After descending the abyss for 10 minutes, they reached the pit of its stomach and saw what was producing its noise.
Thunderclouds rolled underneath and covered the hole in a tight squeeze. Lightning brewed and sparked in purple light from within, reverberating the cavity with its rumble and echoing out into what they heard from above.
Ji Zhixuan covered the ship with his barrier before continuing their descent. The crews, maids, and guards stepped away from the railing as the clouds gradually enveloped them. Rainstorms assaulted them, and flashes of lightning struck the barrier, but Ji Zhixuan was unmoved.
He maintained a steady pace down, swift but not hasty, until they emerged from the clouds and unfurled the endless rainforest below them. Relentless rainstorms blinded the world in static gray and deafened it with perpetual thunders, far and near.
"I'm starting to think people of the past called this place a sanctuary for the joke of it." Shen Yuan felt an incoming headache for their upcoming exploration. If it wasn't for Ji Zhixuan's power, they would've been long screwed from the entrance.
"To be fair, this is unusual. No rainstorm has ever been recorded here," Ji Zhixuan thoughtfully said. "But this is a blessing in disguise. The others will be too busy fending for themselves in this weather, especially if they don't have an activator that can bring them safely down the entrance."
Shen Yuan agreed. "First thing first, we need a direction. Are there any indicators we can follow to where a treasure might be?"
"It differs for each one, depending on their properties. One thing for sure, they're not something that can be seen from the sky. Especially in this weather."
"Then, let's find a landmark and make it our base."
"Madame, over there!" Pei Huang jogged towards Shen Yuan. He handed him his monoscope and pointed west, towards a mountain range.
Shen Yuan looked through the monoscope towards where Pei Huang was pointing and soon shaped out the silhouette of a structure from the thick veil of rain. From the layers of height and pointed rooftops, he suspected it was a castle of some sort.
He gave it to Ji Zhixuan for him to see and the two of them approved Pei Huang's suggestion. Ji Zhixuan maneuvered the ship and cut through the storm toward their destination.
When the structure became clear for their bare sight to see, Shen Yuan widened his eyes. Although the stone walls had crumbled and been infested with moss and vines, the rusted moon carvings on top of the roofs confirmed it.
It was Celestia Palace.
Noticing the fluctuation in his energy, Ji Zhixuan turned to Shen Yuan. "What's wrong?"
"This place…" Shen Yuan fell into thought and decided to do one last confirmation. "See if there's a pond on the north of this palace. If there is, we can dock the ship there."
Ji Zhixuan nodded and didn't ask more questions for now.
They circled the structure, and the moment Shen Yuan saw the turbid pond that had expanded into a small lake, he knew he wasn't mistaken. The white gazebo he often spent time with Vesper was no longer there, either taken by time or swept into the water. He couldn't help but wonder whether Harold was ever found or not.
The ship sent waves across the surface in its landing, and Ji Zhixuan spread his barrier until it covered the palace, covering their path from the storm. Once they were ready to disembark, he carried Shen Yuan into his arms and flew towards the palace together at an unhurried pace.
Shen Yuan secured his arms around Ji Zhixuan's shoulders. "If this entire sanctuary is what I think it is, the treasure we need should be here."
"What is this place?" Ji Zhixuan asked while scanning for any danger around them.
"What you see here…" Shen Yuan curled a soft smile, "…is our past."
Ji Zhixuan halted and looked at Shen Yuan to see the fondness in his gaze, distant with memories, before eyeing the ruins in front of him for a long while.
He couldn't remember any of it. Even the fragments shown by the fortune teller didn't spark any memories in his mind, only resonating into his soul.
Why must his memory be wiped out in his reincarnation?
"Well, at least what is left of it," Shen Yuan added. "As I said, Zhou Jingchen affects this entire world. I doubt this place has always been the sanctuary."
"Are you saying that surname Zhou keeps the memories of his past life as well? Is that why he's fixated on you?"
"I wasn't sure at first, but with that fortune-teller and then this, I'm certain he retains those memories beyond his awareness—though I suspect it's starting to leak into his conscious space."
"…Why can't I remember?" Faint bitterness suppressed Ji Zhixuan's voice.
