Shang remained silent for a while.
The Sky Lantern kept looking at Shang.
It could understand why this human was so distraught.
The human had arrived in front of it in hopes of having his eyes healed.
Yet, to the Sky Lantern's and the human's surprise, the Sky Lantern didn't have the ability to heal his eyes.
"I might not have the ability to regrow your eyes," the Sky Lantern transmitted, "but there is someone out there that can."
Shang was distracted by the fact that he had come here for absolutely nothing, but the Sky Lantern's words pulled him back to reality.
Wait, there was a way to regrow his eyes?
"What way?" Shang asked via voice transmission.
"Far to the west of the world," the Sky Lantern transmitted, "lies the Holy Land of Life."
"I've never been there, but I have met beasts that have been there."
"The Holy Land of Life is the home of the Queen of Life."
"According to legend, the Queen of Life can heal any injury."
This was the first time Shang was conversing with a beast, but he couldn't be bothered thinking about that right now.
The Sky Lantern actually had a clue to get his eyes back!
"How can I get there?" Shang asked with a hopeful voice.
When the Sky Lantern felt the human's emotions turn from depression to eagerness, it felt glad.
It had felt a little bit guilty and ashamed that it hadn't been able to heal the human's eyes.
"After traveling to the west for many days, you will eventually reach the great ocean. Many beings believe this to be the end of the world, but if you continue going, you will reach the Holy Land of Life eventually," the Sky Lantern said.
"But you must be careful. The Queen of Life can heal any injuries, but getting to her will be difficult. While I do not discern between beast and human, I can't say the same for all the other beasts."
"They will try to stop you, and they will not care for your words, emotions, or reasons."
"If you want to request the Queen of Life's help, you must be powerful enough to resist the combined power of the Holy Land of Life."
'It's talking about one of the islands around Aterium, the ones housing the Beast Kings,' Shang thought. 'Apparently, one of these Beast Kings has some way of regrowing my eyes.'
"How can the Queen of Life regrow my eyes when you can't?" Shang asked. "You are a Beast Lord, and you have a Light Affinity."
Shang felt like the Sky Lantern was smiling at him, even though its demeanor didn't seem any different from before.
"The Queen of Life is the representation of life," the Sky Lantern transmitted. "Her Affinity is not Water, Light, Darkness, or whatever we consider Affinities."
"Her Affinity is Life itself."
Shang's mouth opened slightly in surprise. "Life? Her Affinity is Life?"
"Yes," the Sky Lantern answered.
"Life can be an Affinity?" Shang asked. "Then, can Death also be an Affinity?"
For some reason, Shang felt like the Sky Lantern was sighing.
"You humans are so inquisitive," it transmitted as Shang's body was slowly floating back to the ground.
"Yes, there is an Affinity for Death. Let this be my last answer to your last question."
Of course, Shang had many more questions, but he knew that asking them would be foolish.
"Thank you for your help," Shang said.
Shang felt a slight feeling of acknowledgment come from the Sky Lantern. "Leave," it transmitted.
"I will," Shang transmitted.
A moment later, Shang landed beside the Sweeper.
The Sweeper had a couple of questions after seeing that Shang had been pulled towards the Sky Lantern and then pushed back.
She wondered what had actually happened just now.
Yet, she knew that she was only here to fulfill her mission.
Her client's affairs didn't concern her.
"We can return," Shang said.
"Already?" the Sweeper asked. However, her tone didn't sound surprised.
Shang nodded. "I have gotten what I have come here for."
"Alright," the Sweeper said as she turned around.
Then, the two of them left the Sky Lantern's territory.
The trip hadn't gone as Shang had expected.
He had come to find a path to the Sixth Realm.
Yet, the very thing that Ancestral Beasts used to become Beast Lords was something that Shang couldn't possibly use. After all, he already had that thing.
It was devastating.
Shang had paid so much money to get here, but the trip had been pointless from the very beginning.
However, Shang had received some clues about an issue he hadn't even thought about.
Naturally, Shang wanted his eyes back, but not for the reason one might expect.
Shang's Spirit Sense was already a more than adequate replacement for his eyes, and while Shang wished to see again, that wish wasn't actually very important to him.
But if he got his eyes back, he could sacrifice them to Entropy again if he ever met something he couldn't kill.
Regaining his eyes would give Shang two powerful weapons.
Sadly, that was far in the future.
If Shang wanted to ask the Queen of Life for help, he would need to reach the Seventh Realm, at least. He might even need to reach the Eighth Realm.
Of course, since there was a beast with a Life Affinity, chances were also high that there were humans with Life Affinities.
However, such an Affinity would be even rarer than Space, Time, and Gravity Affinities.
And that meant that these humans would be part of the Mage Emperor's powers, and they would know about the Child of Calamity.
Asking them for help would be like telling them that he was the Child of Calamity. After all, how else would he lose both of his eyes in such a peculiar way?
'But for now, I should focus on finding a way to the Sixth Realm,' Shang thought. 'I might not be able to copy the beasts' Path, but I might be able to find one for myself.'
The Sweeper and Shang continued traveling toward the west wordlessly.
They passed through the Lake of Darkness without issues.
Then, they traveled for multiple days.
They slipped past the defenses around the Eternal Maw's territory.
But as they were traveling alongside the Eternal Maw's territory, a Mage sitting on the ground opened his eyes.
His hair was long and grey, but he looked like he was only 14 years old.
But the most surprising part was his clothing.
He wore robes that were half black and half white.
The robes of the Twilight Dusk Family!
The Mage wasn't very powerful, only being at the Late High Mage Realm, but he had an Ancestral Mage guarding him like a servant.
"Gravity is being disturbed," he slowly said.
"Two humans are sneaking through my training spot."
