Chapter 118

On the cliffs of Indestructible Peak, hundreds of thousands of soul lanterns still flickered.

Since the war began, neither thunderbolts nor battlefires had breached the barrier or disturbed the tranquility here.

Yue Wuhuan slowly ascended, lifting the first soul lantern. Within it, the soul named Xie Que had long been numbed by three millennia of torment.

Gazing at this vile soul, memories of his own struggles in hell resurfaced, and the foulness in his breath thickened.

Yet, these past sufferings could no longer torment his heart.

Yue Wuhuan gently extinguished the soul lantern, reducing the wicked soul to ashes, forever erased from existence.

Deep within, it felt as though a dark shackle had begun to unravel. With hatred released, his spirit found liberation.

Yue Wuhuan extinguished the second lantern, the third, the fourth...

His vengeance had long ended; there was no need to revisit the past.

As the soul lanterns of memory were extinguished one by one, the shackles of hatred loosened one after another. His soul grew lighter, his steps quicker...

Finally, Yue Wuhuan stood atop the cliff, raising his hand to unleash a powerful divine sense, extinguishing all hundred thousand soul lanterns at once.

The moment the lanterns went out, the phoenix trapped in the abyss was freed. The mark of cursed tears at the corner of his eye faded away as hatred dissipated.

Yue Wuhuan finally saw the world's true face—foul demonic miasma permeated the air, corrupting all creation. This was the source of the stench he had sensed. High in the sky, an ebony gate of hell stood half-open, spewing forth waves of tainted demonic energy that twisted and reshaped the world into a nightmarish hell.

The demons, realizing their seal was broken and their cause lost, howled in their death agonies amidst the thunder.

Yue Wuhuan looked up and uttered, "Usurper."

...

In the Celestial Realm, the Heavenly Emperor and the gods gathered before the withering World Tree.

Most of the world-fruits nurtured upon it had been tainted by dark demonic energy.

Born from the flames of purity alongside the phoenix, this divine tree thrived on the phoenix's cycle of rebirth.

The phoenix tended with devotion each immature world, waiting for its rules to perfect and its cycles to mature before releasing it into the River of Stars as a true world.

Since the rules of small worlds were often flawed, leading to withering or death, the Phoenix God designed an Artifact of Fate for adjustments and trials. Suitable human souls were chosen to test the world's rules or correct its wayward fate through mandated trials.

Given the diverse cultures and developments of these worlds—spanning technology, magic, cultivation, and more—tasks were issued in forms like plays, legends, and novels to prevent misinterpretation.

The artifact functioned flawlessly, and the World Tree bore countless small worlds, each brimming with souls and resources.

The demons had long coveted these nascent worlds, but the World Tree depended on the phoenix's power to grow—and the Phoenix God was flawless in strength, wisdom, and will, making him incorruptible.

After eons of scheming, the demons found their chance during the divine-demon war. They set a trap, wounded the Phoenix God, and stole a fragment of his divine soul, casting it into the World Tree. They then extracted the world's hidden desires for him, fusing them into a sealing tear mole to suppress his memories and imprison his soul in a vessel that constrained his power.

The seal also invoked profane desire for his beauty. Once his body matured enough to bear power, the demons manipulated fate to draw wicked souls to defile and torment him, fomenting hatred and anguish.

Breaking the seal required the world's primal energy.

The more the Phoenix God despised the world, the more the world rejected him.

Thus, he could not awaken, control the world, or wield its power.

It was a crude, shameless scheme.

At first, the gods thought little of it. Though vile, the divine will was impervious, and the small worlds were the Phoenix God's domain—surely he would soon awaken, see through the false vessel, expel the demons, and return.

They were wrong.

As the World Tree withered and world-fruits succumbed to corruption, they realized the flawless Phoenix God had a weakness.

Born of pure flames, he abhorred all filth, shunned every impurity, and cherished his dignity. He sought only love without blemish, rejecting all impure advances.

His purity, perfection, diligence, wisdom, and strength were virtues.

The demons forged them into daggers.

He could endure any torment—but not defilement. His pride in perfection made even the smallest stain unbearable, like an inkblot on pristine parchment. The more he struggled, the more it spread.

He hated the world, and the world rejected him. The demons seized more worlds, intensifying his torment while denying him aid. Tricked by fate, his hatred deepened until he lost himself, refusing to see the truth.

A self-perpetuating cycle.

Trapped in ceaseless reincarnation, the phoenix sank into the mire, his power fueling the demons' infernal realms. One by one, normal worlds became realms of demonic delight, then were corrupted and stolen.

The gods were driven to desperation.

They tried invading small worlds to awaken the Phoenix God.

But the Artifact of Fate was now demon-controlled. To rescue him, they had to disguise themselves as mortal contractors, using missions to find him.

