Deathly silence was the only theme of this moment.
But this time, it was no longer a descent into despair. Instead, it felt like that brief, breathtaking calm before a storm descends upon heaven and earth.
Feng Yan lowered her head.
Her long red hair cascaded down, concealing her face.
She stood motionless, like a statue solidified for billions of years.
Lin Qingyue did not rush her, simply standing there quietly, keeping her company.
Time lost all meaning here.
The storm in Feng Yan's eyes did not subside; rather, it collapsed inward, and after extreme chaos, it returned to a deeper kind of void.
But this time, at the end of the void, there was a point of light.
It was not hope, nor enlightenment.
It was a spark.
A spark called "I."
"I..."
She spoke again.
Her voice was no longer hollow, but a clarity somewhere between a girl and a God, carrying the bewilderment of a newborn.
This single word triggered some ancient covenant.
A faint "crack" sounded from within Feng Yan's body.
It was as if some invisible shackle had been snapped.
Then came a second sound, a third...
The sounds grew denser and clearer.
Her intricate palace gown, woven from energy, was peeling off inch by inch, transforming into the purest fire elements that drifted away and returned to this space.
Her figure, too, began to turn transparent.
This was not death, but a more thorough... disintegration.
Lin Qingyue's heart tightened, but she quickly relaxed.
No breaking, no rebuilding; break and then establish.
To break free from old shackles, one must first shatter the old shell.
An egg opened from the outside is food; opened from the inside, it is new life.
This was true Nirvana in its fullest sense.
Feng Yan slowly lifted her head, and on her crack-covered face, an extremely faint smile actually bloomed.
A smile of liberation and relief.
"So... this is how it is."
Her voice was as light as a breeze, scattering as it blew past.
"Thank you."
The moment her words fell, her figure completely collapsed.
Countless crimson spots of light burst forth, a silent meteor shower reversing its course and converging toward the Giant Parasol Tree, the center of the Ash World.
The spots of light touched the withered bark, not burning it or destroying it, but silently melting into it like spring rain moisturizing the earth.
The Giant Parasol Tree, which had stood for countless eras, shook violently!
The rigid, lifeless bark was split open from the inside by an irresistible force, cracking inch by inch.
Crack... Crackle...
The sound of cracking was no longer the lament of withered wood, but the prelude to new life.
The heavy, dead bark peeled away in large chunks.
Bursting from the cracks were not rotting wood chips, but a lush green radiance so dense it seemed tangible.
This was the light of life itself.
Pure, boundless life force instantly illuminated the entire Ash World!
The ash was no longer ash.
Under the green light, it writhed and churned, greedily absorbing this power, transforming from a hopeless, dead gray into fertile soil containing infinite vitality.
Blades of grass sprouted from the earth.
Wildflowers of unknown species bloomed wildly, facing that emerald light.
A desolate, dead wasteland turned into a vibrant meadow in just a few breaths.
The leaden gray curtain of the sky was washed clean, revealing the purest azure, with a few white clouds drifting leisurely across it.
A gentle breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of earth and green grass.
This was no longer a desolate ruin.
This was a newly born world.
At the center of the world, the giant Parasol Tree had completely shed its charred black shell. In its place stood a trunk as warm and smooth as jade, with the life-giving veins flowing visibly within it.
The canopy, spread like a cloud of grandeur, had every leaf carved from the purest emerald, rustling in the gentle breeze, composing a symphony of life.
And in the very center of that dense canopy, a gentle golden flame materialized out of thin air.
The flame held not a hint of heat, only endless warmth and vitality.
It slowly condensed, stretched, and finally traced out the silhouette of a flawless female figure.
It was still that crimson court dress, still that flame-like long hair.
But everything was also completely different.
The newly born Feng Yan slowly opened her eyes.
What kind of eyes were those?
No longer the lifeless nebulae, no longer the numb voids.
Those eyes were as clear as a newborn baby's, reflecting the light and shadows of this brand-new world.
They were filled with the purest curiosity and exploration, as well as a lazing, quiet serenity of someone who had just woken up.
Within her gaze was an untainted innocence, yet also a gentleness that had settled after eons of time.
The Divine Might that had once surrounded her body was now restrained to the utmost limit.