Even though he was also a part of those worlds, why only Zhou Jingchen?
"Maybe I took those memories away along with your life force." Shen Yuan felt a little bad and kissed Ji Zhixuan's cheek in comfort. "Even so, you still remember your feelings for me. It makes me happier that you don't have to rely on your memory for that."
The words placated Ji Zhixuan slightly and he returned Shen Yuan's kiss before continuing towards the palace. They landed on the deck, facing the now barren garden.
He put Shen Yuan down to his feet before busting the rotting, moldy doors open. There was no way he would touch or let his wife touch any organism in this place.
They stepped inside the spacious rear hall, the interior equally falling apart as the exterior. The wallpapers peeled off and gave freedom for the vines to spread inside. The once brilliant chandelier was now wasted on the floor, broken and abandoned with no ability to bear any lights.
Thanks to the holes throughout the structure, the air wasn't stagnant though the unpleasant smell of damp fungus and mold lingered in the air. The dripping sounds of water echoed from multiple directions, reminding them how empty the place was.
"Do you know where the treasure might be?" Ji Zhixuan asked.
"We used them at the arena downtown. They're a pair of identical daggers called Aruthysts. I gave one to Zhou Jingchen's reincarnation at that time for him to kill you while I used the other pair to transfer your life force to me." Shen Yuan crossed his arms in thought. "I didn't—"
"Wait." Ji Zhixuan stopped Shen Yuan's recollection and frowned. "What do you mean 'used'?"
"Just like how Zhou Jingchen's reincarnation used it on you." Shen Yuan made a stabbing motion to his chest as if stating a fact. "Straight to the heart. Your reincarnation said they're sacrificial artifacts. Not very friendly for living people, but hey, it worked."
The crease between Ji Zhixuan's brows deepened from the last sentence. "Did it affect you?"
"Affect me?"
"Was it painful?"
Shen Yuan blinked and waved his hand in reassurance. "I was in a rush, so I didn't feel any pain. The blood loss was more of an annoyance if anything."
"Could you have died?"
"We prepared healing potions, so I wouldn't say—"
"Could you have died, Ah Yuan?" Ji Zhixuan's voice lowered.
"I mean, you and I talked about it and reached a consensus. There was no other choice." Shen Yuan explained in a fluster. "Besides, the potion seriously healed—"
His words stuck in his throat under Ji Zhixuan's darkening eyes and could only swallow them back. Ji Zhixuan clenched his fists, his nails dug into the skin of his palm. "No…I would never approve such a thing."
Shen Yuan stared at the self-loath in Ji Zhixuan's eyes for a while before softly speaking up, "Ji Wu, you do remember that I demand your death? A little pain and risk is nothing for me in comparison."
"My death is temporary and isn't real. You told me yourself that I'm only a portion of my entire self. All my reincarnations were. But you…" Ji Zhixuan reached out and cupped one side of Shen Yuan's face with consternation in his eyes. "Your death will be real."
"I've faced death for things far more insignificant. Risking it for what I want is a dream come true," Shen Yuan calmly refuted. "Just like how you want to die in my hands, I want your death all to myself. Whatever it takes. You do understand this feeling, don't you, Ji Wu? Or are you going to discredit my efforts so far?"
Ji Zhixuan couldn't say anything against that but was still unwilling to accept it.
Shen Yuan knew he just needed a little more push. He grabbed the back of Ji Zhixuan's head and pulled him into a kiss. He bit down on his bottom lip until his skin tore and drew out some blood.
He held Ji Zhixuan's gaze with an irrefutable ultimatum. "This is your price. Take it or we'll just rot away in here together."
Ji Zhixuan's eyes trembled. He shut them in his struggle and finally flumped his head to Shen Yuan's shoulder in defeat. "Using yourself against me is foul."
"You should know by now that's the kind of guy you're married to."
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
They turned towards the noise and exchanged a brief look, confirming they both heard it.
Ji Zhixuan straightened up and pulled Shen Yuan behind him, readying himself for a fight. The noise slowly crept closer, almost like the clacks of horse steps but sharper and heavier.
Shen Yuan knew one thing that could make that noise.