"Let's make a deal."
"A deal? With you? Hahaha… Now that the entire Cangcheng has been devoured, you wish to bargain?"
"Rahu is propagated by the Denizens of Abundance capable of hosting Emanators. Even you cannot escape their digestion. Thus, now is precisely the best moment for our deal."
Echoes from hundreds of years ago rang clearly in its ears. It rubbed its temples, desperate to forget these haunting memories.
Yet it also understood these memories were nearly gone anyway, as the physical body sustaining them was on the verge of complete decay.
"I'll make a deal with you—I shall grant you all of my strength as a General. In exchange, you must protect the remaining people on this shattered Xianzhou."
"Hahahahaha! Do you truly believe our combined strength can resist Rahu? Even if you gave me all your power, it wouldn't suffice."
"You can surely do it—cough cough cough…" The violent coughing resonated clearly in her ears. Gravely wounded, he hadn't much time left.
Yet even in that state, the fool had insisted on bargaining with it for the sake of this Xianzhou, already broken beyond repair.
"…because…you are the true descendant of the Sui Emperor. Your power, combined with mine, can surely protect every surviving life aboard this ship."
"From where did you hear this?"
"Xi…I have guarded you for centuries. How could I not know who you truly are?"
!!!!
The white-haired figure awoke violently, eyes snapping open. Its features were so neutral that one couldn't discern male or female.
Yet golden pupils flashed vividly with memories—events from not merely centuries, but eons ago.
Thinking about it now…
"Hundreds of years have passed in a blink. Those survivors have already changed generations many times over."
Time had eroded the flesh it had claimed through that contract; even that body could no longer withstand its essence.
"Seems you weren't such an impressive General after all. Only a few centuries passed, and already no one remembers your name."
Xi's voice carried scornful amusement, openly mocking the fool who had made that contract despite his grievous injuries.
After all, compared to the forgotten name of that insignificant general, its name would shine eternally.
"I've finally found a perfect body to replace yours."
At a mere thought, the endless flames before Xi receded instantly…
And within the fire appeared a figure—a face exceptionally familiar to Sora.
For it was his own body.
"I don't know where Rahu devoured this from, but this body…is magnificent."
Xi stepped closer, fingers caressing the unconscious form appreciatively.
"This vessel contains such intense emotional power—enough to unleash my full strength. A body that regenerates constantly, capable of sustaining me indefinitely."
With this, Xi could create a world entirely its own using its powers of world-forging and sky-mending!
All those races would obediently exist within the corners of its new world, while it stood gloriously at the center!
"When that time comes, Rahu will realize precisely what it devoured!"
As Xi traced the perfectly sculpted muscles, the sleeping body seemed to react subtly, its fingers twitching faintly.
Xi, standing before the body, felt no disappointment, only slight regret.
Everything was perfect. Just as the old contract neared its end, fate delivered this vessel to fill the void, practically handing victory directly to Xi.
Only one minor inconvenience—the body would need a bit more time to fully adapt before it could contain Xi's true form.
"If only I could use it now…"
With that, Xi again concealed the body behind endless flames, fully aware that impatience would lead nowhere good.
After all, this unconscious vessel had nowhere to run.
...
"This time, a total of twenty-three Borisin were killed."
"Killed?!"
"Yes. None of them showed signs of resurrection afterward."
Hearing this news, the Foxian handling the corpses glanced down carefully. Sure enough, even the Borisin whose knees had been cleanly severed displayed no sign of revival.
"They truly haven't resurrected…" Astonished, he turned toward Sora. "Only an Upper God could use such methods."
Foxian weapons could never permanently kill these Borisin. Only an Upper God's flames could reduce those mutts to ashes.
Although Sora hadn't burned them to ash—differing slightly from the methods of other Upper Gods—he had undoubtedly slain them. His identity was practically confirmed!
"So this person truly was an Upper God. Absolutely astonishing…"
But the awe-inspiring Sora currently squatted uncomfortably, arms wrapped around his stomach.
A strange sensation crawled incessantly across his body, like someone dragging a tuft of hair gently over him. The itching was unbearable.
"Sora-gege! Dad says we should head home first!" Ahri approached him with concern, and the itching sensation instantly vanished.
"Huh?!"
Sora sprang up in surprise, patting his body. The itching had completely disappeared!
What's going on? Could I be allergic to fox fur?
Impossible—he'd been close to Ahri plenty of times before without issues.
Then perhaps it was the wolf fur.
Sora quickly concluded in his heart that he was allergic to those hideous Borisin.
Fox-eared girls were too adorable—how could he possibly be allergic to them?
After Ahri greeted those still tidying the battlefield, she led Sora away, the two running briskly until a small village appeared before them.
Perhaps due to most Foxians still being at the battlefield, the town felt oddly deserted.
