Revenant Sia carefully sealed the ornate container and tucked it into the inner folds of her voluminous robes.
"Are we even now, senior?" Kai’s voice was a calm as it could be, Truth to be told he was quite worry but, what else he could do ?
"Even?" Sia laughed loudly, her voice ranging like a wonderful melody in Kai’s ears.
Her hand reached out as if to pluck a star from the heavens. Materializing in her open palm was a small, black triangular jade, edges smooth as obsidian glass.
Suspicion flickered in Kai’s eyes like the shadows of an ancient forest, yet he tentatively extended his hand, allowing the cool touch of jade to pass into his grasp.
"Little brother Kai, though you remain ignorant of the full extent, you have rendered me a service so great that it leaves a taste of debt upon my tongue. And I have never been one to linger on the ledger’s wrong side."
"Oh, a great service?" As a quiet curse slipped through his thoughts, Kai was acutely aware of the narrow veil between fortune and folly — where he had just danced.
This mission was nothing short of courting death, Till he didn’t know how he managed to escape unscathed.
" While you are in the Heaven Fortune Domain, should you find yourself in dire need, use this jade. It shall be your way to ask for my help."
"Eh?" A spark of astonishment shone in Kai’s eyes,
It seemed fate had spun a sudden alliance with a power mightier than he anticipated.
"Thank you for your generosity, Senior"
Sia’s laughter filled the air like musical notes, imbuing the space with her joy, It seems like she’s really in a good mood. "Haha, don’t mention it, little brother. If I find myself with idle hands, I wouldn’t mind lending my strength when you need it most."
’Idle hands?’ Kai couldn’t help but curse inwardly, It seems like he was expecting too much.
"Then, senior, I shall take my leave." A sincere smile beamed across Kai’s face, as he decided to leave as soon as possible.
Without waiting for her reply, he stepped away from the Heavenly Yin Cliff region.
"Hmm, where to now?"
A moment’s reflection reminded him of the ticking of the time. "I still have about four years or so before the beginning of the auction."
***
On a barren, desolate world lurking within the outer ring of the devil realm, a dead planet with a landscape cloaked in eternal twilight, two silhouettes adorned in onyx robes emerged. These enigmatic figures, like shadows to one another, stood with an expanse of scorched earth between them, confronting each other in a silent duel of gazes.
"What do you think, senior?"
The other laughed loudly." Hahaha, you are indeed not to underestimated little girl . You not only succeeded in finding my location but you’ve also discovered my true identity!"
"I was merely fortunate."
"Humgh, do not cloak your cunning with false modesty."
"Actually finding your real identity wasn’t that hard."
The man remained silent, He knows there’s multiple tracks he unintentionally left behind that could be tracked back to him, but he was helpless in that regard.
"But I must admit, You have indeed picked a suitable body, If I don’t know your identity beforehand I wouldn’t have suspected anything."
The man snorted coldly," It was a lengthy process, It took me more than two hundred years preparing it."
The woman lips curved upward," I am sure that it won’t be long before you regained your formal power."
"My formal power?" The man looked at her deeply," Is that why you are here? You want to use this lord ’s power?"
The woman nodded," I won’t hide it from you senior, That’s indeed the case."
"Hmph, You people from the alliance always like to exploit any situation, You are no different," The man let out a cold laugh," If it was in the past your wouldn’t even dare to talk to me."
"The past is the past, Now is now, I hope senior realises that." The woman replied indifferently.
"Hmm," murmured the man, lost in thoughts, "During the zenith of my life, your alliance indeed proved its loyalty. Your leader and I can be considered compatriots if the fates so aligned."
His gaze sharpened, "You haven’t divulged our meeting to him, have you?"
"No," she shook her head, "The knowledge of our meeting is known by only both of us."
"Good. Obscurity is the greatest ally."
"Indeed, senior."
"When?"
Reflecting his urgency, she responded, "In less than a century."
His brow furrowed. "Mmm. Such scarcity of time... It’s dubious whether I can regain the remnants of my strength by then."
