Chapter 480: Sunset

On the Heavenly Scroll, a fierce wind gusted, consuming all light and stripping the sky of its azure hue.

Vast swathes of dark clouds were driven by the wind from afar, resembling thousands of restless spirits passing through.

The world was desolate and vast.

The Dark Lord stopped speaking to Prime Lord. He gazed at the dark sun seeping into the human realm, his eyes instantly turning pitch black.

The Dark Lord fixated on the dark sun.

"Has time been rewound?"

The Dark Lord swiftly grasped the crucial point.

He had to seize this human divine kingdom with utmost speed, seal the sky, and prevent the dark sun's infiltration.

Prime Lord's brows furrowed deeply.

Things had reached this point, and he hadn't anticipated such an unexpected turn. The final stretch of a hundred-mile journey is often the hardest. Despite having weathered countless storms, he found himself unable to quell the anxiety in his heart, even when liberation was just a step away.

Prime Lord looked towards the Dark Lord.

"I can't return the World Tree to you at this moment," the Dark Lord stated.

The World Tree, deeply buried underground, was not actually the Dark Lord's possession; it was Prime Lord's true form, now under the Dark Lord's control.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we win," Prime Lord sighed.

The Dark Lord turned and pushed open the door. As the door swung open, Shi looked at the black-clad youth, a hint of fear in her eyes as she heard the howling wind from outside.

"Brother..."

The Dark Lord gazed at the little girl in the pale pink dress sitting on the ground, a rare softness gracing his usually cold face.

Yet, he knew full well why he kept Shi by his side.

Over the years, he had rallied nearly every conceivable force, yet he remained uncertain of victory in this decisive battle. He knew that Evil's consciousness harbored two paramount desires: first, 'to safeguard the flame of human civilization from extinction,' and second, 'to protect his sister.'

They were created as divine twins, omniscient and omnipotent, and the sole beings who had relied on each other throughout the long eons.

Originally, when Shi was seized by Evil and protected within the Heart Demon Tribulation, the World Tree was the only means he had to deter and confront Evil.

The World Tree permeated the world, possessing both the power to protect it and the capacity to extensively destroy human civilization—a true double-edged sword. For years, the Dark Lord had thus confined himself to the Heavenly Scroll, daring not to leave it. He knew that venturing too far would almost certainly put his life in peril.

The Twelve Divine Kingdoms watched him incessantly.

The World Tree could serve as leverage in negotiations with Evil, but not with Ning Changjiu.

Communication and negotiation opportunities between them had been lost.

He now faced two options: first, to utilize the World Tree to fully seize the currently unmastered human divine kingdom and engage Ning Changjiu in a decisive battle; second, after securing the human divine throne, to expend all his power to unleash an apocalyptic catastrophe, and then, having destroyed humanity to fulfill his long-held desire, be beheaded by the dark sun.

"I want to live."

The Dark Lord gazed at the oppressive sky, suddenly muttering to himself.

Why must revenge and survival be mutually exclusive?

I want revenge, and I also want to live!

For millennia, he had deceived both heaven and earth, enduring an incredibly arduous existence. Today, having revealed himself as the Dark Lord, an inexplicable surge of relief and exhilaration burst forth within him, akin to a chick pecking its way out of an eggshell.

The identity of Evil had been his thick, constricting eggshell all along. Now, with the shell cracking and light filtering through the fissures, he, who had wandered for millennia, finally had the chance to perceive the full spectrum of life. How could he possibly give it up so easily?

*I want to live...* he repeated ceaselessly within himself.

"Brother, what are you talking about?"

Shi overheard his muttering and found her brother particularly odd today. His urge to speak seemed remarkably strong...

The Dark Lord turned, a faint smile touching his otherwise cold face. "Wait for your brother to return... If I can return, then for all the years to come, I will truly be your brother."

Shi blinked, completely bewildered.

