Small World

Mountain peaks stretched on without end, extending into the distance. Standing atop the summit, one glance revealed an expanse of green. Soul Power gathered in her eyes, brilliant as fallen stars, deepening her vision.

Gazing into the distance, she still saw nothing but forest. This place seemed like a natural woodland, untouched by human trampling and untainted by urban pollution.

At the heart of this nameless forest stood a steep cliff, its strange rocks jagged and varied, each displaying its own unique form.

The cliff was precipitous, truly a place of strange danger. The entire mountain seemed to have been cleaved in two from the summit by a single blade, with a deep gorge in the middle whose depth was impossible to fathom.

Pitch-black, as though it led to the depths of the underworld.

Yet halfway up the cliff, slightly higher than its center, there was a man-made dwelling. It was an unadorned thatched hut, and before Fu Hua arrived, it had accumulated a thick layer of dust.

Only after a thorough cleaning did it finally regain some of its former luster.

The furnishings were simple: a bamboo bed, a dressing table, a tea table, several small stone stools, and, of course, an indispensable writing desk.

There were several books on the shelf as well, but most had slowly decayed with time. The few that remained only vaguely recounted some stories. Unfortunately, Fu Hua could not understand the exact meaning formed by those words.

The small stone-paved path outside the thatched hut had also been buried beneath fallen leaves. Dense forest surrounded it on every side; one careless moment, and one might become hopelessly lost in the mountains.

A few more miles ahead, the crashing sound of water rose up. Moist air rushed toward her, and the force of water striking stone echoed around her ears, making her feel as if she had returned to an ancient battlefield.

A torrent fell three thousand feet straight down, As though the Milky Way had spilled from the ninth heaven.

A waterfall thousands of feet high poured down. The mere momentum of its descent was terrifying, while its source rose straight into the heavens, leading to who knew where.

Fu Hua had once wanted to investigate the waterfall's source, but whenever she reached the mountaintop, she could never find the slightest trace of water. Besides, this mountain was already the tallest in the entire forest.

Could this water truly have fallen from beyond the heavens?

She had even ridden Jingwei into the skies, yet still failed to find its source. Whenever she looked back down, mist would always obscure her sight, leaving her unbearably curious.

It seemed to truly flow from some unknown place into this strange forest.

Beneath the thousand-foot waterfall, the waters should by all rights have been clear and empty. Yet at this moment, a stubborn rock remained unmoved, standing firmly under the waterfall and enduring its heavy baptism.

It was a jet-black stone without the slightest sheen. Even tossed into an iron mine, it would have been nothing more than an inconspicuous stubborn rock. Yet this very rock could withstand the force of a thousand-foot waterfall crashing down upon it, an astonishing sight indeed.

The waterfall's immense height was breathtaking, yet when it fell into the lake below, the surface remained extraordinarily calm. Within that contrast of movement and stillness lay the truth of natural laws. The water struck the rock and fell, then quietly merged into the lake without raising the slightest ripple.

The tranquil lake was clear to the bottom. Standing by its shore, one could see straight to the lakebed. The water was not deep, only around half a meter—just enough to cover one's waist. To submerge one's entire body, one would need to bend the knees and sit in the lake.

The water was not cold. Its temperature was just right for the human body. This was actually a natural waterfall hot spring.

Dense forest enclosed the area from all sides, so even bathing here would go unnoticed.

Of course, that was a pleasant thought, but only after entering would one realize that things were not so simple.

Could a lake formed by a waterfall of unknown origin truly be so simple?

Only while immersed within it could one truly experience how terrifyingly it tempered the body, soul, and mind.

First came the body. The instant the lake water touched the skin, an intense burning sensation rose from it, then spread into the flesh, bones, and meridians. It was like being inside a furnace, boiling violently, as though melting away.

Next came the soul, as though highly corrosive poison had been poured over it, wearing it away bit by bit. In her perception, it dissolved together with the body.

Last came the mind. Many believed that the mind and soul were one, yet each had its own role. If the soul vanished but a wisp of consciousness remained, rebirth was still possible—though that consciousness would ultimately perish completely with the soul's disappearance.

No one had ever been able to fully explain this mystery. Thus, it was understood as a person's consciousness: the stronger the soul, the stronger the consciousness, and the two were inextricably linked.

And now, even the soul was fading away. Immense pain acted upon it, while an unknown force was breaking down her consciousness.

This was erasing a person's existence at its very foundation.

This lake water was both deadly poison and sacred medicine. While dissolving one person's existence, it slowly forged another, more powerful person.

