[Vol. 6] Chapter 266: The Key
Aside from that, there was another important question worth considering.
At first, Violet had assumed that Hen summoned her from another world because the crisis in Ancient Spirit Realm was reaching a critical point. One that required the return of the former Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden to turn the tide.
And while that was true, now that things had settled for a moment, she recalled something from Hen's message when she helped repel the Demon Lord of Chaos. Something about the exact wording.
Back then, Hen had said, "You need my help, and I need yours." Right?
But up to this point, Violet hadn’t actually received any direct help from Hen. Sure, fusing with the divine power of the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden had made her stronger, but that was Xiao Kong’s doing, not Hen’s. And it wasn’t even a necessity, she could have continued without it.
If she really analyzed things word for word, Hen's so-called help was almost nonexistent.
Even setting Dawn’s situation aside, Violet knew from her past interactions in the game that Hen never said anything without a deeper meaning. There was always a purpose.
Which meant… Hen had summoned her for another reason entirely.
Violet looked down at the two [Key of Three Moons] in her hands, her expression showing a trace of surprise.
"Could it be… that this is the real reason?"
But if that were true, it led to even more questions.
If Hen had secretly orchestrated both of these [Key of Three Moons] to end up in Violet’s hands, why did she have to do it in such an indirect, cryptic way? Why not just give them to her directly?
And this time, she didn’t even show up in person. Instead, she insisted on using Xiao Kong, a fragment of herself, to deliver the second key.
Why?
Why did Hen have to use the identity of Western Origin Spirit Maiden? Someone who was like her, yet not her, to interact with Violet?
By now, Violet had figured it out. The Spirit Maiden they met before was clearly a projection of Hen, some kind of incarnation she had sent into Ancient Spirit Realm.
But this incarnation had been deliberately stripped of any knowledge related to certain critical secrets. It was almost as if she existed independently from Hen. Only providing help in the most subtle ways possible.
What was Hen trying so hard to avoid?
What did she mean by "Fate has noticed you"?
The connection between Ancient Spirit Realm and the [Apocalypse] had already been severed, so why was she still insisting that the seal must not be lifted?
All of this… It was like a signal. A warning.
The real Hen was probably under some kind of surveillance or even restraint at this moment. She couldn’t, no, she wasn’t allowed to appear directly in front of Violet, let alone pass on any information.
That’s why she had sent Violet to this special world, a place sealed by the [Seal of Heaven and Earth] array, where not even divine consciousness could penetrate. It was the only way to deliver the second [Key of Three Moon].
Maybe she was overanalyzing it, making assumptions that were too convenient, but Violet believed that if this was really Hen's doing, she would have planned it this far ahead.
If that were true, then this [Key of Three Moon] was the real clue Hen wanted to give her. This was the help she had spoken of.
Violet placed both [Key of Three Moons] into her backpack, then turned to look at the “silly version” of Hen beside her.
“Xiao Kong, do you know anything about the [Twilight Council]?”
“Never heard of it! Do you not know either?”
“Hm… I wouldn’t say I know nothing, but… my understanding is pretty limited.”
Xiao Kong’s response was pretty much what Violet had expected.
After all, Violet had inherited a lot of Dawn’s past memories. Most of them were too long, too vast, and frankly, she was too lazy to go through them, so they remained sealed. But if she ever needed to, she could search them precisely for specific information.
And yet, there was nothing about the [Twilight Council].
That meant even the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden had never known about this organization. If even she didn’t, then the Fox God Konghen, who had never left this world, was probably just as clueless.
In other words, Hen had only come into contact with the [Twilight Council] after she left the Ancient Spirit Realm to assist the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden in carrying out the [Creation of the world Project].
This organization must have emerged after the [Divine Catastrophe], or at the very least, it hadn’t truly come into the open until recently.
…Whatever.
Now that things had finally settled down, maybe she could take a break from all these heavy topics, just for a little while.
Finished with her thoughts, Miss Priestess looked up, only to find Xiao Kong staring at her in complete silence. They were so close that Violet could catch the soft fragrance of the girl’s breath and feel the gentle ripples in the air as her fluffy tail swayed from time to time.
Just judging from her appearance and the way she acted, it was really hard to believe that she was a Main God, standing at the very peak of the world. Instead, she seemed more like a playful little animal. A bit headstrong, but lively and full of energy.
Violet had met many deities before, but Xiao Kong was probably the one who felt the least like a god.
Kong and Hen, they were both Fox God Konghen, yet at the same time, they were different.
As two halves split from the same Divinity, this version,who had inherited the beastly form and instincts, was far more expressive than Hen. She openly showed her emotions, whether it was joy, anger, sadness, or excitement. She would pout, get jealous, seek companionship, and act on impulse more easily.
Even though they looked exactly the same and were both trustworthy companions, they were complete opposites, two extremes of the same existence.
Violet poked the little fox’s soft, porcelain-like cheek, earning a pout and an unhappy wiggle in response. But she only smiled.
“Enough of that. Want to go out for a walk?”
“Eh? Of course! But… um…”
Understanding Xiao Kong’s hesitation, Violet took out a mask, the one that symbolized her identity as the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden, and casually placed it over her face.
Even within the Spirit Veil Tribe, very few people had seen Dawn’s true face. She didn’t wear a mask to act mysterious. It was similar to how other tribe members wore veils when they traveled to the lower world. It was a way to cut off the interference of external fate.
The Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden was a mortal who ascended to godhood through her own experiences and efforts. Gods like her were extremely rare, and they were fundamentally different from those who were born as gods from the start.
That's what it means to be easily shaped or changed.
Just like how the Demon Lord of Slaughter had once tried to devour other divinities to ascend to Main God, mortals who turn into gods had unstable divinities. Unlike the innate gods who were fixed in their nature, ascended gods could grow stronger, but they could also be weakened. Their divine concepts could even be altered by external forces.
Dawn, however, was a lazy person. She had no ambition like the Demon Lord of Slaughter, and besides, the [Reincarnation] divinity was naturally ranked higher than [Slaughter]. It was already powerful enough, so she never bothered claiming the title of a god, let alone building temples or gathering followers.
The Fox Mask was a barrier she created to completely shut out any strange beliefs or prayers directed at her.
That’s why, in the Ancient Spirit Realm, there had only ever been two true gods. The [Ancestral Dragon] and the [Supreme Sacred Fox God].