Everyone would gather in the large common lounge, sharing trivial sightings and experiences from their day.

Chi Yan and Huang Yu might argue over the best way to process a certain type of seaweed, while Lan Xiaoyu listened quietly, occasionally adding a suggestion about water temperature;

Yu Nian would chatter about what new tricks her birds had learned or which plant had sprouted a strange flower;

Lu Duo would listen with a smile, perhaps weaving small ornaments out of flexible seagrass in her hands;

Although Leng Ningxue was mostly looking at her data pad, the lines at the corners of her mouth would soften slightly;

Zi Yuan wiped her blade, her gaze calm;

Qingniao was the most active one, always able to find a topic or use lightning to perform harmless little tricks to amuse everyone.

Bai Cheng usually sat slightly to the side, holding a warm cup that might be herbal tea or coral tea.

The stardust crystal in her palm no longer emitted any heat or light; it had completely merged into her soul, leaving only a faint, warm mark behind.

She watched her companions' relaxed, smiling faces and listened to the chatter filled with the breath of life; the scars left by battle in the depths of her soul seemed to be quietly smoothed over in this peaceful atmosphere.

The voyage continued, with an seemingly endless azure stretching outside the windows.

There were no urgent missions, no approaching enemies—only the sea breeze, sunlight, starlight, and the peaceful flow of time within the train.

They all knew that the shadows had not dispersed, that the storm would eventually ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ return, and that the road ahead was still full of unknowns and hardships.

But at least for now, during this brief but precious voyage, they could wipe away the dust of battle, repair the cracks in body and mind, and enjoy a peaceful daily life scented with sea salt, just like ordinary people.

This was not just a rest, but a form of accumulation, gathering enough warmth and strength for the next time they would inevitably face the crashing waves.

The silver train sailed for another three days in the tranquil waters southwest of the Emerald Sea.

As the first light of dawn appeared, the outlines of scattered islands began to emerge outside the portholes.

Unlike the pale dead silence of the Annihilation Star Reef, most of these islands were lush with vegetation, with the occasional curl of smoke rising from fishing villages.

"Ahead is the Coral Chain Archipelago. Records show seventeen inhabited islands, mostly home to reclusive fishermen and descendants of ancient survivors."

Leng Ningxue pulled up the star chart archives, her icy eyes scanning the data. "The Law ripples are stable; no traces of Enforcement Officer or Constellation activity detected."

Bai Cheng stood before the main control console, her silver hair gently fluttering in the sea breeze.

The stardust crystal mark that had merged into her soul grew slightly warm, conveying a vague sense of pulling.

It did not point toward danger; instead, it was like a fine spiderweb, connecting to certain faint but resilient fluctuations of belief on the distant islands.

"Go ashore," she ordered softly. "We will rest here and listen for recent movements in the Emerald Sea."

The train landed in a shallow bay of the first island.

The islanders were wary at first, but seeing that the group meant no harm—and with Qingniao helping to drive away the stinging jellyfish harassing the fishing grounds and Lu Duo using the Law of Life to cure a local fever epidemic—their wariness gradually turned into gratitude.

Before leaving the island, Bai Cheng used her Doorway Bloodline as a catalyst to inject a stream of pure faith into a piece of coral stone gifted by the islanders.

The stone shaped itself, turning into a foot-high statue of a silver-haired girl whose features vaguely resembled Bai Cheng, her palms cradling the phantom of a shimmering lamp.

"If you encounter a crisis, you may pray to the statue," Bai Cheng said softly to the watching islanders. "Though our strength is limited, we are willing to become a glimmer of light you can rely on."

The moment the statue was completed, a slight tremor shook the depths of Bai Cheng's soul.

The stardust crystal mark pulsed with warmth, as if extremely fine threads were spreading out from the statue, silently connecting to her.

It wasn't an increase in power, but a more profound sense of anchoring, as if her presence in this sea was being gently held up by the beliefs of more living beings, making her feel a little less adrift.

Over the following days, the train sailed along the archipelago chain.

At every island, everyone provided what help they could:

Zi Yuan slew the crystallized rock beasts occupying the mines;

Chi Yan and Lan Xiaoyu assisted in rebuilding dams destroyed by storms;

Huang Yu improved crop planting methods for the islanders;

The pure heart vine seedlings Yu Nian cultivated were distributed and planted in each village to release a peaceful aura;

Leng Ningxue left behind simplified astronomical observation methods to help fishermen avoid sudden weather changes.

Before leaving each island, statues of faith were erected.

They varied in form—some holding lamps, some grasping blades, some with wings spread, some with vines hanging—yet all were surrounded by the same warm and determined glimmer of belief.

Whenever a statue was completed, Bai Cheng could feel a slight tremor in the stardust mark within her soul; the connecting threads grew more numerous, weaving into an invisible but real web.

Her strength did not increase significantly, but the spatial pathways in her silver eyes became increasingly clear and stable, and the sense of friction when using the Doorway Bloodline quietly diminished;

A trace of long-lasting resilience was added to Qingniao's lightning;

In addition to its flow, Zi Yuan's blade intent faintly took on a rhythm of protection;

The range of Lu Duo's life barrier expanded by thirty percent;

Yu Nian's resonance with plants required almost no conscious guidance... The changes were subtle yet tangible, as if the ordinary prayers entrusted to the statues were feeding back into their Law foundations, bringing them closer to the pulse of life in this sea.

At dusk on the seventh day, the train sailed toward the northern Emerald Sea.

The sky suddenly darkened, leaden clouds churning like ink in the distance, and a blizzard raged in the wild winds, dyeing the sea surface a grayish white.

The outline of a lonely island loomed in the blizzard; there were no lights, no smoke, only dead silence.

"Blizzard Island, the Wail of Eternal Winter. Ancient records describe it as the remains of an ancient ice-type Law experimental field, shrouded in blizzards year-round, but inhabited by a small number of cold-resistant tribes."

Leng Ningxue stared at the monitoring screen, her brow gradually furrowing. "But life signals... have completely disappeared."

Bai Cheng stepped onto the deck, her silver eyes piercing through the wind and snow to look at the island.

The stardust mark sent a sharp warning—not of a physical threat, but of a lingering malice at the Law level, like a poison soaking into every snowflake.

"The atmosphere is wrong," she said, her voice cold. "Everyone on high alert. We're going onto the island to investigate."

The train landed on the frozen coast at the edge of the island.

The blizzard howled, and visibility was less than ten meters, but there was no need for sight; the thick scent of blood and death already blew toward them with the wind.

The group entered the heart of the island and suddenly stopped in their tracks.

Corpses.

Hundreds of corpses were scattered among the ruins of the frozen village.

There were hunched elderly people curled up by thresholds, mothers shielding children beneath them, and young men who had fallen facing the direction of the blizzard with crude harpoons in hand... All remained in their final moments, their faces frozen in terror and confusion, yet with no signs of struggle or external trauma.

"It was instantaneous death," Lu Duo knelt down, her life perception scanning the bodies, her voice trembling.

"Soul and life force were wiped out simultaneously... like being swept over by an invisible giant wave, without even time for the pain to register."