Life and Death Together

In the Life God Realm, within the Lake of Life—a body of water shrouded in thick fog and magnetic interference—a massive, blooming lotus stands eternally, never fading. At the center of the lotus, where the seeds would be, each position has been fashioned into a natural palace styled after the surrounding flora and forests.

At this moment, on the very edge of the lotus pod, Vivian and Lilith sit side by side, fishing and chatting happily.

"Big sister, it's been a long time since you last visited me." Vivian smiles as she helps Lilith unhook a fish, rebaits the hook, and gives it a gentle flick. The line sails far over the massive, gradient pink-and-white lotus petals and drops heavily into the center of the water.

"It has been a while. But no matter when I come, your Lotus Pavilion is always so breathtaking and unique. Unlike Nether Mountain, which is so deep and terrifying that it makes people shudder." Lilith smiles. Neither of them is using any power beyond the God level; they are simply fishing—the only exception being the rods and lines, which are Sovereign Artifacts carefully nurtured over time.

"You possess an awe-inspiring presence that only Nether Mountain can match. As for me, you know that staying here is the best choice." Vivian watches Lilith's fishing line.

"Even your Sovereign Envoy has become a Sovereign himself, his strength constantly catching up, nearly reaching the tier just below us. Moreover, he is very confident about completing the Supreme God mission." Vivian pauses. "Do you think he might have already reached an agreement with Orloff? After all, if Iluka could quell Orloff's anger even after winning ten consecutive matches and defecting, it's not impossible for him to help the two of them establish a connection."

"He wouldn't. I know him, Vivian," Lilith says with a smile, her tone decisive. "Desterie loathes traitors the most and would never commit an act of betrayal himself. Regarding the Supreme God mission, he likely wants to complete it on his own. But he also knows that once we obtain other tokens, he won't have a chance, which is why he left that opening."

Vivian gently squeezes Lilith's hand, resting her cheek on Lilith's shoulder. "Desterie killed the first and only Sovereign Envoy he ever took in for the sake of a Heaven and Earth Exotic Item, and that item was later confirmed to be a Supreme God Token. I don't believe there wasn't more to the story."

"But since you've said so, big sister, I won't say anything more. Let us focus on finding the Supreme God tokens. As long as we obtain one, Desterie will help us complete it for your sake. Come to think of it, Desterie is truly capable of great forbearance and possesses immense courage. He can live peacefully in the material planes while also standing firm against Uthred."

Lilith pats Vivian's head as if comforting a younger sister, her face no longer wearing the playful expression of a trickster. "As you said, he is actually very sentimental and can resist temptation. When he came to Nether Mountain back then, it was to resurrect his kin. I still remember thirty million years ago, when he had just become a Sovereign Envoy and obtained a Nether Fruit. Even though he had other weaker divine clones, he gave the Nether Fruit to his resurrected younger brother to consume."

"The Nether Fruit..." Vivian lifts her head, looking at Lilith with a face full of regret.

Lilith shakes her head. "Don't worry, I have never regretted what happened back then. It is too difficult for a Super Divine Beast to fuse profound mysteries. In the chaotic and terrifying situation of those days, we needed someone to consume the Nether Fruit, or I fear we wouldn't have survived the crisis. Even if I cannot become a Paragon now, I am one of the four Sovereigns of the Rules. With the two of us working together, we need not fear anyone's provocation."

Vivian's expression returns to tranquility, and she rests her cheek on Lilith's shoulder once more. Tiny green fluorescent lights emerge from her body and slowly sink into Lilith's—this is a healing and purification process that has continued for countless years.

A hundred years later, at the edge of the Mulan Material Plane, space tears resembling petals fill the sky, appearing and vanishing in a terrifying display.

Iluka remains here, quietly watching the birth and destruction of the space tears.

Suddenly, he turns his head, looking at Desterie and Dalayer as they walk through the air, and reveals a curious gaze. "It is truly rare to see your Death divine clone out on its own."

Desterie smiles calmly. "Even after spending tens of millions of years, my comprehension of the Death Rule can barely be considered a strong six-star Highgod level. Naturally, I am unwilling to go out alone."

The violent look in Iluka's eyes gradually fades, and he smiles faintly. "With six-star level Death Rule comprehension and eighty percent of a Paragon's willpower, you have no chance of winning against me. You had better switch back to your Destruction divine clone."

Desterie takes Dalayer's hand, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Iluka, you have no chance of winning against my Destruction clone!"

As his words fall, a massive amount of Sovereign Power of Destruction appears out of thin air, condensing into a giant black Sovereign face. Its eyes droop slightly, looking down at Iluka from above.

Iluka's gaze gradually turns cold, and his violent nature surges once more.

"Calm down, Iluka! Although I refined a Destruction Chief God Spark, it was not given to me by Orloff. I did not take anything that belongs to you." The projection of Desterie's giant Sovereign face rumbles.

Iluka's emotions calm slightly, and he asks skeptically, "Don't tell me you got lucky and found another Chief God Spark?"

After learning the details of how Desterie became a Sovereign back then, he had found it incredibly miraculous.

Desterie dissipates the giant face projection and smiles. "I fought a fair battle against the Intermediate Sovereign of Destruction, Xingyi. I killed him, and naturally, I obtained his Chief God Spark, becoming a dual-clone Sovereign."

"You mean the Star Sovereign, Xingyi. Although he is not weak among Intermediate Sovereigns, he would never dare to raise a hand against an 'Overlord'. It seems, Lord Desterie, you are far more mysterious than I imagined." Iluka analyzes seriously.

"In terms of mystery, I cannot compare to you. I didn't expect you to be so familiar with Xingyi?" Iluka knows many things, including much information regarding the Sovereigns. Desterie is already accustomed to this situation and merely asks out of habit.

"Not exactly familiar," Iluka says, his gaze shifting upward as he falls into memory. "Xingyi's true form is a Star Beast. Although he cannot compare to the two Overlords of Destruction and Death, or even the Zijing Beast, who is also an Intermediate Sovereign of Destruction, his strength was quite decent. The years when the Chief God Sparks descended were filled with constant slaughter, and many Sovereigns died. Many of the current Sovereigns are likely not the original owners of their sparks, but Xingyi was."

"The Starry Fog Sea... for countless years, this name has never changed, all because Xingyi was a Star Beast."