Chapter 544: Unsolved Mystery, New God Descends Finally Emerges

Chapter 544: Unsolved Mystery, The New God's Final Words

In the deep, secluded cave, withered yellow leaves drifted from nowhere, carpeting the ground in a thick layer.

Qi Yuan stepped over the leaves, heading toward the Blind Girl's dwelling.

A man's purity is also purity!

Do not trivialize male chastity.

With this thought in mind, he arrived at the Blind Girl's abode.

The sound of trickling water reached his ears—was the Blind Girl washing her face?

From Qi Yuan's male-gaze perspective, well, he was blind, so he couldn't see a thing.

"Ran out of materials already? That fast? Or are you here to freeload a meal?" The Blind Girl emerged, a wooden basket in her hand.

She appeared perfectly composed now, as if nothing had happened.

"Did you come to me last night?" Qi Yuan asked directly.

"No." The Blind Girl frowned. "What happened last night?"

"Last night... a woman suddenly attacked me and... did that to me."

"You must have had a wet dream. In this Divine Tree Abyss, there's no other woman besides me," the Blind Girl said flatly, her tone calm.

"That woman last night... I suspect it was you."

"You had a wet dream, and I was the leading lady?" The Blind Girl seemed to glare at Qi Yuan, quite angry. "Disgusting!"

Qi Yuan sensed her reaction and felt puzzled.

Her tone didn't sound fake.

"You really didn't come last night?"

"I slept here the entire night!" the Blind Girl snapped.

Qi Yuan was suspicious.

His nose hadn't grown longer, which meant she was telling the truth.

"There's no other woman here?"

"Besides me, there's no one else here." The Blind Girl's voice turned cold, as if she had taken a dislike to Qi Yuan.

Blind Qi Yuan "male-gazed" at the Blind Girl, a host of doubts rising in his mind.

"Want to come to my bed and take a look... there's still a scent lingering there."

"You... shameless!" Even though she had lived in solitude here all along, a blush crept onto her pretty face.

"It's a floral scent, exactly the same as the one on you," Qi Yuan said seriously.

The Blind Girl stood still, silent for a long time.

This was too absurd.

And Qi Yuan didn't seem like the type to make baseless claims.

"Fine, I'll go take a look."

The Blind Girl decided to inspect the scene.

If she smelled anything else, she would be furious.

"I warn you, don't get any improper ideas!" the Blind Girl cautioned.

"Hey, I'm the victim here!" Qi Yuan couldn't help but say.

Though one shouldn't trivialize male victims, this matter was too embarrassing to speak of.

Soon, the two arrived at Qi Yuan's simple bedroom.

"This is the crime scene," Qi Yuan said.

The Blind Girl bent down, her delicate nose twitching. She seemed to catch a scent and fell silent for a moment.

"Is there a floral scent like yours?" Qi Yuan asked. "You don't have a sleepwalking habit you're unaware of, do you?"

Aside from sleepwalking, she might also have a split personality.

That would be tricky.

According to the law, it might not even be a crime!

"No." The Blind Girl straightened up.

"This floral scent..."

"This scent is dreamlike, unreal—who knows if it's true or false?" The Blind Girl's voice carried a hint of desolation.

"Don't speak in riddles."

He felt the Blind Girl was hiding something from him.

"The Divine Tree Abyss is very peculiar. Aside from the places I frequent, don't wander around elsewhere—you might pick up something dirty."

With that, the Blind Girl walked away on her own.

Leaving Qi Yuan alone, bewildered in the wind.

"Dirty something?"

"Was I possessed by a ghost?"

Qi Yuan could only console himself with that thought.

"Too bad I'm blind now—if I'd seen her last night, I'd know who the mastermind was."

"Wait, will she come again tonight?"

"Should I take a bath tonight and seduce her?"

"Forget it, I'm too weak now. Better not tempt fate."

"What if she finishes and says, 'Who told you to dress so lightly?'—that would be humiliating."

"Ah, well, at least my will is as hard as steel, or I'd easily fall into depression."

Qi Yuan pulled himself together and continued practicing his artifact-refining techniques, crafting magical tools.