Ahri, used to this emptiness, led Sora swiftly through winding alleys until reaching a modest door.
"Sora-gege, this is my house."
Ahri's home closely resembled the architecture Sora remembered from the Xianzhou ships, indirectly confirming this area's connection to the Xianzhou.
Could it really be the Heliobi rebellion that fractured this already damaged Xianzhou into four realms?
Pondering, Sora followed Ahri into her home.
"Excuse my intrusion."
After politely greeting, he saw Ahri already excitedly recounting their recent adventures to her mother.
Ahri told her story animatedly, describing how effortlessly Sora had annihilated those Borisin—like chickens and clay dogs—instantly destroyed.
Her mother's face revealed genuine shock.
Every Borisin was strong enough to handle three or five Foxians without trouble, yet Sora alone had effortlessly killed dozens. Such strength truly amazed her.
Knowing her daughter had no reason to lie, she promptly prepared refreshments for Sora.
"No need, thank you—I don't really require food."
Currently a spiritual entity, Sora didn't need nourishment. Instead, his primary concern was locating his physical body. "By the way, do you happen to know anything about the Upper Gods?"
Ahri had said plenty, but as a child, her knowledge was limited to basics.
Ahri's mother felt puzzled. Wasn't Sora himself an Upper God?
Why would he ask her this question?
After some contemplation, she shared what she knew anyway.
"The Upper Gods reside within the Divine Manor located in the Central Prefecture—but older generations call it the 'General's Manor'."
Sora's brows twitched upon hearing this keyword.
"General's Manor?"
"Yes. I'm unsure why the older generation refers to it as the General's Manor, but the Upper Gods all reside there."
Sora nodded knowingly. It seemed this was indeed the stronghold of the Heliobi.
But these creatures were certainly bold—not only had they moved into the General's Manor, they even proclaimed themselves Upper Gods.
Yet none of this concerned him greatly. What worried him most was whether these beings currently held his physical body captive.
Continuing his conversation with Ahri's mother, he gradually learned more useful details.
Currently, these Heliobi occupied the original "General's Manor," and among them, the most prominent was an entity known as Xi.
"Lord Xi stands at the pinnacle among the Upper Gods. He can effortlessly burn continents and boil oceans."
When mentioning this Lord Xi, Ahri's mother visibly trembled.
She then began recounting some of the past events…
Hundreds of years ago, the Jiulan Realm rebelled against the god Xi. In response, Xi pierced their leader with a single spear, leaving behind a field of fire that burned eternally in Jiulan.
"Even after centuries, that field of flames hasn't shown any signs of extinguishing."
This scene had left a profound impression on Ahri's mother in her youth, deeply etched into her memory.
Hearing this, Sora furrowed his brows. If memory served, the Heliobi on the Luofu weren't this powerful. Back there, Jing Yuan could suppress a Heliobus with a single finger, yet now they seemed extraordinarily stronger.
A field left burning for centuries after a single attack—wasn't that a bit exaggerated?
"As for anything else, I only know that the Vidyadhara leader of Fangyuan Realm has long since pledged loyalty to Xi. Beyond that, I'm not too clear," Ahri's mother said apologetically. That was the extent of her knowledge about the Upper Gods.
"It's fine. This information is more than enough for me," Sora politely thanked Ahri's mother, moving on to lighter topics.
By the time Ahri returned from washing fruits, the two adults had already begun discussing embarrassing stories from Ahri's childhood.
"Mr. Sora, you wouldn't believe the trouble Ahri caused as a child. For example, when she was small—"
"Ahhh! Mom, what nonsense are you spouting!" Ahri immediately rushed to cover her mother's mouth. Her flawless reputation couldn't be tarnished like this, especially not in front of Sora!
After some playful commotion, the atmosphere turned relaxed and warm.
...
Following a brief rest, Sora prepared to leave. Finding his body was an urgent priority. Now that he knew its approximate location, remaining here would only waste more time.
Seeing his resolve, Ahri's mother gently advised caution but didn't insist further.
"I'll send you off, Sora-gege!" Ahri eagerly volunteered.
Sora accompanied Ahri until they reached the main road, intending to say goodbye here.
"You've brought me far enough. I'll handle the rest alone."
He had already confirmed the route to the Central Prefecture, not wanting to linger unnecessarily.
"Wait, don't rush, Sora-gege!" Ahri said quickly. "You're so anxious—are you planning to meet an Upper God?"
She leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, "Actually, I happen to know an Upper God nearby."
Sora stared at Ahri, a head full of question marks. Just now, Ahri's mother had clearly indicated how far the Central Prefecture was.
Even if he transformed into a flying sword and sped there, it'd still take at least a day or two.
That was precisely why he hadn't wanted to waste time here.
Yet Ahri now claimed casually she personally knew an Upper God—wasn't that a bit too fantastical?