The Dark Lord said nothing further. He turned away, his face resuming its cold indifference.

He pushed aside the curtain and entered, moving into the highest and deepest reaches of the Heavenly Scroll—the very place he had first encountered Ning Changjiu.

His body gradually seeped into the vast World Tree, merging with it like black blood with ink.

"Gods are eternal."

He declared.

The sword blade, free from the umbrella, vibrated ceaselessly in the air, like a cicada's pulsing abdomen.

Aside Zhao Xianger, the earth appeared seared by iron fire, revealing one deep, smoke-billowing gully after another.

These were the marks left by her battle with the Vermilion Bird.

The young girl held her sword horizontally before her, staring at the elegant red dress within the billowing smoke, seeking a way to escape.

The Vermilion Bird maintained a radiant smile.

"You could clearly leave, why haven't you?" Zhao Xianger asked.

"My old friends and kin are all here. Since I can depart at any moment, why rush?" The Vermilion Bird smiled. "How lonely is freedom when you're alone? I wish to take Chang'e and you with me. We were always meant to be together, weren't we?"

Zhao Xianger couldn't discern if her words were heartfelt or merely intended to provoke her. She tried her utmost to steady her emotions, concentrating fully on the battle, refusing to be distracted.

Yet even without the Vermilion Bird's interference, Zhao Xianger couldn't suppress thoughts of the dark sun slowly descending behind her.

The explosion of the moon was still vivid in her mind, and now the dark sun was swiftly descending.

Ning Changjiu, Master, and Jiajia Xueci... Had they failed? Were they killed?

Or perhaps...

The Vermilion Bird observed Zhao Xianger's shifting expression and the dark sun. Knowing certain truths, she deduced even more.

Seeing the barely concealed anxiety in Zhao Xianger's eyes, she couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "Stop guessing wildly. That dark sun is none other than the fiancé Mother chose for you."

"What did you say?!" Zhao Xianger's eyes widened as she blurted out, momentarily losing her composure.

The Vermilion Bird was immensely pleased with Zhao Xianger's expression. She smiled faintly. "How ironic that the young man who embodies the crimson sun must now descend as the dark sun... But rest assured, this is merely the beginning. Soon, Xianger, you'll witness everyone uniting to prevent the dark sun's reappearance. Such a beautiful sight, rarely seen even on a stage, wouldn't you agree?"

Zhao Xianger could no longer make out what the Vermilion Bird was saying. She stared at the descending dark sun, frozen in place, her eyes quivering.

The smile on the Vermilion Bird's face slowly faded. "Distracted during a decisive battle with your mother? How dare you?"

A flash of fire appeared and vanished in an instant.

The distance between them drastically shortened. As Zhao Xianger regained her senses, the fiery shadow had already bypassed her unsheathed sword, and a palm struck her chest. Amidst a thunderous roar, Zhao Xianger hastily opened her umbrella, barely deflecting the remaining oppressive streams of fire, but her body was uncontrollably forced backward, crashing through several mountain peaks.

The Vermilion Bird watched the shattered mountain peaks and the girl re-emerging from the dust and smoke, a look of pity once again appearing in her eyes.

Zhao Xianger extricated herself from the shattered peak, then swung her fire-shrouded sword, aiming its light at the Vermilion Bird.

Zhao Xianger knew she might be the only one left with a chance to change everything. Unwittingly, history had quietly laid the mission back upon her shoulders...

She had to escape the Vermilion Bird!

The sword light descended.

Simultaneously, not far from them, the Heavenly Scroll began to quake violently.

After sword clashed with sword, Zhao Xianger and the Vermilion Bird recoiled, both looking towards the Heavenly Scroll.

On the Heavenly Scroll, the earth's crust heaved like ocean waves. The central Command Tower resembled a colossal vessel tossed atop a breaking wave, while the surrounding smaller buildings were instantly shredded. People scattered and fled in all directions.

