Novel Full Chapter 3012: Duty
Chapter 3012: Duty
Nian Shi’s fingers tapped rhythmically against his silver throne as he observed the mirror’s shifting images. After a long silence, he turned to Tantai Lanling.
“Have you found any clues about the World Tree?”
Tantai Lanling shook her head. “Nothing concrete. But there’s something strange—all records of the World Tree have disappeared across multiple timelines. Not just hidden… but erased.”
Nian Shi’s eyebrow arched slightly.
Tantai Lanling continued, “I can’t think of anyone who could do this unless… it was the World Tree’s own will.”
A slow smirk spread across Nian Shi’s face. “There is one person who could pull this off under my nose.”
Tantai Lanling frowned. “Who?”
“Yun Wushuang.”
Tantai Lanling’s crimson eyes narrowed. “Yun Wushuang? I’ve fought her before. She shouldn’t be capable of this.”
Nian Shi chuckled. “That’s Yun Tianming’s little trick.”
He leaned forward, his silver eyes gleaming with amusement.
“The power of life isn’t just about creation—it’s about control. Control over life itself. Yun Tianming gave her an idea: create a vessel similar to the Profound Vein of All Creations, but weaker. Instead of refining stolen powers like Yun Lintian does, she can only borrow them temporarily. Once used, they’re gone.”
Tantai Lanling raised her brow slightly. “That explains why she’s been hunting Primordial Gods in secret.”
“Exactly.” Nian Shi twirled a strand of silver hair around his finger. “And there was one particular Primordial God she targeted—the God of Forgotten. The one who could erase records from existence itself.”
Tantai Lanling’s breath hitched. “So that’s how she hid the World Tree…”
Nian Shi nodded. “By consuming the God of Forgotten, she gained just enough power to wipe all traces of the World Tree from every timeline. Clever, isn’t it?”
His smirk faded slightly.
“Annoying, but clever.”
Tantai Lanling hesitated. “Should we—”
“No.” Nian Shi waved his hand dismissively. “Let her play her games. The World Tree’s disappearance actually helps us.”
“How?”
“Because now,” Nian Shi’s eyes gleamed, “Yun Lintian has no choice but to walk the path I’ve laid out for him. The more gods he devours, the closer he comes to becoming the perfect vessel.”
Tantai Lanling fell silent, her mind racing.
Nian Shi watched her for a moment before chuckling. “Don’t overthink it. Everything is proceeding as planned.”
He turned back to the mirror, where Yun Lintian had just appeared in a new timeline—one where the Primordial God of Storms reigned supreme.
“Let’s see how our little predator handles this one.”
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The Land of Beyond Heaven was serene beneath the twilight, the Tree of Life standing tall at its heart, its golden leaves shimmering with ancient power. Beneath its branches, Long Qingxuan, Long Xi, Long Niu, Linlin, Qingqing, and the others sat in deep meditation, their auras pulsing with quiet determination.
They knew the truth now.
They knew their deaths were inevitable.
But they would cultivate anyway—not to win, but to delay. To buy Yun Lintian even a fraction more time.
Far away, on the Misty Lake’s pavilion, Nantian Fengyu stood alone, her petite frame silhouetted against the tranquil waters. The Buddha Lotuses drifted lazily across the lake’s surface, their petals glowing faintly in the dim light.
Her fingers traced the phoenix sigil on her forehead, her mind heavy with the weight of her inherited memories.
“The Divine Phoenix’s true duty…”
A ripple disturbed the lake’s surface.
Gui Xuan’s small head emerged from the water, his dark eyes blinking slowly as he regarded her.
“Worried?” he asked, his voice unhurried, each word deliberate.
Nantian Fengyu glanced at him. “Did you know all of this from the beginning?”
Gui Xuan tilted his head, then shook it.
Then, after a pause, he nodded.
Nantian Fengyu frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Everyone… has to die,” Gui Xuan said simply.
To him, death was nothing. As the Black Turtle God, guardian of the Netherworld, mortality was merely a transition.
Nantian Fengyu fell silent.
Gui Xuan raised a small finger, pointing at her sigil. “Recover?”
She nodded.
Her memories had fully awakened. She knew now what she was meant to do.
Gui Xuan tilted his head again. “Then… why are you worried?”
Nantian Fengyu exhaled sharply. “Because I’m not like you. I’m not afraid of death—I’m afraid our deaths will be worthless.”
Gui Xuan stared at her for a long moment. Then, without another word, he submerged back into the lake, leaving only ripples behind.
At that moment, Zhang Yu approached, her steps light on the stone bridge.
She stopped beside Nantian Fengyu, gazing at the same Buddha Lotuses.
“Lady Fengyu,” she said softly, “I don’t know what kind of duty you’ve inherited, but I do know one thing.”
Nantian Fengyu glanced at her.
Zhang Yu smiled. “Yun Lintian won’t lose. And because of that, none of our sacrifices will be in vain.”
Nantian Fengyu’s grip tightened on the railing.
Would it really be enough?
Would their deaths truly matter in the end?
Zhang Yu watched as Gui Xuan swam happily in the lake, his small figure darting between the Buddha Lotuses with childlike joy. A faint smile touched her lips before she turned back to Nantian Fengyu.
“Lady Fengyu,” she said, her voice steady, “I was once nothing but a lowly Abyssal Octopus, a mere profound beast struggling to survive in the depths.”
Nantian Fengyu arched an eyebrow but remained silent, allowing her to continue.
Zhang Yu’s gaze grew distant. “Every day was a battle—avoiding predators, hunting for scraps, fearing that any moment could be my last. Power was everything. Without it, life was nothing.”
Her fingers curled slightly as she recalled those dark days.
“Then, by fate’s whim, I received a blessing from my master—the previous Black Turtle God.” She glanced at Gui Xuan, who was now floating on his back, staring at the sky. “He saw something in me. Potential, perhaps. Or maybe just stubbornness.”
A soft chuckle escaped her. “Under his guidance, I grew stronger. Evolved. But the more power I gained, the more I realized something terrifying—no matter how strong you become, there will always be someone stronger.”
Nantian Fengyu’s crimson eyes flickered.
Zhang Yu continued, “And with power comes responsibility. At first, I tried to do everything myself—guard my master, manage his territory, eliminate threats. I thought I could handle it all.”
She shook her head. “But my master once told me something I’ll never forget that even the Creator cannot shoulder everything alone. To try is arrogance.’”
Nantian Fengyu frowned. “What are you trying to say?”
Zhang Yu met her gaze squarely. “I don’t know what duty you carry now, Lady Fengyu. But I do know this—as long as you fulfill your role to the best of your ability, the outcome will be what it is meant to be.”
She gestured toward the distant Tree of Life, where the others cultivated. “We each have our part to play. Whether our sacrifices bear fruit… that is not for us to control.”
Nantian Fengyu fell silent.
The words settled heavily between them.