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

Mimi: "You mean...Polyces?"

“That’s right, the River Styx is no ordinary thing and cannot be easily blocked. The only thing that refuses the dead to go to the afterlife is the remnant of a god.”

"That is why, in order to retrieve the spark of death, we must awaken Polyces from death... and use the power of alchemy to restore its remains to its original form."

Flipping through the pages of my book, Mimi looked at the previous records and asked, "So, according to what the alchemist just said... Little Butterfly, are you also part of the dragon's remains?"

"According to the ghosts, I was indeed born alongside that dragon..."

Xia Die asked, "But before this, did you hear any sighs?"

Xing scratched his head. "You seemed to have sighed a lot along the way."

"No, it wasn't me, but a voice that came from my memories during the soul retrieval process."

"Ah, they heard it too! So what was that?" Mimi asked curiously.

“I think… that might be a sign that the dragon Polyces’ last wish has been fulfilled.” Xia Die felt an indescribable pain at this moment.

"In exercising its divine power and resurrecting the dead, it must have been aware of just how heavy the price would be. Therefore, it used its last bit of strength to send me to Stikosia, a city-state where no one is hostile to death."

"It was not able to fulfill its wish to give me a new life, and it perished too soon... How much Polyces must have wanted to see how the sister it had tried so hard to save was doing now."

"It was with this wish that, even in death, Polyces' soul lingered among mortals, quietly observing and recording everything concerning his beloved..."

Mimi exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! So we didn't find something along the way..."

Chapter 412 Love is born from death

Xia Die continued, "...but rather, it reveals something to a wisp of longing that drifts here. And we will weave these longings one by one, restoring them into the complete soul of Polyces."

“But these… are all just guesses, right?” Mimi asked with some worry. “What if we complete the ritual, but the result is completely different?”

"That's alright. At that moment, Teacher Xia always said that alchemy has always been like this: we can only know what we will get at the moment of completion. Therefore, this discipline can be called a miracle of creation."

She looked at the alchemical circle. "Now, the puzzle of Polyces is almost complete, only the last piece is missing—"

"I will present in the alchemical circle everything it desperately wants to know: my entire life since I left Stikosia... Lord Tian has already depicted it in its entirety and handed it over to me."

[Xia Die: It turns out the final ingredient was my life. Cenatos, my sister whom I've never met, you couldn't even appear in the mortal world to save my life.]

[Star: Xia Die, we're all behind you. Make your choice boldly.]

[The Robin: Alchemy follows the principle of equivalent exchange. At that moment, Teacher Xia traded her eyes for a glimpse of her loved one, and the Death Titan sacrificed itself to give Xiaodie a new life. Everything has a price, and so does Brother's Paradise.]

[Sunday: So I need to experience and feel everything I've never experienced before, until I find my own path.]

[Bai E: Just follow your heart. But the journey to the flame will not stop, I assure you... Xia Die, you have the opportunity to choose until the last spark is lit.]

[Xia Die: Thank you, Your Excellency Bai E.]

[Su Chang: Huh? Does that mean that after the flame is lit, Xia Die can no longer choose?]

[Aglaia: Because at that time, whether willingly or not, the fire of death must be returned, and divine authority must be upheld. With the rebirth beginning, Bai'e represents the hope and future of all people in Onphalus.]

[Saifeier: Seamstress, don't be so cruel. Let our lovely little princess make her own decision. After all, your purpose in bringing her back wasn't just to chase the fire, but also to keep her from wandering alone.]

[Danheng: This alchemist had a profound understanding of alchemy, so why is there no record of it in the Tree Court?]

[Magic trick: Ha, alchemy is strongly linked to the soul; how could those ignorant scholars choose the path of blasphemy?]

[Walter: Those remnants of souls are actually a trace of Senatos's obsession; no wonder he only possesses the memories of the Butterfly from Stikosia.]

[Ring: Stikosia is pretty pitiful. No, a city-state that prays for death, yet welcomes its own calamity—isn't that a kind of fate?]

[Tian: Hehe, Tian has helped Little Butterfly again. Tian is a great hero!]

"Let the ceremony begin."

As the magic circles lit up one by one, Xia Die offered the last ingredient... her life, "—The project is now complete, and I will stop here."

The alchemical array transforms the materials within into sizes for equivalent exchange.

“At that moment, Teacher Xia always liked to say something like this after completing the alchemical preparations. And now—Polyces, I will pull you from the River Styx and then reshape you. Perhaps you will be disturbed as a result, your form mutilated and terrifying…”

“But if there is still a trace of the consciousness that guided me back then—look at me. I want to express my gratitude to you back then: I have already tasted everything that you gave me in exchange for your divinity.”

