Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

[Tian: Little Gray, Tian's alright. We're waiting for you and Little Butterfly to return safely to Ohema, defeat the Dead Dragon, and retrieve the Fire!]

[Magic trick: The soul of a Golden Descendant is golden after death—an interesting discovery.]

[Fou: No way! I'm happy to see Tian, ​​but why did she have to use her to attack us repeatedly? Waaah, the water element is overflowing.]

[Rin: By the way, could Wan Di take Tian with him when he goes back? Wouldn't that bring him back to life?]

[Tibo: Tian's soul cannot be brought back. Her physical body has exhausted its divine power and cannot sustain itself; even if she were to return, she would simply return to the underworld.]

[Aglaia: My teacher...]

Mimi was a little confused, "Little Tian? Aren't you already..."

“Heh…” Wan Di looked at Tian and sighed, “This is… the first time I’ve encountered deceased relatives and friends while going upstream on the River Styx.”

Xia Die felt a pang of sorrow. "As expected... just like those spirits on the way here... I couldn't sense the presence of the living from Lord Tian either."

“Yes!” Tian nodded with a smile. “Everyone is right. Tian has known all along that she will never be able to return to everyone’s side.”

"However, Tian believes that Little Butterfly will one day return to the Underworld—so Tian has always stood here, in the place closest to the human world, waiting for Little Butterfly!"

Xia Die forced back her tears, her voice trembling slightly, "It's really...too hard." Why couldn't I have stepped onto my destined fate sooner, leaving Lord Tian to wait alone? Why?

Mimi: "However... judging from what Little Tian said, we are indeed close to the entrance to the Underworld."

Chapter 410 A Colorful Painting

"Tian promised, Tibao, Tining, that when Little Butterfly arrives here, Tian would prepare a gift and be the first to run and greet you."

Tian took out a scroll. "So, Little Butterfly, don't cry! Please accept this—we've finally finished her!"

This is a colorful drawing, like a child's doodle. At the center is the cheerful Xia Die, surrounded by the Golden Race, all with smiles on their faces—except for that Xia. In the lower left and right corners are Dan Heng and the Pioneer Star, who participated in the fire chase.

Everything was so beautiful and peaceful.

Looking at the painting in her hands, Xia Die felt as if she were holding a warm stove, her cold hands becoming warm and cozy. "This is... the gift that Lady Tibo mentioned... the gift you couldn't finish before... for me..."

Wan Di explained, "Janus's saintess... even though they are separated by life and death, their hearts are still connected."

"Tian, ​​it took you a long time to draw! I hope Little Butterfly likes it." She looked forward to seeing Little Butterfly's smile.

"Yes, it really is..." Xia Die shed tears of happiness, a smile lingering on her lips. "Lord Tian, ​​the drawing is so beautiful..."

[Star: Waaah, I peed my eyes. Let's be best friends with the Golden Clan for life, and never be separated. Everyone on the Star Train, we must save Onpharos!]

[Long Night Moon: Hehe.]

[Danheng: Now that we have made up our minds, we will shoulder the destiny of Onphalus. In the name of pioneering, we will forge a new future for Onphalus.]

[Bai'er: Thank you, my friends.]

[Paimon: Why doesn't Xia smile in even Tian's paintings? But that Wan Di holding the lion's head is hilarious. Ah, I'm definitely not saying Tian's paintings are bad.]

[Tian: It's okay, because Tian also thinks Little Enemy is cute.]

【Wan Di: ...】

[Bai'er: Haha, I really hope the scene in the painting will actually happen in Onphalus, so we no longer have to pay the price for life and death, and it would be nice to be an ordinary person.]

[Star: At that moment, Xia looked like a pirate.]

[Little Candle: The great Caesar isn't here, Lord Fate… Oh well, Lord Sword and Banner is enough for me.]

[Little Fish Knight: Caesar likes it, so how about I paint a picture for you, just the two of us?]

[Little Candle: Spot it!]

Wan Di: "This is... our journey to chase fire..."

“Little Butterfly, although we don’t know what your previous journey was like, Tibo always says it must have been a very, very heavy and frightening journey.”

"But Little Butterfly, you don't need to be afraid anymore: because we will all be by your side on your journey to chase the fire!"

Looking at Tian in front of her, Xia Die smiled with relief, "Yes. Seeing Lord Tian's gift, I realized... since embarking on the journey of chasing fire, I have gained so much that I never dared to imagine before."

