Yu Xiao woke from her nap and sat up, eyes still closed, arms stretched wide in a big sleepy stretch, her back arched like a cat.
She opened one eye and looked up. There was nothing but darkness, lit only by the sparkling dust that surrounded her and served as her main source of light.
She slowly stood, opened her eyes wide, and stretched her body fully, bending and kicking in a complete zombie-waking-up routine.
Her hand flew to her mouth as she yawned loudly—a sound so big, the mountain probably heard it.
Then, with her hands on her waist, she walked slowly to the edge of the obsidian plate. She looked around, her lips twitching as she touched the nape of her neck, lost and mildly horrified.
She crossed her arms and looked down. Her frown carried a hopeless feeling, as if escape were impossible.
"Seems like this mountain has a bottomless pit. I can't even see what's down there; it's so dark," she murmured.
She stepped back, looked around again, then slowly raised her arm and touched the hem of her torn robe. Her shoulders sagged as though she were carrying something heavy.
"Haist!" she gasped. "How can I take a shower here? There's not even a pathway, stairs, or anything!"
Her voice rose into full drama as she huffed. She walked to the other side to check around.
However, she slipped and fell off the obsidian plate.
She shouted, convinced this was the end—a pure terror scream—but when she opened her eyes, she saw another piece of obsidian plate suddenly appear, blocking the void and preventing her from falling further.
She was shocked, shaking, and disbelieving, her eyes huge and hands trembling. "What the…?" She paused and looked at her feet.
She slowly stood up and realized she was now standing on another obsidian plate, close to the one that had served as her tomb bed.
"Ha?" she hummed, her lips twitching and eyes widening in classic cartoon shock. She walked to the edge of this new plate.
The moment she tried to step into the air, another obsidian plate appeared beneath her foot. She was surprised, her mouth forming a perfect 'o'.
Then a delighted grin slowly spread across her face. "I… I can walk in the air," she said with a tiny laugh, doing excited little hops.
She continued to enjoy the moment, even though she was alone. The sparkling dust never left her; it followed like a guiding light.
Suddenly, she noticed a small object sparkling in the wall inside the mountain, moving along with her.
Curious, she approached it. She found a ruby stone about the size of a bullet. She pulled it from the wall, stared at it closely, then placed it in her palm.
"So beautiful," she smiled with soft, genuine wonder. "I'll take you with me," she added, closing her fist tightly to prevent it from falling.
She enjoyed the moment a while longer until she decided to walk downward.
The obsidian plates appeared with her every step, guiding her wherever she wanted to go. She stopped and observed quietly.
A roaring noise rose from the dark abyss below. Mild fear gripped her, and she gulped silently, her throat bobbing.
When the noise finally stopped, she continued downward, following the guiding steps.
At the bottom, she found a large, thick, dark stone door.
It opened by itself, and a thin beam of light struck her face. She blocked the light with her palm and lowered her gaze to the ground.
"What is this place?" she murmured, then walked inside.
The ground felt hot against her bare feet, making her hop in tiny bursts of pain.
A large pillar blocked the view from the stone door. Behind it lay a lake of molten lava. She stopped, stunned and unbelieving, her jaw literally dropping to the ground.
"So, all this time I was inside a dark volcano?" she mumbled in disbelief. "Thank goodness it didn't erupt, or I'd be dead." She forced a smile and let out a nervous laugh that seemed to scream for help.
Xiao placed her hands on her hips and began walking around, her eyes scanning everything like a boss inspecting her employees.
The lava lake spread out before her, vast and intimidating. Heat radiated through her robe, climbing up her legs, and when it reached her face, her cheeks flushed red.
Suddenly, a tiny orange-yellow object about the size of a pea appeared in the middle of the lake, sparkling and floating in the air. It looked both bright and mysterious. As it flew toward her, she instinctively stepped back, alarmed.
"Don't come near me!" she screamed, her voice filled with fear as she backpedaled in desperation.
The mysterious object paused, clearly waiting for her.
Xiao took a moment to relax, standing upright and taking a deep breath, trying to appear brave even though her knees were still shaking. "Are you…" she began, her voice shaky, "…the same as the tiny spark?" she asked. The mysterious object did not respond.
Xiao glanced around and quickly returned her attention to the object. "You... can't talk?" she asked again, but once more received no response. She sighed, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes cautiously.
"Looks like this isn't just an ordinary spark. I need to be cautious," she thought, her gaze fixed and alert, filled with worry.
Suddenly, the tiny spark reappeared on the surface of the lake. She looked up, her face lighting up with instant relief as her shoulders relaxed.
