Chapter 539 Southern Bright Fire, Part 1 (6000 words, second update coming soon)

Cang Song.

Born in the Era of Gods and Demons, 827,971.

A childhood friend of Ming Zhengde, growing up in the same village.

He displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, possessing heaven-defying aptitude. He followed the Holy Emperor in battle for decades, eventually becoming a founding meritorious official, the most credited of them all.

However, Cang Song knew very well that he was merely of average talent, at most a little smarter, nothing more.

It was just that Ming Zhengde was too prescient, making him, who could only successfully complete the tasks he assigned, seem very outstanding.

As for cultivation, if it weren't for the vast resources of the new dynasty, allowing him to try again and again, he wouldn't even think he could break through to the True Person realm. At most, he would enter the peak of the Heaven Rank and then waste his life away.

In order to catch up with his friend and live up to his earnest expectations, Cang Song repeatedly demanded of himself, repeatedly strived and worked hard, and finally barely managed to keep pace with him.

Yes, it was hard work.

But it was far from being a fraction as hard as Ming Zhengde's.

Yes, Cang Song had thought about giving up, or simply retiring to his hometown—the Holy Emperor's pace was too fast, the tasks were too urgent, and his requirements were too high, so that he seemed to expect everyone to be a saint, which was both touching and made one feel inadequate.

But when he followed Ming Zhengde in battles on all sides, fighting with many powerful enemies, and repeatedly putting himself in near-certain death situations, Cang Song realized that Ming Zhengde's demands on anyone were never even a fraction as strict as they were on himself.

--How could someone regard the rise and fall of the world and the joys and sorrows of the people as their own responsibility?

--How could someone regard resisting gods and demons and changing the world as a matter of course?

For nearly a million years in the Era of Gods and Demons, there had been no one else.

Therefore.

--How can I help him?

--How can I avoid becoming a burden to him?

In the past, Cang Song had been pondering this.

He knew that Ming Zhengde had many allies—whether it was the Divine Bird or the celestial gods, in a sense, they were all allies of the new dynasty.

But the purpose of the Divine Bird was to await the Phoenix's advent, leading them to conquer the gods and demons, restore the clarity of heaven and earth, and restore the principle of the Five Virtues' rotation. Ming Zhengde was one of their preselected targets, but not the only one.

And the purpose of the celestial gods was simply to use the new dynasty as a starting point to suppress the increasingly restless Nine Netherworlds. Ming Zhengde was an existence they admired, but he was almost like a tool that wasn't very useful and had his own ideas.

Those existences could not fulfill Ming Zhengde and his ideals.

"Sever the connection between heaven and earth, and restore peace and clarity to the world. Break the calamity of longevity, so that everyone in the world can be perfect."

Even he himself felt that such a wish was exaggeratedly ridiculous. Would anyone really believe that it could be accomplished?

Impossible.

Even he was just acting as a fool, knowing that things were impossible, but following Ming Zhengde towards a dead end... just following him to the end.

However, Zhuzhou was different.

Although it was only a few glances from afar, Cang Song felt a kind of purity from the seemingly young Zhuzhou.

Even a flame more pure than Ming Zhengde's.

--Zhuzhou's advent is a sign of reform!

Folk tales had been spreading such rumors, saying that this was a divine bird that would bring change, a fire from the abyss, a sound in silence, a clamorous silence, life in death.

His arrival was an unprecedented upheaval. Cang Song saw for the first time Ming Zhengde being so discomposed and astonished, rejoicing, worrying, and pondering over his arrival.

Even after that meeting, he became distraught.

"It's okay, Cang Song. It's just that our paths are different. In the end, Zhuzhou and I have the same goal."

After his arrival, Cang Song noticed that Ming Zhengde's emotions gradually calmed down, and his expression returned to its original composure and majesty.

But Cang Song knew that his heart was indeed confused.

The Holy Emperor, who had never been confused and could always persevere on his path, began to worry—worrying about whether he was right.

Therefore.

He came here.

The outer platform of the Divine Bird Perch.

When the huge Divine Bird Perch was not occupied by a Divine Bird, it would serve as one of the pillars of the Kyoto Grand Array, providing spiritual power for the surrounding residential facilities. If a Divine Bird occupied it, it would radiate different brilliance depending on the spiritual power attribute of the Divine Bird inside.

