Existence in Another Form

The exhausted figures of the crowd gradually faded into the distance, their laughter and banter blurring away with them.

Yi Feng realized that his own vision had blurred slightly; his eyes were moist.

He picked up his cup of tea and took a sip, swallowing the surging bitterness within, and slowly pulled his thoughts back to the present.

Upon this sheer cliff, beside these eerie white bones, bloomed two or three white flowers.

These white flowers were exactly the same as the ones the young girl from his memories used to wear in her hair.

They were resilient and holy, yet appeared somewhat lonely and desolate.

Yi Feng casually plucked one and brought it to his nose.

He seemed to smell the fragrance of the flower that had once been in the young girl's hands.

This faint, elegant fragrance sent a jolt through him like electricity, causing him to lose himself in a brief trance.

"Sigh."

Subconsciously, Yi Feng took out a jug of wine, drinking alone and talking to himself.

It was as if the eerie white bones beside him possessed life, as if that pretty and endearing young girl was sitting right next to him.

Just like in the past, listening intently to his words.

At this moment, the wind ceased and the clouds stilled. Time seemed to stop flowing, as if returning to the past.

"A few years ago, I saw an island in the south. It was surrounded by the sea, with gentle breezes and bright sunshine."

"The sand on the shore was as soft as a cashmere blanket. The seawater there was crystal clear, and the surface of the sea was calm and tranquil."

"Not only that, but the people living on the island were all from a family with a profound heritage. They told me many stories and a lot of history."

"This island not only had excellent culture and scenery, but its various delicacies were also top-notch, though there was some 'bizarre food' as well."

"Oh, right, there was also a type of firefly over there that looked like a cicada."

"These fireflies lived in the northern part of the island. The northern sky was filled with auroras all year round, and these fireflies looked just like the auroras scattering upon the island."

"Breathing the salty, warm sea breeze, listening to the waves and the chirping of insects, and watching the sky full of starlight... that island was like a fairyland that should only exist in the heavens."

"Not far from this island, I also saw a moving landmass covered in all kinds of fresh flowers. It wasn't actually land, but the shell of a giant sea turtle."

"Many seabirds and butterflies perched upon it. It was vibrant and colorful, and the floral scent was so rich that it could be smelled ten nautical miles away."

"That giant turtle would migrate around according to the changing seasons, ensuring that the flowers and plants on its turtle-island remained evergreen throughout the year."

"Also, on that planet in the north, there was a group of natives who had a very peculiar way of eating poisonous mushrooms. They would first graft the poisonous mushrooms onto a certain type of plant, relying on the plant to neutralize the mushroom's toxicity, and then they would eat those mushrooms raw along with the leaves of that plant."

"Aside from a spicy kick, the taste was mostly refreshingly sour and sweet. By the way, the texture was absolutely incredible. Both the leaves and the mushrooms were very tough and hard to chew. The mushrooms kept releasing a sweet flavor, while the leaves tasted more like pure water with lemon."

"In the end, the leaves and mushrooms would stick together, as if you were chewing freshly made mochi, or chewing the soft clouds in the sky..."

As he chatted, it grew late, and the twilight deepened.

The pattering drizzle had stopped at some unknown point, and the night here was exceptionally peaceful.

Yi Feng raised his wine jug and took a sip.

He smiled and said, "You would definitely love the places I just mentioned. How about it? Do you want to go take a look?"

With that said, Yi Feng downed the entire jug of wine in one gulp.

"If you don't answer, I'll take it as your silent consent. Since that's the case, go and see the world."

Yi Feng stood up and gently tapped a finger upon the skeleton.

In an instant, the eerie white bones transformed into motes of colorful starlight, drifting into the vast sky.

They were as bright as a rainbow, yet even more dazzling.

They were as ethereal as the aurora, yet even more free.

The dim sky was instantly illuminated by the specks of starlight, while the myriad stars across the sky hid in the deep void, unable to compete with its brilliance.

Amidst the twinkling starlight, the young girl's face seemed to leap vividly into view.

She revealed an exceptionally sweet smile, a smile that made one helplessly captivated.

The specks of starlight seemed to converge into a star-curtain like an aurora.

Within the star-curtain, on that island beneath the auroras, the young girl turned into starlight and danced gracefully with the fireflies.

Upon the back of that giant turtle cruising through the ocean, the young girl turned into a butterfly, wandering through the sea of flowers.

On that northern planet, the young girl transformed into an elk, nibbling on leaves and mushrooms.

Within the star-curtain, the young girl was like the freest spirit in this world.

She was playful and nimble, shining everywhere.

She followed the rivers into the sea, wandering all over.

She became nourishment, blooming alongside the flowers.

She merged into the sea of stars, overlooking myriad realms.

She was free, joyous, and omnipresent.

Yi Feng stood quietly suspended in the air, admiring the beauty and melancholy of this moment.

The young girl had not died; she had merely changed her way of existing and was now roaming the starry skies and myriad realms.

Yi Feng felt a sense of loss, yet he also felt relief and tranquility.

At this moment.

A squad of villa disciples responsible for patrolling the forbidden grounds passed by.

They noticed the anomaly in the sky, and at the same time, they spotted Yi Feng floating in the air, looking up at the stars.

"Who goes there?"

A patrolling disciple shouted with authority.

One must know, this was the forbidden grounds of the Yujian Mountain Villa, yet this person had inexplicably trespassed here.

The group immediately rushed over and surrounded Yi Feng.

But they did not dare to act rashly, because they surprisingly couldn't see through Yi Feng at all, not even sensing the slightest fluctuation of energy from him.

However, secretly, they had already notified the upper echelons of the sect.

Just then, one of the patrolling disciples' expression changed drastically. Pointing at the longsword on the sheer cliff, he exclaimed to the squad leader, "It's gone! The ancestor's remains are gone!"

The middle-aged squad leader turned pale with fright. He stared at Yi Feng with burning eyes.

"Just who are you? Speak! What kind of trick did you use to make our ancestor's remains disappear?"

The middle-aged leader revealed a hostile expression. He raised his hand and waved it forward, prompting the rest of the patrolling disciples to take a step forward and draw their weapons.

The ancestor was their faith. No matter how strong the intruder was, even if it meant risking their lives, they would not allow anyone to desecrate them.

Just as the tension reached its breaking point, the upper echelons of the Cangjian Mountain Villa had already transformed into countless streaks of light, rushing toward this location at top speed.

For a time, sword lights crisscrossed all over the mountain villa, accompanied by loud humming sounds.

In just a moment's time.

All the experts of the sect had arrived at the sheer cliff, heavily surrounding Yi Feng.

Seeing the arrival of the higher-ups, the leader of the patrol squad hurriedly stepped forward to report, "Reporting to the Villa Master and the Elders, the ancestor's remains have disappeared."

"What?"

Hearing this, everyone turned pale with shock.

Looking over, the cliff face was indeed completely empty; the remains had vanished without a trace.