123 The Conspiracy of the Divine Realm

If it were the Celestial Realm, what would they ultimately hope to gain? Once she fell or some unforeseen tragedy occurred, the Mortal Realm would inevitably face a power vacuum. Neither Shaoguang, Time-Space, nor the Four Seasons possessed the ability to rule the entire Mortal Realm. The Celestial Realm could then seize the opportunity to intervene and eradicate the lineage of the Earth Gods entirely. In a darker scenario, the Celestial Realm could destroy the entire Mortal Realm to create a new world in its place.

If they merely sought to replace her rule, Nuoluo would not be worried; it was the latter that truly concerned her. However, she still held a bargaining chip: the Sacred Fire of the Earth's Core had been ignited, and the crisis of the Mortal Realm’s survival had been averted. The Celestial Realm was unaware of this secret, and she hoped they would not take any rash actions.

It would not be so easy for the Celestial Realm to destroy her using merely a few spirits. She only hoped her suspicions were wrong; after all, she had never wished to see the day when she would have to turn her weapons against the Celestial Realm.

Yet, how could Leiling ever give up? It was no wonder the Celestial Realm had been so quiet lately, and there had been no news of Fuli. Connecting these recent events, only the Celestial Realm would act in such a way.

"Have you realized something?" Litian did not miss any shift in Nuoluo's expression.

"I hope I am wrong!" Nuoluo did not know how to explain her conjectures or how to articulate them to Litian. Looking back, it was a bizarre situation: the Celestial Realm, which should have been her closest ally, now stood in opposition, while the Underworld, which should have been her enemy, fought by her side.

"Wrong? I think not," Litian replied, easily guessing her thoughts. "It is not impossible for the Celestial Realm to use spirits against you, especially the spirits of the Xiuyi clan. A single spirit has the strength to temporarily contest me; if many such spirits were gathered together, what kind of power would that possess? Your sudden collapse was by no means an accident."

Although Litian had little contact with the Celestial Realm, he recalled rumors and remembered how the Celestial Realm had stood idly by when the Mortal Realm suffered, sometimes even kicking them while they were down. The Celestial Realm was not as virtuous as it appeared; to call it shameful would be an understatement.

Yet, Litian remained puzzled about how they had managed it. After all, they were on the soil of the Mortal Realm, and harming the Goddess of Earth was no simple feat. Perhaps he and Nuoluo had overlooked something; maybe the Celestial Realm had not intended for Nuoluo to simply fall into a coma, but his sudden intervention had altered their original plan.

"Wanting to harm me is no easy task!" Whatever their conspiracy, she would not let them succeed. Nuoluo did not want to admit defeat easily. At the very least, she could not lose to Leiling. The thought of everything in the Mortal Realm being handed over to her was terrifying. Since when had Leiling become such a person? The pursuit of power had cost her the most precious things.

"Nuoluo, how did you know that the spirit called Luoyun was in the River of Oblivion?" Litian did not believe her knowledge of spirits surpassed his own, but this question puzzled him. It was nearly impossible to know the identity of a spirit in the River of Oblivion, yet Nuoluo had managed it.

"I did not learn it in the River of Oblivion, but encountered her previously in the Dream Realm of the Dream God. I entered her dreamscape; meeting her again in the River of Oblivion later was unexpected even for me."

So that was it. If they had met in the Dream Realm, it was explainable; Nuoluo’s power was greater than the Dream God’s, so she could naturally break through the Dream God's illusions.

"Litian, can you promise me one thing? Can you bring Luoyun's spirit out of the River of Oblivion?" Although Nuoluo felt the request was excessive, she wanted to try.

"No," Litian refused without hesitation.

Nuoluo should have expected such a result. She had done her best, and for Luoyun, she could only say she was sorry.

"However, since that spirit wishes to accompany her, he may enter the River of Oblivion. While it seems cruel to you and me, to him, it is a different kind of reunion. As for that child, you may keep him."

Nuoluo was surprised. In her impression, Litian would never have said such a thing. When had he ever cared about the affairs of spirits? If she kept the child, could it make up for some of Luoyun's regrets?

But how was she to help the child? To let him grow up in the Mortal Realm and embark on the path of reincarnation once his spirit possessed sufficient power—if Litian said it was possible, then it must be.

Nuoluo felt an inexplicable connection to the child. The longer they were in contact, the stronger this feeling became, as if letting him be reborn was an unavoidable responsibility in her destiny. Years later, Nuoluo realized that some fates were predestined; from the moment she met Luoyun, the entanglements of fate had only just begun.

"Since the spirits of the Xiuyi clan possess such miraculous power, that child might be of great help to you. At the very least, he must not fall into the hands of the Celestial Realm, nor should he be allowed to simply vanish."

Nuoluo nodded. She also wanted to see what kind of conspiracy lay hidden within. Her gaze seemed to transcend the Mortal Realm, looking toward the distant sky. She would not let the conspiracy succeed; at the very least, the Mortal Realm would not be handed over to Leiling.

Nuoluo felt exhausted. It had been a strain to hold on for so long, and now that some mysteries had been unveiled, she wanted to rest.

Shaoguang’s voice came from outside the hall. Litian left, as there were matters he needed to avoid.

Shaoguang entered the Main Divine Hall and closed the door behind her, her expression tense. "Your Highness, how are your injuries?"

"Do not worry too much; I can still hold on. Why do you look worse than I do? What has happened?"

Shaoguang hesitated, and Nuoluo’s eyes darkened.

"Your Highness, the Four Seasons’ injuries are severe, but while I was treating her, I discovered something strange. Her aura bears a resemblance to Niaoniao’s. I have some suspicions."

"Similar to Niaoniao’s aura? Are you saying the shopkeeper is connected to Niaoniao?"

"Your Highness, I dare not be certain, but I have my doubts. After all, Niaoniao’s origins are quite peculiar."

Nuoluo had never doubted Niaoniao, and she had no desire to delve into its origins. If Niaoniao did not want to speak, she would not ask. Yet, Shaoguang had clearly discovered something. How could it be connected to the shopkeeper?

She had seen for herself the disgust Niaoniao displayed toward the Celestial Realm when they went there. Aside from its identity, Niaoniao had hidden nothing, nor had it ever sought anything. Could it be that Niaoniao had hidden its true nature so well?

"Keep this to yourself for now. Do not let word leak out until we have an exact answer."

Shaoguang nodded. She only had suspicions; after all, in the time she had spent with Niaoniao, she did not believe Niaoniao would do anything to harm Her Highness.

"Your Highness, what should be done about the Four Seasons?"

"How are her injuries?"

"They are no longer life-threatening, but this incident has been a great blow to her. She believes she has failed you and is in very low spirits."

Nuoluo had never thought the Four Seasons would betray her, but she did not want to forgive her too easily. The Four Seasons’ thoughts were sometimes too simple, making her susceptible to being used. She could help her now, but what about in the future? What if she caused serious consequences? Should she really have her soul extinguished? Nuoluo did not wish to see such a tragic outcome, so using this time to let her learn a lesson would be beneficial for her future.

"Sentence her to wall-facing meditation!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Shaoguang was delighted. Her Highness still did not have the heart to punish the Four Seasons severely. While wall-facing was arduous, it was also a way to improve one's power; such a punishment was already an act of grace.

"Shaoguang, punishment is never my intent. I only hope the Four Seasons can learn her lesson. I truly fear that one day she might commit an unforgivable error, and I would be forced to punish her. I do not wish for that day to come, but her temperament is different from yours and Time-Space’s. I am truly worried for her!"

"Your Highness, the Four Seasons truly knows she was wrong this time. I believe she will take this lesson to heart."

"Shaoguang, my injuries are related to those missing spirits."

What? Related to those spirits? That meant the Four Seasons had, to some extent, acted as an accomplice. That Her Highness could still punish her in such a way—the Four Seasons was truly fortunate.

Shaoguang often worried about the Four Seasons, but the one thing she was certain of was that the Four Seasons would never betray Her Highness. She had been used this time, but what about the next? Her Highness was right; once she committed a grave error, there would be no going back.

"Your Highness, although the Four Seasons was used, her error cannot be easily forgiven. Let us choose a more arduous place for her meditation; it will serve as a warning to her."

Nuoluo agreed to Shaoguang’s proposal.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" Shaoguang was even more worried for Nuoluo. Everything the Four Seasons received today was what she deserved, but what about Her Highness? How would she resolve all of this?

"Do not worry. I can still control my current injuries. When the day comes that I truly can no longer hold on, Shaoguang, you must take charge of everything. If something happens that you cannot handle, do not force it. Preserve your strength and wait for the right moment." Nuoluo trusted Shaoguang, but she feared that if the Celestial Realm took action, Shaoguang might resort to extremes if she could not cope.

"Your Highness, you will be fine. How could I possibly take charge of the entire Mortal Realm?" Shaoguang felt an inexplicable sense of sorrow; the more she thought, the more terrified she became.

"Shaoguang, I am speaking of 'if.' Should an accident occur, you must first protect yourself. The Mortal Realm will not be so easily destroyed."

For the first time, Shaoguang had the urge to interrupt Nuoluo. Was Her Highness giving her final instructions?

"Shaoguang, the Celestial Realm has officially intervened in this matter. My injuries may be part of a conspiracy!"