Chat group, if you have anything to say to my Holy Sword,

"Oh, right, Ratahn has some things he needs you to do with him."

Ratahn nodded, then stood up and followed Xiling out.

Stepping into the magnificent yet somewhat empty main corridor of the royal city, the towering arches seemed to reach the sky. Soldiers in armor stood like sculptures at various checkpoints. Upon seeing Xiling and Rataen approaching, they immediately knelt down on one knee in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, the clanging of their armor clearly audible.

"Your Majesty!" "General!"

Xiling waved and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

After crossing another corridor, Xiling slowed her pace and spoke without turning her head, her voice exceptionally clear in the empty corridor:

Do you still remember those stars you sealed away?

Ratahn's steps didn't falter for a moment. "I haven't forgotten."

"That's good. The main reason I came to see you this time was because of these stars."

Xiling stopped, turned around, and looked up at the giant-like general.

"There are quite a few of these stars. Even though we've sent out many soldiers to search, it's still a bit slow. So I'd like to ask you to use your powerful magic, which allows you to fly quickly through the air, to go and find some stars in this area and mark them."

Xiling handed a map to Rataen, which was marked with many markers indicating the location where the star was discovered.

Rataen reached out and took the map from Xiling, glancing at it twice.

"Then I'll set off now."

"Okay, be careful. Oh, and I have something to ask you."

Rataen stopped his attempt to take off, waiting for Xiling to continue.

Xiling smiled. "If you found these stars in some remote areas, let them go for now. I'll keep them; I have other uses for them."

Although Ratan didn't understand Xiling's intentions, he still nodded.

As Ratahn was about to take off, he glanced in a certain direction, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of stone walls to see a person, but he said nothing.

Next second

boom! ! !

A terrifying sonic boom ripped through the tranquility of the royal city once again! Ratahn's figure transformed into a streak of light, carrying a violent torrent of gravity, soaring straight into the sky, leaving behind only spiderweb-like cracks spreading across the ground, dust flying everywhere, and Xiling, whose hair was flying wildly from the violent airflow.

"Phew... Couldn't this guy take off a little more gently?" Xiling raised her hand helplessly, her fingertips brushing against the short, silver-white hair that had been blown against her cheeks by the violent airflow during Rataen's takeoff, smoothing it back down.

Xiling watched the shooting star disappear swiftly across the horizon at the edge of the royal city, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He turned, his gaze precisely fixed on the deep, shadowy corner behind the pillar, untouched by the turbulent air.

"What? You waited here on purpose? Do you need something?"

The shadows rippled like water. A tall figure emerged silently from within, as if she were part of the darkness herself.

It was Marlenia, the blade of Michaela, who once struck fear into the hearts of countless warriors.

However, at this moment, she was not wearing the knight's armor that symbolized war and heroism. Instead, she wore an elegantly tailored, expensive dark court dress, the hem of which flowed like the night.

The soft attire softened her sharp and invincible killing intent, but unexpectedly highlighted a deep-seated, almost fragile weariness.

The vortex left over from Ratan's takeoff swept through the corridor, also ruffling her long hair and soft skirt.

Marlenia slightly raised her left hand, which she habitually used, and gently pressed down on the strands of hair that had been ruffled by the wind.

Faced with Xiling's direct question, she did not respond immediately. Her eyes, which had been tainted by corruption but had now regained their clarity, gazed intently at the Silver King before her.

Marlenia's lips parted slightly several times, but she ultimately made no sound.

Xiling took in Marlenia's silence, her face still bearing that relaxed and easygoing smile: "If you haven't figured out what to say yet..."

Xiling turned to the side and gestured for him to continue. "Why don't we walk and think together? Walk with me for a while, and maybe your thoughts will clear up."

Silence lingered in the corridor for a few breaths, broken only by the soft rustling of their clothes. Finally, Marlenia nodded slightly, her movements elegant yet tinged with a barely perceptible stiffness. She spoke not, but quietly followed Xiling.

Two figures walked through the palace. The originally tall and majestic Rataen had transformed into the Valkyrie Malenia.

This path leads back through the corridor that Hiling and Radagan had walked side by side not long ago.

Soon, they arrived at the secluded garden courtyard.

Xiling walked to the familiar, cool stone bench, sat down without any hesitation, and even leaned back comfortably to stretch her shoulders.

"Tsk, this is still the most comfortable place." Xiling sighed contentedly and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

Marlene sat upright on the stone bench opposite him.