At this moment, under the illumination of the cyan-golden light, Su Zhou's expression was a little strange.

"You mean, you want to know why Ming Zhengde and I have conflicts?"

The young man shook his head with a strange tone, "Actually, there's no conflict. How should I put it? Different people will definitely have different ideas. Seek common ground while reserving differences—I will definitely do my best to abide by the contract and contribute to the people of this world."

"Ming Zhengde's confusion is actually because he himself has noticed some of his own mistakes, right... It doesn't necessarily have to be mistakes, but he must have noticed that there are contradictory things in his heart."

"Whether it's persevering and going to the end, or eliminating contradictions and reaching a higher level, both are correct paths."

"On the contrary, Cang Song, your actions of privately approaching me like this are actually not very good for either Ming Zhengde or me. It's just that we don't care about these small things, but if it were other monarchs... please be more careful next time."

"...I know."

Regarding Su Zhou's advice, Cang Song sighed, "But I still want to personally confirm your thoughts so that I can work with peace of mind in the future... True Person Zhuzhou, although His Majesty is showing everything as normal, you must know very well that he has begun to be confused."

"His Majesty is the core of the future Ying Tian Cheng Qi Five Virtues Grand Array. His safety is not just the safety of one person, but also concerns the safety of billions of people in the Central Continent of the new dynasty—I can't help but worry and come to ask you what's going on."

"With your help, our plan will definitely be smoother... I've disturbed you this time."

Su Zhou stared at Cang Song, who was standing in front of him.

At this moment, he suddenly realized that this man was not just representing himself.

Behind Cang Song, on his side, were the vows and souls of millions upon millions of people who followed Ming Zhengde—they followed the future that Ming Zhengde revealed to them. Even if that future now seemed dim and hopeless, they would not hesitate to move forward, even if the ending was likely to be shattered to pieces.

Yes, how could those who were determined to fight against the gods and demons in this world not have courage?

"Stop for a moment."

Therefore, Su Zhou said.

And then, Cang Song stopped.

When this Minister of the new dynasty turned his head in confusion, he saw a pair of pupils rotating with the mark of a gray fog gear.

With a flash of light in his eyes, Su Zhou, with a single thought, traced back hundreds of thousands of lifetimes and viewed Cang Song's lifetimes' imprints.

--Reincarnation is rotating--

Su Zhou saw many, many things.

--The closest following, the more distant assistance, the longer cooperation, the joint battles of ten thousand lifetimes ago.

Different from ordinary reincarnation, each of Cang Song's lifetimes was fragmented, and only a hazy, chaotic halo could be seen. But even so, Su Zhou could see how many lifetimes Ming Zhengde had fought, and how many lifetimes this collaborator had followed, making up his mind again and again.

Although, as the number of rebirths increased, Ming Zhengde's pace became faster and faster, so that Cang Song, who was originally a capable assistant and a general who fought together, gradually became a Minister who only needed to safely handle government affairs in the rear.

But the determination had never changed.

"I want to live and change this world. Cang Song, can you understand and help me?"

"...Ah?"

The six-year-old child did not know what the childhood friend, who was a prodigy and even the reincarnation of a great power, meant by these words. Although he had already begun to cultivate and open his spiritual wisdom under the other party's guidance, it was still a little too difficult to make a child understand what 'changing the world' meant.

However, it didn't matter.

"Okay!"

Because he would of course say this answer.

Every time, it was like this.

Tracing back, Su Zhou's eyes flashed with a gray halo.

Until the end.

Thirty thousand lifetimes ago.

Su Zhou saw that scene.

In the Era of Gods and Demons, 800,007, Zheng Yang fought Kun Yao in Dongxuan.

He saw the immature Human Emperor who was only a squad leader fighting on the front line, and he also saw the dark and blood-soaked battlefield.

Of course, he also saw Ming Zhengde, who was saved by his best friend, looking shocked and numb as he flew out of the battle circle, staring blankly at the scene of his best friend's death.

He also heard the last sentence Cang Song said.

"Zhengde, live on."

This was the initial obsession.

Thirty thousand lifetimes later, Ming Zhengde was no longer satisfied with just living on his own. He wanted everyone, everyone who accompanied him, to live on.

