Two days later, Diexin stands quietly by the shore, watching in silence.
Chu Feng steps onto a river boat that will carry him along the river and eventually into the vast open sea.
They look at each other without speaking.
No words are exchanged between them.
Only a quiet, unspoken understanding lingers in their eyes.
The boat slowly begins to drift away from the dock.
The distance between them gradually increases.
Until finally, the boat disappears completely from her sight.
Diexin remains standing there for a while longer, unmoving.
Then she slowly turns around and walks back.
She returns home.
Closes the door behind her.
And locks herself inside her room.
The room becomes silent.
Her thoughts begin to rise one after another.
Now that Chu Feng has truly left,
What will she do next?
She is unwilling to leave the island with her son.
If she returns to the Song Kingdom, she will inevitably have to face Merin.
The Shen Family will never allow her to leave freely.
Nor will they let her take her son away.
Because her son is the true heir to the throne of Yuelan City.
There is no room for escape there.
So she makes her decision.
She will remain here.
Continue cultivating on this isolated island.
When she finally reaches the Soul Awakening Realm,
And when her son grows older and stronger,
Only then will she return.
At that time, she will have enough strength to protect both herself and her child.
Time passes slowly.
Evening arrives.
Yet the sky remains the same pale, frozen tone as morning, unchanged and still.
Diexin steps out of her room.
She walks toward her son's door.
And knocks gently.
There is no response.
She pushes the door open.
The room inside is empty.
A faint unease begins to rise in her chest.
She searches the restaurant.
The kitchen.
The storage rooms.
Every corner she can think of.
But Biyun is nowhere to be found.
Her breathing grows faster.
Panic begins to take hold.
She rushes outside.
Calls out for help.
People begin searching throughout the town.
Time stretches painfully.
Her heart tightens with every passing moment.
Then,
A teenage boy hesitates before speaking.
He says he saw Biyun earlier.
Sneaking quietly onto the departing boat.
Diexin freezes for a brief moment.
Then moves immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without waiting for anyone.
Butterfly wings suddenly sprout from her back.
She rises into the air.
And flies toward the sea.
Following the direction the boat had taken.
Three days later, she finally reaches the port.
Her face looks pale from exhaustion.
Her aura is unstable from continuous flight.
She rushes forward and asks for information.
And soon learns,
The Four Seas Magic Ship had already left the port a day ago.
Her heart sinks heavily.
The ocean is vast beyond measure.
Trying to find the ship now would be nearly impossible.
But she does not allow herself to stop.
She quickly buys a map of the surrounding seas.
Her eyes scan it carefully and rapidly.
Then she finds it.
The destination.
Serpent Island.
Without hesitation, she makes her decision.
She purchases a small ship.
Steps onto it.
Then channels her magic power outward.
Spreading it across the entire vessel.
Protecting it from being damaged by the thick ice.
After that, she sets sail.
Alone.
Toward the endless frozen sea.
Back at Dragon City, deep beneath the towering totem, Merin continues his cultivation in the silent cave.
His progress has reached its peak.
His cultivation now stands firmly at the limit of the Soul Awakening Stage.
At the same time, his Virtual Space Law has advanced further, stepping into Level Seven, stabilising around the early phase of that level.
Only one obstacle remains before his next breakthrough.
Energy.
The accumulation required to step into the Soul Enlightenment Stage is immense.
He understands clearly that continuing like this will take too long.
So, he decides to pause.
In the stillness of the cave, his body suddenly dissolves.
It breaks apart into streams of pure energy.
And vanishes completely.
A moment later, he reappears.
Standing atop the tallest building in Dragon City.
From this height, the entire city lies before him.
He looks around calmly.
The island at the centre of the lake is already filled to capacity.
No more buildings can be constructed there.
So the city has begun to expand outward.
Around the lake, new structures are rising.
Districts are forming.
Roads are stretching outward like veins.
The scale of the city is growing steadily.
Merin's spirit spreads outward.
It sweeps across the city.
He observes everything.
The flow of people.
The transactions.
The cultivation of warriors.
The prayers directed at the totem.
Among all these, a few things catch his attention.
One in particular makes him pause.
A faint trace of something unusual.
He notes it silently.
Deciding to visit it later.
His figure disperses again.
Turning into strands of energy.
Then reappears once more.
Inside his office.
Two elders of the Duan Family are already waiting.
Both have recently advanced to the Sublimation Stage.
Merin takes his seat calmly.
Second Elder, Duan Zhen, speaks first.
"Master, we have transferred all our properties in this region."
"Only the ancestral land and the Black Hills remain."
Merin nods slightly.