Beyond the waterfall lake stood a sturdy expanse of Bitter Bamboo Forest. The bamboo stalks were straight and unbending, shooting toward the sky. When blades and swords struck them, they even produced the ringing sound of refined stone.

The toughness of this entire Bitter Bamboo Forest was no less than that of black iron. If these bitter bamboos were used to forge weapons, another frenzy would surely sweep across the continent.

But that was not the most unusual part. The Bitter Bamboo Forest had actually formed a natural formation. Man-made formations were not frightening; what was truly frightening was a formation born naturally from heaven and earth.

For man-made formations could be broken, while formations nurtured by nature were difficult to destroy. Once someone entered its death gate, it would truly become a road of death.

Beyond the Bitter Bamboo Forest lay an ordinary woodland. The green of the trees blended with the tender green of the bitter bamboo, making it impossible to distinguish where one ended and the other began. It stretched as far as the eye could see, unbroken and endless.

Monkeys scampered through the woods, while spirit beasts danced among the trees. Though they lacked the oppressive bulk of Soul Beasts, an indescribable majesty still surrounded them.

Their bodies were small, but their power was not.

Overlord Gold Tiger, Three-eyed Elk, Jade Exquisite, and many other spirit beasts whose names could not be called, along with the spiritual plants each of them guarded.

It could be said that this was a paradise of heavenly treasures, filled with an air of peace and harmony.

Just then, a cry that sounded both like a phoenix's call and an oriole's song rang through the valley, startling the beasts lazily resting below in the afternoon. After a gust of wind swept through, a striking red-and-white figure appeared before Fu Hua.

It folded its five-meter-wide wings and slowly landed before her. Crimson feathers, snowy plumage, blood-red bird eyes, and a sharp beak—everything was the same as before.

The only difference, perhaps, was...

"Lady Crimson Kite, are you patrolling here again?"

A crisp voice suddenly came from its beak. It was the voice of an underage girl.

Though Fu Hua had long known this world was different, she still felt a trace of discomfort. Who could have imagined that the pet that had accompanied her for so long would one day suddenly begin to speak?

Even as one revered as an immortal, she could not help feeling unsettled.

"Jingwei, you're back."

"Yes, Lord Crimson Kite. I placed it there as you instructed."

Fu Hua nodded, her gaze drifting once more toward the scene below the mountain, as though she had returned to Taixu Mountain, to the days when she had guarded it alone.

"Jingwei, I may be living here permanently from now on," Fu Hua said in an unreadable tone.

Yet Jingwei was exceptionally delighted to hear it. She could return to Crimson Kite's side again.

"Lord Crimson Kite may stay as long as you wish. Everything Jingwei owns is yours. Jingwei only discovered this small world by accident, and Jingwei is very happy to see Lord Crimson Kite again."

In her excitement, she even flapped her wings with a whoosh, sending dust flying everywhere.

Fu Hua could not help but laugh. This talking Jingwei—why was she like a little child?

By the standards of the Soul Beast world, Jingwei was indeed equivalent to a human infant. However, Spirit Beasts and Soul Beasts were different; the times at which they gained intelligence and learned to speak also differed.

Spirit Beasts of the divine beast rank possessed the ability to speak from the moment they were born, and their intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary Spirit Beasts.

Sacred Beasts were a step lower. Their intelligence awakened first, but they could not speak.

And so on. The further down the ranks one went, the more mixed a Spirit Beast's bloodline became, and even cultivating into human form became exceedingly difficult.

Soul Beasts, on the other hand, were different. As long as they continued to grow, their strength would continue to increase. Ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years—as long as they survived safely, even reaching a hundred thousand years was no great feat.

It was merely a matter of sooner or later; there were none of the strict limitations Spirit Beasts had.

Back in the Honkai World, Jingwei had belonged to the lineage of divine beasts. However, the Honkai World's energy system was unsuited for her to undergo a higher level of evolution, which was why she had been unable to speak, much less take human form.

But Douluo Continent and this small world were different. There was no Honkai here, nor were there gods who wished to destroy the world and give rise to Herrschers to cleanse it.

The limits Jingwei had long been able to break through were released without restraint, allowing her to make a single leap forward. Fu Hua simply did not know what level of strength she had reached now.

Compared to Soul Beasts, she would be a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. But compared to Spirit Beasts, there was no concrete example to measure her against. Fu Hua could only set the matter aside. At the very least, in Fu Hua's perception, Jingwei's strength was absolutely no less than that of a Soul Sage.

As for matching a Titled Douluo? She did not know the exact strength of a Titled Douluo either; she only had a vague impression.

