Whispering Poems

Chapter 3817 Shangquan
Although the stone gate blocked the back, the wind and sand still blew through the stone and out from behind, as if the stone gate were just an illusion. On the stone gate was carved a snake symbol, but it was not "Mr. Ring's" ouroboros symbol, but an unusual black two-headed snake symbol. Shad guessed that this was "Mr. Snake's" own emblem.

The power emanating from the area behind the door was already at the level of "pre-apocalyptic" times. Without obtaining the second Ring of Fate and without the Night Watchman in his possession, Shad certainly wouldn't rashly rush in.

He stared at the stone door at the end of the passage, imagining what might be behind it. At that moment, the sphere of light illuminated the walls on both sides of the dark corridor, revealing some murals severely eroded by wind and sand.

The gallery is part of the original area of ​​the temple, and the paintings depict the scenery of this place where believers of destiny once gathered. These scenes vanished at the end of the First Age, but outsiders standing in the present era of the Sixth Age can still glimpse the appearance of that original era.

Did the last fortune teller who left this place also look back here? And what did he or she see that was different from what I saw?

The stranger, lost in thought, took two steps into the corridor where the yellow sand was blowing, and then saw the spring depicted in the mural. The gurgling water flowing down the rock face formed a small pool at the foot of the rock. Although the colors of the mural had peeled off, Shad knew that this was the place Stella and the others were looking for.

Ten minutes ago, on the northern side of the mountaintop ruins, below the cliff face where the Oracle Plaza and the Saint's Cliff are located.

The cliff face was almost a right angle, covered in years of snow and ice, making it nearly impossible to discern the original color of the rock. There was nothing in sight, but Ellie, who had happily carried Mia here, headed straight for this spot.

Behind her followed little Leona and Flora in her unicorn form, while Stella, Dorothy, and Lacey followed behind the unicorns.

However, upon reaching the foot of the cliff, Ellie didn't make any further moves. Instead, she stopped suspiciously, observing her surroundings. Then, she peered down the cliff and sniffed around, her expression—

"It really looks like Mia."

"Lascia said, and Dorothy nodded in agreement. The princess and the writer were dressed similarly tonight, except one had a red scarf and the other a yellow one."

Little Leona then followed Ellie, imitating her movements and sniffing around, while the only one of the three unicorns that looked like an adult transformed back into Flora's appearance in the light.

As Flora reappeared, the life ring behind Ellie automatically appeared, and then the miracle rune - [Self] appeared on the fifth life ring, which was clearly the power gained from establishing a connection with Flora.

Flora had heard that Ellie was already a ring sorceress while she was on the ship, so she wasn't surprised. She brought up something else:

"Unicorns exhibit a tendency to evolve in a similar manner to other species."

She explained to Dorothy, Lacey, and Stella:
"Specifically, unicorns living in the same species often possess the same powers. For example, once the first unicorn in a species possesses the power of the moon, most of the unicorns in the entire species will soon master this power. This tendency towards convergent racial evolution cannot be explained by theory; it is a bloodline power of the unicorns."

Ellie can now connect with beings connected to her, gaining power through destiny. Her personal talent, combined with the racial talents of unicorns, makes it easier for her to establish a connection with me when I transform into a unicorn.

"Ellie is now a fifth-circle warlock. If Ellie were to live with the unicorn population of Saint Byrons in the future, would Saint Byrons see a large number of new humanoid unicorns in the next ten years?"

Dorothy guessed from the side, as the snow fell thick and fast, turning their blonde and red hair white.

Flora thought it was quite possible, but that was a matter for later.

She then asked Stella:
"Can you sense anything here?"

Stella, carrying Frostmourne, nodded:

"Shangquan should be here. As I get closer, I can sense something calling to me. I'll go help Ellie look for it."

As she spoke, she walked to the cliff face to investigate. Seeing that Stella had her back to them, Flora whispered to Lacey and Dorothy, who were standing nearby:
"You all saw it just now, right? Sylvie has also reached level thirteen? Did you see how she advanced?"

Flora traveled by ship to the mountaintop to provide support, and by the time she arrived, Sylvie was already a thirteenth-tier Archwitch. Lacey and Dorothy could, of course, guess the reason for Sylvie's advancement, but there was no need to explain it explicitly.

The two didn't need to look at each other to understand each other's thoughts, so Lacey said vaguely:
"It's probably related to Shad. You can ask him yourself later. I wonder if Shad has reached the top of the mountain yet. It seems Ellie has found him."

