[Vol. 6] Chapter 265: Beyond the World
Beyond the world, there stood a grand and mysterious hall, shrouded in emptiness.
A silver-haired girl, reclining upon a divine throne, slowly opened her eyes. Countless flickers of light, like butterflies, flashed deep within her gaze, as if she had just awakened from an eternal dream.
She remained silent, scanning her surroundings before stepping out of the secluded chamber. The hall was empty, yet the strange figures in long robes, seemingly made of mist, noticed her presence. At once, they knelt with the utmost reverence, their voices chanting indecipherable words in tones that barely sounded human, like devoted followers in prayer.
But the silver-haired girl paid them no heed. She didn’t even spare them a glance with her deep silver eyes. Without pause, she walked down the corridor of the divine palace, which seemed to drift within a vast sea of stars.
As she moved forward, shimmering silver light trailed behind her, forming elegant ripples, like the blazing tail of a shooting star or the pure, flowing fabric draped over a goddess’s shoulders, holy and ethereal.
She walked slowly, yet her pace was impossibly fast. With every step, she seemed to cross distances that were tens or even hundreds of times greater than they appeared. In mere seconds, she had traversed what seemed to be an endless hallway, arriving before another great hall.
She did not knock. She did not announce herself. She did not acknowledge the mist-cloaked figures standing guard outside, who bowed respectfully as she passed. Though there was an almost imperceptible difference in their demeanor compared to the ones before. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and entered.
The moment she stepped inside, the dim hall was suddenly illuminated by countless flames, casting a clear reflection of her flawless, jade-like features. She lifted her gaze toward the heights of the chamber, her silver eyes glimmering faintly with shifting patterns of light.
Then, a deep and ancient voice, like the steady swing of an old clock, echoed through the hall.
"You’ve returned."
The silver-haired girl gave a slight nod but remained silent. The voice seemed accustomed to her indifference and simply continued speaking.
"So, did you find the information you needed?"
The faint glow in her silver eyes faded without a sound. At last, she responded.
"The one who killed Musk was the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden."
"The Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden… From the Ancient Spirit Realm?"
"Yes."
The ancient, clock-like voice carried a hint of surprise, yet the emotion behind it was difficult to describe, less a reaction to the girl's words and more as if the moment itself demanded astonishment, as if witnessing a shift that was both inevitable and unexpected.
"I see… In a way, the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden does exist beyond revelation. She has always been shrouded in mystery. Though she never claimed herself as a god and rarely interacted with the gods. After the Ancient Spirit Realm was sealed, she completely vanished from sight…"
After a brief pause, the voice continued.
"What was her purpose in interfering with the Origin Realm? And does she have any connection to Violet?"
The silver-haired girl remained expressionless, her reply calm and indifferent.
"The reason behind the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden's intervention in the Origin Realm is still unclear. However, she has now returned to the world she guards, and the Ancient Spirit Realm has been sealed by the Supreme Sacred Fox God’s divine power. It cannot be entered for now."
"As for any connection between the two, my judgment is… There is no possibility of an alliance between the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden and Violet."
The ancient voice fell silent, offering no immediate response. Meanwhile, every word the silver-haired girl had spoken transformed into golden symbols, rising into the air and merging with the grand hall’s vaulted ceiling. She seemed unfazed by this phenomenon, merely waiting in quiet patience after delivering her assessment.
A barely perceptible ticking sound echoed through the chamber, like the steady motion of a clock’s hands marking each passing moment. The quiet stretched on for a long time before the ancient voice finally spoke again. This time, shifting to an entirely different topic.
"The [Wheel of Fate] has turned."
For the first time, the girl’s silver brows lifted slightly, revealing genuine surprise.
"Impossible. It shouldn’t be time yet."
"…It was only a slight deviation, an entirely unforeseen change. Something of immense power has disrupted [Fate]… how intriguing."
"Where did it come from?"
"The origin of all things. The East of the World."
