"Does the sky in Jialesi always go dark at four in the afternoon?"
Felix, who was holding clothes nearby, glanced out at the starry expanse beyond the window and shook her head with a look of slight perplexity. "It's October. Sunset in October should be between six-thirty and seven in the evening... At this hour, the Radiant Star should only be dipping westward. It's impossible for night to fall now."
As Igola traced Yaxiu's brow with an eyebrow pencil, he casually asked, "Could Stars have sent people to capture us?"
"Even if they did mobilize forces to catch wanted fugitives, would they plunge an entire metropolis into darkness just to give you advance notice?" Felix retorted testily. "The weather system is probably malfunctioning."
"Weather system?" Just as Yaxiu went to turn his head to ask, Igola seized his chin and firmly tugged it straight.
"Wind, rain, frost, snow, day, night—the entire nation's climate is calibrated and scheduled by the weather control system."
Felix explained, "Jialesi is purely a premier residential zone, serving no agricultural or industrial purpose whatsoever. In agricultural townships or industrial hubs, temperatures are either sweltering or freezing, and the weather swings between relentless downpours and blazing sunburn."
"They can regulate everything? Even dawn and dusk?"
"Naturally. There are even cities under perpetual night or unending day. Those regions tend to yield unique fruits, and certain sorcerers flock there to research light and dark sorcery."
Frowning faintly, Yaxiu muttered, "But the sun—"
"There is no sun here," Igola said, producing an eyelash curler. He gently curled Yaxiu's lashes before applying primer. "Only the Radiant Star."
Yaxiu paused, nodding thoughtfully. "So the Realm of Stars truly has only stars..."
"I know what you're thinking, but what you need to focus on right now isn't the night sky—it's your appearance," Igola said placidly. "Nothing in this kingdom concerns us."
Yaxiu caught the warning in his words. In three days, they would return to the Gospel Realm; for these three days, staying hidden inside Felix's villa and avoiding trouble was their only job. He had merely spoken out of fleeting curiosity—he possessed no interest in meddling with affairs of another nation.
Unless the Sword Princess wished to.
"We can skip the false eyelashes, right?!"
"They'll make your eyes look larger and add three-dimensional depth."
"No, no, absolutely not!" Yaxiu jerked his head back desperately.
"Suit yourself." Igola set the lashes back into their case and swept a glance over the bottles and jars cluttering the dressing vanity. With casual curiosity, he asked, "For a man, Felix, you keep a remarkably exhaustive cosmetic collection. Isn't that a little odd?"
Yaxiu couldn't resist chiming in. "For a man, you managed to use ninety percent of everything here without missing a beat. Which of you is the weird one?"
Felix answered smoothly, "I had a girlfriend once. She set up this vanity. Afterward, I occasionally used some of the skincare products and face masks, but I rarely touched the rest."
*What an airtight excuse...* Igola's gaze traveled from the tips of Felix's boots straight up to her eyes, lingering until Felix averted her gaze, unwilling to lock eyes with him.
Still, it was none of their business.
Igola motioned for Yaxiu to step in front of the full-length mirror. "This is the limit of what I can achieve. If you want further breakthroughs, your only remaining option is biological modification."
Looking into the mirror, Felix couldn't help but feel a flicker of surprise.
Sharp brows framing starry eyes, spirited and valiant, handsome yet masculine, exuding an ascetic restraint undercut by a subtle, alluring edge—she hadn't imagined her garments could look so striking on someone else.
Yet Yaxiu didn't look entirely satisfied.
"You made me look like some sort of male veela... I'm not really into this style... I wanted something cooler!"
"If by 'cool' you mean draping yourself in chains for an edgy dark aesthetic, then I will formally abandon all hope for your sense of style," Igola remarked, turning to Felix. "What do you think?"
"Huh?" Caught off guard by the question, Felix hesitated for a second before offering, "...It looks quite good."
Yaxiu pointed at Igola. "Who's more handsome—him or me?"
Felix blinked. Strictly speaking, Igola's raw visual appeal undeniably surpassed Yaxiu's. However, because Igola shared a slight resemblance with her brother Dimi, she inherently harbored an aversion toward him.
By contrast, Yaxiu was the sort whose charm grew the longer one looked. Besides, Felix was more than happy to sow discord between them, so she answered immediately, "You are!"
