"At the current recovery rate, it will take eight to ten hours to fully stabilize," Bai Cheng said without hiding anything. "But it won't affect basic ability usage."
"So it's not healed yet," Leng Ningxue concluded.
A faint ice-blue glow shimred at her fingertips—not an aggressive chill, but a gentle low-temperature energy like early snow, slowly seeping into the silver pattern.
"Low temperatures can slow energy flow, reduce core load, and accelerate the healing process."
Bai Cheng wanted to say sothing, but eting Leng Ningxue's unyielding gaze, she ultimately just sighed softly: "Thank you."
Seeing this, Yu Nian also channeled her elental power, a faint halo like gauze enveloping Bai Cheng's wrist.
Under the diation of spatial energy, the two vastly different energies ford a delicate yet stable balance.
Bai Cheng closed her eyes, feeling the two external energies seep into her body like fine streams, slowly resonating with her spatial core.
It was a peculiar experience: cold and warmth intertwined, stillness and growth coexisted, while her spatial power acted like an invisible loom, weaving it all into a more resilient structure.
Outside the window, the sunset began to sink westward.
The sky shifted from clear azure to an interweaving of orange-red and deep purple, the sea dyed in a molten gold brilliance. Distant clouds resembled burning mountains, stretching to the horizon.
A Blue Bird's figure swept past the roof, transforming into a flash of lightning as it landed in the rear cabin, likely to take over watch duty.
Zi Yuan practiced her blade on the distant deck, her purple blade light rging with the evening glow, creating a serene beauty.
The train sailed steadily over this vast expanse of blue, like a moving island, carrying these travelers from different worlds yet intertwined by fate.
After a long while, Bai Cheng reopened her eyes.
The silver pattern on her wrist had noticeably faded.
"Remarkable effect," she flexed her fingers, spatial energy flowing smoothly as before. "At this rate, it'll fully recover within three hours."
Yu Nian withdrew her elental power, satisfied as she looked at the lingering glow on her fingertips.
Leng Ningxue also withdrew her hand, the ice crystals in her palm silently dissipating, but her fingertips lingered on Bai Cheng's wrist for an extra mont.
An almost imperceptible pause, as if checking the temperature or conveying so unspoken concern.
"That's good," Yu Nian stretched, her dark green hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. "Speaking of which, after this incident ends, have you thought about where you'll go next?"
The question ca suddenly, and both Bai Cheng and Leng Ningxue looked at her.
"The Infinite Realm is so vast; we can't just keep chasing after the Abyssal Echo forever, right?"
Yu Nian leaned on the table, chin resting on her arm, eyes sparkling.
"I heard there's a Jadeite Forest to the northwest, where plants can sing; and in the eastern seas, there are Floating Islands inhabited by races that weave clothing from starlight..."
"You want to travel?" Bai Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Not exactly," Yu Nian tilted her head. "It's just... we've been fighting all this ti, fighting for others. When it's all over, shouldn't we do sothing for ourselves too?"
The observation cabin fell quiet again.
Only the sunset sank inch by inch into the sea, casting its final light through the porthole, gilding the outlines of the three with a warm golden edge.
"After it ends..." Leng Ningxue softly repeated the words, a rare, almost bewildered look flashing in her ice-blue eyes.
For her, 'the end' had always seed a distant concept, so far that she'd never truly thought about what ca after.
Bai Cheng looked out the window.
Night was spreading from the eastern horizon, the first star lighting up above the sea, faint yet steadfast.
"That day will co," she said, her voice soft but carrying an undeniable certainty. "But not now."
She stood up, walked to the porthole, and faced the night sky with her back to the other two. "The Leader of the Abyssal Echo must be ended, not just for the cris committed, but because... he possesses dangerous knowledge.
Emotional energy conversion technology—if it falls into the hands of more powerful forces, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Yu Nian also stood and walked to her side. After a mont of silence, Leng Ningxue followed.
Once again, the three stood side by side, just as they had countless tis before on the train.
Only this ti, there was no imminent battle, no sealed barriers, just the vast sea, the deep night, and the newly risen, cool moon.
"Then let's deal with him first," Yu Nian said, her tone as light as if she were talking about picking a flower. "Then we'll go to the Jadeite Forest to hear the plants sing."
Leng Ningxue didn't speak, but her ice-blue eyes shimred slightly in the moonlight, as if silently agreeing to this sowhat childish promise.
A faint smile touched the corner of Bai Cheng's lips.
She extended her hand, palm facing upward.
Silver-white spatial energy rose like mist, condensing into a three-dinsional star chart before the three.
It was a rough energy distribution map of the northeastern sea sensed by the Blue Bird, with a dark red light point slowly moving within it.
"The target is here," Bai Cheng pointed at the red dot. "At our current speed, contact in forty-eight hours. Before then—"
"Rest well and adjust our condition," Yu Nian interjected, erald vines unfurling behind her, weaving into a comfortable hammock in the observation cabin. "I'll sleep first. Ning Xue, want to join?"
Leng Ningxue glanced at the hammock woven from living vines, then at Yu Nian's expectant eyes, and finally gave a slight nod.
Bai Cheng watched the two leave the observation cabin, the vine hammock swaying gently as they disappeared down the corridor leading to the rest area.
She stayed alone by the window, studying the star chart a while longer before waving it away.
A soft hum ca from the control console—a routine status report from Lan Xiaoyu.
All normal, no abnormal energy fluctuations, no tracking signals, course stable.
Bai Cheng walked to the control console, her fingertips gliding over the light screen to pull up more detailed deep-space scan data.
The Erald Sea was far behind now; ahead lay truly unknown waters, with no detailed records even in the Blue Bird's mory.
But she felt neither worry nor loneliness.
From the rest area behind her ca the faint sound of Yu Nian's soft humming, likely so ancient ballad.
Leng Ningxue didn't join in, but she didn't stop it either, only listened in silence.
The train continued sailing, cutting through the waves in the night, heading toward the northeastern sea marked with dark red.
And on a deeper level of consciousness, Bai Cheng could faintly sense a presence, also waiting at the edge of that sea, anticipating this inevitable reunion.
The night deepened, stars like a sea.
The journey continued.
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