076 Gathering of the Undead

Within the city of Fengdu, the winds and clouds shifted dramatically.

Even if Nyla wished to leave at this moment, what of the countless spirits that had materialized? They gathered as if summoned by an unseen force, their numbers swelling by the heartbeat. Gazing into the sky, one would almost believe it had become a world of the dead.

The mournful wails and anguished cries, saturated with pain and resentment, now cloaked the temple in an aura of death. If nothing was done, the temple would soon be utterly devoured by the spirits.

Nyla summoned a barrier. She could not make these souls vanish entirely, nor could she allow them to drift unchecked. With the power of ice, she confined the spirits within the barrier, swirling snowflakes herding them inside.

But those trapped were unwilling to submit; they battered relentlessly at the shimmering walls, desperate for freedom. Meanwhile, the spirits surging outside the barrier now focused all their attention on Nyla.

They gazed at her with the most sorrowful eyes, and then surged toward her.

None among Shaoguang, Four Seasons, and Time had ever witnessed so many spirits appear at once. They closed around Nyla, summoning their own barriers to shield her.

Misty’s expression betrayed undisguised disgust; only the underworld could produce such a scene, and it dredged up bitter memories of darker times.

Fuli, too, gathered spirits with his power, brow creased, unable to fathom why Nyla merely confined them rather than erasing their existence.

The Lord of the Underworld watched the ceaseless procession of souls. With a flick of his finger, that abyssal rift—the one that once swallowed spirits whole—opened anew above the temple.

The spirits, recognizing the rift, turned ashen; they knew they were about to be consumed.

From the heart of the rift billowed black currents, like countless hands dragging the spirits into eternal oblivion.

One after another, the spirits above the barrier were devoured. Nyla, seeing the rift reappear, sensed its malice. Should the spirits fall prey to this maw, their fate would be sealed in utter misery.

Those about to be consumed wailed in agony, fighting desperately against their doom, but in the face of the Underworld Lord’s might, their struggle was pitifully futile. They had no choice but to yield to fate.

Suddenly, Nyla intervened, stopping the Lord of the Underworld. Wielding the power of the Flame Sword, she sealed the rift for a moment.

Time seemed to freeze; the spirits, spared for now from oblivion, remained motionless and tightly bound.

All eyes—those of the spirits, brimming with grief, rage, and defiance—fixed upon Nyla and the Underworld Lord.

“Your Majesty, stay your hand!” Nyla pleaded, gazing at the Lord. She knew he meant to help her, yet she could not stand idly by and watch these spirits be devoured.

The Lord hesitated, puzzled by her words. Did she not realize that mercy to these spirits was cruelty to herself? Their presence drained her strength.

Nyla met his gaze, unwavering in her resolve.

"Is that so? Since the Earth Goddess insists, as you wish," the Lord said, withdrawing his power with a quiet sigh, hardly believing he had relented yet again. By his will, the spirits should have been erased.

Freed from his suppression, the spirits glimpsed hope—and immediately attempted to attack Nyla.

She tightened her barrier, restoring light to the sky above the temple. But some things, once begun, cannot be easily ended.

Since the Sacred Flame at the earth’s core had rekindled, with life’s return to the land, all the evils once buried began to surface.

How many dangers still lurked unseen? How many perils awaited Nyla? This mass awakening of spirits was only the first act of looming catastrophe. Nyla sensed that the road ahead would be even more perilous. From the moment she set out for Sunset Mountain, everything had been set in motion.

Now, all humanity seemed shrouded in the shadow of death—a suffocating oppression not from the underworld, but from their own world. It was as if countless invisible hands clawed at her, wishing to tear her apart—yet she could not find the culprit.

Fuli watched Nyla, his expression complex as he observed her every move.

Perhaps the Earth God’s lineage truly was different. In Nyla, he saw not a trace of lust for power. Even when faced with spirits who could harm her, she chose forgiveness, offering hope to the innocent victims. Perhaps here lay the greatest difference between her and Leiling.

Nyla gazed long at the temple. There was no longer any dispute over Fengdu’s fate. Soon, the once-glorious sanctuary would be utterly transformed. All her memories and sacrifices for this place would become history.

