After deciding to help the Xianzhou get through this disaster, everyone was led by Jing Yuan to the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Stepping onto the tidal flats, they could see many lingering Vidyadhara mirage-shadows on both sides, and ahead of them was a flight of stone steps leading up to a place like a sacrificial altar.
The group climbed the steps, and the moment they raised their heads, they saw a stone statue carved and polished from rock.
The statue was crafted in great detail. It depicted a person holding a spear behind their back, facing the sea, with waves curling up around them, making the figure look imposing and majestic.
Looking closer, the statue also had long hair and dragon horns growing from its head. It looked seventy to eighty percent similar to Dan Heng's Vidyadhara true form.
Looking again at the spear, it was also quite similar to the Cloud-Piercer that Dan Heng used.
Around the statue stood two massive stone steles. One of them was already broken at the top, yet it still towered so high that the group couldn't see its end at a glance.
The steles were carved with the same mural. The Dragon Lord walked upon the waves, one hand extended forward, holding up a dragon pearl that shone as bright as daylight, looking heroic and full of spirit.
Below the steles, countless figures were also carved, bowing and offering tributes toward the Dragon Lord.
Just looking at these murals made it feel as if one had crossed through time, catching a glimpse of a race and an ancient civilization at the height of its glory.
After everyone climbed onto the stone platform, they could see the Cloud Knights that Jing Yuan had already stationed here.
"Wow, Dan Heng, this statue actually looks so much like you!" The moment March saw the Dragon Lord statue, she couldn't help but exclaim. "Especially that cool aura around it, it's exactly the same!"
Dan Heng stayed silent and didn't want to respond to March.
Besides, he had never been one to talk much.
Jing Yuan, on the other hand, asked Dan Heng, "Now that you've come to this place, have your memories loosened at all?
"From here on, we'll be relying on you. Unlock the restriction. The power you carry is the key to opening the path to the Arbor."
———
After arriving at the Scalegorge Waterscape, before continuing the mission, the player could control Dan Heng and talk to the others present. Siberian Duck quickly started operating.
At first, things went smoothly while talking to the others, until she found the Trailblazer...
After clicking to start the conversation, she got this line: "Siberian Duck meets your gaze. The two of you fall into silence."
"Huh?" Seeing this message, Siberian Duck froze for a moment. There were still dialogue options, though, and with a strange feeling in her heart, she chose the first one, "Don't you have anything you want to ask?"
So she got another line: "Siberian Duck shakes her head. When she doesn't want to speak, no one can make her open her mouth."
"Ah??!"
Siberian Duck blinked, then suddenly shouted, "Hey! No way! No, I'm not mute! Let me talk!"
"I want to talk, I want to talk! Over in Genshin, even if the Traveler doesn't speak there's still the divine mouth, so why is it gone here? Why do I turn mute again while playing!"
Refusing to believe it, Siberian Duck chose to talk to the Trailblazer multiple times, but the result was always just ellipses.
"Hey! No! Say something! Why is it all ellipses? Say something!"
"Damn it, guys, I can't even talk anymore, I'm mute again, what the hell!"
[Dan-heart Eternal: It's fine, you'll get used to it.]
[Pom-Pom: "I once had a mouth."]
[Aha's Emanator: Star child looks at you and says nothing.]
"Guys, I'm going to find Nero, this is too frustrating."
As she spoke, Siberian Duck controlled the character in the game and walked over to Nero, who was sitting on Black Cutter at the edge of the stone platform in front of the Dragon Lord statue, gazing at the sea, and chose to talk.
"Huh? Teacher Dan Heng. How is it, can you do it? If not, then I'll have to step in."
Seeing Nero's line, Siberian Duck narrowed her eyes.
"The moment Nero speaks, the flavor is strong. This kid is way too confident! 'If not, then I'll have to step in...'"
[Wind-Boy Solo-Stan: Not gonna lie, he actually can! After all, he split Belobog's sky open, opening the sea shouldn't be that hard.]
[Madam Herta Fan Club: If you go to Jarilo-VI's map now and look up, you can still see that huge crack in the clouds. The devs actually kept that part of the map, I can only say the details are insane.]
[I Use Pantene: The kid has the confidence for a reason. For the sake of helping a friend, opening the sea isn't impossible.]
[Pure Beauty Knight: Luofu Vidyadhara: "I (@H!)!"]
Siberian Duck sighed, "Our Astral Express family is like this. One cheerful girl, one chaos king, one sunshine boy. With these three around, it'd be weird if the atmosphere ever got serious."
[Aha Is Not Here: I suggest a strict investigation into Aha!]
