Rebirth

There was no time to hesitate. Liuxing can't be brought back to life like this, and everyone else is nearly gone. The stream of events was decisive, and as a warrior, decisiveness was the most fundamental principle.

If the owner of the voice harbored malicious intentions, she was prepared to transform, ignite the sea of stars, and perish along with the adversary.

Although the difference between worlds had stripped her of the power of fate, she could still transform by burning her own life force. The energy unleashed from such a sacrifice would rival the power provided by fate itself.

As the voice fell silent, a turquoise light began to coalesce in front of them. Out of the light emerged a goddess who radiated a gentle warmth, exuding the essence of life itself. Her presence was as soft as water, and her smile carried a soothing serenity.

"Hello, I am the Goddess of Life," she said softly.

Firefly and Liuxing exchanged glances. Sharing memories allowed them to instantly understand each other's thoughts. They both knew that deities associated with life—except in dark, malevolent worlds—were generally benevolent and friendly toward living beings. The goddess before them appeared to embody that kindness, which eased their vigilance.

Their current state left them no choice but to rely on her goodwill. Liuxing, an ordinary human who had lost his body and was on the verge of soul dispersion, and Firefly, a mecha girl forced to fight for survival in the chaos of time, was at her limits. Trusting the goddess seemed to be their only viable option.

The Goddess of Life smiled again and said, "The solution is simple. You will accept my divinity, inherit my godhood, and become the new Goddess of Life. In doing so, you will share your life force with him and help him reconstruct his body. As his anchor in this world, the world itself will gradually accept him."

Firefly was stunned. She had prepared herself for extreme measures, even sacrificing half of her own life force. Yet she hadn't expected this—the opportunity to inherit the goddess's divine position and become the new Goddess of Life. It was an extraordinary offer!

Liuxing's expression mirrored her astonishment. The concept of inheriting a godhood felt surreal, almost like a plot from a story he had encountered before.

"Why me?" Firefly asked, her voice laced with doubt.

The Goddess of Life smiled gently. "Because I have searched for many years, and you are the only one worthy of inheriting this throne. You have comprehended the true essence of life. The role of the Goddess of Life belongs to no one but you."

Firefly frowned, her confusion deepening. "But if you give me godhood, what will happen to you? A divine position must be incredibly important. Are you sure it's alright to just pass it on like this?"

"It's important, yes, but for me, it's no longer essential. By letting go of it, I can finally pursue the true meaning of my life."

The Goddess of Life spoke with a serene smile as her gaze lingered on the fluttering fireflies. For them, the essence of life was survival. For her, the essence of her life was to create—specifically, to give birth to a child that would belong to both her and the God of Destruction.

Resolving the conflict between destruction and life had always been a distant dream, but the young girl before her, Firefly, represented a rare opportunity. Passing on her divine position to Firefly was merely the first step. Both she and the God of Destruction would have to relinquish their godhoods if they ever hoped to reconcile their opposing forces and conceive an heir.

As for whether her husband, the God of Destruction, would willingly surrender his divine position, the Goddess of Life wasn't concerned. She knew him well. He had always carried the burden of guilt for not being able to give her a child. This chance to fulfill their shared dream was something he would not refuse. Entrusting the responsibility of protecting and expanding the Divine Realm to successors was a natural course of action.

At their level of existence, surrendering a godhood would only result in a temporary decline in strength. With time, they could regain their former peaks, unbound by their previous roles.

And finding a successor for the God of Destruction? The Goddess of Life already had an idea. Recalling Tang San, who held the dual god positions of the Sea God and the God of Shura, she felt a plan taking shape in her mind.

Smiling softly, she extended her hand, and a turquoise seed materialized—a manifestation of her life divinity.

"So," she said gently, "are you truly willing to accept my inheritance?"

Without hesitation, Firefly responded, "I do."

There was no doubt in her mind. Not only was this the only way to save Liuxing, but accepting the divine position was undeniably a blessing. She hadn't forgotten her condition—her "loss of entropy."

The Goddess of Life, at first glance, was clearly a deity associated with healing, purification, and vitality. Perhaps her divine power could even cure Firefly's condition. It was a blessing from the heavens—an opportunity that solved multiple problems at once.

The turquoise seed in the goddess's palm began to float, its glow intensifying as it drifted toward Firefly. A soft, life-imbued aura enveloped her, making her entire body tremble slightly as the energy seeped into her being.

Immediately, Firefly felt an incomparably vast surge of life energy flooding into her body. It was overwhelming yet harmonious, as if she were becoming one with the essence of life itself. At the same time, she sensed a distant presence calling out to her from another space—beckoning her to take her rightful place.

She instinctively understood that this was the domain of the Goddess of Life, calling for her to ascend and claim her throne.

As the breath of life within her sublimated, her awareness expanded to an unimaginable scale. She could perceive the distant high-dimensional realms, teeming with vibrant life. She could sense the life force of countless beings, even detecting planets brimming with vitality across vast distances.

This incredible power was not hers alone—it was the power of the Goddess of Life, transferred to her, intertwined with her very essence.

The turquoise light in the goddess's hand pulsed with purpose, flowing toward Liuxing and enveloping him entirely. The light transformed into a cocoon of vibrant green energy, pulsating with the rhythm of life itself. Inside, Liuxing felt a comforting warmth unlike anything he had ever experienced. It reminded him of being held in his mother's arms as a child, a sensation so soothing that he surrendered to it, drifting into a serene dream.

As time passed, the cocoon radiated a rippling green glow, brimming with the energy of creation. Within it, new life was forming—a miracle born of divine power. Firefly watched, a radiant smile spreading across her face. She could sense a familiar, cherished presence within the cocoon: Liuxing's life force, now interwoven with her own.

This was the Life Sharing Ritual, an unparalleled act of unity. Firefly had given Liuxing everything she had—her blood, her divine essence, her soul. From this moment forward, their lives were bound as one. Their fates were interlinked; their prosperity and survival depended on each other.

It was a ritual the Goddess of Life had never performed before. In her long existence, no one had ever inspired her to give so completely. Perhaps the God of Destruction could have, but he had never required such a sacrifice.

The goddess was generous in her gift. The immense divine energy expended during the ritual and the power used to recreate Liuxing's body came entirely from her. She had spared no effort in ensuring Firefly's success as her heir and Liuxing's rebirth.

Inside the cocoon, Liuxing's transformation accelerated under the influence of divine energy. His growth defied all reason, advancing rapidly from a newborn to a toddler, then to a child of three or four years old.

When Liuxing finally reached the same apparent age as Firefly, his eyes opened. They gleamed with the same enchanting hues of blue and pink as hers, and his silver hair shimmered with divine luster.

With newfound strength, he reached out and tore through the green cocoon, stepping into the world reborn.