Iris followed Xenon and stepped out of the carriage.
They walked together through the area until, in the distance, Iris spotted a flower—a deep violet plant releasing a mist of the same color.
"Purple Mistbloom…" she murmured. She knew this flower well; it was one of her favorites. She hadn't expected to find it here.
"At night, it emits a purple mist. It's quite beautiful," Xenon remarked.
Then, he turned to her. "You wanted to know the origin of this world, didn't you?"
As he spoke, Xenon checked his system—something Iris, of course, couldn't see.
"Five hundred thousand years ago, this world was one vast landmass—so massive that no one knew if it had an end. At its center stood three colossal mountains, their peaks stretching beyond the skies, seemingly touching the sun."
"They were known as the Low Peak, Middle Peak, and High Peak Mountains."
Iris listened intently, her heartbeat quickening. It felt like she was hearing one of her favorite childhood stories.
"Low Peak… Middle Peak… High Peak…" she repeated softly.
Xenon continued.
"At that time, a war raged between the human race and the Sea People. It was an all-out, brutal conflict that lasted for hundreds of thousands of years. Eventually, the humans gained the upper hand.
But when the Sea People realized they were losing, they made a desperate decision—to take the humans down with them.
With the Queen leading the ritual, their warriors sacrificed themselves in a massive spell, offering millions of their own lives to flood the world.
The human race was nearly wiped out. However, some managed to escape by climbing the Tri-Peak Mountains. They built their lives at the summits, and to this day, we continue to live atop those very peaks—because the rest of our world remains underwater."
Iris was speechless.
She didn't know if Xenon's story was true or if he had simply made it up. But if it was true… then it had happened half a million years ago, long before any records had survived.
"Well," Xenon said, smirking. "It's up to you whether you believe it or not."
Then he asked, "What else do you want to know?"
One hour passed.
They talked about Martial Realms.
Two hours passed.
They discussed Artifacts.
Three hours passed.
They delved into herbs.
That night, they spoke of many things. And little by little, Xenon revealed a side of himself that had almost been erased—buried beneath the influence of the Arrogant Incarnation System that was bound to his heart.
They talked until the dark sky began to shift into the soft glow of morning twilight.
"But this is wrong," Iris said, frustrated. "Why must we always fight? Why can't we just live in peace?"
"That's how the world works," Xenon replied. "If you don't fight, you'll always remain at the very bottom of the chain."
Their conversation had turned to their beliefs.
"One day, you'll regret having that mindset," Xenon warned.
"No, I won't," Iris said firmly. Then she smiled. "I just want peace and love."
She turned away. "Well, Xenon, thank you for tonight. I'm going back to the carriage now."
Before he could say anything, she ran off.
Xenon watched her leave.