082 The Secret of the Mountains

Night descended.
The Hundred Mile Mountains gradually bade farewell to the tranquility under the sunlight; when shrouded by the mysterious veil of night, the range exuded a wholly different aura. The mountains, transformed by darkness, now echoed with deep, somber murmurs, and under the shifting, enigmatic twilight, appeared even more desolate and cold. All warmth seemed utterly erased.

Nuoluo stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the peaks now enveloped in mystery, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes. The sudden transformation of the Hundred Mile Mountains was as if one had plummeted from the fiery blaze of Sunset Mountain directly into the icy waters of the River of the Dead—so abrupt were the changes.

As night replaced the daylight, in that fleeting moment when light and shadow met, the mountains took on a new hue.

Nuoluo watched the unfolding scene before her, everything so unpredictable. Though the mountain range had been sealed off last night, some in the city still heard the cries of wild beasts. Where had she overlooked something? Why did such changes occur in the Hundred Mile Mountains at night? What force sustained this transformation?

Nuoluo sealed the mountains once more. This time, an invisible barrier enveloped the range, her power casting a blanket over the peaks. Any disturbance within the mountains would trigger a reaction in the barrier.

Within this barrier, a mysterious power indeed contended with her own. Nuoluo’s gaze lingered near the summit, where a region shrouded in secrecy drew her attention, something she had noticed only last night.

Her eyes followed that direction, and suddenly, a figure flashed into her view—so swift it vanished in the blink of an eye.

Nuoluo hurried after the shadow, expending nearly all her strength just to keep pace.

The dark figure halted, standing at the very spot Nuoluo had observed from afar. At last, she too stopped.

She took in the figure before her, and the even smaller presence perched upon his shoulder—indeed, it was the King of the Underworld.

His destination matched hers. His silhouette was as enigmatic as the night, ethereal and elusive, impossible to ignore. He stood in silence, as if awaiting the arrival of another shadow behind him.

Nuoluo approached slowly. The Nether Butterfly perched on the King’s shoulder fluttered its wings, watching Nuoluo with excitement.

She reached out, and the Nether Butterfly joyfully descended into her palm, as if finding at last its long-sought resting place.

Nuoluo gazed at the butterfly in her hand, astonished by its transformation. This creature, bound to her by a mysterious connection, reminded her of their first encounter atop Sunset Mountain. Then, it had seemed fragile; yet since merging with her palm, the Nether Butterfly had grown with astonishing power. With each meeting, its strength intensified.

Last night, the souls of unknown beasts had again fueled the Nether Butterfly. Now, every beat of its wings exuded an indescribable aura, its flight tracing the most elegant arcs.

The King of the Underworld had sensed Nuoluo’s presence long before, even when she first appeared at the foot of the mountain. Who else possessed the power to envelop the Hundred Mile Mountains in a barrier? Among all the gods of the mortal realm, only Nuoluo could wield such force.

Yet he knew this was mere appearance—beneath her gentle aura lay endless sharpness. Should anything cross her boundaries, the benevolent goddess would instantly become a “Death Goddess” wielding a lethal blade.

In the Underworld, the King had witnessed this firsthand. Relying on her own strength, she had ventured deep into the most secretive domains of the Underworld, ultimately retreating unscathed.

Nuoluo came to stand beside the King of the Underworld; their eyes simultaneously fell upon that enigmatic place. It appeared to be a cave entrance. But a closer look revealed its peculiarity. In the night’s shadowy glow, all scenery seemed blurred, except for the cave—the color here was distinct, as though a deliberate stroke had deepened its shade amidst the darkness.

Though only Nuoluo and the King were present in the mountain range, Nuoluo could still sense the mysterious power lurking at the cave entrance.

She moved closer and caught a scent reminiscent of last night’s beasts. From the cave mouth, a black, thread-like substance continuously seeped outward.

Nuoluo remembered clearly that the scene had not been like this the night before. Was it her oversight, or had this appeared suddenly?

She recalled the beasts that had mysteriously appeared, those without warning—perhaps their deaths had revealed this place.

“Your Majesty, have you noticed anything unusual?” she asked.

