Chapter 178: then translation of chapter title

Thunder rumbled, a red light flashed.

The Heavenly Dao sage, who just had everything under control, has now permanently lost a thought incarnation; the possessed Hongjun old man also suffered collateral damage, being split into a lump of black charcoal...

Not even a moment was spent mourning the passing of the Heavenly Dao's Hongjun; rushing to the battlefield were:

the Heavenly Dao. Living dad!

Smack!

Soon, ah, the opportunistic little bird, without hesitation, bowed to the Heavenly Dao and shouted:

"Mighty! Ten thousand victories!"

"Heavenly Dao above, just now it was the extraterritorial heavenly demon forcing and deceiving me; I knew nothing!"

"Loyalty! Sincerity!"

There cannot be two suns in heaven; in my heart there is only one sun!

the Heavenly Dao:...

Good, good, good, you are indeed much smarter than that idiot Jiaoming.

Facing the little bird's flattery, the Heavenly Dao didn't pay too much attention, but also didn't intend to pursue his accusation of colluding with foreign forces.

It had more important matters to attend to:

The Golden Crow True Fire hung high in the sky; the alien Heavenly Dao power attached to it surged wildly, and the purple qi drove the true fire, making it directly blaze brighter than the sun!

The wildly surging purple qi also seemed to represent just how furious that saint opposite was:

It was tricked!

Its true spirit, its true spirit, painstaking plans…… It had given so much, yet got nothing!

It decided to make that idiot pay the price!!

Boom……

The true fire, expanded like the sun, emitted waves of roaring flames; within the roar there were even faint crow cries.

At this moment, the might of the Golden Crow True Fire even surpassed that of the peak quasi-sage Di Jun; it was entirely saint-level!

Within this saint-level flame sun, rolling purple qi surged, and the figure of a purple-robed old Daoist gradually became clear; though his expression couldn't be seen, one could guess how furious he was.

It was crossing realms, descending with its true form!

The Heavenly Dao fully understood this alien saint's thoughts:

Head-on, clash head-on!

But was it afraid?

Not at all!

The sun and moon double pupils' divine light burst forth; the power of the five directions, under the command of the reborn giant god, all surged toward Mount Yujing:

First came the familiar power of the Southern Wasteland; being in the south, it corresponds to fire in the Five Elements, so its manifestation is a prairie-blazing fire!

Then came the power of the Eastern Wasteland; belonging to wood, it manifested as lush vegetation!

The power of the Western Wasteland; belonging to metal, it manifested as the sharp aura of weapons!

The Northern Wasteland is water; the Central Lands is earth.

The primordial powers of the Five Elements of heaven and earth each manifested, all blasting toward the not-yet-fully-descended alien saint; in an instant, it seemed as if heaven and earth were reopened!

This is a power far surpassing the Golden Luo, even far surpassing the quasi-sage; whoever wields it, even a peak quasi-sage, would perish on the spot.

The battlefield of those who have attained the Dao has never been one others can intervene in……

【While the Heavenly Dao resisted the alien saint's invasion with Pangu's might, you saw the situation turn bad, hurriedly hoisted the blackened Lao Jun and were about to flee the battlefield!】

【Just as you were about to move, you hesitated a moment, reached back and snatched the old tree's spirit root at the mountaintop, roots and all, then slipped away in a puff of smoke from Mount Yujing, even into the Eastern Wasteland……】

【Sliding knee, cutting, opening slip, the three basic skills standard for the protagonist, you mastered them in one go, self-taught.】

【All these signs indicate that, in fact, you are the true system protagonist, while Jiaoming is merely an accident……】

【All the way you slipped to your hometown's little volcano, you finally breathed a sigh of relief, first planting the Yujing old tree well, then planting it beside the tree where you were born.】

【After finishing planting the tree, you finally began to check Lao Jun's condition……】

【Hmm, not dead!】

【"Not dead is good……"】

【You sighed with relief, then laid him beneath the Yujing old tree, letting him recover on his own; after all, a Golden Luo Golden Immortal's vitality is tough enough, and besides, the Heavenly Dao's thunderfire mainly targets the possessing alien saint, so Lao Jun's injuries are not serious.】

【After he settles for a few yuanhui, he'll be able to jump around again……】

【Finally at ease, you couldn't help but lean against the tree where you were born, look up at the dilapidated bird's nest, feeling a strange, fantastical sensation like returning home after bankruptcy.】

【"Really strange and laughable."】

【You self-mockingly laughed: I've struggled all my life, spent over a dozen yuanhui, thinking I could break free from Jiaoming's fate and welcome my own perfect ending, but instead I've ended up like this……】

【First, I fell for the alien saint's scheme, used as a pawn in ignorance, and harshly felt society's treachery!】

【Then I went and created my own living dad for myself, and this living dad even fought Jiaoming in a resurrection match; the result was Jiaoming's defeat, the living dad invincible.】

【Now the living dad and the alien saint are truly clashing; although I don't know who will win, I reckon whoever wins won't be good for me……】

【"Why have I spent my whole life living amidst schemes and plots?"】

【You bitterly asked yourself: I'm not Jiaoming, yet because of him I've repeatedly been schemed against; does this protagonist identity really count as a trick of fate upon me?】

【Whoever takes on this protagonist role ends up unlucky; Jiaoming was unlucky to death, I too have suffered many silent losses, making me the center of scheming; if nothing unexpected happens, I'll soon be done for……】

【Just thinking about this unlucky life makes me want to laugh: Damn it, let's just restart!】

【Regardless of how powerful those two saints and the Heavenly Dao are, this world has always revolved around you; you are the protagonist, you are the foundation.】

【The world's reality is anchored by you; you indirectly hold the life and death of the primordial heavens and earth; as long as you die early, this world will have its reality erased by a transcendent existence!】

【Heavenly Dao? Saints? What the hell use are they!】

【In an instant, you understood.】

Damn it, what a failed life!

