"Ze'er..."
Burning tears fell drop by drop, splashing onto the steps, onto the back of Bai Ran's hand as she braced herself.
Her heart ached, and Bai Ran sobbed, wiping away her tears with her sleeve again and again.
She had to reach the summit quickly. Once she saved her parents, their family of four could be reunited...
With this thought, she shakily stood up, took another step, and continued upwards.
However, Bai Ran did not know that something she could not change, no matter how fast she moved, had already happened...
Like a fleeting glimpse of life before death, the endless Heavenly Staircase made Bai Ran recall from the lower realms to the Nine Heavens.
A familiar face appeared and disappeared, followed by another familiar face.
Unconsciously, the boundless Divine Staircase gradually revealed its end.
Bai Ran pursed her lips, walking upward with determination. One step, two steps, three steps...
Finally, she stepped onto the last stair.
Everything around was a pure white, as if veiled in a thin white mist, somewhat hazy, making the distance unclear.
This was the very peak of the Divine Staircase...
Bai Ran walked, surveying her surroundings. It was incredibly peaceful here, and everything in white appeared exceptionally sacred and pure.
A wisp of white mist darted forward, seemingly alive, twirling around Bai Ran.
She slowly extended her hand and lightly touched the wisp of white mist: "Is this... spiritual energy?"
The white mist circled merrily, then shot straight towards her abdomen, directly into her Dantian.
Instantly, the dormant cultivation bottleneck seemed to fluctuate.
It appeared that this spiritual energy, upon entering the Dantian, could be directly converted into a cultivator's power... Bai Ran looked up, only to see more and more white spiritual energy drifting towards her.
Before long, it all poured into Bai Ran's Dantian, and her cultivation gradually soared, slowly breaking through the ninth stage of Golden Immortal.
...
"Alas—" At the same time, the elder sighed deeply, gazing at the scene before him.
If Mo Ze had just held on a little longer, he could have seen Huan Yan and Mo Huai'an standing before him, unharmed, and also witnessed the young girl's wedding to the Demon Lord.
Xiao Zi tilted his head and saw the festive red decorations outside the palace, which seemed to starkly contrast with the crimson bloodstains on the ground. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
He gritted his teeth, unable to bear it, and averted his gaze: "Tell the Demon Lord to take down the festive decorations in the palace for now..."
Jing Feng nodded slowly and walked out of the room.
When Bai Ran finished her advancement and returned impatiently, she saw Jiang Ye, Zhuque, and the others dismantling the red lanterns.
In their hands, they also carried many snow-white funeral wreaths and items for setting up a mourning hall...
"Jiang Ye... why are you taking down these wedding decorations...?"
Bai Ran's voice trembled slightly. For some reason, seeing the funeral wreaths they held filled her with a terrible unease.
"Master..." Zhuque pursed her lips, finding it difficult to speak when faced with Bai Ran's question.
"This is... a letter left for you by Mo Ze. Perhaps you'll understand after reading it..."
Saying this, Zhuque took out the letter from her embrace and handed it to Bai Ran.
But Bai Ran stared at her blankly, stepping back a few paces, not taking the envelope.
What was this... what did it mean...
Funeral wreaths... coarse linen... spirit money... and Mo Ze's letter?
Bai Ran suddenly turned and sprinted towards Mo Ze's room in the easternmost direction, her face a mask of panic.
"No... it can't be..."
"Bang—" The door was violently flung open. The room was empty, with no sign of Mo Ze.
Where was he? Where had Mo Ze gone?
She searched room after room, seemingly unwilling to stop until she found Mo Ze.
"Little girl, stop looking."
The elder approached, his aged eyes filled with unbearable sadness: "You won't find him."
Bai Ran froze, her legs feeling like they had lost all strength, and she slumped to the ground against the doorframe.
What...
She had been thinking of advancing quickly, saving her parents, and having their family reunited...
But now she was being told that the illusion of Mo Ze she saw in the Divine Staircase was actually their last meeting?
"How could this be... how could it be?"
Didn't he say he wanted to see his parents one last time? Before his parents recovered, he left first?
The elder shook his head and sighed softly: "Little girl, compose yourself and see him off on his final journey..."
"How did he die..." Bai Ran looked up, her eyes bloodshot: "How did he die..."
If he hadn't self-destructed his Dantian, she might still have been able to...
"Self-destructed his Dantian."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ran's pupils contracted, and her body trembled. Self-destructed his Dantian...?
The elder looked at Bai Ran, his brows furrowed with grief. He knew that self-destructing the Dantian was the most final way to die, leaving no room for recovery.
If Mo Ze had chosen any other method of death, the little girl could have saved him with her abilities...
But one who self-destructs their Dantian turns to ash and never enters reincarnation. Once this method is chosen, resurrection is absolutely impossible.
Mo Ze's death, like that of Qingfeng and the other four mentioned by the little girl, perhaps he was atoning for his sins...
Zhuque quietly approached, squatted beside Bai Ran, and offered the letter to her again.
"Master, please take a look..."
This time, Bai Ran did not run away. Instead, she slowly extended her trembling hand and took the letter.
The surroundings were deathly quiet, with only the rustling of paper and Bai Ran's disordered breaths audible.
Xiao Zi leaned against the outside of the house, his brow furrowed, a heavy feeling in his chest.
Baihu, Qinglong, Jiang Ye, even Xuan Qinghong and Long Yu stood outside the door, unmoving for a long time.
"This is truly a sin..."
Long Yu sighed, musing whether it was the child's destiny or a trick of fate...
Xuan Qinghong also lowered his gaze, his heart aching: "That child is dead, and Bai Yatou will have to keep vigil for three years."
"Mm," Long Yu responded dully. "The wedding should be postponed."
Inside the house, Bai Ran's grip on the letter trembled more and more. Large drops of tears fell onto the paper, smudging the ink.
"Ze'er... Ze'er..."
Zhuque stood nearby and accidentally glimpsed the contents of the letter. At that instant, her heart also gave a sharp pang.
There were no words on the letter, only dark lines dotted and circled, outlining a painting.
It was a painting of Bai Ran, Mo Huai'an, Huan Yan, and Bai Ze standing together – a painting of their happiest family reunion from an unknown time in the past.
He was still painting this picture before his death...
Zhuque gritted her teeth, turned her face away, her eyes red. Bai Ran, however, was already weeping uncontrollably, clutching the letter in utter despair.
That day, Bai Ran cried until her tears ran dry, until she nearly fainted, holding the letter tightly, refusing to let go.