101 An Inch of Land

The River of Oblivion flowed slowly, concealing all darkness within its unfathomable depths, as constant and unending as the passage of time itself.

Nvluo’s gaze was fixed upon these waters, whose history had long since been lost to time. She watched the river, while Litian watched her. The scene froze in that moment, tranquil and breathtakingly beautiful. The far bank, once a symbol of death, had now become a different kind of sanctuary; perhaps, one day, it would transform into an entirely new world.

Nvluo turned and departed from the Underworld. Litian neither blocked her path nor accompanied her; he simply watched her solitary figure recede into the distance. He understood her intentions, but this was a matter in which he could not intervene. Nvluo could feel the scorching intensity of his gaze upon her back, yet she dared not turn around. In this undertaking, he must remain uninvolved.

Within the city of Fengdu, the scenery remained as it always had, marking a final moment of peace before the immense changes to come. The Main Divine Hall was equally quiet, yet a certain tension rippled through the air. Shikong bowed her head, still pondering the proposal of Her Highness—another difficult problem to solve.

Upon returning to Fengdu, Nvluo had immediately recounted her findings to Shikong and Siji. It was a problem Shikong had considered before, realizing it was not easily achieved; even for Her Highness, the price to be paid would be enormous. To replace the entire Path of Reincarnation with material from the Mortal Realm—how could that be simple?

"Your Highness, could you reconsider?" Shikong’s heart was against it. Could Her Highness truly bear such a cost?

"Your Highness, is this not an impossible task? That spirits can reincarnate at all is already a miracle. Now, to reconstruct the Path of Reincarnation to grant spirits greater vitality—is it truly necessary?"

Compared to Shikong’s gentle suggestion, Siji was resolutely opposed. The current Path of Reincarnation had already consumed their countless efforts, a struggle beyond words. Now, Her Highness wanted to replace it entirely with materials from the Mortal Realm, which would demand an even greater toll.

Nvluo coughed softly. Her body had not yet recovered, and though she tried her best to hide her pain, it revealed itself inadvertently. This single cough sent a jolt of alarm through Shikong. While Her Highness was often injured, she usually recovered quickly. But this time, her condition was deeply concerning; the word "frail" flickered into Shikong’s mind. Indeed, despite her attempts to mask it, what leaked through was her true state: she had been injured again, clearly on the Path of Reincarnation itself.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Both voices sounded at once. Shikong and Siji looked at each other, mirroring the concern in each other’s eyes.

"I am fine." Nvluo felt something was amiss. Even though she had been injured on the Path, so much time had passed, and Litian had already treated her. Yet, this time, there was a strange, lingering sensation.

"Your Highness, I previously kept my opinions to myself, but now I must reject your proposal. Your body is simply not fit to recast the Path of Reincarnation. And yet, apart from you, even if Siji, Shaoguang, and I exhausted all our strength, we could not complete this task." Shikong felt a lingering sense of foreboding.

Siji nodded in agreement, equally unwilling to see Nvluo suffer any further harm.

"Do not worry for me. I am truly fine, and my mind is made up. This is the final obstacle for the Path of Reincarnation. Once completed, spirits can be reborn; otherwise, they suffer great losses before even reaching the Underworld. If that were the case, what would be the point of building the City of Reincarnation?" Nvluo remained firm. In her current state, she could still manage; as for the future, she could not spare the thought. Once the City of Reincarnation was firmly established, she could finally rest, but now was not the time.

"Your Highness, compared to the Path, your body is what matters most..." Shikong left the rest unsaid. She gazed at Nvluo’s increasingly gaunt face, her heart aching. *If anything were to happen to you, it would be the greatest disaster for the Mortal Realm.* But this, Shikong never dared to voice.

"Indeed, Your Highness, you must not take such risks."

"Shikong, Siji. This matter is decided. I am not seeking your opinions, but rather formulating a concrete plan." Nvluo had to summon the authority of the Goddess of Earth; otherwise, it would be difficult to convince them. She hated using such a high-handed tone, but sometimes, it was necessary.

