The world reshaped itself.
The collapsing illusion had devoured them in blinding white. When Ye Lan opened her eyes, she found herself in a new land.
No broken palace. No mist. No altar.The plains stretched empty, carpeted in faint spirit grass, the air clear with a lingering trace of herbs. In the distance, shattered stone pillars jutted from the earth—remnants of an ancient battlefield.
Ye Lan rose slowly, her qi surging out of control.Beside her, Luo Mingyao stood with the fragment of the Mystic Moon Jade glowing faintly in her palm, its light flickering as though ready to dissolve into nothingness.
Ye Lan's gaze sharpened, her voice low and cold."You knew… it would appear."
Luo Mingyao's lashes lowered, her fingers brushing the jade. Her reply was soft."I guessed."
"Guessed?" Ye Lan's lips curved into a blade-like smile. "You know far more than I. The pact is forged—why hide it?"
Luo Mingyao's silver eyes reflected the broken pillars, calm as ever."Because you trust no one. Had I told you, you would have drawn your sword."
Ye Lan's chest tightened, fury sparking—yet the truth of it left her silent.
——
Suddenly, the jade flared. Cold light surged from Luo Mingyao's palm, flooding into Ye Lan's body.
She fell to one knee, breath ragged. The twin currents within her chest—yin and yang—began to twist together beneath the jade's glow.It was agony, tearing hot and cold at once. And yet—beneath the pain—there was… harmony.
Luo Mingyao knelt swiftly, pressing her hand to Ye Lan's pulse, moonlight streaming into her meridians. For the first time, her voice carried urgency."Don't resist. Let it move through you."
Ye Lan gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her brow.She despised this—being bound, steadied, controlled. Yet in the storm, she felt balance, if only for a fleeting instant.
Her gaze lifted, locking with Luo Mingyao's.No sound but the weave of their breaths in the silent wind.
Her voice cracked low, trembling with steel and shadow."…Where are you leading me?"
Luo Mingyao's fingers faltered for a heartbeat, but her tone did not waver."To where you cannot escape."
Ye Lan's pupils constricted. The jade pulsed once more—then settled, the twin currents stilled.
——
When the light faded, Ye Lan's breathing was ragged, yet steady. Rising to her feet, her eyes glimmered cold, though something unspoken churned beneath.
Luo Mingyao tucked the fragment into her sleeve. Her expression was calm, but beneath the moonlight, there was a solitude she could not hide.
Ye Lan turned, her voice sharp as frost."If you dare to bind me with this, I will destroy you myself."
Luo Mingyao smiled faintly, her voice cool."Before you destroy me—you must first survive."
Ye Lan paused, shoulders rigid, but said nothing more."Let's go," she muttered, striding forward.
The wind swept the grass into gentle waves.Their shadows stretched long across the silent land, one ahead, one behind.
And for the first time, Ye Lan admitted to herself—Without Luo Mingyao, she might never have made it this far.