Chapter 591: Traces of the Gods' Twilight

He stepped over the threshold, and the world changed instantly.

The roar, golden light, and trembling from that bronze door behind him were all shut out, as if blocked by an invisible membrane.

In their place was a pure, absolute darkness.

It wasn't the darkness of night, which still has starlight, moonlight, and distant lights from homes.

It was a darkness that had nothing, where even light itself was swallowed!

Ning Ya shivered.

"This..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Yu Lin spoke.

"Let there be light."

That voice wasn't loud, yet it echoed in the absolute darkness, ripple after ripple, like a stone dropped into a deep pool sending out ripples.

Then——

Light came.

It wasn't light shining from a direction, but light that blazed forth from all sides at once!

It was as if countless lamps were ignited in the same instant, and as if the space itself was glowing!

That light was soft and warm, dispelling every inch of darkness, leaving no corner untouched!

Ning Ya froze.

She opened her mouth, watching the light emerge from the void, watching the darkness recede like a tide, watching this space, sealed in dust for who knows how many years, finally see light again.

She turned her head to look at Yu Lin, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

"Tell me the truth, was the part about God creating the world written about you?"

Yu Lin grinned.

"Who knows."

"You forgot I became an immortal? I can indeed create worlds, make one for you to play with?"

Ning Ya: "......"

She remained silent for three seconds.

"Then let's forget it."

Yu Lin smiled and said nothing more.

Their gazes both fell ahead.

This was an extremely vast space.

The dome was so high its top couldn't be seen, as if it reached straight to the clouds.

The ground was paved with huge blue stone slabs, each polished smooth as a mirror, reflecting their figures.

In the gaps between the slabs grew some unknown moss, emitting a faint blue light, like a star river flowing across the earth.

Most striking were the statues.

One after another, they stood in a line, extending from the entrance to the farthest edge of sight.

Each was lifelike, as if they would open their eyes and speak at any moment.

The first statue was a one-eyed old man.

He wore a gray robe, a wide-brimmed hat, and two crows perched on his shoulders.

His face was aged, that single eye seeming to hold the secrets of the entire universe; his right hand gripped a long spear, its tip pointing to the ground, the shaft covered in runes.

"Odin?"

Ning Ya looked at that statue, and a feeling of indescribable awe welled up in her heart.

Even though it was a statue, even though countless ages had passed, the majesty belonging to the father of the gods still left one breathless.

The second statue was a muscular man, bare-chested, his muscles bulging, his left hand gripping a short-handled hammer, the hammerhead flashing with lightning—though it was stone carving, those lightning bolts still flickered, emitting a faint sizzle.

"Is this Thor?"

Yu Lin replied:

"It's a bit crude, but it's definitely him."

Ning Ya raised an eyebrow: "Have you seen him?"

Yu Lin: "Pretty much."

".........."

The third statue was a woman beautiful to the point of seeming unreal.

She wore a long robe, a golden crown on her head, and a faint light surrounded her.

Her hands were clasped over her chest, palms holding an apple, which even in the stone carving glowed with a golden sheen.

"Idun." Yu Lin said, "The goddess of youth; her apple keeps the gods eternally young."

Ning Ya nodded, unable to speak.

They continued forward.

Statue after statue passed by their side.

There was Freyr riding a boar, Freyja seated on a chariot, Heimdall holding a horn, and Tyr standing with one hand.

Each was lifelike, each exuding a distinct aura of authority.

Those auras piled together, making Ning Ya's steps grow heavier and her breathing ever more difficult!

She felt as if she had stepped into the council of the gods, gazed upon by countless eyes!

Yu Lin walked with ease.

He even slowed his pace, as if strolling through an interesting museum.

"Relax, take a deep breath."

Yu Lin released his aura, and Ning Ya felt much better.

He looked over.

At the end of the statues, there was a huge mural.

The mural occupied the entire wall, extending from the floor all the way to the ceiling.

The colors were still vivid, the lines still clear, as if it had been painted just yesterday.

The first panel of the mural depicted the gods feasting.

