The moment Fanxing and Yaxiu condensed their Supreme Tail Feathers, they both knew their feathers were incomplete.
They had split the Supreme Holy Grail equally, and the Prime Angel's authority had naturally been cleaved in two. Yet half of that authority alone was enough for each of them to condense a Supreme Tail Feather, for manifesting one merely required possessing more than a certain quantity of seven-wing feathers.
Sorcerers like Vichy and the other Divine Lords also had the potential to condense a Seventh Imaginary Wing.
However, while the Supreme Tail Feather had a lower threshold, it possessed no upper limit.
Unlike imaginary wings such as Silver and Gold that capped at fixed boundaries, the Supreme Tail Feather was an imaginary wing that could be stacked infinitely. If Fanxing had secured the complete holy grail, she would now be able to manifest a Seventh Imaginary Wing with twice that authority.
Beyond that, the Seventh Imaginary Wing possessed another vital trait: it had an absolute, ultimate ceiling.
To put it simply, the total amount of supreme authority in the entire world was fixed and unchanging. Consequently, the number of sorcerers capable of condensing a Seventh Imaginary Wing was naturally finite.
The more one person consumed, the less remained for others. More crucially, the total pool of supreme authority could never be expanded through means like civilizational progress.
Even the Sixth Imaginary Wing had similar constraints, as the total number of world secret realms was finite; any sorcerer lacking a world secret realm would never truly become a Six-Wing Divine Lord, no matter how vast their Kingdom of Heaven was. Yet as civilization advanced, world secret realms in the Void Realm gradually multiplied—the Wishing Pool, for instance, was a world secret realm born not long ago—meaning Divine Lords could never monopolize them all.
Furthermore, sorcerers could create world secret realms on their own; items like the Golden Apple were crucial components for artificially cultivating them. Even under the tacit suppression of the six Divine Lords that made the path of advancement increasingly arduous, the Divine Lords had never been able to completely sever the possibility of sorcerers ascending to higher realms.
Supreme authority, however, was fundamentally different. A fixed ceiling meant a winner-take-all reality where those who fell behind had no hope of catching up, locking the door to ascension forever!
For latecomers, it was pure despair; but for the frontrunner, it offered a rare and absolute monopoly!
Although the Prime Angel Rose had dispersed much of her supreme authority upon her fall, the Supreme Holy Grail she left behind still held the vast majority of it.
In other words, had Fanxing claimed the complete holy grail, she would have become the undisputed supreme of sorcery. Even if other sorcerers gathered every scrap of remaining supreme authority, challenging her throne would remain utterly impossible!
Yet now, Yaxiu had shattered her chance to monopolize the future. Even if Yaxiu died, his supreme authority would scatter outward, becoming a contested prize among other sorcerers. As long as Fanxing failed to control over fifty percent of that authority, she could never permanently rule the supreme throne!
Unless Fanxing could devour Yaxiu's Supreme Tail Feather as well, past, present, and future would all remain within her grasp, and the world would prostrate at her feet, left to be trampled and ravaged at her whim.
Yet at this very moment, even as a newly ascended Supreme, Fanxing could not easily break through the restrictions of Ruby Mountain. Weise and Rose were enough to hold off her divine miracles, which were heavily weakened by the Void Realm. Moreover, she had no way to force Yaxiu to distill another Supreme Holy Grail; plundering a sorcerer and plundering the Prime Angel were two entirely different concepts.
However...
Yaxiu and Fanxing both looked at the discordant colors marking their tail feathers, realizing that these were the traces they had carved into each other within the illusion of the world of longing—traces that had somehow tainted the Supreme Nectar.
Because of these discordant marks, Fanxing and Yaxiu could never possess pure, unblemished tail feathers, even if they altered the feathers' colors.
For bound within that foreign hue was the other's will.
Yaxiu could sense the sword mark on Fanxing's tail feather, and Fanxing could sense the star trajectory on Yaxiu's.
