For several days after uncovering the truth behind the Shades, Lin Mu and his companions stayed within the thawed valleys, debating what they should do next.
The sky above was finally clear, the air no longer thick with frost or gloom. It should have been a relief, yet the stillness only made their uncertainty heavier.
They had successfully eliminated all the areas affected by the strange snowfalls and destroyed the malevolent masses buried beneath them, but now they had reached a dead end.
There were no more traces, no more corrupted lands to purify, and no more leads pointing to where the Ephemera Sect might strike next.
The six of them gathered near a dying campfire as dusk crept across the horizon. The flames flickered lazily, the orange glow reflecting on their thoughtful faces. Little Shrubby lay quietly beside Lin Mu, occasionally twitching his tail, his lightning streaks pulsing faintly under the dim light.
