Once they reached their destinations, Qiuyue commanded the flying ship to descend.
"The portal is in the middle of nowhere?" Su Yang looked below him as they descended, and the only thing in his view were dry trees and dead soil without a spot of green even in the horizons.
"This is the environment for the majority of the Southern Continent, with half of the population living in a barbaric lifestyle," Qiuyue said to him, as she has traversed this continent more than once.
As they got closer to the ground, Su Yang could see many figures standing below with their gaze towards the flying ship.
There were around 50 people, and all of them were females with a tanned complexion.
"They are…?"
"They are from a tribe that has a settlement around here. The portal is also in their territory. I only got to know them a little bit, so I don't know much."
"Hmm…" Su Yang nodded.
Once they landed, all of the people waiting below approached their flying ship before kowtowing on the ground.
"Welcome back, Goddess!" They all chanted in a respectful tone.
"Goddess…?" Su Yang and Hong Yu'er turned to look at Qiuyue with a weird face, who was blushing right now.
"Um… I can explain this… kind of..." Qiuyue quickly spoke in a flustered manner. "I don't know why, but they started calling me that when I first showed up, and I didn't bother to correct them."
"Calling you a Goddess isn't wrong, since you are from the Sacred Moon Temple." Su Yang spoke with a smile. "Anyway, where is the portal?"
When Su Yang spoke so casually to Qiuyue, the people there looked at him with shock. In fact, all of the people there were glaring at him with a dazed expression. It was almost like they have never seen a man before.
"What's with them?" Hong Yu'er raised an eyebrow. "They're looking at you like they want to eat you."
"Because they live mostly in isolation, they don't see guests often. Most importantly, almost everybody living in the Southern Region has a tanned body, so our jadelike skin is a rarity, especially in these areas."
"Furthermore…" Qiuyue looked at Su Yang's handsome face and charming appearance. He would attract attention no matter where he went and what he was doing, especially with the females.
A few moments later, Qiuyue led the two of them to the 'portal', and the group of natives followed behind them.
"This is the portal…?" Su Yang looked at the portal that was shaped like a large mirror before him.
It was a silver mirror that was slightly larger than his own size, but instead of glass in the middle, it was pure darkness.
"What do you think, Lingxi?" Su Yang asked her after examining the portal for a moment.
Hong Yu'er nodded and said, "Although only slightly, I can, without a doubt, sense spiritual energy belonging to the Four Divine Heavens coming from it."
Su Yang nodded, "Now we just have to figure out its origins and how safe it is—"
Just as he said those words, the portal began trembling.
"W-What's happening?" Qiuyue asked.
"I don't know, but it doesn't feel right." Su Yang said as he quickly distanced himself from it.
A few seconds later, the mirror began twisting and bending, almost as though it was being eaten by space itself.
And right before their very eyes, the mirror disappeared into thin air.
"Wh-What just happened?! Where did the portal go?!" Qiuyue was baffled by the sudden situation.
"Goddess, if I may…" One of the natives suddenly started speaking, "The portal the Goddess is referring to is called the Mirror of Darkness, and it appears once every two years and only for a few hours before it disappears again."
"Impossible… so we have to wait another two years before it appears again?" Qiuyue was dumbfounded.
"I'm afraid so…" The native nodded her head.
"Tell me more about this Mirror of Darkness," Su Yang suddenly approached her and said. "What is the mirror's origin?"
"Y-Y-Yes!" The native suddenly began blushing with fidgeting movements. "Although we do not know when it first appeared, it was first discovered 500 years ago. It would appear once every two years for a few hours, before it disappears, and it has followed this routine every time for the past 500 years."
"Do you know where it leads?" Su Yang continued asking.
"N-No!" The native quickly shook her head. "Thousands of people from different tribes over the years have entered the Mirror of Darkness, but nobody has returned to this day."
"Though some people speculate that the Mirror of Darkness leads to the other side of the universe, and there are others who believe there is no destination and only death awaits for those who enter the darkness."
"I see… thank you." Su Yang nodded and continued. "Although it's unfortunate that we have to wait another two years before the Mirror of Darkness reappears, at least we have a clue now. For now, we should try to learn as much as we can regarding the portal and this place."
Qiuyue nodded.
"Hey, darling." Hong Yu'er suddenly said. "I will have to return to my original body in half a year. If you do not return after 2 years, I will use all of my resources to try and find this place so I can bring you back. If you think the portal is too dangerous, I will organize the search party as soon as I return."
Su Yang nodded, "Thank you, but until I learn more about this Mirror of Darkness, I won't try and return recklessly. I will take my time with this. After all, my biggest concern and reason to return has already been solved."
"You mean… the Asura God Clan fighting the Heavenly Emperor?"
Su Yang shook his head and said with a smile, "No — I was worried about you."
"Darling…" Hearing such words, Hong Yu'er couldn't help but blush and tear up slightly.
"..." Qiuyue watched them with a solemn expression, feeling envious of their relationship.
A moment later, Su Yang turned to look at the natives that were silently watching them from a distance and said, "If you don't mind, can you tell us more about this place and anything related to the Mirror of Darkness."
The natives looked at each other before one of them stepped forward and bowed, "If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us."
Su Yang nodded and said, "For starters, why don't we change the location?"
"Then allow us to guide you back to our settlement," said the native girl.