To have another's color permanently stamped onto one's own Supreme Tail Feather was, for any sorcerer, arguably the most humiliating scar imaginable.
Yaxiu naturally did not care. He was still far from the peak of sorcery; if it was tainted, so be it. Besides, in exchange, the exalted Supreme of Sorcery, Fanxing, had also been tainted by a mere legendary sorcerer like him. What did he have to complain about?
Yet when he raised his eyes, he saw no remorse or irritation on Fanxing's face.
The Seven-Wing Supreme cast a sideways glance at Yaxiu. The pride and resolve in her eyes jolted him awake instantly. Their mutual awareness of each other's tail feathers meant that once Fanxing devised a way to reclaim the supreme authority, she could locate Yaxiu at any moment and devour everything he possessed!
Far from seeking to harm him now, she even wished for Yaxiu to live longer, for Yaxiu belonged solely to her as prey! Nor did she fear that Yaxiu might catch up to her during that time; possessing a complete set of seven wings, her rate of progress would far outstrip his!
She was merely leaving the supreme authority in Yaxiu's custody for the time being. The hour of debt collection would not be far off, and all remained beneath the watchful gaze of the stars.
Yaxiu felt no fear whatsoever, meeting Fanxing's stare with cold defiance. Since fate had left a thread between them, he would climb that very thread to take back everything he had lost from her!
An enemy was simply another word for a creditor, provided one learned to disguise regret with hatred.
Suddenly, the stars converged into a grand stairway bridging Hell and Heaven, laying itself down deferentially before Fanxing. Despite possessing imaginary wings, she chose to tread upon the steps so that the sound of her footsteps would reverberate across the world.
She ascended the starlit stairway. As she traversed Hell, Hell prostrated; as she crossed Heaven, the Divine Lords looked on in silence. Her voice resonated in unison across reality and the Void Realm, her decree becoming the law of the world, a fate all living beings were bound to obey:
"The Spatial Gate is established; the Five Nations unite as one. Fanxing shall be the constitution, and each nation its pillar!"
"Wherever the stars shine, all shall dwell under Supreme protection!"
With those words, Fanxing looked down no longer. Passing beyond the Kingdom of Heaven, she reached the distant heights above, entering the unknown Seventh Layer of the Void Realm.
Then, before the eyes of all, a vast sea of stars manifested far above Heaven.
...
"Time to head back."
Yaxiu looked up at the crumbling meteor canopy. For some reason, Fanxing had not undone the seal surrounding Ruby Mountain—perhaps hoping to trap them here for eternity. But with her departure, the meteor canopy collapsed regardless.
"Mm." Rose wrapped her arms around Yaxiu, rubbing her face against his like an affectionate kitten. "I'm so tired. It'll be a long time before I can see my feeler again."
"Huh?" Yaxiu started, only then noticing that Rose's form was turning translucent. "Why? What happened?"
"I used up too much just now." Rose tilted her head and let out a tiny yawn. "And since I descended not long ago, I don't hold much longing yet. I might have to sleep for a while."
"Where will you sleep? In reality? The Void Realm?"
"Feeler, you're so silly. I am the Lady of Resplendent Fireflies, governing longing, memory, and will. Naturally, I sleep within longing."
Rose said softly, "As long as longing exists, I will exist."
An existence akin to a universal law... No wonder the Four Pillar Gods are immortal. Though now, there ought to be Five Pillar Gods... Yaxiu exhaled in relief. While he felt in no position to worry about a being on par with the Pillar Gods, he could not bear to cast aside the newly awakened Rose. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Hold me."
Yaxiu wrapped his arms around Rose's waist, pulling her into his embrace. He had never been so intimate with Rose before, yet it felt entirely natural, as though they had been dearest companions since time immemorial.
"That's it, just like this." Rose nuzzled against his chest. "Think of me often. When my feeler longs for me, it is the same as the world longing for me."
