**Boom!**
**Boom!**
The deafening roar of thunder echoed across the land, and as it faded, an eerie silence settled over the deformed terrain. All that remained was the ominous sizzle of flames. Despite the torrential rain, an extraordinary fire—dark as night and pure as light—raged on, consuming everything in its path with relentless fury.
The world had never witnessed a disaster of this magnitude. The pursuit of godhood had always been a journey steeped in bloodshed, but what transpired now was an unparalleled catastrophe, a tragedy unlike anything in the past and perhaps never to be seen again.
Many had fought fiercely for the divine spark of a fallen god, each seeking to condense their own divinity. Yet, the one who emerged victorious did not seek to create, but to devour. He absorbed the spark, refining his bloodline to its peak and triggering a tribulation of immense power. However, as the heavens raged, an unexpected event unfolded—out of nowhere, a spatial rift tore open the sky, swallowing him whole and sending him beyond the known reality.
Ironically, it was the one who seemed least likely to succeed—the one with no trace of divinity, no powerful allies—who triumphed. The little bird, underestimated by all, had defied the odds. Against all expectations, he had used his adversaries as mere stepping stones on his relentless ascent to godhood.
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In the vast expanse of the void, where silence reigned supreme and existence itself seemed to be a mere afterthought, a solitary spark of light flickered into being. To the casual observer, it might appear insignificant, but a closer inspection would reveal a mesmerizing phenomenon—this was no ordinary spark, but a flame, flickering with an eerie combination of black and white hues. It was as though the light and darkness were engaged in an eternal dance, each striving to dominate the other, yet both inextricably bound together.
This flame was no mere ember; it was the soul of a creature long forgotten, a being that had defied the very laws of the universe. The void, an abyss where nothing other than 'nothingness' should exist, had unexpectedly welcomed this fire—a soul, a damned bird, whose fate was to be eternally bound to this desolate space. In this void, anything that entered was destined to dissolve into nothingness, becoming one with the emptiness itself. That was the natural order, the way things were meant to be. But today, something had changed.
The nothingness that pervaded this place, a force that should have eroded anything that dared to intrude, was now being challenged. The soul that had entered this void did not corrode into oblivion as it should have. Instead, it struggled, fought against the pull of non-existence, and slowly, it began to burn brighter. What was once a feeble flicker grew into a powerful blaze, one that refused to be extinguished.
The flame, fueled by an indomitable will, began to condense, to take form. It was as though the very essence of the void was being consumed, transformed into something new, something alive. The fire grew, shaping itself into the form of a majestic bird. As the transformation completed, the creature that emerged was nothing short of awe-inspiring. It was a crane, but not just any crane—its long tail feathers seemed to shimmer with an ethereal light, and each feather appeared to move with a life of its own, dancing hypnotically in the void.
The bird spread its wings wide, and in that moment, it seemed to command the very fabric of reality itself. There was a divine majesty in its posture, a sense of ancient power that radiated from its form. Its neck, elegantly curved, was like a work of art, and its beak, sharp and slightly curved, added to its regal appearance. The feathers atop its head formed a crown, a symbol of its sovereignty, and its eyes—those eyes—were like pearls, crystal clear, yet filled with an unmistakable authority. In those eyes, there was a look that spoke of a being who had seen all, ruled all, and stood above all. It was the gaze of a supreme sovereign, a ruler who was both regal and terrifying in his majesty.
But despite the power and form that this soul had regained, it was still just that—a soul. It lacked a physical body, and though it had grown stronger, it was not through raw power but through the refinement of its very essence. This was a being who had endured, who had overcome the very void itself, but who still faced uncertainty.
"Mmm... Where the hell am I?" The bird thought, its mind slowly awakening to its new reality. "I remember undergoing the rebirth tribulation and seeing a rift in space. Then I was sucked into it."
The memories were fragmented, pieces of a puzzle that did not quite fit together. "Then I didn't remember anything. What happened? Where am I?"
All around him, there was nothing but darkness, an all-consuming void that offered no clues, no answers.
"What kind of place is this? I can't see anything," the bird mused, its mind racing to comprehend its surroundings.
"This is nothingness, where nothing should exist," a voice echoed from the darkness. It was an ancient voice, filled with authority, yet there was a hint of amusement, as if the speaker found some private joke in the situation.
"Who! Who are you?" the bird demanded, its voice filled with a mixture of fear and defiance.
"It's too early for you to know," the voice replied, cryptic and frustratingly vague. "But you will know in the future, and that depends on the decisions you make during our time together."
The bird's irritation grew. "What the hell? Can't you answer straight? It's okay, I've acted like an old sage a few times in my life, so I get your shtick. You won't change, even if asked. Fine, back to the topic—what do you mean by 'nothingness where nothing should exist'? Then how the hell am I, and you, here?"
"Stop it. You're not strong enough to understand yet. When you truly grasp the concept of Yin and Yang, you will understand," the voice grumbled, its tone growing more serious. "Now is not the time to explain, and you don't have much time left here."
The bird's anger flared. "What do you mean by not comprehending Yin and Yang? I am the YIN-YANG PHOENIX! How can I not comprehend Yin and Yang?" he shouted, his pride wounded by the insinuation.
"Brat, you do have some understanding. That's why you're still here. Under other circumstances, your entire existence would have been erased. It's already too late to explain further. I will send you on a mission. Complete it, and then we can talk."
"Wait, what mission? How do I complete it? How do I contact you?"
"You will know in due time."
"But—"
"No buts. Now, you must go." With those final words, a portal materialized before the Phoenix, its swirling energy pulling him toward it.
"No...!" he cried, but his protest was cut short as he was sucked into the portal, disappearing from the void.
Silence returned, but the ancient voice lingered, a whisper in the emptiness. "Hmph. 'Phoenix Sovereign, Celestial Ruler,' with all those grand titles, yet still acts like a teenager. How the hell did my daughter fall for this fool? I hope he doesn't disappoint her trust."
...
In a dimly lit room, tucked away in a quiet urban neighborhood, something extraordinary happened. On an old, creaky bed lay a boy, his skin pale and lifeless, his heart having ceased its rhythmic beat. But then, against all odds, life surged back into him. His heart began to pound, faster and faster.
"No...!" The boy's eyes snapped open, and he awoke with a scream, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. The miracle was complete—he was alive once more.
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