Mo Ling was still wondering when the patch of darkness disappeared in a flash. His vision instantly pulled back, and he suddenly found himself at a high vantage point, looking down upon the entire Thorn Stone Forest.
He looked down and was surprised to see the Block floating in the air, along with Li Luo and Shibeng standing in their original spots. However, everything seed to be frozen.
Ti had stopped.
’What’s going on?’
Confused, Mo Ling discovered he was sohow wearing the vocalizing bracelet, and it voiced his question aloud.
"What’s going on?"
"This is the send-off ceremony!" the Ancient Mine Race suddenly appeared in the air beside him, explaining.
Mo Ling wanted to ask more, but the Ancient Mine Race pointed at the Thorn Stone Forest and shouted excitedly, "Look, look!"
Following its finger, Mo Ling witnessed an incredibly stunning scene.
Countless relics burst from the ground of the Thorn Stone Forest, arcing into the sky with a radiant glow. They were of all shapes and sizes, mostly common, everyday objects.
However, so were exceptionally strange, like a red bandana that imdiately drew the eye, clashing completely with its surroundings.
These relics erged from all over the Thorn Stone Forest and shot into the sky, their radiance trailing rainbow-colored phantoms.
A golden apple emitting a dazzling golden light.
A pair of boots with feathered wings.
An ancient Bronze shield covered in intricate patterns.
A trident as clear as a sapphire.
...
These clearly extraordinary relics emanated a strange light as they rapidly ascended high into the sky.
Soon, they reached various altitudes, each surrounded by a halo of light, like dazzling lamps hung over the Thorn Stone Forest.
’What is it planning to do?’
Mo Ling turned to glance at the Ancient Mine Race.
Its face was filled with excitent as it looked at the objects with anticipation.
Noticing Mo Ling studying it, the Ancient Mine Race impatiently pointed at the relics, urging him to turn back. "Don’t look at , look over there! It’s about to start!"
"Here it cos! The send-off ceremony!"
The glow of one relic suddenly dispersed, expanding rapidly.
Imdiately after, its surface beca covered in cracks. The contained energy seeped through the fissures and poured out.
BOOM!
Accompanied by a trendous explosion, the red relic detonated, creating a spherical void in the air where frenzied energy tore everything apart.
Then, as if setting off a chain reaction, countless relics exploded one after another in the sky, splashing out brilliant streams of energy.
The sky was instantly painted in a multitude of colors.
"That is Anger and Ruby! Like the rumbling thunder before a spring rain."
"That is Sadness and Lapis Lazuli! Like the ocean waves on a sumr beach."
"That is Pride and Gold! Like sheaves of wheat in an autumn field."
"That is Resolve and Diamond! Like a river frozen in winter."
...
"Do you see? Emotions, like gems, are so beautiful!" the Ancient Mine Race shouted, its arms raised high.
Mo Ling was so stunned he could only stand there, frozen in place.
’This is... a relic firework show!’
’Those are all relics created by the Ancient Mine Race, possessing the properties of both materials and emotions!’
The Ancient Mine Race suddenly looked up with anticipation at a mass of darkness in the sky.
"That is Fear and Black Basalt! It will devour everything!"
Energy like black tentacles spread continuously across the sky, seeping into the other colors and staining them black.
But when it touched a piercing white light, it t with fierce resistance and was even devoured in return.
"What is that?" Mo Ling asked curiously.
"That is also fear. The fear of high temperatures, of searing magma," the Ancient Mine Race said, looking at the light with a gratified expression, as if recalling sothing.
The light forced the black energy back, growing ever more blinding until it finally trapped the black energy within itself and consud it completely.
After it was all done, the white energy floated quietly in the air.
Like a blazing sun.
However, that sun was also slowly dissipating. Streams of multicolored light escaped from within it, streaking across the sky like shooting stars.
Those were the other emotions.
Watching the brilliant streams of energy, the Ancient Mine Race spoke slowly, "The reason fear can devour other emotions is that it is the very source of emotion itself."
"The ergence of life stems from the fear of entropy. Organisms grow increasingly complex and develop all sorts of emotional controls, also due to the fear of death."
"It is a powerful driving force," the Ancient Mine Race remarked with a sigh.
Mo Ling was too stunned to speak, able only to silently watch the fireworks that continued to bloom.
"Is it beautiful?"
Who could deny it? Mo Ling nodded. "But... did you just blow them all up?"
"There are still so left. For example, that bracelet of yours is one," the Ancient Mine Race said, pointing at Mo Ling’s wrist. "It can voice your thoughts, but the price is that your mouth can’t speak while you wear it. Pretty useful, isn’t it?"
Mo Ling looked down at the unremarkable stone bracelet. He never would have thought it was also a relic.
He wanted to ask more questions, but when he looked up, the figure of the Ancient Mine Race had vanished.
All that remained were the relic fireworks filling the sky, their concentrated energy unable to disperse.
’Where did it go?’
Just as he was wondering, the ground began to shake. The stone pillars within the Thorn Stone Forest suddenly started to sway.
’The ground is rising!’
Mo Ling was certain he wasn’t mistaken.
The stone pillars stretched upward. The earth outside the Stone Forest tore apart, while the rocky ground within the forest itself continued to rise slowly.
’What’s happening?’
As the ground rose higher, Mo Ling could finally see clearly—
—the Thorn Stone Forest was the top of a creature’s head!
The shock was unprecedented. The entire Thorn Stone Forest rose from the earth. As the head slowly erged, Mo Ling saw that familiar face.
The Ancient Mine Race!
A colossal hand that blotted out the sky broke through the ground. This terrifying Rock Spirit erged from the earth and stood before him. Mo Ling could only stare level with its ankle.
A deep, heavy voice ca from the sky.
"I told you I would see you off myself."
The Rock Giant God looked at Mo Ling, who was suspended in midair, and gave a nostalgic smile.
Then it placed a hand on its chest and gave Mo Ling a deep bow.
Falling rocks cascaded down along with the radiant glow of emotions. The Rock Giant God, bathed in a multicolored rain of light, waved goodbye to Mo Ling.
"Press on to the Bottom of the Abyss."
"I can’t accompany you this ti. I’m truly too sleepy."
After saying this, the Rock Giant God’s body slowly solidified along with the falling specks of light.
It extended a finger and tapped Mo Ling’s Block head in the sky.
His vision suddenly contracted. Mo Ling felt himself falling endlessly, and a boundless sense of loss filled his heart.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, he suddenly crashed back into his Block and collapsed.
Everything outside the Block, once frozen, began to move again.
A gentle breeze swept by.
Grains of sand trickled slowly down the dunes.
Shibeng and Li Luo were talking in hushed tones. The sound of their conversation grazed Mo Ling’s eardrums, like whispers outside a room while one is deep in slumber.
...
"Is that an aurora?"
"I think so."
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