Guardian

Mingyao woke up in darkness.

Her body felt tired and worn, and regret began to creep in. She had been too hasty—diving into the unknown without gathering enough information. Though she was still alive, her recklessness could easily have cost her life. Now, she needed to be cautious, to ensure she could still see her plan for advancement through to the end.

Blinking against the shadows, she tried to make sense of her surroundings, but the darkness closed in from all sides. The only thing she could make out was the faint luminescence of another figure tethered to her by a faint spiritual thread, sitting silently with a wistful air.

She must be blaming me for this situation, Mingyao thought.

After a moment, she turned her attention to her spirit treasure. Perhaps it held some hidden function that could help her in this helpless state. Yet… there was barely any response.

A bitter laugh escaped her.

Mingyao felt that she had been manipulated into this situation. Now, slowly and calmly, she began to analyze everything that led her here. Her thoughts swirled as memories returned in fragments — the lavish feast, the maid rituals, the village recruitment. At every step, her aunt had been planting seeds in her mind.

When her aunt finally presented her with a mix of pressure and temptation, opening the door to this so-called new world, Mingyao subconsciously leapt forward — unprepared, but unable to resist.

Still, she couldn't place all the blame on her aunt. Deep down, she knew her own recklessness played a part.

Learning about the Nether Realm and its wonders, she couldn't help but think of her mother. Though her mother had likely already passed through the cycle of reincarnation, Mingyao still dreamed that by mastering the spirit realm, she might one day travel back through time and alter her fate.

Now, looking back, she realized how foolish she had been to play into her aunt's game. Just because her aunt once called her mother her "best friend" didn't mean anything. It might have been nothing more than another layer of manipulation.

Mingyao's mind was now fully clear. If her aunt had access to this space, then why had she spoken about opening up more spiritual energy?

All of her aunt's previous arguments were starting to crumble. It was becoming clear that the development of foundation establishment disciples served another purpose entirely.

The problem was, Mingyao now felt she had to be even more cautious around her aunt. Who knew what her true motives were?

A chill settled in Mingyao's stomach. Am I still being watched?

The thought took root, impossible to shake. Perhaps her aunt still held sway over Mingyao's fate, observing her every step from afar.

She stood up, straining her eyes against the darkness of the cave, searching for any hint of light. Having light didn't necessarily mean there was an exit, but it was a start. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a faint shimmer — a spectrum of red, purple, and blue light.

"Come on," she murmured, turning to the spectral figure bound to her. Her "ghost sister"—though now wearing a male form—nodded silently. They moved slowly and clumsily through the darkness, nearly tripping with every step. Their arms stretched out, searching for a wall or any obstruction to guide them. As they drew closer, their vision gradually improved.

Then, the cave opened up. A sudden draft wafted past, carrying a humid taste in the air. The farther they walked, the clearer their surroundings became — and the louder the sound of water sloshing against rock grew.

Finally, they reached the exit of the jagged rocky cave, slightly elevated above the ground. Outside, an endless purple ocean stretched before them, gleaming under the light of two — no, three — overlapping moons. Their combined glow spilled red, purple, and blue hues across the landscape, painting the world in extraordinary light.

She stepped forward, staring into the vastness. Where am I?

The last thing she remembered were the attacks — one from the three-eyed crows, and another from the living trees.

And then—nothing.

A sound broke her thoughts.

From deep within the cave, the sound of slow, heavy footsteps and faint squeals echoed through the darkness.

She turned toward the sound, ready to face whatever approached. Yet she was unarmed — her spirit treasure was with her, but in its current state, it was of little use.

Her thoughts raced back to her aunt. She wouldn't have sent me to this realm without any protection… right? If Mingyao was truly as important as her aunt's actions suggested — enough to spend such resources on her — then surely she must have some hidden worth.

Frantically, Mingyao searched for anything her aunt might have secretly left behind to aid her. But the only thing she found was the Moonshadow Pearl. She wasn't sure if it possessed any special properties that could help her. It had granted her entry to this domain, but just because it served as a key didn't necessarily mean it had other functions.