That was the perfect ending that belonged to him.

"I see."

As if it was just an illusion.

Cang Song felt as if he had seen some rotating imprints in the eyes of the True Person Zhuzhou in front of him, but the next moment, the imprints disappeared, and he could only hear a rather emotional "I see. Is that so."

It was almost impossible to directly peek into Ming Zhengde. Not to mention that as the core of 30,000 reincarnations, Ming Zhengde's karma was so vast, but just the length of time and strength were far beyond Cang Song's imagination.

But precisely because of this, it was much easier for Su Zhou to peek into Cang Song's reincarnation than to peek into Ming Zhengde.

Facing Cang Song, who was suddenly called to a halt and was a little confused, Su Zhou couldn't help but sigh, "You guy, you're probably more courageous than Ming Zhengde."

--He knew that he might have another lifetime, so he could choose a path, try mistakes, face hardships, and eventually be reborn again and again, enduring pain.

--But Cang Song was different. He didn't have rebirth. Obviously, many times he knew that the road ahead was a dead end, an impossible dead end, but he still went forward without hesitation, continuing his one and only lifetime of following.

"What's the matter, True Person Zhuzhou?"

Cang Song was naturally a little baffled by Su Zhou's sudden emotion—what did he mean by saying that he was more courageous than Zhengde? In the face of gods and demons, he was just daring to die, but Ming Zhengde was daring to live and bear the weight of all beings, to fight against them.

"It's nothing."

Su Zhou also laughed at this time, "I just want to tell you that there's no need to care too much about Ming Zhengde's mental health."

"On the contrary, you should pay attention to your own thoughts, your own safety."

He smiled lightly, but said solemnly to Cang Song in front of him, "Because you, you all, are his motivation, his anger."

"His obsession to change this world, his power to declare war on the gods and demons."

"Originally, I was a little worried about what would happen if Ming Zhengde got into a dead end by himself? Now I don't have to worry. As long as you 'friends' are still around, he will never lose his way."

In the end, Cang Song still left in confusion.

However, being able to hear Zhuzhou's guarantee, he could be considered to have achieved his goal.

"How is it, Su Zhou? What do you think of this Ming Zhengde?"

Watching Cang Song's leaving figure, Su Zhou heard Yala's inquiry, "Although he doesn't seem like a perfect眷族 (juànzú, dependent/subordinate), what he's doing is indeed the undoubted path of perfection."

"...How should I put it? A person's life cannot lack doubts."

Watching Cang Song's figure disappear into the shadows, Su Zhou also turned around and returned to the Divine Bird Perch, continuing to modify the Eternal Rotation Law with Sara.

In his heart, he seriously answered the snake spirit's question, "For the reform in my heart, doubt is the driving force for progress."

"With doubt, we can discover problems, solve problems, and then progress and innovate."

"If we lose doubt, the questioning heart, and start pursuing perfection on our own, it's no different from being dead. The path of perfection gives me this feeling... but Ming Zhengde is not dead, he's still alive. To be able to live so vigorously for 30,000 lifetimes is truly an amazing person."

"Haha, indeed."

This time, even Yala did not refute. He nodded with great pleasure and said, "This little guy was lifeless before, but now that he's confused, he has some cuteness."

"It's a pity that I don't know what's going on with Perfection now. Otherwise, I really want to see his expression!"

"Who knows?"

To this, Su Zhou just shook his head with a light smile, "We just need to do what we should do, the right thing... and that's it."

Time passed.

New Era Year 1, October 18th, 7:00 AM.

Central Continent, Central Earth, New Dynasty Kyoto.

Divine Bird Perch.

While Sara was tired from cultivating for two consecutive days and went back to her personal space to sleep soundly, Su Zhou, who was running the prototype version of the 'Yin Yang Rotation Immortal Law' in his body, cultivating a wisp of divine wood energy, suddenly opened his eyes.

He raised his head and looked in the direction of the Perch's gate.

In his spiritual vision, red light was vast and blazing clouds permeated, as if the sun had fallen into the world, illuminating all directions.

"Is it here?" The young man thought.

Then, he heard an old but not at all senile, even full of vigor voice.

"The current Vermilion Bird is visiting the Youfeng lineage, Divine Bird Zhuzhou."

"Please come in—no, I'll come and greet you."

