["Dan Heng said no more and slowly stepped toward the statue."]
["The stone carving depicting the Dragon Sovereign had long been weathered by time."]
["Dan Heng closed his eyes, sensing the power of this place."]
["Beneath the boundless waves, the ancient roots of the Ambrosial Arbor stirred and grew, like a beast that had lain dormant for millennia, just awakening from a great dream."]
["The prohibitions woven by successive Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereigns, the bindings that tamed and dispersed the beast's power, formed a decaying net on the verge of collapse, ready to break free."]
["Past memories emerged from the darkness, gripping Dan Heng tightly."]
["But this time, he no longer intended to reject them. Instead, he embraced and accepted it all…"]
["Finally, he slowly raised his left hand, a radiant glow gathering in his palm, as if he were about to grasp a star!"]
["At almost the same moment, a thrilling surge of music resounded through the heavens and earth, echoing across countless worlds—"]
["'Rip… the form… set free!!' (Rip~ Kokomi~ shoulders!!)"]
["'The thunderous roar of ten thousand bolts'"]
["'Shaking the soul with fervor~'"]
["'Tempestuous waves!'"]
["In an instant, the glow in Dan Heng's hand shot into the sky, like a divine arrow piercing the heavens, accompanied by rolling thunder. Its residual force rippled outward, illuminating the gloom-shrouded sky above Scalegorge Waterscape as brightly as dawn."]
["Beneath the clouds, the ancient sea's raging waves roared, tearing open a wound to reveal a glimpse of the mysterious yet magnificent secret realm within."]
["—As if a deity had seized the creation of the heavens and earth, commanding the ancient sea to part, allowing the group to press forward."]
["At the distant end of Scalegorge Waterscape, a massive cyan dragon loomed over the abyss, gazing across the sea at Jing Yuan."]
——
Teyvat, Watatsumi Island
"Lady Sangonomiya? I think I just heard…" Gorou scratched his head, unsure if he'd misheard someone plotting against Lady Sangonomiya's shoulders!
But he soon noticed that Lady Sangonomiya hadn't heard him at all. The girl's gaze was entirely captivated by the breathtaking scene on the Celestial Screen—the magnificent dragon palace had completely seized Kokomi's attention, and no matter how much Gorou shook her, she couldn't snap out of it.
Meanwhile
"The Vidyadhara's palace is truly grand, though it's a bit of a pity…" As the Dragon King of the Western Sea, Ao Run felt both envy and regret—envy that the Vidyadhara had preserved their palace so well after millennia, and regret that it now stood empty, devoid of life.
But that distant dragon silhouette was truly majestic… She couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.
"The Vidyadhara really spared no expense. To seal the Ambrosial Arbor, they were willing to sacrifice such a treasured place," Ao Qin remarked. Though the Celestial Screen's glimpse of Scalegorge Waterscape was brief, it was enough for him to savor for a while.
"Big brother, why aren't you saying anything?" Ao Shun noticed that ever since Dan Heng parted the sea to reveal the palace in Scalegorge Waterscape, his elder brother had been off.
…Could he be jealous?
It was understandable. The palace in Scalegorge Waterscape was a sight to behold—who wouldn't be envious? But the expression on his brother's face…
"Sigh," Ao Guang let out a heavy, melancholic sigh. "It reminds me of our old Dragon Palace… Though ours wasn't as grand as Scalegorge Waterscape, it was still the sacred ground of our Four Seas Dragon Clan. But ever since we began guarding the undersea abyss, it's been reduced to ruins…"
The Vidyadhara's sacred ground, as shown on the Celestial Screen, remained intact after millennia, while theirs…
He stole another glance at Scalegorge Waterscape, watching the various fish swimming playfully among the palace structures, and Ao Guang grew even sadder.
["'There are so many buildings under the water… No wonder the records say Scalegorge Waterscape was once the Vidyadhara Dragon Palace,' Fu Xuan said, seeing the palace in the ancient sea of Scalegorge for the first time, her eyes filled with awe."]
["'During the Spumon Rebellion, I had the honor of witnessing this marvel. Mountains shifted, seas turned, and the palace city became a ruin… The Vidyadhara sacrificed their homeland to imprison the Ambrosial Arbor. The Xianzhou Luofu owes them a great debt,' Jing Yuan said with a sigh, quickly reining in his emotions and turning serious. 'Master Diviner Fu.'"]
["'I'm here,' Fu Xuan stepped forward."]
["'Stay here and lead the Cloud Knights to guard this passage to prevent any unexpected incidents,' Jing Yuan ordered solemnly."]
["'Jing Yuan…' Fu Xuan's brows furrowed with worry. '…General, are you going to face Phantylia alone?'"]
["'Not exactly alone,' Jing Yuan said with a smile, turning to Dan Heng and Stelle. 'I have friends with me.'"]
["'General! We're willing to follow you! Please don't leave us behind!' A group of Cloud Knights began volunteering, ready to pave the way for the group even at the cost of their lives."]
["But Jing Yuan calmly refused, 'I understand your resolve, but the enemy ahead isn't an Abundance monstrosity… It's Phantylia, a Lord Ravager of the Antimatter Legion. Beyond this path lies a confrontation between the Reignbow Arbiter and the Plague of Annihilation. You have a more important duty. Cloud Knights, heed my command!'"]
["At his order, the Cloud Knights stood ready."]
["'If the sea closes after I enter the Ambrosial Arbor, withdraw immediately, reseal the realm, and follow the Master Diviner's instructions for all matters,' Jing Yuan commanded."]
——
Japan, Shinjuku
At the window of a love hotel, Lu Mingfei and Erii were chatting via pen and paper, discussing the events unfolding on the Celestial Screen.
"Jing Yuan, saying stuff like that is a death flag," Erii wrote quietly on the paper.
"No way, absolutely not! That's not a death flag—it's fine," Lu Mingfei replied.
In his mind, he thought, Princess, you haven't watched enough anime. A real death flag would be something like 'After this battle, I'll go back home and get married' or 'There's nothing to fear anymore.' Jing Yuan's just making arrangements—it's not the kind that gets you killed. More importantly, I can't even imagine the Xianzhou without Jing Yuan!
If Jing Yuan died, who would be the General of the Seat of Divine Foresight? That pink-haired shorty from the Divination Commission? Then who'd be the Master Diviner? Qingque?
That mental image was just too much.
Lu Mingfei counted on his fingers: Jing Yuan, Dan Heng… plus March 7th made five people. With a righteous five-on-one, he started worrying about how Phantylia would hold up.
Poking at the five-flavor fried rice on his plate, which served as breakfast, Lu Mingfei had an idea when he remembered Erii wanted more of it for lunch.
"If Jing Yuan wins, how about we go eat Hokkaido ramen at Kikanbo for lunch?" Lu Mingfei wrote on the paper. "If he loses, we'll stick with five-flavor fried rice."
"Okay," Erii obediently wrote back on the board. "And you have to watch Fate/Zero with me tonight."