Chapter 148: Return to the Embrace of the God

By the time all this was done, night had fallen.

Xu Zhi entered his room, took off his muddy blue shoe covers, threw them into the trash can, stretched, and then placed the can containing the phoenix egg in the living room.

"The phoenix has reverted to an egg, and it will take quite a while for it to hatch."

Xu Zhi wasn't worried about it escaping. At its normal metabolic rate, the egg wouldn't hatch for at least ten days, and in its embryonic stage, it couldn't perceive what was happening outside.

In fact, the phoenix egg, formed after its fiery rebirth, is extremely vulnerable for about ten days, which is why it must be hidden in a very secluded place to regenerate.

"After a day of busyness—visiting the zoo, going to the sandbox to collect the phoenix egg, and discussing life's aspirations with Medusa—each mass extinction event is exhausting. It's already dark. The remaining task, creating another new world, can wait until tomorrow."

Xu Zhi's life was quite orderly. As a creator, he worked from sunrise to sunset.

With the phoenix recovered and the monkey blood obtained, all the basic materials for creation were in hand, so there was no rush.

"Time for a bath."

He quickly began looking for a change of clothes.

After a tiring day, a shower in the bathroom left him feeling completely refreshed.

"A shower really washes away fatigue and refreshes the spirit!" Dressed only in his boxer shorts, Xu Zhi went into the kitchen, picked up the can with the phoenix egg, filled it with water from the tap, and placed it over the flame of the gas stove.

"I'll give you a bath too! It'll invigorate you. You've been soaking in mud for hundreds of years, so a nice hot bath isn't easy to come by. Plus, the warm water will help speed up your hatching."

With that, he tossed a few tea leaves into the water.

After a while, Xu Zhi contentedly took a sip of the phoenix's bathwater from the can. A sweet, delicious taste flowed down his throat; it was absolutely wonderful.

After a full day of work, savoring a warm cup of tea was pure bliss.

"This must be the thousand-year phoenix spiritual tea, brimming with spiritual energy. Such an opportunity comes only once in a millennium."

As a foodie, especially a tea lover, Xu Zhi knew this wasn't ideal, but he couldn't resist the urge within him.

After all, it would be a missed opportunity not to take advantage of it being an egg, oblivious to the outside world, to brew tea and taste its essence.

"Judging by the taste of your bathwater, you still have a strong body odor. To get you thoroughly clean, you'll need to soak overnight." Xu Zhi couldn't help but retrieve a large, long-unused pot from the storage room. He placed the phoenix egg inside, covered it, and planned to slow-cook it overnight in the "Cantonese-style" of making soup.

"Such a big pot! If I store it, it'll last a long time." Feeling content with life, Xu Zhi returned to his room.

"So warm."

In its hazy consciousness, the phoenix vaguely felt as if it were swimming in a warm ocean.

This warmth faintly reminded it of the moment it had hidden in the mud and seen the Creator gently embracing Medusa, pointing to the sky, as the world paused, revealing the truth of the universe to Medusa...

That scene was truly beautiful...

To be embraced by the Creator, to be told the truths of the world by the supreme being...

"Surely, any living being in this world would be incredibly envious and hopeful for such an experience?"

The phoenix's consciousness grew increasingly hazy, feeling as if it were submerged in a warm ocean, as if it had returned to the fiery, red environment of its birth.

Its crisp, pure voice suddenly filled with happiness,

"Am I, like Medusa, now in the warm embrace of the Creator, feeling a god's hug?"

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

"What a great sleep." Xu Zhi woke up, brushed his teeth, washed his face, then walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.

He scooped the phoenix egg, which had been simmering overnight, out of the pot with a steel spoon and placed it in the nearby can. Then, he poured the large pot of water into the mineral water bottles he had saved, filling the refrigerator with them, planning to drink it slowly over time.

A refrigerator full of "Phoenix Spirit Tea"—the thought alone brought him immense satisfaction.

After finishing his chores, he went to the living room to routinely consult the intelligent sub-brain, inquiring about the situation in the Wizard World.

Over fifty more years had passed in the Wizard World. It seemed to be gradually recovering from the mass extinction, life slowly rekindling. However, the world had fundamentally changed; the wizards of the Wizard World were on the verge of extinction.

After all, the remaining wizards were mostly low-level, first or second tier, with limited aptitude and short lifespans. It was only natural that no new generation of wizards had emerged.

Xu Zhi looked at the photo of himself and Medusa, his voice calming. "The Cthulhu aggregate biological system has matured considerably. Eventually, this big, clumsy bird in my orchard will also gradually evolve into a true sentient being."

As for this hybrid creature developing overall intelligence, that might prove difficult.

After all, Medusa's emergence was extremely fortuitous, which was why Xu Zhi valued her so highly.

"And that flower... How can a new world exist without new life? I still need to push things along to fully establish the environment of the Underworld." Xu Zhi was quite looking forward to the Underworld's emergence.

After all, a high-energy, extraordinary world, unburdened by Earth's barren environment, was the most valuable asset.

After observing the post-extinction Wizard World, Xu Zhi turned his attention away. "Intelligent Sub-brain, has the Wizard Community opened at 6:30 this morning?"

A mechanical voice responded:

"It has opened."

"Let's see what they've developed into." Xu Zhi's gaze swept over the area, and he was startled.

These "animals"—how much time had passed? Buildings were rising from the ground: plazas, arenas, Summoner's Canyon, everything imaginable.

They had even established their own community system, with a hundred-person community committee. The method for selecting this management committee was brutally simple: online PvP, choosing the hundred strongest individuals.

These hundred individuals were responsible for the planning, security, and development of this "Wizard Community," a super-miniature city.

The streets were already bustling with modern flair, even featuring mud shops with billboards and product placements. One read: "XX Kidney Tonic—everyone says it's good! Buy three bottles now, get one free!"

There were all sorts of advertisements.

Among them was a movie poster:

*My Mediterranean Cannot Be That Bald*

The large poster's cover featured Emperor Armin signing "Armin" on the smooth head of a bald bird.

This film is a coming-of-age story from the "Mediterranean Cowlick Bird" of the demon beast world. What kind of sparks will fly between Emperor Armin, the Church of Light, and the Cthulhu evil god...?

Premiering nationwide on July 13th! Featuring genuine epic light and shadow effects—don't miss it!

Xu Zhi: "???"

That little scoundrel!

How long has it been? Just two days! What on earth has happened in the outside world?

This idiotic player actually had this scheme all along, secretly taking screenshots constantly, planning to turn them into a major movie release?

Condensing a hundred years of life into just over an hour of screen time could only capture fragmented moments. Still, he wondered how many screenshots it would take to create a fluid sequence.

"I'm afraid it'll be a jerky mess, requiring blink-of-an-eye frame interpolation?"

In reality, Xu Zhi wasn't particularly optimistic, but this creative idea effectively served as a free promotional video, attracting more players. Nevertheless, he was slightly displeased. "The movie title isn't great. As a promotional video, it exposes the game's true nature."