Even in her magnificent court dress, she remained upright, but the soft fabric and flowing lines softened her sharp aura, giving her a unique, melancholic beauty.

Xiling opened her eyes, her gaze clear as she looked at the Valkyrie opposite her: "Alright, now you can tell me what's wrong?"

Marlenia's hands, resting on her knees, unconsciously tightened their grip on the soft fabric of her skirt. She took a deep breath.

"Silver King, do you... do you have a way to save my brother, Michaela?"

Everything in this world has changed. Her brother may never be able to wait for the king he promised to meet. In that case, her brother will be stuck in that place forever, in that place called the Land of Shadows.

"As expected, this is the question." Xiling wasn't surprised that the other party would ask this question, but he was a little curious as to why the other party would ask him this question. It would have been better to ask Radagan about this question.

Xiling was unaware that her presence gave many people the feeling that, "Leave it to me, I'll handle it," even Marlenia felt the same way.

Moreover, Marlenia really didn't choose the wrong person. Xiling did indeed have a way to solve this problem. After the Desecrated Serpent devoured Michaela, it obtained everything about Michaela, and after Xiling killed the Desecrated Serpent, it obtained both the Desecrated Serpent and everything about Michaela.

This includes entering the Shadowlands.

So when Marlenia asked her, Xiling nodded and said, "I do have a way."

“Really…really!” Marlenia asked excitedly.

Why would I lie to you?

“Yes…” Marlenia took a deep breath, as if she wanted to inhale all the fresh air in the courtyard into her lungs, forcibly suppressing the ecstasy and excitement that was about to burst out of her chest.

Once her wildly beating heart had calmed down, Malenia spoke again, "Silver King, you have no reason to deceive me."

Marlenia looked directly at Xiling. "So, what should I do? Or..." She paused, then clearly uttered, "What price should I pay?"

To gain something, you must first give something.

As a Valkyrie, Malenia naturally understood this principle. The other party was no one to her, and if she sought their help, she would definitely have to give something in return.

No matter what, Marlenia will not back down; she is ready to put everything she has on the scales of the deal.

The wind in the courtyard seemed to hold its breath.

"What do you need to give in return?" Xiling waved her hand casually. "No need, no need."

Marlenia paused slightly, a look of disbelief and confusion flashing in her eyes.

No cost? This was completely unexpected.

But Xiling's next words immediately brought her back to her senses.

“However,” Xiling changed the subject, a smile appearing on her face, “you do need to do something small for me.”

“…………Please speak.” Marlenia responded immediately, her voice steady. No matter what the task was, she would complete it without hesitation as long as it could bring her brother back.

Just then, Xiling slowly raised his right hand. His movement was deliberate, his fingers crossing the table before finally rising steadily and pointing straight at the person sitting opposite him—Marlenia herself!

“I want you—” Xiling’s voice rang out clearly in the quiet courtyard.

"What...what did he say?!" A thunderous thought exploded in her mind in an instant. The finger pointing at her, coupled with the ambiguous "I want you"... countless terrible, most unbearable, and most humiliating possibilities regarding "price" that she had heard or experienced in her long life, instantly flooded her mind!

The condition for exchanging her brother... could it be... her body? Her... freedom? To become... her possession in some sense? A surge of shock, disbelief, and a hint of offended anger rose up, instantly turning her already pale cheeks an unnatural blush.

However, just as Malenia's thoughts were caught in a chaotic storm, her heart pounding wildly with anger and shame, on the verge of exploding—

Xiling finished speaking, her voice clearly tinged with amusement:

"Go and bring your brother back yourself."

In an instant, it was as if time had been paused.

“………………Eh?” Marlenia’s complex expression, a mixture of shock, anger, shame, and determination, froze instantly. Her mouth was slightly open, and the question that was about to slip out due to her emotional outburst was stuck in her throat.

Seeing Marlene's appearance, Xiling couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Pfft... Hahahaha! No, Marlenia, what did you think I was going to say? Hmm?" Xiling's laughter echoed in the courtyard.

When Xiling heard Marlenia speak in a tone as if she were about to sacrifice herself, asking what price he should pay, an extremely terrible thought instinctively rushed into Xiling's mind, almost making him act it out on the spot—Marlenia, you don't want your brother to be trapped in the Shadowlands forever, do you? If you don't want that… hehe.

Fortunately, his strong willpower allowed him to firmly suppress this extremely inappropriate joke.

Seeing Marlenia quietly sit back down in her chair, though her face was noticeably flushed, Xiling was certain that she wasn't shy, but rather trying to control her emotions to avoid being slapped.

