106 A Ray of Sunshine

A wisp of sunlight fell quietly upon Nvluo’s slightly pale face. She was still in a deep sleep, though the occasional furrowing of her brows betrayed her unease; she could not find true peace even in her rare moments of rest.

Nvluo opened her eyes. She reflexively closed them again—the day had already dawned. How long had she slept?

Opening them once more, she raised her hand. Fortunately, her fingers had ceased their trembling.

She sat up. Her injuries were under control, and the sensation of being torn apart had subsided.

Nvluo leaned against her couch. She did not go out immediately; since Space and Seasons had not come to wake her, it meant they were still capable of handling matters.

It had been a long time since she enjoyed such leisure. The sunlight outside spilled across the earth, and even from here, she could feel its warmth.

Nvluo stood up and pushed open the window. A brilliant scene lay before her, yet it was disturbingly silent.

She walked out into the hall; only the sound of her own soft footsteps echoed. Space and Seasons did not appear.

Nvluo returned to the spot where she had collapsed the night before. She had wiped away every trace; no one would ever know what had happened there. Though the physical evidence was gone, the past remained. Now, Nvluo could only hope her condition would not worsen again. She needed to hold on until the City of Reincarnation was successfully established before she could find even a moment’s relief.

Under the same bright light, another figure was lost in contemplation.

Sunlight was a blessing to the Mortal Realm, but to the Underworld? It was perhaps a different experience entirely.

The God of Sleep stood quietly by the window, watching the dazzling sun. His mood was strangely complex. He had never imagined he would linger in the Mortal Realm for so long, nor that he would one day become familiar with the scent of sunlight—a warmth never felt in the Underworld.

Last night, the goddesses Space and Seasons had visited him, informing him that the Path of Reincarnation was complete and that the spirits would soon begin their cycle. He had merely smiled and acknowledged the news.

He had not missed their expressions of surprise. They must have wondered why he had changed so much in such a short time. But why should he explain?

Should he tell them it was the Sovereign’s command not to interfere too much? Or was it because he, too, wanted to see what kind of miracle she would create and what surprises the City of Reincarnation would bring? As expected, she had succeeded once again.

The God of Sleep would never forget the shock he felt when he first heard the Goddess of Earth intended to build a City of Reincarnation in the Mortal Realm.

At the time, she had been forced to accept the Sovereign’s conditions, yet she had managed to persuade the Sovereign to transform the City of Death into the City of Reincarnation.

From the moment the Sovereign nodded, he knew things were quietly shifting. In an intangible way, she was changing the Sovereign, though neither he nor she realized it at the time.

The construction of the City of Reincarnation was no simple task. Had he been in charge, he would not have allowed it to proceed so smoothly.

But when he arrived at Fengdu City, he was told she had already left.

The God of Sleep felt a deep sense of loss at missing Nvluo. He channeled this frustration into more demanding conditions.

He had engaged in a fierce argument with the goddess of Space, even proposing the demolition of the Temple of the Goddess of Earth. The reactions of Space and Seasons had been predictable—their anger was understandable.

If the Divine Realm were to suddenly decide to tear down the Temple of the Underworld King, he would surely fight back; it was not just a temple, but a symbol of power. Although Fengdu City would eventually belong to the Underworld, it did not yet. To tear down the Temple of the Goddess of Earth would have been an insult to the Mortal Realm.

To his surprise, when she returned to Fengdu City and heard the news, she did not react with anger, but calmly accepted the fact. He later realized that in her heart, power was always secondary; her departure from Fengdu City had been for the sake of the Mortal Realm’s safety.

Her actions always defied his expectations, yet they felt as if they were exactly as they should be.

Building the Path of Reincarnation was inherently difficult. She had even proposed replacing all the soil required for the path with materials from the Mortal Realm. To him, this seemed impossible; while spirits originated from the Mortal Realm, their final destination was the Underworld, and the two realms were inherently antagonistic.

Yet, she had paved a road filled with spirits using materials that were their natural antithesis. She had succeeded.