"You hesitated for a second," Yaxiu noted. "Lacks sincerity."
Igola countered, "Even so, Felix still had to hesitate for a second."
Yaxiu considered this, then nodded vigorously. "Fair point. Making someone pause for a whole second between you and me means I've clearly hit my aesthetic peak."
He waved Felix over. "We've really troubled you this time, even borrowing your clothes. Come here for a second—Igola and I want to give you a token of our appreciation."
Seeing that they were behaving with manners, Felix stepped forward and said, "There's no need. Leaving as soon as possible would be the best gift you could give me."
"Don't refuse; it's nothing extravagant," Yaxiu said with an airy wave. "We're just gifting you a pleasant dream."
Igola reached out and gently rested a palm on Felix's head. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she fell backward onto the bed, sinking instantly into deep slumber.
Leaving the bedroom, Yaxiu and Igola stepped into the main hall to find Harvey seated atop a coffin lid. A slender, pale right hand reached out from the casket—Harvey was meticulously trimming Alice's fingernails.
The necromancer cast a glance back at Yaxiu, shaking his head. "If you added a few decorative chains, you'd look much more dashing."
Igola threw his hands up at Yaxiu. Hanging his head in shame, Yaxiu conceded defeat. "It seems my aesthetic sense really is broken."
"Has Alice recovered?"
"Basically. She just needs some sunlight, otherwise she might develop osteoporosis."
The companions gathered around the coffin and sat down. For a while, only the rhythmic snip of Harvey's clippers broke the quiet.
After several minutes, Yaxiu asked, "Don't you two have anything to do?"
"Are you in the mood for an afternoon soap opera?" Igola replied.
"Actually, there's something a little embarrassing I need to discuss with you." Yaxiu's tone did not sound even remotely embarrassed. "When I meet with the Sword Princess later... could you two make yourselves scarce?"
Harvey paused his clippers, surprised. "You don't intend to introduce her to us?"
"Of course I plan to, but I really don't want to ruin the atmosphere on our very first date."
"How would we ruin the atmosphere?"
Yaxiu stared at Harvey, whose hand remained tenderly entwined with Alice's pale fingers rising from the coffin. "...What can I say? You're breathing, aren't you?"
Harvey offered, "I actually know a way to stop breathing..."
"Enough," Igola cut in. "During that time, Harvey and I will enter the Void Realm. We'll linger in the Distant Sky Realm for three or four hours. That should give you plenty of time to carry on, wouldn't you say?"
"Not enough, but I'm willing to make concessions to accommodate you," Yaxiu chuckled mischievously. "As a gesture of gratitude... oh, wait, I already gave you your gift."
"Hm?"
"Do you remember in the Thousand Wishes Heaven, when I had the Dream-Waking God bestow a miracle upon you both?" Yaxiu said. "That was the miracle 'Delayed Dream-Waking.' It will trigger the moment you step into the Void Realm."
"Put simply, just like me, you'll trigger the Colorless Dream, bypass the Distant Sky Realm entirely, and ascend Ruby Mountain!"
Both Igola and Harvey had used cursed seven-colored tail feathers to cross the threshold into Sanctuary, ascending straight to the Distant Sky Realm; otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to advance from Two-Wing to Three-Wing sorcerers in just a few months.
Yet the price was devastating: they were severed from forming a connecting conduit to the fourth layer of the Void Realm. Even if their sorcery attainment reached the Legendary tier in the future, they would be unable to summon a single Four-Wing sorcery spirit, forever barring them from opening their own Gate of Truth to Ruby Mountain.
Ever since Yaxiu obtained the Dream-Waking God, he had been turning over ways to help them circumvent that curse. Delayed Dream-Waking had been an assignment he left for Little Dream. He hadn't expected a god to possess such initiative, researching and devising the miracle entirely on its own.
Fortunately, upon reaching Thousand Wishes Heaven, Yaxiu had immediately instructed Little Dream to cast the miracle on both of them. Otherwise, their advancement would have been stalled until Yaxiu's next return to Thousand Wishes Heaven.
The swindler and the necromancer were momentarily stunned speechless by the revelation. Yaxiu urged them, "Since we have some free time right now, go ahead and advance to Legendary. I'll stand guard out here—it's the perfect time to switch shifts."