"Calm down... calm down... you can't beat him... you can't beat him... you can't beat him!" Marlenia silently repeated this incredibly frustrating fact to herself through gritted teeth, forcibly suppressing the urge to draw her sword and slash him.

Xiling finally managed to stop laughing, clearing her throat: "Ahem, just kidding, why are you so excited? Besides..."

Xiling shrugged, looking innocent and then turning the tables on him, "If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for having unhealthy thoughts and overthinking! Isn't the great Silver King a person you can trust?"

"..." Marlenia simply stared at him coldly with her silver eyes, without saying a word.

"Alright, alright, let's get back to the point." Xiling's smile faded, and she pointed at Marlenia again, her tone becoming serious and direct: "I will send you to the Shadowlands. You will go there yourself and bring your brother Michaela back."

“…How will you do that?” Marlenia took a deep breath, forcing herself to ignore the other party’s previous despicable behavior and focus on the key question.

Xiling extended her palm towards her. "It's simple. As long as I touch you, I can open a passage to that realm and send you inside."

Xiling looked into Marlenia's eyes: "So, are you ready to set off now? Grab this hand, and the journey begins."

Marlenia's gaze fell on Xiling's outstretched hand, and the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

After a few breaths, she unexpectedly shook her head gently.

"It's not the right time yet," Marlenia thought to herself.

"Once the Elden Ring is fully repaired, once peace is restored to the borderlands, brother... I will definitely come and bring you back!"

-

-

You, the reader, wouldn't want this either—hehe

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Great Adventure in the Nine Heavens! Sky City

The biting high-altitude air currents were violently torn apart, and a figure, like a black lightning bolt, ripped through the gray-blue sky at the boundary.

Behind Penglai Temple, the Dark Night Wings flapped their wings with each flap, creating visible vortexes that propelled them forward at astonishing speed. Their star-studded cloaks danced wildly behind them, fluttering in the wind.

Swish!

The smooth black trajectory suddenly froze. Jiuxiao's figure was as if nailed to the air by an invisible nail, and the powerful kinetic energy instantly vanished.

She hovered in the clouds, her gaze falling upon the shocking sight on the ground below—a meteorite crater, from which a strange, eerie magic emanated. The magic was an ominous purplish-gray hue, pulsating slightly like a living thing, distorting the surrounding light.

After glancing at it, Penglai Temple Jiuxiao flipped her wrist, and a thick leather map depicting the vast landscape of the border region appeared out of thin air, hovering steadily in front of her.

He took out another pen and, upon finding the current location, made a mark.

After completing these tasks, Penglai Temple Jiuxiao did not glance at the deep pit that exuded a strange allure once more.

She had already learned her lesson; this was merely out of curiosity. She wanted to get a little closer to see what was going on, and she was almost hit directly by an attack. Luckily, she dodged quickly, or she would definitely have been hit. Although she had Xiling's Starry Cloak, Penglai Temple Jiuxiao was afraid that if she told Xiling about this, the other party would not let her come, so she did not dare to tell Xiling about it.

Boom! The air was violently compressed and exploded! Her figure blurred instantly, turning into a black meteor that tore through the sky, with a piercing shriek, speeding towards another possible star on the horizon, leaving only turbulent air currents rolling in place and a gradually dissipating sonic boom cloud.

......

Not long after, high in the sky, Penglai Temple's Jiuxiao took out the map that had been marked during this period.

The map slowly unfolded before her, with markings drawn by her own hand at various points from Nymgford to Galid.

“This area is already marked…” Penglai Temple Jiuxiao murmured to herself, her fingers carefully tracing the outline on the map. She murmured each location, her gaze sweeping back and forth, confirming that every pit location in her memory corresponded perfectly to the markings on the map.

After checking it three times, a relieved and extremely proud smile bloomed on Penglai Temple Jiuxiao's lips, gradually expanding until it finally transformed into a dazzling and radiant smile. "Perfect! Not a single one missed!" She snapped the map shut, her movements light and joyful.

"Hmph!" Penglai Temple Nine Heavens suddenly puffed out her not-so-full but proud chest, placed one hand on her hip, and raised the other high, her index finger pointing straight to the sky:

"Hmph, leaving the star-hunting to this savior is a piece of cake."

Now that the mission has been completed.

The girl's liveliness and boundless curiosity immediately took over like a bird breaking free from its cage.

"Mission accomplished! Now, what's next—"

"This is my free time to explore! I'll just wander around as I please!"