Ximen Juesheng rose into the air above the forming egg, his imperial robes flowing like banners.

In his hands, he carried a radiant golden sphere.

It was neither spear nor robe.

It was the Human Destiny Weapon in its purest state – formless, and embodiment of collective human providence.

Jiyx’s triangular head tilted slightly.

This had not been part of their agreement.

The Prime Architect had anticipated additional materials, perhaps even a conceptual anchor, but not this.

Yet what Ximen Juesheng did next stunned him.

And not only him.

Even the legendary beings gathered within the Tree and the enemies beyond it, felt something shift.

The Third Human Emperor descended slowly until he hovered before the golden sphere.

Then, without hesitation, he lowered himself to one knee.

His posture was not ceremonial.

It was sincere.

His expression, usually proud and calculating, changed into that of highest form of respect.

His voice echoed across the chamber and through the layers of sealed space beyond it.

"To the Primordial Ancestor, the Central Lord of Earth who tore from Chaos our mortal way.

"You who carved the Path of Enlightenment and paved the Road to Heaven with human resolve.

"I, the Third Human Emperor Ximen Juesheng, stand as a mere branch upon your ancient tree and reach through my destiny, to request The Supreme Thearch Yellow Emperor, for his Primal Blessing!"

The words did not explode with power.

They settled.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

The grand formation continued to hum.

The Zodiac essence continued to circulate.

The golden liquid within the egg continued to churn.

But everyone had heard him.

Some were shocked.

Others openly disbelieving.

Why would he dare invoke an Absolute in this sealed domain?

The Land of Mortality was a prison crafted by supreme beings.

Entry was permitted. Exit was not.

Calling upon an Absolute here was not merely reckless, the consequences were something far worse.

Yet Changhe Daojun, Lord of the Eternal River, reacted differently.

His emerald eyes sharpened as they pierced through layers of restriction and sealing, observing the ritual.

His breath stilled.

’Don’t tell me that sphere is also—’

The thought did not finish.

Because at that exact instant—

Time paused.

Not slowed.

Not distorted.

Paused.

Every being present froze mid-thought.

Even the Prime Architect’s hands paused.

This was recognition.

The golden sphere in front of Ximen Juesheng trembled gently, as though responding to a distant heartbeat.

It wriggled.

Then its smooth surface rippled, softening like molten metal.

Before the stunned eyes of the Architect, the Human Destiny Weapon changed.

It did not transform into a spear.

Nor into a blade.

Instead.

It unfolded into a silhouette.

A faint, radiant figure.

A will.

A presence.

A shadow cast by something far older than the Third Human Emperor.

And for the briefest fraction of a moment, everything was under its control.

***

The lingering will of the Supreme Thearch Yellow Emperor, manifested.

He did not blaze.

He simply was present here.

And in that presence, everything else felt secondary.

His gaze swept across the chamber.

He observed what was visible and what was hidden from normal eyes.

He observed what even the observers themselves did not realize they carried.

Nothing escaped him.

’So I am the seventh...’ he mused inwardly.

’This is the first time that any Human has reached this arrangement.’

There was neither pride nor regret in the thought.

Only acknowledgement.

His attention shifted.

Toward the Jade Emperor far away, who stood seemingly frozen in stillness.

Or rather.

Toward the presence watching through the Jade Emperor.

A faint amusement flickered within the Yellow Emperor’s will.

’Hehe... he will feel quite at a loss.’

There were other beings present, of course.

But in this fleeting moment, none of them mattered.

Time was limited.

He had not come to converse.

He had come to calculate.

His gaze fell upon Yu Xuan.

And in that instant, probabilities unfolded in front of him.

’Seven percent... is it?’

That was the number.

The chance that this challenger would clear the Land of Mortality.

Seven percent.

The Yellow Emperor laughed softly within himself.

’I am the seventh... and he holds seven percent.’

An obvious irony.

A subtle mockery by fate.

Yet seven percent was not small.

After reviewing the history of this cursed place, he knew the truth.

The highest probability any challenger had ever held was three percent.

And even with his blessing, the number will not rise.

Because this realm carried a cruel concept.

Fixed Causality.

A law where outcomes were already decided.

Yet...

His gaze sharpened.

There was something else within this child.

A foreign [Origin]

A radiant brilliance that did not belong here.

It shimmered like a light from beyond.

’Now this... is interesting.’

The Yellow Emperor extended his hand.

His blessing flowed as it entered the forming egg.

The weapon shuddered.

Its solemnity deepened.

Then the Yellow Emperor’s attention shifted once more, now to Changhe Daojun the disciple of the one who created this arrangement.

Though he knew that information was protected here, he did not want to take any chances.

And, he was not foolish enough to leave traces until success was guaranteed.

With a gentle wave of his hand, memories of everyone vanished across the entire realm.

All traces of his manifestation were erased.

Only two beings retained the memory.

Ximen Juesheng.

And Yu Xuan.

No one else would know.

Not unless the sealed land was broken.

Not unless that being was slain.

Not even the True him would know, until they win here.

Then his form began to fade slowly.

"Now," his voice echoed faintly to Ximen Juesheng.

"I leave the rest to you."

His will collapsed back into the golden sphere.

The time resumed.

Breaths continued.

Conversations restarted mid sentence.

No one realized anything had happened.

Ximen Juesheng was no longer present here as if the he was an illusion.

The formation roared back to life.

The Prime Architect’s hands resumed their impossible work.

The egg pulsed.

The weapon continued to be refined.

As though nothing had ever interrupted it.

[Read Creator’s Thoughts]