Chapter 663: Destiny's Gears Begin to Turn

Chapter 671: The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn (Combined)

In a dense forest.

It must be said that Vinaqi, the Enchanting Witch, was truly elusive. Due to the collective impression of sentient beings, she was a bizarre figure from folk tales of resistance heroes, constantly engaging in guerrilla warfare and assassinations. The God of Dreams was the hardest to detect. Next was Vinaqi, and then the ubiquitous Little Wei. However, Little Wei's inherent nature was that of a natural disaster, omnipresent.

Rustling. The grass was lush.

“As long as we enchant these creatures and use magic to form a mental barrier, floating in the air, they won’t be able to see us,” Vinaqi said, lifting Xu Zhi into the air above the grass.

Xu Zhi wasn't surprised. How does one prevent the Three Pillar Gods from spying? First, one must understand how the Three Pillar Gods detect your presence. Flowers, plants, and trees were all their network sub-computers; eyes were their cameras, and ears their listening devices. The entire world was effectively under surveillance. Therefore, by not interacting with the world's creatures, by not being seen or heard, one could remain undetected as an "invisible person."

“Monarch Messiah the Great?” Vinaqi looked over. “Although this is our first meeting, we have actually been together for hundreds of years. You are still too conspicuous! To come here and utter such terrifying information, it sends shivers down even my spine. I fear it will cause immense waves in this world, even altering its trajectory!”

Honestly, Vinaqi was speechless and dumbfounded. She had been lurking in the shadows for a while, wanting to see who this Teacher Messiah, whom her sisters in the Martial God Palace constantly praised, truly was. As expected, his reputation was well-deserved! Among the travelers, he spoke volubly, laying down a great prophecy of three deadly omens that were simply world-shattering! His words were pointed and profound! Unless one possessed high intelligence and astonishing wisdom, it was almost impossible to grasp such deep underlying meanings.

Xu Zhi was instantly speechless. What exactly did I say? He felt he had always acted discreetly, simply teaching a little girl during their travels, instilling in her from a young age how to guard against scoundrels and create eunuchs. Castration was standard practice; there was nothing wrong with it. He had merely shared an ordinary, bizarre folk tale about killing a chicken, and not even the full story. As for the phrase "three deadly omens," it was simply a spur-of-the-moment remark to tease the clever little girl. This is too difficult for me. Xu Zhi had a headache. It was then he realized that, in his current identity, anything he said seemed profound to others, and everything he did held inscrutable hidden meanings.

After all, who would believe that Monarch Messiah the Great would go to such great lengths, risking his life to return to this primordial demon core world, which aligned with his own system, merely to casually educate a little girl and travel around? Not only did the Six Realms not think so, but neither would the Ancient Lava Domain. Would an ancient being, revived from an ancient era, really do something so meaningless and ridiculous as their first act? But clearly, they were operating on different levels. Xu Zhi was genuinely just here for tourism, to eat good food, wander around, and incidentally learn about this era. Because Messiah wasn't Messiah; he was an avatar of the Creator God.

“I don't believe I did anything special,” Xu Zhi said after some thought.

“This isn't special?” Vinaqi's eyelids twitched violently as she thought to herself: “This Monarch Messiah the Great is indeed a capable person. He appears refined and cultured, but is actually terrifying. He's stirring up this entire world, turning it into murky waters, and constantly predicting the future, even declaring that he will castrate the entire world. He's truly a monster who won't rest until he says something shocking.”

She paused, then dismissed her thoughts. After all, this chaos would greatly benefit them. She continued, “I don't know how you bypassed us to reach this world, but may I ask what your objective is? Also, what do you remember about the demon core in your mind?”

“I don't remember,” Xu Zhi replied.

Vinaqi took a deep breath and pondered for a moment, unsure what astonishing plans Monarch Messiah still had. She simply said, “Then I shall depart. I am their primary target, and being with me would put you at great risk. Whatever you intend to do, please be careful.”

