Chapter 478: He Comes from Darkness

Chapter 479: Dark Sun Arrives (Part 2)

Shi sat in the Heavenly Ranking Command Tower, looking at the pitch-black door.

Her brother had just finished telling her a story, instructing her to stay still in the tower and wait. He promised he would soon take her to play somewhere else.

Shi obediently stayed put, without the slightest distrust of him.

She recalled the story her brother had told her.

Words like "will-o'-the-wisps" and "seeds" made Shi feel a little dizzy, but she understood the story. In her own words, it was about a divine young girl who created the world, but was ambushed by a bandit when she was at her weakest. The bandit stole her power and sealed her away.

However, this young girl had a powerful brother. The bandit knew that over time, her brother would sense that something was wrong and come to rescue his sister. To kill the brother, the bandit began to gather strength.

Afterwards, the seeds planted by the young girl grew into adults. The bandit pretended to be the village chief, befriended them, and began to weave a colossal lie.

In this colossal lie, only the old village chief, who had been expelled early on, knew the truth—that these new humans were created by a young girl.

Later, the old village chief rallied other village chiefs and returned to fight.

The bandit immediately contacted him and made an agreement.

Just as the old village chief was wavering, the young girl's brother arrived.

To save his sister and kill the bandit, the brother single-handedly blocked off the entire village. Neither the old village chief nor any of the other chiefs were a match for him. One powerful chief from another village even engaged in a head-on battle with the brother and was directly killed.

Thus, the old village chief was forced to accept the bandit's proposal.

They began searching for a power that could defeat the brother.

Then, they deceived the hatched seeds, telling them that a terrifying bandit had appeared outside the village, intent on slaughtering them all. They were told they must cultivate diligently and develop great power to fight him, or face certain death.

But what was the reality? The 'bandit' was actually the one who had protected them for many years, while the one who seemed to be helping them wholeheartedly was the true bandit!

"What a sad story..."

Shi sat cross-legged, propping her cheek with her hand.

She occasionally looked up, her eyes gazing towards the crack in the door, wondering what her brother was discussing with the old man who resembled a deer.

"Lord of Darkness?" The black-clad youth looked at Yuan Jun and shook his head, saying, "What are you talking about? I am Evil, Shi's brother, and I must protect the unceasing flame of human civilization..."

Yuan Jun gazed deeply at him and said, "At a time like this, is there still a need for pretense?"

The black-clad youth rubbed his temples. After a long pause, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I'm almost unable to distinguish anymore."

Yuan Jun said, "Don't become a madman like the Vermilion Bird. I don't like cooperating with madmen."

The black-clad youth sighed, his gaze distant as he watched the exploded moon in the sky.

"Yes, I... am the Lord of Darkness."

He murmured softly to himself, a hint of struggle in his eyes, as if he was reluctant to accept this identity.

He was the Lord of Darkness, the departed soul of Earth.

And the being he referred to as the 'Lord of Darkness' was actually Shi's brother—Evil.

Back then, he had followed Shi to the human realm and seized her power, including the ability of 'omniscience.' He sealed and hid the unconscious Shi. To defeat her brother, Evil, who was sure to come, he began a long-term plan.

The spark seeds Shi had planted began to awaken on this star, becoming humans, and he became their leader. In addition, the three most powerful spark seeds were planted: two on the sun and one on the moon.

These three spark seeds also awakened successively, becoming Di Jun, Xi He, and Chang Xi.

He first extended goodwill to Di Jun, repeatedly inviting him to travel the human realm, forging a deep friendship. And while Chang Xi was aloof, she also loved the human realm. Every night, she would descend upon it in dreams, experiencing the world's beauty.

Only Xi He... whether out of coldness, foolishness, or some deep-seated distrust of him, Xi He never set foot in the human realm.

He was unsure of Xi He's thoughts, but for him, it had always been a source of uneasiness. He feared that the Sun Goddess had discerned some truth, so during the Primordial God War, he tried every possible way to eliminate her.

The only one who truly knew his identity was Yuan Jun.

And Yuan Jun had also chosen to cooperate with him.

