Chapter 646: The First Island

"Yu Lin."

Voices rose from all directions at once, countless voices overlapping, high and low, men, women, old and young, all merging into one meaning.

"Since you have already come, we will formally commence the divine assembly."

The ground beneath Yu Lin began to rise.

The plain grew upward, bearing him aloft.

He passed the floating lights on either side, each orb of light a god.

The lights flickered faintly as he passed.

Yu Lin did not look at them; he stood atop the rising stone pillar, ascending until he was level with the orb, then the pillar halted.

The formation was in place.

"Then," the voice of Heavenly Central sounded again:

"Who is willing to descend, solidify the earth, and create the land? And the gods upon the ground?"

The lights began to flash.

Some brightened quickly, some slowly, some flickered intermittently.

"I'll go."

"I will go too."

"I am more suitable to go."

"You can't, so I'll go."

"I.................."

Voices rose and fell.

Finally, two orbs of light fell side by side before the gods, finally turning into human shapes.

The light on the left was male, the one on the right was female.

They spoke simultaneously: "Great God, we Izanagi and Izanami, brother and sister, are willing to go."

Heavenly Central did not answer immediately.

The ever‑shifting figure turned to Yu Lin: "Yu Lin, what do you think?"

Yu Lin stood atop the pillar, lowering his head to gaze at the two orbs of light:

"I think it's fine."

He had no intention of altering the outcome, and was too lazy to do so.

Isn't this just asking for trouble?

Heavenly Central turned to the two orbs of light:

"I grant you this Heaven Swamp Spear, to reinforce the drifting world below."

The words fell.

The void split open with a fissure.

Light surged from the crack, and a long spear slowly emerged from the glow.

The spear shaft was jet‑black and gleaming, its tip silvery‑white and dazzling, the shaft wrapped in a spiral of golden pattern extending from tip to tail.

The entire spear exuded an aura one dared not stare at, as ancient as, if not older than, the gods and the world!

It fell from the sky into Izanagi's hand.

The moment Izanagi caught the spear shaft, his light flickered violently. Then he gripped it tightly.

"Go forth."

"Yes!" Izanagi and Izanami replied in unison.

They turned and walked toward the edge of Gaotianyuan.

"Wait a moment."

After a few steps, Izanagi halted, glanced back.

Yu Lin descended from the pillar, each step landing in the void.

"I will go with you."

Izanagi and Izanami simultaneously bowed and said:

"Thank you, Great God Yu Lin!"

Yu Lin waved his hand: "No need, I've already taken the item."

They walked down from the edge of Gaotianyuan.

Below their feet lay the void of Chaos, above their heads the white light of Gaotianyuan.

The deeper they went, the denser the Chaos became.

The air held no wind, no sound, only a crushing heaviness pressing in from all sides.

Izanagi led, the Heaven Swamp Spear in hand. Izanami followed him, and Yu Lin was at the rear.

Finally, they stood at the edge of the Chaos Sea.

They gazed at the flowing, translucent, shapeless ocean below.

"Drop!" Izanagi clenched the Heaven Swamp Spear, its tip pointing down, piercing the Chaos Sea!

The instant the tip entered, a ripple spread across the surface, expanding far, far away until its end could not be seen.

Izanagi began to stir, the spear tip drawing circles beneath the surface!

One circle, another, and another.

At first it was easy; the tip spun rapidly, the surface rotating with his stirring, turning a small vortex into a larger one, then into a massive vortex that blocked the sky.

Later he grew weary, and his motions slowed.

Izanami saw this, immediately placed both hands on his shoulder and lent him her strength.

Light instantly manifested on the two deities.

The two glows of light and shadow intertwined, like two lamps lighting each other.

The vortex grew larger and deeper, and its edges began to solidify.

The Chaos that had flowed for countless billions of years halted at the vortex's edge!

They ceased flowing and changing, becoming something harder.

The land's first strand of bone is the earth's prototype!

But the deeper they stir, the more effort it takes.

Izanagi's arm began to tremble, and the spear tip's rotation beneath the sea slowed, each circle feeling like dragging an entire mountain.

His light and shadow flickered violently, like a spark in a gale!

Izanami's light and shadow also dimmed; the hand she pressed on Izanagi's shoulder trembled, her knuckles nearly falling apart.

"Brother, I'm running out of strength," Izanami's voice was soft and weary.

"Hold on a little longer," Izanagi gritted his teeth, and the spear tip turned another half circle.

"Really can't go on…" Izanami's light and shadow dimmed further, her hands slipped off Izanagi's shoulder, and she swayed as if about to collapse.

The spear tip stopped beneath the sea and could not turn any more.

The Chaos Sea surged again, the previously solidified edges cracked, and seawater seeped through, re‑softening the newly formed land!

Izanagi desperately tried to turn the spear tip another inch, but could not.

His light and shadow were nearly extinguished; Izanami's light and shadow had dimmed so much her outline was invisible!

"Brother, what should we do?" Izanami's voice trembled with sobs.

Izanagi was silent for a moment.

He lowered his head, watching his hand gripping the spear shaft tremble, the light and shadow fading point by point from his fingertips.

"All or nothing," his voice was calm. "I will burn my own source."

"This must be accomplished!"

"No!" Izanami screamed, "You'll die!"

"This world needs land," Izanagi said without turning around:

"It needs something solid, a place to stand; if I and this spear can obtain all this, it's worth it."

"Then I won't retreat either; we'll burn together."

"You—"

"Fine, isn't there still me?"

A hand reached out and grasped the spear shaft.

Yu Lin stood behind Izanagi, his hand placed atop his.

His palm was warm and steady, like a mountain pressing down.

"Don't stop."

The next moment, Yu Lin grasped the spear shaft and began to turn it.

The spear tip spun again, fast as a gust of wind, fast as a bolt of lightning, fast as the speed at which the First Ray of Light pierced the darkness when this world was born!

As for the arduous force of Izanagi and Izanami.

In Yu Lin's hand, it seemed as if there was nothing at all!

"Is this Yu Lin the Great God?"

Izanagi was shocked beyond measure, but instantly stopped overthinking and resumed stirring!

The vortex beneath the sea expanded again, the material rising from the abyss's bottom was churned by the spear tip, accumulating, compressing, and solidifying at the vortex's edge.

The softened land hardened again, the cracked fissures healed, the loose silt was compacted into rock, into mountains, into foundations.

Until the end.

"All right," Yu Lin stopped.

He lifted the Heaven Swamp Spear, and the spear tip rose from beneath the sea.

A drop of salt water clung to the spear tip, heavy and bright, like a flattened dewdrop.

It did not fall but remained on the tip, growing larger, brighter, heavier.

The whole world watched that drop of salt water.

Izanagi looked up, Izanami looked up, and even the Chaos Sea fell silent, no longer surging or flowing, as if awaiting something.

"Brother, look…" Izanami whispered.

"I see."

The drop of salt water fell.

It landed on the sea surface, neither splashing nor scattering, staying steadily there.

Then it began to enlarge, from nail‑tip size to palm‑size, from palm‑size to basin‑size, from basin‑size to house‑size, from house‑size to hill‑size.

It grew taller, wider, thicker, rising from the sea, arching its back, stretching its limbs.

A ridge formed, a valley formed, a plain formed, and the coastline snaked outward into the distance.

The first island was born!

Sea water receded from the island's edge, slowly, as if reluctant to leave.

Black reef rocks were exposed beneath, still bearing Water Droplets that glittered in the Chaos light.

Then the first grass sprouted on the reef.

Tender green, tiny and slender, two leaves, gently trembling in the wind.