Inside and outside Xindu City, millions raised their heads, watching as a Nine-Colored Lotus Seat slowly emerged from where the golden light shone brightest.
Its lotus petals layered upon one another, each translucent and crystal-clear, swirling with dazzling, radiant splendor.
A graceful figure stood poised atop the lotus seat.
Behind her danced a sky full of golden feathers, before her stretched ten thousand li of clear skies; it seemed as though the entire celestial dome served merely as her backdrop.
The Divine Lady was draped in garments as white as snow, and amidst the fluttering of her sleeves, golden Sanskrit characters flickered into view and incessantly swirled.
Her three thousand silver tresses were gathered into a flying celestial bun, held fast by a magnificent golden crown whose inset bright pearls caught the skylight.
Her visage was aloof yet solemn and sacred. Between her brows rested a divine mark shaped like a golden lotus, and her eyes were like a moon reflected in a deep pool—holding a trace of sorrowful compassion, yet tinged with a detachment that looked down upon all living things.
Bearing her, the Nine-Colored Lotus Seat descended slowly.
With every cun it lowered, the golden light deepened a degree.
The radiance was not blinding, yet it compelled everyone to kneel instinctively, filling them with an innate urge to kowtow and dedicate all their devotion to this deity who had descended to the mortal realm.
“Divine Lady!”
“The Divine Lady has truly manifested!”
“The Divine Lady is boundlessly merciful!”
Everyone was immersed in the ecstasy of the Divine Lady's advent, save for Shen Yu, whose face was as pale as paper and whose hands and feet had turned ice-cold.
No, he could not accept that the Divine Lady, who had sacrificed so much for the mortal realm, would meet such a tragic end!
Yet he was merely a mortal—what could he possibly do?
Beside him, Shen Jue gazed at the Divine Lady whom he had not seen in so long. He forgot to press Shen Yu on what he had just been about to say, nor did he notice his brother's current distress; his eyes held only the Divine Lady.
Not only him, but everyone else was the same.
The Divine Lady was simply too dazzling; the moment she appeared, no one could bear to spare even a sliver of attention for anything else.
She alighted before the Divine Lady statue, the tips of her feet lightly brushing the ground as the Nine-Colored Lotus Seat dissolved into specks of flowing light, scattering into heaven and earth.
Immediately following, she turned her gaze toward the injured elders. Raising her fair hand slightly, countless streams of golden light flew toward their wounds.
In an instant, flesh grew back over bare bone.
The wounds corroded by the black rain healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaving not a single scar behind.
Staring blankly at their fully restored arms and legs, tears streamed down the elders' withered cheeks as they kowtowed heavily.
“We thank the Divine Lady for saving our lives!”
The Divine Lady uttered not a word, merely brushing her sleeves gently.
The golden light rippled outward like water; wherever it passed, shattered roof tiles reassembled themselves, withered crops in the fields sprouted anew, and buildings corroded by the black rain were restored to pristine condition.
Within a few short breaths, Xindu City was restored to its state before the black rain struck, appearing even more vibrant than before.
It was as though the devastation had never occurred.
The crowd was stunned into silence.
Yet the Divine Lady's expression remained unchanged as she gazed toward the distant horizon.
The rift had not vanished; it had merely been forced back by the golden light, lurking across the celestial dome like a ferocious beast that had momentarily retracted its claws, patiently awaiting the next opportunity to tear open once more.
She gave a soft sigh.
“This great cataclysm of the mortal realm is unavoidable.”
Hearing this, Shen Yu's pupils contracted sharply.
Before he could even think, his body moved on pure instinct, rushing forward to drop heavily onto his knees.
“Divine Lady!” Prostrating himself before her, he pleaded, “I beg of you, do not intervene in the affairs of the mortal realm any longer!”
The surroundings fell deathly still in an instant.
Everyone stared at Shen Yu in bewilderment.
They could not comprehend why he would say such a thing.