Thus, under heaven, he monopolized all discourse. For thousands of years, he played the role of the most loyal partner to humans and cultivators, an ancient deity concerned with all living beings. Everyone had witnessed his actions over millennia, and no one would question the correctness of his words.

As long as no one in the world could expose the lie, the lie could continue indefinitely. Even in retrospect, many reasons might seem far-fetched, but people immersed in it would not notice.

Lies are like that: complex in their concealment, but simple at their core.

What's more, over these years, even he himself had come to believe it.

Even when alone, he would occasionally step out of the Heavenly Ranking, gaze at the shimmering stars in the sky, kneel, and vow to ensure the continuation of civilization, expressing yearning for his lost sister. Many times, he was even deeply moved and wept.

He repeated such actions for over a thousand years.

He appeared to be a normal deity, but he knew in his heart that his inner self was darker and more twisted than anyone else's.

He was a departed soul, a vengeful spirit. A vengeful spirit, by definition, is a spirit condensed from hatred. Such a spirit is destined from birth to live solely for revenge, and only after revenge can it find release...

This was the destiny of a vengeful spirit; it was his destiny.

"For all these years, living among them, you truly seemed happy," Yuan Jun said, his voice slow like a sigh. "Did you truly never waver?"

"I did waver."

The black-clad youth, who was the true Lord of Darkness, said decisively, "Not only did I waver, but sometimes, I even wished they would discover the truth and kill me... Many times, I looked at them and felt the urge to tell them the truth..."

Yuan Jun said, "But you never did."

"No, I truly tried," the Lord of Darkness said. "I told Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong a story, a story from the Land of Everlasting Day. It was an absurd tale where everyone's perceived hero was actually the demon king on the eyelash pedestal... That was the limit of what I could tell them. Unfortunately, they were misled by other parts of the story and failed to interpret this most obvious detail... Perhaps fate willed me to seek revenge."

"Besides, I know this race too well; it's a race of demons."

He looked at the moonless night sky and said, "Many, many years ago, I witnessed their birth and growth. They were creative, incredibly wise, and seemed simple and kind. Many of them even waved banners, claiming they would protect me, yet their plunder of me never ceased. They mercilessly hunted other creatures, felled trees, mined ores, slowly hollowing me out. The most demonic among them even poured poisoned water into the oceans, allowing my physical body to rot and fester."

The Lord of Darkness's voice also carried a sense of powerlessness. "Later, a world-ending catastrophe arrived. At that time, if they had exerted all their strength, they could have averted the disaster, but I was by then almost entirely plundered and held little value. After weighing their options, they ultimately chose to abandon me and seek a new home... I died, just like that."

The stars in the Lord of Darkness's eyes were almost ethereal. "Revenge is the destiny of a vengeful spirit. If I abandon revenge, what purpose do I have left?"

"This is my purpose."

"Infinity is converging. The Vermilion Bird desires ultimate freedom, and the authority over space will be taken by her. From then on, there will be no more 'infinity' in this world; no one will be able to alter history through time and space anymore..."

By the time the world-lines converged and Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong realized what was happening, everything would already be decided.

"This divine kingdom is currently without a master. Ascend the divine throne," Yuan Jun said, looking at the vast world—the new world created by Ning Changjiu, Ye Changong, and all cultivators. Soon, this brand-new divine kingdom would be usurped by them.

At that point, they could establish any laws.

The Lord of Darkness could then slaughter this demonic race, as he saw them, fulfilling a long-cherished desire he had held for countless years.

In the boundless void, across countless world-lines, they were rushing towards the end.

Ning Changjiu looked back at the long river of history.

He and Ye Changong had fought for countless years, but much of that time was spent in slumber, so he hadn't witnessed the complete history.

In this bizarre world, they had the opportunity to look back at past history.

The history recorded here began after the arrival of the Lord of Darkness.

"Which period of history would you like to see?" Ye Changong asked.

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment and said, "Let's see what happened after we separated. After our separation, you flew to the Moon Palace to slumber, and I began a muddled cycle of reincarnation, later also falling into a long sleep in the Immortal Realm. For the two millennia before your awakening and return, we had no idea what truly transpired."