Xu Zhi nodded with a smile, watching her leave.

Three days later, Xu Zhi, having concealed his identity, soon walked through the streets. No one could see him. After all, below the level of a god, even a Heavenly Emperor could not perceive him. Originally, Xu Zhi believed he was already very low-key, not intentionally attracting any attention. Yet, trouble always seemed to find him. Subsequently, he had little peace of mind. Hermes had just been sought out, and now it was Messiah's turn. He truly couldn't find peace anywhere. He quietly hid in an arcane library, ravenously absorbing the knowledge of the entire era.

The bright lava sun shone from the sky, illuminating the window. Clad in a black wizard's robe, Xu Zhi sat calmly in a chair, flipping through books. The surroundings were bustling, with arcane masters occasionally passing by. “Arcane arts, phenomena of laws... even arcane longswords are energy weapons crafted by distorting nature, requiring immense computational power.” This avatar of Xu Zhi quickly immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge. This time, he still planned to seclude himself for a few years first. He felt it was crucial to wait for the commotion to pass.

Within the Central Arcane Azure Tower. The arcane temple was adorned with cylindrical carved pillars, and the floor was a deep blue starry carpet. Arcane masters, emanating holy light, stood with solemn expressions.

The Daughter of the Forest spoke, “Several days have passed, and we have thoroughly understood. That sword, though seemingly weak and only Fourth-tier, is not a phenomenon of the Three Pillar Gods' laws.”

“A phenomenon outside their laws? Is that mysterious person a Fourth Pillar God?” One of the gods looked shocked. The Three Pillar Gods had ruled the entire world for what seemed like an eternity. Now, there was a mysterious existence, possibly a Fourth Pillar God? Furthermore, this unknown mysterious entity had even left a prophecy describing the future world's dynamics: "When Heaven shows its killing intent, stars will shift. When Earth shows its killing intent, dragons and snakes will rise. When humanity shows its killing intent, heaven and earth will be overturned." Who, then, was that final person who would stir the tides of fate? Everything was truly terrifying.

“A Fourth Pillar God, I personally don't think so,” Subaru said. Subaru continued, “It's clearly not an aggregated fortune of the arcane system. While its computational power is terrifying for an individual of the same tier, it's very low for a Pillar God. It's an individual creature, a mysterious demon core being traveling outside the three major races. In this era, something outside the system is almost impossible, so it can only be from ancient times.”

“Remnants of the Ishdal people from the previous epoch?” a god murmured.

“Indeed, it must be someone from the previous Lava Era.”

“Precisely. Besides that, there are no other wandering demon core creatures to consider. This is the only explanation: it's likely an ancient from the Ishdal era who escaped the Pillar Gods' zombie virus infection and has been dormant until today.” The surrounding gods all concurred.

“But I don't think so,” said the Daughter of the Forest.

“Are there other possibilities?” the arcane gods asked.

The Daughter of the Forest glanced around, then lowered her gaze. “There's another possibility: the era before the last, the Lava Era ruled by even more ancient, primordial gods?” Everyone's expressions changed, their first reaction being disbelief. Even one epoch ago was already difficult enough. Two epochs ago? From the primordial super ancient lava continent? That super ancient lava era, ruled by super ancient gods, was so obscure that even the prehistoric Ishdal people knew little about it. It was, in essence, a prehistoric-prehistoric civilization! Such ancient beings should no longer exist in this world.

“What evidence do you have?” a god asked coldly.

“The reason is simple,” the Daughter of the Forest said with a clear voice. “The mysterious otherworldly visitors, those mysterious gods, are all searching for the existence of that demon core. Clearly, they were already acquainted.” Frowns appeared around the room. The Daughter of the Forest surveyed the room and continued, “Visitors from other worlds are searching for his tracks, indicating he holds great utility and secrets. Furthermore, the demeanor and cultivation of that being, in my personal opinion, do not align with the ancient Ishdal civilization.” On this point, no one disagreed. The Ishdal people used mechanical war-armor, but that demon core creature did not.

