Chapter 532 525: Forsaking the Harmony, Reborn as Pure Nihility! Here It Comes!

"Do you wish to perish alongside Destruction?"

The instant this voice spoke, everyone was stunned!

That magnetic female tone, that utterly emotionless delivery, that icy indifference!

The woman's identity was immediately apparent!

—Madam Ruan Mei!

Right on cue, colors bloomed into the frame.

A scorching, blazing red.

That was…

Fire!

Surging, raging flames!

Like a raging furnace.

And bathed within the blaze was a dying Tingyun.

She was in utter disarray, battered and broken. Clearly, this was the tragic aftermath of a vicious assault!

Summoned by that voice, she forced her eyes open with the last shreds of her strength.

With a voice tinged with anguish and despair, she whispered, "Why… me…?"

"Could it be… I am already…"

In the livestream room, after a brief, stunned silence, the barrage of comments exploded!

…

"???"

"Zero-frame startup out of nowhere?!"

"How was I supposed to block that?!"

"Wait! Look at the title of this animated short—the tone doesn't match this at all!"

"Where's the promised leisurely, relaxed, and cheerful vibe?!"

"Waaaahhh…"

"TINGYUN NOOOOOOO!!!"

"My heart aches for baby Tingyun, waaaah!"

"Damn you, Phantylia, what did you do to our little fox?!"

…

Within Tingyun's half-open eyes, a spark of fire flared.

In the blaze of the light, memories surged forth!

A little white fox broke free from the inferno.

The art style transformed abruptly!

A refreshing summer night.

A sky dotted with stars.

A moonlit lotus pond.

The little fox leaped forward, seemingly trying to reach into the waters of the pond, but accidentally plunged headfirst into the mud.

It let out a series of flustered yelps.

Pulling its head free, it shook off the mud splatters. It sniffed a nearby lotus flower, then, enchanted by the fireflies dancing amidst the lotus leaves, hopped onto a drifting small boat.

A voice rang out like a narrator's whisper:

"Life is born from absolute nothingness."

"Yet, you still possess the right to choose."

…

"The art style flipped so fast!"

"Ruan! It's Ruan Mei's voice!"

"Thank you, Madam Ruan Mei, for saving our girl's life!"

"A naive little fox that hasn't even awakened its sapience yet."

"Those eyes and that eye makeup look so much like Tingyun!"

"Was our Tingyun beaten back into her original fox form?"

"Wah! So cute!"

"Devs, I need this little pet right now!!"

"The fox's cries sound just like the cat-cakes."

…

Soon, drifting aboard the little boat, the fox emerged from the depths of the lotus blossoms.

A dazzling tapestry of lights unfurled before it, rolling out like a magnificent painted scroll.

"Move forward."

"As long as you can remember…"

"Where you were truly meant to go."

As if guided by Ruan Mei's voice, the little fox gave a soft yip and opened its eyes.

Reflected in its gaze was an arched bridge ahead.

Upon the bridge stood the ethereal silhouette of a woman.

Holding a floating lantern, she wore a polite, gentle smile.

She spoke, "Welcome, welcome. This humble one goes by the name of Tingyun."

She lowered a flower lantern from the bridge into the water. Carried by the gentle current, it drifted toward the little fox.

The little fox extended a paw.

The moment it touched the lantern, a flood of memories rushed back!

Upon the boat, its form shifted and morphed into a flesh-and-blood Tingyun.

Dressed in a flowing, soft white robe trimmed with crimson ribbons, she looked simple yet breathtakingly elegant.

She raised the lantern in her hand. Beneath the soft glow, her delicate features appeared even more gentle and ethereal.

…

"!!!"

"Aaaaaah, she's stealing my soul away!"

"This outfit looks so good, can we please get this as an in-game skin?!"

"I'm begging you, Feathered Spirit, release this skin already, it's genuinely gorgeous!"

"DON'T MAKE ME GET DOWN ON MY KNEES AND BEG YOU!!!"

"Dressed in white, drifting on a boat… in ancient Xianzhou customs, that symbolizes the soul's journey home—the path taken by the deceased."

"Huh?"

"Oh no, this is her life flashing before her eyes!"

…

As the little boat glided onward, the lantern in her hand lit up one scene after another.

Wherever the lanterns glowed, her footprint could be found.

"They are our guests; how could this humble one fail to entertain them?"