Still… maybe it did. Perhaps there was a connection between the pearl, her spirit body, and the Nether Realm itself. Then a thought struck her — the Moonshadow Pearl absorbed the essence of the moon in the physical realm. Could it do the same here?

She raised it toward the three overlapping moons — red, purple, and blue — hoping to trigger something. Yet nothing happened. The pearl merely glimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Of course, things can't be that simple, Mingyao thought, turning to face the creature approaching them.

"Any ideas?" she asked her male counterpart.

Mingyu thought for a moment before suggesting that they flank the monster, using their numbers to try to trick it into the purple sea. It wouldn't solve their situation entirely, but it might buy them some time. From the sound of its footsteps, it was clear the creature was massive and heavy.

Mingyao considered the plan. While simple, it might work — but then she realized that if the monster lived in such an isolated area, surrounded by ocean, it likely had the ability to swim. Hoping it would sink or drown in this strange sea would probably be little more than a minor inconvenience for it. Still, she accepted the plan; it was the best they could do for now.

They soon came up with a rough strategy. Now, all they had to do was wait for the monster to appear. And finally, it did — and what a sight it was.

Mingyao got into position, but she couldn't do anything with her energy beyond triggering her spirit treasure — which did nothing. It wasn't that she lacked power; she had plenty. Yet everything she had tried before had proven useless.

Finally, the creature fully emerged.

At first Mingyao thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. The darkness in the cave wasn't still anymore — it was shifting, breathing almost. A deep red light flickered somewhere within it, followed by a faint blue glint. The air grew heavy, pressing against her chest like a slow wave.

When the shape finally stepped out, Mingyao froze.

It was huge, its wings brushing the sides of the cave, scattering small stones and dust into the air. Each feather looked sharp, glimmering faintly with dark colors that kept changing as it moved — red, blue, then something in between. The creature didn't make much noise, yet every movement it made sent a faint vibration through the ground.

Mingyao's heart started racing.This was no normal beast. It felt wrong to even think about it that way.

The three eyes caught her attention — one red, one blue, and another faint outline right in the middle of its forehead that seemed shut but pulsed faintly. When the two open eyes looked at her, she felt her breath stop. For a moment, it was like the thing could see through her completely, like it knew everything she had and hadn't done.

She stepped back slowly, her hands trembling as she tried to ready her spirit treasure, even though it hadn't worked before.

The plan to drive it into the sea flashed through her mind again, but she quickly realized how stupid that was the moment she saw the creature's wings spread out. The air burst against her face, almost throwing her off balance.

"...It can fly," Mingyao whispered under her breath, cursing her own short-sightedness. "Of course it can fly it's a crow."

Beside her, Mingyu shifted nervously, his form flickering faintly in the light. The two of them exchanged a look — neither had any idea what to do now.

The creature let out a deep rumbling sound that wasn't loud, but Mingyao felt it inside her chest. It was like the whole cave was echoing from within her. The noise made her knees weak for a second, and she had to support herself against the wall.

Whatever this thing was, it must have been the one to bring them here.

Outside, the purple sea started to ripple, moving slowly.

The air grew colder the moment the creature spread its wings. Mingyao could barely keep her balance as a gust tore through the cave, sending dust and sharp bits of rock flying. Mingyu moved beside her, his outline flickering faintly with a trace of red. The two of them didn't need to speak; they both knew they were in trouble.

The creature lowered its head slightly. Three eyes gleamed through the dimness. Mingyao felt her spirit tremble as a wave of heavy pressure washed over them. The cave walls hummed and cracked.

Mingyao raised her hand, trying to draw in qi, to call on her ice techniques, but the moment she did, the weight inside her shifted violently. Her spirit treasure pulsed faintly, and again all the flow of energy inside her stopped as if frozen solid. It was like trying to move in mud or quick sand.

She cursed under her breath. "Damn it..."

Mingyu clenched his fists, sparks of faint flame flickering around his hands. "I can try—"

"You can?" Mingyao asked, half skeptical. "Be careful," she warned.

Before either of them could move, the crow struck. A trail of dark-red fire swept across the floor, not hitting them directly but forcing them to scatter. The heat was unnatural — it burned through all forms of energy, thickening the air until it felt hard to breathe. Mingyao's body shook as she landed roughly, barely catching herself on one knee.

