Consciousness seemed to slowly rise from the deep sea floor, and a faint light gradually appeared in the once pitch-black field of vision. Crystal-clear and azure, like the sun visible ten meters underwater, shimmering and wavering amidst the water ripples, yet undeniably real.

Aya woke up.

"Cough... So it wasn't an illusion. I almost drowned for real?!"

Suddenly sitting up from the shallow water, Aya raised her right hand to wipe the water droplets off her face and looked around. A gentle breeze blew, the sea waves softly lapped, and the trees behind her swayed, filtering specks of golden light in the wind.

There was the sun! Finally emerging from that dark and gloomy place!

As Aya prepared to get up from the ground, her left hand was suddenly pulled. She lowered her head and saw Tiran lying next to her, one hand tightly clasping her left hand, eyes shut tight, his clothes soaked through just like Aya's.

"Wait... the clothes?"

Aya suddenly noticed the clothes on her and Tiran. She was still wearing the attire she got from Ayako and the others in that secret mountain cave, while Tiran’s... though he wasn’t quite sure what the princess experienced in the other small world, the style of these clothes was definitely Morninglight’s.

So, all those experiences weren’t just dreams, huh? He couldn't have imagined that the power of the gods could reach such an extent, and the products of the small world created within The Realm could be brought into reality.

"Tiran? Miss Tiran?"

Miss Tiran's chest was still rhythmically rising and falling, so she must be alive, and if she was unharmed, then she shouldn't have any major issues.

Sure enough, after softly calling her name and gently shaking her body, the girl in front of her also opened her eyes.

"Aya? It's really Aya!"

As her pupils gradually focused, the worried expression on Tiran’s face became clear to Aya. Tiran immediately reached out and patted Aya's head, pinched her cheeks, checked the touch, and then lay back on the beach at ease.

“Hey... don’t suddenly touch my face like that, your hands are all sandy now.” Aya flicked off the sand that Tiran had rubbed onto her face, saying somewhat disdainfully.

"Sorry about that." Tiran spread her arms into a "big" shape on the sand, looking up at the sky and briefly emptying her mind.

Normally, Tiran would never consider lying on a damp beach by the ocean, but since she had woken up like this, getting up earlier wouldn't lessen the sand on her hair and body, so she might as well lie a little longer.

Truly... what a lazy attitude.

"Hehe, Aya, I found you. Miss here traveled a thousand miles by boat across the sea just to save you, so show some gratitude!" Tiran chuckled triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah, you found me." Seeing that Miss had no intention of getting up, Aya sat back down on the beach, expressing her good mood, "I didn't expect to see you again so soon either."

"Right, we didn't have a chance to ask before, Aya, how did you end up here?"

"I smashed a hole in the airship that took me, and we fell into that small world... Hold on."

Aya and the princess both realized something at the same time. They were now freed here. Did that mean everything they had seen before, including the rebirth of the immortal Minglin after the fusion of two consciousnesses, was also reborn in this world?

"It finally occurred to me. I was wondering when you two would realize my existence or if you planned to continue ignoring me."

A clear voice came from behind, and Tiran and Aya both turned slightly and looked back.

Minglin. At such a moment, who else could appear here besides her?

However, the current Minglin looked very different from the one Aya had seen in the Little World. The Minglin in the Little World looked no different from an ordinary human girl, but now not only was her attire more elegant and refined, but her entire appearance had matured considerably from what they had seen before.

If she looked like she was fifteen or sixteen before, she should be in her twenties now.

Seeing the completely transformed immortal before them, Aya and Tiran were momentarily at a loss for words. Should they greet her? But they only knew the fragmented consciousnesses of Minglin, and considering the events that had transpired, the Minglin standing before them now was likely dominated by a consciousness that hated humans.

Not the first consciousness or the second, but the real Minglin.

“No need to be surprised, I have been sleeping in the ruins of Morninglight for a long time, so some growth is only natural.” The current behavior of Minglin was actually better than what the two had anticipated. At the very least, she was only a bit aloof in character and did not exhibit the aura of a world-destroying demon king.

As for her character... it was probably the result of the fusion of the two individual consciousnesses, reshaping her immortal heart.

“Minglin, about those things we saw before…” Tiran couldn’t help but bring it up, recalling the movie-like scenes they saw after losing consciousness.

“That was my memory.”

A hint of pain flickered in Minglin's dark pupils, “It's also a fact that I have been avoiding.”

The once youthful immortal girl Minglin stood motionless, as if her soul had been lost, in the now flattened and flooded Morninglight.

This country, not particularly prosperous, had suffered unimaginable devastation overnight. Trees, rocks, buildings, and living beings were all wiped out by an immensely powerful law, dispersing like dust.

This was Minglin’s law: Yin and Yang.

In the theory of Eastern immortality, all things in the world have two aspects, Yin and Yang. Normally, harmony between Yin and Yang emphasizes balance, but Minglin could control the flow of Yin and Yang, resulting in the divine technique that covered the entire island when her immortal spirit went berserk—Dividing Yin and Yang.

Everything was divided into Yin and Yang, and then it all disappeared.

“The small island you're standing on now used to be Seabreath. Although after so many years, there's nothing left that can prove it.”

Minglin sat in the air, wearing a light white robe with ink patterns, looking somewhat bewildered.

Perhaps to avoid the fact that "she was the one who destroyed this country," her consciousness split into two parts, blaming all of this on humans and turning to hate them. Or perhaps she only left the girl who had once brought warmth to her eyes, hoping for her happiness.