Beneath the Heavenly Scroll, countless colossal, thick roots twisted and intertwined, resembling a gigantic, tentacled octopus. They tore their way out of the earth, instantly rising higher than mountains.

It was a portion of the World Tree!

Upon the World Tree, the black-clad youth's hands and legs were tightly bound to the colossal tree.

Since Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong departed the world for the Grand Void, he had been the most qualified to inherit the human divine kingdom. Now, with the World Tree's aid, the human realm's destiny poured into him, frantically absorbed into his body, steadily augmenting his power.

The black-clad youth's words slowly reverberated throughout the human realm:

"Ning Changjiu and Immortal Lord Chang'e have both fallen... They were defeated by the Dark Lord, and the dark sun is about to descend once more. Great warriors have perished, but we are still alive, still in the human realm! Whether we continue to live, whether the flame of civilization endures, depends on this very day! After battling the gods of the sun and moon, the Dark Lord is now greatly weakened. This is our sole opportunity. Do not let those who have died sacrifice in vain, nor let the living perish needlessly!"

The black-clad youth's words were swiftly conveyed through the roots buried beneath the earth.

This was a unique ability of the Heavenly Scroll; his thunderous voice echoed throughout the world.

As these words rang in her ears, Zhao Xianger trembled as if struck by lightning. In that moment, she became certain that the Vermilion Bird had not deceived her...

The Evil they had always trusted was, in fact, their true enemy: the Dark Lord!

At this very moment, Ning Changjiu must have discerned the truth and was desperately fighting his way back to the human realm to behead the true Dark Lord!

Zhao Xianger also understood the immense power of the Dark Lord's recent words; soon, the people's grief and indignation would transform into survival instincts and strength. They would unite to prevent the dark sun's descent, or even... directly shatter it.

How could this be...?

Zhao Xianger could accept death. She knew that in this battle, should either she or Ning Changjiu perish, the survivor would certainly carry on fighting with the other's will until death or the fulfillment of their shared aspiration.

But she could not accept such a death.

What... what is all this meant to be...?

Emotions surged within her with each heartbeat. Her thin lips were bitten through, and tears welled in her bloodshot eyes, but she fiercely held them back. Gripping her sword, she could not shake off the despair in her heart.

The Vermilion Bird gazed at her with a captivated expression, as if admiring the world's most exquisite art.

"Mother."

Zhao Xianger suddenly spoke.

The Vermilion Bird, however, froze. She suspected she had misheard. "You... what did you call me?"

"Mother," Zhao Xianger repeated, her voice firm and resonant.

She looked at the Vermilion Bird, her delicate body trembling slightly, yet her voice had calmed. "Mother, you are free now. Why persist in tormenting me like this? You... go."

The Vermilion Bird calmly asked, "You vehemently refused to call me Mother before. Why the change of heart now?"

Blood trickled from the girl's lips. She said, "Before, calling you Mother would have meant losing the Three Thousand Worlds. But now, I have nothing left to lose."

"What if I still don't agree?" the Vermilion Bird challenged.

Zhao Xianger stared at her.

In an instant, the umbrella-sword resounded.

Zhao Xianger's delicate frame stood tall. On her porcelain-white complexion, devoid of natural human color, an unsettling blush suddenly bloomed, seemingly a harbinger of death.

Flames burned along the sword's edge, and fire phoenixes coiled around her phoenix gown. The girl's skin no longer appeared as flesh and blood, but rather as a crystal sculpted by fire.

The Vermilion Bird's slender brows furrowed.

She recognized it as a life-burning sword technique; Zhao Xianger was resolved to die, intending to strike her down.

For Zhao Xianger herself, there was nothing left to lose. But her husband, master, and sisters were still alive, and she could not lose them...

Zhao Xianger felt an inexpressible weight on her slender shoulders, as if it would crush her entirely. Yet, it was amidst this very burden that she gripped her sword tightly, her fiery silhouette moving with extreme speed, slashing towards the Vermilion Bird.

