044 The Shadow Guardians of the Nether Realm (1)

The vanished path appeared once more, narrow steps guiding the way forward—the only way, the road that led to the final destination.

Stepping out of the illusion, she felt reality again. The road ahead had never truly disappeared; it had merely hidden itself in a place beyond her sight. Once passed by, what was lost might be lost forever.

As Nuoluo walked, she pondered the true master of the illusion. Would she encounter another mysterious force in this place? The Netherworld deserved its reputation as the most enigmatic of all realms. From the moment she entered, it seemed she had wandered into a labyrinth of riddles, each step drawing her deeper into secrets she was compelled to unravel.

At the end of the stairs, she saw a world below, fathomless and endless. She had long since forgotten how far she had walked or how much time had passed. It felt as though she were once more treading the road of reincarnation.

Time in the Netherworld seemed strangely warped—either stretching into infinity or compressing into nothing. How long had it been? A day, a month, a year? And in the mortal realm, how much had passed? Was it long enough to spell the end of all life? She could only hope that when she returned, it would not be too late.

To recreate a world required countless generations of effort, yet to destroy one took but a moment. Life was so fragile in the face of disaster, and yet, hope bestowed a new meaning upon that frailty.

Nuoluo’s light footsteps shattered the silence that had long reigned in this space. Yet she knew that beneath the surface of this calm, countless cruel, wicked eyes watched her from the unseen dark.

She had traversed endless barriers and illusions since Sunset Mountain, each challenge bringing forth stronger foes, each crisis lurking in the unseen. Illusory forces swirled around her, impossible to distinguish from reality.

The line between what was real and what was not had all but vanished. With a single misstep, she might wander into an unknown illusion; in the next instant, she could be destroyed by a formidable barrier. In her most desperate moments, the real world shone like a beacon in the darkness, appearing just when she needed it most. Was this the power of perseverance, or the hand of fate?

She had survived countless life-and-death trials, learned so much from blood and tears. Perhaps her desire for life now surpassed all other beliefs, forged by years of struggling in the land of the dead. Now, Nuoluo could grasp things she had never imagined before.

Everything had a weakness; no secret could be hidden beneath a veil forever. Like all things in the Netherworld, no matter how well concealed, the scent of death could not be erased—it emanated from the bone, carrying the cold of utter destruction.

The deeper she went, the more intense this sensation became. The familiar aura reminded her of the illusion she had just left. Only the master of the illusion could radiate such a force, both all-encompassing and all-devouring. But this time, everything felt real—gone was the haziness of illusion. The world beneath her feet was solid, terrifyingly so.

If the flames of Sunset Mountain could melt all things, then here, the cold was enough to freeze them solid. The chill and gloom surpassed even her first entry into this underground world.

Could the Netherfire truly be without warmth? Perhaps, like the Sacred Flame of the Earth, it required an environment of absolute opposition to sustain its growth.

As Nuoluo contemplated this, a sudden halo of light appeared above her head, so bright that for a moment, she forgot she was deep underground.

Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the brilliance, and by its light, she searched for a way forward.

To her amazement, in the shadows beyond the reach of the light, she sensed a multitude of eyes upon her. Some were familiar. Suddenly, she remembered—they were the Devouring Wraiths who had vanished in the first level of the illusion. Only they could glare with such wicked malice.

Bathed in light, Nuoluo did not relax her guard. The sudden brightness had turned her into an obvious target—she could not see the darkness, but the eyes within it watched her every move.

Yet, none of the Devouring Wraiths attacked. They seemed to be waiting for something. And what of the one who had been taken away? What was he doing now?

Nuoluo noticed the halo above her was moving, as if beckoning her onward. She stood still, unwilling to trust such guidance. The halo, as if understanding her thoughts, stopped as well. Who was controlling it?

A long, tense silence followed. Neither she nor the halo moved—only the light shimmered faintly.

Nuoluo watched the manipulated halo and realized she was right.

A quiet laugh from the darkness caught her attention. Who was laughing? The voice felt oddly familiar, as if she had heard it before. Since entering the Netherworld, she had sensed a strange, unexplainable connection to this place. She was certain she had never been here before, yet the voice—had it appeared before, in another guise?

