“Sisters, that is the Holy Mountain! We found it!”
Hakala screamed, venting her joy. Many witches stood frozen in place, awestruck by the spectacle before them, while others reacted and embraced their companions, weeping.
Chitong, however, frowned. “Is that really the Holy Mountain?”
“What’s wrong? Is something amiss?” Yezi approached and asked softly. She also had the same question in her mind. The city in the sky didn’t look anything like the golden, magnificent place described by Guri. Although the spires were spectacular, they were entirely gray-black, dim even in daylight. Not to mention the red mist that permeated the city, as thick as uncongealed blood.
“There’s something… crammed into those holes,” Chitong’s voice was somewhat dry. “I can’t see very clearly, but those things don't look like gods…”
Yezi felt goosebumps rising all over her body. Chitong, who could see the furthest in the Association, made Yezi feel a little uneasy with her words. It was a pity that Lightning had left with Nightingale, otherwise she could have let her fly closer to take a look.
“Sisters! The Holy Mountain is right before our eyes,” the Instructor raised her hands and shouted. “Put in more effort, and we will soon find eternity!”
After speaking, she immediately urged the Stone Woman to carry her forward. Yezi wanted to step forward to dissuade her, but retracted her foot. She remembered Wendy's fate half a month ago. At this time, I am afraid that any persuasion is meaningless. The Instructor will not give up without seeing it for herself.
The group began to accelerate. After leaving the foot of the mountain, the snow unexpectedly decreased, and the surrounding temperature also rose. This is the legendary forbidden area, and a region that humans cannot set foot in, Yezi thought. Yet, they were now imprinting their footprints on this uninhabited land. If Lightning were here, she would be very happy, right?
Looking back, the majestic mountains rose and fell behind them, like an insurmountable barrier. This made Yezi wonder if it was precisely because of the impassable mountains that the evil beasts could not directly attack the mainland's interior, and had to detour through the far north?
In any case, if they could really find the Holy Mountain, she wouldn't have to wander anymore, and she would be satisfied... She sighed softly. To be honest, when Nightingale told of what she had seen and heard in Border Town in the camp, she was tempted. When Wendy asked who wanted to leave with Nightingale, she even couldn't help but want to take a step forward and shout her name. But until the end, she still failed to cross the threshold in her heart, defeated by the shadows of her past.
Yezi shook her head, telling herself not to think about these things that had already passed, and followed the pace of the team, speeding through the yellow and white intertwined wilderness.
But strange things soon happened. No matter how fast they sped up, the city always seemed to be retreating at the same speed as them. After walking for an hour, the "Holy Mountain Site" was still suspended in the clouds, neither getting bigger nor smaller, as if... they hadn't moved at all.
“Instructor, please rest, the sisters are tired,” said the Stone Woman. Several people had taken turns carrying the Instructor during this period, and she was the one who had persisted the longest.
“No, how can we stop now!” Hakala refused her suggestion without hesitation. “This is a test from the gods for us. Sisters, without a firm will, we will never reach the Holy Mountain! We can't stop, we must go on, until the gate of the Holy Mountain appears before our eyes!”
Seeing that persuasion was ineffective, the group had no choice but to continue moving forward.
But the situation did not change. While on the road, the witches also encountered two waves of evil beasts. In the second wave, two deformed mixed beasts appeared. Yezi's weed restraints didn't last too long. A sister's neck was cut open by sharp claws, and blood splattered all over the ground.
After finally solving these monsters, everyone found that the sky was gradually darkening, apparently at dusk. The city was still in front of them, but the outline became more blurred, as if it was about to disappear.
According to past experience, they had to find a suitable place to camp, but this place was completely different from the Impassable Mountains. Looking around, it was almost entirely flat, and with the evil beasts that might appear at any time, they simply couldn't spend the night in such a place.
“Instructor, let’s retreat back to the foot of the mountain first! Let Chitong lead the way, and Hongjiao provide lighting, maybe we can get back before midnight.”
“No!” Hakala shouted, “We spent an afternoon getting here, and we hardly stopped on the way. Now everyone's physical strength has been greatly consumed, and it is impossible to return at the original speed. Sisters, persevere a little more, and we can truly settle down and rest only after finding the Holy Mountain.”
“What about Sherry?” someone pointed to the lifeless witch on the ground.
“We don’t have time to bury her,” the Instructor shook her head. “Leave her here, the earth will receive her.”
Yezi closed her eyes sadly. Another sister had left. If her power was stronger, she wouldn't have to die in this desolate place, unable to even leave a tombstone.
Just as everyone was hesitating whether to move forward or backward, the Stone Woman suddenly exclaimed, "Look at the sky, the city is gone!"
Yezi opened her eyes and looked up, only to see that the sky had turned gray-black, the clouds were hidden in the night, and the city had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.
Everyone stood frozen in place, and for a time the surroundings were frighteningly quiet.
A city that can never be approached, an illusion floating in the air, disappearing into nothingness at sunset... Yezi suddenly remembered the adventure stories Lightning told, those strange illusions seen at sea. She shuddered and said in a low voice, "We've been deceived..." Soon, she shouted, "We've been deceived, that's not the Holy Mountain at all! What we saw was a mirage!"
“A mirage?” Hakala turned her head sharply, her ferocious expression somewhat frightening. “What is that?”
“Lightning’s stories mentioned that this phenomenon is often encountered during long voyages, but it is much rarer on land. What we saw was just an illusion. The real city may be very far away from us, or even, it may not be in front of us at all!”
“Then at least that means it really exists? And hasn't disappeared?”
“This…” Yezi choked. “I don’t know.”
Just then, Chitong suddenly issued a warning, "Be careful! Something's coming!" She stared at the left side of the group, her face looking very ugly.
“Another evil beast?” Zhuifeng took a fighting stance. “How many are there?”
“No…” Chitong took two steps back. “I don’t know what that is…”
As she spoke, a dark shadow came from afar, shooting towards Chitong with lightning speed. Although she saw the light and shadow coming, she couldn't dodge it - unlike a crossbow bolt, it was too fast.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the dark shadow pierced through Chitong's chest, carrying her away and pinning her directly to the tree trunk behind her.
It turned out to be a spear.
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