In the vast desert, Yu Xie had no idea how long he had been walking.
It wasn't until the sky darkened once more, nightfall descending, and the sky filled with stars that the temperature dropped again.
Around him was an endless sea of yellow sand, and no trace of any other person could be seen, not even the presence of any living creature besides Yu Xie himself.
It felt like a forbidden zone of life.
Yu Xie stopped and summoned the system in his mind.
— Can this really make that person show up?
[I will create an invisible anomaly to draw her out. You can feel free to provoke her.]
Receiving a positive response, Yu Xie took a deep breath, the thick, dusty air filling his lungs.
He looked up at the starry sky above.
"Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, come forth."
The only response was the sound of the wind.
The desert wind swept past Yu Xie's ears, carrying grains of yellow sand with it.
"I know you can hear me. Come out."
"Or perhaps the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is afraid to face a mere mortal?"
"Are you sleeping? If I've disturbed your rest, I apologize."
Yu Xie wasn't sure if provoking would work, but the words escaped him without thinking.
The surrounding silence remained, with nothing but the wind to fill the air.
Yu Xie drew his blade, the edge of Cloud Cutter glimmering in the moonlight.
This blade, whose origins he didn't know, had been by his side since the beginning of his current life. When he gripped the hilt, it felt as though the blade was responding to him.
He took a step forward, leaving deep footprints in the yellow sand.
"If you don't come out now, I'll find a way to go up to the Celestia and find you."
As soon as he spoke, the wind suddenly picked up.
The howling wind kicked up dust from the ground, and the clouds in the sky suddenly thickened, obscuring the moonlight, as though a heavy rain was about to pour down.
Yu Xie looked up and saw a white figure flickering faintly among the thick clouds.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, the supreme deity.
"You, a presumptuous mortal," the voice of the Heavenly Principles spoke, echoing across the desert, carrying a heavy pressure, as if even the swirling sands in the air fell still in response.
But Yu Xie remained unaffected.
Yu Xie stopped and spoke, "I, this presumptuous mortal, have some questions for you."
"From beyond this world, why should I answer your questions?" The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles spoke, looking down from above with an expression devoid of emotion.
"Why must there be only one god who sits on the divine throne in Sumeru?" Yu Xie asked directly, ignoring The Sustainer's earlier words.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles did not respond, merely floating in the sky with her silver hair flowing and a faint white glow emanating from her body.
"Heavenly Principles, you've stayed on Celestia for too long. Do you still remember what the ordinary people of this land truly want?" Yu Xie continued, "All they want is peace, free from war and strife, so they can live their lives in peace."
"Now, the Three God-Kings of Sumeru have formed an alliance, and the people of Sumeru live in peace and prosperity. Why must you break this balance and insist that only one god can sit on the divine throne?"
"You are The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, the supreme deity. You would go to any lengths to maintain the rules, which is understandable, but not everything should be bound by rules."
Yu Xie's voice echoed across the yellow sands as he looked at The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, his gaze unwavering.
A mortal, standing before such a deity, showed no fear.
"So, you've come to see me because of the Three God-Kings of Sumeru," The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles spoke again, her tone still flat, without any emotional fluctuation.
"Exactly. They are qualified gods, and their people need them," Yu Xie said. "Especially Nabu. She was originally from the Angelic Race, but she was forsaken by Celestia and cursed. I've come to seek justice for her."
"Deluded thoughts. A mere mortal, so arrogant," The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles's voice remained indifferent.
"Do you think I'm arrogant?" Yu Xie suddenly smiled. "I actually think you are the most arrogant. Although, to be fair, you have the capital for arrogance."
"Let's make a bet. If I win, you can no longer interfere with the Three God-Kings of Sumeru. If I lose, then you win."
Upon hearing this, The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles did not respond.
"Just kidding," Yu Xie said. "If I lose, you can do whatever you wish with me."
"Why should I bet with you? You are merely a presumptuous mortal."
"The famous Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, afraid to bet with a mortal? Afraid it will lower your status? Well, that's understandable. It would be a bit embarrassing, after all."
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles looked at Yu Xie but said nothing.
Yu Xie smirked, "Looks like you don't want to bet. How about this? I knock you unconscious and make you sleep for a long time, so you can't interfere with Sumeru's affairs. How does that sound?"
"Presumptuous mortal."
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The air became unbearably heavy, and even the wind stopped.
The clouds in the sky grew even thicker, and within those clouds, thunder and lightning flashed.
Yu Xie drew his sword and stepped forward, leaving firm footprints behind him.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles slowly raised her hand.
With the gesture, countless cubes appeared around Yu Xie. These cubes seemed to have life of their own, forming a cage around him, gradually closing in.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles turned, no longer looking at Yu Xie, and began to leave.
But the next moment, all the cubes vanished, as if they had never existed.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles stopped, turned around, and looked at Yu Xie again, her expression subtly changing.
Yu Xie, standing on the ground, raised his left hand, his gaze meeting hers across the air.
After a brief moment, he took another step forward.
His pace quickened, and he began to run.
The air around him stirred with the movement of his body and the blade.
The next instant, the sky rumbled with thunder, and a thunderstorm descended in an instant.
In the midst of the storm, Yu Xie did not dodge. But every lightning bolt that struck him was instantly dissipated upon contact, causing no harm whatsoever.
This scene caused the lofty Sustainer of Heavenly Principles to frown slightly.
A mortal, capable of such a feat? This was a challenge to the Heavenly Principles, a challenge to Celestia.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles raised her hand once more, and the clouds lowered even further, the thunderstorm intensifying.
The violent storm seemed to want to turn the entire desert into a boiling cauldron, the air ablaze, and the earth torn asunder.
The deafening roar of thunder echoed across the vast yellow sands. Far away, on the city walls of Al-Ahmar's city-state, Al-Ahmar stood watching the distant storm.
The flashing lightning caught his attention.
"King Deshret, what is that…?" a minister beside him asked in confusion.
"A thunderstorm in the desert. That's rare," King Deshret said with a frown, watching the flashing lightning in the distance, a bad premonition suddenly rising in his heart.
End of chapter
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