The Vermilion Bird watched her, unable to suppress another smile.

With her emotional burden lifted, the young girl truly seemed capable of anything. She could calmly call her "Mother" and immediately draw her sword when no response was given. *Ah, are all rebellious girls like this...?*

The Vermilion Bird admired this sword strike.

This life-burning sword technique naturally radiated the beauty of life consumed, a beauty perfected in Zhao Xianger's hands as she merged with the fire phoenix.

No other sword light in the world shone with such dazzling brilliance.

The Vermilion Bird also felt a tremor; she wasn't certain if she could withstand this strike.

But she wanted to try.

Nine feathers spun out, the Vermilion Bird shrieked, and fierce flames surged. The pitch-black sword, swallowing all light, descended to intercept Zhao Xianger's charging figure.

Flames met.

The world fell silent, not a sound emitted.

The Vermilion Bird's strike missed!

Oh no...

The Vermilion Bird realized with horror that Zhao Xianger still possessed authority—the Pure Yang Authority, capable of evading anything. In that critical instant, she had activated this power, dodged the attack, and directly appeared behind her.

If Zhao Xianger had immediately turned and struck with her sword, she might not have had time to use the Three Thousand Worlds to evade.

It was an exceedingly brief moment, time's passage nearly imperceptible.

Fear welled within the Vermilion Bird. As she activated her authority, she unleashed a powerful strike backward.

Zhao Xianger did not turn and thrust.

As the Vermilion Bird attacked, a *whoosh* sound filled the air—the opening of an umbrella.

The Vermilion Bird's attack slanted onto the red umbrella.

The umbrella's canopy and ribs shattered simultaneously.

The ancient red umbrella, which had accompanied Zhao Xianger for many years, was utterly destroyed.

The immense force of the impact propelled her high into the air.

Zhao Xianger, utilizing this force, traced an imperceptible arc through the air, moving so rapidly that even afterimages vanished, and slashed towards the Heavenly Scroll!

Only then did the Vermilion Bird realize with a jolt that Zhao Xianger's full-force sword strike wasn't intended to defeat her, but to confront the Dark Lord directly and slay him with her blade!

And her own recent attack had inadvertently accelerated this very process...

At this moment, if the Vermilion Bird were to use the Three Thousand Worlds authority, she could still intercept her.

But in the end, she did nothing, instead smiling rapturously. "She truly is our daughter."

The Heavenly Scroll.

The Dark Lord, who was fully occupying the human divine kingdom, was horrified to perceive the astonishing killing intent approaching from the side.

The Dark Lord opened his eyes.

Flames surged across the sky as the girl advanced, bathed in fire. Her eyes burned like embers, her dark hair blazed like fire, and the shadow of her descending sword was like a crimson lotus blooming in hell!

Her sword, moving at such speed, was astonishingly distorted.

What was the Vermilion Bird doing? Why didn't she stop her...? The Dark Lord gritted his teeth. He was currently fused with the World Tree, unable to move.

Shi also sensed this killing intent.

Instinctively, she positioned herself in front of the black-clad youth.

The Dark Lord did not prevent her actions.

He harbored a flicker of hope, believing Zhao Xianger wouldn't have the heart to unleash such a strike.

But on Zhao Xianger's face, there was a divine indifference, devoid of any fluctuation. No matter who stood before her, she would cleave them down without hesitation!

In a flash.

The Dark Lord diverted his remaining power, causing tree roots and vines to rise and form a defensive wall. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the flames tore through the massive barrier, and the girl's fire-wreathed silhouette descended with elegant yet fierce precision.

As the sword reached Shi's head, the Dark Lord yanked Shi back, using his arm to shield her.

In the heart of the World Tree, a column of fire erupted skyward.

The sounds of roots snapping and bursting were like thousands of simultaneous thunderclaps.