"There you are!" the tiny spark exclaimed.
A smile spread across Xiao's face as she felt at ease. "You came!" she replied, joyfully.
"I went to your tomb bed and found you missing. So I came to find you," it said, sparkling brightly.
Xiao let out a soft laugh. "You were worried about me?"
"Of course I was. I exist because you do. If you die, I'll die with you."
Xiao's smile faded, and her expression turned into an offended pout. "How reasonable of you," she said, tilting her head.
"You created me. What other reason do I need?"
Xiao's mouth fell slightly open, a mix of confusion and curiosity crossing her face. "You said yesterday that I've been sleeping here for three hundred years. How could I have created you? I don't even remember that," she said, shaking her head with arms crossed.
"Huh! You brat! If you hadn't cried on the ninth day of your trial in the Jade Flame Grand Hall—tied to the pillar, helpless and dying—I would never have been born. The last night before you fell unconscious, your final tear didn't fall to the ground; it floated in the air, and the light of the Lán yuèliàng (Blue Moon) appeared. That's how I came to be."
After the tiny spark finished speaking, Xiao was left speechless.
Her confusion deepened, her mind racing to comprehend.
"What is it? You have nothing to say? After I saved you, you're still ungrateful. Now I regret it, hmpt!" it huffed.
Xiao's eyes widened in disbelief, her expression revealing everything. "Hey! You shouldn't say that!" she scolded, pointing a finger at the tiny spark. "You also have to thank me," she insisted, pointing at herself. "Without my tears, you wouldn't even exist." She huffed in response.
The tiny spark fell silent.
Xiao turned to the mysterious object hovering in front of her and pointed at it. "Now, tell me. Is this another splendid sparkling tangerine like you? If so, then maybe it's your cousin!"
"Fool!" the tiny spark shouted. "Do you really have no idea what it is?"
Xiao looked at the mysterious object and shook her head slowly.
"This is the Sacred Stone of Fire."
"The Sacred Stone of Fire?" Xiao repeated slowly. "What am I supposed to do with it?" she asked, still pointing at the mysterious object.
"Take it! Swallow it!"
Xiao's mouth twitched in disbelief. "Ha…?" she paused. "But…"
"No buts or any other excuses, Xiaotian! If you follow the rules, you'll survive!"
Xiao fell silent, slowly stepping closer to the mysterious object.
"Come on, take it! Hurry!" the tiny spark urged.
Xiao pursed her lips, carefully picking up the mysterious object and holding it in her palm. She walked toward the tiny spark and faced it.
"What's the purpose of swallowing it?" she asked, worry evident on her face.
"This stone can help you awaken your Qi. Zhou Yan destroyed you and absorbed your spiritual power, nearly killing you. However, your eternal core of 'Samadhi Fire' remains, though weak. This Sacred Stone can help enhance your spiritual flow slowly. So I'm telling you, do it now! If you succeed, when the Void Shard Moon rises, the secret portal of this mountain, linked to the barrier outside, won't harm you. A mortal body can't pass through easily—it will burn you alive!"
"Oh," she paused and forced a smile. "Then I'll… sh… swallow it now," she replied, gulping hard at first. She stared at the Sacred Stone, closed her eyes, and swallowed it.
Afterward, she felt enlightened. Warmth spread through her nerves, filling her body. She didn't feel as though she had swallowed anything; it felt as if whatever it was hadn't even passed through her throat.
"How do you feel?" the tiny spark asked. Xiao looked at it and nodded. "I feel good." She touched her body, face, and head. Raising her sleeves, she noticed that her complexion had improved. Surprised, her mouth opened in pure wonder as she spun around like a princess.
The tiny spark laughed.
"I told you. Now your body carries the energy of the living, unlike before," it said.
Xiao touched her face joyfully and checked her body, eagerly waving the sides of her robe.
"I have something to tell you," the tiny spark said, interrupting her moment.
Xiao's smile faded as she looked at it.
"Tomorrow, the time will come. So be ready."
Xiao's eyes widened. "You mean we'll depart?" she asked.
"What do you think?"
Xiao's smile returned, now full of hope. She touched her robes again.
"Finally, I can take a shower! I can see light, people, and everything outside. I don't want to be imprisoned here forever," she pouted, tapping her face with her delicate fingers.
"That won't happen. You've come back. You can start living your life."
"Precisely," she replied, looking at her hands in awe.
The next night, Xiao sat flat on the obsidian plate of her tomb bed, her legs swinging at the edge, her hands planted beside her for support. She gazed upward, watching the sparkling dust spiraling in the atmosphere.
