Chapter 69: The Price of Enlightenment
Stelle felt her comprehension of the Fire Dance Whirlwind reach an unmatched peak. The fiery chi coursed through her veins, settling into a thrumming, powerful rhythm.
"Hoo... now that was awesome!" Stelle exhaled a long, heated breath, wiping a sheen of phantom sweat from her brow. A deeply satisfied grin stretched across her face.
Then there was the ultimate finishing strike—Heaven and Earth Share Longevity.
The moment she had brushed her consciousness against the core of that technique, a suffocating wave of absolute, suicidal resolve had crashed over her. It was a strike meant to drag both the wielder and the enemy into a shared, inescapable inferno. Her survival instincts had flared instantly, violently yanking her mind away from the technique's abyssal depths.
"Yeah, no... that move feels a little too mutually assured destruction for my tastes," she muttered, crossing her arms. "I'll shelf that one for later."
It was a convenient excuse. In truth, her current mental fortitude simply wasn't hardened enough to shoulder the apocalyptic weight of such a self-sacrificial deep art.
A brilliant flash of geometric light swallowed her vision. When it faded, Stelle found herself back on the plush carpet of the Astral Express's observation car, still seated in a perfect lotus position. The crystalline Liuli Sword resting across her lap pulsed with a faint, lingering heat, warming the fabric of her skirt.
"Wow! The results are insane!" Stelle sprang to her feet, punching the air with unbridled enthusiasm. "A hundred points for all that? What a steal! This training room is basically a legal cheat code!"
Poor, oblivious Stelle. She remained blissfully unaware that a full nine days had actually elapsed in the real world. Nine hundred precious points had hemorrhaged from her account like water through a shattered dam, leaving her balance teetering on the edge of absolute bankruptcy.
Glancing around the quiet carriage, she noted March 7th still "sleeping" soundly on the curved sofa, her astral form presumably still wandering. Dan Heng's room remained dark; he hadn't returned yet.
Bubbling with the euphoric high of a major power-up and desperate to brag, Stelle summoned the multiversal chat interface with a flick of her wrist.
`[Astral Express · Stelle]: @everyone My dear friends! The training room is absolutely cracked!!! One hundred points was the best investment ever! One day of grinding in there feels like a whole year of progress! I'm pretty sure I could cleave an ocean in half with a single swing right now!`
`(Image Attached: Stelle standing triumphantly with her hands on her hips, radiating smug energy.)`
`[Astral Express · Stelle]: The environment, the virtual sparring partners—flawless! I've already broken through to the thirteenth layer of the Fire Dance Whirlwind! It's ridiculously overpowered! 10/10, highly recommend!`
The chat remained utterly silent.
Lumine and Paimon were likely neck-deep in some crisis over in Natlan. Ruan Mei and Dr. Ratio were probably busy conducting highly questionable experiments or racing through the Outer Ring. And Dan Heng was currently tied up with official business at the Seat of Divine Foresight.
After a long, quiet minute, a familiar, dignified avatar finally lit up the screen.
`[Liyue · Zhongli]: Congratulations on your successful cultivation breakthrough. Such rapid progress is indeed extraordinary. It appears this training facility truly possesses miraculous properties.`
`[Astral Express · Stelle]: Right?! Even Mr. Zhongli agrees it's a bargain! One hundred points for this kind of power spike! I made out like a bandit!`
Another message from the retired Geo Archon materialized a moment later. Beneath the polite text lay a subtle, elder-like concern—and a gentle prod of logic.
`[Liyue · Zhongli]: It is indeed an excellent value. However... as far as my experience dictates, the martial path demands steady accumulation and gradual enlightenment. It follows a natural, unhurried progression. While a specialized environment can certainly accelerate this process, for you to advance so drastically—reaching the thirteenth layer in a single day...`
`[Liyue · Zhongli]: Is that not perhaps... a bit too swift? Even a peerless prodigy requires time to solidify their foundation. Might I suggest you review your point transaction logs? Such a heaven-defying result might not be the product of a mere twenty-four hours. Is it possible the system automatically extended your session without your notice?`
Stelle's smug, triumphant grin instantly crystallized into a mask of pure dread.
"Huh?"
A suffocating premonition gripped her throat. Her fingers flew across the holographic interface, frantically pulling up her account balance.
`[Current Group Points: 101]`
`[System Notification: Detecting the user was in a deep state of epiphany within the Training Room. To prevent forced ejection and disruption of your martial breakthrough, points were automatically deducted for extended time. We wish you continued success!] x8`
Stelle stopped breathing.
Her golden eyes bulged to comical proportions, staring at the glowing numbers as if a Doomsday Beast had just crashed directly onto Pom-Pom's dining table.
"One, two, three... nine days?!" Her voice cracked, pitching upward into a hysterical squeak. "It drained nine hundred points?!"
A mournful, soul-shattering shriek tore through the tranquil silence of the observation car.
"NOOOOO! MY SAVINGS!"
Somewhere near the ceiling, March 7th's astral projection had just finished idly inspecting the woodwork and was drifting back downward. The sudden, agonizing scream hit her spectral ears like a physical blow. She flailed in mid-air, tumbling backward in sheer fright and nearly face-planting directly back into her physical vessel.
On the sofa, the physical March 7th shifted restlessly, her brow furrowing in deep, unconscious distress.
