The hall fell into a strange silence.
Long Mingze stared blankly at the empty space where they had been standing moments earlier. The blood drained from his face as disbelief and despair slowly filled his eyes.
Meanwhile, standing beside the portal, Yan Rouxi slowly turned around. Her calm gaze settled directly on the emperor, who stood frozen, his eyes locked on the place where Xia Yuqing had disappeared. It was as though his mind still refused to accept reality.
Finally, Yan Rouxi spoke. "Never seeing her again is your punishment. After this, you and she are people of two different worlds. You will never see her again, not even in your dreams."
Her voice was calm and light, but the words struck Long Mingze harder than any blade ever could. His entire body trembled. "No..."
