Beside them, Rover nodded and said, "I believe Lucian has such capabilities, but the chaotic temporal currents within Mt. Firmament are indeed an urgent matter."

Jinhsi recalled, "The first time I met the Sentinel, it should have been at Mt. Firmament."

"Unfortunately, I was too young back then... I remember nothing, not even the appearance of Mt. Firmament."

"But this time, when I came to Mt. Firmament, everything around me felt so familiar."

"It was as if memories buried deep in my mind suddenly surged forth."

"Lord Xinyi, from the moment I was born, my fate has been intertwined with the Sentinel's."

"But my choice is not made because of my identity as the 'Sentinel Resonator.'"

"It stems from Jinhsi's own wishes, from the heart of a child who would grin from ear to ear when the snow of Mt. Firmament touched her cheeks."

"This tiny 'seed' that was 'born' on Mt. Firmament drifted across the seas and winds to every corner of Jinzhou. And now, it has returned to its origin."

"It's time for this seed to take root and sprout."

Jinhsi spoke with sincerity.

For the sake of this land that nurtured her, she was willing to give up everything.

Upon hearing this, Lucian began searching through the system shop again, checking what options could reduce—or even eliminate—the cost, given his current points.

Xinyi sighed and said, "Very well. No matter the final outcome or what choice you make, I need you to understand that Hongzhen and its people will always stand with you."

Xinyi gazed out the window at the frozen snowfall. "Mt. Firmament has remained unchanged for far too long... Perhaps what we truly need is a thunderbolt to pierce the heavens and dispel the mist shrouding the mountain."

Changli said, "In that case, let's set off immediately. Time waits for no one..."

Witnessing the culmination of the pieces she had laid out along the way was truly a delight.

Still, the final outcome remained uncertain.

But she had done all she could—what followed was up to fate.

Even after all this, Changli still wasn't entirely confident that Jinhsi would survive.

Rover could increase Jinhsi's chances of survival, but as for Lucian...

Changli glanced at the contemplative Lucian. Perhaps he, too, would bring an unexpected surprise...

Still, his earlier efforts to heal Jinhsi had already significantly improved her odds.

Now, Jinhsi was in peak condition.

Even if no other solution emerged, they shouldn't force it.

Xinyi pointed the way. "Pass through Hongzhen, and on the northern cliffs, there's a cavern—a shortcut to the Mianloong Chamber."

"The Mianloong Chamber lies beneath the dragon-shaped pillar of Mt. Firmament. May your journey be smooth and successful."

The group left the secret chamber and headed for the Mianloong Chamber.

Rover was also worried about Jinhsi and reminded her, "Jinhsi, so far, everything about the Sentinel is still just speculation."

Jinhsi replied, "You're right. But the connection I feel with the Sentinel, and the constant drain of my resonance abilities, leave me no choice but to believe..."

"Whether it's true or false, real or illusory..."

"I will seek the answers directly from the Sentinel."

Seeing Jinhsi's unwavering resolve, Rover stopped trying to dissuade her. Instead, she nudged the silent Lucian with her shoulder.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

Lucian snapped out of his system shop browsing. "Huh?"

Rover: "..."

Changli chuckled. "Lucian is just thinking of a strategy."

"After all, he doesn't want to watch Jinhsi perish either."

Jinhsi's cheeks flushed slightly. "Thank you for your concern. Even if I don't survive in the end, I'll do everything in my power to protect Jinzhou."

Rover's expression darkened. "Don't talk like that."

Lucian clicked his tongue. The system shop only had a little under 10,000 points left.

Most of the items were of little use.

Lucian wondered if his body could withstand the power of temporal program. If so, could he share the burden of energy Jinhsi had to endure?

But the system had been unresponsive since he tried calling it earlier. He had no idea where it had gone.

Maybe he should consult the Mirror of Inquiry?

About his own body, the Mirror of Inquiry should have the answers.

He pulled out the Mirror of Inquiry from his pocket.

Rover, curious, asked, "What do you want to ask this time?"

Lucian: "I want to know if my body can inherit the power of temporal program."

