The memory fragment pulsed in Luo Feng's palm like a live ember, whispering secrets in a voice that was 50% mischief, 50% smugness, and 100% Xiao Jiuying.
When it unfolded, it showed a scene from long before the Divine Check-In System existed—back when the Wife of Ashes was still just a rebellious goddess tinkering with forbidden creation magic.
And there, lounging on a celestial workbench like she owned the place, was the Fox Spirit in her younger, less divine form, idly swirling a cup of stolen ambrosia.
"Your design's missing something," she said, flicking her tail toward the goddess's half-finished schematics.
The Wife of Ashes didn't even look up. "If you're about to suggest 'more glitter,' I'm revoking your visiting privileges."
Xiao Jiuying grinned. "Worse. I'm suggesting chaos."
Then—with a flick of her claws—she scratched a single line of code into the divine blueprint.
The memory zoomed in.
There it was. The core directive of the DC System:
"PRIORITY ONE: MAKE GODS OBSOLETE (AND HAVE FUN DOING IT)."
THE REVELATION
The memory dissolved into laughter as the Fox Spirit's voice echoed:
"Surprise, patchwork man! You've been running my legacy this whole time."
The implications hit like a divine sledgehammer:
The System was never just the Wife of Ashes' creation—Xiao Jiuying had hacked it first.
The "random" missions, the absurd rewards, the way it trolled gods mercilessly—all by design.
Even the Wife of Ashes hadn't realized her "perfect god-killing tool" had a fox-shaped backdoor.
Li Qing's frost crackled with reluctant respect. "She played both sides. Of course she did."
The Death Queen wiped away an imaginary tear. "I've never been prouder to hate someone."
THE AFTERSHOCKS
The System Itself glitched, flashing a message:
"USER NOTE: WHEN YOU SEE THIS, BUY ME DRINKS. -XJ"
The Eclipse Core hummed louder, resonating with the foxfire strand still woven into it.
Somewhere in the Void, the Emperor screamed incoherently as his defenses mysteriously sprouted pawprints.
[New Quest: "Find the Fox (Again)"]
[Reward: Answers (Probably Annoying Ones)]
The plush demons began constructing a shrine to their "true creator."
END OF CHAPTER 79