Standing there, she no longer exuded the oppressive aura of a lofty being.
Instead, she was more like a girl-next-door with an ethereal temperament, gentle, approachable, and carrying the warmth of mortal life.
She descended from the canopy barefoot, step by step, as stairs of flame naturally sprouted beneath her feet, guiding her steadily down to Lin Qingyue.
She gazed at Lin Qingyue intently, as if trying to imprint the one who had pulled her from her eternal prison deep into her soul.
After a long moment, she bowed slightly, crossing her hands over her chest in an ancient and equal greeting.
Her posture was as elegant as a dance performed during a ritual to Heaven and Earth.
This was not a deity looking down on a mortal, but one soul offering an equal gesture of gratitude to another.
"Thank you."
Her voice was as crisp as wind chimes, carrying the joy of a newborn.
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations, Host! Through precise psychological guidance and an unorthodox career plan, you have successfully helped the "Remnant Soul of the Vermilion Bird" complete her self-cognitive sublimation, break free from the "Worn" state, and be reborn. ]
[ Elation Value +10,000! ]
[ Your "Desire" Authority has captured a hint of the true meaning of "Freedom." Your understanding of the "Rebirth" Authority has deepened significantly. ]
Lin Qingyue ignored the System's playful chatter in her mind and smiled back at Feng Yan.
"It was nothing. No need for thanks."
She could feel it. The Feng Yan before her had restrained her Divinity and awakened her Humanity, becoming a truly complete "life."
Feng Yan straightened up, her gaze falling on Lin Qingyue. In those clear eyes, a hint of exploration suddenly surfaced, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"Strange... There is an aura on you that feels familiar, yet also very strange."
She tilted her head, her expression carrying a touch of girlish innocence.
"Profound, ancient, filled with the essence of protection, yet unlike anyone I know..."
Lin Qingyue understood.
She said nothing, merely silently circulating the [ Adeptus Breathing Method ] within her body.
A faint but extremely pure aura slowly rose from around her.
The aura was as heavy as mountains, as steady as the earth, carrying an ancient and serene quality like a Contract.
Feng Yan's eyes instantly lit up, a flash of enlightenment as if she had found the answer.
"This is the technique!"
She nodded slightly, her tone carrying a hint of admiration.
"Pure, profound, filled with the essence of Contract and protection. This kind of power, even in my era, would have belonged to the very top tier."
"This is precisely the cultivation method created by the God in my story, Rex Lapis, 'Morax'."
Seeing this, Lin Qingyue no longer concealed it and explained with a smile.
"If you count it, I might be considered one of his unnamed disciples."
"Morax... Zhongli..."
Feng Yan softly repeated the name, a flicker of realization crossing her eyes.
No wonder that story sounded so real; it turned out there was such a profound connection behind it.
She seemed to be savoring the story, marveling at the wisdom and decisiveness of that distant deity.
Her attitude toward Lin Qingyue grew even more intimate, treating her almost as an equal who shared the same path.
"Then why have you come to this 'Heart Tomb' that I abandoned?"
Feng Yan asked, a hint of apology in her expression.
"I apologize. I was lost in self-loathing for too long, turning this place into such a state and nearly harming you all."
Lin Qingyue waved her hand and fully explained their group's purpose: to purify the dungeon's corruption.
Finally, she posed the most crucial question.
"The information I have calls you a 'Celestial God,' but this dungeon is named the 'Shadow of the Ancient God.'"
Her gaze sharpened.
"Does this mean the one truly corrupting this land is someone else? An... existence even more ancient than you?"
At the mention of the "Ancient God," the newly formed joy and gentleness on Feng Yan's face instantly vanished.
In its place, a bone-deep solemnity took root, as if the phrase itself carried an ominous weight.
She shook her head, her voice turning somber: "I was lost in self-loathing for too long, and my senses to the outside world had long been numbed."
"I sensed that this land was being corrupted, but my heart was so dead that I lacked the strength to investigate its source. Yet, the tale of the 'Ancient God' is no mere rumor."
Her gaze looked toward the distance of this newly born world, as if piercing through the barriers of space.
"A long time ago, before we were even born, this continent did indeed belong to an even more ancient existence."