113. The Wailing Begins

Nvluo took Time's hand once more, and a wave of warmth flowed into Time’s heart. The gentle heat dispelled the coldness within, and Time gradually returned to her normal state.

The God of Dreams docked the boat at the shore and was the first to disembark, walking over to the God of Sleep. Time followed closely behind, and after all the spirits had disembarked, Nvluo was the last to step off.

"Goddess of Earth, Goddess of Time, I trust you have been well!" the God of Sleep greeted them with a beaming smile.

Nvluo smiled and returned the greeting, and Time also offered a smile, though her expression was somewhat stiff, as she had only just adjusted to the biting chill of this place.

"If you would please follow me, Goddesses," the God of Sleep said, leading the way. They stopped before a bridge. The structure appeared to float above the River of Forgetfulness, swaying so precariously it seemed it might collapse at any moment.

"Goddess of Earth, Goddess of Time, this is the final step toward rebirth. Once the spirits cross this bridge, they will be granted new life," the God of Sleep explained.

Time pondered to herself, *Is it really just a matter of crossing this bridge without any further trials? Surely it cannot be that simple.*

Indeed, it was not that simple. When Time truly stepped onto the bridge, she understood this deeply. What appeared to be an ordinary bridge required an immense expenditure of strength with every single step. If Time found it this difficult, it went without saying what the spirits were experiencing.

Time looked toward Nvluo, and they saw the same worry mirrored in each other's eyes. It was, as expected, not so simple.

Nvluo clenched her hands, occasionally glancing at the spirits struggling to walk. Fortunately, there were no catastrophic losses, yet some spirits still fell, unable to bear the agony of the journey. Nvluo once attempted to save these fallen spirits, only to find that once they collapsed, no method she employed could help them stand again; they had lost their final chance.

The God of Sleep and the God of Dreams nearby seemed oblivious to their distress, walking forward with natural composure. The God of Dreams, in particular, would have worn a provocative expression had the God of Sleep not restrained him with a glance. The God of Dreams was, of course, feeling triumphant, as he had contributed to the bridge’s design. He had infused it with the most despair-inducing elements of his dreams; no matter how beautiful something was, one could find flaws in it here, magnifying them until they transformed into an unbearable despair. It was wishful thinking for these spirits to cross easily. However, there had been some surprises; he had not expected these spirits to hold on for so long.

According to his initial vision, the power of his dreams combined with the power the God of Sleep had originally placed on the bridge should have been enough to make most of the spirits collapse. But as it stood, Nvluo’s power had once again exceeded his expectations. Nevertheless, the God of Dreams was pleased; he would not pass up any opportunity to challenge Nvluo. At the very least, Nvluo was currently unable to save those who had fallen. He was satisfied with this outcome.

Finally, they crossed the bridge. Nearly twenty percent of the spirits had fallen. This result left Nvluo feeling both heartbroken and helpless. She had no strength left to save the fallen, as her own injuries had worsened.

"Goddess of Earth, once past this point, they may re-enter the human realm. However, I must clarify one thing: all memories of the Underworld must be erased from these spirits. They cannot bring anything they have seen here into their new lives."

In truth, Nvluo already intended to do this. She even wanted to wipe away all their memories—since it was a rebirth, let the past be forgotten. Seeing that Nvluo had no objections, the God of Sleep continued, "Your Highness, since that is the case, let us begin."

The spirits watched Nvluo with extreme tension; their rebirth was about to begin. They lined up in order, and the first spirit to have braved the threshold stood at the front. Nvluo had kept the performance of all the spirits in mind, and this one had certainly not disappointed her.

Nvluo erased his memories, and while avoiding the gaze of the God of Sleep and the God of Dreams, she channeled her own power into this spirit. Although it was only a tiny spark of Fire Essence, it was enough to change his life forever.

This was something Nvluo had pondered for a long time. Human power was too insignificant; if she could integrate her own power into human life, she could elevate their innate strength, allowing them to survive any disasters that might come. She had spent a long time considering who to choose for this experiment, and now she had finally found him. This spirit had earned her recognition through his own actions. However, Nvluo did not intend to notify the Underworld of this matter; she still needed time.

One attempt, one change—the Fire Essence truly appeared in the human world, bringing massive influence to future generations.

Only Time noticed this action of Nvluo’s. She assumed it was simply Nvluo protecting the spirits so they could be reborn smoothly. It was not until many years later that Time truly understood Nvluo's ultimate goal.

