Chapter 182: The End of the Mission

“Then this already vacant 【Abyss】…”

Miss Xiao Kong was about to say something when the colorful black orbs in front of them suddenly began to twist rapidly, their light gradually dimming, causing even the realm composed of the Open Heaven Gate ruins to tremble!

The two girls floating in the air exchanged glances, and the Priestess slightly nodded.

“It seems the time has come.”

Earlier, when conversing with the “Spiritual Fox Priestess,” she clearly informed Vilyric that although the 【Abyss】 was a miraculous creation crafted by Ming Xi, the possibility of permanent existence had already been abandoned from the start.

A thousand years; that was the predetermined lifespan of the 【Abyss】, as well as the limit for her avatar’s existence.

Having gone through the turmoil a hundred years ago, this 【Abyss】 had split part of its power to maintain the existence of the Open Heaven Gate ruins, leading to a greater consumption of energy than other similar entities.

In reality, even without outsiders, this place would completely collapse within a few decades. Thus, aware that it couldn’t exist much longer, the avatar decided to gift itself to Vilyric.

—The Spiritual Fox Priestess scattered part of her power and a fragment of her 【Divine Spark】. The essence of that avatar had recently fused into Vilyric’s body, becoming one.

Perhaps that was why the Priestess’s aura had seemingly changed, and the true treasure buried within this realm came from the power and heritage of the Spiritual Fox Priestess.

However, with the avatar’s dissipation, the 【Abyss】 was bound to meet its end, and with it, the entire realm would soon collapse.

But now, a problem had arisen.

“Zzzz… zzzzz…”

The 【Abyss】 twisted more violently, the pitch-black cracks surrounding it growing larger and larger, and without any restraining power left, destruction was set to descend.

While it posed no threat to the powerful two, these spatial cracks would likely expand at an alarming rate, completely devouring the entire realm.

Those who had entered the realm definitely had no means to resist this tearing force of space.

“Wait, Vilyric, something feels off. Since this realm isn’t truly created by her, could it be that from the very start, there’s no way to leave…”

“…”

Not immediately responding to Xiao Kong’s concerns, the black-haired girl simply lifted her head, gazing into the sky of the ancient town, which was nearly obscured by the black cracks, as if waiting for something.

Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face.

“It’s coming.”

With her voice, a light akin to the eternal day burst forth from beyond the realm’s sky, falling, splitting apart, transforming into brilliant pillars of light that howled toward the ground below!

“Eh… what is this?”

Unfazed by the sudden spectacle, Miss Cat Daughter, who had gained much information from the avatar inside the 【Abyss】, simply smiled.

“Xiao Kong, have you ever wondered why those earthbound spirits are organizing a massive escape, driving all beings, dependent and independent alike, toward the center of the realm? Or where these so-called 【Earthbound Spirits】 come from?”

“What do you mean?”

The Priestess nodded slightly.

“Exactly, they are the disciples of the Open Heaven Gate who died when forcibly transported into the Endless Ruins Sea.”

“You see, the Spiritual Fox Priestess’s power is known for its communication with spirits, and the Endless Ruins Sea sits between the living world and the River of Three Ways. Influenced by part of her strength, these souls didn’t immediately fall into the underworld but instead preserved their existence in this realm as earthbound spirits, hiding quietly.”

“This is their will; even in death, they wish to protect their homeland and sect in this manner, burning their final spark to fulfill ancient agreements and promises. Thus, she fulfilled their wishes.”

“Recently, the Endless Ruins Sea exhibited anomalous phenomena, and this realm of the Open Heaven Gate has officially opened, awakening the lingering souls of those disciples just as we entered from the outside.”

At this point, Vilyric smiled again, but her expression added a hint of sentimentality.

“In truth, those spirits are not trying to return to the living world, nor do they intend for the people entering the realm to kill each other or engage in any cruel games.”

“They are merely driving everyone toward the center of the Open Heaven Gate ancient town, aiming to gather in a relatively limited area, preparing for the impending collapse of the realm.”

“In other words, they are actually saving people. You should have noticed, despite the fierce battles, from the time we arrived until now, we haven’t discovered even a single real corpse. That speaks volumes.”

Xiao Kong raised an eyebrow.

“Could it be that those falling light pillars…”

“Hmm… those should be the guiding lights sending people out of the realm. It seems this sect had everything arranged ahead of the transfer.”

“Everything arranged?”

Seeing that Miss Cat Daughter looked a bit confused, the black-haired girl helplessly shook her head.

“Still don’t get it? You thought Murong Yun, the last remaining heir of the Open Heaven Gate, would suddenly disappear when the ruins were activated? Did you really think those guiding lights spontaneously generated in this crumbling realm?”

As her words fell, gentle light quietly descended, enveloping the figures of the two girls.

Not resisting the pull they had already felt once, Vilyric simply held onto Miss Cat Daughter’s fluffy paw, stopping her instinctive movements.

“Let’s go, allow the deceased to rest, returning to where they belong.”

“The mission of the Open Heaven Gate has been perfectly fulfilled. They are truly heroes.”

……

In Dongyuanzhi Kingdom, outside of Xinchuan County, beyond a hill where a thick fog was gradually dissipating.

“Swish, swish, swish, swish!”

Light flashed in succession as six young men and women in black and white clothes appeared at the forest edge beyond the mountains.

As soon as they materialized, the leading young man casually removed a necklace hidden around his neck, and with the shimmering light, his fox ears appeared back on top of his head as he shook his head, grumbling nonstop.

“Finally out! We, the esteemed Spirit Ethnics, had to use props to hide our racial symbols. This mission from above is such a hassle…”

The other young and handsome boys and girls also removed their props, revealing their original appearance. The girl who had previously had indirect interactions with a certain Priestess rolled her eyes.

“Isn’t this task you accepted on your own? You just got back from there not long ago and couldn’t resist running down here to cause trouble, dragging us along to break our legs. You really are the model of diligence, Mr. Shui~”

“Ahem…”

The man known as Shui Men Shu, or Ming, awkwardly touched his nose and said earnestly.

“What are you talking about? This is a task personally left by the young lady, concerning the lives of the people in the Ancient Spirit Realm. How can it be neglected? Xiao Yue’er, I am thinking of the bigger picture here.”

“Give me a break.”

The girl called Xiao Yue’er, a Spirit Ethnic, scoffed.

“I’m talking about the great manager Ming Lan; your idea of thinking of the bigger picture is just sitting on the sidelines watching the show, waiting for random strangers to solve everything, then running away like you are now? If everyone were like you, our Spirit Fairy Island would be in shambles in a few hundred years.”

Upon mentioning this, Ming Lan suddenly dropped the casualness and shook his head solemnly.

“You’re wrong, Ming Yue; those are not just random strangers. They have substantial backgrounds.”

“That Miss Vilyric came here from the Origin Land.”

   

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