Within the barrier, the spirits still struggled desperately. Nyla dared not release them; freed, they could wreak even greater havoc.

She approached the spirits and saw their faces, each marked by different emotions. In their expressions, she glimpsed their helplessness and futile struggle at the edge of death, their submission after failing to resist fate.

Misty tugged at her sleeve and softly asked, "Nyla, are you sure you wish to grant even these spirits a chance at rebirth?" She pointed to one among them.

Following Misty's gaze, Nyla saw the spirit devouring others—just as she had once seen in the underworld, feeding on fragments of souls. Such a spirit had no right to exist.

Nyla shook her head. The opportunity she fought for was only for those who had done good in life, or the innocents who perished in this calamity—not for spirits inherently evil, who preyed upon their own kind.

Channeling her power, a single snowflake pierced the devouring spirit, which vanished with a scream.

She could not allow such beings to persist. Witnessing this, the remaining spirits recoiled, ceasing all movement. Yet some still tried to consume others, seeking the strength to break free; every one of these was destroyed.

Those who remained alive stared at Nyla in terror, recognizing her as a goddess who could erase them with a single blow. They chose to submit.

"Your Highness, what should be done with these spirits?" the Goddess of Time asked, gesturing at the survivors.

"Keep them confined here for now. As for this, what is Your Majesty’s opinion?" she turned to the Lord of the Underworld.

"If these spirits had appeared in the underworld, there would be only one fate for them: oblivion. But since you insist on building a City of Reincarnation and are so determined to protect them, let them remain in the mortal world for now." To the Lord, erasing these spirits was best, but Nyla insisted on her plan. As sovereign of death, he instinctively resisted the idea of preserving life. Yet since meeting Nyla, he found himself quietly changing. He was curious—what would the creation of a City of Reincarnation truly bring? He would watch and see. Perhaps one day, Nyla would realize how naïve her hope had been.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Nyla said, understanding his concession.

"Time, stay here for now. Determine the identities and past deeds of these spirits. Those who died innocently in this disaster, separate them; those with wicked pasts, destroy them at once."

Suddenly, Nyla recalled the spirit of the lost child she had seen in the Realm of Nightmares, and glanced at Four Seasons. Where was that child's soul now? Perhaps she could take this chance to test Four Seasons’ intentions.

The Goddess of Four Seasons, at first anxious to be left out, perked up at hearing her name. She was equally curious about this unprecedented City of Reincarnation. Her involvement was a sign of Nyla’s trust.

Time, upon receiving her orders, felt an immense pressure. Founding the City of Reincarnation was both a test and an experiment. Should they fail, the consequences would be dire.

Not only would the underworld be intervening openly in the mortal world, but all these spirits would lose their only chance at rebirth. She could not ignore the Lord’s indifferent expression; perhaps his original idea had been to erect a City of Death.

Nyla must have used some unknown means to persuade him. The first test would be to verify the spirits’ identities. Compared to Four Seasons’ exuberance, Time’s composure seemed almost unnatural.

Nyla noticed her concern and smiled gently, silently offering her support. "Do your best. I will stand with you."

Time, buoyed by Nyla’s encouragement, realized that even if Fengdu now belonged to the underworld, she still had Nyla’s trust.

She turned to the spirits, ideas forming in her mind.

Nyla finished arranging affairs in Fengdu, leaving Time and Four Seasons to prepare everything.

The Lord of the Underworld announced his departure, entrusting the City of Reincarnation to the God of Sleep.

Nyla recalled her previous encounters with the God of Sleep, said to be the wisest in the underworld. What changes would he bring to the City of Reincarnation?

Fuli, too, announced his departure. Nyla knew he was reporting to Leiling and would soon return to the mortal realm. Now that the underworld had the City of Reincarnation, the divine realm might make its own demands.

Nyla, too, was preparing to leave. She gazed at the vast, lonely sky. Beneath the same sunlight, what new dangers might be lurking? What was the true state of the mortal world? She needed the most complete answers.

Might other places also be witnessing gatherings of spirits? Without the protection of the gods, how would humanity survive such a crisis?