Chapter 273 : Bright Ember Temple
After a series of preparations, the teleportation magic circle was officially activated.
This time it was conducted in the back garden, with bright sunshine and magical power flowing with the leaves and floral fragrance. The area around the magic circle was filled with a natural and peaceful atmosphere.
Princess Sethilu wore formal attire, and beside her, Lonis and Elucia stood ready.
The Zhou Mixue and Zhou Suling sisters nervously held hands, and Bai Ye also followed alongside everyone.
...
"Is everyone ready? I'm going to start."
"Yes, we're ready!"
"Then I'll begin. Ancient bloodline, please heed my call, for..."
...
Accompanied by Sethilu's chanting, golden radiance spread out from around the girl. And this teleportation, unlike before, didn't encounter any sudden accidents.
The surrounding scenery fragmented like slides, then reappeared.
When their vision returned to normal, the girls had already arrived underground.
...
"Wow, amazing..."
"Is this the underground world?"
Suling and Bai Ye couldn't help but exclaim in wonder.
And Lonis couldn't help but perk up her tail—because this world was simply too magnificent.
The entire underground space was probably over 500 meters high, with the rocky sky above densely covered with a type of secondary moss that emitted blue-green light.
Countless stone pillars stood upright, connecting to the stone walls above like high-rise buildings. There were also many jellyfish-like creatures floating in the air, making Lonis almost mistake this for an underwater world.
...
"Wow, amazing, what are those jellyfish?"
Fortunately Suling had come along, otherwise it would have been Lonis asking such an ignorant question.
"Mm, those things are called Soul Mothers."
Sethilu explained.
"Soul Mothers?"
"Yes, these are creatures that live underground. In their normal form, they look like jellyfish as they do now... But they can resonate with land animals and read the thoughts of surface animals."
"They sound like legendary nightmares."
"Mm, but nightmares are a different type of creature. Soul Mothers won't actively attack others. As long as we're careful, we won't encounter danger."
"Oh..."
"Please everyone stay close to me as we advance together."
...
...
The roads in the underground world were also very rugged.
Near the teleportation point, you could clearly see traces of human construction, but after walking just a few steps outward, the stairs were corroded beyond recognition.
The road surface was bumpy and uneven. If it were the old Lonis, she probably would have fallen to the ground after just a few steps.
But her little tail provided excellent balance, and with Elucia intentionally or unintentionally protecting her, nothing happened along the way.
...
After advancing for about half an hour, everyone followed Sethilu into a dim passage.
This place was like the interior of some kind of ruins, with the slightly mottled walls carved with many symbols of the Bright Ember Kingdom.
Compared to the large underground cavern outside, the passage was obviously much narrower and more complex... But fortunately, Princess Sethilu knew the way. After passing through various mechanisms along the route, everyone finally arrived in front of a golden door.
...
Like the Rainbow Abysses they had seen before, this door was also elongated in shape.
Dark golden patterns covered the surface of the door. Just gazing at it from afar, you could feel a strange power gathering around you.
But...
Sethilu blinked in confusion and said: "Eh? It's actually so much dimmer than before?"
"So much dimmer?"
"Yes, I came to this place 3 years ago, but the door was still very bright then, not as dim as it is now..."
"It's because the power of Exotic Decay is constantly gathering. If I'm not mistaken, the Cold Abyss may have already been seized by Exotic Decay."
Elucia didn't seem particularly surprised. She just took a deep breath and said to Sethilu: "Your Highness, can the Bright Ember Temple still complete certification now?"
"There should be no problem. Although it's dimmed somewhat, I haven't detected any pollution here."
"Mm."
"Then please everyone hold hands. I'm going to open the doors of the Bright Ember Temple."
The girl's finger lightly touched the temple door.
Ripple-like waves drifted through the space, and the clear sound like flowing water awakened the tightly closed door.
The scene that came into view also made the girls exclaim in heartfelt admiration.
...
"Amazing!"
"Is this... the Bright Ember Temple? It's even brighter than Clear Temple!"
...
The interior of the Bright Ember Temple was less like a temple and more like an art museum.
Here, large and small, many statues were actually displayed.
And these gorgeous and exquisite statues weren't forged from solid materials like stone, but were carved from shadows through the circulation and transformation of light.
It was hard to explain what kind of technology this was, but just like surround holographic projection, these statues were lifelike, each with a different posture.
Some were raising weapons, appearing to be attacking something.
Some were bending down, appearing to be launching surprise reunions.
Others were waving flags, their flowing hair still swaying in the wind.
...
All these postures were truly subtle and exquisite. If the statues weren't completely black, Lonis would have thought they were real humans... Perhaps in the next second, they would come directly to life.
Sethilu didn't seem surprised. Like a young lady returning to her own home, she gently introduced:
"Princess Hero, do you remember what Nalonaté said?"
"Eh... That phrase 'Destruction and hope are one, killing and salvation are also no different'?"
"Mm, actually this phrase can be interpreted in another way. Precisely because we destroyed the invaders' claws, the children in our homeland can grow up normally and healthily. Precisely because we harvest the lives of livestock and plants, our lives can continue."
"What!"
"And those medicines that cure diseases and save people also require extensive testing before they can be used by humans. In this process, many experimental monkeys will die. Although this process is unavoidable, those dead monkeys also saved many people."
"Ah..."
"Yes, in one aspect, humans also survive by plundering just like demons. We have no right to deny the legitimacy of killing itself, because the essence of this world is survival of the fittest. But compared to Exotic Decay civilization, we humans still have a bit more warmth, and I believe this warmth is not hypocrisy... This duality of light and darkness is the true meaning of Bright Ember."
"I see..."
Lonis took a deep breath. Vaguely, she seemed to understand something.
Just then, Elucia also stepped forward and poked Lonis's tail.
"Wuah?"
"Little fox, get ready quickly. The power of Bright Ember is about to activate."
"Oh, oh..."
...
Accompanied by Sethilu and Elucia, Lonis gradually walked toward the core of Bright Ember.
It was a mass of incorporeal light. Although it appeared so ethereal and uncertain, when she closed her eyes, Lonis made a new discovery.
It wasn't a void of nothingness, but rather like an epic scroll written by history, standing there clearly and distinctly.
If she touched it with her palm...
Lonis also felt an indescribable power.
What is purity?
I was once puzzled by such a question...
A child just born is undoubtedly the most pure, with no karma staining its body and naturally no sin.
But such purity would be destroyed in the blink of an eye.
Whether cruel war, abuse from stepparents, or grievances caused by injustice, all would stain the pure heart with indelible dust.
I was once confused by this,
I once doubted the true meaning of the Rainbow Abysses because of this,
I once went against orthodoxy, trying to find completely different paths.
But later I understood.
Purity...
Is not white.
Quite the opposite, it is black.
Precisely because it is black, it can contain all the colors in this world.
That is a smile that can still curve the corners of the mouth after experiencing all vicissitudes.
...
Lonis, and Elucia.
I believe you possess the power to cut through all thorns.
So I leave this message in the Bright Ember Temple,
Hoping that under the protection of the Bright Ember God,
You can press forward courageously and be invincible in battle,
And finally be able to lead everyone's hopes and dreams
To realize our ideal land that will eventually be realized...