"Yukihime."
A voice echoed quietly through the void.
Moments later, a woman with long golden-blonde hair materialized behind the silver-haired woman dressed in white-and-red ceremonial robes.
The blonde woman's blue ceremonial garments drifted weightlessly around her as her gaze settled upon the green planet suspended before them.
A world wrapped in vast blue oceans beneath the stars.
Yukihime turned slightly toward the newcomer.
"What brings you here, Gilded Arbiter?"
The blonde woman paused briefly before sighing.
"I already told you Roselia is fine."
Another tired sigh escaped her lips as she looked toward the planet again.
"So this is Fanji Zhoushan…"
Yukihime nodded once before turning back toward the distant world.
"The origin of the future First Outer God."
"As The Source informed me."
Roselia glanced sideways at her.
"So Miss Veridielle personally told you?"
Yukihime shook her head slightly.
"Not directly."
"She merely sent me… an omen."
Roselia immediately deadpanned.
"You mean she spoke directly into your consciousness again."
Yukihime remained silent for a moment before giving a small nod.
"I have already tested Chi Rong Guang," she continued calmly.
"I believe she still requires more years."
"She is far too innocent to carry the weight of an Outer God."
Roselia quietly listened.
"Too straightforward."
"Too naive."
"And far too young to stand among the Quartet."
Roselia's brow slowly rose.
"…Quartet?"
"The Source referred to them as such."
Roselia instantly buried her face into her hands.
A vivid mental image of Anathasia flashing a peace sign while sticking her tongue out surfaced inside her mind.
"…Miss Veridielle…"
"Why do you insist on naming everything…"
A groan slipped from her lips while Yukihime merely dipped her head politely before continuing.
"That concludes my report, Miss Roselia."
"I shall continue carrying out this mission."
Roselia peeked through the gaps between her fingers toward the silver-haired woman standing before her like the embodiment of crystallization and stillness itself.
"Yes… please continue."
"I will oversee your home totality for the time being."
Yukihime gave a quiet nod.
Then her body dissolved into drifting mist before disappearing completely.
The moment she vanished, a wave of exhaustion immediately hit Roselia. Around her, countless stars faded quietly into the background.
Leaving only Fanji Zhoushan.
Its nearby star.
And the two moons orbiting the distant planet.
Silence swallowed the cosmos whole. Only the faint sound of her breathing remained.
"…Seriously."
Roselia slowly facepalmed.
"The more responsibilities I carry…"
"…the more I realize just how utterly indescribable Miss Veridielle truly is."
She stared quietly toward the planet again before a soft laugh escaped her lips.
Her form gradually began fading back into the cosmos itself.
"Then…"
"…we'll finally have a little sister again, huh?"
…
"Chi Rong Guang."
—
Far below.
Within the Flowing Vermillion Sect.
Inner Sect.
Guang's residence.
Zhou Shuxuan and the master of the Flowing Vermillion Sect stood beside Guang's bed while frost slowly thawed from her unconscious body.
Their expressions remained grim.
"How terrible…" the older man murmured quietly.
"It truly is unprecedented, Master Qing," Zhou replied softly while his gaze lingered over Guang before drifting elsewhere.
*What kind of monster did this to her…?*
Even with that thing behind her…
"She is one of the greatest disciples our sect has ever produced…"
"And yet—"
"Master Qing," Zhou suddenly interrupted.
The elderly man with white hair and a long beard turned toward him.
"What is it, Master Zhou?"
"Recent reports from neighboring sects," Zhou began carefully,
"suggest that Sister Guang was not this entity's only victim."
Master Qing's eyes widened slightly.
"…Truly?"
Zhou slowly lowered his gaze.
"Several exceptionally talented disciples from other sects have also encountered this thing."
A heavy silence settled across the room afterward.
"Most of them," Zhou continued quietly,
"…were not as fortunate as Sister Guang."
Master Qing slowly turned back toward Guang's unconscious figure.
Both men remained silent.
Unreadable.
Zhou eventually looked toward the distant window.
Far beyond the clouds, massive frozen shards still pierced into the heavens from where the battle had taken place.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Guang surviving is nothing short of a miracle.
Whatever she fought was arguably comparable to…
His thoughts paused briefly.
…the mythical Conflagration Emperor.
Then—
Perhaps even greater.
"The Fifth and Seventh Pillars, Ling Shixian and Ran Lui, reported encountering a woman with long silver-white hair dressed in white ceremonial robes and a crimson skirt during their investigation," the bearded man spoke quietly.