"This will keep the Song Family at ease."
Third Elder, Duan Zi, frowns slightly.
"With your strength, Master, why should we fear the Song Royal Family?"
Merin answers calmly.
"I am not concerned about the Song Royal Family."
"But the three Lotus Sects behind them."
The two elders fall silent.
They understand.
Second Elder nods.
"Losing resources now does not matter."
"We can regain everything once Master becomes a Saint."
For a thousand years, no Saint has appeared in this world.
Yet they believe the time is near.
Third Elder speaks again, his tone serious.
"But Master must break through before the Lord of the Star Singer Tower…"
"…or the founders of the three Lotus Sects."
Both elders look at him.
Waiting for his response.
Merin remains calm.
"Do not worry."
"Even if they break through before me…"
"They will not be able to do anything to me."
The two elders exchange glances.
They sense confidence in his words.
But no explanation follows.
Merin changes the topic.
"Have you found a Dragon Energy Vein?"
They shake their heads.
Second Elder lowers his head slightly.
"Forgive us, Master. We have failed."
Merin waves it off.
"I did not expect to find one."
"This world is too small."
"It was only a hope."
"Do not concern yourselves with it."
The elders nod.
Then Merin gives a new order.
"Gather all the energy veins in this world."
"Bring them to me."
The two elders stiffen slightly.
Then bow.
"We will do it immediately."
They leave without delay.
Merin's figure dissolves once more.
Returning to the cave beneath the totem.
He observes the energy vein below him.
Compared to before, it now releases a greater amount of spiritual energy.
But its grade has not changed.
It is still only a small energy vein.
The nourishment from faith is too slow.
Far too slow for his needs.
Merin's gaze deepens.
If natural growth is insufficient,
Then he will force its evolution.
He decides to advance the energy vein by devouring others.
By gathering and merging them.
Until it reaches the level he desires.
Merin continues to absorb energy within the cave, steadily refining the crystal pill in his spirit space.
His focus remains unwavering.
He waits patiently for the pill to reach its absolute limit.
Only then will he attempt to step into the Soul Enlightenment Realm.
At the same time, he does not remain idle.
While refining, he continues deducing methods.
Ways to create Dragon energy.
Ways to accelerate the transformation of the energy vein.
During this process, he notices something new.
An opening.
Because of the power of faith flowing into the totem, the Virtual Dragon Totem now emits a pressure similar to that of a true dragon.
This pressure does not come from inherent strength.
It comes from belief.
From the accumulated faith of the people.
The totem influences its believers.
And in turn, the believers influence the totem.
It is a mutual transformation.
From this, Merin deduces something deeper.
If the number of believers continues to grow,
If time continues to pass,
Then the Dragon Totem will no longer remain a symbolic existence.
It will become real.
A true Dragon Totem.
He begins outlining the steps required for that transformation.
Refining the process.
Stabilising the structure.
Planning each stage carefully.
A month passes.
Another small energy vein is brought to him.
Merin exits his retreat briefly.
He gathers the spiritual refiners and shamans.
Then demonstrates the method of merging energy veins.
The process is delicate.
Precise.
Under his guidance, the two small veins are combined.
When the new vein merges with the original one,
The totem reacts.
It releases another burst of energy.
Stronger than before.
This time, the energy spreads beyond the city.
It reaches the lake.
The water begins to stir.
Fish leap from the surface.
Some of them carry faint traces of intelligence.
They gather near the centre.
Facing the totem.
They bow.
Merin feels it immediately.
A connection forms.
Faith.
Not from humans.
But from other living beings.
Merin pauses.
A thought emerges.
Why must his believers be limited to humans?
Through the connection of faith, he extends his will.
He transmits the Virtual Dragon cultivation technique.
Not only to humans,
But to all non-human believers as well.
The response is immediate.
These creatures begin cultivating in their own way.
Their perception of the Virtual Dragon Law differs greatly.
They see the world differently.
Their understanding is unique.
And that uniqueness flows back to Merin.
Enriching his own comprehension.
He does not waste time.
He returns to his cave.
And resumes his retreat.
Time passes.
A year later,
The small energy vein advances.
Becoming a medium energy vein.
Its output increases significantly.
Its quality improves.
And it continues evolving.
Another six months pass.
Merin's eyes suddenly snap open.
A disturbance.
A sense.
He immediately begins calculating.
Using a method he acquired from Ye Weiran.
Tracing cause and effect.
Searching for the source.
Then he finds it.
Someone connected to him—
Is in danger.
Without hesitation, his body disperses into energy.
He vanishes from the cave.
Heading east.
Toward the Eastern Ocean.