114 Dark Corners

A tender voice symbolized hope. At that moment, Nuoluo felt a slight sting in her eyes; it had been a long time since she had felt this way. A surge of joy welled up from her heart—she had finally succeeded.

Unbeknownst to her, she had altered humanity’s fate in a new way, propelling the cycle of reincarnation forward.

Shaoguang was also immensely joyful, having witnessed all of Nuoluo’s efforts for the human realm.

They did not linger here long but continued their journey across the land. Except for a rare few, almost all spirits were successfully reborn, a result that left Nuoluo very satisfied. Still, there was a tinge of regret—after all, not every spirit could be reborn smoothly.

Upon returning to Fengdu City, when Time and the Four Seasons received the news, they too were greatly pleased. This outcome meant that the remaining spirits could embark on the path of reincarnation without hindrance.

Of course, not everyone welcomed this news. Far away in the divine realm, a pair of eyes filled with envy watched the happenings in the human realm.

With a sharp snap, Lei Ling crushed the crystal cup in her hand. The fragments fell to the ground, shimmering beneath the twisted expression of Her Majesty, the Queen of Heaven.

Damn it—she had actually let Nuoluo accomplish this.

Lei Ling was furious; upon learning that Nuoluo had successfully realized the reincarnation of spirits, her rage nearly overwhelmed her reason.

Now, Lei Ling wished nothing more than to destroy Nuoluo. If there were even the slightest chance, she would cast Nuoluo forever into the Abyss of the Netherworld, condemning her to eternal punishment, the cruelest torment known to the world.

Legend spoke of the Abyss of the Netherworld as a place that made even gods shudder. Once entered, one would find no peace for eternity, and even the soul would endure the most merciless tortures.

If Nuoluo were sent there now, all problems would be resolved. But this was merely Lei Ling’s delusion; opening the gateway to the Abyss was far beyond her current power.

Realizing that her anger would solve nothing and would only bring unnecessary trouble upon herself, Lei Ling quickly regained composure. Yet even so, the lingering terror in her eyes remained visible.

Nuoluo, the childhood companion who had grown up alongside her, had long since become her destined adversary.

What Nuoluo did not know was that from the very beginning, Lei Ling had been consumed by jealousy—jealous of her abilities, her beauty, the effortless way she attracted all eyes, and the casual nonchalance she displayed. These seemingly ordinary traits of Nuoluo demanded twice the effort from Lei Ling to attain.

What hurt Lei Ling most was that the human realm, once discarded like worn-out shoes, was now flourishing under Nuoluo’s hand. When the divine realm finally took notice, it was abruptly clear that the human realm had blossomed into a land of hope.

The Earth Deity lineage had not perished under Nuoluo’s hand but was instead gradually regaining its glory. How could Lei Ling tolerate this? She schemed step by step, waiting for the Heartfire of the earth to extinguish. She believed the human realm would falter thereafter—not destroyed, but its foundation broken. She planned to exploit this to erase Nuoluo’s influence and stamp her own mark on the human realm.

Unexpectedly, Nuoluo turned misfortune into fortune, gaining support from the Underworld. Furthermore, Xing Si Fuli, who had returned from the human realm, did not back Lei Ling’s schemes, nearly thwarting all her plans. Fortunately, Lei Ling was prepared.

She smiled, eager to see if Nuoluo would always be so fortunate.

“Rise!” There was a figure still kneeling on the ground.

The figure slowly stood, feeling panic stir within. The princess’s temper had become increasingly unpredictable lately, and he feared that one day, like the shattered crystal fragments on the floor, his fate would lose all value and be broken to pieces.

“How are things progressing?” Lei Ling resumed her lofty demeanor as the Queen of Heaven.

The figure immediately lifted his head in response. “Reporting to Your Majesty, only the soul of the last spirit remains.”

Had Nuoluo appeared now, she would surely be shocked. The innkeeper she had long sought now stood before Lei Ling, but the calm that once graced his face in the human realm had vanished, replaced by a veil of worry.

“Is that so?” Lei Ling was about to reprimand the innkeeper but reconsidered. This was not the time for punishment; that could wait until after the task’s completion.

Though Lei Ling smiled, her eyes held no warmth as she stared at the innkeeper.

Cold sweat beaded on the innkeeper’s brow. He feared this smile—whenever it appeared, it signaled her wrath.

“I am incompetent,” he said, offering no excuses.

“Knowing you’re incompetent yet doing nothing about it!” Lei Ling paused, then asked, “Where is that spirit now? It hasn’t been taken to the Underworld for reincarnation, has it?”

