“Ah —”
Her Vital Dao Weapon was suddenly heavily damaged. Xuan Shang suffered a powerful backlash, and blood flowed from her seven orifices. Xi Zhiruo was decisive; she struck while her enemy was weak to end her life. She raised the Heaven-Derived Nine Dragon Sword and unleashed her strongest sword move.
“Selfless!”
Her calm voice echoed throughout heaven and earth. The world suddenly darkened as if all light had been stripped away. A second later, color returned.
Xuan Shang’s body was mangled as she lay heavily injured on the ground; the Thousand Soul Banner beside her was shattered. Emperor blood flowed across the bottom of the Sky Abyss. Even after countless years, it would not completely dry up, releasing the terrifying energy belonging to an Emperor Realm powerhouse.
“Ugh —”
Xuan Shang had never been in such a pathetic state. She spat out a large clump of blood mixed with pieces of internal organs.
“The era that belongs to you should come to an end.”
Xi Zhiruo stepped over the river of blood and slowly walked up to Xuan Shang.
“Your era was 500 years ago. Now, the era belongs to me —”
Xi Zhiruo raised her longsword, gripping the divine weapon that was even longer than she was tall. A cold light reflected in Xuan Shang’s eyes. Facing death for the first time, Xuan Shang felt nothing but fear in her heart. In the past, she was the one who made others experience this. Now that it was suddenly her turn, she felt only an indescribable terror. So this was the psychology of those who were slaughtered at will.
“No, you can’t kill me.” Xuan Shang began to plead. “I know I was wrong. From now on, I will only treat you well.”
“You don’t know you were wrong; you just know you’re about to die.” Xi Zhiruo’s gaze did not change. “Besides, I don’t need anyone to love me now. I already have a Mother who loves me.”
She released a projection of her sea of consciousness, showing a dazzling young girl with bright eyes and white teeth. “Do you see this? This is my Mother. Isn’t she beautiful? She gave me life, while you — you are nothing.”
*Swish —*
The Heaven-Derived Nine Dragon Sword finally fell. A head flew high into the air. The strongest of an era, a supreme powerhouse renowned from ancient times to the present, and the top evil cultivator recorded in a heavy page of ancient texts, officially reached the end of her life today.
She had imagined she would rule the world, but she never thought she would be defeated by a soul she once regarded as dust.
The Great Priest slumped to the ground. His eyes were vacant. The deity he was so proud of had died right before his eyes, and he had long been in a state of panic.
Xi Zhiruo let out a soft laugh. “Well? Your master doesn’t seem like much, does she?”
In the next second, he was crushed into a blood mist by Xi Zhiruo.
With no more annoying flies to disturb her, she sat above the Sky Abyss where the river of blood flowed. Her gaze was slightly blank. I had already released the Spirit Boat, but as I watched her current appearance, I did not disturb her final moment of tranquility. After suddenly killing a lifelong mortal enemy, there would be a brief moment of emptiness and loss.
At the same time, all cultivators in the other five worlds clearly saw the projection in the sky. A towering tree crashed down, and its Dao Fruit was constantly shrinking until it turned into dust, announcing that a Half-Emperor powerhouse had completely left the world.
In the Secret Realm, Su Liumeng gave a yawn. She had already heard the sound of the Heaven-Derived Nine Dragon Sword. Even inside the Secret Realm, she could witness the projection of the Dao tree.
“Is it over?” Su Liumeng murmured to herself. “It seems I need to speed things up. Baby will definitely be sad if she doesn’t see me when she gets home.”
She walked forward, eventually arriving at a secret chamber. Countless characters were carved on the walls, belonging to the True Dragon race. Nowadays, no one recognized them anymore. However, Su Liumeng stood there in a daze. Because she recognized these characters, it was as if they were memories engraved in her bones. She didn’t need to think much to naturally understand their specific meanings.
30,000 years ago, the Dragon and Phoenix races ruled the world. The Dragon race searched every corner of the world and found a powder made of a rare material never seen before. Even so, the quality far exceeded any material in reality. With the strength of their entire race, the Dragons forged it into a divine weapon named the Heaven-Derived Nine Dragon Sword. Imitating the Dragons, the Phoenixes also searched the world and forged the Nirvana Tripod.
1,000 years later, world resources were gradually being exhausted. The Dragon and Phoenix races, with their growing populations, were forced into a great war. The protracted battle caused both races to gradually decline until they were completely annihilated by the passage of time.
According to legend, an egg from the Dragon God was hidden by the Dragon race in the final Secret Realm. The Dragon Great Priest prophesied that when the Son of the Dragon God hatched, it would be the catalyst for the world to change completely. Afterward, the Dragon race became weaker and weaker until they were completely replaced by the rising human race.
Su Liumeng fell into a long silence. Sensing her identity, the greatest treasure deep within the Secret Realm appeared. This was the former foundation of the Dragon race, the final treasure left for her.
Su Liumeng looked at the eggshells in front of her and ate them all as if she were eating potato chips. Her aura also began to climb steadily until it stopped at the Three Origins Realm. With a wave of her hand, she collected the milky-white pool in front of her into her space. The milky-white liquid was Ten-Thousand-Year Milk, which could significantly increase one’s realm.
3 months later, Su Liumeng reached a completely new realm. The Spirit Boat had also returned to the Sixth World.
“Baby, you’ve gotten thin.” Su Liumeng pinched the young girl’s cheek.
I gave her a reproachful look. “Nonsense. You just want to find an excuse to pinch my face.”
Seeing her intention exposed, Su Liumeng wasn’t embarrassed. Instead, she pinched more happily.