“Is it truly a prehistoric-prehistoric fossil?”

“If that's the case, and the mysterious ghostly world that descended is connected to that ancient demon core creature, does it mean that long, long ago, that world had ties to ours, and didn't simply appear out of nowhere?”

“Impossible. A super-prehistoric fossil would be thousands of years old!”

“A mere Heavenly Emperor, not even a god, could not live for such an immense span of time!” Inside the Arcane Tower, arcane masters holding staves conversed, their gazes serious and thoughtful.

At this point, Subaru said, “Speaking of this, everyone should understand why the Pillar Gods want us to search for that being. It's likely they deduced earlier than us that the other party was looking for him, which means he holds important secrets. Not only do they need him, but they also don't want the secret of this ancient demon core fossil to fall into our hands.” Everyone's gazes deepened. Indeed. That mysterious being must hold a secret they don't want us to know. Therefore, both sides are contending over this super-ancient fossil, making it the center of the world's vortex.

“But hasn't he already been taken by one of their gods?” asked Corpse Sword Immortal Du Xue, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly speaking up.

“He was indeed taken,” Subaru said. Subaru glanced at Du Xue and said, “However, the Pillar Gods have strictly monitored spatial fluctuations in this world. It's impossible for him to escape, so he must still be lurking on this land. Furthermore, it's inferred that those gods might even split up with him to make hiding easier. Therefore, we must still search for him.”

“It won't be easy to find a Heavenly Emperor deliberately hidden among a vast population,” someone said. A life suspected to be from the era of super ancient gods. Regardless of how it survived. Even if it's only a Heavenly Emperor, after such an immense span of time, it must have reached an incredibly mysterious level at the Heavenly Emperor tier. The divine sense of ordinary Heavenly Emperors of the same realm likely wouldn't be able to find it. Only gods can locate him. But in a vast sea of people...

“It's not easy,” the Daughter of the Forest looked around. “We have nearly a hundred gods, and with the use of Tier 8 arcane avatars, that number can be tripled to three hundred gods. A carpet search, starting from the southern Lava Ocean and sweeping through, will make escape impossible.” The surrounding gods' expressions subtly changed. To use the power of all gods to search for a single Heavenly Emperor across the entire world... But they indeed had to search. This ancient and mysterious existence was too unknown. It could be linked to the ancient mythical history of their ancient lava land, various earth-shattering mysteries, and even the invading world.

At this point, another person said, “So, what does that prophecy signify? The first two lines—'When Heaven shows its killing intent, stars will shift' and 'When Earth shows its killing intent, dragons and snakes will rise'—have already been fully realized. Only the last line remains: 'When humanity shows its killing intent, heaven and earth will be overturned.'” All the gods broke out in goosebumps. If an ordinary being had uttered this, it would have been dismissed with a laugh. But for this prehistoric-prehistoric fossil to suddenly appear on this land and speak such a prophetic phrase, could it simply be a casual, accidental remark? Was it merely telling a little girl to be wary of bad men? This line was truly terrifying.

“When humanity shows its killing intent, heaven and earth will be overturned! Does this mean the Three Pillar Gods, representing heaven, and we gods, representing earth, will all face catastrophe? Because of one person?” Du Xue took a deep breath. “Who exactly is this person? Or which mortal is so terrifying that they could sweep across the entire world? I already foresee a terrifying protagonist of this era.” The world was not peaceful. The arrival of the mysterious otherworldly being had already set the rhythm for a world war, but this single sentence before them was utterly chilling. The protagonist of this era, born to meet the tribulation, could they be more terrifying and powerful than any protagonist of any other era?

“What are your thoughts on the meaning of this prophecy?” the Daughter of the Forest asked. The gods remained silent.

