Chapter 181: Achieving Sainthood, Simulation Completed!

Dao friend……

Clearly this is the first time someone has called me this, yet it feels as if I've been called this for many years; a strange feeling arose in the Heavenly Dao's heart.

There is naturally some resistance, stemming from a sense of identity; ultimately, He is still that lofty reborn Pangu, not some do-gooder.

But…… the other half of His personality and feelings didn't think so; adding that this trip was meant to apologize, after some thought, He agreed:

「Dao friend。」

Never mind, let Jiao Ming revive for a while…

In Zixiao Palace, the atmosphere was excellent for a moment.

One purple, one red, exchanging cups, just like the leisurely days of old on Mount Yujing.

He did not bluntly say He was not Jiao Ming; instead, as much as possible following that half of His personality, He acted and reacted in a manner befitting His identity:

Chatting and laughing, discussing ancient and modern, responding appropriately to Hongjun's words, He seemed truly to be him.

Although Hongjun clearly knew all this and also knew the visitor's intention, He tacitly did not expose it, merely treating the guest as an old friend:

Even if it were false, He would willingly believe it were true; even if it were a role‑playing game both sides tacitly understood, He would gladly go along with it.

Because…… this was already the best outcome.

The one who almost seized His body not only bore no grudge, but was willing to use role‑play to let Him live a dream for a moment—what more could He say?

Carry on, lost in it, just treat it as a beautiful dream.

Even if only a moment, that's fine.

……

That very day, the Heavenly Emperor diligently working in the Heavenly Court on Mount Buzhou unexpectedly met his long‑unseen adoptive father, who was accompanied by his already‑sainted master.

The adoptive father gave Him encouragement, which moved the Heavenly Emperor greatly, for since the adoptive father married the clan chief, he rarely left the southern volcano, let alone made a special trip to the Heavenly Court to visit Him.

Thus the Heavenly Emperor was pleased and held a small family banquet; the three siblings, together with the adoptive father and master, gathered in one hall, evoking the warm atmosphere of the old days on Mount Yujing.

Originally Di Jun also wanted to invite Zu Feng, but the adoptive father declined, saying she was in secluded cultivation and it was better not to disturb her.

Di Jun had some doubts, but didn't dwell on them, merely continuing to feast and chat with the adoptive father.

After the banquet ended, under the see‑off of the three juniors, the two remaining primordial ancestors from the primordial wilderness left Mount Buzhou……

「Do you still want to go see her? 」

Hesitating, Hongjun asked.

Heavenly Dao…… Jiao Ming also hesitated a moment; from the bottom of His heart, He naturally wanted to meet all familiar faces at once, especially His wife.

But, He still shook His head:

「She has another me always accompanying her; there's no need to disturb her……」

「That's fine. 」

Hongjun sighed, continuing to cherish this hard‑won brief encounter as much as possible……

……

Great Southern Volcano.

Today, Jiao Ming inexplicably seemed a bit dazed, as if thinking about something.

「What's wrong? You're acting weird today. 」

Zu Feng leaned on his shoulder and asked curiously.

「Oh, nothing……」

Jiao Ming, as if waking from a dream, laughed while embracing his wife in his arms:

「Just had a strange dream. 」

「What kind of dream? 」

「Um…… a dream about me dying and coming back to life. 」

「That really is strange! 」

Zu Feng rolled his eyes:

「Don't talk about dying or not dying—if you die, what am I to do? That old fogey Hongjun has always looked down on me; now that he's become a saint, he's even more nose‑in‑the‑air, wearing a perpetual scowl, and I don't know who he's putting on that face for! 」

「This…… I think…… he probably didn't mean it that way……」

Jiao Ming gave an embarrassed laugh, then changed the subject:

「What about Xiao Xuan? I haven't seen him these days. 」

「He? Probably off playing with that Huang Long brat again; I really don't know how we two could have produced such a lawless kid. 」

「Last time he ran to the Xihuang Wanshou Mountain to steal someone's spiritual fruit, was caught by that Daoist, and scared with a whip‑and‑oil‑pot routine…… yet that didn't faze him either—I think we really need to crack down on him! 」

Zu Feng's indignant tone made Jiao Ming deeply agree:

「Right! And Huang Long too—those two both need strict discipline! 」

……

On Mount Yujing, beneath the old tree.

The purple and the red, returning from their outing, sat opposite each other in silence.

Hongjun gazed at this dao friend unchanged from the past, and after a long while spoke softly:

「I so wish you were really him……」

The Heavenly Dao's feelings were complex, and finally He sighed:

「But I cannot be him; I will only be myself. 」

「I know……」

Hongjun's eyes eased as he said:

「Still, thank you for being willing to play this role with me……」

Just consider it repayment.

It smiled:

From now on, I am no longer Jiaoming, and I will never come to this world again. As an exchange, you must not cross into my realm from now on.

All karma, it's time to end……

Listening, Hongjun wanted to speak but stopped.

Actually, It felt that the two sides could occasionally visit each other; exchanging feelings is also good.

But then, was It befriending Jiaoming, or treating a new friend as a replacement for Jiaoming?

After much thought, Hongjun finally gave up this wishful, meaningless idea, and sighed:

Good.

Let all memories finally meet a true ending.