Jinhsi frowned. "Theoretically, only those of the same origin as the Sentinel can inherit temporal program."

"And besides, that mirror is..."

Changli also approached curiously, peering into the clear surface of the mirror.

Lucian asked, "Mirror, can my body inherit the power of temporal program?"

A few seconds later, small blue characters slowly appeared on the mirror.

[Pushing your body to its limits, yes.]

"Pushing my body to its limits? So if I want to inherit temporal program, I'd have to resonate with the Sentinel, collide energies, and push myself into a near-overclocked state..."

Lucian sighed. It seemed the Sentinel was truly formidable.

Even with three resonance attributes, he'd still need to overclock to withstand it.

But this also confirmed that his body had likely been modified by the system, capable of accommodating all kinds of energies.

Jinhsi immediately vetoed the idea upon seeing the text. "No, it's too dangerous. I can't let you take such a risk."

Changli took the mirror, flipping it over to examine it. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary hand mirror, albeit with some purple patterns and a more ornate design, making it appear more valuable.

"Such a miraculous object..."

Rover grinned. "Lucian has quite a few treasures on him."

"But even if the mirror says you can inherit temporal program, it still comes with the risk of overclocking."

"I don't agree with you doing this either."

Rover had some selfishness in her—she still wanted to travel all over Huanglong with Lucian.

Though she knew Lucian was powerful, she still didn't want him taking such risks.

"But if both of us resonate with the Sentinel together, wouldn't the risk be smaller?"

Changli shook her head. "The risk doesn't decrease—only the chance of inheriting temporal program increases."

"And if both of you synchronize with the Sentinel, even the slightest mistake could reduce you both to dust."

Lucian realized, "So it all comes down to overclocking. As long as Jinhsi can reach her physical limit and inherit temporal program..."

"But without exceeding the overclock threshold, she'll be fine, right?"

Changli nodded slightly. "Exactly."

Hearing this, Lucian felt a surge of joy—there was something in the shop that could be useful.

Though it seemed to have some side effects...

The group ventured deeper into the cavern. Jinhsi pointed at the frozen water ahead and explained, "This is the Mianloong Chamber."

"According to the plan, we need to find a way to free the Sentinel from the field created by the 'Radiant Sigil.'"

Lucian looked ahead. The emerald-green water was completely still, like a static painting.

Lucian asked, "Even the temporal flow in the Mianloong Chamber is frozen?"

Jinhsi: "Perhaps the nearby Chronosorter froze the pool, or this phenomenon is caused by Mt. Firmament's temporal turbulence."

"What matters is—we can use this pool as a shortcut and walk across its surface."

Lucian smirked. "It's time to unleash a long-lost martial arts secret!"

Rover looked at him curiously. "What secret?"

Lucian roared, then dashed forward with 'Lightwater Steps.' "Behold—'Lightfoot Waterwalking!'"

The three fell silent as they watched Lucian tiptoe-sprint across the water.

Changli chuckled. "He's as lively as ever."

Rover: "I failed as a teacher."

Jinhsi's lips curled slightly. "Let's hurry and catch up."

"We're too far to see clearly."

"I need more information to decide our next move."

The group caught up with Lucian.

Standing before the hibernation pod, Jinhsi frowned. "I can sense the Sentinel here... but I can't hear His response."

Lucian mused, "Could it be because of the Fractsidus' restraints?"

Jinhsi stepped forward and placed her hand on the barrier. A faint glow emerged, illuminating the space.

Gradually, the barrier became transparent like crystal, revealing the figure inside—the Sentinel, Jué!

The water inside the barrier was unaffected by the temporal stagnation. Jué noticed their arrival and swam closer, His golden eyes fixed on them through the barrier, radiating immense pressure.

Yet, not a single sound escaped the barrier—undoubtedly the work of the Fractsidus.

Lucian whispered in Rover's ear, "Fakes will always be fakes. The Sentinel we shapeshifted into didn't have nearly this much presence."

Rover nodded slightly, clearly agreeing.

Then, Lucian added, "Rover, since the Sentinel is your pet, after this is over, can I ride her?"