And thus, Stelle's supposedly 'budget-friendly' training retreat concluded with a wail of absolute financial despair.
Meanwhile, lightyears away on the Xianzhou Luofu, the rich, earthy scent of sandalwood drifted through the quiet study of the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Jing Yuan sat behind his massive mahogany desk. A stack of official scrolls lay open before him, yet his golden eyes were unfocused. His index finger tapped a slow, rhythmic beat against the polished wood.
Though he appeared to be reviewing military reports, his complete attention was anchored to the heavy wooden doors.
Dan Heng had formally requested an audience.
It was an incredibly rare occurrence. Ever since the crisis had settled, the young archivist had made every effort to distance himself from the Luofu, from the High Elder's legacy, and from the ghosts of the past.
A complicated knot tightened in Jing Yuan's chest—a bittersweet blend of quiet relief and cautious anticipation. He knew Dan Heng's temperament well. Unless the matter was of grave importance, something far too sensitive to be transmitted over a jade abacus or a standard comm-link, the Nameless would never willingly set foot in this office.
The heavy doors finally parted.
When that familiar, stoic figure clad in teal and black stepped over the threshold, Jing Yuan set his calligraphy brush aside. The tension bled from his shoulders, replaced instantly by his signature, languid smile. He looked every bit the relaxed host welcoming an old friend.
"A rare guest indeed," Jing Yuan murmured, his deep voice laced with a gentle, teasing warmth. Yet, beneath the casual greeting, the General's sharp eyes tracked every micro-expression on Dan Heng's face, searching for signs of distress. "What brings you to my humble desk today? It is not often you take the initiative to visit. Surely you haven't come all this way just to indulge me in a game of star chess? I assume something weighty occupies your mind."
Dan Heng offered a slight, rigid nod. His handsome features remained a mask of perfect calm, but the rigid set of his jaw betrayed a heavy, pressing solemnity.
"Indeed. The matter is of great importance."
His voice was low, crisp, and completely devoid of pleasantries. "However, there are too many ears in this hall. It would be best if we relocated to a more secure location."
The lazy warmth in Jing Yuan's eyes cooled, sharpening into a general's calculating focus. If Dan Heng claimed a matter was of 'great importance,' it was a guaranteed crisis.
He pushed his chair back and stood, the golden ornaments of his heavy coat clinking softly. "Follow me."
Jing Yuan guided him through a hidden side corridor, leading him deep into the inner sanctum of the Seat of Divine Foresight. They entered an elegantly furnished, windowless reception room—a chamber heavily warded against eavesdropping and scrying.
With a flick of his wrist, Jing Yuan dismissed the two Cloud Knight guards stationed at the perimeter. The heavy stone doors slid shut with a definitive thud.
Dan Heng closed his eyes for a brief second, his draconic senses sweeping the immediate vicinity. Only when he was absolutely certain they were alone did he relax his posture.
Jing Yuan took a seat at the low tea table, gesturing gracefully to the cushion opposite him. He remained silent, waiting for the younger man to initiate.
Dan Heng ignored the invitation to sit. Instead, he raised his right hand.
A spherical pill, roughly the size of a dragon's eye, materialized above his palm. It was flawlessly smooth and translucent, radiating a faint, ethereal azure glow. With a gentle push of chi, Dan Heng sent the object floating across the table until it hovered steadily a mere foot in front of Jing Yuan's face.
Jing Yuan reached out, plucking the floating sphere from the air. The surface was cool to the touch, like polished jade. The moment it made contact with his skin, a deep, soothing aura washed over his mind, instantly clearing away the lingering mental fatigue of his paperwork.
He rolled the pill between his thumb and forefinger, marveling at its perfectly frictionless texture. He arched a single white eyebrow, looking up at Dan Heng with silent inquiry.
A covert meeting in a warded room... just to deliver a medicinal pill?
It didn't fit. It was entirely out of character for Dan Heng, and it certainly didn't warrant the intense secrecy they had just employed.
"What exactly am I holding?" Jing Yuan asked, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Don't tell me you've stumbled upon the mythical Nine-Revolving Soul-Returning Pill? Are you planning to raise the dead?"
He kept his tone light, deliberately injecting a bit of humor to diffuse the suffocating tension in the room, while simultaneously probing for answers.
"It does not possess the power to resurrect the dead," Dan Heng replied, his voice completely devoid of amusement. "This is known as the Spirit-Calming Soul-Nourishing Pill. I acquired it by chance."
He kept his hands folded neatly in front of him. "Its primary function is to deeply nourish the soul and purge impurities from the mind. It is an elixir strictly focused on spiritual fortification."
Dan Heng paused. His piercing blue eyes locked directly onto Jing Yuan's golden ones.
"General, I must ask you to consume it immediately. Once you have absorbed its effects, there is something far more critical I need to show you."
Jing Yuan held the younger man's gaze.
Those striking azure eyes—eyes that had once belonged to a dear, arrogant friend, now tempered by the quiet resolve of a completely different soul—held nothing but absolute, unflinching sincerity. There was no deception there. Only a heavy, pressing urgency.
Jing Yuan knew, with absolute certainty, that Dan Heng would never do anything to harm him.
Despite the myriad of questions swirling in his tactical mind, the foundation of trust he held for the man standing before him remained unshakable. Without another word, Jing Yuan raised his hand and brought the glowing pill to his lips.
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