After glancing at the comments, Siberian Duck continued the dialogue.
"Sorry, I kept it from you before."
"It's fine, no one wants to bring up sad things on their own." Facing Dan Heng's apology, Nero didn't mind at all, then continued:
"But Teacher Dan Heng, 'what's gone can't be changed, but what's to come can still be chased.' There's no use being too stuck in the past. After we deal with this, we still have to travel together!"
"So go on! I choose you, all-purpose Teacher Dan Heng!"
Dan Heng: "..."
"Nice one, miHoYo, you're still throwing memes in here, huh?" Siberian Duck clicked her tongue.
[Nero's Sword: Yes, Teacher Dan Heng is a universal Pokemon.]
[Boiling Snow: But speaking of which, even though Nero always looks optimistic, do you guys remember that PV from before?]
[So handsome I get beaten on the street: ?]
[So handsome I beaten on the street: What do you mean?]
[Boiling Snow: I mean, wasn't it speculated that was Nero's past...]
[Boiling Snow: In other words, his current mindset and the things he says might not just come from natural optimism, but also have a lot to do with his own experiences. It's his own understanding and his attitude toward a painful past.]
[So Ugly I Get Scolded At Home: !!!]
[So Ugly I Get Scolded On The Street: Bro! What do you mean? You're hitting me with this now?!]
[Nero Knights: Exactly! At first I didn't think that PV was that sad. But after reading all your analyses and comparing it to Nero's current personality, the more I look, the more it hurts, the worse I feel!]
[Nero's Sword: The knife isn't big, but the aftereffect hits hard.]
[My Pee Is Yellow: That's why Nero needs our careful care!]
[My Pee Is Yellow: As we all know, people who've gone through this kind of thing usually act very optimistic and positive on the surface, but inside they're already full of scars and very fragile!]
[My Pee Is Yellow: Nero like this is basically a rare treasure. He must be carefully protected in my arms! Of course, it'd be even better if he could play with me while I'm taking care of him!]
[Nero is my dad: There it is, you finally showed your true colors!]
[Glue Man: Guys, I want to say something off-topic. Recently, Starry Nights hasn't been showing up in streams or comment sections, and her account hasn't explained anything either. Just a while ago she was still updating like crazy on the pink app and some site. I remember seeing tons of stuff.]
[Glue Man: Do you guys know what she's been doing? She hasn't had any news for a week @Starry Nights's Hairline Keeps Receding]
Siberian Duck happened to notice the message and thought for a moment before saying, "She updated like crazy for a while, maybe Starry Nights went to get a hair transplant..."
After that, Siberian Duck casually chatted with the viewers for a bit before finally preparing to trigger the mission in front of the statue.
At this moment, a faint BGM had already started playing.
Dan Heng stood in front of the statue, looking up.
The stone carving depicting the Dragon Lord had long been weathered by time.
Near the base, a line of small characters was engraved, "To prevent the Arbor's revival and the invasion of vile enemies, we pray and draw the waters of the ancient sea to submerge the cavern heaven, suppressing the mysterious root."
"This is carved in stone as a warning to future generations. Under no circumstances is it to be moved…"
Dan Heng took a deep breath, then turned to face the sea. With one hand, he lifted the Abyssal Pearl, slowly rising into the air, sensing the power of the Dragon Lord.
Beneath the countless waves, the ancient Arbor's mysterious root stirred and spread wildly, like a beast that had lain dormant for a thousand years, now waking from a great dream.
The restraints woven by generations of Vidyadhara Dragon Lords, the bindings that tamed and dispersed the beast's power, formed a decaying net on the verge of breaking, ready to fall apart.
Memories from the past surfaced from the darkness, tightly seizing Dan Heng...
In the next moment, the scene shifted, and a cutscene began to play.
The camera pulled back from the Dragon Lord statue, and Dan Heng appeared on screen. The Abyssal Pearl in his hand now radiated boundless light.
Then, like a coiled dragon about to rise, a long roar suddenly rang out, echoing in everyone's ears.
"Tear apart... form released... the thunder roars with crushing force."
"Shake... soul surges... towering waves crash."
"Chest... blood runs hot... tempered into fangs and claws."
"I will... cloak myself in starlight... return once more above the abyss!"
As the vast chorus reverberated in the heart, the in-game scene began to tremble.
On the endless sea, the surface shook violently, waves rolling in clusters. Beneath dark thunderclouds, the Abyssal Pearl split open a divine light in the distant sky.
Boundless power surged and erupted at this moment.
Behold...
A beam of divine light shot into the heavens, scattering the dark clouds, streaking across the constellations, reaching the star domains, as sky and sea merged into one color.
