A wave of water flickered in Yun Jin's eyes, leaving her utterly speechless.
Her heart.
It shifted from absolute calm.
To intense turbulence.
Far away in the Vast Azure World, the Yin-Yang Wheel spun wildly.
Within Yun Jin, the essence of the Primordial Yin-Yang kept stretching endlessly. The essence was growing on its own, but she didn't even have the mind to care. Her fists clenched as she quietly stared at the old man before her.
Língzūn's spiritual power was immense.
At the peak of the Sacred Mountain, layers of strange phenomena emerged.
Creatures across the mountain lifted their heads toward the sky, and suddenly, a profound sorrow flooded their hearts.
The bodies of the Ten Divine Beasts trembled before slowly kneeling toward the mountaintop.
Then, all the spirit beasts on the Sacred Mountain knelt as well.
"Língzūn… it's Língzūn…"
In the Holy City, countless spirit beasts gazed at the sky, tears in their eyes, kneeling one after another.
For the past ten years,
Língzūn had probably feared that if he fell suddenly, they wouldn't be able to accept it. That's why, over the years, rumors had quietly spread from the Sacred Mountain:
Língzūn… is about to fall.
They gradually sensed it.
But in their hearts, they always thought, with Língzūn's power, maybe he could still create a miracle.
He was the Guardian God of the Spirit Beast World! Since the Wild Era, he had led thousands of spirit beasts, building a new world from nothing.
Yet now, their guide was about to fall in this era of prosperity.
Endless grief spread across the Spirit Beast World.
At that moment, even the disciples of the Wushuang Sect instinctively straightened, bowing silently toward the distance.
Língzūn had given all his spiritual power to the three little ones.
Next moment, the interdimensional space propped up by his power shattered.
The three little ones fell from the space. Before they could even realize what happened, they saw Yun Jin rush forward, steadying the tottering Língzūn.
Língzūn smiled at her, "My wish is fulfilled. This frail body of mine should enter the cycle now."
He looked toward the sky with a hint of longing and murmured, "I just don't know…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Yun Jin already understood.
He just didn't know…
if after death, he could really see her.
Língzūn had thought this was the place closest to the Heavenly Dao, so he never left the mountaintop all these years.
But in all this time, she never appeared. Did she still remember the little spirit beast she once took back?
Língzūn's gaze remained clear, yet his reason slowly began to scatter. Whether he could see her… he was about to find out.
At that moment, the Heavenly Dao seemed to stir.
Yun Jin suddenly lifted her head to the sky.
Over the years, she'd tried reaching out to the Heavenly Dao of this world.
But the Heavenly Dao is unpredictable. Even with system assistance, if it doesn't actively manifest, there's nothing she could do.
Yun Jin had contacted the Heavenly Dao of the Vast Azure World before, and this subtle feeling made her instantly certain:
This world's Heavenly Dao was reacting!
She looked toward the horizon with immense anticipation.
Perhaps, she could manifest it like the Heavenly Dao of the Vast Azure World.
But there was no response.
The Heavenly Dao fluctuated but didn't manifest.
Yun Jin gritted her teeth, "System, scan the Heavenly Dao of this world."
Before, with the Dao hidden, even the system couldn't detect it.
Now, with a trace revealed, maybe the system could sense it.
[Scanning the Heavenly Dao requires massive Emotional Value. Suggestion…] The system's mechanical voice started.
"Scan!!" Yun Jin shouted.
The system paused, then fell silent, no longer hesitating.
Soon, a sphere of light appeared in Yun Jin's mind.
Inside it floated a fiery phoenix.
The phoenix looked toward Língzūn, a single tear falling from its eye.
Yun Jin's heart skipped a beat.
It was her.
The legendary, self-united-with-the-Dao super divine beast, the Phoenix!
She saw Língzūn's dedication and protection over the years, right? She felt his pain for him, right? Even as the Heavenly Dao, she still had emotion, right?
But
Língzūn didn't know.
He didn't know!
The Heavenly Dao of the Spirit Beast World was far less complete than the Vast Azure World. The phoenix couldn't fully manifest. If it did, the Dao might collapse.
Yun Jin gritted her teeth, "Is there a way to make the phoenix manifest, even just for a moment? One moment is enough."
The system paused. [Host, this is meaningless.]
What could one moment accomplish?
"That's exactly why!" Yun Jin said without hesitation, "System, help! Give them just one moment. Just a single moment. No matter how much Emotional Value it takes, if I have it, deduct it directly."
She had never made a deal that looked so purely like a loss.
As the system said, that one moment couldn't change anything.
But it was worth it!
A life without occasional reckless impulses is far too dull.
[Yes.] The system accepted the command.
Yun Jin didn't even notice how much Emotional Value was deducted as she stared at the sky.
Then, a flash of wild joy lit her eyes.
It appeared.
A phoenix silhouette!
"Senior Língzūn!" Yun Jin cried happily. "Look!"
Língzūn, dazed, lifted his head.
And then, he saw it, a fiery shadow in the sky.
They couldn't speak.
The phoenix just watched him silently.
Língzūn stared unblinkingly. She… finally came to see him?
A crystal tear fell from the phoenix's eye.
Língzūn reached out, catching it dazedly.
The phoenix disappeared. A satisfied smile curved on Língzūn's lips.
All these years, she had always been there. She had always watched him. And she gave him this one tear.
Língzūn looked at Yun Jin, whispering, "Thank you."
He had no concrete proof, but he knew the phoenix's appearance was because of her. He didn't know how much she sacrificed for this moment.
They didn't need words to express gratitude. But at this moment, he had nothing else to say.
Yun Jin shook her head, tears in her eyes.
Língzūn clutched the tear tightly, smiling as his life slipped away.
Língzūn had fallen.
At that instant, rain fell across the entire Spirit Beast World.
Spirit beasts, sensing it, shed tears in the rain.
The rain was gentle, delicate.
Enough to nourish the land without disturbing the beasts' daily lives.
This kind of gentleness was just like Língzūn.
At the peak of the Sacred Mountain, Yun Jin whispered,
"Farewell, Língzūn."
On the Sacred Mountain,
spirit beasts, tears in their eyes, repeated,
"Farewell, Língzūn."
Across the Spirit Beast Continent,
countless beings bowed toward the Sacred Mountain.
"Farewell, Língzūn."
===
Hmmm, my eyes sting....