Chapter 1225 - 529: Summer Glow

Long, long ago, there was no civilization on earth, not even Wisdom in the primordial era.

At that time, the world was filled with miasma, and poison fog lingered.

The sky was unknown to azure blue, obscured by mist as thick as substance; the land had never seen verdant green, laying bare cracked crust and lava; as for the so-called ocean, it was more like a boiling broth, with hot steam rising day and night, distorting the world's outlines in hazy heat waves.

Life that could thrive in this Magic Realm, where even rocks would decay, were unimaginable monsters to today's people, with bizarre appearances serving only the instinct for survival and Hunt, ferocious and terrifying.

Their savagery may not be considered Evil Demon, but in modern times, their mere existence would be a calamity.

Yet perhaps by chance, or possibly by destiny, the primordial skies covered by miasma presented a miraculous gap one day.

The first pure ray of sunlight penetrated the thick Magic Cloud, shining on this land for the first time. That beam of light fell in the center of a lava-surging valley, interweaving heat waves and radiance into a scene of brilliant splendor.

And from the depths of the lava bathed in that sunlight, a Divine Bird was born.

Clad in flowing fire, consuming poison miasma, devouring demonic impurities, with each flap of its wings, it burned the surrounding fog for a hundred li into golden radiance, as if born to Purify this world.

It traveled the eight wildernesses, swallowing all the Evil Demons and monsters it encountered, turning them into fuel.

In this process, its kin began to increase, many Firebirds spread their wings and soared like stars across the gradually brightening sky.

The sky turned azure, the earth showed green, the ocean's boiling gradually calmed.

"Our mission is over."

As the world began its new evolution, as more lives, weaker beings came to dwell within it, the Divine Birds let out joyous cries, clear and long, echoing between valleys and clouds.

Born as part of the world, they needn't eat, nor purposefully burn impurities, as the life fire won't weaken a bit.

Yet, the Firebirds born from pure light, guided by the first kin, saw spreading flame and world Purification as their innate mission.

After their mission ended, they asked not for compensation or reverence from the world's beings, but flapped their wings and departed, heading for the summit of the Heavenly Mountain, the depths of the Flame Sea, the top of the Boundary Tree, beyond the firmament, in places high and far beyond worldly reach, waiting quietly for the passage of time.

And ultimately left behind was only the first Firebird.

In fact, long ago, as its kin increased, it barely spread its flame, lazily perched under the Corona, idly watching its kin tirelessly toil.

For it was merely a misunderstanding.

Born mission was to Purify the world? It never felt that way.

Although its kin born afterward seemed to believe firmly, it alone knew—Purification was simply because, at birth, there was nothing to burn besides Evil Demon.

The flame naturally spread, burning impurities was an inevitable result.

Despite not disliking the feeling of burning those things, that impulse and the sense of mission were entirely different matters.

Just like enjoying eating meat doesn't necessarily mean liking killing—if ready food were to be delivered, how many would choose to laboriously Hunt?

In those ancient days, wherever it roamed, everything around would ignite. It could burn the entire world at will; such pleasure and satisfaction, were things its kin could never understand.

But now, the once harsh environment was gone, the world had become more colorful. Trees shaded the land, flowers bloomed everywhere, life proliferated and thrived...

Though still many powerful Evil Demons remained, it was satisfying enough for other kin.

But it felt only boredom.

To the newly appeared weak apes on the ground, the Ash left after burning seemed valueless.

Similarly, this so-called "beautiful" world after burning impurities, to it, was merely a trash mountain built of charred debris.

Even if it burned again, no satisfaction would come, leaving only emptiness.

...Then, why not fall into depravity?

So, after endless ages passed, it suddenly had a whimsical thought.

It once thought it could burn the entire world at will.

But the other kin believed burning impurity was their mission.

Because, at their birth, the world already had "Purified" parts and "Impure" parts.

But it was different. When it appeared, the world had only impurity.

So it once mistakenly thought, burning impurity equals burning the world...

But the two were completely different.

That meant it had never burned the world, merely the superficial surface.

The finally enlightened Phoenix let out a joyous cry, piercing clouds, shaking the firmament, even the high-hanging Sun swayed.

This time, it won't be mistaken.

To fill the world once again with impurity—no, to let the entire world fall alongside itself, turning everything to flame.

Then, all existence shall burn, transform into irreducible Ash, the cosmos shall return to eternal void, to the silence of balance.

—This, was its innate mission.

"Though regrettably, I failed."

The Corrupted—now say Entropy Silence Phoenix, overlooking the kneeling Angel with ragged feather wings across, smiled wistfully, spoke scornfully.

The brief Holy Light that shone earlier had long extinguished, the sky once more covered by black-red haze, resounding with low thunder in Entropy Silence Phoenix's voice.

"But, my failure to destroy the world doesn't mean the world won't be destroyed."

It's said, a butterfly flapping its wings could stir a storm on a distant continent.

So, what if the wing-flapping was by an original Phoenix?

The flame naturally spreads, even if the initial Fire Spark is faint, it will become a Fiery Flame, engulfing everything it touches—namely, the entire world.

Understanding its wing flapping, deciding the universe's ultimate destiny, thus reaching the singular Rank, the Corrupted Phoenix casually tore apart the Angel King's Black Wing.

The Black Wing, as deep as cosmic starlit sky, split, feathers scattered, exploding into fire sparks before touching ground, drifting as Ash across the sky.

To the Depraved Hero, this, too, was natural.

After all, in representing cosmic Destruction's destiny before her, the mere Authority of "birth" was just a pebble easily kicked aside.

"...not over yet."

Though half its Wings have fallen, the broken Black Wing still smoked, yet the Four-winged King's voice remained unwavering.

"This is merely past's possibility extrapolation; in reality, the Corrupted Phoenix already fell... and I still stand before her."

"Interfering thrice and failing repeatedly, what nerve to boast," faced with such persisting pestering, even the Depraved Hero couldn't help but show some speechlessness, "How about extrapolating how far your own death is?"

"I'm unlike you, aspect born from depravity."

The Four-winged King slowly straightened. It no longer looked at the extinction-proclaiming Entropy Silence Phoenix but turned towards the Hero instead, in its calm eyes, light fluctuated like burning.

"All my actions and thoughts exist for your 'good', all are the 'Wisdom' necessary for your continuation.

"Therefore, as long as your future continues, I shall never extinguish."

It raised its remaining two White Wings high, their tips pointing to the firmament, shining Holy once more.

"Thus, Holy, thus, Wisdom.

"——Until you admit, you need this Radiance, I'll forge ahead."

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

[D430. Sea of Flowers—The Hero has gained a Special Skill (additional effect on the Four-winged King)]

D10=7

♛: Dream Realm Time Boundary (soul domain expands into a world of imagery)