After Nvluo sent all the spirits into the human realm, she was exhausted. Her injuries had deteriorated in an unusual way, and if not for the preparations she had made earlier, she truly did not know if she could have held on until the end. Yet, Nvluo did not show any signs of it. She maintained a smile as she sent the spirits off, looking at them as if they were her own children gaining a new life, full of anticipation.

Time also felt weary. She admired Nvluo’s power; Her Highness always appeared vibrant and radiant. If she could reach even thirty percent of Her Highness's strength in her lifetime, she would be content. But would such a day ever come?

The spirits had been reborn. Although they had experienced countless trials, they had finally seen the dawn, and all dangers remained under Nvluo’s control. Nvluo had resolved the problems they encountered one by one, and she had even reached a new agreement with the God of Sleep regarding the gold coins the spirits required. Once the newly reborn lives appeared in the human realm, the other spirits could follow the path of rebirth.

Before leaving the Underworld, Nvluo looked back at a place she had once visited, a sigh escaping her heart, and then she departed. Shortly after she left, a figure slowly appeared, watching her receding back in long, silent contemplation.

Nvluo and Time returned to Fengdu City, where Shaoguang and the Four Seasons were waiting anxiously. Within the Main Divine Hall, Time gave a brief account of everything that had happened in the Underworld. Now, they only needed to wait for the birth of those reborn spirits so that the others could follow in reincarnation.

Nvluo signaled for them to continue their preparations, and the others withdrew. In the empty hall, only Nvluo remained. Suddenly, her heart trembled, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She tried to wipe it away but found she had no strength in her hands; she collapsed heavily to the floor.

She did not know how much time had passed before she slowly regained consciousness. The blood at the corner of her mouth had already congealed. She slowly stood up, sat back down, and wiped away all traces once more. She could not reveal any sign of her condition. She managed to stand again, pushed open the door, and walked out. Shaoguang had been waiting outside for a long time but had not disturbed her.

"Shaoguang, accompany me to the human realm."

Shaoguang was filled with irrepressible joy. The spirits who had entered rebirth were just waiting for their final birth, and that time was within these next few days.

Time and the Four Seasons began to determine which spirits would start the next cycle of reincarnation while remaining in Fengdu City.

In the human realm, a new era had begun. Ordinary people had no idea that among those about to be born were reborn spirits, though their memories had been wiped clean. Nvluo went first to the place of the spirit she cared for most. It was an extremely wealthy household, where everyone was concerned with the arrival of the newborn.

Nvluo and Shaoguang concealed their presence, observing everything from the shadows.

"Your Highness, why come here first?" Shaoguang had assumed Nvluo would conduct a general inspection; she had not expected them to arrive here directly.

"Shaoguang, I have infused this child about to be born with the Fire Essence."

What? Shaoguang was puzzled. Even for reborn spirits, none were qualified to receive the Goddess's power. Shaoguang knew full well what the Fire Essence represented.

"Don't you understand, Shaoguang? Human power is too small. I am merely trying to improve their innate strength. If this attempt succeeds, it will bring about incalculable influence."

"Your Highness, I only worry about whether a spirit can withstand such strong power."

"I have considered that, but this spirit’s performance eased my concerns. I believe he can bear it. After all, those with a strong desire for life can create miracles beyond imagination."

"But Your Highness, will it harm you?" This was Shaoguang’s greatest fear.

"No, I will maintain control. I came today to see his state after rebirth. If possible, I want to guide him in some methods, but do not speak of this to anyone for now; I fear further complications."

"Your Highness, if possible, leave this matter to me."

Nvluo thought for a moment and nodded. She could take the opportunity to improve Shaoguang’s strength as well; her own Fire Essence was nearing the breakthrough of the sixth layer, and there were new discoveries she could pass on to Shaoguang.

"Shaoguang, from today on, you must practice diligently so you may break through soon."

Shaoguang felt a tinge of shame. Her Fire Essence had yet to show any breakthrough and remained at its initial state. Still, teaching a human should not be too difficult.

At that moment, a cry rang out through the residence. The child had been born. He announced his arrival with a resonant cry, and everyone stopped what they were doing to celebrate the birth of the new life. In the shadows, Nvluo and Shaoguang looked at each other with joy. It was this cry that gave them a unique shock; they had never known a cry could convey such wonder.