Looking back on her journey, she felt increasingly content.

"For the first time, I had many companions; for the first time, I developed hobbies like crafts and taking photos; for the first time, I had dinner with others; for the first time, I went to the market and bought the chimera doll I had wanted for a long time, and fell asleep holding it..."

"The first time I wore a dress woven by Lady Aglaia herself, the first time I took a walk with Lady Tibo, Lady Tian, ​​and Lady Tining, the first time I watched the stars with Miss Fengjin in the evening breeze, the first time I took care of the Earth Beast with Xing..."

"When I recall these many firsts that I never dared to hope for... it's as if my life has been transformed from hundreds of years or decades into every single minute and every single second..."

She sighed softly, her face showing regret, "I've taken so many photos... but they're all black and white landscapes, and I haven't taken a single group photo with everyone."

"If I had known... I should have filmed more..."

Seeing Xia Die moved by the scene, Xing suggested, "Shall we take a picture now?" She raised her phone and waved it.

"Tian, ​​sure! Tian likes Little Butterfly and likes taking pictures with Little Butterfly."

“It’s a pity…” Wan Di shook his head, “You and I are both dead souls… unable to leave a mark on the mortal world.”

Xia Die was somewhat disappointed. "I thought so too."

"We've already said all this, yet we still want to leave with regrets... We don't want that!" Mimi couldn't bear to see an imperfect scene unfold before her.

“There will be no regrets…” Xia Die comforted her in return, “This colorful painting… is already better than any photograph in the world.”

Tian was overjoyed. "Little Butterfly is smiling! The wishes of Tianbao, Tianning, and Tian have finally come true."

Now, Xia Die has no regrets. The sorrow in her eyes has vanished, leaving only her resolute determination to embark on her destiny and dedicate everything to the pursuit of fire in this world.

She looked at Tian, ​​“I remember you said that destiny is not a flower that grows at the end of the road, but a path that people make themselves… Now, my path is about to reach its end.”

"Thank you... for bringing me the last key."

"A key?" Tian asked, puzzled. "Little Butterfly... why are you suddenly speaking in a way that's hard to understand?"

Xia Die smiled and said, "I have a premonition: soon, your gift will be the key to saving Lord Xing's life." In Onpharos, premonitions, like oracles, often come true.

[Firefly: Miss Xiadie is a good girl. Star, if you dare to bully her, I'll teach you a lesson for Xiadie, hmph.]

[Xia Die: Your Excellency... I won't be angry with you.]

[Black Swan: Memory is the most beautiful thing in the world. My fellow Golden Descendants, may I make a deal with you? Your memories have captivated me.]

[Star: March 7th's camera is really unreliable. Why does the storage deplete so quickly? When we get back to the Starry Sky Train, I'll definitely make her get a better one.]

[Tian: Tibo, Tinin, let's hurry up and finish the gift! We must give it to Little Butterfly as soon as possible. This time, we've also added Walter and Mr. Gallagher.]

[Walter: Ms. Tian, ​​may I take a photo after it's finished, as a keepsake?]

[Tian: No problem.]

[Wendy: The butterfly has embarked on its journey home, and at that moment, Xia also found the truth, seemingly fulfilling her wish, but why does it still break my heart? The Golden Clan, all of them, met their end at the peak of their lives.]

[Bai E: Isn't this a kind of perfection? We're all facing the future in our best form. Haha, I hope my final act will be grand, and it would be even better if it surpasses ten thousand enemies.]

[Wan Di: Ha, what a pointless competitive spirit.]

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Tian was happy for Xia Die. "In that case, let's move forward bravely with a smile!"

"Little Butterfly, Little Gray, and everyone else—see you tomorrow!"

Leaving behind a radiant smile, Tian's golden figure vanished into the mist under the moonlit Stikosia.

Chapter 411 Polyces

They are now at the end of the Nether Stream, unnoticed by anyone as Saifei silently watches them from the corner.

Wan Di stopped in his tracks. "If I continue... I might get lost here. I must leave... because the Black Tide is still raging in the world of the living."

"Aren't we going to witness the truth about Cenatos together?" Xing asked, somewhat disappointed, as they had already traveled this far together.

He shook his head. "Entering the gates of the underworld... is not what I seek."

"Xia Die... will you fulfill your mission for Zhu Huo?"

