011 Origin (11)

Night. Endless night. Everything was shrouded in the thick darkness, with no light in sight, no path to follow, no direction to discern. Within the night, those eyes glimmered—cold as ancient ice buried deep beneath glaciers, exuding a chilling aura, yet bright as the most dazzling star in the sky, their flicker radiating a soul-stealing brilliance. Extreme contrast, extreme temptation.

Nuoluo gazed blankly at those eyes. In that moment, as their sights met, it felt as if they had known each other for ages, transcending the boundaries of space and time, crossing the passage of years—only each other, face to face.

Light appeared, though she knew not when. The cold, dark night faded, and those eyes gradually vanished into the endless shadows, dissolving into nothingness, unseen—as if they had never appeared, or had become cold stars. Nuoluo wanted to reach out and touch them, yet her body was utterly void of strength. Gentle rays slowly entered her vision.

Niaoniao’s gaze brimmed with concern; Liu Jia’s eyes were filled with a tangle of emotions. So, she was still in the Spirit Mirror Lake, so she had crossed the boundaries of ignorance and darkness. Nuoluo closed her eyes—the eyes she saw were gone. She opened them again.

“Ah, you’re finally awake!”

The sharp voice rang out once more, pulling her back to reality.

“Niaoniao, someday my ears will be ruined by your shrieks,” Nuoluo sighed, wanting to cover her ears, but thought better of it; angering Niaoniao might have even worse consequences.

“Niaoniao thought you’d been swallowed up, disappeared without a trace, and then, suddenly, you appeared again. Thank goodness you weren’t devoured, Niaoniao was so worried, hahahaha…”

Watching this annoying bird, unsure if it was crying from sadness or gloating, or perhaps both, Nuoluo no longer cared to distinguish. Immersed in its piercing cries, she felt as if she were trapped within a dangerous illusion.

The Earth Spirit Sacred Flame she had touched before entering the illusion grew quietly, undisturbed, as eternal as time itself. And in the palm of Nuoluo’s hand, another Sacred Flame continued its silent growth.

Liu Jia, who had always been silent, looked at Nuoluo with a calm, indifferent gaze—no joy, only tranquil composure. “You’ve obtained the Earth Spirit Sacred Flame, haven’t you?” His voice held not a trace of concern, merely stating a fact.

Nuoluo felt a pang of loss, but even more, a sense of unfamiliarity—as if they had never met, as if they were strangers passing by. He did not ask, “Are you alright? Were you hurt?” No care, no attachment, only distance.

Liu Jia felt a loss he had never known, an inexpressible complexity. He watched Nuoluo vanish, then reappear; the Sacred Flame chose her and rejected him.

From the moment Nuoluo appeared, he knew she had gained the Sacred Flame, and a gulf had formed between them. Nuoluo had grown powerful enough to challenge his authority, his place. When love turned to jealousy, everything began to change in ways neither noticed.

Ever since Nuoluo entered the Sacred Flame’s illusion, certain things had become inevitable—a vast chasm was now set.

“Yes, I got it,” Nuoluo replied.

“Congratulations. Let’s go,” Liu Jia stood, forcing a faint smile.

Niaoniao stared at them with round, unblinking bird eyes, then suddenly flashed a strange smile.

“Alright. Let’s go, let’s go.” Niaoniao flapped its tiny wings, finally deciding that Nuoluo’s shoulder was the most comfortable place, and settled there.

The descent was peaceful—gone was the anxiety and uncertainty of their ascent, replaced by a sense of melancholy.

No words were exchanged, only quiet steps along the path.

After a long walk, Nuoluo finally broke the silence. “Liu Jia, is your wound alright?”

“It’s nothing now,” Liu Jia replied, unmoved.

Walking through familiar scenes, Nuoluo closed her eyes. The shattered divine fragments tugged at the deepest strings of her heart—ancestral bloodlines, her kin. The devouring flames still burned, but she was no longer ignorant. Having learned the truth, she let her soul feel the fragments, sense the lives that once were, the sacrifices they had made.

These ethereal shards seemed to resonate with her soul, gathering together. Deep within, she heard laughter—proud, satisfied laughter. Did they know she had obtained the Sacred Flame? They knew, she imagined their smiling faces, their blessings.