His gaze drifted toward the massive ice shards piercing beyond the distant clouds.
"Does their description match the reports from the other sects, Master Zhou?"
"Yes," Zhou replied.
His expression darkened slightly.
"Almost… unnervingly exact."
Master Qing slowly narrowed his eyes.
"Then that confirms our suspicions."
"There is only one entity responsible for these incidents."
His hands remained tucked behind his back as he continued staring toward the frozen remnants in the distance.
"And whatever it is…"
"…it stands on the same level as the Divine Immortal Renegades of the past."
A quiet laugh escaped him afterward.
Though no amusement truly lingered within it.
"The same kind of monster as the Conflagration Emperor."
He paused briefly.
"…Except this one rules over frost."
Zhou remained silent.
His eyes never left the colossal ice formations stretching beyond the heavens.
—
As days slowly bled into one another, Guang was rarely seen leaving her residence.
Still—
News of her regaining consciousness spread throughout the sect faster than wildfire soaked in oil.
And currently—
Guang sat quietly along the wooden hallway outside her residence.
Beyond her rested a small garden swaying beneath the breeze. Yet her eyes remained fixed on the sky above. Not a single scar remained upon her body.
But despite that—
The Ice Woman's voice still echoed clearly within her mind.
'I would never be able to kill you no matter how hard I tried.'
'Still far too inexperienced.'
'That concept simply falls short against someone like your kind.'
'There are far more capable individuals than yourself.'
The words endlessly repeated inside her thoughts.
Fresh.
Unfading.
Like wounds that refused to close.
Guang continued staring blankly upward.
Then—
"That will not work."
?!
The voice abruptly rang through her mind once more.
Guang instantly snapped out of her thoughts.
A sudden chill crawled violently down her spine as her body tensed.
Her eyes widened slightly.
For reasons she could not explain—
Fear gripped her chest.
Guang frantically shook her head, her hair swaying wildly before her ponytail lightly smacked against her face.
A shaky breath escaped her lips as she slowly stood up.
"…I still feel a little cold."
She glanced down at her palm before opening it.
A small flame flickered quietly above her hand.
"…But at least my flames are back."
After closing her palm, Guang chose not to float away through the air this time.
Instead, she quietly walked through the back gate of her residence, taking her time as she wandered through the inner sect.
Eventually, she arrived at a pavilion overlooking the mountain peaks jutting through the endless sea of clouds below.
The drifting clouds moved so slowly that they almost seemed motionless.
Guang pulled one of the chairs surrounding the pavilion's table and turned it toward the horizon before sitting down.
The sky had already begun changing colors.
Golden sunlight faded gradually into deep orange hues while the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
A quiet stillness settled around her.
Guang leaned back against the chair, her arms hanging loosely at her sides while she stared silently at the darkening sky.
"…I didn't die," she muttered quietly.
"That's enough… right?"
Her hands slowly moved onto her lap as she lowered her gaze.
Then—
Her cheeks suddenly felt wet.
"Mom and Dad still have their daughter…"
"…I'm still here…"
Tears landed softly against her knuckles.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"I don't want to die…"
"I'm scared…" she whispered shakily.
Her hands slowly gripped the pavilion railing while tears continued falling from her eyes.
"I thought this was easy…"
"…but I'm still just human…"
A weak laugh escaped Guang's lips.
"…What was I even thinking?"
Soft, uneven sobs echoed quietly through the pavilion.
Guang remained there alone, eyes shut tightly while tears continued rolling down her cheeks beneath the fading light of sunset.
Far above the clouds—
Standing atop the colossal ice shards piercing through the heavens—
Was Yukihime herself.
Her dark katana rested sheathed against her hip while her gaze remained fixed upon the distant Flowing Vermilion Sect.
Above the mountain peak, the fiery spectral feathers of the sect's mythical guardian drifted slowly through the skies.
Then—
Her crimson eyes shifted elsewhere.
Toward a secluded pavilion near the edge of the peak overlooking the setting sun.
Toward Guang.
A faint glow flickered within Yukihime's eyes before slowly narrowing.
"A few more years," she whispered softly.
Her robes flowed behind her as she turned away.
"As The Source intended…"
"…the Quartet will be completed."
The moment her words faded—
So did her form.
Her body dissolved silently into drifting mist that scattered alongside the wind, leaving behind only faint frostflakes glimmering through the air in her wake.