Chapter 1339: [Chaos]'s Final Oracle
When [Prosperity] died, jade-green branches bloomed across the void. When [Oblivion] died, the world-ending force contracted to a single point. So when [Chaos] died — what spectacle awaited?
No spectacle, as it turned out. The scene was far too abstract for that.
The surging power of [Chaos] spilled out in every direction — like a burst pressure vessel, it flooded every corner of the void. And the instant it did, every single thing that existed within this space was transformed into abstract symbols, shaking and scattering in disordered patterns across the void.
The [Memory] Collection Hall became a pure white circle. The three mortals dissolved into scattered points of light. Even [Death]'s Fishbone Hall was not spared — each small skull became a particle, colliding and separating, gathering and dissolving, each tracing irregular, lawless trajectory curves at different nodes.
Only a single great skull stood in the center of that void — the ghastly green flames in its eye sockets now replaced by the collapsing yellow fog, its bleached bone face painted in swirling colors.
Absurd and abstract. Ridiculous and distorted.
Fortunately, this didn't last long. In a short while, the gods who had heard the commotion arrived and dispersed [Chaos]'s lingering "resentment," restoring the void to stillness. They looked at [Death], then looked at the player standing inside the [Memory] Collection Hall — and immediately understood that [Chaos]'s self-destruction was probably, once again, connected to this clown.
How many gods had fallen now because of him?
Cheng Shi stood unmoved under the collective gaze of the gods. Li Wufang did not fare as well — he swallowed hard and quietly stepped back, ducking behind Cheng Shi, voice barely held steady as he clenched his jaw and asked:
But chief, it seems like it... did something to you..."
He hadn't finished speaking when Justice (Order) arrived.
A streak of starlight cut across the void — and the black void all around lost its color entirely.
Every mortal and divine being present was pulled once again by the Flowing Light Scales into a brilliant starry sky. Under the witness of the stars that upheld order, Justice (Order) turned its gaze upon Cheng Shi and issued a decree in the great resonant voice of [Order] that all the universe obeyed:
"I come in accordance with the Final Oracle, to deliver..."
It paused — a rare hesitation — but then spoke the truth of what it was.
"...to deliver the divine throne's Authority, which was bound to [Chaos], to be... inherited by... you."
The Flowing Light Scales poured all their radiance toward Cheng Shi — but at that moment, [Death]'s scythe swept through the light and severed it, its master planting itself directly between [Death] and Cheng Shi.
The great skull had returned to [Death]'s cold composure. It looked at Justice (Order), shaking its head with grave weight.
"Justice (Order)! You know. His identity. Once Fixed Destiny. Is tainted. By faith. This world. Will have. No more hope. Let alone. Order. I urge you. To think. Before you act."
The aura around the Flowing Light Scales became stern. The stars flashed ceaselessly. [Order]'s power began to spread, and Justice looked down at [Death], its resonance carrying through:
"The Convention cannot be defied. Neither can the Final Oracle. It is precisely because I know his identity that [Chaos]'s Authority must be inherited by him."
At that, the radiant light poured around [Death]'s scythe and converged toward Cheng Shi once more. The Final Oracle was now being executed — and within this starry sky, the Convention superseded everything. Even if [Death] resisted with all its might, it could not defy the Convention's rules. It could not refuse Justice (Order)'s judgment.
The great skull's expression sank to its darkest. Having learned everything about the false Curtain Call from Cheng Shi's own words, [Death] had no desire whatsoever to see the universe collapse like this — yet no one had anticipated [Chaos] regaining clarity at that moment, only to deliver the most lethal blow to this world at that exact same moment.
Where was [Deceit]? Where was [Time]? Where was the Fear Faction?
If they didn't resist now — was [Death] supposed to watch the universe lose its answer and fall to ruin?
No.
[Death] erupted in fury. Green flames intense enough to burn through the universe blazed from the scythe. Arriving at almost the same instant as the radiant light, [Death] severed it again — only to be mercilessly bound in place by the Convention in the following second, robbed of all divine power to resist.
The great skull struggled and raged — but could only watch as the light turned toward Cheng Shi for the third time.
And then the starry sky went silent.
Not the silence of gods looking at each other with nothing to say — pure, literal silence.
[Silence] had arrived. It had gone away but returned — descending now directly before Cheng Shi.
The instant the Leaking World Silent Puppet descended, even the stars themselves stopped flickering. The Scales constructed of flowing light were directly painted over in ink-black, pulled soundlessly into the surrounding darkness.
[Order]'s great resonance stopped abruptly. The Final Oracle seemed to have been interrupted...
Or had it?
No. Not at all.
The Convention superseded everything and could not be defied — this was the covenant the gods had signed in ages past. That covenant pooled all divine power in one place; though designed to protect divine authority, it also locked every god beneath the Convention's rules. The gods now functioned more like proxy agents for the Convention's divine authority. The moment their will came into conflict with the Convention — apologies: your divine power may no longer belong to you.
The Convention would not seize divine authority — but it could temporarily suppress a divine being.
Justice (Order) was inflexibly rigid as always. Using the power this starry sky granted, it reversed the polarity — silencing [Silence] itself — locking this normally still Leaking World Silent Puppet in absolute stillness in the void.
At the same time, the radiant light flowed around both divine beings and finally arrived before Cheng Shi's eyes.
Cheng Shi's expression was grave. Looking at the starry radiance about to pour into him, he pressed his lips together — as if steeling himself for a decision — and silently opened both arms.
It looked as though he had chosen to accept.
"No! Chief — run!"
Li Wufang panicked. He didn't know why Cheng Shi had opened his arms — but he knew that at this moment, his chief absolutely could not become [Chaos].
He didn't understand Fixed Destiny. But he understood friendship.
So in the instant the radiance surged in — Li Wufang shoved Cheng Shi aside, leapt forward, and threw himself directly into the path of that starry light. He wanted to absorb [Chaos]'s taint on behalf of his chief.
But if even two divine beings couldn't stop the Final Oracle, how could a mortal succeed?
The Investigator failed without question. The starry light curved at the last second, streaked past his face and plunged directly into Cheng Shi's body.
In that moment, watching Fixed Destiny cease to be Fixed Destiny, Li Wufang let out a cry of anguish and fury:
"No!!!"
But in the next instant, he went silent.
Because he saw Li Jingming smiling.
"?"
What was happening?
Was this [Memory] Chosen a traitor?
Why was he smiling? What was there to smile about? The world had lost its Fixed Destiny. The universe was about to collapse. What could possibly be funny?
Was he part of the World Destruction Faction — someone who'd been waiting for this day all along?
Li Wufang's voice caught in his throat. He wanted to ask Li Jingming: do you have a heart?
But the thought scattered almost immediately — because just a few breaths later, he saw a pair of eyes black as void descend into the starry sky, and those eyes carried a figure into this space.
He stared at that figure in disbelief. His mind went completely blank.
Wait —
Why did the chief only arrive now?
Li Wufang blinked. He looked back at the chief standing right before him — the one who had just received the light's baptism. And all he could ask himself was:
Wait. Do I have a brain?
What is happening?
Please tell me I haven't been contaminated by [Chaos].