The demons set traps, sealing the gods' powers and memories, assigning perplexing trials with severe retributions for failure.

Though stronger than mortals even in reincarnation, the gods struggled.

The Heavenly Emperor imprinted their souls with a reminder: "Save the Phoenix God."

Gods of loyalty, courage, and wisdom entered the small worlds, attempting to awaken him.

The demons exploited their flaws, giving them cruel origins, endless torment, and false clues to mislead them.

A steadfast general was given a scorned existence and grotesque visage, mired in contempt until hatred blinded him. A kind maid was stripped of joy, misled by sorrow into helping others until she forgot the phoenix. Those who once loved the Phoenix God were given flawless facsimiles, lured into blissful ignorance of the real, shattered Phoenix.

Each failure worsened the Phoenix God's state.

He grew paranoid, unhinged, and deranged, attacking anyone with hidden agendas or lust, even to the death.

Without completing tasks, task-takers couldn't leave.

Attempting tasks earned no trust.

Most gods gave up after a few tries, completing the artifact's tasks to return. A few close friends, like General An Long of the divine-demon border, persisted until they lost themselves, their souls falling into reincarnation with the phoenix, their bones turned into tools for his torment.

The Heavenly Emperor realized the task was impossible.

World after world was lost.

The divine realm was helpless.

Then came Lord Qingshi's formal petition—unexpected by all.

The Heavenly Emperor couldn't fathom what ties Lord Qingshi had to the Phoenix God that made him volunteer after all others had failed.

Lord Qingshi's ascension had been an accident, a coincidence.

His true form was a white stone forged by the Heavenly Emperor billions of years ago using the Red Lotus Mystic Fire, placed on Song Mountain to suppress the Nether Flame. Many years passed, and no one remembered this stone. Who would have thought that after suppressing the Nether Flame for so long and saving countless lives, the stone would accumulate immense virtue and ascend to godhood?

When the Heavenly Emperor saw the stone he had forged achieve divinity, he was dumbfounded...

He tried to say a few diplomatic platitudes to ease the atmosphere, only to realize that though the stone had taken human form, its heart remained stony—unable to beat, incapable of feeling mockery, disdain, hatred, affection, or praise...

After speaking at length with empty pleasantries and heartfelt advice, the stone merely stared at him blankly, understanding nothing and unable to speak.

The atmosphere grew awkward...

So the Heavenly Emperor casually gave it a name: Song Qingshi. However, the Divine Lord who recorded destinies misunderstood his intention and wrote it as "Song Qingshi." The Heavenly Emperor decided the name was good enough and let it be. Then, with great earnestness, he advised the newly-minted Lord Qingshi to study more if he lacked understanding, assuring him that knowledge would bring clarity.

After much effort, he finally made Lord Qingshi grasp this concept and recognize the importance of learning.

Because Lord Qingshi struggled to adapt and integrate into celestial society, causing numerous issues, the Heavenly Emperor—feeling responsible for the stone he had forged—found him a small courtyard atop the clouds, installed him there, assigned tutors to teach him writing, and provided volumes upon volumes of books for him to study until he was ready to rejoin society.

As it turned out, Lord Qingshi buried himself in the books and never left the courtyard again.

Divine messengers reported that he spent his days reading and studying, occasionally gazing at the clouds from his window, refusing to attend any divine gatherings or speak to anyone.

This solitary routine lasted tens of thousands of years...

At first, the gods would whisper about this foolish stone, but eventually, they forgot about him.

Seeing no improvement in Lord Qingshi—who neither understood loneliness nor minded solitude—the Heavenly Emperor gave up on managing him, only remembering to gift him extra books during annual offerings as a token of care.

When news of the Phoenix God's predicament spread, Lord Qingshi left his courtyard for the first time and arrived at the divine hall, requesting entry into the trial world.

Even the most capable deities had failed—what could this speechless stone possibly achieve?

Yet Lord Qingshi was unyielding, deaf to rejection and blind to mockery.

Who could argue with an unyielding boulder?

Exhausted from persuasion, the Heavenly Emperor suddenly recalled that Lord Qingshi had ascended through virtue as a stone—his luck must be exceptional. Moreover, he had no emotional entanglements with the Phoenix God, no desires, no understanding of emotions or love, and thus might avoid the demons' traps. The Phoenix God had a fondness for collecting beautiful stones—perhaps this simple stone would stumble into success?

After all, everyone else had failed. One more failure wouldn’t hurt. He’d return after hitting the wall...

With this desperate hope, the Heavenly Emperor sent Lord Qingshi into the trial world to attempt rescuing the Phoenix God.

......

Soul awakened, godly power returned.