Last night, only Yaxiu had entered the Void Realm while Igola and Harvey kept watch; now it was Yaxiu's turn to keep watch while they entered.
"Yaxiu, you..." Igola opened his mouth, words failing him for once.
"Remember to say hello to the Ruby Angel for me," Yaxiu grinned. "Our biggest regret was reaching the summit of Ruby Mountain without ever spotting that legendary angel."
Without another word, the two closed their eyes and established their connection to the Void Realm.
Yaxiu opened *Aurora's Sorcerer Handbook* - Operator Management, keeping a close eye on the shifts in the Colorless Dream Secret Poison.
A moment later, he watched the tally of infected individuals tick up from ten to twelve!
「Colorless Dream Secret Poison」
「Infected Count: 12」
「Poison Enhancement Level: 12%」
「Current Poison Effects: 1. You may convert rainbow sorcery power into primary-color sorcery power at a ratio of 62:38; 2. When utilizing primary-color sorcery power to drive sorcery spirits below Four-Wing, you unleash effects equivalent to Four-Wing; 3. While bearing this secret poison, all your colorless sorcery power converts into primary-color sorcery power, enhancing sorcery spirits of the matching color. (Turns into a negative effect upon reaching 51% enhancement; yields massive benefits when reduced to 10%).」
Yaxiu compared the figures. The reduction in sorcery power consumption had disappeared, and the conversion ratio had dropped slightly, but it remained entirely acceptable.
Fortunately, the degradation was not severe. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to face the Sword Princess and the Witch—after all, the secret poison operated on a zero-sum mechanic; what others gained meant an equal loss for them.
Right at that moment, Igola and Harvey opened their eyes almost simultaneously. Exchanging a glance, both wore grim expressions.
Igola spoke first. "We couldn't enter Ruby Mountain."
"What?"
"I triggered the Colorless Dream, and the entire Distant Sky Realm began to shatter," Harvey explained. "Yet in the very next second, we were forcibly expelled from the Void Realm back into reality. We never set foot on Ruby Mountain."
"How could that happen?" Yaxiu murmured. "When we triggered the Colorless Dream Secret Poison, we went straight to the summit of Ruby Mountain—"
"Because you weren't cursed by the rainbow tail feathers," Igola stated calmly. "'Unable to form a connecting conduit to the fourth layer of the Void Realm'... The true meaning of those words is likely that we cannot forge our own Gate of Truth to Ruby Mountain."
A sudden realization struck Yaxiu. "Wait, can you still return to the Distant Sky Realm?"
The two made an attempt, then shook their heads in turn.
"The Void Realm has always permitted advance, never retreat," Igola whispered. "Now we are detached from the Distant Sky Realm, yet barred from Ruby Mountain... Just like our present predicament: exiled from the Blood Moon, disowned by Stars, left to wander as fugitives trapped in the crevices between worlds."
"We can no longer log into the Void Realm."
Yaxiu stood dazed, staring blankly down at his hands.
Harvey said quietly, "It has nothing to do with you. Our luck was simply bad."
"At the very least, we bore witness to the Colorless Dream," Igola remarked lightly. "We've already surpassed the vast majority of sorcerers in this world."
"Stop it."
Yaxiu rose abruptly. No matter how fine the garments or how delicate the makeup, they could not conceal the crushing despondency etched across his face.
"I'm going to the restroom."
Watching Yaxiu practically flee the room, followed by the sharp slam of the bathroom door, Igola and Harvey fell into mutual silence. The breezy nonchalance vanished from their expressions, replaced by emotionless masks.
"Necromancer, do you feel any resentment?" Igola asked softly after a while.
"I don't," Harvey answered calmly. "I never imagined I would ever become a Sanctuary sorcerer. To have come this far is already tremendous fortune. Besides, when I chose to use the rainbow tail feather, I was fully prepared to bear the cost."
"Indeed." Igola leaned against the soft chair, his voice growing faint and hollow. "What reason do we have for resentment?"
He stared up at the ceiling as if gazing back into a distant past. "Back in Shattered Lake, how could I have ever dreamed of reaching Sanctuary? Surviving the Weaving Ceremony, witnessing the apocalypse of Senluo... My life has already been infinitely more magnificent than anything I ever dared imagine. What right do I have to complain?"