“Alright,” I said, reaching out to swat her hand away. “Look — what is this?”
Su Liumeng took out a pill.
“A Beauty-Retaining Pill?” My eyes lit up. Who wouldn’t want to maintain their youth? I happily hugged her and gave her a kiss. “Thank you, wife.”
Su Liumeng’s face turned slightly red, and only one little cutie nearby let out a disgusted “Eww.”
I coughed twice and took my daughter’s hand. “Let’s go home.”
***
2 years later, Xi Zhiruo pretended to be an ordinary person and went to a kindergarten to experience life.
A little boy named Wang Yaozu pointed at the fish in her bowl. “You worthless girl, how are you worthy of eating meat? Give it to me!”
Xi Zhiruo’s eyes suddenly widened as if a keyword had been triggered. “Did you just point fingers while I was eating?”
Wang Yaozu was startled by her suddenly raised voice. “No, what’s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly yelling at me?”
Xi Zhiruo narrowed her eyes. “Then don’t blame me. Mother allowed this after all.”
In the next second, a pig-like scream erupted from the kindergarten.
***
5 years later, I looked at my daughter, who had grown quite a bit, and gently stroked her head. “Yes, so beautiful. As expected of my daughter.”
Xi Zhiruo’s face turned slightly red, and her small hands fiddled with the corners of her skirt. Mother just praised her for being beautiful.
Su Liumeng pretended to pass by and was met with Xi Zhiruo’s slightly disgusted look. ‘What an annoying person. When is she finally going to divorce Mother?’
When Xi Zhiruo turned 12, I held the grandest birthday party for her. I held her hand under the spotlight and announced her existence to the whole world. This was my daughter, the most beautiful little princess in the world.
Xi Zhiruo wore a crystal crown, looking uncharacteristically bashful, her red face lowered. “I’m not that perfect.”
Xi Zhiruo grew taller and taller. She didn’t inherit my short genes; at 13, she surpassed my height. I looked at the graceful young girl before me, the gratification in my eyes coming from the achievements of these years. ‘Yes, this is the Baby I raised with my own hands.’ No matter what angle I admired her from, it made me happy.
At night, I coughed incessantly on the bed, my expression visibly more haggard by countless degrees. The suppression of the Chaos Rules was already taking effect.
Xi Zhiruo patted my back in distress. I held her hand. “You’re already so big, yet you still want to sleep with Mother?”
Xi Zhiruo hugged me, humming and acting spoiled. “I don’t care. I’m Mother’s Baby for life.”
I stroked her head. “Yes.”
Su Liumeng was a bit jealous nearby. Xi Zhiruo secretly shot her a triumphant look.
Su Liumeng was speechless. Perhaps she could try a secret technique to have another daughter with her Xin Xin. This thought didn’t last long before Su Liumeng gave it up. Forget it. My current body couldn’t withstand the strain. I had been tortured like that years ago; if I got pregnant again now, it might result in the death of both mother and child.
Besides, over the years, she had already come to see Xi Zhiruo as her own daughter.
20 years later, Xi Zhiruo had long since become the Undefeated Fairy in the eyes of the world. Her fame had spread to all worlds. The prestige of a Half-Emperor made evil cultivators retreat without a fight. Other worlds could only choose to submit; this era was named after her. She occupied a single page in history books.
40 years later, my blood was near exhaustion, and I had long been unable to cultivate. In about 80 years of time, I had only reached the seventh realm. This was even after consuming countless heavenly treasures. I saw my end approaching and began to secretly plan for things after my death.
Xi Zhiruo was furious when she heard about it and had a rare argument with me. This was our first intense argument.
“No! I refuse to acknowledge that Su Liumeng as my stepmother!”
I had a bit of a headache. Was this something everyone went through during the rebellious phase? My daughter seemed to be throwing a tantrum and didn’t come home for a long time.
One day, I lay on the bed, watching the sunset outside the window. This was her era, but it was my curtain call. I felt my end was near and hoped to see Xi Zhiruo one last time before I died.
Su Liumeng had also been very busy lately. I hadn’t seen either of them.
“Spring Qiao.”
I habitually called out before remembering that Spring Qiao had passed away many years ago. Spring Qiao and Chunlan ended up together in the end. I held a grand wedding for them. They died on the same day and were buried in the same grave.
That day, Spring Qiao held my hand and said to me with teary eyes, “Miss, I don’t regret being able to serve you. I have lived very happily in this life.”
At the last moment of her life, she didn’t call me Madam. In her eyes, she always treated me as her own Miss. She lived up to her conviction.
Hearing this, I held her hand even tighter. “Go in peace. I will take good care of your family.”
The sun was setting.
I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes.
After all, everyone must die eventually. Who can escape it? Now, it was simply my turn. I had already lived the full lifespan of a normal person; what more could I ask for?
Just as I slowly closed my eyes, two hurried and anxious voices suddenly reached my ears.
“Mother.”
“Xiao Yan.”
Two people simultaneously shoved a medicinal pill into my mouth.
“…”
I had been ready to welcome my own death, only to have my life extended by another ten years at the very last moment. I had originally harbored some regrets, but now that I could see my daughter again, my final lingering worry vanished.
I was a creature born of chaos. Only I knew my own end. All of this was a futile effort; the death that belonged to me would eventually arrive one day.
Perhaps they realized this too, as the atmosphere in the house grew increasingly heavy.
Si Zhiruo spent more time by my side. Whenever I couldn’t walk, she would support me and gently massage my shoulders. “Mother, you raised me when I was small, and now I am caring for you in your old age.”
She held my hand, her vision blurred with tears. She truly felt how old I had become.