Aoding sat in the seat of honor, Thor was drinking, Loki was saying something in the corner, and everyone was laughing.

The sun was bright, the scene resplendent—this was the most glorious era of the Gods!

The second panel depicted the descent of darkness.

A figure—Bader—lay in a pool of blood.

The Gods gathered around him, grief-stricken; in the corner, Loki stood there, his expression unreadable!

The third panel depicted chains.

Loki was bound to a rock, a venomous snake hung above his head, its venom dripping drop by drop.

His wife Siguen knelt beside him, catching the venom in a bowl, but whenever the bowl filled and she went to empty it, the venom would drip onto Loki's face, causing him to writhe in pain and trigger earthquakes!

The fourth panel depicted towering waves.

A great ship made from the fingernails of the dead, carrying the army of the giants, sailed toward Asgard.

On the ship stood Loki, he had broken free of his chains and stood at the prow!

The fifth panel depicted a melee.

Thor fought a giant serpent, Aoding was devoured by a giant wolf, and Fulei perished alongside the Fire Giant.

Blood flowed like rivers, corpses littered the field, and that resplendent golden palace collapsed in the flames!

The final panel depicted ruins.

Nothing remained.

The gods died, the palace collapsed, and the world plunged into darkness.

Only ashes drifted in the wind, only silence!

Ning Ya stared at those murals, silent.

She knew the story of the Twilight of the Gods.

She had read the accounts, watched the plays, heard countless retellings.

But those stories were just stories.

But now, standing before these murals, she suddenly felt that it was not a story.

It was something that had truly happened.

Those gods had truly lived, truly laughed, truly died!

She turned her head and looked toward Yu Lin.

Yu Lin did not speak.

He simply stood there, gazing at the murals, gazing at the palace collapsing in flames, gazing at the gods fallen in pools of blood.

His expression was calm, giving no hint of what he was thinking.

"Here," Ning Ya said, her voice slightly hoarse, "are these the ruins of the Twilight of the Gods?"

Yu Lin shook his head.

"Not entirely."

He raised his hand and pointed to the farthest end.

Ning Ya followed his gaze.

At the end of the mural was a throne.

A huge throne carved from obsidian towered above, overlooking the long corridor, the statues, the murals, everything!

On the throne sat a person.

He wore a crown and a black robe embroidered with flame patterns; the flames flickered in the darkness, as if burning.

He had one leg crossed, one hand propping his head, the other resting casually on the armrest.

His visage was handsome, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, bearing a hint of a smile.

That smile was full of cynicism.

His gaze seemed to sweep past the entire corridor, past the statues, past the murals, and land on Yu Lin.

Yu Lin stood at the end of the corridor, head raised, gazing at the figure seated on the throne.

"Loki," he said.

That statue did not answer.

It simply sat there, bearing that hint of a smile, gazing at Yu Lin.

But everyone could feel—it was waiting.

Waiting for Yu Lin to step forward, waiting for Yu Lin to approach it, waiting for Yu Lin to embark on this path of the Gods worshiping the God King!

"You bastard, fine, I'll indulge you once."

Yu Lin grinned widely and strode toward the throne.

His footsteps echoed in the empty Great Hall—thud, thud, thud.

Ning Ya stood where she was, watching his back, at a loss for what to say.

He just watched Yu Lin walk to the throne.

He stopped, lifted his head, and looked at Loki.

Loki also looked at him.

That smile still lingered at the corner of his mouth.

Finally, Yu Lin turned around and walked back to Ning Ya's side.

"This place," she asked softly, "did he build it?"

Yu Lin did not turn back.

"Hmm."

"Why?"

"To wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for me."

He walked past Ning Ya's side.

"Let's go, we're heading back."

"There's nothing worth seeing here."

Ning Ya froze for a moment, then hurried to catch up.

She couldn't help but turn back and glance at the throne again.

Loki still sat there, wearing a crown and a black robe of flames.

She thought: "Loki isn't dead? How did he sit on the Royal Throne?"

"This guy Yu Lin definitely knows something!"