Douluo Continent: Starting with controlling Ning Rongrong and establishing the Holy Cult

"The third one?"

A hint of confusion flashed in Ning Rongrong's eyes.

She thought about it for a while, but couldn't think of a third, more normal possibility.

That's normal.

After all, even Sima Xi found the reality of the situation somewhat unbelievable.

Because Poseidon, whom she had abandoned, arrived in reality, she was forced back.

How could such a thing happen?

"Correct."

Sima Xi nodded.

"The third possibility, which is also what actually happened."

“I do know the method, and the environment there is indeed suitable for me to survive; more precisely, it is more comfortable there.”

"That doesn't make sense."

Ning Rongrong shook her head.

"If that's the case, then why did you come back, and what about your behavior..."

Ning Rongrong wanted to say that the person in front of her didn't seem to know the method, but suddenly, she froze.

I recalled Poseidon's past and present behavior.

The dividing line is the point in time when she went to that world and fell into a coma.

Before waking up, and after waking up.

Poseidon's behavior does not seem to match these two time periods.

Previously, Poseidon collected black flames in order to resurrect the Holy God in this world.

Later, the person in front of me said she liked that side...

Leaving aside the reasons why I like that place, these two behaviors alone make me seem like a completely different person—unpretentious and able to articulate it.

Could it be...?

A somewhat strange conjecture took root in Ning Rongrong's mind.

"Could it be..."

"You're not Poseidon, are you?"

She asked the question.

"Well, yes and no. Sharp insight, Ning Rongrong. You're right, I'm not the 'Poseidon' you know. Or rather, not entirely."

Sima Xi replied.

Inside the Temple of Poseidon, the air seemed to freeze.

Ning Rongrong stared in disbelief at the person in front of her, at the person who had said something she might never have been able to understand even after spending most of her life in her life.

She thought a lot about it, wondering if the other person was lying to her or just making things up.

But she had a vague feeling that what the other person said was true.

"My name... is now Sima Xi."

She pronounced the name clearly.

“Poseidon, this identity, along with all the darkness, obsession, and madness that this identity carries... I left it here half a year ago, along with the Poseidon you know as the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult, my dark side—or so to speak, I left it all here.”

Ning Rongrong's pupils suddenly contracted, and the fingers gripping the glass knife tensed slightly.

She needs to think about whether these words are true.

She certainly didn't have time to think.

Sima Xi continued in a calm voice:

“I come from there. According to the time here, about half a year ago, I comprehended the Black Flame and traveled there... Until recently, the three of you gathered eight Black Flames and opened the passage between that world and this world, which allowed me to return here unexpectedly.”

"This is the truth."

Ning Rongrong's mind was once again shocked.

"What are you talking about...? What's it like over there? Why did you choose to stay there?"

"That place looks exactly like what you, you all saw. The memories in this body clearly tell me that you have seen the scene there."

“And I am there because…the Holy Spirit is there now.”

Chapter 225 An Alliance of Three

Ning Rongrong moved her lips, feeling her throat go dry.

The waves that Sima Xi's words stirred in her heart were far more intense than any battle before.

The Holy Spirit is there now.

Countless questions rushed in—

Why is the Holy One in that world?

How did he get there?

What is his current status?

What kind of place is that world?

……

But she ultimately didn't ask.

The brain cannot process such a massive flow of information.

She needs time to process this.

After a long silence, as if to break the suffocating silence and to bring her thoughts back to more practical issues, Ning Rongrong took a deep breath and changed direction:

"Back then... you traveled through time using a black flame, right?"

Her gaze was fixed on Sima Xi.

"Yes."

Sima Xi nodded, not surprised by her change of thought.

"So,"

Ning Rongrong pressed on, her tone tinged with urgency.

"Where is that black flame you used? Where is it now?"

Sima Xi's expression was matter-of-fact, with a hint of "Is that even a question?":

"Naturally, it was brought to that world along with me. It was the medium and means by which I traveled. However, this time I returned, I was forcibly pushed back, not actively using the black flames to travel, so—"

She spread her hands, looking helpless.

"I didn't bring that black flame back; it's still there."

……

The ninth black flame has now been confirmed to be in that world.

It was pretty much as she had guessed.

Ning Rongrong clenched her fists tightly.

The nine-story structure of the Black Flame Holy Spirit Tower was clearly visible before my eyes.

The eight she held, plus the one Sima Xi took away and left behind in that world, made a total of nine.

Therefore, the black flames do indeed have nine paths.

The reason she only has eight black flames and cannot sense the ninth is because the ninth black flame she is searching for is not in Douluo Continent at all, but in that other world.

It turns out that the last missing piece had already been taken away from this world by Sima Xi and sent to that world...

"Hmm... what do you call that world?"

Ning Rongrong suddenly asked.

She felt it wasn't very convenient to keep saying "that" or "that".

“I now call it reality. But I think you won’t accept that name. So, you can use the name I used earlier, the Holy Realm.”

"Alright, Holy Realm."

Ning Rongrong nodded and continued her thoughts.

To travel from Douluo Continent to the Holy Realm, one needs the help of a black flame.

Upon reaching the Holy Realm, one can obtain the final wisp of black flame.

That way, all nine black flames can be gathered...

Thinking of this, Ning Rongrong could feel her blood boiling, but then she froze—

What about after that?

Obviously, it's impossible to summon the dragon.

Once you've gathered all nine black flames, what happens next?

An unprecedented and immense sense of contradiction instantly surged into Ning Rongrong's heart.

What is her core and fundamental motivation for collecting black flames?

The original motivation was probably to reshape the physical body of the Holy One, to reunite the fragmented and imprisoned origin, and to allow the great being to return to the world.

But now...

“The Holy Spirit is there now.”

Sima Xi's words echoed in my ears.