“The tribulations of the mortal realm should rightfully be borne by mortals,” Shen Yu said, lifting his head with bloodshot eyes, speaking each word with agonizing clarity. “I beg You to return to the Heavenly Palace, and trouble Yourself with us no more!”
The Divine Lady looked down at him, her gaze compassionate.
“To sacrifice one to save all living beings is the destiny of a deity.”
Shen Yu wanted to say more.
Yet the Divine Lady looked at him no longer. She soared toward the sky, her snow-white celestial garments billowing fiercely in the wind.
“No—!”
Shen Yu scrambled to his feet, stumbling forward in pursuit.
He reached out his hand, attempting to seize the hem of the Divine Lady's dress, but his fingertips touched only a drifting golden feather of light.
The feather of light dispersed in his palm.
“Don't go...” His voice shattered into ragged pieces.
Yun Shu's silhouette had already vanished into the rift.
She passed through layers of darkness.
The deeper she went, the more dead the silence around her became.
By the time she finally heard a sound, she was already treading upon soft grass, surrounded by a peach blossom grove of drifting fallen petals.
A brook gurgled, meandering past bluestones. On both banks, the peach blossoms were in full bloom; petals drifted with the breeze, blanketing the surface of the water in layer upon layer of breathtaking beauty.
Not far away stood two or three bamboo houses.
Wind chimes hung beneath the eaves, tinkling softly.
“Yun Shu, you truly are remarkable.”
A familiar voice rang out from behind her. “I searched for many outstanding task-takers, but even when they completed the missions I set, the novel world remained fake. Thus, I had no choice but to reset the world time and time again.”
“Fortunately, Heaven helps those who persevere.”
“I found you, and you did not disappoint me. You succeeded in completely turning the unreal of this novel world into reality.”
Yun Shu paused, her expression stilling, and turned around.
Deep within the peach blossom grove, a snowy-white figure sprawled lazily atop a bluestone.
Nine fluffy tails drooped from the stone, its ears twitching faintly. A pair of amber eyes were half-narrowed, gleaming with a glazed luster beneath the sunlight.
The little fox would also put on an arrogant front before Shen Yu and the others, but at most, that was just being tsundere. The “little fox” before her, however, exuded arrogance from the very marrow of its bones.
Clearly, this was the Great God.
Guessing what his intention was, her face darkened. “Don't disgust me by wearing the little fox's skin.”
The little fox tilted its head, seemingly somewhat puzzled.
“Do you not like Number 7 very much? Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you—Number 7 is the designation I gave the Dress-Up System. It must have mentioned to you that it is merely a part of me.”
As he spoke, he leapt down from the bluestone, all four paws landing without a sound, and strode toward Yun Shu over the carpet of peach blossoms. “Since you like it, you ought to like me as well.”
Watching the Great God still imitating the little fox, Yun Shu said, “No one likes a clumsy fake.”
A glint of cold light flashed through the Great God's eyes.
“Yun Shu, isn't everything you currently possess granted to you by this ‘clumsy fake’?”
As he spoke, his tone softened again. “There is no need for us to be at each other's throats. In truth, we can achieve a win-win outcome.”
“There's actually a possibility of a win-win between us?” Yun Shu gave the Great God a faint, half-mocking smile, making it impossible to tell whether she believed him.
“Of course there is. I have always held you in high esteem.”
The Great God took another step closer to Yun Shu.
Yun Shu said, “Let's hear it.”
The Great God raised a paw and tapped lightly. A ripple spread across the void, and a water mirror emerged.
Reflected within the mirror was a simply furnished living room. The furniture was somewhat worn, yet tidied spotlessly clean.
In the corner of the wall hung three black-and-white photographs side by side.
An elderly gray-haired couple sat on the sofa, numbly staring at the photographs as tears silently fell.
With just a single glance, Yun Shu's eyes rimmed with red.
The Great God's voice drifted out at an unhurried pace.
“I recall that you come from a blue planet, and your parents are still alive and well. You must want very much to return.”
“I can help you invade it, allow you to become the ruler of that blue planet, and reunite with your family.”
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