lips to his in a kiss.
Jiao-Jiao: "…"
She reverted to her original form and sighed. "Alright, I lose. I could never say something that cringey…"
Abby patted Jiao-Jiao's shoulder, speaking like a seasoned veteran. "You've known Lucian long enough. What were you thinking, challenging him like that?"
Jiao-Jiao: "…"
Jiyan: "…"