That day has finally arrived.
When the Eclipse Lord's forces descended once more, when the Stargate opened on the far side of the Moon, and when despair gripped everyone, Qing Ming knew it was time.
He stood atop Mount Everest, gazing at the distant battlefield, feeling an unexpected calm within.
Qianlan's transmission comes through: "Master, we need you. The stone tablet says closing the Star Gate requires fulfilling the 'Cinnabar Pact.' Do you know what that means?"
"I know," he said.
He boarded the spacecraft and headed for the Moon.
On the far side of the Moon, he saw the massive Stargate. It was grander and more terrifying than it had been three thousand years ago. Yet from within that gate, he sensed her presence.
She is right there.
"Master!" Qianlan rushed over. "What are you doing?"
Qingming looked at her and smiled. "Qianlan, you are my greatest pride. You have mastered all my techniques, but there is one thing you cannot learn—how to let go."
He gazed into the depths of the stargate.
There, a blurry figure is approaching.
It's her.
She stepped through the star gate and stood before him. Three thousand years had passed, yet she remained unchanged—still as beautiful, her eyes still shining. The cinnabar mark on her brow was as vivid as ever, a gift she had given back then, mirroring the one on his own brow.
"You're here," she said.
"I'm here," he said. "This time, I won't leave you alone again."
The two exchanged a smile.
Then, they both turned to face the collapsing stargate.
Qingming raised her hand and cast the "Moonlit Sky Full of Stars" spell—the final one in her life. Billions of stars ignited simultaneously, brighter than ever before. Golden moonlight poured down, pouring into the collapsing Star Gate.
The Stargate is accelerating its contraction.
"Let's go," Qingming said to the other shore.
The other side nodded and took his hand.
They walked together toward the stargate.
"Master—!" Qianlan's cry rang out from behind.
Qingming didn't turn around. He only left one sentence:
Qianlan, protect this world for me. And don't forget the cinnabar.
Then, he and his partner vanished together into the light of the Star Gate.
The Stargate is completely closed.
Silence returned to the far side of the Moon. The drifting wreckage of warships, like offerings to this conflict, rotated silently in the darkness.
All is quiet again.
In a corner of the battlefield, Enshion dragged an unconscious girl, fleeing into the darkness. His eyes were filled with greed and excitement.
"Little beauty... hehe... finally got you..."
But he hadn't gone far when a golden sword light blocked his path.
Dada Zhu Mihua, holding an alloy sword, glared coldly at him: "Put her down."
Yan Shi Tong froze. "You... how did you get here?"
Dada Zhu Mi Hua said nothing, just raising her sword. Behind her, Ha Xiang Pi Dog advanced step by step, stone axe in hand. Yan Shi Tong's face turned pale. He dropped the girl and turned to flee.
"Next time... next time I'll get him..." His voice faded into the darkness.
Dada Zhu Mi Hua didn't chase. She simply sheathed her sword and helped the unconscious girl to her feet.
"It's over," she said softly. "You're safe now."
The girl opened her eyes, looked at him, and softly said, "Thank you."
Dada Zhu Mi Hua smiled and patted her head.