In bustling market districts, she had once been smooth and tactful, adroitly negotiating and wheeling-and-dealing with major merchants.

"Oh my, doing business is all about harmony and goodwill~"

"No rush, no rush~ Let this humble one fan you a bit to cool your temper."

Moving further along, inside a jewelry parlor, Tingyun was grooming herself meticulously, holding ornaments up to the mirror one by one to see which looked best.

"The guild departs tomorrow; everyone, please have a good night of rest."

"The Whistling Flame got a big business deal this time."

Afterward, she slumped over the table, resting her chin on her hand, muttering sleepily, "Even if we have to leave Xianzhou for a long time, it will all be worth it…"

"Taking care of your tail is paramount before setting off."

Facing her vanity mirror, she combed through her fluffy tail with the utmost care.

…

"[ The Golden Age of Tingyun ]"

"We need more Tingyun!"

"Tingyun's clothes are regaining their colors as her memories return!"

"Back then, she had no idea this 'Big business' would become the ultimate turning point of her life."

"Nooooo, my heart!"

"You can tell from this that Tingyun really loves her home, but now… sigh, she can't go back."

"Her voice and smile remain so vivid."

…

Just as the viewers were lost in nostalgia, the melodious, gentle tune in the background abruptly ceased.

At that very moment!

A mocking, sinister voice rang out!

"Tingyun?"

"What a wonderful name~"

"Now, it belongs to this humble one."

Perched upon the railings of a riverside pavilion was an overwhelmingly oppressive figure!

She looked down arrogantly upon the Tingyun below.

Her eyes gleamed like golden amber, and golden threads unfurled ominously from behind her back.

"And you belong…"

"Over… THERE."

"A beautiful, spendind end…"

"Destruction."

Her voice resonated with an absolute, undeniable authority.

Golden immortal silk tightly bound Tingyun.

In an instant, the thousands of warm lights behind her withered into a bleak, desolate gray!

Collapsing against the edge of the little boat, she stared at her own reflection in the water—which had already turned bone-white.

…

"Oh, hell no!"

"!? Wait, no!"

"Holy crap! Phantylia!"

"So Phantylia only targeted Tingyun because she fancied her name?!"

"Piercing the clouds, she became a golden harbinger of death."

"Just you wait, Phantylia. I'm logging into the game right now to beat you to a pulp!"

"From now on, I am Tingyun~"

"Got it, this truly is the road to Acheron."

"What kind of time is it for jokes?! Wait… if it's Phantylia, maybe I wouldn't mind…"

…

A tiny Tingyun appeared, gazing in sheer wonder at the starskiffs cruising across the sky.

Then came Tingyun as a blooming young girl, smiling warmly at her reflection in the mirror.

Tingyun selling portraits of Jing Yuan…

Tingyun joining the merchant guild…

Scenes from different moments of her life flashed by in an instant.

All around her, the flames raged ever higher!

Until finally!

Her eyes snapped wide open!

Her pupils contracted sharply.

"No."

"I shall remain 'here'."

"Even if the agony continues to scorch me…"

"I shall still burn brightly within these searing flames!"

The fire wrapped around her transformed at that very instant into blooming red lotuses!

Behind her, five plush tails flared open, bursting into an even more ferocious conflagration!

"This humble one… has seen it all."

Opening her eyes, the lanterns behind her were reignited all at once by the blaze!

The little boat, once run aground, was propelled forward by phantom silhouettes of Tingyun across her past, finding its course anew!

With surging speed, it charged headlong into the waters ahead!

"The path ahead…"

"Is my voyage to claim!"

All those golden phantom silhouettes from her past seamlessly wove themselves into her brand-new tails!

…

"Reborn through the fire!"

"A moth to the flame, defying death to be reborn!!"

"Tingyun: My children, I have returned~"

"Aaaaaah, THIS IS SO PEAK!!!"

"Why me? Should it be me? It shouldn't be me; it ought not to be me. I can only ever be—I must always be—myself."

"She is reborn from the ashes."

"I'm so fired up!"

"Tingyun: I have been reborn. In this life, I vow to reclaim everything that belongs to me!"

"Tingyun, your resolute choice will carry you further than ever before."

"When head winds strike, I can now harness winds from all eight directions to speed my vessel forward!"

"I shall cast aside Harmony and be reborn through Nihility! Bring me my fan!"

"Though a thousand sails have passed, I remain who I am!"