Deep within the Great Star Dou Forest, the Lake of Life was like a giant piece of jadeite inlaid within the dense forest.
The lake's surface glistened, reflecting the shifting light of the sky and the drifting shadows of clouds. Within its tranquility, it held an endless vitality.
Occasionally, a gentle breeze would brush past, creating layers of ripples, yet it could not disturb the serenity of this realm.
Deep beneath the lake's surface, an independent, mysterious space floated silently.
Here, the sound of flowing water could not be heard; only pure life energy flowed gently.
Fang Yang sat cross-legged at the center of the space, his eyes closed.
His breath gradually became long, slow, and rhythmic, and his consciousness slowly sank inward.
A faint Dou Qi fluctuation emanated from him, causing even the air to tremble.
The next moment, his consciousness instantly sank into the internal space of the Heavenly Flame Orb.
The world before his eyes began to twist and transform. When Fang Yang opened them again, the familiar Heavenly Flame Plaza stood before him.
Twenty-three heaven-reaching giant pillars stood majestically. Each was coiled with flames of a different color, emitting energy fluctuations that made one's heart palpitate.
"You have come..."
An ethereal voice came from all directions.
"Artifact Spirit, you knew I would come?"
Fang Yang looked up toward the void, his voice echoing across the vast plaza.
Hearing this, the Artifact Spirit did not answer directly.
In the center of the plaza, a cluster of golden Creation Origin slowly appeared. Beside it floated three Life Seeds, one white, one black, and one red.
These origins emitted palpable energy fluctuations. Merely by being near them, one could feel the vast power they contained.
"This is...?"
Doubt showed in Fang Yang's gaze.
"Within the Creation Origin contains the cultivation experience and insights of its original master."
The Artifact Spirit's voice was calm. "If anyone else were to refine it, they could indeed comprehend the Laws of Creation and reach heaven in a single step."
"But at the same time, they would also completely experience the life of the Creation God."
"Those with a weak will would likely be unable to distinguish who they truly are from that point on. Are they themselves, or are they the Creation God?"
Fang Yang shuddered inwardly. "Isn't that an alternative form of possession?"
"Correct."
"Although the Creation God of this universe is not at the pinnacle of power, his insights are more than sufficient for you."
"Very well, I understand."
Fang Yang nodded.
"Refine!"
With a single command from the Artifact Spirit, the entire Heavenly Flame Plaza began to tremble.
"With the Emperor Flame as the guide, the Heaven-Refining Array is formed!"
A brilliantly multicolored flame shot up from the center of the plaza. It was, astonishingly, the Emperor Flame, which had devoured twenty-one different Heavenly Flames.
The flame churned in the air, emitting a terrifying might that made the very heavens and earth pale.
"This is... the Emperor Flame!"
Fang Yang stared, dumbfounded, at the scene.
Even though it wasn't his first time seeing the Emperor Flame, witnessing it still left him in awe of the strongest of all flames.
The flames of the Emperor Flame erupted in an instant, completely enveloping the golden Creation Origin and the three Life Seeds.
Under the extreme heat, these origins first melted into a liquid state, the colors of gold, black, white, and red intertwining.
They flowed slowly like water before completely vaporizing, scattering into fine ash that filled the sky.
Each particle of dust, tiny as a mustard seed, flickered with a faint light within the Emperor Flame's quenching, as if it contained the ultimate principles of the universe.
"To think I would discover a divine will..."
Just then, a majestic voice suddenly rang out. A golden figure slowly condensed and took shape within the flames.
His figure was not tall, yet it made the entire Heavenly Flame Plaza seem insignificant.
His golden long hair cascaded down like a river of stars, and in his eyes were reflected the scenes of the universe's birth and extinction.
Merely by standing there, he made one unable to resist the urge to prostrate oneself in worship.
"Creation God, you...!"
Seeing this, Fang Yang couldn't help but curse aloud.
Just as the Artifact Spirit had predicted, the Creation Origin contained a trump card of the Creation God.
Although this remnant shadow was not even one ten-thousandth of his true self, the pressure he emitted was still suffocating.
"A mere wisp of a remnant thought, and you dare to be so presumptuous? Stay behind!"
The Artifact Spirit's icy voice rang out, and the Emperor Flame immediately erupted with terrifying power.
The runes of the Heaven-Refining Ancient Array spun wildly, transforming into chains of flame that coiled upwards, refining this indestructible will.
Time passed bit by bit. Under the continuous quenching of the Emperor Flame, the Creation God's remnant shadow gradually dissipated, turning back into a wisp of an ethereal thought.
This wisp of thought tumbled and condensed within the flames, finally forming a pill that shimmered with golden light.
Mysterious patterns flowed across the pill's surface, within which one could faintly see the birth and death of stars. The power contained within was enough to make one's heart palpitate.
"Swallow it. Comprehend the Samsara of Creation." The Artifact Spirit's voice held an unquestionable authority.
"Alright!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Yang reached out, took the golden pill, and swallowed it in a single gulp.
The pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, instantly turning into a warm current that flowed into his Dantian, then sweeping through his entire body like a volcanic eruption.
Vast energy surged through his meridians, as if it were about to tear his body apart.
Fang Yang felt a loud boom in his mind as countless scenes flooded in like a tide.
These were the memories and insights of the Creation God's entire life.
His consciousness was pulled into one cycle after another, witnessing the birth and destruction of universes, experiencing the origin and end of life.
At times, he became the Creation God, creating a universe from the void, moving stars with a wave of his hand.
At other times, he became a mortal, tempering his Dao heart in the mortal world, tasting all of its sorrows and joys.
Sometimes he was a deity, wielding the laws of heaven and earth, looking down upon the cycles of all living beings...
In the endless years of cycles, Fang Yang's will underwent an unprecedented test.
He had to hold onto his true self, to find the real him amidst the vast, sea-like memories.
It was a dangerous process; a single misstep would cause him to be lost in the Creation God's memories, forever forgetting who he was.
However, Fang Yang's Dao heart was as firm as iron. No matter how the torrent of memories crashed against him, he always held firmly onto a single point of clarity in his mind.
Gradually, he began to draw nourishment from these memories, comprehending the mysteries of the Laws of Creation.
Fang Yang saw the weaving of rules, the nurturing of life, and the principles by which worlds operated.
Unconsciously, his aura began to transform, as if he had developed a certain resonance with the entire universe...
A faint golden light began to flow around him; it was the Laws of Creation resonating with him.
...
In a dimension that was ineffable, invisible, and unknowable.
"A demon from beyond the heavens, you dare to steal my prerogative of creation."
A golden figure slowly opened its eyes. In them, the birth and death of countless worlds were reflected. "It's a pity it's only a remnant will and not a true body, unable to fully descend upon the mortal world. Otherwise..."
His voice held suppressed fury, and the laws flowing around him were thrown into disarray.
After a moment, that supreme, golden figure slowly rose.
"In that case... let this universe enter its final chapter ahead of schedule."
He raised a hand and gently pointed. A formless ripple spread out towards the endless void.
Wherever the ripple passed, stars dimmed and laws twisted, as if heralding the arrival of something ominous.
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