"What expression would you have?" She chuckled, her voice echoing in the secret room. "Anger? Despair? Or... finally resigned to fate?"

The azure crystal suddenly vibrated violently, projecting a new image: deep within the underwater ruins, an ancient seal was cracking, and a strange light, not belonging to this world, seeped from the cracks.

Mu Xiaoxiao's smile vanished. She leaned closer to the crystal, her red lips almost touching its cold surface: "Ahead of schedule? How could this be..."

The temperature in the sealed room plummeted, and the candles went out one by one. Before the last glimmer of light disappeared, it illuminated the frenzied blue light in Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes:

"Looks like we need to speed things up. Aya, tomorrow's 'Awakening Ceremony'... let's see how far you can struggle."

Before darkness completely engulfed the secret room, the phone rang again. This time, Mu Xiaoxiao's voice was devoid of any warmth when she answered.

At noon, the group stood on the edge of the controlled sea area, the sound of the tide as muffled as the breathing of an ancient behemoth. Aya Ikegami stood outside the cordon, watching the busy people before her, her fists clenched.

"Nervous?" Mu Xiaoxiao's voice suddenly rang in my ears, carrying a faint scent of gardenias.

Aya Ikegami snapped back to reality, realizing the other person was tilting their head and scrutinizing her. In the morning mist, Mu Xiaoxiao's pupils glowed with an unnatural blue light, like will-o'-the-wisps burning beneath layers of ice.

"I'm getting excited thinking about completing the organization's plan." Aya Ikegami forced a smile, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Mu Xiaoxiao chuckled softly and reached out to smooth her collar, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze. This seemingly intimate gesture sent chills down Chi Shangling's spine—those meticulously manicured nails could slice her throat at any moment.

"Yes..." Mu Xiaoxiao gazed at the gradually brightening horizon, "Once the Nether Crystal Clan arrives, the Star Soul Lord's good days will be over."

These words felt like ice sinking down her spine. Aya Ikegami, suppressing a shiver, casually asked, "Are all the people decorating today new? I've never seen them before."

"Special Operations Team." Mu Xiaoxiao's gaze swept over the busy men in black. "Elites transferred from the European branch."

Aya Ikegami silently memorized this information. Those "elites" were embedding a dark blue crystal into the sand, arranging it into a complex spiral pattern. What disturbed her most was that some of them were wearing diving suits and carrying even larger crystals into the depths of the sea.

(They also set up a formation in the sea...)

The morning mist gradually dissipated, but the sunlight offered no warmth. Aya Ikegami looked at the unfamiliar faces; each person's eyes shimmered with a blue light similar to Mu Xiaoxiao's, as if controlled by some collective consciousness. They worked silently and efficiently, requiring no verbal communication.

At noon, a man in black approached and reported in a low voice. Aya Ikegami noticed scaly blue markings on his neck, which changed in brightness with his breathing.

"Check the energy nodes again," Mu Xiaoxiao commanded. "It must be completed before dusk."

The man in black bowed silently and withdrew. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Aya Ikegami suggested, "Should we test the array's response first? I can—"

"No rush." ​​Mu Xiaoxiao interrupted her, suddenly reaching out to lift her chin. "Xiao Ling is unusually enthusiastic today."

The sea breeze suddenly became biting. Under the gaze of those inhuman eyes, Aya Ikegami felt cold fingers rummaging through her memories. She immediately activated her family's secret technique, building a barrier in her mental world.

"I just... wanted to make sure everything was perfect." She lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting golden glint in her pupils.

Mu Xiaoxiao seemed satisfied, releasing her grip and smiling, "Don't worry, after today, you will gain power far exceeding your family's inheritance." She added meaningfully, "Of course, the prerequisite is... wholehearted cooperation."

Aya Ikegami bowed her head in agreement, but alarm bells were ringing in her mind. Her father had warned her that the Moon Goddess Organization's "gifts" were often accompanied by terrible costs.

Time passed in an eerie stillness. As the setting sun dyed the sea blood-red, the last crystal was placed. The entire coastline was now covered with blue crystal arrays, resembling a giant circuit board in the twilight.

"My lord, everything is ready." The black-clad man with the scale-like neck reappeared.

Mu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and turned to Chi Shangling: "Let's begin."

She made a gesture, and all the men in black immediately retreated to the outer edge of the crystal array, forming a human wall. Only then did Aya Ikegami realize that their positions formed another hidden pattern—some kind of ancient script? Or a summoning circle?

"Take off your coat and stand in the center." Mu Xiaoxiao's voice suddenly became ethereal, with an eerie echo.

Aya Ikegami slowly unbuttoned her clothes, and the sea breeze immediately rushed into her thin inner garment. The moment she stepped barefoot onto the crystal array, a bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head—these crystals were alive! They were wriggling slightly, like countless mouths sucking at her body heat.

"Very good." Mu Xiaoxiao stood at the core of the formation, her hands beginning to form hand seals. "Now, release the power of your Moon Eye."

Aya Ikegami feigned compliance as she circulated her internal energy, but in reality, she only released the surface layer. She had to conserve her strength, waiting for that crucial moment—

Mu Xiaoxiao's chanting suddenly rose in pitch, and the crystal array lit up in response. Countless blue light threads rose from the ground, wrapping around Chi Shangling's limbs as if they were alive. Most terrifyingly, the crystals beneath the sea surface also began to glow, dyeing the nearby seawater an eerie fluorescent blue.

"Ugh!" Aya Ikegami suddenly screamed in agony—the threads of light were piercing her blood vessels!

"Hang in there, Aya." Mu Xiaoxiao's voice was filled with feigned concern. "This is necessary pain..."

Aya Ikegami knelt on the ground and, through her distorted vision, saw Mu Xiaoxiao take something out of her bosom—a heart-shaped, dark blue crystal that was pulsating with her heartbeat!

(Now!)

As Mu Xiaoxiao focused intently on the crystal in her hand, Chi Shangling suddenly sprang into action! A dagger hidden in her sleeve flashed with golden light, precisely severing the surrounding light threads. At the same time, she bit her tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood mist towards Mu Xiaoxiao:

\"break!\"

Blood mist condensed into ancient runes in the air, resonating with the golden dagger. This was the forbidden technique passed down through generations of the Ikegami family—"Blood Rune Breaking Boundaries"!

Mu Xiaoxiao was clearly caught off guard. The rune struck the heart crystal in her hand, unleashing a deafening cracking sound. The crystal array along the entire coastline flickered violently, like a colossal beast that had suffered a severe blow.

"You!" For the first time, a crack appeared in Mu Xiaoxiao's expression; her beautiful face twisted into a grotesque grimace. "You're asking for death!"

Aya Ikegami had already rushed towards the beach. She had noticed long ago that the men in black who had dived into the sea had never surfaced. There must be a more important device there, the key to the entire ritual!

Behind her came Mu Xiaoxiao's piercing scream and the chaotic footsteps of the men in black. Without turning back, Chi Shangling plunged into the icy sea—