Her body gradually dissolved into shimmering fireflies, dispersing into nothingness within Yaxiu's arms.
By now, the meteor canopy had shattered completely. Yaxiu could already feel an almost ravenous pull from his physical body. Just as absence makes the heart grow fonder, his soul had been separated from his flesh for half a year; the two were desperate to become one again.
Yaxiu turned toward Weise, who stood beside him holding the Silver Lantern. "Will you leave us again?"
"I will," Weise said with a chuckle. "Though you could ask again—without the 'us.'"
Yaxiu blinked. "Will you leave me again?"
"I will."
The two gazed at each other for a quiet moment. Weise took his hand, pressing it against her cheek. "You wouldn't ask the Sword Princess if she'd ever leave you."
"I'm sorry. I'm not the kind of girl who gives people a sense of security. If you harbor doubts, nothing I say will help. Because even I can't tell whether everything between us is just an illusion.
"But if you hold my hand tightly..." She gave a soft smile, the familiar charm and mischief dancing in her eyes sending Yaxiu's thoughts drifting back to Senluo. "Even if it's an illusion, I won't ever want to let go."
Yaxiu gripped her hand firmly. There was no warmth in the Void Realm, yet he could feel her emotions even more deeply than he had back in Senluo.
"Go back with an easy mind. I won't disappear." Weise reached out and ruffled Yaxiu's hair. "Thank you for never giving up on me."
As the bond between soul and flesh locked into place, Yaxiu cast one last lingering look at Ruby Mountain, bringing his long journey through the Void Realm to an end.
...
So bright.
Brilliant sunlight seeped through the slits of his eyelids. Yaxiu opened his eyes to behold a vast expanse of blue sky and white clouds. He had never seen such a sky before: the skies of the Blood Moon were murky, the skies of Gospel were devoid of clouds, and Senluo had no sunny days at all. A sky so pure and unpolluted was something he had truly never witnessed since arriving in this world.
"You're awake?"
Only then did Yaxiu realize he was resting his head on a soft, supple lap. The speaker's long red hair draped downward, brushing lightly against his cheek and tickling his skin. Hearing that voice, his entire body relaxed—but when his gaze focused on the red-haired young woman, he froze completely.
Perhaps because Yaxiu was Rose's feeler, or perhaps because he was too familiar with both of them, he could clearly see two entirely distinct forms of longing reflected in the young woman's face.
Even when confronting demons or the Supreme Fanxing, Yaxiu had never felt such sheer panic. He had never feared his own misfortunes, yet he was terrified of disrupting the destiny of the ones he loved most.
Yaxiu could only stare blankly, not daring to speak, much less utter a name. He feared that if he spoke one name aloud, the other would vanish like smoke.
Seeing his dazed expression, the young woman smiled faintly and leaned down to kiss him.
At first, it was a light, fluttering brush of lips—a tender peck, like a kitten, bashful as a little hedgehog experiencing intimacy for the very first time. But gradually, she grew bolder, shedding all prior shyness as she cupped Yaxiu's head in both hands, domineeringly claiming his soft lips.
Yet when it came to uncharted territory, all she could do was tentatively slip her tongue forward, probing with cautious curiosity. Under the guidance of the experienced Yaxiu, she quickly found her rhythm, and as they merged together time and again, their souls reached a state of seamless harmony.
After an indeterminate time, they finally parted tongues, though their lips remained pressed together as they whispered the most intimate words of love.
"Welcome back, my Observer."
"I'm home, my Sword Princess."
Not far off, Felix stood bathed in sunlight, having watched their embrace the entire time. Seeing them finally part, an inexplicable impulse surged in her chest, as if her favorite doll had just been snatched away. But the moment she took a step forward, she saw the Witch dash past, beating her to the punch.
Felix halted in her tracks, glancing down at the Five-Gem Crown Command Crest on the back of her hand and clutching it tightly.
Chapter 997