Ye Changong gently raised her hand, and a halo of light condensed at her fingertips.

The history in this infinite space was far more complete and detailed than that in the Central Land Four Towers. Here, even the past deeds of deities were recorded.

That period of history slowly unfolded before them.

Lu Jiajia and Siming also watched. Liu Xiwang, who had been drowsy, suddenly perked up and paid full attention.

In the scene, Ye Changong, Ning Changjiu, and a black-clad figure were living in a desolate village with only the three of them.

Ye Changong and Ning Changjiu were in a wooden hut. Ning Changjiu was reciting poetry to her, and Ye Changong listened quietly, her demeanor gentle and serene.

Then, they put away their scrolls and walked out together.

Pursuers arrived, surrounding the village.

Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong fought until they were exhausted. Then, the epic scene unfolded: Ning Changjiu drew his bow and shot towards the heavens, while Ye Changong swallowed the spark seed and ascended to the moon.

Their memories ended here.

This was the first time they were seeing what happened afterward.

Only the black-clad figure, Evil, remained in the village.

Yuanfu and the ancient gods surrounded the village, attempting to capture him, but as the Star God of the mother planet, his power was equally formidable. After several close calls, he successfully evaded the pursuers and went into hiding.

For a long time thereafter, Ning Changjiu repeated the cycle of reincarnation, being killed, and reincarnating.

And each time, it was Evil who found him and nurtured him as he grew... This Evil seemed to possess omniscience, always able to precisely locate his reincarnated self.

Time arrived at his last lifetime, several millennia ago.

"This was also my first meeting with Xue'er," Ning Changjiu said with a smile.

Siming also smiled faintly. At that time, she was still studying under Ye Chu, and pursuing the hunt then made her feel a little nervous... The scene opened: Siming, clad in black robes with silver hair, stood behind Yuanfu and Ye Chu, her icy eyes like silver, her face cold and stunningly beautiful. Her posture held a sculptural beauty that captivated the soul.

Lu Jiajia gently leaned on her shoulder, whispering with a light laugh, "Sister Xueci was so young back then."

"Sister has always been young!" Siming said firmly.

"But Sister Xueci was very naive when she was young, to simply watch her husband be killed like that... What crime is that?" Lu Jiajia said.

Siming's chest heaved. With a "rather die than yield" attitude, she said, "Master! I want to see Jiajia when she was little!"

"No!" Lu Jiajia immediately protested.

Liu Xiwang also interjected, "Jiajia was very amusing as a child. If you want to know, I can tell you directly."

"Xiwang..." Lu Jiajia turned her face, staring at her from behind Ning Changjiu.

Under the gaze of the 'main wife,' Liu Xiwang, like a paper tiger, instantly lost her momentum. She thought to herself that in the future, when peace prevailed, her status and fate would be in the hands of this Fairy Lu. She quickly feigned ignorance and returned her gaze to the screen.

For some reason, as they chatted and laughed, Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong's expressions suddenly became exceptionally solemn.

"What... what's wrong with you?" Liu Xiwang asked casually, then she too fell silent.

All eyes were fixed on the screen.

In the scene, Ning Changjiu was effortlessly killed. Years passed, Yuanfu, his divine officials, and the Heavenly Monarchs all disappeared. Evil emerged from the village, gently cradling Ning Changjiu, offering blessings for his peaceful rest. Then, Evil went to see the Little Monkey, earnestly instructing him on many things, urging the Little Monkey to endure, strive to become the master of the divine kingdom, and await the return of its master. The Little Monkey agreed to everything, tearfully bidding farewell to Evil.

Up to this point, everything seemed normal.

But the next scene sent shivers down everyone's spines.

This was the Moonless Month. After sending off the Little Monkey, Evil went alone to a desolate mountain. Evil chiseled open the mountain and entered.

When he emerged, he had transformed into a black-clad youth, accompanied by a bewildered young girl.

"What... what's going on?" Ning Changjiu asked in astonishment. "Weren't Evil and Shi cleaved out by the Lord of Darkness... How can this be?"

Ye Changong stood silently. In a flash, 'Evil's story' flashed through her mind, and a terrifying conjecture surfaced like lightning. This feeling was colder than a blade to the throat... Could it be...?

