Yang Luoya's gaze was fixed upon the crystal.
He did not blink.
He did not move.
The massive blue crystal in the center of the chamber shimmered faintly, its surface smooth and flawless like frozen water. The soft glow illuminated his face in pale blue light, yet his eyes seemed distant—unfocused—as if he were staring into something far deeper than mere stone.
Yang Wei noticed immediately.
"Brother—"
Before he could finish—
A thunderous crash echoed from the tunnel behind them.
The sound was so violent that the entire cavern trembled.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
And froze.
Something enormous stepped into the chamber.
Its body was taller than the cave entrance itself, forcing it to stoop slightly as it emerged from the shadows. Its form was grotesque—half humanoid, half beast.
Massive hooves struck the stone floor with a heavy thud.
Two curled horns twisted from its skull like jagged spirals.
Its skin was dark crimson, almost black in places, like dried blood hardened over muscle.
And its eyes—
They burned.
Bright, molten red.
The creature inhaled deeply.
Then it roared.
The sound shook the cavern walls.
Everyone instinctively moved into combat stances.
Weapons flashed into their hands.
Everyone—
Except Yang Luoya.
He still stood before the crystal.
Unmoving.
Unaware.
His eyes remained locked onto the glowing surface.
"Brother?" Yang Wei called again.
No response.
"Danger! Watch out!" Wu Zhen shouted.
Without hesitation, he leapt forward and attacked.
Steel flashed.
The others followed immediately.
Xu Yanran lunged forward with her spear, while Bai Zhi's thin silver threads shot through the air like glimmering blades.
Jing Lei moved beside Wu Zhen, coordinating strikes.
But Yang Wei stayed behind.
His attention was on only one person.
"Big Brother?!"
He rushed toward Yang Luoya and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.
Still no response.
"Brother, wake up!"
Then suddenly—
Yang Luoya collapsed.
His body went limp.
Yang Wei caught him before he hit the ground.
Panic surged through him.
"Big brother?! Brother!"
He lowered Yang Luoya carefully onto the ground, desperately trying to wake him.
But Yang Luoya did not respond.
His breathing was faint.
And his consciousness was gone.
What Yang Luoya saw—
No one else could see.
While chaos erupted in the cavern, Yang Luoya felt something else entirely.
Silence.
Endless silence.
Black.
Dark.
Empty.
He stood within a vast void where nothing existed.
There was no ground beneath his feet.
No sky above him.
Only darkness stretching infinitely in all directions.
He looked down.
The only thing he could see—
Was the faint outline of his own body.
But something was wrong.
He could not remember anything.
Not where he was.
Not why he was here.
Not even who he was.
He began to walk.
Forward.
Step after step.
There was no destination.
Only instinct.
Then—
He heard laughter.
Soft.
Bright.
The laughter of a child.
Yang Luoya lifted his head.
Not far away stood a small figure.
A young boy.
But the child's form was only a silhouette—black and white, without clear features, like a shadow painted onto light.
The boy giggled.
Sweetly.
Again.
And again.
Then suddenly—
Yang Luoya's lips moved.
"Mo Yue…"
The name escaped him before he even realized it.
Back in the cavern—
Yang Luoya's unconscious body whispered the name.
"Mo… Yue…"
The monster suddenly stopped.
Just for a moment.
Yang Wei froze.
"Big brother?"
He shook him harder.
"Brother! Wake up!"
The kirin heard it too.
"Mo Yue…?"
The tiny spirit hovered anxiously above Yang Luoya.
It did not recognize the name.
Taking advantage of the monster's hesitation—
Bai Zhi moved.
His silver thread shot forward and wrapped tightly around the creature's neck.
Xu Yanran thrust her spear directly into its chest.
But—
The spear did not pierce.
Instead, it became stuck inside the monster's flesh as if embedded in stone.
The monster roared in fury.
With a violent swing of its arm—
Jing Lei was thrown across the chamber.
Wu Zhen lunged forward and caught him before he smashed into the wall.
Inside the void—
"Mo Yue…"
The name felt familiar.
Strangely familiar.
Yet he did not know why.
The child ran toward him.
Small footsteps echoed in the empty darkness.
Then the boy hugged him.
The child's head only reached Yang Luoya's chest.
Yang Luoya did not know who he was.
Yet he knew—
Mo Yue.
That was his name.
Yang Luoya's arms moved on their own.
He hugged the child back.
"Mo Yue…"
The boy giggled happily.
Each time his name was spoken, his laughter grew brighter.