“Your Majesty, no. That spirit remains in the hands of the Four Seasons Goddess.” If reincarnation had already begun, the innkeeper could have killed him and claimed his soul, making matters simpler. But now, the problem was that he could not discover where the Four Seasons Goddess had hidden the spirit.

“The Four Seasons Goddess?” Lei Ling’s mind conjured the image of the simplest-minded deity among the human gods.

“No matter what methods you use, this matter must not fail. Otherwise...” Even without finishing, the innkeeper understood the grim implications—failure would mean a far worse fate for him.

With a wave of her hand, Lei Ling dismissed him.

A cruel and sinister gleam flashed in her eyes, transforming her from the ever-holy Queen of Heaven into the most venomous demon lord of the Demon Realm.

Even without that spirit, Lei Ling could still plunge Nuoluo into another dark abyss. If she had that spirit, Nuoluo’s doom would be certain.

“Nuoluo, do not think I will let you go this time!” Lei Ling clenched her fists tightly. She was the most powerful goddess in existence, and anyone who opposed her would pay a terrible price.

The innkeeper left the divine realm weak and weary. Looking up at the sky, he realized for the first time that beneath such radiant sunlight, there were still many dark corners—and he stood in the darkest of places, yearning for the light but falling back into darkness.

Bound by generations of loyalty, he was infinitely faithful to Lei Ling, hiding his true identity while living quietly in the human realm. Those humans would never suspect that their seemingly ordinary innkeeper was, in fact, a high god.

But what kind of god was he? In the human realm, he slaughtered innocents in search of the spirits Lei Ling desired, all to fulfill an even darker purpose: to destroy the Earth Goddess.

Over the years, he had secretly gathered the spirits of the Xiuyi tribe. Amid the calamities in the human realm, he had successfully persuaded the Four Seasons Goddess.

To his surprise, it took only a simple reason to convince her—that the Xiuyi posed a deadly threat to the Earth Goddess, especially those with silver hair, who must be eliminated.

He would never forget how the Four Seasons Goddess believed him without hesitation. Perhaps it was not trust in his words but the ominous meaning behind them—the threat to the Earth Goddess.

Her loyalty to the Earth Goddess was beyond his comprehension. She chose belief without doubt, unable to tolerate anything that might harm Nuoluo.

Yet, the Four Seasons Goddess now hid this spirit, perhaps beginning to suspect his intentions. Still, the innkeeper knew that even if he failed to obtain the spirit, there was no need to worry about it reappearing in the human realm.

The Xiuyi tribe was indeed the most mysterious among humans. Each time he saw them, he marveled that only under Nuoluo’s rule could such outstanding humans emerge. Were they to become gods, they would surpass the current deities of the divine realm.

Such thoughts were but daydreams of the innkeeper’s heart. Once, virtues that should have adorned the gods had instead appeared among humans.

The Xiuyi possessed qualities the divine realm had long lost—loyalty, wisdom, open-mindedness, diligence.

The innkeeper slapped his forehead hard. What nonsense was he thinking? It was best to finish the task assigned by Her Majesty as soon as possible. With her mercurial temper, he dared not imagine his fate otherwise—and his blood forbade betrayal.

Where exactly had the Four Seasons Goddess hidden that spirit? He must investigate carefully.

After returning to the human realm, the innkeeper was surprised to find that in the brief time since his departure, the human realm’s atmosphere had undergone a tremendous change.

There was an indescribable light of hope, as if the land itself were wholly bathed in brightness. Could this be the effect of the spirits’ reincarnation?

The innkeeper had once thoroughly investigated all information about the City of Reincarnation but had not believed success possible. After all, if spirits could reincarnate smoothly, would that not extend human life in another form? And at a terrible cost. Which goddess would make such a sacrifice? Certainly not Her Majesty, the Queen of Heaven.

Yet, by all appearances, the Earth Goddess had achieved it.

He crouched down, grasped the earth, and for the first time felt the land brimming with hope. Perhaps one day, the human realm would surpass the divine realm and become the most vibrant world.

Standing on the open land, gazing into the distance, he recalled that he, too, had once lived as a human here, protected by the Earth Goddess. If he truly harmed her, would he ever face this land with a clear conscience?

He gritted his teeth. He could not betray Lei Ling; to do so would dishonor his own bloodline.

Perhaps this was an impossible dilemma. He could not change his fate and could only watch as he sank ever deeper into the abyss of darkness.