Chapter 127: Threads of the Unknown
The Liu Clan house hummed with the quiet energy of late afternoon,
a modest structure of wood and stone, its halls filled with the faint scent of sandalwood incense and the rustle of turning pages,
soft light filtering through the shutters, casting long shadows across the polished floors.
Lin Xuan sat in the main hall, his black eyes faintly glowing with white pupils,
the Celestial Unity Crest on his back pulsing with his 6th Layer Profound Heavenly Realm strength,
his mind drifting between the day's plans with the Soul Lamp Hall and the growing presence of Anika in his life,
her mysterious aura both a comfort and a puzzle he longed to solve.
Anika emerged from a side room, her raven hair cascading over her shoulders,
a satchel slung across her chest, her movements deliberate as she prepared to leave,
the air around her crackling with a subtle energy that set Lin Xuan's instincts on edge.
He rose, his voice tinged with curiosity,
"Where are you going, Anika?"
She turned, a playful smirk lighting her face as she teased,
"To visit someone special—jealous, husband?"
Lin Xuan's cheeks flushed slightly, a rare vulnerability, but he pressed, his tone softening,
"Be serious. Where?"
Her smirk faded into a gentle smile, her eyes holding a distant warmth,
"My Younger brother. I need to see him. Don't worry—I'll return."
Before he could respond, she tore space with a sharp rip,
the air splitting open in a shimmer of obsidian-violet light, her figure vanishing into the void,
leaving Lin Xuan standing alone, his heart a mix of concern and intrigue.
Far away, in a hidden cave nestled deep within the Southern Land's wild expanse,
the air thick with the humid scent of moss and the primal roars of unseen beasts,
a massive ape and a youthful figure stood watch, their eyes fixed on the portal's glow.
Anika stepped through, the rip sealing behind her, her presence commanding the dim light,
the ape transformed into a human form—Daichi—his muscular frame clad in rough hide, his voice deep yet warm,
"Hello, Sis. It's been too long. I've made an inheritor,"
he gestured to the youth,
"but I've told him little. He knows of 'him'. He'll help 'him' when the time comes."
Anika nodded, her expression cryptic, her voice steady,
"Good. Keep him safe, Daichi. His role is vital. How fares the old pact?"
Daichi's eyes darkened,
"Intact, but fragile. The balance shifts. Be cautious, Sister."
She inclined her head, her thoughts hidden behind a mask of calm, then tore space again with a whoosh,
the portal swallowing her as she departed, the cave falling silent, the youth's gaze lingering on the spot she left.
In Dawnriver's misty forest, a realm of tangled vines and shrouded secrets,
Anika emerged near a cave Lin Xuan had sealed with intricate formations years ago,
the air cool with the scent of damp earth and the faint hum of dormant qi,
her fingers traced the seals, unraveling them with a flick of her wrist, the barriers dissolving with a soft crackle.
Inside, the cave revealed its hidden treasure—an egg sparking with red lightning,
its surface pulsing with a divine energy that made the air tremble,
and beside it, the severed arm of the Eclipse Sky Dragon, a legendary beast among the Six Divine Beasts,
its scales glinting with an otherworldly sheen, a relic of ancient power.
Anika's eyes narrowed, her hand igniting with Obsidian-Violet Flames,
the flames danced with a fierce beauty, their heat consuming the arm in a burst of light,
the ashes scattering with a whoosh, carried away by an unseen wind,
she cradled the egg, its lightning syncing with her qi, a divine connection hinting at a destiny far beyond Dawnriver's borders.
She tore space once more, the rip echoing through the cave,
returning to the Liu Clan house,
Lin Xuan awaited her.