A mature man must face life with strength!

Even if he was ravaged last night, he still had to work hard today!

But when night fell, Qi Yuan still slept cautiously, hoping to catch the culprit.

Unfortunately, the culprit didn't show up, which disappointed him greatly.

This incident became yet another unsolved mystery.

A few months later.

Qi Yuan sat in his simple refining room, a look of joy on his face.

"The Eight Gates Artifact Refining Technique has finally reached the master level. I didn't expect... fusion to be this simple."

"Indeed, there are too many opportunities in battle!"

If it were before, Qi Yuan might have needed some time to merge the Eight Gates Artifact Refining Art and forge his own path.

But since fusing Death Radiance and Absolute Adaptation, Qi Yuan felt that merging techniques had become easier.

These eight gates of artifact refining quickly merged.

Qi Yuan's artifact refining skill also rose to the divine level peak.

"So, if I forge another Divine Arrival, the charade of the Blind Artificer and Divine Arrival... will it all end?"

Qi Yuan was in quite a good mood.

...

The Radiance Universe.

In an unknown place, a sea of blood churned, with stars falling continuously like eggs dropped into a frying pan.

"Phoenix Cry Supreme, long time no see."

A terrifying figure appeared, his body towering, as large as several stars.

In the blood sea, a man in flowing white robes opened his eyes; within them seemed to pass countless cycles of time, then instantly regained divine light.

"Old Three Trees, what do you seek me for?" Phoenix Cry Supreme said, neither pleased nor angered.

The terrifying being before him was a Realm Lord.

In terms of realm, he was a level higher than Phoenix Cry.

But Phoenix Cry's master was a powerful Realm Lord, and Phoenix Cry had already comprehended the Extreme Rule Heart at the Great Venerable realm; entering the third layer of Yang God was only a matter of time.

Thus, he and Realm Lord Three Trees interacted as equals.

"Watching when you can step into the third layer of Yang God, attaining great freedom and great ease." Realm Lord Three Trees' form flickered, turning into a childlike appearance, but this child had white hair and white eyebrows, looking old beyond his years.

"Difficult," Phoenix Cry replied.

Even though he had comprehended the Rule Heart at the Great Venerable realm, turning it into true cosmic rules and inscribing them in the universe was still extremely difficult.

He had been stuck at this realm for a hundred million years.

"Your cultivation time is still short; this is nothing. Back then, I was stuck for a full twelve hundred million years," said Realm Lord Three Trees.

"Speak, what did you come to me for?" Phoenix Cry asked seriously, looking at Realm Lord Three Trees.

Realm Lords possess nearly infinite lifespans; the universe may perish but their souls do not.

A spark of true spirit remains eternal, and when the next epoch begins, it will reawaken within the cosmic rules.

Realm Lord Three Trees was an old man who had lived through three epochs; though his demeanor was unreliable, since he came to find him, it was certainly not for nothing.

"Recently I learned an interesting piece of news: in the Radiance Assembly, the Phoenix Cry created in your likeness... actually lost to a native of the Divine Wood Universe," Realm Lord Three Trees said, squinting with a pleased expression.

Phoenix Cry was his friend despite the age gap, and Realm Lord Three Trees often compared himself to Phoenix Cry, harboring resentment that Phoenix Cry ranked third in combat power among the Sky-treading Five Steps of the current epoch.

"Oh, is it a myth?" Phoenix Cry mused, not surprised.

Regardless, the Divine Wood Universe is a cosmic embryo; it is not unusual for some true prodigies to appear.

But whether those prodigies can grow up is uncertain.

Back when Phoenix Cry was of the same generation, there was a prodigy whose combat power surpassed his.

In the end, that prodigy fell before even stepping into the Yang God realm.

"No... it is a Great Venerable... or perhaps even a Venerable," said Realm Lord Three Trees, a brilliant smile in his eyes.

Phoenix Cry's eyes finally showed a hint of emotion: "What, are you interested in him?"

Such a figure made Phoenix Cry also consider taking him as a disciple, but it was only a thought.