You secretly resolve that, if the tide turns against you later, you will end yourself, letting these two abstract treasures experience what it means to regret too late…

…

The battle between the Sage and the Heavenly Dao did not last long; ultimately, a mighty dragon finds it hard to suppress a local serpent. Given that the Heavenly Dao has already, in fact, seized control of the entire Primordial Wasteland, let alone whether the Sage can defeat it, the very idea of the Sage crossing over is unrealistic.

The Heavenly Dao directly exercised Pangu's authority, sealing off the Primordial Wasteland; under these circumstances, even if an otherworldly Sage had sky‑rocketing fury, they could only rage helplessly!

Since the true body cannot come over, the Sage's power cannot be fully deployed; at most it can send a trickle of strength, but that amount is no different from rootless duckweed—it can bully a half‑Sage with ease, yet against a complete Heavenly Dao overlord it is utterly useless.

The Sage sends forth Immortal Writings, and the Heavenly Dao kicks them to pieces!

The Sage sends a Spiritual Treasure, and the Heavenly Dao simply accepts it with a smile!

The Sage sends an Incarnation of Wrath, and the Heavenly Dao summons the power of the Five Directions of the Primordial Wasteland, wiping it out in a few blows…

After fighting for several days, seeing that no effective damage could be inflicted, the resentful Heavenly Dao Sage angrily cut the network cable and never came back…

The first great war since the birth of the Heavenly Dao overlord ended in its complete victory!

Seeing the overlord's great victory, you instantly felt a jolt and hurriedly shouted!

If anyone dares to invade, they will surely make it suffer a crushing defeat!

Heavenly Dao's Iron Wall keeps enemies beyond the Primordial Wasteland!

Mere Heavenly Dao Sage—watch me destroy you with a single strike!

Heavenly Dao: …

You little brat are truly a genius!

The ancient sun‑and‑moon dual pupils gazed interestedly at you as you shouted, and the rising sense of shock and dread made you personally feel what a mighty heavenly might is.

It began to ponder.

You began to feel uneasy…

"I want to talk with you."

It said.

Then a streak of crimson light sliced down the heavens, falling straight onto the Little Volcano, landing before you and transforming into a human silhouette…

The Heavenly Dao's incarnation descended into the world; you jumped in fright, about to bow respectfully, but then froze, for its appearance felt extremely familiar to you.

And that crimson‑robed figure, who looked exactly like you, watched you with interest; seeing you dazed, it chuckled: 'How? Quite surprised?'

This tone and attitude were completely unlike that previous simpleton; its change left you bewildered, even confused: 'Did the possession really fail…?'

"Let's chat about the perfect ending."

It said seriously.

…

Southern Wasteland, on the Little Volcano.

The shackles, already split into charcoal, lay motionless beneath the transplanted ancient Jade Capital Tree, entering a baby‑like sleep…

Heavenly Dao… or rather Jiao Ming, was leaning against another withered tree, seemingly reminiscing, seemingly curious:

In his memory, he was born in a bird's nest on this tree.

Meanwhile, the Third Little Bird beside him watched him warily, its heart churning wildly…

"How? Is it strange?"

It asked.

The little bird hesitated a moment, then nodded.

"Actually, there's no need to find it strange…"

It self‑mocked:

"That Sage's scheme, layer upon layer, is tampering with my foundation—I certainly cannot remain unaffected."

"Jiao Ming's True Spirit is an indispensable part of me; even with Pangu's power, I cannot change that…"

The little bird thought:

"So what are you now…"

"I am nobody; I am merely myself."

It sighed:

"You can understand me as half of Jiao Ming…"

The possession failed, but not completely; at least it is indeed very close to Jiao Ming!

The half‑understanding little bird pondered for a moment, then hesitantly asked that question:

"Do you want… to kill me?"

This question is crucial.

"Why would I want to kill you?"

It shook its head:

"I also have Jiao Ming's memories; I know you are the current protagonist, and if you die before succeeding, then I and this Primordial Wasteland heaven and earth will all face destruction."

"So you need not worry."

With its assurance, the little bird finally breathed a sigh of relief:

Even he suddenly realized… he had perfectly cleared the stage!

The biggest challenge in clearing the stage is actually how to preserve one's life; and with the Heavenly Dao's personal guarantee, it is tantamount to wearing a protective charm—whoever dares to harm you must first get past this barrier…

"But I have a small request."

Its smile made people a bit nervous.

"What request?"

I want you to help me give...... give a word to that transcendent being.

Their voice inexplicably carried some expectation and confusion:

They...... he has, in a roundabout way, obtained everything, only longing for a word of affirmation from that transcendent being:

Just like a child longs for parental affirmation.

They seem to be asking for themselves, and also seem to be asking for that already deceased previous-generation protagonist:

"I...... have I already gained freedom?"

……

(End of chapter)