Mingyu swung his arm, and a burst of orange-red flame shot forward, crashing against the creature's wing. The fire looked small against the vast black feathers, yet it made the crow pause for a moment, its blue eye narrowing slightly.

"Again!" Mingyao shouted, trying to rush forward, but her legs felt heavy — literally. The spirit treasure's weight aspect fully triggered, dragging her movements down. Every step sent small cracks through the floor, but she couldn't lift her body fast enough."Finally it responded but what awefull timing," Mingyao muttered

The crow turned its gaze to her, and she swore it could see everything she was trying to do before she even moved.

Then the creature opened its beak.

No sound came — only a shock that hit her spirit directly. Her vision blurred; for a second she saw flashes of things that weren't there — her aunt's face, the eastern palace, the night sky of the mortal world — before it all shattered back into the cave.

Her spirit treasure pulsed again. This time, it glowed faintly. Thin threads of light ran along the edges of her torn robes, like glowing script trying to stitch itself together.

A whisper echoed faintly inside her mind.
"Protocol One… Stabilization."

The ground beneath her shook. The heaviness shifted suddenly into lightness, her body moving easier for a brief second. "What was that," she asked. She didn't know if she triggered it or if the treasure just reacted by itself.

"Now!" she shouted again.

Together they rushed at the crow — Mingyao from the left, Mingyu from the right — their movements clumsy and desperate. The crow didn't move much; it only tilted its head slightly, almost curious. One beat of its wings sent out a wave of dark flame that broke their formation immediately. Mingyu stumbled back, his faint fire sputtering out. Mingyao slid across the ground, breathing hard.

"This thing's not even trying," Mingyu muttered, wiping sweat from his face.

"It's playing with us," Mingyao replied quietly. Her chest was tight, her spirit trembling from the crow's pressure. Then she made a decision — a reckless one. "We can't win like this. We have to get out. Jump into the sea!"

Mingyu stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Into that?" he shouted, disbelief in his voice. "We don't even know what it is — that's suicide!"

"It's better than dying here!" she shouted back.

Before Mingyu could argue, she grabbed his hand, and together they ran toward the cave's edge. The wind roared louder as the purple waves shimmered beneath them.

The crow turned sharply. Its red eye flared.

The moment they leapt, everything buzzed and shifted. A deep pulse spread through the air as if the sea itself cried out. Mingyao felt her spirit quiver violently — her entire body burned, threads of energy tearing under the strain.

Too much. The energy emanating from below was overwhelming. They would probably explode the moment they touched it.

"This is all your fault!" Mingyu screamed as they plummeted headfirst.

But before they could hit the surface, a shadow swept beneath them. The crow — faster than had thought — dove after them. The pressure from its wings alone scattered the waves below, and for a brief second the entire sky turned red-blue.

Then, a flash — the Moonshadow Pearl slipped from Mingyao's grasp, falling into the sea.

The impact was silent, but the moment it touched the water...

The air, the waves, even the heat from the crow's flames — all of it froze. The sea began to glow faintly, a soft silver light rising from beneath the surface.

Mingyao's heart dropped. "No… no, no, no!" she screamed, reaching out helplessly toward the water. "How are we supposed to go back!"

For a few long moments, there was nothing — only the endlessness of the violet sea. Then the glow grew brighter, shining through the purple waves. The pearl floated back up slowly, wrapped in a light so pure it hurt to look at.

Mingyao blinked through her spectrum of emotions. The crow hovered beside them, its vast wings folding inward. As the glow intensified, its form began to change — feathers melting into strands of dark light, shrinking down until what stood before them was a tall figure dressed in black robes lined with faint silver marks, eyes the color of red, blue, and shadow.

The air around them felt heavy again.

The figure looked at them both quietly before speaking, in a deep calm voice.

"I am San Ming Yazu ," it said. "One of the nine primordial spirits of the Nether Realm… and your guardian, for as long as you remain within this world."

The waves below shimmered faintly again, reflecting all three of the moons. Mingyao stood there speechless, heart still racing, as her eyes scanned the now handsome man who stood before them.

"Is this part of her aunt's arrangements," she thought inwardly