In this moment, Nuoluo was happy, even if only with broken divine fragments. There was a connection called bloodline, a mission called family inheritance, a power called endless life. Generations bound by blood, passed on endlessly.

A tear slid down her cheek, streaking across her face and disappearing.

In this moment, she was not alone, but surrounded by happiness. Thank you for everything you did, for your sacrifices, thank you.

Thank you for this journey to Sunset Mountain, heartfelt gratitude. Now she knew her responsibilities, her duties, the mission she carried, the weight of this honor.

Farewell, ancestors. Farewell—I will shoulder everything I must.

Descending Sunset Mountain, they returned to the Twilight Inn. It felt distant, as if from another lifetime. They took their seats once more.

The innkeeper looked down at his ledger, the waiter busily greeted customers. Everything was as warm and familiar as before, far from the shadows of death, far from secrets.

As they entered, all eyes focused on them.

The waiter scrutinized the newcomers—white robes as pure as snow, red robes radiant. Yet something was different—a more formidable power.

He recalled the mysterious man in black who had left hurriedly a quarter hour ago, casting a meaningful smile toward Sunset Mountain as he departed. The waiter shivered—such a smile, melting glaciers, fire in the rapids, a wave of heat rushing from beneath the ice, full of deadly allure. When the man left, the waiter felt drained, leaning weakly against the doorframe. Who was his prey? Such determined intent—he mourned silently for that life.

The waiter speculated on the trio’s identities. Deep down, a realization came—they matched the legends, standing at the pinnacle of the world. But he kept these thoughts to himself; he dared not betray even a hint.

Here, do not challenge the strong. More importantly, do not pry into guests’ identities.

For any deity who challenged Sunset Mountain, the path ahead was often a one-way road. Few succeeded; fewer still escaped unscathed.

Even those who succeeded must spend ages absorbing the mountain’s power. Yet these three—not only unharmed, but their strength had increased in a short time—unheard of.

The innkeeper looked up at the woman in red, keenly noticing that she was surrounded by a layer of spiritual light, enveloped by ice and fire. Hard to believe ice and fire could harmonize so perfectly, hard to believe her power could grow so swiftly. Every move radiated greater strength.

The Earth Goddess—her reputation was well deserved. As formidable as legend claimed.

Nuoluo felt countless gazes upon her—envy, jealousy, curiosity, speculation, weighing, comparison, all complex and unspoken.

She was not surprised. Now she only wished to quietly recover and organize her thoughts. The road ahead remained long. Obtaining the Sacred Flame was only the first step.

Thinking of her right hand—what more would she lose in the future? Now, if not for the Sacred Flame’s warmth, it would likely feel nothing, a perfect, powerless ornament.

Seeing those envious looks, Nuoluo smiled bitterly. No one knew what she had lost or endured. If—just if—she could choose, she would rather live quietly in a peaceful corner, watching flowers bloom and fall, watching the sun rise and set, never spill blood, never bear heavy burdens, cast aside all identities, live serenely.

But such things are only if.

Liu Jia’s silence, Nuoluo’s sorrowful contemplation. What about Niaoniao?

Niaoniao was angry. Did they think it was deaf?

“Look, what is that, a chick?”

“No, it’s a bird,”

“In Sunset Mountain, could it be a phoenix?”

“Nonsense, have you ever seen such an ugly phoenix? It must be a bird that entered the mountain and, by luck, survived and became like this.”

“I bet it’s a phoenix. What other bird could survive in Sunset Mountain?”

…

Everyone discussed in whispers—quiet, yet just loud enough for Niaoniao to hear.

Niaoniao glared at everything in sight, but it was of little use.

Its two supposed masters showed not a hint of indignation for Niaoniao’s plight.

Everything rested on Niaoniao alone. Once more, it cursed the ungrateful wretch—Liu Jia was barely worth noticing.

Niaoniao opened its beak, shrieking “hahaha” to the heavens. In that cry, fierce flames landed on those damned people who had just discussed it.

Watching their hair and brows turn to ashes, Niaoniao smiled triumphantly, let out an even sharper cry. Let them bully Niaoniao—now they’d see a lesson.

——Extra——

Over thirty thousand words, a little encouragement for myself.