Having said that, before the words fell, Su Zhou had already arrived outside the Divine Bird Perch.

Here, an old woman with white hair and wrinkles all over her face was preparing to open the door and enter. Now, after Su Zhou appeared, she sized Su Zhou up and down with a serious expression.

"You're really young. Looking at your vigorous vitality, you're probably not even a hundred years old?"

She said in amazement, even reaching out and clapping her wrinkled hands, "I thought the Divine Bird Zhuzhou was so powerful that even His Majesty the Holy Emperor, who I think I can hardly surpass in a thousand moves, would be on par. I didn't expect you to be a young bird too."

"The future is indeed for you young fellows."

With such emotion, the old woman wore a scarlet robe, simply styled, with only a flying bird pattern painted on the cuffs and corners of the garment. Her pupils were orange-gold, emitting a faint scorching light.

Needless to say, Su Zhou knew who she was.

It was the 'Divine Bird Vermilion Bird' in the mouths of the three Northern Ridge Craftsmen, the Vermilion Bird Senior who Ming Zhengde said would recast the main body of the Extinction Blade.

The most powerful divine bird in this world, and one of the most powerful weapon makers!

In fact, it was indeed so. Although the other party was extremely old and did not reveal any aura, Su Zhou could sense that there was a force like a solar flare contained in the body of this divine bird old woman. If it erupted, it would be enough to destroy a small country, cause hundreds of millions of lives to be ruined, and create an eternal and indelible mark on the earth. A terrifying power.

Peak True Person—only one step away from a god or demon.

"Greetings, Senior Vermilion Bird, but in my clan, my age is not considered a young bird..."

Although he knew that this might be some kind of affectionate term in the Divine Bird race, and Vermilion Bird saying this should be some kind of intimacy, Su Zhou was obviously not very used to this way of calling him, "Just call me Zhuzhou, or Su Zhou is fine."

"Haha, what's there to be shy about? Youth is capital, and everyone is envious. The group of old birds I know wish people would call them younger every day."

Waving her hand boldly and laughing loudly, Vermilion Bird laughed with vigor. Her personality was not like an old woman, waving her hand and saying, "Since you don't want it, then I won't call you that."

"As for the title, my name is Yan Chi Li, the current Vermilion Bird. You can call me Vermilion Bird or my name."

"Ming Zhengde said that you are also a straightforward person, so let's not talk too much. Today, I will take you to the land of weapon forging in the earth veins to prepare everything for you."

"All the preliminary preparations?"

Hearing this, Su Zhou couldn't help but feel strange, "Senior Chili, what do you mean by this?"

"It's very simple."

The old woman, who had already turned around and was about to leave in a flash of light, still spoke with vigor, "Your divine weapon has everything ready, except for a divine material that is sublimated to the extreme, with the weapon master condensing a 'legacy dao seal' into it—it's like a good painting, with content enough to last for eternity, but the paper it's carried on is not good. Therefore, our craftsmen can replace the carrier for this painting. As long as you, the weapon master, put your stamp on it, advancement will be logical."

"The final stamping cannot be done by us weapon-forging craftsmen. It can only be done by yourself."

"However, everything except the stamping can be done today."

At first, Su Zhou still didn't quite understand, making it difficult to understand the craftsman's descriptive words.

But when he followed Vermilion Bird to the depths of the earth veins in Central Continent, the interior of the weapon-forging pool belonging to Kyoto, and saw the three Northern Ridge Craftsmen and his Extinction Blade again, the young man understood what it meant.

The earth vein furnace, with blazing flames. Standing beside the earth vein lava river with a temperature of thousands of degrees, Su Zhou and the three grandmasters watched Yan Chi Li step into it with the Extinction Blade, Geng Metal Essence, Celestial Astral Gold, and many other priceless and even invaluable rare divine materials.

The essence of a dao weapon is a weapon that carries the legacy of a god, demon, or a near-god-demon-level powerhouse, and its power surpasses that of a peak-level divine weapon.

The Extinction Blade was already a peak-level divine weapon. To surpass the limit, it only needed to pile up enough powerful materials and perfectly fuse them together—that way, it could carry some kind of Su Zhou's legacy and turn it into a dao weapon whose strength surpassed ordinary peak-level True Persons, comparable to the descent of a god or demon!

