Chapter 752: Hold It Together

Heimu, sir,

XiaDie's voice was light, with a faint tremor that reminded one of a butterfly's wingbeat; her white‑purple long dress fluttered gently as she stood, and the flower buds sewn onto the hem twinkled in the sunlight. "The atmosphere here is a bit noisy; would you be willing to follow me to a quieter place for a chat."

When she said that, the two burly men behind her happened to strike a finishing pose at the same time.

Na Ke Xia knelt on one knee, arms spread to the sides, the red soles of her shoes pointing upward.

Wan Di stood behind him, hands on hips, chin slightly raised, the battle‑mark light caught at its brightest tier.

The two froze there, like a pair of statues deliberately arranged into a comic composition.

Heimu looked at that pair of statues, then glanced at Xia Die.

The violet‑haired girl stood quietly before her, ears pointed like an elf's, the tips tinged faintly red.

Her skin was so white in the sun it was almost translucent.

The semi‑transparent bandages winding around her torso emerged faintly from the back‑less design of the dress.

Her overall aura was gentle and aloof, forming a stark contrast with the two still‑frozen burly men.

Heimu thought quickly in her mind.

So far, this daughter of the Underworld River has behaved more normally than everyone else combined on this stage; of course, when everyone is insane, even the "most normal" is itself questionable.

Then Heimu suddenly found it funny.

After all, she is Heimu.

Someone who can be chased by Polka Kakam yet still make a calm escape.

How could she possibly fear a gentle girl whose spoken voice is as light as a butterfly's wingbeat?

Those entries are absurd enough, but could they be more ridiculous than Xi Lian apologizing while mentally tying her to a cushion?

Moreover, she does indeed want to see what those two decoded entries actually are.

Aha's encrypted things rarely leave her bored.

"Obedience is better than reverence."

Heimu nodded slightly, the corner of her mouth under the brim curving into an arc, "Just in time I also have some questions I'd like to ask you."

Xia Die's eyelashes drooped slightly, as if smiling, yet also completing some ritual known only to herself.

She turned and walked ahead, the white‑purple hem swaying lightly with each step, the butterfly‑wing‑shaped ribbons behind her unfurling in the breeze.

The sound of her high heels on the stone slab was light and crisp, each step landing unhurriedly.

Heimu rose and followed.

She tried to ignore the continued motions of the two behind her as much as possible.

Being invited by such a beautiful maiden, she glanced at Xia Die; the violet shoulder‑length hair glowed faintly in the light, the hollow‑style braids swaying gently with each step.

Alright, this truly is an honor.

Heimu nodded slightly, considering it a new acquaintance.

From behind came Na Ke Xia's high‑pitched shout: "This is— the essence of the Suspended Blade City Dance!"

Immediately followed Wan Di's deep, powerful reply: "No— this is Ao He Ma's Bath‑house Dance!"

Then the two voices overlapped: "—This is— Weng Fa Luo Si's— Concrete Earth Beast Dance!"

Heimu quickened her pace, the sound of her boot soles on the stone turning from crisp to urgent.

She followed behind Xia Die through an archway of vines blooming with white flowers, leaving the increasingly absurd dialogue and dance rhythm behind on the other side of the arch.

Before passing the arch, she took one last look back.

Na Ke Xia was still kneeling on one knee, hands raised toward the sky in a finishing pose, while Wan Di mirrored her with a perfectly symmetrical stance opposite him; their chest muscles tightened simultaneously under Yongzhou's daylight.

The scene got so gay that she felt she shouldn't stare at it directly with her eyes.

She turned her head back faster than the speed at which she dodged during the earlier clash with Bai E.

She hopes the two will stay bound after sobering up.

If not, her system log still contains the full recording.

It can serve as material collection for Sai Fei Er.

Perspective shift.

The flower field glowed in the twilight.

Heimu followed behind Xia Die; the stone‑paved path beneath her feet had, at some point, reached its end, replaced by a trail of fine white sand.

Sand grains whispered a fine rustle beneath her boots, and the scenery on both sides had, without her noticing, completely changed; the warm golden Yongzhou daylight of Divine Insight Tree Court was far behind, the sky above shifting from warm gold to pale violet, then sinking into deep blue.

A luminous mist floated in the air, as if someone had ground moonlight into powder and scattered it on the wind.

She lowered her head to glance at the coordinates on the System Panel.

The marker for Divine Insight Tree Court had already fallen several notches behind, while the approaching area ahead was labeled with two characters: Underworld.

"Quite stylish."

Heimu muttered to herself, turned off the panel, and lifted her head again to look at Xia Die leading the way.

The violet shoulder‑length‑haired girl moved lightly, her layered skirt like petals; as she walked, the ribbons behind her quivered, leaving two faint, wavering trails in the glowing mist.

Heimu's curiosity was piqued.

Where is Xia Die taking her?

The path ahead turned a corner, and the white‑sand road suddenly opened up.

Heimu followed Xia Die around the bend, then stopped.

Boundless white.

A pure white flower field stretched from her feet to the horizon, without leaves or stems; each flower sprouted directly from a gray‑white powder on the ground.

Petals were as thin as cicada wings, edges emitting a faint cold glow; ten million flowers lit up simultaneously, turning the whole world into a cool hue between moonlight and frost.

There was no wind; the petals trembled on their own, and the collective faint rustle of ten million petals trembling together sounded like a melodyless requiem.

The scent in the air was extremely faint, so faint that she had to sniff three times forcefully to confirm it was indeed a floral fragrance—there yet not there—once it entered her nostrils it spun in her mind and then dissipated, leaving an indescribable Calm feeling, as if something had gently loosened the string that had been taut in the back of her head.

"Where is this…"

Heimu opened her mouth, noticing she unconsciously lowered her voice, as if afraid to wake something.

"Antiling flower."

XiaDie did not turn around; her voice drifted lightly from ahead, tone flat and gentle, as if introducing an old friend she had known for ages, "It grows from ashes. Neither born nor extinct. It is nourished by the lingering soul, blossoms, withers into mist that merges into the Nether River, ascends with the river's water to become rain, falls back to the mortal world. A closed loop."

Heimu lowered her head and looked at the nearest flower at her feet.

The cold glimmer on the petals flickered faintly before her boot tip; the flower's core was hollow, within floated a minuscule speck of light, like a shrunken star.

She crouched, extended a fingertip to touch the petal; a slight chill ran up the tip, the petal quivered softly, as if startled by her.