Pillar of Yita

”...Great God Ye Hua, but you shouldn’t have forgotten, the Stargate should be the common wealth of everyone between two worlds, should it not?” he said in a highly compelling voice, ”It shouldn’t be held in the hands of a few, used as a weapon to suppress the Free Summoners—after all, we are all rebels and should fight side by side, should we not?”

”As long as you are willing to join us, we are also willing to let go of past grudges with you and your little sidekick...”

Ye Hua looked at the person and paused for a moment before speaking: ”So it was you all, you were the ones meddling behind the scenes in the White City, weren’t you?”

The person shrugged, ”It’s just a tactic for self-preservation, banding together is a biological instinct.”

But Ye Hua shook his head. ”Survival instinct is just the lowest demand; generally, people’s pursuits are far greater.”

”What’s the point of pursuing anything grand if you cannot survive?”

”That’s where our differences lie,” Ye Hua looked at the other person and replied lightly, ”Some pursuits, I don’t need to see them realized myself. Moreover, the little guy you mentioned, he is not any sort of sidekick of mine—”

”...He will decide for himself what he should do, and he can accomplish more than you imagine. As for what the future holds for the Stargate, I believe the current situation will change.”

”That is,” Ye Hua replied lightly, ”my answer.”

The person was slightly taken aback, then chuckled: ”So, has the negotiation fallen through?”

”That’s one way to see it.”

And at this moment, the middle-aged Alchemist next to him spoke: ”Ye Hua.”

Ye Hua turned around.

The middle-aged Alchemist looked at him with a bit of seriousness: ”Captain Ade and the others might be in danger. I’ll cover you as you break through—”

”No need.”

Ye Hua gently put away the Curved Blade and took the Longbow from his back.

”Take care of your own safety.”

...

”Princess, there is the main hall up ahead.”

Fang Hong looked up, gazing at the towering Holy White structures in the distance, turned back, and spoke to Princess Rupert behind him. Since leaving the previous Holy Sanctuary, their journey had been smooth, with no further encounters with any enemies.

This Holy Sanctuary seemed to have been built by an unknown person at an unknown time. Yet among the grand architectural ensemble, there were no obvious markings. The walls were without murals, entirely blank, the columns had no sculptures, and the halls contained neither Holy Icons nor Divine Emblems.

It seemed like an empty, ownerless Holy Sanctuary. While the island was covered in lush greenery, the landscape within the sanctuary was beautiful, but beneath the scenic beauty lay an indescribable strangeness.

Fang Hong thought carefully and realized that on their journey, besides the plants, they hadn’t seen any living creature. From wild birds and beasts to a single insect, there was no trace, the sanctuary was empty and silent, except for the sound of the wind over the Sky Sea, there was not a whisper.

Though outwardly vibrant, it carried a sense of stagnation, as if this Holy Sanctuary resided at the end of time, awaiting the arrival of a rightful owner.

Fang Hong could roughly guess who that owner might be.

No wonder Seniman said this was Deika’s Divine Kingdom, perhaps it wasn’t in the past, but it certainly will be in the future. Of course, his task was to make sure this place remained lifeless even in the future, or better yet, fell apart—

Princess Rupert listened to him, looked up at the front, her gaze reflecting the snow-like peak and the Holy Sanctuary halfway up the mountain.

She had been somewhat silent since earlier, and now she looked down at her hand holding the Longsword, which trembled slightly—earlier she had bound her hand and the Crossbow Hilt with a strip of cloth, which was now soaked in blood.

Suddenly, she looked up, and with a determined tone said: ”Captain Ade, if we encounter trouble like before, you should leave me. Break through on your own, find Deika, and stop its resurrection.”

Fang Hong turned back, looking at the Grand Princess, ”But Great God Ye Hua tasked me with taking you to the main hall, Princess.”

Princess Rupert smiled bitterly: ”Ade, do you really think I am of any use? In the combat of that level earlier, I couldn’t even lend a hand, much less help out at all, only becoming a burden. This battle is about the survival of Quistack, I don’t want to be a burden to my father, brothers, and citizens...”

”But you just saved my life, Princess,” Fang Hong reasoned, recalling, ”how is that not helping?”

”That was before, you don’t need my help now.”

”But that would be a bit heartless,” Fang Hong shook his head, ”I can’t bring myself to do that, Princess.”

”Captain Ade, consider it my request—”

”But I don’t accept it.” Fang Hong was actually a bit puzzled, not quite understanding why Ye Hua and the Star insisted on bringing the Grand Princess here, but for him, it wasn’t about the task or not.

He turned back, looking at her: ”If necessary, I will leave you here, but only under the condition that you are safe.”

Upon hearing this, Princess Rupert didn’t argue further, she looked up, eyes suddenly shining with a hint of cold light. As if by reflex, she forcefully pushed Fang Hong in front of her to the side.

A sharp whistle sounded, and an arrow shot between the two, thudding into the stone pillar behind them, its gray-white tail feathers trembling slightly.

Fang Hong turned to look at the arrow feathers, slightly startled. The Pegasus Feather wasn’t uncommon on arrows, but for it to be enchantment-augmented through Alchemy was something typically done only by the Chosen.

While still puzzled by this, the Princess yanked him by the collar, pulling him behind a flowerbed. ”There’s an ambush,” Princess Rupert whispered, then turned, hand on Longsword, and looked sharply in that direction.

Fang Hong, scrambling behind the flowerbed, finally managed to clear his head.

”Princess, you’ve saved me again.”

”Captain Ade, is this the time for that?”

”I meant, Great God Ye Hua has some foresight after all.”

”They’re coming out.” The Princess cut him off.

At that moment, Fang Hong clearly saw the figure approaching, not only a Chosen, but remarkably, an old acquaintance of his. Seeing them, the first thought that crossed his mind wasn’t surprise, but a certain helplessness—

This person just keeps haunting me.

The one coming wasn’t anyone else but the Big Sister of the Dragonfire Guild.