The umbrella-sword was shattered.

Zhao Xianger leaned on her broken sword, her back to the Dark Lord. Blood seeped from beneath the girl's tight-fitting attire; that single sword strike had drained all her strength. At that moment, she could barely stand.

Tens of thousands of the World Tree's roots beneath the Dark Lord were severed by that sword. Not only that, but the Dark Lord's forearm was also cleanly sliced off, with flames still searing the flesh at the smooth, mirror-like incision.

Shi, shielded behind the Dark Lord, looked utterly terrified.

Weren't they all good friends...? How could this be...? She could no longer comprehend the situation.

"Xihe, you truly deserve death... it wasn't in vain that I tried every means to have the Vermilion Bird kill you once, thousands of years ago." The Dark Lord looked at his severed arm and sighed deeply.

He had not yet fully occupied the human divine kingdom; most of his power was still invested within it. If Zhao Xianger's sword strike just now had veered even slightly more towards his heart, his millennia of preparations could indeed have been utterly ruined.

Fortunately, it was merely a severed arm.

The World Tree rapidly mended his body.

From within the roots, Prime Lord was also startled and emerged.

He looked at the Dark Lord with the severed arm, a wave of apprehension washing over him. Then, he stared coldly at Zhao Xianger, raging, "You're asking for death!"

Roots erupted from the ground, forming an inescapable net that cradled a wooden sword, then lunged towards Zhao Xianger's weakened back.

Zhao Xianger was unable to resist.

She didn't know how much effect her sword strike had achieved. In her current state of extreme weakness, she only wished to glimpse the dark sun one last time before she died.

She couldn't even turn her head.

Vines sealed her escape, and the wooden sword thrust towards her back.

Just as Prime Lord believed victory was certain, a white silhouette dashed from afar, tearing through the vines and arriving in an instant.

The wooden sword hummed, then was instantly rendered motionless.

Under Prime Lord's astonished gaze, Zhao Xianger's nape was gently grasped, and in a few bounds, she was carried out of the Heavenly Scroll's vicinity.

"Meow meow meow—"

Bai Zang set Zhao Xianger down.

Xianger's body convulsed in pain, her clothes drenched in blood.

Bai Zang looked towards the black-clad youth, its glowing vertical pupils narrowing into almost imperceptible slits.

Bai Zang was not foolish; after a brief moment of surprise, it comprehended the current situation.

"The dark sun... it's... him..."

Beneath it, Zhao Xianger's bloodied lips trembled slightly, words barely drifting out before her body went limp, and she completely lost consciousness.

Bai Zang looked up at the sky.

There, numerous human cultivators had already gathered their sword light, launching it towards the dark sun!

The sky was slowly closing in.

The human divine kingdom did not welcome Ning Changjiu's arrival.

Within the Chaos Body, the white-clad youth was merging. For thousands of years, many thoughts born from Evil had entered his sea of consciousness.

Ning Changjiu now understood what Evil had truly done over the millennia.

Approximately six thousand years ago, Shi arrived in the human realm and sowed seeds. Afterwards, she was ambushed by the Dark Lord and stripped of her power. Evil, witnessing his sister's absence for two millennia, temporarily departed the Dead Star Domain and traveled to the human realm.

Evil knew he harbored mental issues. Fearing he might destroy the civilized fruits his sister had sown, he fabricated a band of light and imprisoned himself within it.

When Evil arrived in the human realm, it was precisely amidst the chaotic battle involving the Six Primordial Gods, the Dark Lord, Dijun, and Changxi.

The Chaos Body was a construct of his own making, a prison to suppress his madness. Yet, it also functioned like a divine kingdom, drawing boundless power from all directions and continuously supplying it to his body, ensuring he wouldn't deplete his strength by remaining outside the Dead Star Domain for too long.

The Chaos Body was rejected by the human realm and blocked beyond the atmospheric layer. Yet, Evil