So, Jingwei was still a child. Fu Hua did not even know whether she should continue riding her.

Amused, she dismissed the doubts in her heart and looked up at Jingwei again. There was even a trace of tenderness in her eyes that she herself had not noticed—the gaze of a mother looking at her child.

Jingwei had always been the pet who accompanied her! Seeing Jingwei grow stronger was just like a mother watching her child become independent!

"Jingwei, let's go!"

"Yes."

Right on cue, Jingwei lowered herself. Just as she had in the past, she waited for Fu Hua's move, ready to carry her soaring through the skies.

Fu Hua shook her head and could not help but smile bitterly.

Once you began to see the other party as a person, doing this again would inevitably feel somewhat strange. Yet if you refused, the other party would show a hurt expression. It truly was difficult.

As for why Fu Hua could see hurt in Jingwei's bird face, that was a story only the two of them understood.

"Let's go!"

Helplessly, Fu Hua sat sideways on Jingwei's back, her legs folded beneath her. Only then did Jingwei spread her wings and take flight.

As Jingwei climbed, the fierce wind gradually grew stronger. It swept across Fu Hua's cheeks and through her long hair. Clouds layered upon clouds filled the sky, blurring her vision until she could not find a way out, just like the still-unpredictable future.

If she could not see clearly, then she would strive to see. If she could not find the way, then she would walk it with her feet firmly on the ground.

Until the seas ran dry and the rocks crumbled, until the heavens and earth grew old.

The answer she sought would never change.

Beneath her palm were Jingwei's soft feathers—the same touch, the same warmth. A faint smile appeared on Fu Hua's lips, and her heart was filled with a sense of fullness she could not name.

Jingwei had been found. Could I still find all of you again?

The road ahead remained difficult, but there was no harm in imagining such a dreamlike scene, because... this world was just that magical.

"Jingwei, I look forward to your guidance from now on."

"Yes, Lord Crimson Kite."

How could Jingwei, as her master's pet, possibly fail to understand Fu Hua's feelings? The relief in her words and the openness in her heart even changed the force with which Jingwei beat her wings.

The fierce wind remained, yet even the blazing afternoon gained a rare moment of coolness.

Everything was moving in a better direction.

How large was this small world? Jingwei could tell you—it was truly enormous. Even if she flew without rest, it would take her two full days and one night to cross it.

From Suotuo City to the Star Dou Great Forest, Jingwei only needed to flap her wings once. From the Heaven Dou Empire to the Star Luo Empire, calculated in a straight line, she needed only five and a half flaps.

It took only three days and three nights to roam across all of Douluo Continent, yet this single small world required two days and one night. That was enough to show how vast this world was—it occupied three-quarters of Douluo Continent's area.

It could no longer be called a small world. It could fully be called a complete world.

Yet, as a complete world, it lacked something: human presence.

With Spirit Beasts came vitality; with humans came human presence.

But where there were humans, another form would develop as well: a social system unique to humanity.

Desire, ambition, greed.

Then, cycle after cycle, humanity kept repeating the same old path.

The clean world became abandoned ruins.

Whenever Fu Hua thought of this, she dismissed the idea that had arisen in her heart—guiding the humans of the Honkai World into this world.

No Honkai, no Herrschers—just peaceful, dull everyday life.

Sometimes she would play games with Bronya, sometimes spar with Kiana, or watch Teacher Himeko down bottle after bottle of alcohol while the principal shouted things like, "Theresa is the cutest in the world!"

St. Freya Academy rose from the ground here, its grounds filled with hardworking younger students.

No Schicksal, no Anti-Merchant.

"Lord Crimson Kite, we've arrived," Jingwei said.

Her clear, childish voice rang out, interrupting Fu Hua's wildly wandering thoughts of the future.

Since when had she become so sentimental?

Memories of her life at St. Freya Academy suddenly echoed in her mind—Kiana, Mei, Himeko, Theresa. It seemed that there, she had felt emotions she had not experienced in a long time.

As she gazed into the distance, standing atop the mountain peak, Fu Hua's eyes regained their original sharpness.

PS: Actually, I didn't want to post today, because there's still an extra chapter owed. I wanted to post it together with the regular chapter, but... ah! Well, but!

PS1: Let's leave it at that! I'll owe the extra chapter for now. I'll get to experience what it feels like to delay an extra chapter myself.

PS2: Oh! Right, I forgot to mention that the book "Sakura Haruno, I Want Barbecue Today" is pretty good. If readers are running out of things to read, you can check it out. This isn't a plug! This isn't a plug! This isn't a plug! Important things still need to be said several times.