The pure white little beast sniffed around and tapped the rock wall covered with ice and snow a few times with its horn, then let out a "roar~" that made little Leona and Stella step back.

She took a few steps back, then took a running start and charged forward, her entire body radiating a silvery moonlight. As her body gradually became transparent, she lightly leaped into the air, then crashed headfirst into the cliff face, about ten meters above the ground.

With a loud thud, Ellie was thrown back after the impact. However, before hitting the ground, she transformed back into human form and was caught by Flora below, while the cat nimbly jumped onto Dorothy's head, then leaped again, landing on its soft back as little Leanna shuddered.

Ellie, held in the witch's arms, looked at the cliff face with her light silver-gray eyes. Although she hadn't shattered the cliff, the impact had still left a dent in it.

At that moment, clear water gurgled down from the depression, while the cracks in the cliff face grew wider and wider. Just half a minute later, the clear water cascaded down the cliff face like a waterfall.

The water was even warm, and after landing, it melted the snow on the ground, gradually forming a small, steaming pool.

"This is Kamiizumi?"

Dorothy asked, and the humanoid Ellie immediately shook her head, jumped off Flora's arms onto the snow, ran barefoot through the snow, and disappeared after her body crossed the "waterfall".

Little Leona, Stella, Flora, Lacey, and Dorothy followed together. What appeared to be a solid cliff behind the "waterfall" turned into a cave once they passed through it.

Following the entrance into the cave is a man-made passageway. The passageway is not long, with rows of old, rotten wooden stakes stuck in the ground on both sides, and the stakes are tied together with faded red silk cloth.

After the passageway extends for more than twenty meters, the space suddenly opens up. At the end of the passageway, there is a clear spring with a soft glow. Although it is not yet a lake, it is at least much larger than the hot spring in the "Moon Sanctuary".

At each of the four corners of the spring is a golden ouroboros relief, from which water flows out of the hollow center of the coiled ouroboros, cascading into the pool below. The liquid in the pool is clear, yet it shimmers with a pearly sheen, and the shimmering light reflected on the ceiling of the cave above the pool.

Although there was no stone tablet marking the place's name, the girls knew from the passageway and pool that this was Shangquan.

"When Ellie and I get there, Act VII will officially be over, right?"

Stella asked, and Flora nodded. Then, thinking that Stella's teacher Claire wasn't there, she reached out and hugged the white-haired girl.
“Go, you go with Ellie. We don’t know what will happen next, but remember, the most important thing is to forge the Ring of Destiny that belongs to you.”

The hissing sound was now coming from outside the waterfall. Ellie had shattered the rock wall, revealing the hidden upper spring, but this had also attracted some bad influences:

"We're here, so you can go without worry."

Lacey also said that Stella knew this matter was of great importance, so she didn't say anything more, reached out and took Ellie's little hand, and walked with her to the spring at the end of the passage.

"Little Leona, you should take Mia to Shangquan too."

The girls didn't want the little unicorn to participate in the next battle, but little Leona didn't leave; instead, she stood firmly by Flora's side.

Mia jumped off its back and then caught up with Stella and Ellie.

Flora gently stroked little Leona, then led her, along with Lacey and Dorothy, across the waterfall back to the outdoor area of ​​the ruins. A dense swarm of snakes was emerging from beneath the snow, including both Infinite Serpents and ordinary venomous snakes, ranging in size from tiny snakes the size of a thumb to giant snakes over a hundred meters long.

Mr. Snake clearly didn't think he could stop the candidates from reaching the Upper Spring, but he didn't want more people to have their fates sealed here, which is why he sent these snakes out at this time.

After the first candidate obtains the Ring of Destiny in Shangquan, its true form can finally appear. It won't be long, so the snakes here will suffice.

So the witch, the writer, the princess, and the enormous swarm of snakes began their battle. At this moment, the red butterfly fluttered in the snow. Grace and Helen, who had been asked by Shad to look after them, appeared in the snowy night. They could sense that Shad had also arrived near the mountaintop.

Inside the cave behind the waterfall, Stella and Ellie walked forward and arrived at the edge of the pool.

Just as Stella was wondering what to do next, Ellie walked straight into the water and disappeared with the cat as if melting into it.

The white-haired witch apprentice wasn't particularly surprised by this; she simply remarked:
"Ellie and Mia have a really good relationship."

She then carefully tested the water temperature before entering the water fully clothed and wearing her shoes.