Chapter 94: Light in the Darkness
Chapter 94: Light in the Darkness
“I see, the Hall of Fate is like a safe house in a white zone. That’s why the Old Madam said this stronghold was lost.”
“Earlier messages from her, including that invitation card she sent me in the Mortal Realm, were all warnings: danger, run!”
“So close!”
“She thought I knew, but I didn’t really understand.”
“So, others’ Divine Idols must have had an emergency alert function. If trouble hit, it could send word to the Mortal Realm for a quick escape, just like an emergency contact.”
“But a newcomer like me wouldn’t know that. Instead, I acted like an old hand. Especially after last night’s big fight—even if the Hundred-League Law Seal acted weird, I wouldn’t catch it.”
“Now, the other Twelve World-Quelling True Immortals probably moved their Divine Idols to safe spots. Maybe they’ll build new safe houses as Halls of Fate later, which could also be why the Old Madam planned to leave.”
Li Si quickly pieced together the Causality and faced reality.
Two rules became clear now.
First, unless he gave up his Heaven and Earth Decree, he couldn’t abandon this Idol of Fortune made from Fate.
Second, he had to find a safe house in this Illusory Realm for his Divine Idol. Otherwise, he’d be stuck guarding it and couldn’t return to the Mortal Realm. Seriously, Old Madam hopped online daily to chat—could that be the truth? Did she think one of the Twelve World-Quelling True Immortals might cause a disaster? So she kept watch day and night, ready to alert everyone at the first sign of trouble?
Of course, the most likely option—she was just an internet-addicted old woman!
With that in mind, Li Si got moving. Building a safe house? He could handle that.
But the Illusory Realm was so dark now. Back on previous visits, it was never this pitch-black.
Li Si held his Divine Idol with one hand and groped with the other, crawling from the wreckage. A faint glow flickered far away—it was that Phantom Bride.
It kept singing, and as the tune carried over, Li Si’s mind bombarded him with “Exempt!” messages.
He had no plan to mess with the Phantom Bride, and it ignored him.
Guess that’s what mutual hatred means.
Still, the place was too dark—outrageously so. He couldn’t even tell up from down. After bumping around, Li Si rushed toward the Phantom Bride. It had light, even if it was actually a thick red glow oozing from itself.
What choice did he have?
The Phantom Bride must have been annoyed. Whoosh, it zipped right in front of him. It peeped at him under its red veil, and Li Si stared back innocently as “Exempt!” messages flew everywhere.
“Exempt! Exempt! Exempt!”
…
After a long spell, who knew how long?
The Phantom Bride spun away. Li Si had a random thought: in the Illusory Realm, whoever had the highest Soul Alienation Contamination ruled? This Phantom Bride seemed weaker than the Peach Blossom Evil Spirit, which caused 600% Soul Alienation Contamination—he couldn’t handle that, but he just scraped by with this one.
Killing time, Li Si studied the Phantom Bride. Not bad build, fancy embroidered clothes. The red glimmer wasn’t really red light, but some other unearthly glow. From afar, it blurred; close up, face-to-face, the vivid crimson was shocking.
But at least they stayed safe.
Li Si kept ten meters back. He noticed the Phantom Bride could teleport instantly but rarely did. Usually, it just shuffled slowly, scraping across wreckage.
Also, it was searching for something. Sometimes it paused by ruins, eyed something intently, and licked… probably licking?
Li Si wasn’t sure and didn’t want to test it.
Plus, the Phantom Bride gathered colorful oddities and strangely shaped rocks.
Li Si figured it must be a reflex. It lined up with some Mortal Realm person who collected such knickknacks. Zap, the Phantom Bride slipped right into the Mortal Realm…
Kind of exciting to think about for him.
The ruins sprawled wide. The Phantom Bride took its time, so Li Si trailed behind, patient as ever. Because he realized it knew the path. It never revisited spots, but he might have circled endlessly otherwise.
Hours must have passed. At last, the Hall of Fate’s ruins ended. The Phantom Bride drifted away, and Li Si quickened his steps to keep close.
Luckily, it didn’t vanish in a whoosh. It just paced cautiously, stopping now and then to slip into other ruins.
This reminded Li Si of the ruined city guarded by the Old Madam’s true form. Probably not the same spot—that one had bright sunshine.
