***
Bonus chapter! Thank you to Zzz for the donation! ^^
***
Just as his fingers were about to brush Ruan Qing, an invisible barrier materialized—woven from the very fabric of the Rules, irrevocably separating them.
And in that single second... Ruan Qing's faint presence... vanished...
Gone...
Si Qing had died. Again.
The man's eyes turned pitch black, devoid of all emotion—a demon crawled straight from hell.
Madness incarnate. Obsession unrestrained.
But before his descent into complete insanity could finish, the Rules' enforcer snapped his fingers. The power of the Rules rippled outward, and time itself seemed to freeze—even the raindrops hung suspended midair.
Like a game paused at its climax.
No—not "like". Time had genuinely stopped.
Time stopping is nearly impossible. Most instances of so-called time stopping are merely all things in the world becoming motionless while time continues marching forward.
But at this moment, time truly stopped.
Suddenly, Ruan Qing's body began rising slowly, floating midair without support. In the next instant, a white point of light appeared before him.
Then countless white light particles converged toward that point, making the white light grow increasingly brighter.
Brighter and brighter.
The radiance was pure white, yet not harsh to the eyes. Instead, it gave off a warm and immaculate feeling, as if capable of cleansing all the world's sins.
However, the man lost in madness could no longer see anything, nor did he witness this scene. His eyes only held the desire to kill the man before him.
It was Xiao Mingyu and a few others who first noticed something amiss. Xiao Mingyu once again positioned himself before the frenzied man, speaking nervously, "Si Ming, calm down. Si Qing... he might not be dead."
Nothing could reach the man—except anything related to that person. Hearing the name "Si Qing," the man froze.
It wasn't that he heeded Xiao Mingyu's words, but because he sensed that familiar presence—one that belonged solely to Siqing.
The man's eyes cleared slightly as he instantly looked up toward Ruan Qing's direction, then stood transfixed, dumbly staring at the figure in the air.
Ruan Qing's appearance had completely transformed. Enveloped in gentle white light, he floated suspended in the air. His hair had grown long, and his clothes had somehow changed into an exquisite white robe, making him appear noble and transcendent under the pure white radiance.
The hem of his white robe fluttered slightly in the breeze, his silken long hair dancing with the wind. Faint white particles of light swirled around him, so breathtaking that the entire world seemed to pale in comparison at this moment.
Though Ruan Qing's eyes remained closed, his breathing had returned, and his entire being exuded a gentle yet formidable aura.
Clearly, this wasn't death—it was rebirth.
The white light particles gathered before Ruan Qing, slowly rotating as they absorbed more luminous specks from the surroundings.
Eventually, they condensed into a transparent, diamond-shaped crystal that emitted dazzling white light, illuminating nearly the entire world.
Even places far in the distance were similarly bathed in this radiance. Under its glow, one could seemingly see to the ends of the earth—a sight that inspired profound awe.
That... was a divine spark.
Ruan Qing slowly opened his eyes. In that instant, his gaze was both detached and compassionate, as if a god had descended upon the mortal world.
He stared blankly at the divine spark before him, his mind slow to process. Instinctively, he reached out a hand, and the divine spark immediately floated above his pale, slender fingertips.
This... was his divine spark.
Xiao Mingyu and the other high-ranking deities were stunned. None of them had expected a dissipated divine spark to reform—let alone one that still possessed the power of a supreme god.
In other words, the moment this divine spark coalesced, its bearer would immediately wield the strength of a high-ranking deity.
From this moment onward, the number of supreme gods would increase from four back to five.
The others could sense that gentle yet formidable power—a force entirely opposite to their own, one that would inherently counterbalance them.
This newly ascended supreme god was their natural foil.
No wonder... No wonder his birth had been so fraught with hardship and twists. Because before this, he had never truly been born.
All of it had been the will of the cosmic laws testing him. Greater power demanded greater responsibility; the laws would never allow such a formidable variable to emerge unchecked.
Thus, his birth in a world on the brink of destruction was predestined. His journey through this endless horror game was predestined. Even his role among human traffickers had been predestined.
Had he chosen indifference when that world faced annihilation, he would have remained a lesser deity forever, never attaining the status of a supreme god.
Or had he taken any evil path in this trial, or sought Si Ming's aid in his moment of near-death, his divine spark would never have reformed.
He had carved out the sole path to survival—by himself.
Truly, this was a god born from a divine spark. Truly, this was a god nurtured by the favor of cosmic law.
This space had been forged by Si Ming using his full power, and it could never withstand the descent of two supreme gods whose forces were diametrically opposed.
Once Ruan Qing's divine spark fully coalesced, he turned back to glance at the man staring at him in a daze—before his figure vanished without a trace.
Si Ming's eyes widened, his pupils contracting. Without a second thought, he gave chase.
***
This was a barren, desolate world. One that had endured an apocalyptic cataclysm, where everything lay in ruins, awaiting rebirth.
But the land seemed to have been deeply wounded, unable to sustain any plant life. Even the once-mighty trees stood as bare, withered branches, slowly dying.
People struggled to survive in this world, yet none harbored resentment—for merely being alive was a miracle.
Nor did they have the right to resent. Had they not overexploited and reshaped the world, it would never have become what it was now.
This was their punishment, their deserved retribution.
Then, suddenly—green broke through the earth. As if awakened, all things began to grow. In the blink of an eye, the world was carpeted in lush vegetation, vibrant flowers blooming in riotous color.
A breeze stirred, and petals swirled like snowflakes across the sky, weaving a scene so breathtaking it defied words.
Even a paradise could not compare.
Those who witnessed it froze, then widened their eyes, tears of excitement welling up.
…HadHe returned?
“It’s him—it must be!” someone cried out, voice trembling. “I’ve seen it in the videos! Flowers and grass bloom instantly only when He appears!”
“Yes, yes! I’ve seen it too! He’s back!”
“Oh, thank goodness… I knew he couldn’t be dead.”
Many embraced, weeping for joy—not just for the blossoms, but for the boy’s return.
They had long known why the world’s destruction had suddenly halted. It was because of that boy who appeared out of nowhere, who gave everything to save them.
The video captured by that girl had spread across the internet, saved by nearly everyone.
He was their god—the god who saved them at the cost of his own life.
They might never have believed in deities before, but after that video, they became his most devoted followers.
And now, their god had returned.
Welcome back.
***
In a secluded orchid valley, where petals danced on the wind, a figure in white materialized out of thin air.
And not just him—within moments, a second figure, clad in black, appeared as well.
The two stood facing each other, a meter apart. A gust of wind swept by, lifting the hems of their clothes. Time seemed to stand still, the entire world fading into the background—leaving only these two figures beneath the vast sky.
Si Ming slowly walked forward until he stood before Ruan Qing. Then, in one swift motion, he pulled the other into a crushing embrace, his arms tight as if trying to fuse their very bones and blood together. His voice was rough with emotion as he spoke those long-overdue words—words that had waited tens of thousands of years to be uttered.
"Congratulations on your birth."
Ruan Qing froze for a moment. His long lashes fluttered slightly before he finally raised his arms and returned the embrace, his exquisite features softening with tenderness and quiet devotion.
"Mm."
Another gentle breeze swept past, sending a flurry of petals swirling through the air—as if singing praises for the birth of a god, or perhaps crowning divinity itself.
Congratulations on your birth.
---
(End of main story)
T/N: Yes, this is the end of the main story. Only the side stories remained. I can't believe we actually reached the end. (っ˃̣̣̥ -˂̣̣̥ς) Thank you to everyone who had donated so far. Because of your donations we reached the end much faster. ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝♡
