Luna took out her mother's jade pendant and placed it over the wound where black blood was seeping out. A gentle silver light spread from it like morning mist, forming a delicate barrier around the wound. Pure energy flowed from the pendant into Dare Drake Tran's body, like cool streams attempting to soothe the terrible injuries inflicted by using the Celestial Essence Blood.
But as soon as the energy entered him, it dissipated like drops of water in the desert. Not only did the wound refuse to heal, but it even began to spread, with dark veins running along his meridians like sinister roots clinging to his body.
"Cough… cough…" Dare choked, his voice ragged as black blood spattered from the corner of his mouth. "Don't… waste your energy, Luna… This isn't a normal wound…"
Pigsy stood nearby, his usual lighthearted face now marked with deep concern. "I've never seen anyone survive after using Celestial Essence Blood. Even in the Celestial Court, this is a forbidden technique no one dares attempt… It doesn't just drain life force but also…"
"…rips apart the soul," Dare finished, his voice rough. "It trades one's own life… for the power to break reincarnation itself."
Darkness gradually enveloped the forest, leaving only the faint silver light from the pendant illuminating Dare's pale face. Luna Snow continued to channel her energy, even though sweat drenched her forehead and her hands shook from exhaustion.
"Stop, little sister…" Pigsy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You can't deplete all of your energy like this."
But Luna shook her head, silent tears slipping down her face. "No… I can't let my master…" Her voice caught in her throat. "My mother is gone, I can't lose someone else…"
In the dim glow, Dare's chest wound began to emit an eerie sound. The dark veins seemed to have a life of their own, twisting and creeping along his meridians, forming a complex network. Each time they moved, his body convulsed with pain.
"It's… spreading." Pigsy furrowed his brow, watching closely. "Celestial Essence Blood isn't just blood; it's the essence of a Celestial Lord. Extracting it leaves a void in the soul that can never be filled."
Suddenly, Dare opened his eyes, and a strange light flickered within his dull gaze. "No… perhaps… this is an opportunity…"
"An opportunity?" Luna looked at her master in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"When I drew forth the Celestial Essence Blood…" Dare spoke slowly, each word causing more blood to seep from the wound. "I didn't only see how to shatter reincarnation… I saw a different path."
All at once, from the dark wound, a faint golden light flickered to life. Unlike the black of the wound or the silver of the pendant, this was the pure light of a Celestial Lord—yet warmer, gentler than it had ever been.
"Master!" Luna cried in shock.
"Just as I thought…" Pigsy muttered, staring at the light. "Celestial Essence Blood isn't only a forbidden technique meant to sacrifice… it's also a way to…"
"…transform." Dare's voice dropped, his gaze intense. "Like a caterpillar spinning a cocoon, awaiting the day it becomes a butterfly. I understand now—this isn't death, but a rebirth."
In that moment, darkness completely enveloped the forest. Only three faint lights remained: the silver glow from Luna's pendant, the black aura of the Celestial Essence wound, and the golden spark—a candle flame in the night, signaling new hope.
"A rebirth…" Dare closed his eyes, his breaths heavy. Memories from the battle with the Spirit of Reincarnation still echoed in his mind. When he unleashed the Celestial Essence Blood, he glimpsed something that transcended the understanding of an ordinary Celestial Lord.
"All this time…" He opened his eyes, gazing into the distant void. "I thought the power of a Celestial Lord lay in absolute authority. That's why I failed against the Jade Emperor and was cast down to the mortal realm. But now I understand…"
Luna listened in silence, still channeling her energy. She sensed a profound shift in her master's tone—no longer a regret for lost power, but a deep, heartfelt realization.
"I saw…" Dare continued, each word feeling as though it came from the depths of his heart. "In the cycle of reincarnation, when I faced death, it wasn't strength or divine techniques that saved me. It was an unyielding will… and the love I held for my disciple…"
Each word from Dare Drake Tran felt like a needle piercing Luna Snow's heart. She could see in her master's dim eyes not only the physical pain but also the regret of a father who could no longer protect his child.
"Luna…" Dare's trembling hand reached up to touch her cheek, gently brushing away her tears. "Do you remember the day I accepted you as my disciple? That day, I saw in you the image of your mother—Celestial Maiden Tan Tien, the most resilient woman I ever knew."
Beside them, Pigsy watched the two in silence, memories from the Celestial Court resurfacing. He remembered the days when the Celestial Maiden and the Celestial Lord had once stood side by side to defy the Jade Emperor. Now, it seemed history was repeating itself with the next generation.
"But now…" Dare's voice turned serious. "I see in you not only your mother's resilience but also a will of your own—strong and pure. You have grown, Luna…"
A searing pain made him stop, as the dark veins from his wound spread further, black blood oozing from it. Yet within the blackness, that faint golden light still shone, refusing to yield.
"I finally understand…" Dare strained to hold back his pain, his voice lowering. "True strength is not something to be granted or stripped away. Thinking of myself as an almighty Celestial Lord… that's why I failed. But you… you've shown me another way."
He looked deeply into his disciple's eyes, where tears still fell silently. In those dark, tear-filled eyes, he saw a reflection of himself—not as a revered Celestial Lord, but as a father, a teacher, grieving for his inability to protect those he loved.
"Do you remember what your mother once said?" His voice softened. "She used to say, 'True strength lies in a pure heart, not in authority or divine power.' At that time, I didn't understand… but now…"
Luna suddenly felt the warmth of her pendant in her hand. Its silver glow became even more brilliant, as if resonating with Dare's words.
"Master…" She held his hand tightly, feeling the faint warmth still within it. "I understand now. Both you and Mother… are teaching me the same lesson."
"Yes…" Dare nodded, a strange light flickering in his dim eyes. "From this point on, our paths must temporarily part. I need time to understand this new path—the path of a true Celestial Lord."
His chest wound continued to bleed, yet this time, tiny golden sparks mingled with the black blood, shimmering like stars against the dark sky. Each spark radiated a strange warmth, no longer cold and detached like the power he once wielded.
"The Celestial Essence Blood has broken all limits within me," he continued, his voice quiet. "Like a cocoon breaking open… painful, yet necessary. I must find a place to retreat and understand what is happening within this body."
Pigsy stepped closer, his gaze reflecting a deep understanding. "I've heard of this before—when a deity willingly gives up all their power, sometimes they reach a realm beyond even the Celestial Court."
"And you…" Dare turned to Luna. "You too must find your own path. Not as my disciple, or as the daughter of the Celestial Maiden, but as Luna Snow—a warrior with a will of her own."
"But I can't leave you like this…" Luna's voice broke as she clutched at the hem of her robe. "Not in this state…"
"Foolish girl!" Dare snapped, though the effort caused him to cough up a mouthful of black blood. Yet within that dark blood, the golden sparks grew brighter. "Do you think… I am so weak that I cannot care for myself?"
He placed his hand over the wound on his chest. The dark veins continued to spread, yet a delicate network of golden light formed around them, as if striving to contain the poison's spread.
"Look…" he sighed. "This is not the sign of death. It is the sign of rebirth. Like the silkworm devouring itself to weave a cocoon, I too must go through this process."
Pigsy nodded in agreement. "Luna, sometimes staying close to help is not always the best way. At times, we need to allow others the space to become strong on their own."
"And this is also what I want you to learn." Dare smiled—a rare smile amidst the pain. "Do not fear solitude. Only in those moments alone will you truly understand your own strength…"
In that quiet moment, the light from Luna's pendant flared brighter, casting an ethereal glow across her face—a glow that bore a striking resemblance to the image of Celestial Maiden Tan Tien, forever etched in Dare's memory.
"Master…" Luna's voice no longer trembled. In her tear-filled eyes, a determined light now shone. "I understand now. You're giving me one final lesson, aren't you?"
Dare smiled softly. Despite the pain, he could feel a glimmer of hope in his heart. His disciple was finally beginning to mature.
"Yes…" He looked deeply into Luna's eyes. "It's a lesson in the courage to let go, to trust. Just as your mother once entrusted her life and your future to me…"
"And now…" Pigsy added, his tone warm in a rare moment of gravity. "Now it's Dare's turn to have the courage to let you fly with your own wings, Luna."
Silver moonlight filtered through the leaves above, bathing the three of them in its gentle glow. In that light, they could almost see the figure of Celestial Maiden Tan Tien smiling down at them, as if the lesson of growth, trust, and courage was passing from one generation to the next.
Luna wiped away her tears, and then knelt before her master in a solemn, reverent gesture. "I promise… I will become strong. Strong enough that, when we meet again, you'll be proud of me."