After all, that person was a being of the Divine Wood Universe; even if he entered the Yang God realm in the Radiance Universe, it would be difficult to reach the third layer of Yang God.

Because the rules of the Radiance Universe do not recognize him. However, some beings stuck at the second layer of Yang God for hundreds of millions or even tens of billions of years might be interested in that person.

"The waters of the Divine Wood Universe run deep. The Dao Lord has decreed that Realm Lords may not enter the Divine Wood," said Realm Lord Three Trees.

Realm Lords have fused with cosmic rules; if they rashly descend into another universe, they may be seen as a provocation, and some special events may occur.

Thus, Realm Lords rarely leave their own universe.

After all, their own universe is infinitely vast; an ordinary Realm Lord cannot explore it all in several epochs.

"As for my disciple, he is competitive and always wants to become the number one in combat power among the Sky-treading Five Steps of the current epoch..."

Realm Lord Three Trees had a peerless prodigy disciple, only at the Great Venerable realm.

Because of Realm Lord Three Trees' constant talk, that disciple had always aimed to defeat the young Phoenix Cry.

"This time, he has gone in person to the Divine Wood Universe, ready to compete with that native.

Hehe, tell me, if my disciple wins, wouldn't that mean... you are inferior to me?" Realm Lord Three Trees chuckled.

This was his true purpose in coming.

For beings of their realm, becoming stronger was too difficult.

A little more amusement in life is what makes it enjoyable.

If his own disciple surpassed the young Phoenix Cry, that would be a joyful event worth recording in a book.

"Hmph, aren't you afraid your disciple will die in the Divine Wood Universe?" Phoenix Cry snorted.

"If he dies, I can always go and beg... Realm Lord Time, to fish out his true spirit from the Cosmic Mother River," Realm Lord Three Trees said casually.

There is a great difference between a universe with a Dao Lord and one without.

For example, the Zhou Universe has no Dao Lord; if a being dies, the true spirit is annihilated, that is true death.

But once a Dao Lord is born in a universe, the Cosmic Mother River appears, and all true spirits are recorded in it.

Even if a being dies, it can be fished out and revived from the Cosmic Mother River by great means.

Of course, Realm Lord Three Trees did not have such means, but Realm Lord Time was a Realm Lord of the Myriad Things realm, capable of fishing out a Great Venerable from the Cosmic Mother River.

"Boring," Phoenix Cry snorted. "Even if your disciple wins, at the Great Venerable realm, ten of you are no match for me!"

He said proudly.

"Hmph, if I hadn't been born too early, I might have also comprehended the Rule Heart at the Great Venerable realm!" said Realm Lord Three Trees.

In every cosmic epoch, cultivation civilization gradually progresses.

In the current epoch, there have even been cases of Great Venerables comprehending the Rule Heart.

This was unimaginable in the cosmic epoch of Realm Lord Three Trees.

"Old thing, if you were born in my era, you wouldn't even qualify to be my disciple!" Phoenix Cry said proudly.

"Tch, my disciple is stronger than you!" Realm Lord Three Trees said proudly. "Wait for my good news."

With that, Realm Lord Three Trees vanished.

Here, only Phoenix Cry remained, his gaze complex.

Just then, a voice sounded in his ear.

"How goes your deliberation? Will you leave Yaoguang... and follow me to seek..." The final words seemed to be silenced, as if erased.

Feng Ti remained silent, speaking not a word.

"Even a universe with a Dao Lord... is but a stagnant pool, with no future." The voice continued its seduction.

A sharp glint flashed in Feng Ti's eyes: "Like... the Divine Tree Universe, does it have a future?"

"Nor does it," the voice whispered. "Targeted by Black Heaven, even if your Dao Lord were to act, I fear it would be futile. Except... all worlds, every universe... are nothing more than..."

"Your ambition is too vast. How long are the ages, how boundless the cosmos, filled with countless uncertainties—enough for me to explore for a lifetime."

"True uncertainties? A world that can be expressed by zero and one... all is predetermined." The voice fell silent again, lying dormant.

...

