Meng Youfang: I am the Eighteenth God, not [Time]

"Wrong!

That's completely wrong.

Brother, my old friends are not rebelling against me, but testing me.

My limited Memory tells me that I must have done something wrong in a previous era, and now I am making amends for those mistakes.

But what do you mean by their successive falls? Has the God War begun again?

"..."

When a person is so neurotic that he truly resembles a god, he is a god.

It is very difficult for humans to communicate with gods.

Cheng Shi took a while to calm down, even recalling the Despair he had experienced before, before he could shake off the absurdity in his mind and regain his emotions and feelings. He broke free from Meng Youfang's hand and said to him with utmost seriousness:

You are not [Origin]!

It's not your fault that you forgot the existence of [The Origin], because you were the vanguard in the rebellion against [The Origin]. On the way of the charge, you lost your Divine Throne and your Memory. In order to protect you, the gods brought a [Faith Game] to the world, putting you, who had lost your Divine Throne, into the game, hoping that you could live peacefully and at least still be alive.

But the oppression of [Origin] continues. [He] is the Creator, the supreme being who can create and destroy everything. No one knows what in this world has angered [He]. Now, [Origin] is once again carrying out acts of world destruction. Many gods have fallen in order to protect this world, and [Time] has also departed in this unequal confrontation.

But we are still unwilling to give in, so now someone must step forward, take the place of [Time], and continue the charge against [Origin].

I know you can't accept it right now, but Brother Meng, it still comes down to this question: are you willing to become the new [Time]?

"..."

Meng Youfang froze, his expression Change drastically. After a Cheng Shi, he spoke with a solemn look that Cheng Shi had never seen before:

"I can accept it."

"!"

Cheng Shi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that "selling" the Divine Throne that everyone craved was quite difficult. Although Old Meng was unreliable, at least he wasn't a bad person...

Just as I was thinking this, I heard Meng Youfang continue:

"But I cannot take away my old friend's Divine Throne!"

"???"

I...

The fist hardened.

Cheng Shi instinctively clenched his fist and unleashed that bolt of Thunderbolt, but fortunately, the Thunderbolt had already dissipated.

At this moment, Meng Youfang should really thank the departed [Death]. If He hadn't destroyed Cheng Shi's Death Amusement Ring, Meng Youfang would already be a corpse.

Meng Youfang wasn't stupid; he could see that Cheng Shi desperately needed him to become [Time]. However, how could he possibly covet the Divine Throne of an old friend who had fallen to protect him at this time?

Meng Youfang had already understood that [Origin] was destroying the world, and the reason for this destruction was that the gods had protected him, and in order to allow him to live peacefully, the gods were even willing to die to fight against [Origin]'s wrath.

This is the bond between gods!

My old friends, you have given me so much!

Meng Youfang was deeply moved, his eyes almost reddening. He looked at Cheng Shi with gratitude in his eyes, but he still could not accept inheriting the Divine Throne of [Time].

He shook his head and said:

"Fool's Game, as a deity, the will of Faith is unchangeable."

Although I have become Mortals, and although I can no longer remember my Divine Name, I am never alone on the path of Faith.

Behind me stand countless people who trust me, believe in me, Faith me. For their sake, I must be who I am!

I am the tenth... eighth god in this Cosmos, not [Time].

I know the Cosmos has sacrificed too much for me, if [Origin's ] anger is all because of me...

As he spoke, Meng Youfang's eyes narrowed, as if he had made up his mind, and he said, word by word, "Then let me end all of this!"

Having said that, he raised his hand and brought the knife down.

"Hiss--"

"Bang--"

Meng Youfang closed his eyes and collapsed straight in front of Cheng Shi.

"..."

The scene finally An Jing.

The next second, Shadow Cheng Shi threw away the Daggers he had snatched and returned to Cheng Shi's feet with a helpless expression.

Cheng Shi looked at the unconscious Old Meng and for a moment didn't know what to say.