Suddenly, a phantom soul appeared before her, gazing tenderly at Xia Die.

"Lord Amonnet... please continue, I'm listening. Are you perhaps going to tell the story of Stikosia?"

The soul spoke in an aged yet loving voice, “Indeed, you are as wise as I imagined, but… never mind, it’s too early.”

"Don't worry, Elder. Look around... this is where the souls of the dead rest."

"A world of the dead? How could this be..." Amonette suddenly felt a little lost.

Xia Die: "I understand. You chose to remain silent about this story to protect the girl who faced death..."

“But now, you no longer need to keep it to yourself. I can tell you that you have done your best to protect that girl’s life.”

Ammonite's lips trembled slightly upon hearing this, and he sighed deeply, "Very well, then I shall begin."

Stikosia was the first city-state to turn to the belief in death before Aedria. It is difficult to understand why people who enjoyed endless lifespans in that prosperous Golden Age would be so enamored with death.

Even now, Amonette has not found the answer.

The journey is great, and the epic is magnificent, because all things eventually pass away—Xia Die wonders: Why is death a necessity in this world?

Does a world without conquest and epic tales cease to be beautiful?

Ammonite tells the butterfly his views on death: You and I are not warriors or commanders, and neither journeys nor epics can resonate with my soul.

But what if we modify this context slightly... what if... "love" is not a natural gift from Meneta to mortals... but rather a blessing bestowed upon us by death?

In a world where life is endless, no one invented the word "cherish"—because all the beauty in the world is taken into view countless times; and all established connections need not be worried about breaking.

The so-called Golden Age was an era devoid of both virtue and sin. People did not live... but merely existed in the world, walking wearily and waiting.

Perhaps the Stikosians chose to embrace death not because they were fascinated by its sinister and terrifying aspects... but because the impulses and desires that accompany the arrival of finite life intoxicated and drove them to madness, making it impossible for them to extricate themselves.

Xia Die was deeply shocked. "So...death is not a cold, hopeless thing, but..."

[Star: Because of loss, we cherish. It turns out that death brings a captivating beauty; it can be a scene, a virtue, or even the love we've always been searching for.]

[Mimi: Xing, Mimi loves you too. Who would have thought that the love people so desperately seek is born from death?]

Wendy: I ​​have many feelings. It is through death that we realize the preciousness of the present. Perhaps it is because of death that I remember my friend whom I met for the first time.

[Jingyuan: Sigh, it's because of the fear of loss that countless people fall into madness.]

[Xia Die: I understand. Lady Aglaia, Lord Bai'er… I think the choice is clear. I will inherit the power of death and bring true death to Onpharos.]

[Aglaia: A butterfly, born like a human, dies like a human.]

[Ling: Now it seems that the Celestial Ship's hatred for Abundance has become concrete. No wonder Abundance is called one of the greatest disasters in the universe.]

[Danheng: Strife, death, and treachery—these are the most indispensable Titans of Onphalus. Strife and death have already defined them; how will treachery be interpreted?]

[Sai Fei'er: That's obviously a small punishment for those who lack safety awareness.]

[Star: To be honest, I really didn't expect the trick to work.]

[Yae no Miko: A white lie is sometimes far more effective than sincerity. I think trickery will not disappoint me, and may even be more shocking than death.]

Chapter 413 The Remains of the Dead Dragon—Polyces

Ammonite: "Yes, The Butterfly. It is the reason we part with tears in our eyes... and the spark that first ignited the passion of mortals."

"If you intend to deprive the world of death... then be prepared to witness the world return to stagnation and indolence."

“I understand, Your Excellency Amonnet,” Xia Die said with a smile, “Limited life… shapes everything we love and know. Even the Titan of Death has no right to strip it from a person.”

“Meneta’s love…the initial blessing of the golden cocoon was probably not understood by people. It was not until the arrival of Senatos that people learned to interpret this beautiful gift.”

"Queen Stikosia delivered my baby... You brought me into Aidiria... Aglaia invited me to join the journey of fire... If there were no death in the world, none of this would have happened."

She placed her hand on her chest. "And I... naturally, I've never truly lived, let alone experienced happiness." Stepping forward, Xia Die embraced Amonnet. "Thank you, my mother..."

"...I will use all the love in this long life to accomplish the final miracle."

With a wave of her hand, the alchemical array activated, and countless dancing purple butterflies followed the flowing light towards the distant butterfly. She stood at the center of the array, holding the crimson Sage's Heart high above her head.

“My teacher Anaxagoras, who gave me the wisdom of the One in all things. I call upon you here…”

The Philosopher's Stone gradually melted, flowing through his fingers like blood.