All was quiet here. Only the Phantom Bride hummed a song. But occasionally, it hushed and stood dead still, as if facing something ahead. Always, it waited ten-plus minutes before moving on and detouring around that zone.
So Li Si tailed even tighter.
Nothing weird happened throughout.
After looting three ruins straight, the Phantom Bride finally quit scavenging. It scraped along toward a new direction. Gradually, gray-black soil dotted the ground, plus withered grass and a dirt trail winding through.
The Phantom Bride plodded ahead, Li Si shadowing behind. He guessed the path might end at an ancient tomb, a spooky mass graveyard, or—worse—a giant acacia tree. Tree monster grandma tales? Li Si knew those well.
Actually, the trail ended at more ruins. But unlike earlier, this looked like a desolate village. Inside stood a well, deep and black. The Phantom Bride leapt straight in, and Li Si stopped without a doubt.
It was clearly the Phantom Bride’s den.
That was the only word he could think of.
Without its light, darkness closed in. Li Si gritted his teeth and dug a pit by the well. Stench rose; inside, it was sticky like blood, with squirming, greasy strips.
Li Si sighed, eyeing the “Exempt!” screen.
Options? Zero.
At least here, right next to the Phantom Bride, was safe. Its Soul Alienation Contamination stayed just under his limit, making this a sanctuary. He had to return to the Mortal Realm sometime, right?
Still, he needed to plan. What if the Phantom Bride snatched his Idol of Fortune?
So he hatched a trick. He buried the Idol near the well. Snap—he vanished back to the Mortal Realm, counted “One, two, three, four, five,” and blipped back.
Same spot. He unearthed the Idol fast—in perfect shape.
He guessed the statue form might be a massive disguise.
Put plainly, if Fate could be stolen so easily in the Illusory Realm, why did Evil Spirits, Evil Entities, ghost brides, and the like dash into the Mortal Realm for kicks?
Or why else did Evil Gods invade the Mortal Realm?
Simple: causes lived in the Mortal Realm, effects in Illusory Void. The lock was here, the key there.
But in the Illusory Realm, something likely could wreck Idols of Fortune directly—why else would the Hall of Fate chat group dissolve?
Still, that something definitely didn’t include this Phantom Bride. Earlier, it ignored the Idol—proof enough.
Anyway, gamble time.
Win, remain the Kaoshan Patriarch.
Lose, become leader of the Four Heroes of Floating Cloud under the Old Madam.
Either way, clinging to her leg smelled sweet.
And he had his Fate Forge, his stash, ready for a comeback anytime.
This puny thirty-centimeter Idol? Gone meant nothing.
No pain.
Mental pep-talk done, Li Si vanished offline.
One minute later, he popped back online.
Then offline again.
Five minutes… Thirty minutes later…
Yes, solid.
Breathing easy, Li Si felt exhausted. He planned to fake seclusion for a Kao Mountain Town trip, but a knock rattled the door.
“Junior Brother, the Master woke up. She wants to see you.”
Huh?
Li Si grasped it instantly. He’d just delivered that message—likely, the Old Madam wanted news about the Kaoshan Patriarch.
He tidied up fast. He considered hiding his Golden Core Realm, but ditched the idea. He’d just spill all. The Illusory Realm wasn’t for living things—he’d ended up neighbor with a Phantom Bride! What if it charged rent someday?
Spill it!
He left his Quiet Room and raced to the Stone House. Inside, the Old Madam looked drained.
Li Si bowed quick—model disciple material.
“You saw Ancestor Kaoshan? Any reply?”
“Huh?”
Li Si faltered. Why expect a reply? He was here to confess, Master.
“Here’s another letter. Hurry to Kao Mountain Town, hand it to the Kaoshan Patriarch’s priest. Or if not, burn it before his Divine Idol. If you get a reply and I’m on Spirit Journey, burn it before me. Understood?”
“Understood, Master. But—”
“But what? Urgent! No delays!”
The Old Madam’s divine image glared authority. Still acting like a Divine Idol? Li Si mocked mentally but blurted aloud, “Reporting, Master, the Kaoshan Patriarch only gave one line: what happened?”
“Oh? He doesn’t know?” Shock widened the Old Madam’s eyes. Her voice rose an octave. She paused silent for seconds, then flung another scroll.
“Hurry! No delays!”
Li Si opened his mouth to say more, but danger flashed in her gaze.
Fine. Deliver the letter first.