When the earth shook last night, he knew what had happened. He had longed to witness the miracle, but he restrained himself. The Sovereign had instructed him not to interfere with events in Fengdu City, but to wait for the final report.

And indeed, he had received the news he expected, yet was still startled by: the Path of Reincarnation was complete. As the spirits began their cycle, he was curious—what kind of vitality would they gain? He would now inform the Sovereign; perhaps there were new discoveries to be made.

The God of Sleep opened his hand, letting the bright light stream through his fingers. Would the reborn spirits be able to possess such brilliant lives?

Nvluo sat quietly in the Main Divine Hall. Space and Seasons had not appeared. Choosing the spirits was clearly a complex task—which ones should be selected first?

This was a new attempt. Though it offered the possibility of new life, what they might encounter on that long path remained unknown. If the first batch failed, it would directly affect all future progress.

Furthermore, she had only reached the banks of the River of Oblivion. Would that ferry successfully guide the spirits to the other shore? Would everything in the Underworld change drastically after her departure? What had she overlooked?

At this thought, Nvluo felt a flicker of agitation. She could not bear to sit here and merely guess at the outcome. She had to see for herself.

Space and Seasons were selecting the first spirits for reincarnation, separating them out and waiting for Nvluo’s approval.

Space hid her guilt deep within, determined to work twice as hard to make amends for her mistakes. Looking at the spirits about to step onto the Path of Reincarnation, she felt a mix of joy and anxiety. She prayed that no further errors would occur.

Seasons stood beside her, looking at Space with a complex expression. "Space, will these spirits be able to pass through the Path of Reincarnation safely?"

"Of course. What are you thinking?" Space looked at the usually calm Seasons, whose behavior was uncharacteristic. She attributed it to excessive worry.

"Nothing. I’m just worried! I hope nothing goes wrong."

"I hope so too. I wouldn’t be able to face Her Highness if there were an accident."

"Why would you not be able to face me?" Nvluo’s voice sounded by Space’s ear.

"Your Highness, why are you here?" Space studied Nvluo carefully, and seeing that she seemed to have recovered, she finally relaxed.

"Your Highness, you should rest more. You can leave this to me and Seasons."

"Yes, Your Highness, you really should rest. Your complexion last night truly frightened me."

"I was just tired. I am fine now." Nvluo did not want to explain too much, and the expressions of the two goddesses showed they had not detected her injuries.

"Your Highness, these are the first spirits to undergo reincarnation. I was waiting for you to wake up to report this, but I didn't expect you to come yourself," Space said, gesturing toward the spirits.

Nvluo watched the spirits, observing them one by one. By the time she finished, she felt a profound disappointment. In their varied faces, she sensed an irrepressible despair.

Even though their expressions were better than those she had seen in the Underworld, she sighed.

"Your Highness, is there a problem?" Nvluo’s sigh made Space nervous; she did not want her mistakes to affect the plan, nor did she want to disappoint Nvluo.

"I was just reflecting. If the time were extended any further, would we no longer see any hope in their faces at all? Without reincarnation, they would wear away their last shred of hope in utter despair, and then vanish." Nvluo suddenly thought of the spirit Niao Niao had mentioned, one she would never get to meet. If he were here, would he be just as filled with despair?

"Your Highness, these are the most vibrant spirits among the dead. Because this is the first reincarnation, we had to choose those with a strong desire for life so they would have more hope. I am sorry to have disappointed you!"

"Space, this has nothing to do with you. Besides, compared to the spirits I have seen in the Underworld, these are far better. At the very least, one can still sense a faint glimmer of hope in them. You have done well."

"Then, Your Highness..." Space truly could not imagine what kind of spirit could die full of hope.

"I was merely wondering if there truly exists a kind of person who brings hope to others in life, faces death with a smile, and even after becoming a spirit, continues to face it with a smile!" Nvluo’s earnest expression made Space think that perhaps such a spirit could exist. But unfortunately, she had not yet seen one.

Nvluo suddenly turned to Seasons with a faint smile. "Seasons, don't you agree?"

Seasons clearly had not expected Nvluo to ask her this. "Perhaps there are... I do not know! If such a one exists, I must see them!"