"The shattered remains of a dead dragon—"

Stimulated by the Philosopher's Stone, the alchemical array exerted an even greater effect, connecting with the memories of Cenatos scattered from the River Styx. Guided by the ethereal butterfly, the River Styx flowed upstream, rushing towards the top of the tower like a waterspout, heading towards the array.

"Ascending from the earth to the heavens, descending from the heavens."

A huge, broken dragon egg slowly floated above the magic circle. Memories collected along the way poured into it, and the flesh inside the eggshell began to throb, its heartbeat growing stronger.

The River Styx rises with a mighty wave that will engulf everything.

The butterfly on the magic circle clasped its hands together, chanting, "As below, so above; as above, so below..."

The dark purple Styx tidal wave arrived, crashing down from the top of the tower and engulfing the dead dragon. The divine power of death returned to its true form, and the dead dragon, now only a skeleton, sprouted wisps of flesh, giving it new life.

"This is the power of all forces, capable of uprooting the tough and strong."

Xia Die slowly rose, opened her palm, gripped the Grim Reaper's Scythe, and swung it, tearing through the cascading river water. A ferocious, terrifying claw shattered the eggshell from the inside out, and the dead dragon before her was almost twisted in agony.

It spread its bony wings, revealing only a thin layer of flesh and blood. Its dragon head remained buried in its shell, seemingly unwilling for the butterfly to see its appearance.

"The great work that masters all of death, I will grant you my embrace!"

Xia Die tried to awaken the girl in this body, but unfortunately, the dead dragon was consumed by its remaining fighting spirit and resentment, and could not hear her call at all. Its dense aura of death was so intense that it would cause injury to anyone who touched it.

Holding a scythe, she gazed at the rotting remains of the dead dragon before her. "The girl who once saved me... have you truly vanished?"

"Or perhaps, after the resentment dissipates... it will be able to reappear?"

[Bluebird: This...this is Cenathos, the Titan of Death? How could its body have become like this, like a giant lump of rotting flesh? It's terrifying.]

[Xia Die: Because from the moment I was born, it bore the cost of my death, enduring centuries of corrosion from the River Styx, resulting in its current form. But I believe the bond between me and that girl will never change.]

[Bai E: I can feel a tremor from the depths of my soul. Xia Die, partner, be careful.]

[Magic Technique: No, this is not Cenathos's true form, but a complete projection summoned through transmutation. However, it makes no difference to you; it contains a portion of the authority of death.]

[Star: What should I do? I didn't bring a healer... I didn't bring a healer! Miss Feng Jin, please help me!]

[Feng Jin: Grey, don't be modest. You can switch between the four destinies at will; I don't believe you can't beat them. The Fire Thief is only strong because of his unique abilities. With Butterfly here, you can rest assured.]

[Cersei: You've become like this. Was it right or wrong of me to teach you alchemy back then?]

[Walter: Its movements should be hampered. I'll restrain it from the sidelines, and Miss Xing and Miss Xiaodie can handle it. Only by defeating it can we have the chance to awaken the girl.]

[Xianyun: How dare you! That woman... cough cough, I misread her.]

[Saifei: This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The River Styx is low; who knows how many treasures are buried inside. Bartholomew, get the biggest sack ready.]

[Bartleus: Alright!]

Xing unleashed a staff technique that descended from the sky; rules are meant to be broken!

"Bang!" The heavy blow struck the eggshell, and the mangled body of the dead dragon emitted a mournful groan, like a girl crying. Xing scratched his head, unsure whether he should proceed.

Die in agony!

The dragon spread its wings, and a sky filled with the wailing of death exploded. The Butterfly brandished her scythe, a sharp glint in her eyes, and shielded the Star behind her. "I understand, you're uneasy… don't be afraid…"

"No need for further wailing and weeping, I will bring you...rest in peace."

Under Xia Die's persistent calls, the mangled body of the dead dragon miraculously regained some consciousness, "Sister... Sister..."

“Yes…I’m back,” Xia Die replied softly.

That faint consciousness was quickly overwhelmed by the resentment contained within the mangled body. It clenched its arms, its flesh throbbed wildly, and its heartbeat sounded like a war drum.

Xia Die warned, "Be careful, although it's only acting on instinct, it's gathering its fury—"

To protect Xing's weakened soul, she couldn't care less about anything else at this moment. Death energy spread beneath her feet, and a dark blue domain unfolded as she prepared to break the dead dragon's power.

As the final blow landed, it let out another mournful cry.

"Please...don't...turn back to the underworld..."

Polyces swung its dragon claws, unleashing a wave of death, attempting to blast Xia Die and the others away from the end of the River Styx. Xia Die, however, swung her scythe, spinning once before unleashing a blade that tore everything apart.

The scattered deaths were all sucked into the scythe's eye-shaped sphere.