The divinity of a dao weapon, for a powerhouse who is in accordance with its dao, can play a geometric resonance enhancement effect—just like the Azure Firmament Righteous Yang Ruler, as a human dao weapon, it made the then Human Dao Lord Nan Zhengkai invincible until he met the true Human Emperor Ming Zhengde.

The most important thing is the 'dao'. Everything else is to allow the divine weapon to carry and exert the power of this legacy dao.

"Today, I will use the Vermilion Bird Fire to lay the best canvas for your Extinction Blade—as long as you get the Town Prison Subduing Demon Iron later, and then fuse it with the divine blade with the 'Southern Bright Fire Talisman' that I will give you later, and imprint your own dao, you will have a 70% chance of achieving a dao weapon!"

Without using any defensive measures or any spiritual arts, the old current Vermilion Bird stepped into the vast golden-red earth vein river. Her voice was magnificent, like thunder, echoing in the deepest part of the Kyoto weapon-forging pool, "The reason why it's 70% is because you are not a god or demon, and the dao you imprint may not be so profound, but if your strength, Zhuzhou, exceeds my imagination, then sublimation is inevitable!"

The flames surrounded the entangled woman, tamely like the most docile cat or dog pet. The old woman just smiled and bent her fingers, and the majestic power of the earth vein torrent, surpassing ordinary peak-level True Persons, was like a domestic cat that had its chin stroked, making a slight vibration.

She stretched out her hand and threw the Extinction Blade and the divine materials surrounding her body above the earth vein river, and said in a calm tone, "A dao weapon divine blade that slays evil and suppresses evil. This is probably the last thing I can do for this world."

After saying that, a circle of bright red light suddenly lit up around Yan Chi Li. A golden-red light rose from the old woman's body, turning into a pillar of light, connecting the earth veins, and finally condensing into a scarlet flame light above her head.

Boom.

The sound of a heartbeat came from the flame light.

The dull and incomparable fiery force oscillated.

Boom.

The oscillation sounded again.

As the terrifying fire-attribute spiritual power in that scarlet flame light continued to burst forth, and even began to slowly deform, turning into a divine bird prototype with its wings closed, the heat waves radiating to the surroundings suddenly became higher and higher, making the three Northern Ridge Craftsmen unable to help but want to retreat subconsciously.

However, they did not retreat, but shouted in a rather tragic voice, "Respectfully send off Ancestor Vermilion Bird!"

"Respectfully send off Ancestor Vermilion Bird!"

"Respectfully send off..."

"No, wait!" Hearing this, Su Zhou, who had been watching from the sidelines and waiting for the weapon forging to begin, immediately felt something was wrong. He loudly interrupted the words of the last Choo Craftsman, and under the shocked gazes of the three grandmasters, he said, equally shocked, "Stop for a moment, how did it suddenly reach the point of risking your life?!"

"Senior Vermilion Bird, it's just forging a weapon, there's no need to burn your origin!"

The whole place was silent.

Even Yan Chi Li, who had just brewed up her momentum, was stunned, with a look of confusion in her eyes.

And Su Zhou was ten times more confused than them.

Of course, he could see that the previous Yan Chi Li was actually using a forbidden secret technique like the 'Demonic Heavenly Disintegration Art' or the 'Lapis Lazuli Divine Prohibition' to stimulate every bit of potential in her body and unleash a power comparable to that of a god or demon.

But... why did it have to come to this?

It was just forging a knife!

"No, otherwise?"

At this moment, Yan Chi Li also didn't quite understand, "Didn't Ming Zhengde tell you? My lifespan is about to end. If I don't unleash my full power, I may not be able to leave you the 'Southern Bright Fire Talisman' after forging the weapon to help the Extinction Blade fuse with the Town Prison Subduing Demon Iron."

And Su Zhou's tone was even more incomprehensible, "Didn't Ming Zhengde tell you? I possess divine wood, and I only developed the relevant inheritance a few days ago, which can extend the lifespan of a True Person by more than ten times!"

Instantly, the entire weapon-forging platform fell silent again.

There is another update later. I didn't expect it to be so long today. I haven't finished writing the second update yet, so the second update can't be more than 10,000 words. I'll post half of it first.

Please give me a monthly ticket.