Chapter 3039: Elyon The beastkin stepped back and straightened his spine, finally choosing to drop the last of his cloaked act. "I am Elyon, of the Dark Wolf Tribe," he said. "The last direct heir of my bloodline... or at least, the only one I know of still alive." Daoist Chu’s brows rose slightly, recognizing the name. "The Dark Wolf Tribe... weren’t they destroyed during the Beastkin Purge of the Red Rebellion?" "They were," Elyon replied, gaze distant. "But not all of us died that day. Some of us survived in the cracks of the world, hiding, waiting, sharpening our instincts and our skills." Lin Mu gave a nod of understanding. "And now you travel between worlds, working as a tracker." Elyon’s tail, now visible behind him, swayed faintly. "It keeps me alive. And it gives me a chance to discover truths. Whether of others... or of my own." Meng Bai stepped closer, no longer wary. "Well, I guess it’s a good thing we found you. Or rather, that you didn’t kill us." Elyon let out a quiet laugh. "Don’t tempt me. You still owe me for making me kneel." "I’ll give you a free meal," Meng Bai offered with a grin. "The big cat can cook." Elyon arched a brow. "Cook? Don’t tell me that beast—" "He cooks," Ashy chirped proudly. "With fire!" Daoist Chu sighed. "Yes, somehow. And he’s good at it too." Lin Mu took a step forward. "Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, we need to talk about what you found. The Verdant Ash Basin is still dangerous, and if our elders were taken or worse—" "They weren’t taken," Elyon said suddenly. The group turned to him in surprise. "At least not right away," the wolfkin added. "They left their mark in a place not far from here—hidden. I found it days after the attack attempts began." "Can you take us there?" Lin Mu asked. Elyon’s expression grew serious. "I can. But it won’t be easy. The time is not right." Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly. "That’s fine. We didn’t come here expecting easy." Meng Bai cracked his knuckles. "I’ve had enough fake young masters for one city already. Let’s get to work." Elyon glanced at him, amused. "You’re a strange one." Ashy chirped, "He’s the softest of them all. But he’s strong!" "Alright then," Daoist Chu said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Lead the way, Elyon. Let’s uncover the truth." And with that, the party turned from the edge of the cliff, ready to dive into the depths of the Verdant Ash Basin once again—this time, guided by the nose of a wolf who had seen more shadows than most dared to chase. The journey to the Eastern Ash Pits was silent and swift. Elyon, despite saying little, moved with the sure-footed grace of someone born to hunt through wild terrain. The party followed him past craggy hills of charcoal-colored stone and through canyons carved not by water but by long-forgotten magma flows. The air grew increasingly arid and hot as they descended deeper into the Verdant Ash Basin. Hours passed until the terrain finally began to change. They crested a ridge, and a wave of heat rushed into their faces—thick, almost choking, and heavy with the scent of scorched minerals. Down below lay the Eastern Ash Pits. It was a massive expanse of scorched land, the largest of the basin’s volcanic scars. The terrain here wasn’t cracked stone or jagged lava fields, but something far stranger: vast pits, each several kilometers wide, brimming with what appeared to be liquid ash. The strange substance rippled with slow, thick movements like molten metal, yet it shimmered in a mix of colors—black, grey, orange, and deep, angry red—an ominous kaleidoscope of death. Lightning crackled faintly above one pit’s surface as arcs of Earth Flame rose like phantom serpents from within. The very air above it shimmered with mirage-like distortions, the heat so intense it bent light itself. Even Meng Bai, who had begun growing used to the strange geography of the basin, stared wide-eyed. "It looks like... the earth is bleeding smoke," he whispered. Lin Mu narrowed his eyes and focused his immortal sense on the pit ahead. His immortalsenses met resistance, the ash pushing back like a dense fog, making it nearly impossible to peer within. Elyon, standing near the edge of a rocky ledge, finally stopped. "This is the place," he said, ears twitching as he scanned the shifting pit below. "This was where I sensed the two elders last. They were here." Lin Mu turned toward him. "You’re sure?" "I don’t second guess my nose," Elyon replied with a low growl. "There’s a layer below the main pit wall—part of the old basin wall, I think. It’s where they left a mark. I couldn’t get closer because the pit filled up again before I reached it." Daoist Chu approached the ledge, shielding his eyes from the dry winds blowing ash particles in spiraling eddies. "Filled up?" he echoed. "It wasn’t like this before?" Elyon shook his head. "No. The pits have... tides." Meng Bai blinked. "Tides?" "Like the ocean," the wolfkin explained. "But instead of water, it’s Earth Flame and molten ash. The flows shift at irregular intervals, either rising to submerge everything or draining just enough to reveal part of the old volcanic layer. I couldn’t enter the last time since it still wasn’t low enough for it." He added. Lin Mu’s eyes gleamed faintly, studying the pit. "So we’ll need to wait until it ebbs again?" "Exactly," Elyon nodded. "That’s why I came back here. I’ve been observing the rhythm. It’s not consistent like lunar tides, but the last time it lowered was six days ago. If the pattern holds, it should drain again soon." Daoist Chu looked out across the pit, calculating. "And you’re sure the elders reached the lower levels?" Elyon nodded. "Their scent ends there. Not above, not around—there. I believe they either entered a structure or passed through a concealed tunnel. The kind you can only access when the pit empties out."