……

【The cross-boundary incarnation of the Heavenly Dao has returned to your Primordial Chaos.】

【Having resolved the issue of the foreign world's sage, It can be considered to have completely cleared karma, from now on with no further thoughts……】

【Not long after, It found you, living in seclusion in a small town.】

【"I want to know, does the present Primordial Chaos count as a perfect ending?"】

【That Heavenly Dao incarnation, which looks exactly like you, asks you very seriously.】

【You then quietly finish writing the last stroke, properly concluding this newly created legendary story, and only then calmly face It.】

【"I don't know."】

【Your answer is simple, because in fact you also don't understand: if the standard for a perfect ending is merely whether you can survive safely, then that standard has long been met.】

【But after so many epochs and periods, you still haven't received a notice of the game's end, which is undoubtedly confusing.】

【"You don't know either……"】

【It frowned, thought carefully, and finally concluded: "Could it be that only by becoming a Sage can it be considered a perfect completion?"】

【You stared, but dared not speak, for this Heavenly Dao is not foolish; It would never allow a Sage to appear in the Primordial Chaos, since a Sage is by nature a challenge to Its authority!】

【For example, Hongjun, who was originally the sage patriarch of the plot, in this world only managed to achieve the position of a Quasi-Sage at best.】

【As for the other six sages, forget about it—they could never become Sages; even attaining Quasi-Sage status depends on Its mood!】

【Since becoming a Sage is a taboo topic, you had no choice but to play deaf and dumb: this matter can only be brought up by It; if others mention it, they might suffer repercussions……】

【"That must be the reason!"】

【After thinking, It firmly believed the guess, hesitated slightly, and solemnly said to you: "I will help you become a Sage, the sole Sage of the Primordial Chaos, but you must not disturb the order of heaven and earth—will you agree?"】

【It agreed!】

【And you, naturally, had no objections……】

【Taking out Hongjun's "Slaying the Three Corpses" method, with the Heavenly Dao's personal guidance, plus your own lifetime-honed mindset and insight, your path of cultivation proceeds smoothly!】

【One portion of True Spirit severed, transformed into a Good Corpse.】

【Another portion of True Spirit severed, transformed into an Evil Corpse.】

【Finally, another portion of True Spirit severed, transformed into an Obsession Corpse.】

【Each time you sever a corpse, the Heavenly Dao incorporates it into the primal True Spirit source of heaven and earth, helping you refine a region of the Primordial Chaos.】

【Once the three corpses are completely severed, the Heavenly Dao directly aids you in refining the entire Primordial Chaos!】

【In the Demonic Calendar, twelve epochs, six periods, four cycles, you have attained Quasi-Sage!】

【Next epoch, you have attained the peak of Quasi-Sage!】

【Another epoch, having severed the three corpses and refined the Primordial Chaos, you have finally attained Sagehood!】

【Heavenly flowers rain down, golden lotuses surge from the earth, purple aura arrives from the east for thirty thousand li!】

【The grand phenomenon shocked all beings of heaven and earth; most people had no idea what happened, only Hongjun and a few others understood in their hearts, and then felt an inexplicable sorrow: the first Sage of the Primordial Chaos has been born……】

【At the moment you refined heaven and earth, your will seemed to extend infinitely: from the four wilds to the four seas, from the central lands to the heavenly firmament, the ancient star sea, the celestial stars!】

【You perceived every breath and movement of all beings, and also sensed the silent vastness of heaven and earth's operation…… You became intoxicated by this wonderful feeling.】

【You seemed to have become heaven and earth itself, a reborn giant god who opened the heavens!】

【Your origin underwent an ultimate evolution, gradually condensing into a semi-virtual, semi-real crystalline existence: it is indestructible through myriad kalpas, it endures forever, its divine powers are boundless, it creates something from nothing……】

【It is called: the Sage's Dao Fruit!】

【Once the Dao Fruit was formed, your eyes opened, and your entire aura became ethereal.】

【In the Demonic Calendar, fourteen epochs, eight periods, twenty cycles, you finally broke free from Jiaoming's three-world shackles and attained the position of Sage!】

【At the moment of attaining Sagehood, many memories surfaced before your eyes: Jiaoming's suicide amidst the phoenix clan's slaughter…… Jiaoming pierced through the chest by Luo Hou's spear…… Jiaoming's betrayal of the system, until the Dao vanished and the body perished……】

【There was also the No. 2 little bird, which, furious, headed toward destruction.】

【There was you…… attaining the Dao and becoming a Sage!】

【The destiny of the system's third-generation protagonist finally ended in your hands; you bore everything, achieving an illusory and ethereal perfect ending!】

【No innocent ones were forced toward that necessary sacrifice, and no free birds were caged and chained until they twisted into the doomed tragic contradictory bird.】

【You nipped all tragedies in the bud, even those of the distant future.】

【With the transformation of the Heavenly Dao, greater demons no longer exist, and thus the Wu-Yao war will never occur again.】

【Hongjun cannot attain the Dao, so the six sages of the Xuanmen cannot even be discussed, let alone Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West.】

【The eternal age of prosperity has arrived, emerging from an impossible fantasy and stepping into reality……】

【……】

【Ding! The correct choice brought about the correct ending; your various actions not only allowed you to survive your original fate, but also fulfilled Jiaoming's last wish, avoided the predetermined death of living beings, and made everything perfect……】

【The Primordial Chaos world line, from the very start, set foot on a brand-new path; everything and everything, all and all, are utterly different from before!】

【Ding! Relevant information has been collected sufficiently, this round of simulation has ended, progress has been saved, players can check it at any time…】

【Ding! Currently evaluating this simulation…】

【Ding! In this round of simulation, you have fully completed all information collection and plot changes, therefore rated as: 'Perfect'!】

【Currently selecting the corresponding reward for you…】

【Ding! Detected that you have for the first time broken through the Saint Realm in the simulation, glimpsing the secret of Pangu; the system will undergo an update, estimated to last twenty-four hours, during which you may freely act…】

……

(End of chapter)