Carrying the exquisite ancient sword on her back, Qi Yue’an found that ever since it had come into her possession, her own magic was being slowly, inexorably drawn into it.
Yet, no matter how much energy was absorbed, there was no discernible reaction from the blade, as if her power were merely a stone sinking into a bottomless sea; though, she could, if she willed it, forcibly halt the process.
Pondering the words of the senior named Youguangyu, she began to explore this vast, tomb-like expanse.
In truth, more than a mere burial ground, it appeared to be a clandestine base for a discussion agency.
Around the colossal circular table, each of the seven chairs bore a simple yet profoundly symbolic pattern carved into its surface.
“Here… are there words?”
As she wiped away the thick layer of dust, a subtle clinging sensation reached her fingertips.
Beneath the grime on the chair back, several characters emerged, unfamiliar to her, yet strangely comprehensible, as if their meaning was inherently known.
The inscription on the leading chair, adorned with intricate patterns of flames and a judge’s brush, was the clearest of them all.
“Prison Warden…”
This seemed to be the name of the ‘Destiny’ Youguangyu had mentioned.
However, weren’t magical girls typically categorized by ‘lineages’?
And weren’t they all named after the Seven Deadly Sins, such as Envy and Gluttony?
Turning to the other chairs, she watched as the remaining inscriptions gradually revealed themselves.
“Hourglass and Hour Hand… Blooming Flowers and Cross…”
“Time… Nature… Mountains…”
Suddenly, just as she prepared to investigate further, the patterns began to glow in a mesmerizing chain reaction.
An indescribably pure surge of magic erupted from them, instantly transforming the dilapidated space into a pristine, vibrant state.
She witnessed numerous girls gathered here, some smiling brightly, others bearing solemn expressions.
This place, she realized with a pang, had once been lush with life and vibrant energy, a sanctuary teeming with dreams.
Youguangyu, Zhuyu Yin, Yeyan Xi… two, three, then an increasing number of names began to surface from the celestial canopy.
Just as she found herself utterly captivated, everything abruptly dissipated like a fragile illusion, shattering into nothingness.
The dreamlike scenery, the warm spring light, and the joyous laughter of countless faces all dissolved into an ethereal void.
Ultimately, they transformed into a solitary streak of brilliance that flowed into the ancient sword, leaving behind only the cold, eternal pallid light of this place.
Just before everything vanished, she felt a sudden, gentle touch on her shoulder.
She turned to see a silver-haired girl, clad in modern attire, holding a peculiar, clock-hand-like wheel-blade.
The girl exuded an aura of cool detachment and profound world-weariness, yet a faint, knowing smile graced her lips.
She then proceeded to walk in the direction where Youguangyu had disappeared, her silhouette fading.
Though the smile conveyed no explicit words, Qi Yue’an implicitly understood its unspoken message.
It seemed to whisper, ‘Keep striving, junior.’
With that, the lost story finally concluded, and the celestial canopy shattered completely before vanishing without a trace.
The tables and chairs, too, dimmed, their dilapidation now even more pronounced than before the vision.
It appeared they would soon be utterly consumed by time, or perhaps by this very space itself.
Ancient civilizations, Destinies, and those enigmatic patterns—the sudden influx of so much information overwhelmed Qi Yue’an, leaving her momentarily stunned and unable to process it all.
She yearned to see Qi Wei again, reasoning that as the oldest inhabitant of Ancheng, Qi Wei surely possessed more knowledge than anyone else.
****
In the distance, the melodious chime of a bell resonated, informing Qi Yue’an that it was already afternoon.
The sky here, much like in the Dawn Star Palace, lacked a complete day-night cycle.
However, unlike the Dawn Star Palace’s clear transition between dawn and night, this place existed in an almost eternal, unchanging state of pallor.
Its sole light source was a pallid celestial glow.
The sky held no moon, no stars, and certainly no sun; only an oppressive, hazy expanse of blankness, stretching endlessly.
To remain here alone for an extended period would surely evoke a bone-chilling cold and profound solitude, a sense of being utterly lost.
The ‘Qi Yue’ans’ of Ancheng had constructed a grand clock, chiming at fixed intervals each day to mark the time within this perpetual daylight and regulate the inhabitants’ routines.