She didn't sleep all night, waiting for the right moment to escape. The surroundings were quiet, dark, and hollow.
Suddenly, the tiny spark appeared beside her, but she remained undisturbed.
"What are you thinking?" the tiny spark asked. "Little spark—" she paused. "If we get out of this mountain, could I return to my world?"
"What are you talking about, Xiaotian? Your world is here—what else?" the tiny spark replied.
"Why do you keep calling me Xiaotian when I'm not?" she asked calmly.
"Because that's who you are, Your Majesty." Xiao turned her gaze to the tiny spark and smiled.
"Tsk! What good does it do you to call me that again?" she said.
"Soon you'll understand."
She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
The silence was shattered by a roar and an explosion that echoed throughout the place. The walls began to shake, slowly at first, then gaining intensity.
Xiao immediately stood up and moved away from the edge of the obsidian plate, her eyes widening in shock.
"What is happening?" she shouted.
Suddenly, all the spiraling, sparkling dust flew toward her and was absorbed into her body at an astonishing speed. "What is happening?" she repeated, filled with confusion and fear.
The surroundings turned dark; only her companion, the tiny spark, remained by her side as a source of light.
The walls screeched, and the atmosphere thundered with anger.
A sudden light appeared below them. Shocked, she saw that it was the lava lake rising through the ground toward them.
"Lava lake!" she shouted. "The volcano is going to erupt!" Panic surged through her as the ground continued to shake and hot vapor filled the air.
Xiao turned to the tiny spark, her fear intensifying. "You said we're getting out of here? How can it happen this way?" she yelled.
"Relax! It's not time yet!" the tiny spark replied.
Xiao's eyes widened further, her disbelief mixing with her fear. "Not time yet!?" she repeated, glancing down.
The lava lake had risen to half a mountain's distance away from them.
In a state of panic, she began humming nonsensical riddles to herself.
The lava continued to rise, now just sixty meters away.
"Oh my God, I don't want to die today!" she mumbled, covering her face with her palms.
When she slowly uncovered her face, she saw the lava getting closer and closer. "This is incredible! It's worse than a hit-and-run accident," she exclaimed, nearly in tears. "Huhu... I'm going to be toasted today," she added, stamping her feet in frustration.
A sudden, bluish light appeared in the corner of the wall. Xiao's fear diminished as she stared at it in shock.
"This is it!" the tiny spark exclaimed. "Now run!"
Xiao's eyes widened in realization.
The tiny spark darted toward the light. "Quickly! The portal won't stay open long. It has a limit—come now, quickly!" the tiny spark urged.
Feeling intense heat below her, Xiao realized the lava was now only three meters away.
She lifted her robe and ran, stepping onto the appearing obsidian plates.
"Faster!" the tiny spark shouted.
"There it is!" she replied, her teeth clenched tightly. With one last effort, Xiao jumped into the glowing portal.
The lava engulfed the space behind her just as the tiny spark followed, and together they escaped.
They were thrown out and dropped hard onto the ground.
"Ouch!" Xiao grunted, pursing her lips as she held her hip.
"We did it! We did it!" the tiny spark shouted, bouncing excitedly in the air.
Xiao froze on the ground, clutching her hips, worried that they might be broken. "It hurts!" she mumbled.
Sweat beaded on her temples as she gasped, waiting for the pain to ease.
Looking up, she saw a clear, bright sky. Freedom shone in her eyes—pure, shining joy.
She slowly stood up, still brushing her hips. "We're free," she said, happiness undeniable. Then she turned to the tiny spark. "We're free!" she repeated, skipping with joy.
She stopped and looked around. The mountain was gone. Only wide plains stretched out before her, dotted with trees standing sparsely, one by one.
So it's true," Xiao thought, glancing at the tiny spark. "Nobody can see the mountain. Only cultivators of the high realm can find this place, but once they force their way in, there's no possibility of coming out.
"Feng Xiaotian! Don't look at me that way. Now you need to fulfill your promise," the tiny spark said.
Xiao raised her brows and smiled sarcastically. "You really are something else!" She paused, arms crossed. "We almost died… and this is all you can think about? Haah…" She shook her head.
"You promised. Don't break your word, hmft!" the tiny spark grumbled.
"Fine!" she replied. "Since you're a miniature silver-blue spark—naughty, always annoying me, yet still guiding me—I will call you… Tiáopi!"
"Tiáopi?" the tiny spark repeated, curious. Xiao pouted and frowned.
"What is it? You don't like it?"
"I like it!" the tiny spark responded.
"Really?" Xiao smiled. "Then from now on, you will be known as Tiaopi."