"And yet, I do feel resentment."
The swindler pressed his lips into a tight line, drawing a shuddering breath. "I resent that our journey has reached its end."
"He is a Legendary sorcerer now, and one day he may become a demigod. He will reach heights we cannot behold even if we strain on our tiptoes, while we will remain far below, listening to the echoes of his glory without even the right to gaze upon his back."
"Perhaps even death could not pull us apart, yet now the moment of parting has arrived."
"I resent that I am merely a Sanctuary sorcerer. And I resent... that he is no longer one." Igola shut his eyes, his voice sinking to a whisper. "Just how much power does one need to hold fast to happiness? At the very least, I know the answer is not a Sanctuary sorcerer."
Harvey made no reply. Within the casket, Alice quietly clasped the necromancer's hand.
*Bang!*
The bathroom door was kicked wide open. Yaxiu bolted out, throwing an arm around each of their necks and pulling them close, shouting in wild excitement, "There's still a way! It recognizes you—there's still a way!"
"Yaxiu, calm down..."
"If you can't forge your own Gate of Truth to Ruby Mountain, then you'll use mine!" Yaxiu could scarcely contain his joy, his words tumbling out in a breathless rush. "You crossed the Colorless Dream! Even if you couldn't enter Ruby Mountain on your own, the Void Realm already recognizes you as sorcerers of Ruby Mountain!"
"Your Void Realm progress matches mine! I can take you into Ruby Mountain!"
What Yaxiu referred to was the item he had recently drawn: the Lesser Four Pillars Gate!
To him and his operators, the item was negligible, but for Igola and Harvey, it was the pivotal artifact capable of altering the trajectory of their destinies! As long as he could bring them into Ruby Mountain, they could continue to grow, perhaps even contend for the realm of demigods!
Igola and Harvey froze. They had never doubted Yaxiu's ability to bring others into the Void Realm—after all, they had long known that Thousand Wishes Heaven was conquered alongside his teammates.
It was simply that Yaxiu had always kept the details closely guarded. Assuming the prerequisites were exceedingly harsh, neither of them had ever brought it up.
Could Yaxiu truly bring them into the Void Realm with him?
Because Yaxiu had moved so abruptly, a small box slipped from his clothing and tumbled to the floor. He dropped into a crouch at once to scoop it up. Igola glanced at it and asked, "What's that?"
"...A gift."
"Didn't you say you hadn't prepared a gift? Did you steal that from Felix?"
"I bought it ages ago in Black Robe Town," Yaxiu mumbled evasively. "I intended to give it later... but since we're heading back to Gospel in three days and I don't have time to buy anything else, I have to go with this."
Igola's expression turned subtly strange. "Don't tell me that box contains..."
Seeing that the swindler had already guessed, Yaxiu sighed and clicked the box open. "Yeah. Rings."
Resting silently upon black velvet inside the little dark box was a pair of glittering couple rings.
"You were already planning to buy couple rings back in Black Robe Town?!"
"Actually... I bought three pairs..."
Igola let out an incredulous snort, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What?!"
"Can you give me a pair?" Harvey asked. "Alice says she wants one too."
"No way. If you want some, buy your own," Yaxiu said. "Alright, alright! The priority right now is taking you into Ruby Mountain to see for yourselves. Once you're ready, we'll—"
"There's no rush for us. You have a date coming up," Igola chuckled. "Let's leave it for tomorrow."
"There are still several hours before the meeting time. Besides, if you don't go to Ruby Mountain, you'll definitely eavesdrop on my date," Yaxiu argued. "Sorting this out early will give me peace of mind."
Snapping the small black box shut, he slipped it into his shirt pocket. "Once you're prepared, our journey to Ruby Mountain begins."
"Exploring the Void Realm together with you..." Igola tilted his head musingly. "It feels surreal."
"Whether death can part us remains to be seen," Harvey said, lowering his head to kiss the back of Alice's hand with a faint smile. "But the Void Realm certainly won't."
"Newcomers, stay close behind your senior and don't get lost on Ruby Mountain," Yaxiu beamed. "Next stop: Ruby Mountain!"
*Lesser Four Pillars Gate, activate!*
The Observer of the End, the Swindler, the Necromancer... descended upon Ruby Mountain!
Chapter 775