All memories cascaded into Yue Wuhuan’s consciousness. He recalled the figure who had tirelessly approached him across endless cycles of anguish, failing again and again... In the first few dozen cycles, this figure fumbled awkwardly, ignorant of human emotions, unable to speak, facing endless obstacles—dying before even coming close, let alone completing the mission or reaching him.

Yet, he never gave up. No matter how hard he fell, he always returned.

Persistently, he identified one problem after another, comparing emotions described in books to real human feelings, clumsily imitating and expressing them. Through sheer determination and selfless intent, he finally approached the wary, fragile Phoenix, giving everything until the Phoenix gradually entrusted him with trust... and his heart.

The seven emotions and six desires of the mortal world polished this stone relentlessly.

Across different worlds, he read more books, experienced different kinds of warmth, witnessed life's myriad faces, and endured all forms of suffering. Slowly, he learned to cry, to smile, to feel sorrow and anger, to understand grief and joy—gradually coming alive.

In the end, the stone comprehended emotion, and the Phoenix rediscovered his true self.

......

All shackles shattered, power returned, and the World Tree burst forth with new life.

The most radiant Phoenix was reborn, his nine golden-crimson tail feathers streaming flames as he soared into the darkened sky, charging toward the gates of hell.

Sacred light pierced the darkness, purifying the world defiled by demons.

The foulness was banished, corruption cleansed, and the gates of hell slammed shut forever amid the demons’ furious roars.

Lightning ceased, thunder silenced, and a soft rain began to patter down. The cracked earth mended, dry riverbeds flowed once more, lightning-blasted trees sprouted green buds, and fragrant blossoms bloomed on the cliffs. Birds ceased their flight, searching for nesting materials, while animals timidly emerged from hiding, venturing back toward home.

The entire world throbbed with new life.

Those afflicted with Demonic Affliction awoke in the rain, astonished as the black marks on their bodies faded. Heavenly music resounded from the sky, and when they looked up, they saw a Phoenix gliding through the clouds—its transcendent beauty made them forget war, sorrow, hatred, and slaughter...

The dread that had gripped their hearts vanished; the dark desires surging within them faded.

Looking back on their actions, they felt nothing but foolishness.

......

The lord of Spiritheart City, realizing the Demonic Affliction had disappeared, immediately halted the battle. For now, he set aside reflection on the conflict with the Tianwu Sect, postponing apologies and amends for later.

In desperate haste, he led his cultivators back to Spiritheart City. In the courtyard, he saw his gentle, beautiful daughter—just as before—holding spirit tea and fragrant fruits, smiling at him: "Father, you’ve worked hard..."

They say men seldom shed tears.

But the lord of Spiritheart City, clutching his precious daughter, regained against all odds, sobbed without restraint.

......

On Immortal Spirit Isle, Madam Nian held Duoduo’s hand, lying on the grass as they quietly awaited death.

Suddenly, Duoduo pointed at the sky and cried, "Look! Such a beautiful bird!"

Madam Nian opened her eyes. She saw the Phoenix wheeling through the clouds as the dark clouds dispersed, gentle rays of sunlight spilling onto the earth, growing ever brighter. After the Phoenix flew away, she emerged from the wondrous vision to find her body felt lighter—the black marks on Duoduo’s face had vanished...

Behind her, women cultivators cheered:

"We’ve survived."

"Immortal Spirit Isle has survived."

......

The Phoenix flew over every corner of the world, and cheers arose in every corner.

All demonic energy was purged.

Finally, the Phoenix returned to the Indestructible Peak.

Song Qingshi reclined against a giant pine atop a massive boulder, his life-force artifact shattered, his dantian ruined, his karmic power spent—his life force fading. His pallid face, his body too weak to stand, yet his heart overflowed with happiness...

The Phoenix descended, assuming human form—his phoenix eyes filled with majesty, regal and inviolate, a god before whom creation bowed.

Step by step, he approached Song Qingshi, peering reverently into the world's purest gaze.

Song Qingshi looked up, beaming. "You're home."

Yue Wuhuan whispered tenderly, "Thank you... for never letting go."

...

The world was fully restored, and the World Tree came alive with renewed vitality.

Yue Wuhuan raised his hand, gathering the boundless merits generated from the World Tree into his palm, then infused them into Song Qingshi’s body to mend his weakened soul. Afterward, he reset the world’s fate, allowing the tiny orb that called itself the "system" to be reborn once more—now cleansed of all corruption.

It bobbed cheerfully, emitting a series of beeping sounds as it announced:

"Agent Song Qingshi, successful in rescuing the bottom protagonist Bai Zihao. The 1,350th mission accomplished."

"Agent Song Qingshi, successful in eliminating the evil antagonist of Indestructible Peak. The 1,351st mission accomplished."

"World disengaging..."

Song Qingshi’s body dissolved into shimmering motes of golden light before vanishing into the horizon.

The phoenix spread its wings once more and gave chase.