She looks at him.
"…What?"
"You will go to that world."
Her breath caught.
"I'll stay here," Li Jun continued. "Your mother needs someone. And if I go with you…"
He gave a faint, bitter smile.
"I'll only slow you down."
Li Yanshu lowered her gaze, her mind in chaos.
"Even if I wanted to …" she whispered, "…how would I even get there?"
Li Jun didn't answer.
Instead, he walked to the table… and picked up something.
An old envelope.
Yellowed with age. Sealed.
Carefully preserved.
"I told you," he said, turning back to her, "I have a way."
"What is that?" she asked.
"This…" he said softly, holding it out, "…is a letter your mother wrote."
"When?"
"The day you were born."
Li Yanshu's breath hitched.
"She told me…" Li Jun continued, "…to never open it. Not unless your life was in danger."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Looks like it's time to open it."
"You are not just a Li," he said.
"You are also a Lin."
The words landed like thunder.
"The blood of the Lin clan flows through you."
"Dad…" her voice trembled, "…what are you trying to say?"
Li Jun took a step closer.
"A'yan…"
"You are an awakener too."
"And not just any awakener…"
"A high-affinity Void awakener."
"No…" Li Yanshu shook her head instantly.
"That's not possible."
"If that were true… my powers would have awakened when I was six."
"You said that's when it happens!"
"Yes," Li Jun said calmly.
"But you're different."
"Why?"
"Because of me."
Li Yanshu froze.
"Your human side, since it comes from Earth…the blood you inherited from me…" he said slowly, "has been suppressing your awakener bloodline."
"And if we remove that suppression…"
He looked at her legs.
"Your paralysis will disappear."
"You will be completely healed."
Silence.
For a moment—
"H… how?" she whispered.
Li Jun lifted the letter slightly.
"According to this…"
"During a full moon, mana briefly appears on Earth."
"And under that moon…"
He looked at her hand.
"We will transfer your mother's blood into your body."
"A cut… on the palm."
"A Balancer's blood…" his voice deepened, "…acts as a catalyst."
"It will awaken the Void sleeping inside you."
Then said quietly—
"I've already calculated the date."
"There's a full moon….The day after tomorrow. And on that night…"
Li Jun's gaze hardened with resolve.
"We'll awaken your power—and open the portal at the same time."
On the night of the full moon, at exactly midnight, the moon bloomed beautifully. Its silvery rays fell gently over Lin Anran's hair, making it shine like strands of silver.
Over the past few days, Li Yanshu had taken some time to process everything Li Jun had told her. But one question kept rising in her mind again and again.
When Li Jun entered the room, he noticed his daughter's face. She seemed lost in her thoughts, deeply troubled.
"What happened? What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"I'm thinking about the portal… Am I really capable of doing this? I mean, when Mom opened the portal, she did it unconsciously… and I'm not as powerful as her."
"Don't be afraid," Li Jun said gently. "You're not as weak as you think. Ran'er told me that you are a high-affinity Void awakener. Believe in yourself. You're just like your grandfather."
"But what if I open a portal to another world?" she asked hesitantly.
"Trust yourself. Everything will be fine."
"Hmm…"
"So, shall we begin?"
"Okay."
Li Jun placed her chair beside Anran's bed. Then, using a sharp knife, he made a small cut on Lin Anran's right palm, and at the same time, he made a cut on Li Yanshu's left palm. He gently placed their hands together so that their palms touched, and the blood flowing from both wounds began to mix.
A golden light and a dark violet energy—what could only be described as essence—flowed from Anran's heart toward Li Yanshu through their mingled blood.
Suddenly, Li Yanshu felt her entire body burning, as if countless ants were devouring her from within. Her muscles tensed uncontrollably, her breath hitched, and her vision blurred as the burning sensation grew stronger with every passing second. Her body was drenched in sweat, as if the burning heat inside her was forcing it out through every pore.
She screamed in pain. "Ahhhh!"
At that very moment, when she opened her eyes they began to change—turning from their normal color into a deep violet.
Slowly, she moved her fingers.
They were responding.
With trembling fingers, she slowly unfastened the restraints that bound her to the chair, each buckle releasing with a faint, echoing click that seemed louder than it should have been. For a moment, she just sat there—breathing, gathering what little strength she had left.
Then, cautiously, she lowered her feet to the ground.
The instant they touched the floor, a sharp weakness surged through her legs. They quivered uncontrollably, as though they might give out at any second. A fragile gasp escaped her lips.
Reaching out, she pressed her palm against the cold, unyielding wall beside her, clinging to it as if it were the only thing grounding her to reality. Gritting her teeth, she forced her body to rise.