Her expression did not change. The sound surprised her, but now was not the time for her to show it.

Another laugh, this time with a note of mockery. Who was he?

“Since you’ve come, why not enter?” At last, he spoke. How to describe his voice? It seemed to echo from the farthest reaches of the heavens, ethereal and almost illusory, yet impossible to ignore. His words filled every corner of the space, and upon hearing them, Nuoluo knew—he was the master of the illusion. Only he could speak with such authority.

His illusions were just like him: otherworldly, commanding.

The halo above her flickered again, indicating the way forward. Since she had come this far, why not trust him once more? The true danger lay ahead, not here. For one as powerful as he, there was no need for deception.

She followed the halo onward—another long and seemingly endless road. Once again she walked alone, the path empty and strange, as if she were back on the road of reincarnation.

Above, the halo’s light grew ever weaker, like a lantern flickering in a storm, threatening to go out at any moment. The dimming light flashed and faded, making it impossible to see the already shadowed world. In an instant, the halo vanished, and darkness engulfed everything.

Nuoluo did not panic. The disappearance of the light meant only one thing—the moment she had been waiting for had arrived.

As she expected, the space began to change. Deep beneath the Palace of the Nether King, a vast chamber unfolded before her.

It was almost like another illusion, space stretching endlessly—sky and earth reaching out until, at the horizon, they seemed to merge into one, forming a massive, enclosed world.

In this vastness, Nuoluo felt insignificant, nearly invisible. Was this the world in which the Netherfire grew?

As she surveyed her surroundings, a familiar presence approached. He was here.

A figure slowly appeared before her. Though no barrier shielded him, his overwhelming aura pressed upon Nuoluo, making her feel an immense pressure.

The master of the illusion had finally revealed himself. As he appeared, the space shifted once more. What had been endlessly vast now rapidly contracted, shrinking to the size of an ordinary temple. It happened in a blink, a testament to his power—he could shape this realm at will. Or perhaps, she had wandered into yet another illusion without realizing it. Such was the mystery of this world and its formidable master.

At last, he stood before Nuoluo, the layers of mystery peeled away.

He studied her with interest, curious to see the lone intruder who had reached this place on her own. Never before had a deity entered here by sheer force of will. She was even stronger than he had imagined—she had actually broken his illusion with her own hands.

As he examined Nuoluo, she observed him as well. Her first impression: mysterious and strong. Everything about him seemed concealed behind a veil of darkness, impossible to see clearly.

She knew a little of the Nether King and the three great lords of the Underworld, but before this figure, she knew nothing. She had never suspected such a being was hidden beneath the Palace of the Nether King.

He stood there with the bearing of a true sovereign, his power no less than that of the Nether King. Who was he?

In one corner, Nuoluo noticed movement. It was the Devouring Wraith who had been taken from the illusion. He watched her, twisting his grotesque form.

If he was here, the other wraiths who had vanished must be as well, lurking in the darkness.

“We meet again,” Nuoluo said coldly, watching the wraith attempt to make itself invisible. She glanced again and saw her seal still held—after so long, it had not been undone.

The wraith’s expectant look reminded her of the shattered god-fragment he had once devoured. There were still answers she needed from him.

The master of the illusion also observed the wraith. He had never removed the seal, merely waiting for the right moment. That extraordinary seal, even for him, would take time to break. Moreover, beneath it, he sensed another, subtler force—so faint it seemed to wish to remain unnoticed.

He had yet to unravel this mystery. Though he had found a way to break the seal, he hesitated to act. But now, with Nuoluo present, why not see what this power truly meant?

With a wave of his hand, all restraints on the Devouring Wraith vanished. As he expected, that strange power remained, faintly circling the wraith.

Freed at last, the wraith stood upright, casting a smug look at Nuoluo, as if to prove her seal had failed.

Nuoluo was not surprised. For the master of the illusion, breaking her seal was a simple matter. Even so, another layer of invisible power remained on the wraith—enough for her to uncover some truth.

—End of Chapter—

First day of the new volume—excited and delighted!