"As you command, Your Highness." Shikong and Siji ceased their objections. Yet, while they submitted in words, they remained stubborn in their hearts.

Nvluo could only offer a bitter smile. They might oppose her decisions, but once an order was given, they would support her with everything they had.

"Your Highness, what is your plan?" Shikong asked, having recovered her composure. Since the matter was decided, she would treat it with a different attitude.

"Extract one inch of earth from every land in the Mortal Realm that possesses the breath of life, taking only the most vital essence to recast the Path of Reincarnation." Nvluo finally revealed her decision.

It was a simple sentence, appearing harmless on the surface, but how could they not know the dangers hidden within?

"Your Highness!" Shikong’s voice trembled. Nvluo had chosen the most arduous path of all. If it were merely transporting common soil, the effort would be immense, but manageable with Nvluo’s power. But this?

"Shikong, do not worry. I can handle it. Since we have reached this point, we must eliminate every hidden threat; the Path of Reincarnation must be made perfect." Nvluo paused, then continued, "Though the Underworld offers no opposition now, what of the future? We must consider the shifts in all things. Among the four realms, the Mortal Realm remains the most fragile; our strength is too thin, our allies too few, and the opposing forces too powerful." Nvluo seemed lost in thought, falling silent.

Shikong and Siji exchanged a look before turning back to Nvluo. "Your Highness, whatever you decide, we shall follow to the death."

Nvluo suddenly smiled. It had been a long time since she had smiled like this. What did it matter if there was no support? She had single-handedly established the current structure of the Mortal Realm in the past; surely, she could do so now with such loyal subordinates.

However, she felt a slight confusion regarding Siji. Based on her understanding, Siji would never betray her—she still believed that—but was there some hidden story she did not know? As long as Siji did not cross a line, she would choose to forgive.

Nvluo’s smile only filled Shikong and Siji with further heartache. Her Highness always shouldered every danger, unaware that the weight of responsibility had become almost unbearable, yet she still faced it with a smile.

"Do not speak such things. Remember, no matter what I encounter, you must protect this land beneath your feet; it is my life’s work. But do not worry too much about this task; though the cost is heavy, the gains will be greater. Most importantly, remember: when you cannot protect this land, you must first protect yourselves."

"Protect ourselves?" Siji’s heart shook. In Her Highness’s heart, were they the most important?

"Yes, protect yourselves. No matter what happens, if you cannot cope, preserve your strength and wait for an opportunity. If any of you should fall, that would be the greater blow to me."

Shikong’s vision blurred. Her Highness had never spoken such words before, yet she had always acted this way. In a sense, they were incredibly fortunate, for Nvluo had carried every danger herself, sparing them from ever facing the trials of life and death directly.

Nvluo felt a strange weight to her own words, something she had never felt before. She looked out the window at the unchanging scenery, feeling as though the world itself had shifted.

Siji clenched her fists, more convinced than ever that she was doing the right thing. Those hidden threats—she would eliminate them early, leaving no room for disaster. Even if it was just an unverified rumor, what if it were true? She could not take that risk. Even if Her Highness were to punish her or strip her of her status in the future, what did it matter, as long as Her Highness was safe?

Siji steeled her resolve, never imagining that she would become the catalyst for a conspiracy, her actions leading them further and further away from the truth. By the time the truth was revealed, it would be too late for regrets.

Nvluo, lost in silence, could not have known that her words would one day come to pass. Only the silent earth witnessed this moment—a moment that would be remembered long after. But that was a story for many years to come. For now, they had a more urgent task.

"Your Highness, how shall we transport this soil to Fengdu? And the more vital the land, the more densely populated it is; we must consider the impact on humanity if the earth itself is moved." Shikong set aside her emotions. She would assist Her Highness in completing the task at hand.

"Indeed, that must be solved. But for that, I shall need your power, Shikong," Nvluo said with a smile.