But no matter which one, in the end it was all just a way of running away.

“Answer me one question.” Minglin looked at Aya and Tiran, and asked softly, “In your eyes, can all that I have done be called ‘immortal’?”

More crucial to Minglin now than the conflict between the two consciousnesses was which one was stronger. She hated humans because what she saw in them went against her own definition of "human," but when she realized that she had also violated her own understanding of "immortal," severe self-doubt could even shake her immortal heart.

If her immortal heart collapsed and she returned her consciousness to the "revenge" consciousness that had won in the battle, it would directly lead to the original bad end.

"This...”

Tiran and Aya exchanged a quick glance, their eyes communicating rapidly. It seems like a plot twist is unfolding? Is it now the moment to save the world with just mere words?

(Hey, say something!)

(Say... I mean, I guess, I'm not the kind of dragon good at comforting others, it's your turn!)

(Comforting people? I'm only good at roasting people!)

(But you're good at babbling! 'When a great responsibility falls on a person,' Princess, it’s your turn!)

Hmm, the way you put it makes sense. The princess nodded, so let's give it a try. But just so you know, if my words fail to work and this kid ends up going astray and destroying the world, don't blame me.

"Don't you celestial beings understand anything, have you lived for too long? Don't you understand that dwelling on what happened many years ago won't change anything? Even if you destroy the world, those who have already passed away won't come back, just like how no identical island as Morninglight will resurface in this vast sea."

"Huh?!"

Suddenly, Mingling's eyes sharpened, emitting a powerful celestial aura that made Tiran feel like her heart was being squeezed in an instant.

Oh no... did I say the wrong thing? Tiran felt a bit anxious but couldn't think of anything else and continued.

"Cough, what I mean is, stop dwelling on such matters, no matter which small world you're from, you must have a deep connection with this person 'Ayako'! You should know whether she would want to see you spiral into a mental breakdown and sleep at the bottom of the sea for thousands of years because of this. Even if you can't change the past, don't give up on yourself and seek revenge on society, jerk!"

Normally, the last sentence should be followed by a personality correction punch, but considering the opponent is a celestial being she can't defeat, Tiran covered her mouth and cautiously observed Mingling's reaction.

Even she knew how terrible her trash talk skills were, basically coming from her own perspective. To her, whatever happened to people who died thousands of years ago is just a story, with some feelings but not to the point of causing herself to shut down. But Mingling is a firsthand witness; how could their feelings be the same?

"Sorry, Aya, this world might be doomed." Tiran looked at Aya with a hopeless expression.

"Hey... don't give up so easily." Aya looked at the princess's hollow gaze, feeling both amused and sad.

"Adding to that, Tiran, you really need to work on improving your trash talk skills. The protagonist of justice cannot afford to have flaws in this aspect."

Out of nowhere, a voice chimed in, surprising both Aya and Tiran.

Under normal circumstances, there shouldn't be a fourth person randomly joining in, right?

"Yes, that's correct, but I'm not intruding. Please address me as, Passing-by · Yuan."

A handsome young man wearing a sun hat emerged from behind a palm tree on the shore, holding a cup of iced drink—probably a mixture of fruit juices by the look of it.

"Oh, Miss Aya, long time no see, uh, although to me, based on the time I spent outside, it's only been three days. Nevertheless, those three days crash-landed on the island were quite unpleasant."

"Your presence doesn’t make it any less unbearable…"

Aya couldn't help but make a side comment, but immediately adopted a cautious posture. This guy was the mastermind behind the Milt incident, and she didn't believe for a second his appearance here was a mere coincidence.

"Yuan…"

Tiran was also taken aback, then clenched her fist. Her impression of Yuan was straightforward—someone she definitely had to beat up and drag away for messing with Aya.

"What kind of person are you?" Minglin's thoughts were interrupted by Yuan's appearance. She looked at Yuan unfavourably, with the Taoist technique of yin and yang already poised at her fingertips.

"I have already introduced myself, Yuan."

Yuan bowed to the immortal, "Hmm, that self-introduction was indeed quite simple, but we will have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other in the future, Immortal Minglin."

As he spoke, Yuan snapped his fingers lightly.

Half of the world's life faded away... Oh, that snap didn't have that effect, but its impact was not to be underestimated.

Minglin, who had been sitting casually in the air, suddenly lost support and fell to the ground.

It was only then that Minglin noticed her previous floating position, with a thin layer of fine sand concealing a jet-black stone disc underneath.

"Quite familiar, isn't it, immortal? This is the celestial relic I salvaged from this underwater ruin after three whole days of effort... Although it was already in many pieces when I found it, it is still a treasure that can lock immortals. Even the power of yin and yang cannot destroy it."

As Yuan animatedly explained, he sidestepped and caught a swift punch coming from Tiran.

"Oh, although Prince Tiran hasn't returned to the Holy Rank yet, his fist seems even more powerful... Well, it seems you've learned something useful from the memories of immortals."

"However, I believe you also know that without rules, the gap is quite significant, isn't it?"

Yuan snapped his fingers again, causing Aya, who had been prepared to release her full power, to suddenly lose all strength and collapse on the beach like Minglin.

Does that seal still have this effect?

With a mouthful of sand, Aya glared at Yuan, her anger bubbling but with no outlet.

"Well, Your Highness, I told you we would meet again, and here we are. Next time, we will meet again, and you probably already know the location through various intelligence sources."

"So, farewell for now."