"The residents of Hongzhen were all controlled by the Fractsidus using Whisperin Erosion long before Jinzhou was invaded."
Changli clenched her fists tightly, a trace of hatred and anger appearing in her gaze.
"And we... only just learned of this."
Noah's expression was equally grim, but he said nothing more. After placing the core in the central mechanism, he led the two women toward the Mianloong Chamber.
"Noah."
Along the way, Changli suddenly called out to him and asked.
"You can temporarily use Rover's abilities... so, can you also use Jinhsi's abilities?"
"Yes."
Receiving the affirmative answer, Changli stroked her chin. Her pair of golden phoenix eyes flickered as she finally spoke.
"I wonder if you are familiar with a physics concept called sympathetic resonance."
"I have an impression, but I've forgotten."
Noah slowed his steps, turning his head to look at Changli beside him, wanting to know what she meant.
"A long, long time ago, there were temples on two separate mountain peaks. When someone rang the bronze bell in one temple, the bronze bell in the other temple would ring on its own, even with no one nearby."
Changli slowly recounted.
"Later, a scholar investigated this phenomenon and discovered the principle of sympathetic resonance."
"Sympathetic resonance means that when two objects with the same vibration frequency are present, if one vibrates, it will cause the other to vibrate in sync."
"I'm wondering, when you use Jinhsi's abilities, whether you resonate with the same frequency as Jinhsi, and whether Jinhsi would receive a corresponding response."
As Changli's words ended, Noah glanced down at the Tacet Mark on the back of his hand and gently shook his head.
"Once we're out of Mt. Firmament, I don't mind cooperating with you for some academic experiments, but the urgent priority now is to find the Sentinel first."
"That's not what I meant..."
Changli hesitated to speak further, ultimately shaking her head helplessly and saying no more.
What she actually wanted to propose was: since Noah could fully master Jinhsi's abilities, was there a possibility—
Of having Noah perform the secondary resonance with the Sentinel?
But this was ultimately extremely risky and might not even be feasible. Changli couldn't shamelessly make such a request of the hero who had saved Jinzhou twice.
The three proceeded in silence and soon arrived at the Mianloong Chamber.
The Mianloong Chamber was a space inside Mt. Firmament, a place that could slightly alleviate the Sentinel Jué's injuries.
For many years, the Sentinel had hidden here to recover, rarely venturing out.
The three entered the Mianloong Chamber. The dim interior of the cave was illuminated by several naturally glowing stones.
Looking up, they saw a pool of water frozen by time flow, its rippling waves solidified mid-air like a painted scroll.
It was the Chronosorter that had frozen this Mianloong Chamber in place.
"You two wait here. I'll finish the puzzle quickly."
Leaving those words, Noah stepped forward, leaving the master and disciple behind.
The Fractsidus had used a large number of specially modified Chronosorters and Luminary Patterns to form a special force field in the Mianloong Chamber, restricting the Sentinel Jué's movements and senses.
If the Sentinel tried to forcibly break this confinement, the specialized Chronosorters and Luminary Patterns would cause Her severe injury.
Therefore, to release the Sentinel, the puzzle must be solved first.
Because Hongzhen's Xinyi had been contaminated by Whisperin Erosion, she couldn't pass this information to Jinhsi and her master.
But it was no problem. As a professional substitute player, Noah was thoroughly familiar with solving such puzzles—he could practically do it with his eyes closed.
It would just take a bit of time.
"Jinhsi, how are you feeling now?"
With Changli's gentle inquiry, Jinhsi seemed to awaken from a dream, turning her head to Changli.
"Teacher, what did you just say?"
"...I said, how are you feeling now?"
"Not well." Jinhsi lowered her gaze, breathing slightly. "Right now, just staying conscious is already using all my strength. It's hard to think about anything."
Jinhsi raised her head, gazing distantly across the Mianloong Chamber. A faint light appeared in her eyes as she removed the Static Mist bracelet from her wrist.
"Let's go, Teacher. To the other side. I can feel the Sentinel is here, but I can't hear Her response."
The master and disciple walked side by side, crossing the frozen pool water. Changli wanted to find a topic to avoid the atmosphere becoming too oppressive.
"Jinhsi, if we meet the Sentinel and confirm She indeed has incurable injuries..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Changli inwardly scolded herself for choosing the wrong topic.
"If it truly comes to that, I will risk my life to fill the missing aspect of chronal power for the Sentinel."
Jinhsi answered without hesitation. "The people of Mt. Firmament have become puppets—this cannot be undone. I absolutely cannot let Jinzhou fall again. This is also... the only way I can help the Sentinel."
Saying this, Jinhsi gave a bitter laugh, as if self-mocking.
"Perhaps, from the moment the Sentinel revived that deceased infant sixteen years ago, my life's mission, everything about me—my beginning and end—were already destined."
"Don't overthink it, Jinhsi. So far, everything about the Sentinel is just our speculation."
Changli offered weak consolation, though her exquisite face was inescapably covered in worry.
At the end of the Mianloong Chamber was a smooth glass wall of special material.
"No matter what, Jinzhou is my homeland, containing everything I cherish. Even setting aside my identity as Magistrate and the grace of the Sentinel's rebirth, I cannot abandon Jinzhou."
Jinhsi reached out to touch the wall. Golden lines like a spiderweb simultaneously appeared on its surface, with three Luminary Patterns glowing brightly in the center.
It was the Sentinel, responding to her through this barrier.
"If my life's mission is to battle the Sentinel, even knowing the only outcome is death, I will not flee."
She did not submit to fate but willingly plunged into its torrent.
Jinhsi raised her head, her gaze seeming to pierce the opaque wall to meet the massive dragon head behind it.
That was the Sentinel of Jinzhou—Jué!
It didn't take long before the three Luminary Patterns lit up one after another, signifying the Fractsidus's restraints on the Sentinel were completely undone.
Behind the opaque wall, a surging vortex swirled. A figure coiled within it.
Antlers, ox ears, serpent body, eagle claws...
A dragon's roar resounded, violently shaking the entire Mianloong Chamber.
Jué burst through the wall. Her serpentine body leaped out with the pool water, her massive form nearly spanning the whole Mianloong Chamber.
After another dragon roar, Jué slowly hovered mid-air. Radiance burst from Her body, causing the surrounding water flows to stagnate mid-air as well.
Her enormous dragon head faced Jinhsi from afar. Her eyes were like two massive stars, Her draconic maw slightly open to reveal sword-sharp fangs.
Sacred, majestic, unapproachable.
"Jinhsi, it has been a while."
Jué's voice carried a deep resonance, like low-frequency metallic vibrations, echoing throughout the Mianloong Chamber.
"And Jinzhou's Advisor Changli, as well as—"
Those deep and bright massive dragon eyes, upon seeing Noah approaching slowly with Emerald of Genesis in hand, showed a human-like trace of confusion.
"Who are you?"