Towering waves surged endlessly, white foam like rain, muddy waves blooming like flowers, mountains and seas parted and leveled, dragging forth the Dragon Palace from the depths to reveal itself.
At last...
The azure dragon parts the sea, opening a path to the heavens; giant waves form curtains without end. Jewel halls shine dazzling to the eye; the dragon holds the Arbor, suppressing all to peace.
"Ah! Oh my god. Holy crap, guys, this is way too cool!", Siberian Duck was stunned by the performance.
Especially at the moment the sea was split open, an achievement called "Imbibitor Lunae Descends" popped up, making it unbelievably hype.
The cutscene itself was already outstanding, and with this achievement appearing at that exact moment, it added the perfect finishing touch.
As the old saying goes: returning home in glory is better than walking in fine clothes at night.
Translated, it means: if you don't show off after gaining strength, how is that any different from when you had none?
This whole moment felt incredibly satisfying, like finally letting out a long-held breath.
It made people shout one word, "Awesome!"
After the sea was opened, everyone hurried forward, gazing at the curtain of water and the Dragon Palace beneath.
In the far distance, a phantom of an azure dragon could be seen suppressing the Arbor's root.
"There are actually so many buildings underwater... no wonder the records say the Scalegorge Waterscape used to be the Vidyadhara Dragon Palace."
Looking at the magnificent scene, Fu Xuan couldn't help but sigh.
Although she already held the high position of Master Diviner, she was not yet three hundred years old, still just a young girl among the long-lived species of the Xianzhou.
Back when the High-Cloud Quintet was active, she hadn't even been born.
And the Scalegorge Waterscape had taken this form even earlier. Her understanding of it had only come from written records.
No matter how vivid the words or how grand the imagination, there would always be differences when seeing it in person. And seeing it with one's own eyes was the most immersive experience.
Hearing Fu Xuan's words, Jing Yuan also said, "During the chaos of the Abundance, I was fortunate enough to witness this spectacle."
"Mountains shifting, seas turning, palaces reduced to ruins... the Vidyadhara used their homeland as a sacred prison to contain the Arbor."
"The Luofu owes them greatly. That is precisely why I do not wish to use harsher methods to split the mountains and open the sea, lest we destroy this Dragon Palace and harm the Vidyadhara eggs that are undergoing rebirth."
After speaking, Jing Yuan turned to Fu Xuan. "Lady Fu."
"I'm here," Fu Xuan replied.
"You stay here and lead the Cloud Knights in guarding this passage, in case anything else happens," Jing Yuan said.
Hearing this, Fu Xuan immediately realized something and looked at him in surprise, "Jing Yuan... General, are you going to face Phantylia and that Mirror Holder alone?"
Jing Yuan shook his head. "Not alone. I have friends with me."
As he spoke, Jing Yuan looked at the members of the Astral Express.
"In terms of reputation and aggression, we may not match the enemy, but that doesn't mean we have no chance of winning."
While Jing Yuan was speaking, Nero, who had been sitting on Black Cutter, had already rolled up his sleeves. Then he patted Yanqing and said, "Yanqing, you're staying here too. You're not allowed to come with us."
"What?" Yanqing froze. "Nero, you..."
Before he could finish, Nero cut him off mercilessly. "This might sound harsh, but with your current strength, going to fight those two would just be throwing your life away. Stay here."
"I..."
Yanqing opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped.
He knew Nero's personality. At times like this, trusting Nero's judgment was the right choice.
But...
A sense of powerlessness rose in Yanqing's heart. The young prodigy clenched his fists tightly.
At the same time Nero was speaking to Yanqing, the accompanying Cloud Knights also spoke up.
"General, we are willing to go with you! Please don't leave us behind!"
"Yes, General. Our abilities may be limited, but as Cloud Knights tasked with protecting the Xianzhou, how can we stay in the rear while foreign travelers risk their lives for us? If you don't mind, please let me lead the way for everyone!"
As the Cloud Knights began requesting to go along, the voices grew louder and louder.
Then...
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
With a series of dull knocks, the Cloud Knights all stumbled forward unconsciously, then raised their heads and rubbed their heads.
On every single helmet they wore, there was now an extra dent.
After knocking all their heads, Nero stood in front of them, hands on his hips, his little face stern as he scolded, "Stop arguing! Stop arguing! You guys..."
Halfway through speaking, Nero paused, then turned to Yanqing and shouted, "Yanqing, you come over here too!"
"Huh?" Yanqing, who was standing to the side, was startled by the sudden shout. "I'm getting scolded too?"