The ancient voice did not speak again, but a golden light slowly descended from the ceiling, swirling as it formed a revelation in the language of the old gods.
It was a message, a fate, a glimpse of the future. Within its radiant golden glow, the reflection of the girl’s silver eyes could be seen. Momentarily surprised, lost in thought, as if she had glimpsed something beyond the stars and the void… drifting far away.
……………………………………
Ancient Spirit Realm, three days after the end of the second demon war. Spirit Veil Immortal Island.
"Oh? Hen left something behind? What is it?"
"This right here! Before she left, she secretly asked me to give it to you. She also had a few words to pass along."
The girl, half-human and half-fox, with long, gently swaying nine tails, reached into the air and retrieved a small key. She handed it to Violet.
"Her exact words were, [Fate has noticed you. Do not lift the seal on the Ancient Spirit Realm. Return to the Origin Realm as soon as possible. And be careful of the Twilight Council]."
"Shh… the [Twilight Council]…"
Nodding thoughtfully, the black-haired girl turned her gaze toward the small silver key in her companion’s hand. The one Hen had supposedly left for her. Her brows furrowed slightly.
This thing… why does it feel like I’ve seen it before?
But it wasn’t from the long-preserved, ancient memories of the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden. It was something from her own past, something deeply familiar.
While searching her mind for answers, Violet took the slender key and examined it closely, holding it up to the air.
"So… what exactly is this?"
"How should I know? That woman was always so secretive… But she insisted that you must keep it safe. She said it’s something very important and that you absolutely cannot lose it."
The fox-eared girl, similar yet different from Hen, scratched her ear, deep in thought.
"Oh, right… she did mention its name. Something like… The [Key of Three Moon]."
"The [Key of Three Moon]? Wait, that name…!"
Understanding struck Violet like a bolt of lightning. A long-buried memory resurfaced, rushing through her mind like a tidal wave, finally revealing the source of her familiarity.
Her free hand dove into her backpack, rummaging for several moments. Finally, from the very depths of the bag, she pulled out another silver key. Nearly identical to the one in her hand, yet with subtle differences in detail. It was symmetrical to the one Hen had left behind.
"Huh? You have one too? Where did you get it?"
"This is really…"
Violet didn’t immediately respond to Xiao Kong’s curiosity. Instead, she carefully compared the two keys in her hands, her silver-blue eyes narrowing slightly.
The [Key of Three Moon], the one in her possession, was something she had acquired early in her journey. Back when she helped Lilya fight for the throne, she had obtained it by accident from Ben Melchior, the second prince of the Human United Kingdom. It had been mixed in with his private collection.
This key was a complete mystery. Not only was it extremely durable and nearly impossible to destroy, but even [Information Detection] failed to reveal its rank, effects, or any meaningful description. It was as if the system itself refused to classify it.
Back then, Violet, who enjoyed solving puzzles, had been quite intrigued by it. She had spent a lot of time investigating and researching the key using various methods, but no matter what she tried, she found nothing.
The reason was simple. This thing was an incomplete puzzle piece. There was no way to decipher it.
As time passed, she eventually lost interest and tossed it into the depths of her backpack, all but forgetting about it.
Never did she expect that now, at this moment, she would receive a second [Key of Three Moon], this time from Xiao Kong… or rather, from Hen.
At first glance, it seemed like a simple delivery. But Violet could sense there was something deeper hidden within this exchange.
First of all, back when she took the [Key of Three Moon] from Ben Melchior, she also found something else. A token belonging to a [Twilight Council] envoy inside his ring.
Whether that token had come from Rebecca, a known member of the Council, or not, it was clear that Ben had some connection to that organization.
And now, Hen had given Violet another [Key of Three Moon] and specifically warned her about the [Twilight Council].
These two elements, the [Twilight Council] and the [Key of Three Moon], had overlapped once again.
Was this just a coincidence?
Or was there a hidden message within?
If she traced it back even further, where did Ben Melchior get the first [Key of Three Moon]?
And was it really just luck that it ended up in her hands?