The King shook his head; it was the Nether Butterfly who had first discovered the site. More precisely, it was the emergence of Nuoluo’s barrier that had exposed this place. Some force within the barrier must have revealed its true form.

Perhaps before, the beasts’ aura concealed it; now, with all the beasts gone, their souls devoured by the Nether Butterfly, the cave lost its last shield and lay fully exposed before Nuoluo.

“If my guess is correct, the aura of those beasts hid its existence. Now, it’s forced to reveal its true appearance,” the King voiced his thoughts.

Nuoluo looked at him; it was exactly as she had suspected.

From the moment the Nether Butterfly encountered the cave, it had shown unusual excitement, fluttering its wings with fervor.

The Nether Butterfly was the first to enter the cave, swiftly followed by Nuoluo and the King.

Nuoluo sensed darkness enveloping her, the light dimming further until little could be seen. She nearly feared she had entered another unknown illusion, every step uncertain, as if traversing an unfamiliar path.

She summoned a protective barrier; icy winds howled past, leaving a pungent, metallic tang. Gradually, she adapted to the gloom. At her feet, an entrance appeared, stairs descending into an underground world.

The King remained still, his gaze fixed on the steps, sensing that something momentous was about to unfold.

The Nether Butterfly continued to flit about, sometimes landing near the King’s ear, as if imparting some message. Nuoluo could not grasp its meaning; she could only watch the King.

The Nether Butterfly pressed on, intent on entering the underground world.

The King descended after it, Nuoluo close behind. Each step seemed to revisit unforgettable memories from the Underworld, etched into her soul.

Yet unlike before, when she journeyed alone, this time she felt no loneliness—there was a figure ahead, guiding her way.

The King of the Underworld’s every step was unwavering, as though traversing the most familiar path; Nuoluo merely needed to follow.

The stairs stretched endlessly downward, the wind at their ears growing ever more fierce. All around was pitch black, direction lost; they could only descend further or turn back. Yet, at least this time they trod solid ground—not a vanishing dreamscape.

The staircase appeared without end; they marched for so long, hope itself seemed to fade.

At last, they stopped. Here, the stairs vanished, and no one could have imagined that such an immense world lay hidden behind a mere cave entrance.

Nuoluo once again felt she had failed in her duties. Within her domain, such a vast underground realm had existed, and countless times she had visited the Hundred Mile Mountains, never suspecting the mountains contained a space rivaling the subterranean halls of the Underworld.

As in a dream, yet this was a real world—every inch beneath their feet was genuine earth.

Nuoluo gazed into the distance, unable to see the land’s end. Above, the dim light heightened the place’s mystique.

The King stood beside her, also surveying this world long concealed below. He had never imagined encountering such a striking sight in the mortal realm.

After igniting the Sacred Fire at the Earth's Core, the King returned to the Underworld, but peace eluded him. All was orderly there, and affairs in the City of Reincarnation had been arranged. He resolved to return to the mortal realm.

In the Hundred Mile Mountains, when he first encountered those beasts that appeared only at night, they had attracted the Nether Butterfly's attention, which had accompanied him to the human world. The butterfly was nearly ecstatic at the sight of the beasts, and the King discovered their special purpose. He also sensed some hidden power within the mountains and sought its source, never expecting to find such a vast subterranean world.

The underground world was empty, save for the ceaseless, howling wind. Occasionally, a shrill cry echoed, as if lamenting—was it complaining of its captivity, or venting nameless pain?

Nuoluo scrutinized her surroundings, searching for secrets. The Nether Butterfly settled in her palm, ceasing its flight.

The King looked to Nuoluo. “Earth Goddess, what is this place?” His curiosity was piqued—why did such a strange realm exist in the mortal world?

Nuoluo was embarrassed; everything here was foreign to her, with not a single memory of it. Her mother had never spoken of this place. Had she simply forgotten to mention it, or was she unaware of its existence?

If that were so, then even her mother did not know this place. For what purpose did such an immense underground world exist, and why was it built? It was nearly impossible for Nuoluo to learn the truth.

Too much time had passed—so long that the traces of its origin had almost been erased.

(A brief aside: Yesterday, the company celebrated early, so I posted even later! Forgive me!)