"Fairness, justice, equality, order..."

In the Divine Tree Abyss, Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

Before him, a cold white flame burned, and a terrifying aura spread in that moment.

"Divine Presence!"

He called softly.

As if I were the Divine Presence!

In that instant, the aura of Divine Presence descended.

The aura around Qi Yuan became sacred and majestic.

Now, the new Divine Presence was a half-finished product, lacking only the final step.

That step was the "will" of Divine Presence, or rather, its rule.

Regarding the new "Divine Presence," Qi Yuan had many ideas.

He wanted to forge it perfectly, to truly realize the thought: "If there is injustice, call upon my Divine Presence."

But the more he pondered, the more Qi Yuan realized how difficult this was to achieve.

Nothing in the world is perfect.

Even an AI judge cannot be truly flawless.

The "will" of Divine Presence, the rules of Divine Presence, originate from its creator.

So in the end, Qi Yuan simply stopped revising and transferred the "will" that Sheng Girl had bestowed upon Divine Presence to the new one.

A vast sea of will and rules flowed through Qi Yuan at that moment, pouring into the body of the new Divine Presence.

The thoughts in Qi Yuan's eyes shifted continuously.

Finally, after forty-nine days, Qi Yuan collapsed to the ground.

"Finally succeeded."

"But... it still feels incomplete."

The new Divine Presence now possessed the complete will bestowed by Sheng Girl. In terms of strength, it was even stronger than the old one.

Yet, as he caressed the new Divine Presence, Qi Yuan still felt it was not perfect, lacking something.

Just then, a crisp voice sounded: "Succeeded?"

The blind girl stood behind Qi Yuan, quiet and serene.

Ever since she had been pushed by Ni, Qi Yuan had vaguely sensed a subtle change in her attitude toward him.

Perhaps it was because they had spent so much time together, growing familiar, and the blind girl, always idle, often chatted with him about past events.

Mostly, the blind girl spoke, and Qi Yuan listened.

Their relationship had grown warmer.

"It's still a bit off, not perfect," Qi Yuan answered honestly.

At this, the blind girl looked at Divine Presence, her face showing hesitation and uncertainty.

"Would you like me to help?"

"Huh?" Qi Yuan was slightly startled.

Wasn't the blind girl not skilled in artifact forging?

How could she help?

A proud expression appeared on the blind girl's face: "The Great Dao has fifty, Heaven derives forty-nine; all that is imperfect is the one that has fled.

I shall give it... a spring branch."

With the blind girl's words, the new Divine Presence in Qi Yuan's hand underwent a peculiar transformation.

This change, Qi Yuan could not fully perceive.

But... he could sense that the new Divine Presence was now infinitely approaching perfection.

Or rather, it was constantly approaching perfection.

"Perfection does not exist in the world; now... it has gained the chance to pursue perfection," the blind girl said, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

Perfection does not exist; only in the hearts of people is there a desire to pursue it.

Now, the new Divine Presence, having been granted "the one," would carry its "will" and move forward step by step.

This path might be rough, might be fraught with setbacks, but it was always improving.

Sheng Girl's will—"Hold the light, drive away the darkness; if there is injustice, call upon my Divine Presence"—might one day truly be realized.

The blind girl thought of someone.

"You are very much like him."

"Who?"

"My future husband."

"That's an unlucky resemblance!"

"Just a resemblance, at least... he's not blind, heh..."

"Don't discriminate against the blind; don't forget you're blind too."

"Heh heh..."

"Anyway, thank you. If you hadn't saved me and given me the Eight Gates Artifact Refining Technique, perhaps... I wouldn't have been able to complete my task," Qi Yuan said happily. "The swing, and your eyes... I will forge them for you!"

"Thank..."

"Oh, by the way, actually... I'm not blind. Well, I won't be blind soon."

"Huh?"

"Let me see, what you really look like!"

Curiosity shone in Qi Yuan's eyes.

At that moment, the role-playing of Divine Presence and the Blind Artificer reached completion, and he finally regained his sight.

He looked over to where the blind girl was.

"Blind girl?"

(End of this chapter)