"Why did Evil lie to us?" Siming was equally perplexed.

Before they could ponder, Ye Changong's finger already pointed, and countless scenes related to Evil flashed past.

In the days that followed, this black-clad youth and Shi were indeed targeted by the Lord of Darkness. Several major battles ensued. Shi was taken, and Evil was imprisoned in the Heavenly Ranking. In the days that followed, Evil never left the Heavenly Ranking. He would occasionally come out, gaze at the starry sky, and with tears streaming down his face, say with deep affection, "I will ensure the continuation of the spark and civilization..."

He appeared like a devout believer, showing no signs of abnormality.

Lu Jiajia also guessed what they were thinking. She softly asked, "Could it be that we're overthinking? Perhaps Evil said that only to make us understand the Lord of Darkness's power better, with no other hidden meaning..."

Logically, if Evil were truly a villain, if he intended to deceive them, then throughout the following millennia, when he was alone, he should have revealed some flaw—perhaps a secret, evil smile upon realizing his grand plan was succeeding.

But for the next few millennia, Evil showed no signs of anything amiss.

The scene shifted closer.

Evil knelt on the Heavenly Ranking, looking up at the sky, tears streaming down his face: "It was I who awakened you... I will bring them back, children of the stars, please find peace..."

Perhaps by coincidence, separated by this long river of time, Evil, gazing up at the sky, happened to make eye contact with Ning Changjiu.

Their eyes met.

Ning Changjiu was startled.

There was nothing wrong with the other party's words, yet he had a strange feeling: this sincere and moving scene before him held an indescribable mockery. He even felt that this eye contact was intentional on Evil's part!

Ning Changjiu felt a slight sense of suffocation. He looked towards Ye Changong.

Ye Changong was also staring at the scene.

Under the authority of Infinity, the world-lines had nearly converged, with the last few delicate lines also gathering, about to merge with them.

Once converged, they would continue forward, reaching the end in the near future.

Ye Changong also couldn't make an accurate judgment.

Time felt infinitely fast, yet infinitely slow. In this absurd sensation, Ning Changjiu watched helplessly as the last few strands of world-lines converged.

At this very moment.

Inside the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, a strange sensation permeated!

Ning Changjiu, Lu Jiajia, and Siming felt this sensation simultaneously because, as owners of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, their perception was exceptionally strong.

They felt as if they had lost something.

Ning Changjiu was the first to make a judgment: "The connection between the Mortal Realm Divine Kingdom and the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom has been severed!"

Lu Jiajia and Siming reacted moments later.

The Mortal Realm Divine Kingdom and the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom complemented each other; in a sense, the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom was equivalent to the Divine Master's Hall of the Mortal Realm Divine Kingdom. But at this moment, this almost inseparable connection had been severed!

Who did it?

Countless questions exploded like thunder, and no one could provide an answer.

What truly solidified Ning Changjiu's suspicion was the puppet in the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom.

The puppet was badly wounded but not yet dead.

It opened its mouth, no longer uttering "protect the unceasing flame of human civilization," but instead, two clear syllables: "Sister."

Sister...

"Master!"

Almost simultaneously, Ning Changjiu stared intensely at Ye Changong, shouting hoarsely.

They had no time for detailed discussion.

The world-lines were about to converge; this was their only chance.

Ye Changong saw his gaze, and she understood. Thus, she also had no hesitation.

Time seemed to rewind to the end of the previous lifetime.

That year, Ning Changjiu was twenty-eight years old. He stood under the white moon, watching his senior brother and sister ascend one after another. Just as he was about to step onto the moon, he looked back, and the Gate of Observation swung open, revealing a person of unparalleled beauty and a peerless sword floating towards him.

The long river of memory, like melting ice and snow, began to flow again.

This scene replayed!

Ye Chu was not wrong.

He would die again at twenty-eight.

At the very moment he thought he had escaped his fate, destiny once again displayed its irresistible power!

Ye Chu's prophecy came true; he ultimately could not escape...

Ye Changong pierced his chest with a moon branch.