Just as she pondered where Qi Yue might be playing, the eternal pallid light in the sky was suddenly doused as if by thick, spilled ink.
It rapidly dimmed and plunged into oblivion, eventually replaced by a suffocating, profound darkness.
This darkness was not absolute; instead, it permeated with an ominous, faint glow, as if emanating from the very abyss itself.
Concurrently, the bells of Ancheng rang out once more—not with the peaceful cadence of timekeeping, but with urgent, resonant, and warning-filled peals.
Each colossal clang struck deep into the hearts of all who heard it, a harbinger of dread.
“What’s happening?!”
A knot tightened in Qi Yue’an’s chest, and she immediately quickened her pace, sprinting towards Ancheng with a surge of adrenaline.
However, along the desolate ancient path leading to Ancheng, distorted shadows began to converge from all directions, writhing into existence.
They seeped from the earth and twisted into form from the void.
These were creatures beyond ordinary comprehension, imbued with a strong, Cthulhu-esque sense of the unnamable, yet strangely fused with unsettling elements of Chinese horror.
One colossal body, supported by over a dozen pallid, reverse-jointed human arms, scuttled rapidly across the ground like a gigantic centipede.
Its main mass was a constantly writhing lump of flesh, oozing viscous black liquid, yet it was grotesquely adorned with a tattered, blood-red bridal gown, its phoenix coronet askew atop a fleshy protuberance.
Another monster was grotesquely swollen, its entire body covered in constantly rupturing and reforming pustules.
Where its yellowish-green viscous fluid dripped, the ground hissed with corrosive sounds, bubbling and smoking.
Despite its horrific form, it wore a filthy, dark Xuan-colored Taoist robe, its sleeves whipping through the air and stirring up waves of foul, fishy stench that made the stomach churn.
Still others resembled elongated humanoid shadows, their limbs contorted into impossible angles, defying all natural anatomy.
They wore tattered garments reminiscent of ancient official robes, and their faces bore no features, only smooth, unsettling skin that reflected a faint, eerie glow.
Upon spotting the solitary Qi Yue’an, they immediately let out piercing, grotesque cries, a horrifying blend of weeping and cackling, and swarmed towards her with terrifying speed!
Without hesitation, Qi Yue’an summoned her golden sword, embedded with glistening soul gems, and fiercely slashed at the ‘bridal gown’ monster that charged first.
However, the blade passed through its body without the slightest resistance, as if striking only a phantom of nothingness!
Conversely, several bone-sharp claws suddenly shot forth from the monster’s dozen arms, tearing through the air with a shriek as they lunged for her, aimed at her vital points.
Caught off guard, Qi Yue’an could only instinctively dodge sideways, yet her arm still sustained a bleeding gash.
More alarming still, a chilling power, attempting to corrupt her mind, coiled around the wound.
‘Physical attacks are ineffective?!’
She immediately shifted her tactics, and purple ‘Envy Flame’ surged from her sword, which she then swung again at the monster.
This time, the flames seared the monster’s body, eliciting a sizzling sound, and the creature let out a pained shriek.
However, the ‘Envy Flame’ burned far less rapidly than it did against demons and their familiars in the outside world.
These monsters possessed high resistance, and their numbers continued to swell, pressing in from all sides.
Just then, the surrounding monsters collectively paused their movements, their chaotic, featureless eye sockets seemingly engaging in a brief, silent exchange.
The next moment, as if receiving a unified command, they launched a suicidal charge from all directions, with unprecedented disregard for their own damage.
Their speed was astonishing, instantly sealing off every possible escape route for her.
Just as she was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the twisted creatures, in this perilous, split-second moment.
The ancient longsword in her hand, which had quietly absorbed magic like a dormant relic, suddenly began to vibrate violently.
The previously faint patterns of flames and a judge’s brush on its hilt flared to life, emitting a searing crimson glow.
Subsequently, a power far hotter and more majestic than the ‘Envy Flame,’ as if originating from the deepest hells and wielding dominion over judgment and punishment, erupted like a slumbering volcano!
“Boom—!”