"Compared to shapeshifting into the Sentinel, riding the real thing would be way cooler, right?"

"I'm gonna be a Dragon Tamer!"

Rover laughed. "Then I'll be the Dragon Tamer's woman."

"But... will the Sentinel really listen to me?"

"Even though in that dream, I did fight alongside Her..."

Changli and Jinhsi, overhearing their whispers, fell silent.

They were completely ruining the Sentinel's majesty!

Luckily, the barrier muffled their voices.

If the Sentinel heard them, injuries be damned, She'd probably break through the barrier right then and there.

Suddenly, the barrier turned opaque again, but a golden symbol appeared on its surface.

Jinhsi studied it and understood. "I see."

"The Sentinel is telling us that if we find three Radiant Cores matching the Radiant Sigil, we can break the Fractsidus' restraints."

Changli gazed at the frozen water. "There's something beneath the surface. Let's start with the Chronosorter here."

Using the Chronosorter's temporal reversion, they lowered the water level.

Soon after, Lucian found a notebook and a scroll on a nearby lab table.

"Look at this."

"This is..."

"A research memo from the Researchers?"

Lucian opened the notebook, though the date was illegible.

He skimmed through and realized it was about Rover.

"That 'extraordinary individual' told me many things about the outside world—how a new civilization was built upon the scarred wasteland."

"Their account was calm, restrained, almost devoid of personal emotion, as if they were an observer rather than a creator of it all."

"At that moment, I truly understood—this 'extraordinary individual' is different from us. Their humility and kindness were meant to integrate, to guide, to lead us down a preordained path."

Lucian exclaimed, "Rover, I never knew you were so cold back then. Were you cultivating the Path of Emotionlessness?"

Changli smiled. "It seems amnesia changed your personality too."

Lucian agreed. "Yeah, now you're more... human-like."

Rover smacked the back of Lucian's head—though, thanks to pain reduction, it didn't hurt.

Hah! No pain!

"Are you calling me inhuman?"

Jinhsi watched their banter with amusement. "Lucian's words might be harsh, but compared to what's written in the memo, the current Rover is indeed much more warm-hearted."

Rover held the memo thoughtfully. "So this is how I used to be?"

Lucian wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, whispering in her ear, "I prefer you as you are now."

Her ears turned red as she recalled, "When I first woke up, this world felt both alien and familiar."

"I remember being deeply wary of everyone back then."

Rover tilted her head, nuzzling against Lucian's cheek. "But... I'm glad I met you. You gave me courage, helped me open up, and taught me to trust this world."

Lost in the moment, their eyes met, and their lips pressed together.

Changli turned to Jinhsi. "Jinhsi, I think we might be intruding."

Jinhsi said nothing, silently watching the two embrace.

"They know what's important. They won't lose sight of the bigger picture..."

No sooner had she spoken than Lucian and Rover separated. Lucian picked up another scroll.

"Let's see who this one's about... Heh."

Unrolling it, he found what seemed like a recorded account, almost like a storyteller's tale.

"In the past, when Tacet Discords ran rampant, the Jinzhou line of Huanglong stood on the brink of collapse."

"A peasant woman, fleeing the chaos, hid in the ruins with her newborn child."

"Yet the Tacet Discords soon breached the walls. The mother shielded her child with her life, hoping to trade her death for the baby's survival."

"A child cannot live without its mother. The infant wailed, its breath fading within moments, never to return."

"But the child's will to survive was strong. Its cries carried a resonance that echoed for miles, reaching the Sentinel."

"The Sentinel followed the sound, unleashing divine might to purge the corruption—but it was too late."

"That night, Mt. Firmament trembled with the Sentinel's roar. Dark clouds churned above the peaks, thunder and lightning raging as the Sentinel carried the dead infant away."

"Soon, the clouds parted, and a meteor streaked across the sky."

"Thus, the Sentinel used Mt. Firmament's power to reverse time. After seven days and nights, the child returned to life."

"It was said... this child, revived from death, became the Sentinel's Resonator—the future Magistrate of Jinzhou..."