Step by step… she began to walk.
"Dad… I'm walking," she said, her voice trembling with disbelief and joy. Tears streamed down her face.
Li Jun quickly bandaged Anran's hand to stop the bleeding.
Meanwhile, Li Yanshu noticed that her own wound had already healed—perhaps because of Anran's blood.
She concentrated mana into her hands. A warm current began to flow through them, gathering in her palms. There, a dark violet element started to appear—twisting and merging with itself, as if trying to devour everything around it. When she closed her palm the element disappeared.
Just then, Li Jun handed her a black backpack.
"I've packed everything you might need in this. Weapons and all the essential items are inside."
"There's a high cliff in the nearby jungle where the moonlight concentrates strongly. We can try to open a portal there."
"Okay."
Holding the backpack, Li Yanshu looked at her father and said,
"I promise you, Dad. No matter what happens, I'll find Grandpa and bring him back to this world."
The despair that once filled her eyes was gone. In its place, a firm determination now shone brightly.
They drove to the edge of the forest, and from there, they had to continue on foot. After walking for some time, they finally reached the cliff.
"Are you afraid?" her father asked.
"Not anymore. Since childhood, you and Mom have always supported me. Now it's my turn."
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
"When Grandfather left his mark on Mom, she could sense his presence. Will I also be able to sense Mom's presence? I don't know how long I'll be gone. I have to make sure I'm not too late."
"Don't worry. You'll be able to sense the mark. The mark your mother left is the same as your grandfather's."
"Then that's good."
The cliff stood beneath a suffocating stillness, as if the world itself had fallen silent. Not even the wind dared to breathe—only the faint, distant chirping of night insects broke through the oppressive quiet.
At the edge, Li Yanshu stood motionless.
Slowly, she raised her hand.
The air around her seemed to shift as she reached out, trying to grasp the invisible currents of mana. It brushed past her fingers like a whisper—present, yet distant… as if refusing her.
Her heart tightened.
Worry crept in, cold and suffocating, but she forced it down. Gritting her teeth, she steadied her breathing and poured every ounce of her will into the attempt.
Again.
And again.
Nothing.
At last, her hand fell.
She turned slowly toward her father, her composure cracking just enough for doubt to seep through.
"I… can't summon the portal," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know why… this method—it's not working."
Just then, she remembered what her father had once told her—
The blood of the Lin family.
Without hesitation, she took out a knife and sliced open her left palm. Ignoring the pain, she closed her eyes and began summoning the portal to the Tianxia world. She gathered every ounce of her power, pulling all her mana together.
Sweat beaded across her forehead.
Her breathing grew heavier.
Due to the excessive use of mana, blood suddenly spilled from her lips—but she didn't stop.
Not even for a second.
Nearby, Li Jun watched in silence. Li Yanshu had only just recovered from paralysis.
Overusing mana like this was dangerous—fatal, even.
Fear gripped his heart.
He was afraid… afraid of losing his daughter too.
He was just about to stop her—
When suddenly, the sky darkened.
Black clouds gathered overhead, swirling violently. Thunder roared as lightning cracked across the heavens, as if the world itself had grown restless.
In front of Li Yanshu, space itself trembled.
A faint ripple spread through the air—
And then, with a burst of dark violet light, it tore open.
A portal formed.
She stared at it, disbelief filling her eyes. She had actually done it. And deep within her heart, she knew—without a doubt—
This portal would take her to the Tianxia world.
Slowly, she turned toward her father.
Walking up to him, she embraced him tightly one last time.
"I… I did it," she said, her voice trembling. "I finally did it."
Tears streamed down her face—not of sorrow, but of overwhelming joy.
"It seems I don't have much time. The portal is unstable—I can't keep it open for long. Take care of yourself… and Mom. I'll be back soon."
"Take care of yourself… Your father is sorry for making you go alone."her father replied, his voice heavy with emotion. "That place is extremely dangerous. Keep a low profile. Don't go around carrying your sense of justice everywhere… it's a lawless world."
"I know you don't want to send me there, but we both love Mom. She's as much my responsibility as she is yours… okay?"
"My daughter… it seems you've truly grown up. If your mom saw this, she would be very proud. Your mother and I will be waiting for you. Stay healthy—and remember, trust no one there."
"She nodded—bidding him farewell one last time."
Raising her head slightly, she took one last look at her father's face… as if trying to etch it into her memory forever.
Then, with quiet resolve, she slung her backpack over her shoulder. Dressed in her task force's black suit, a gun secured at her waist, she turned toward the portal and began walking forward.
Step by step.
Without hesitation.
The moment her foot crossed into the portal—
She vanished.
As if she had never been there at all.