“I…” Xia Die lowered her head, “I am still considering it, Lord Wan Di.”

Under the moonlight, the domineering Wan Di's eyes softened, "It's alright... Let's make a choice that is true to our hearts. Even if we have to wait another thousand years..."

"I will fight to the death...and rise from the dead...until a miracle occurs."

Xia Die suddenly thought, "Lord Wan Di... there is one more thing you should know."

"...What is it?"

"At that moment, Teacher Xia may have deduced the principle of re-creation. You and I... may become strife and death in the next life, becoming a calamity that befalls the world."

Hearing Xia Die's words, Sai Fei'er frowned, lost in thought. According to her, wouldn't she be reborn as the universally despised scheming Titan in her next life?

Ah, death, strife, and intrigue—now they come together in perfect harmony.

Wan Di remained calm and composed, saying, "I understand."

"Is that all there is to it?" Xia Die asked, puzzled. "Are you willing to accept...this kind of fate?"

"Do you... have any strategy that could help us break free from the shackles of fate?"

"I...haven't found a way yet. Maybe it's impossible to find one..."

“Then…stop thinking about useless things.” Wan Di turned to leave. “Control…what you can control. When that inescapable fate arrives…use your powerful will…to resist its manipulation.”

Inspired by his spirit, Xia Die nodded emphatically, "Thank you, Lord Wan Di. I will find the right choice."

The reliable golden figure slowly disappeared before our eyes, "In the name of strife...may you die a worthy death."

[Star: A reliable nemesis, truly a man who inherited the power of the Titans of Strife, exuding a strong sense of security. Hmm... it seems that Gnaeus in his previous life was also very composed and reliable.]

[Bai Er: Partner, what about me?]

[Star: Uh… well, you haven't inherited the flame yet, have you? For now, it seems Wan Di is still the stronger one.]

[Wan Di: Ha, you have good taste.]

[Fufu: Did anyone notice the cat behind them? She seems to be just being stubborn; she's actually quite worried about Xia Die. Otherwise, why would she be secretly following them?]

[Xia Die: Lady Sai Fei'er, thank you.]

[Saifei: Who cares about them? The two of them personally paved the way for me; I'm overjoyed! The Underworld has far more treasures than Aglaia; finding a few will make me rich!]

[Hanabi: Oh? Then why did you follow the flow of the underworld to its end?]

[Sai Fei'er: This... I'd be happy to.]

[Star: I've always kept in mind something Kafka said. Butterfly, today I'm giving you this: When you have the opportunity to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it.]

[Kafka: This child is so cute, isn't she, Ms. Himeko?]

Himeko: I advise you not to have any bad intentions. I don't care what choice Future Star makes. But as long as she's a member of the Star Train, I'm willing to give anything to protect them.

Billy: He's so cool!

[Yae no Miko: The expansion will undoubtedly be the variable in Onpharos's system, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they break the cycle. This is much more exciting than reading a novel.]

The two were led to an alchemy array, where disordered yet seemingly connected patterns were carved on the ground.

Based on the markings on the ground, Xia Die deduced that "the alchemical array needs to be placed in the sky of Aigle, the land of Georia, the flames of Kefaler, and the ocean of Fagina..."

"And Meneta's love..."

Hidden in the corner, Sai Fei'er smiled knowingly, "Hehe, it seems our lovely little princess has made up her mind..."

"In that case, I won't pass on your message separately, seamstress—my time is very precious."

Aglaia's words echoed in Xiaodie's ears.

"Whether you wish to escape death or not, follow your heart. By your past promises, I urge you one last time to fulfill your mission—"

"Xia Die, please live like a human being... die like a human being."

She observed the magic circle and pondered, "According to that alchemist's words, the final material should be myself... However, he has never seen the past like this, and does not know the whole picture."

"The past?" Mimi had a question mark above her head.

Xia Die explained: "In Hu Kefale's memories, I saw the twins of death. Now, I am certain that I was one of them."

"The trial of the Gray Hand is to take the lives of loved ones. I died then, falling at the gates of the new world... while my sister, whom I never met, became the Titan Cenatos of this world."

“She deeply regretted my death. Then, with the divine power of the Titans, she reshaped my soul, but in doing so, she never appeared before anyone and could never be found…”

"Because... it perished for me in the beginning, and now it sleeps quietly in the River Styx."