Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Shumi seemed surprised by Alex’s suggestion.

“An entryway?” she asked. “We never specifically looked for it, but we’ve been around the entire mountain and never found any caves that could lead us in.”

“Maybe you missed it?” Alex asked. “What other choice do we have anyway? If the top is inaccessible, then it has to be at the center. The Sun God and the Moon Goddess are pointing inward, so we have to find a way in. Find a way to the center of the island and we win the trial.”

Shumi couldn’t help but trust his words. “Alright, let’s go search for it,” she said. “Do you want to take that way, and I’ll go this way?”

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I think we should stick together,” Alex said. “Since both gods are pointing to the center, it may be something that requires us both to be present before we find the entryway!”

Shumi lowered her eyes in a thoughtful expression and gave a quick nod. “That sounds like a good idea. Let’s do that.”

The two began walking in a clockwise direction around the mountain, which Alex was certain would take them hours to go around the entire mountain. Hopefully, he would find the center before that.

He quickly updated Pearl and Scarlet on what was happening on the island, explaining what he was planning.

“Wait, the Moon Goddess is there?” Scarlet asked in surprise. “Wh-what? How?”

“She was here before me,” Alex explained. “She got the same sort of message asking her to visit here as I did. She mentioned being in the Ever-Dark realm, so she must’ve improved her Yin as well.”

“That’s quite strange,” Scarlet said. “You two somehow happened to come here around the same time. Do you think that’s normal?”

Alex couldn’t tell. It seemed coincidental. He could not see why it wouldn’t be.

“Are you going to let Whisker stay outside?” Pearl asked. “If only you two are supposed to be there, then shouldn’t he come in as well?”

Alex didn’t immediately make any decision. He didn’t have any intention of doing something that Whisker didn’t want to, so he asked him directly.

“Whisker, do you want to stay out here or hide?”

Whisker shrugged. “Can I stay out here?”

“Of course,” Alex said. “But come over. You might be a bother to the lady.”

“I don’t mind,” Shumi quickly said. “He can stay.”

“I like how I have to sense nothing when I’m here, brother,” Whisker said with a tiny smile. “It’s freeing.”

Alex chuckled slightly. “Alright, you can stay there then. You might even get something out of technically passing the trial.”

Alex walked over to the mountain face and felt around the vertical rock. He knocked around a few times to see if the inside was hollow in that region, and pushed on protruding rocks to see if they were perhaps a hidden key to open the entryway. When nothing happened, he moved on, doing the same just a short distance away.

He planned on leaving no rock unturned.

“Do you remember much about the Snowing Dusk realm?” Shumi suddenly asked.

“The Snowing Dusk realm?” Alex asked with a confused look. “I know of no realms by that name.”

“Huh? But you told me you healed me there. You know about my father,” Shumi said, growing alert and confused.

Alex paused for a second, turning around. “Do you mean the 3rd

Major Spirit realm?” he asked.

“What? What sort of name is that?” she asked.

Alex lowered his eyes in thought, slowly understanding where the confusion lay. “Did they say you were taken from the Snowing Dusk realm?” he asked.

Shumi nodded.

“Yeah, that’s called the 3rd Major Spirit realm by the humans,” Alex said. “It’s the sort of name given by the victors who do not particularly care about the spoils.”

“Oh! My seniors must have still called it by its old name,” Shumi said.

Alex nodded. He figured that was the case. “Snowing Dusk realm,

huh? That’s not a bad name.”

“So? Do you remember it?” she asked.

“Of course,” Alex said with a shrug. “How could I not?” He turned to

look at her. “Do you not remember it?”

Shumi shook her head slightly, her eyes downtrodden. “I wasn’t in the Saint realm for long when I was down there. Between falling unconscious and being taken away, there aren’t many memories of mine that I remember from back then.”

Alex stopped moving, now directly staring at her. “Do you not remember your time in the Ice Mist Palace?” he asked.

Shumi’s eyes slightly widened. “Right, that was my old sect’s name,” she said, a hint of laughter in her words. “It’s been so long since I’ve thought about it. My aunt was the sect master.”

“Bing Zheshuang, yes,” Alex said, remembering back to the sect master of that place. “She was your mother’s twin, if I remember correctly. By the way, how are your parents doing? They were taken away with you when they came for you, right?”

Shumi remained silent for a moment, more in shock than anything.

“Yes, they went away with me. They’re living well in the Silvermoon Palace,” she said. “I didn’t realize you knew so much about me. From what my father mentioned, he just happened to meet you. Was that

not true?”

“I did just happen to meet you,” Alex said. “Although, I wouldn’t be able to say if it is truly happenstance or if it wasn’t meant to be.”

“Meant to be?” Shumi asked.

Alex hesitated. “Before you, there was another woman I knew who

was the Moon Goddess as well,” he said. “I happened to meet her too. I had no idea at that time, and maybe some inkling many years after. It wasn’t until I met you, someone who had a body with the same attributes and characteristics as her, that I fully believed that she was the Moon Goddess as well.”

Shumi’s eyes widened. “There’s another woman with the same body as mine? That’s not possible.”

“No, it is not,” Alex said with a bitter smile. “She died long before you were born, which has made me wonder for some time if you are perhaps her reincarnation.”