Ahri explained cheerfully, "This Upper God supposedly got tired of the disputes in the Central Prefecture, so they chose to live quietly around here. A few days ago, my friends and I were secretly playing in the back mountains and stumbled upon its hiding spot."
Sora's brows lifted slightly at this information. Oh? Now, this sounded intriguing.
Tired of the chaos in the Central Prefecture, seeking a peaceful seclusion in the countryside?
Ah, this has a nice feel to it!
"So, where exactly is this Upper God?"
"I can lead you there, but…" Ahri's eyes furtively darted toward Sora, her intentions clearly visible.
Noticing her expression, Sora thought, This little fox is quite cunning.
"All right, speak up—what's your condition?"
"Hehe… could you maybe teach me how to wield a sword?"
Ahri bashfully voiced her request.
When the Borisin had leaped toward her, she'd felt utterly helpless. At that critical moment, it had been Sora's sword that saved her.
Thus, the idea of learning swordsmanship from Sora took root firmly in her heart.
"Teaching you… Hmm. All right." Sora casually agreed. Learning the way of the sword wasn't easy; given Ahri's personality, she probably wouldn't persist for long anyway.
For now, agreeing wouldn't hurt—once she gave up, the deal would naturally dissolve.
"Yay! Then let's go!"
Ahri cheered enthusiastically, ears twitching with excitement and tail swaying joyfully.
Sora shook his head lightly at the energetic little fox.
Having gained permission, Ahri eagerly led Sora down a small path, winding left and right until they arrived at a secluded spot.
"This is where the reclusive Upper God lives," Ahri whispered softly to Sora. "Just knock gently on the rock wall, and it'll respond."
Looking closely, Sora sensed an unusual energy enveloping the rock wall ahead.
"Understood." Nodding, Sora stepped forward, tapping gently against the energy-covered wall. "Is anyone there?"
Immediately, chaotic noises erupted from within, as if someone inside was startled awake.
After a brief pause, a weak voice finally emerged from the rock wall, trembling nervously. "Wh-who's there?"
Clearly, the voice seemed fearful of Sora.
"I've come to meet with the esteemed Upper God. Could you please step out to speak with me?"
Sora's tone was entirely serious.
If it was possible to reclaim his body through negotiation, so much the better.
If not, a confrontation might be inevitable.
Besides, reclaiming his own body was completely justified. If these creatures had any objections, they could take it up with Terminus!
Unfortunately, the Upper God behind the rock wall didn't seem inclined to come out:
"Huh?! N-no way! An Upper God's majestic appearance isn't something to show casually! Please leave immediately. If you continue making such requests, I'll—I'll…"
The voice paused uncertainly, clearly struggling for words, then repeated with forced confidence, "That's right! I'll unleash divine punishment upon you!"
"Divine punishment is super scary, you know! It's that kind of scary—so terrifying it'll make you shiver with fear! Hehehe~"
In a futile attempt at sounding more intimidating, the voice added a creepy laugh.
But instead of frightening Sora, it just gave him a headache.
Why does this guy sound so cowardly?
Sora recalled Ahri's mother describing an Upper God who pierced a rebel leader with a single strike, leaving a burning battlefield untouched for centuries.
Could this really be the same type of Upper God?
"Can you truly not show yourself?"
"Absolutely not!" The voice from inside the rock wall was firm, sounding determined not to show itself.
Sora felt a wave of frustration rising.
Even if you really possess enough power to leave centuries-long scars behind, today, I must meet you face-to-face!
'[SEIKEN SAIKOU DRIVER]!'
"[Henshin]!"
"Ahri, step away!"
Seeing Ahri hurriedly retreat, Sora decisively swung his sword, slashing directly through the energy-covered rock wall!
Instantly, a confused-looking woman emerged from within.
Floating midair, she gazed around bewilderedly before her eyes landed on sword-wielding Sora.
"Kyaa! A ghost!"
Immediately after screaming, she darted swiftly back into the corner of the rock wall.
Except…
Why is your butt still sticking out?
Indeed, the woman had plunged her upper half back into the wall, leaving only her smooth, rounded bottom helplessly exposed outside.
What's this? Stuck in the wall play?
No, wait—I'm currently a spiritual body, why am I even thinking about this?!
"Hold on—what on earth is wrong with you?!"
The gap between her and Ahri's mother's terrifying description was too extreme!
"I surrender, I surrender! I'm scared, please don't hit me!" the Upper God's panicked voice whimpered, and suddenly, a small white flag spontaneously appeared on her exposed backside, fluttering pitifully in the wind.
Not just Sora—now even Ahri stood completely dumbfounded.
This was an Upper God? More like the shame of all Upper Gods!
---
T/N: if theres errors... im sorry please let me know! OUGHHHH I HATE XIANZHOU STUFF