Her hand trembled slightly, and the remaining authority of Infinity was fully activated at this moment.

However, there were no longer any 'reasonable' world-lines around them to jump to. In desperation, Ye Changong intended to fully activate the authority of time, hoping to send him back moments earlier to kill the true Lord of Darkness in the past!

They were in the same spacetime. As long as the Lord of Darkness died in the past, their present future would naturally change.

But the authority of Infinity seemed to possess a terrifying magic. No matter how hard time tried to flow backward, it could only stop at the moment they defeated the puppet and activated Infinity. They could not break free from Infinity through time!

"Give me space!" Ning Changjiu suddenly opened his eyes and roared.

Ye Changong understood. The moon branch, like a sword, pierced his chest.

The authority of space was injected into the moon branch, and time simultaneously reversed.

Ning Changjiu felt pain and dizziness.

In his sea of consciousness, the scene Ning Changjiu had just witnessed replayed.

It was the village scene, before Yuanfu brought the demon gods, where he and Ye Changong were reading in the house.

He was reciting a stack of poems and verses that Evil had given him, and Ye Changong listened quietly. Death was clearly imminent, yet they were both remarkably calm.

In the past, he had recited his favorite poems to Ye Changong many times. This was the last.

"The great path is like a clear sky, but I alone cannot emerge..."

"When have good times ever been in vain, with excellent friends everywhere. Towards the snowy night of Yi River, the flower dawn of Luo River, claiming all wild excursions..."

"Long in the cage, now returned to nature..."

Line after line of poetry echoed in the wooden hut, Ye Changong listening intently. Ning Changjiu loved these poems very much. He had once asked Evil where they came from, and Evil said they were excerpts from ancient texts.

Ning Changjiu continued to recite. When he reached a certain line, he couldn't help but laugh:

"May we live long, ah... sharing the beautiful moon, though a thousand miles apart."

He looked up at Ye Changong. Ye Changong lowered her head slightly, her fingers twisting at the hem of her skirt, a faint blush on her cool, serene face.

Time was calm and gentle, as if recalling something for them.

Ning Changjiu continued reciting.

The ground began to tremble, and the sound of giant beasts running in the distance echoed.

The great enemy was approaching.

"A scholar..."

Ning Changjiu paused abruptly as he recited this line, seemingly hesitating.

Ye Changong raised her head slightly, curious. After a moment, she asked, "A scholar cannot but be broad-minded and resolute?"

Ning Changjiu gently shook his head. He softly said, "A scholar dies for his bosom friend."

He closed the book, stood up, gripped his sword, and walked out.

His white robes were like snow.

A scholar dies for his bosom friend...

Ning Changjiu suddenly opened his eyes.

"Infinity."

His master's voice echoed in his ears.

Time had already flowed backward. This was the moment after they defeated the puppet and intended to converge the world-lines.

At this very moment, Ning Changjiu clutched his chest and activated the authority of space. As Infinity opened, he leaped out of that domain!

He hovered in the void.

In the vast cosmos, he was alone, appearing solitary.

In his sea of consciousness, Liu Xiwang had also flowed back with him, retaining memories of the past.

"What do we do now? Can we make it...?" Liu Xiwang bit her lip, her body tense with anxiety.

Infinity had opened, and the world-lines were converging. They had little time left.

They had to kill the true Lord of Darkness in the human realm before the world-lines converged!

But Ning Changjiu was severely wounded, and the connection between the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom and the Mortal Realm Divine Kingdom could be severed at any moment. What could he do?

In his current state, how could he possibly kill the Lord of Darkness?

Even rewinding time wouldn't change anything...

Liu Xiwang felt despair.

But Ning Changjiu had already made up his mind.

"Xiwang, are you ready?" Ning Changjiu's figure suddenly darted downwards.

"What?" Liu Xiwang asked blankly.

"Descend... with me!"

Ning Changjiu flew into the chaotic body, which had lost its master and floated solitarily in the universe.

In ancient prophecies, the Dark Sun was destined to descend, and that day would be the end of the world.

He used the earth as his bow and himself as the arrow to prevent the prophecy from coming true.

But now...

The chaotic body surged again!