“Then I shall share my opinion,” the Daughter of the Forest said calmly. “'When humanity shows its killing intent, heaven and earth will be overturned' means that after a certain castration, an era of upheaval will begin. In my view, there are two interpretations. The first is that the person who performs the castration is the protagonist of the era. This could be Misha or Elusa, as the words were spoken precisely in their presence. The second possibility is that the person who is castrated is the protagonist of the era, namely Sebotan. After experiencing suffering, he will become even more powerful than before, capable of turning heaven and earth upside down.” A chill ran through everyone's hearts. This was indeed the greatest and most reasonable possibility.

“In reality, these seem like two possibilities, but they point to the same event. Do you understand, everyone?” the Daughter of the Forest asked. The expressions of the surrounding gods instantly turned solemn.

Three years later.

The young country boy, Sebotan, arrived in the big city. He saw prosperous nobles and esteemed arcane masters for the first time, which made the young boy's blood boil with excitement. He vowed to do whatever it took to become a person of status. His eyes were full of ambition. Coincidentally, the caravan he rode from the countryside belonged to Misha's carriage agency. During the journey, Sebotan quickly established a good relationship. His eloquence was excellent, capable of pleasing others. At the same time, Misha discovered that his aptitude was remarkably good; this illiterate country boy actually possessed the potential to be an arcane master, and she immediately entrusted him with important tasks.

Time advanced by ten years in this manner. During this period, perhaps due to preconceived notions, Misha still remembered the protagonist of that era, clearly recognizing that the other party had a truly powerful destiny. For Misha, her love had long died with her husband's departure. She wanted to remarry simply to provide her daughter Elusa with a better life. Her choice of husband was directly tied to practical material considerations. Sebotan was secretly anxious because of this.

That night, as the carriage agency passed through Wanghe Town, Sebotan made up his mind to ask his friends around if it was feasible. Immediately encouraged by his good friends, he decided to take the initiative. And the friends who encouraged him were precisely the children of gods, hidden within the era, ready to claim their share.

A group of people gazed at the night sky.

“He's finally making his move.”

“We didn't actively instigate him; he wanted to do it himself. It must be said, this is the arrangement of fate.”

“We remain in this carriage agency. Although we don't know who the protagonist of the era is, following them is still not wrong. To become a meritorious founding minister, this is still a pivotal point in time, as the protagonist of the era's destiny lies between the two of them.”

“If it's Misha or Elusa, we'll proceed as usual.”

“But if Sebotan is the protagonist of the era, becoming more courageous and powerful after suffering, his future might not be limited to just the master of the Arcane Dynasty. However, everyone, you must remain silent today. We are all founding ministers who have been loyal from beginning to end. Otherwise, we will be committing a capital offense.”

A young white-haired arcane master, holding a staff, gazed up at the dark sky, soon to lighten, where the lava sun slowly rose. “Another dawn. It truly is the arrangement of fate, just like the 'dawn killing intent' that erupted back then. This time, will these villagers also wake up in the middle of the night, suddenly grab their hoes, and go destroy the person who killed the chicken?”

This small town was too strange. Their reappearance here made even them acknowledge it was destiny. The lava sun was ignited by the arcane towers scattered across the land. Indeed, for the people of this land, the sun was more akin to the light of a lighthouse at sea.

“We are witnessing history.” Another person's face was solemn, recalling the mysterious youth from back then, who still remained enigmatic to this day. “The final gears of fate have begun to turn, opening the last epic scene of this era: 'When humanity shows its killing intent, heaven and earth will be overturned.'”

This feeling had a profound sense of historical weight. It was as if a torrent of history was approaching, witnessing a chapter of the era. This scene was like when a meteor once fell onto the land of the Qin Dynasty, bearing the inscription: "The First Emperor dies, and the land divides."

Soon, a scream echoed.

“Dawn has come,” a group of arcane masters said, looking up with smiles at the rising red lava sun.