Crimson flames erupted from the sword, not merely spreading, but surging forth like a living, malevolent dragon.
Imbued with the will to incinerate all defilement and sin in the world, they instantly swept through the fan-shaped area ahead, leaving nothing untouched.
The flames were deep and pure in color.
Wherever they passed, the twisted monsters, unable to even fully scream, were swiftly ignited and disintegrated like wicked souls cast into purgatory.
They transformed into the purest magical particles, leaving not a single trace of residue.
Qi Yue’an was stunned.
She felt a power emanating from the ancient sword, utterly distinct from the cold, corrosive force of the ‘Envy Flame.’
A realization dawned upon her: this, it seemed, was their bane, their ultimate nemesis.
Without hesitation, she gripped the ancient longsword in her left hand and her golden sword in her right.
Two weapons from entirely different cultural origins now worked in concert, a testament to her adaptability.
She charged proactively into the horde of monsters, her crimson flames purifying vast swathes of the twisted creatures with devastating efficiency.
Meanwhile, her purple ‘Envy Flame’ precisely eliminated any stragglers, corroding their remaining spirits with insidious intent.
The two distinct flames intertwined in her hands, surprisingly creating a peculiar synergy and complementarity, possessing both destructive power and debilitating negative effects.
No longer merely dodging and passively defending, she had truly transformed into the role of a hunter.
The two soul-targeting flames swept away and purified the malevolent spirits blocking her path with overwhelming force, like a tempest.
Fighting her way through, Qi Yue’an finally reached the colossal city gates of Ancheng.
The city gates were already tightly shut.
On the city walls stood a multitude of ‘Qi Yue’ans,’ poised for battle, their expressions resolute.
Some had gathered magic in their hands, while others unleashed ‘Envy Flames’ of various forms, striking down monsters attempting to scale the walls.
The battle appeared fierce, yet the city walls were bolstered by a special magical enchantment, making it difficult for the monsters to breach.
Though the scene was tense, it was not precarious, but rather resembled a routine defensive engagement, one they were well-practiced in.
Upon seeing Qi Yue’an’s return, someone on the city wall gasped in surprise.
Swiftly, a gap opened in the city gate, and she darted inside, relieved to be safe.
“Are you alright?”
A ‘Qi Yue’an’ who appeared to be a patrol captain approached her.
Noticing the wound on her arm and the lingering aura of flames on her person, her eyes narrowed slightly with concern.
“Outside, the ‘Shadow Fiends’ suddenly erupted, making it extremely dangerous!”
“It’s fortunate you returned; otherwise, we would have had to send out a rescue team.”
“‘Shadow Fiends’? Is that what those monsters are called?”
Qi Yue’an asked, panting, still catching her breath.
“Yes, every time the ‘Eternal Night’ descends, these creatures crawl out from the shadows of the ruins.”
“However, as long as we stay within the city, they can’t get in.”
“Everyone’s grown accustomed to it; we just slowly clear them out with Envy Flames, though it’s a bit troublesome.”
The captain explained, her tone devoid of the urgency one might expect when facing a life-or-death crisis, indicating its routine nature.
Qi Yue’an participated in the brief defense of the city wall.
Her crimson flames sparked curiosity and astonishment among the other ‘Qi Yue’ans,’ yet everyone merely glanced a few times without pressing for details.
It was as if, in this city, any anomaly could become commonplace, easily accepted.
After an indeterminate period, as the profound darkness at the edge of the sky began to recede like a tide, and the eternal pallid light once again bathed the land, the ‘Shadow Fiends’ outside the city dissolved rapidly, much like snow under sunlight, vanishing from sight.
The world once more returned to its constant ‘daylight.’
With the crisis averted, Qi Yue’an did not linger.
She headed directly back to the temple situated in the heart of Ancheng.
She urgently needed to see Qi Wei.
The sword, the flames, the ‘Destinies’ of the ancient civilization, and Youguangyu… too many questions swirled in her mind, and only the city lord could possibly provide answers.
In the temple’s side hall, she once again encountered the pristine white figure.
Qi Wei seemed to have anticipated her arrival, standing quietly by the window, her golden eyes fixed upon her, a silent welcome.