You say he has delusions, but he's clearly sincere.

But you say he's sincere, yet he's also a delusional person...

Paranoia can be extremely harmful.

Cheng Shi could only manage a wry smile, but Old Meng had said something quite right:

Behind me stand countless people who trust me, believe in me, Faith me. For their sake, I must be who I am!

Cheng Shi shook his head, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts, his eyes regaining their resolve. He left a note for Meng Youfang and turned to leave.

Since Old Meng insists on his own way and refuses to take over [Time], I can only think of another way and go find my old friends.

However, it's not like there aren't Believer in [Time] at all; Long Jing is one, for example.

But the problem now is that it seems that only Long Jing is left who can inherit the position of [Deception].

President Gong, being a late bloomer, has finally become the most sought-after figure.

Cheng Shi left reality and stepped back into the Void. He was searching for the location of his old friends, but at that moment, countless White Bone Flood poured down from above the Void and transformed into a deathly Bone Throne in front of him.

But the one sitting on that Bone Throne was no longer the enormous skull that represented [Death], but a Gravekeeper dressed in a funeral suit.

Zhang Jizu.

He stepped down from his Divine Throne, a hint of sorrow in his narrowed eyes. With a casual wave of his hand, countless Little Skull along the path to the Fishbone Hall chattered and flew toward him, transforming in his hand into a miniature waterfall of white bones. The pale torrents intertwined and swirled, forming the shape of an hourglass.

He walked to the end of the hall, exchanged a glance with Cheng Shi, and remained silent.

The departure of [Death] was a heavy blow to both of them; the good boss who was willing to protect his employees, and the Lord of Grace who loved to favor his Believer, were gone.

After a long silence, Zhang Jizu was the first to break it.

Death is not the true end; departure is the longest-lasting companionship.

When I buried them in the Cemetery with my own hands, I knew that they were simply accompanying me in another way.

The same applies to our Lord of Grace.

Since he has entrusted these things to me, from this day forward, I shall be the Gravekeeper of the Cosmos's tombs.

Go ahead and try the future with confidence. At least before I die, the world without gods will perish.

"..."

Zhang Jizu's words reminded Cheng Shi of Old Zhang from Another World. It turned out that not only himself, but people in every world were very similar.

Cheng Shi waved his hand, activating the power recognized by all the gods. With Proxy approval of the [Covenant], Zhang Jizu, holding the [Death] Vessel, inherited everything from the [Death] boss.

At the moment when green flames shone and white bones cheered, Cheng Shi seemed to think of something, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

Zhang Jizu squinted and looked over in confusion, but then heard Cheng Shi cough twice and suggest in a serious tone:

"Old Zhang, why don't you learn from the adults and conjure up a giant skull? Maybe it'll help improve the size of your eyes!"

"?"

Seeing that Squinty Old Zhang's expression was off, Cheng Shi's face turned serious, and he immediately returned to his normal demeanor:

"Borrow your Faith to dye this Vessel."

This concerns the future of the world; it's extremely important, and I'm not joking.

However, seeing you reminds me of another question: The Divine Authority of [Annihilation] was originally in the hands of the Great One, but now that He has departed, who will inherit the Divine Throne of [Annihilation]?

Zhang Jizu used the power of [Death] to stain the Vessel, pondered for a moment, and gave an answer:

"Mo Shu."

"I remember you two had some disagreements?"

Personal grudges are insignificant compared to the future of the Cosmos.

Most importantly, he is close enough to [Annihilation], and he no longer has the ambition to Annihilation the world.

The inheritor of [Annihilation] must be stable.

Without Believer like Mo Shu who has personally witnessed the self- Annihilation of His Lord of Grace, any succession could very well evolve into the next Cosmos crisis.

We can't afford any more risks. From now on, the Cosmos must unite. It may not be the best option, but it's the most prudent one.

Cheng Shi pondered for a moment, then nodded and said:

"I see."