"Mo Yue."
Giggle.
"Mo Yue."
More laughter.
The child tilted his head upward, looking into Yang Luoya's face.
Somewhere—
A smile appeared on Yang Luoya's lips.
Or perhaps…
It was not Yang Luoya's smile.
For a moment, he did not know whether he was still himself.
Outside—
The battle was growing worse.
Xu Yanran, Bai Zhi, Jing Lei, and Wu Zhen fought desperately against the raging monster.
But its massive size made it overwhelming.
Yang Wei remained kneeling beside Yang Luoya.
"Big brother… please wake up…"
The kirin appeared above them in panic.
"Human! Human! Wake up!"
It circled frantically around Yang Luoya.
"Your heartbeat is weakening!"
But no one could see it.
Yang Wei could only feel his panic growing.
Inside the void—
"Mo Yue…"
Yang Luoya whispered again.
The boy laughed sweetly.
Then—
Another figure appeared.
A tall figure standing several steps away.
Long hair.
Elegant posture.
Their clothing was worn and tattered, yet carried a strange grace.
Yang Luoya could not see the person's face.
Like the child, the figure was only a silhouette.
Yet—
He knew.
The figure was beautiful.
Beautiful in the delicate, flawless way of an omega.
The figure spoke.
"I'm sorry…"
The voice trembled with regret.
"Forgive me…"
But there were no tears.
"Forgive me… because of me… you…"
The rest of the sentence dissolved into distorted noise.
As if something refused to allow Yang Luoya to hear it.
"Don't let him—"
The final words vanished again into static.
The figure pointed toward the child in Yang Luoya's arms.
"Don't trust—"
The voice cut out.
Back in the cavern—
"Brother! Big brother, wake up!"
Yang Wei shook him desperately.
The cavern ceiling began to crumble.
Chunks of stone crashed down around them.
Bai Zhi and Xu Yanran struggled to hold the monster back as debris rained down.
Suddenly—
The monster grabbed Bai Zhi from above its head.
And hurled him across the chamber.
Bai Zhi slammed into the wall, coughing blood.
Now the monster's gaze turned to Xu Yanran.
Her spear was still trapped in its chest.
She could not pull it free.
Panic flashed across her face.
The ceiling continued collapsing.
Dust and sand filled the air.
"NO!" Jing Lei shouted, trying to run forward.
Wu Zhen grabbed him.
"Are you insane?!"
"You'll be crushed!"
Inside the void—
"Don't trust him…"
The silhouette pointed again.
Toward the child.
Yang Luoya looked down.
Mo Yue smiled.
A wide smile.
Then Yang Luoya blinked.
The child was gone.
In his place stood a towering figure.
Tall.
Powerful.
Long hair cascading like a dark river.
His body was strong and beautifully sculpted.
His fingers were long enough to gently cover Yang Luoya's cheek.
He leaned close.
So close their eyes nearly touched.
He smiled.
His lips moved.
But Yang Luoya could not hear a single word.
Outside—
A massive slab of stone broke loose above Yang Wei.
It was about to fall directly onto them.
Yang Wei immediately turned his body—
Shielding Yang Luoya with his own.
"No—!" the kirin screamed.
Suddenly—
A blinding light exploded from the tiny creature.
White.
Endless white.
The cavern vanished in pure radiance.
And then—
Everything went dark.
Time passed.
How long—
No one knew.
Yang Luoya slowly opened his eyes.
Pain throbbed faintly inside his skull.
He blinked.
The ceiling above him was unfamiliar.
Old wooden beams.
Cracked walls.
A small, worn room.
He turned his head slightly.
Yang Wei lay beside him.
Unconscious and full of bandage.
The door creaked open.
An old woman stepped inside carrying a basin of water.
When she saw him awake, her eyes widened slightly.
"Ah… you're awake."
She walked over and sat beside the bed.
"How are you feeling, child?"
Yang Luoya pushed himself up slowly.
"I… feel fine."
His voice was hoarse.
"Where am I?"
The old woman smiled kindly.
"This is Yugang Village."
Confusion flickered across Yang Luoya's face.
He had never heard that name before.
The woman continued.
"I was very surprised to find you two lying by the harbor. You were both injured, though thankfully not too badly."
Yang Luoya frowned slightly.
Harbor?
That made no sense.
Four Peak Sect was located deep within the mountains, far from any sea.
He looked at her again.
"Excuse me… where did you say this was?"
The old woman answered calmly.
"Yugang Village."
"A small, remote fishing village in the Xu Territory."