"Oh, you don’t need to worry," the woman replied calmly. "We can provide assistance."
His eyes flickered, "That is... unexpectedly magnanimous."
"We do what necessity dictates," she stated sagely.
"Collaboration is the secret ingredient that transforms ordinary efforts into extraordinary achievements."
His lips twitched upwards, almost imperceptibly, "Indeed, When the righteous unite, they can only build the path towards justice and compassion."
"These vile creatures will remain oblivious until they are treading the rincernation path." chuckled the man in dark robes.
***
Amidst the sprawling icy wastelands of the Frostfell, Liang’s eyes widened in awe as the Galactic Dragon City emerged like a jewel of civilization amidst the desolation. The city’s grandeur, observable even from the towering gates that marked its boundary, managed to wrestle a rare smirk from his usually stoic demeanor.
Liang’s first encounter with such a colossal city’s threshold was nothing less than breathtaking.
The gates themselves were a marvel, framed by colossal arches carved with intricate scenes of dragons in flight among the stars, their scales glinting with icy embedded gems. Above, the city’s name was etched in ancient script.
Yet, amidst this splendor, the four gatekeepers commanded his attention.
Each stood with an aura of unyielding authority, a Seventh-Order Realm Expert in their own right. Two bore the complex aura of Runic Cultivators, The other pair emanated a more ethereal presence, unmistakably Spirit Cultivators.
"Your entry jade!"
With a silent nod of acknowledgment, Liang delicately retrieved a blue jade from within the folds of his robes. It was sculpted in the likeness of a slumbering ice dragon that shimmered with a cool light, mirroring the gates ahead.
"Good," the guard declared, inspecting the jade with a practiced eye before handing it back with a nod. "You may pass."
Returned jade in hand, Liang advanced confidently, the chill from the massive icy gates that loomed overhead seeping into his very bones.
As Liang stepped past the gates, a rush of anticipation filled his veins.
He found himself immersed in a different world altogether, a vibrant city that seemed to defy the surrounding icy wastelands. The streets stretched out before him, lined with structures that soared towards the heavens.
The buildings were made of a sparkling, translucent ice-like material, reflecting the sunlight that filtered through the perpetual winter sky. Each structure seemed to bear the mark of meticulous craftsmanship.
But it was the colossal icy dragon suspended high in the sky that truly took Liang’s breath away.
The dragon appeared to encircle the entire city, its massive form coiled in a slumbering pose. Its scales, each as large as a house, radiated a pulsing icy blue light, illuminating the streets and bathing the city in a mystical glow.
Liang couldn’t help but stare in awe at the dragon’s immense presence. Each scale was a work of art, resembling frozen sapphires that glistened with an otherworldly luminescence. The dragon’s body seemed almost alive, as if the essence of ice and earth had breathed life into its form.
As he walked through the city, Liang observed how the icy dragon’s influence extended to every corner.
The architecture, the decorations, Crystal-clear pillars rose from plazas, their tops fashioned into intricate ice formations that mimicked the dragon’s scales.
Liang couldn’t help but be captivated by the energy that encompassed the Galactic Dragon City.
"Is this your first time here, senior?"
Liang turned his attention towards the young man who had addressed him, a curious expression on his face.
The young man appeared to be in his early teens, with a mop of unruly black hair and bright, inquisitive eyes.
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"Yes, it is," Liang replied with a small smile, acknowledging the young man question." Are you a resident of the city?"
The boy nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh yes ! My family lives here, Did you see the dragon? It’s incredible, isn’t it?"
Liang nodded, his gaze drifting back towards the colossal icy dragon suspended in the sky.
"Indeed."
The boy’s face lit up with delight as he proclaimed his admiration for the dragon. "I absolutely agree! Legend has it that the dragon is a divine being, descended from the heavens.That’s exactly why this city holds such reverence for the dragon - no one would dare to disrespect a deity, right?"
Liang’s interest piqued, and he turned towards the boy with a thoughtful expression.