Chapter 1 The Fire Lord's Decision

Deep beneath Mount Chenxi, the vast, scorching sea of lava continued to churn quietly, as it had for hundreds of years.

But when Yishar arrived, he keenly sensed that this place was subtly different from the world's center he knew.

"Lord?"

The knight looked up at the center of the distant lava sea. He was surprised to find that his lord, who was usually dormant and only awakened briefly when someone came to visit, was now awake.

【You have come, Yishar.】

Upon sensing the arrival of his knight, a gentle, youthful voice echoed from the lava throne: 【Just in time.】

When Yishar reached the vicinity of the throne, he saw a shimmering, four-colored screen before it. The four elements formed a three-dimensional map, with elements constantly alternating and circulating, creating a world.

At a glance, Yishar could tell that it was a map of the elemental distribution of the world he lived in!

The blue seas surrounded the brown continents, the cyan winds swirled around the sky, and the flames burned deep within the earth and at the top of the sky… Furthermore, in every corner of the world, the elements alternated and revolved endlessly.

Originally, this should have been the truth of the universe, the normal state of the world's cycle. But Yishar could see that above the two continents of the Holy Flame Continent and the New Continent, six mighty blue torrents were converging and disappearing into the distant Mingsi Sea in the south—where the incredibly dense blue had become as dark as ink, as if it were brewing something, giving off an extremely uneasy feeling.

But the white-haired youth on the lava throne, wearing the Sun God's Crown, was smiling. He looked at the scene in the light screen before him, smiling happily and gently.

Yishar was stunned.

In over two hundred years, this was the first time he had seen his lord smile so happily.

Since the knight became a Chosen of God more than two centuries ago and first visited God with excitement, the image of the Fire Lord in his heart had always been gentle, tender, like a bonfire in winter, the warm sun in the morning, giving warmth to all.

But fire was fire, and the sun was the sun. No matter how close they were to people, they would be burned if they got too close. If God walked in the mortal world, the place would surely be clear and the earth would dry up. Therefore, for the sake of his people, God chose to stay alone in the world's center beneath the Holy Mountain, in the lava sea deep underground, isolated from the masses.

Even when God descended, He remained high in the sky as the second sun, never directly descending to the earth. Apart from smiling, He never expressed any extra emotions, so as to avoid the power arising from his thoughts from running rampant and affecting others.

But now, that gentle God was actually smiling so happily…

What kind of person, what kind of thing, could make the Lord smile so happily? Yishar couldn't help feeling a little jealous, but soon, the black-haired, golden-eyed knight abandoned such pointless thoughts. He knelt on one knee and reported to the Fire Lord.

"My Lord, are you aware of the large-scale riot of criminals that has suddenly occurred in the eastern region? The local priests say they heard the oracle of the Lord of Judgment…"

【Oh, I already know.】

The youth on the throne nodded slightly. He smiled and raised his head, looking at the rocky ceiling above the lava sea: 【He has come.】

【He has returned.】

【Although a long time has passed, he has indeed returned!】

Then, Yishar heard the Lord's tone become somewhat regretful.

【But sadly, he has returned a little too late.】

【The plan of those children in the sea is about to be completed.】

"My Lord, do you mean the plan of those rebels? Their god-ascension ritual is about to be completed?!"

Hearing this, Yishar, who was kneeling before the Fire Lord, immediately stood up. He asked angrily, "Please allow me to lead a team to set out immediately and shatter their delusions!"

【No need. Moreover, come here, child.】

But the Fire Lord shook his head, rejecting Yishar's request. When the knight approached Him with some confusion, the white-haired youth reached out and placed his hand on Yishar's forehead.

The touch wasn't as hot as one would imagine, like the sun… The warm, soft feeling in the center of his palm was like that of a real human being.

For a moment, before Yishar could think too much, a burning pain suddenly appeared on his forehead—the pain flashed and disappeared, as if it were just an illusion, and he stood motionless, like an iron tower rooted to the spot.

After the Fire Lord removed his hand, a scarlet flame mark appeared on his forehead, and holy authority pulsed within it, releasing a clearly visible majesty.

Then, the Fire Lord looked at Yishar for a while, nodded in satisfaction, and said: 【Let them become the Water God.】

【Only in this way will the chaotic water elements return to their place and return to the cycle of order.】

"What?"

Hearing this, Yishar, who was originally pondering what the God had left on his forehead, was immediately stunned. He frowned and said, "How is that possible!"

"Those sea thugs are clearly trying to subvert the existing elemental cycle of our world! They are cutting off the original cycle process, wanting to crudely turn all the elements of the entire world into water elements!"

"They even plan to start some 'Deep Sea Era' and completely transform our world into an entirely unknown form… How can this be called returning to its place, called the cycle of order?!"

The Fire Lord shook his head, his gray eyes showing no anger towards the Sea Folk.

【That is indeed their goal—but it is indeed the cycle of order.】

In the white-haired God's mind, the figure of the person who had appeared and left abruptly long ago, refusing the Soul of Water and the Soul of Earth to become a God, emerged.

He said somewhat nostalgically: 【The power of the Soul of Water is extremely powerful. In any era, a large amount of water elements appear in various forms. Even in the blazing Fire Era, it is surrounded by white steam.】

【If those children in the sea do not absorb the increasingly chaotic Primal Soul of Water, then in a few decades, or a few hundred years, a primitive, insane, naturally born Water God will appear. At that time, He will not even be human, nor will He understand our order, and may even stir up a world-destroying tsunami that we cannot stop.】

"Why can't we stop it?"

Hearing this, Yishar was immediately puzzled. He put his hands together and asked the Fire Lord, "My Lord, you are a God, and a God far more powerful than those pirates, far more powerful than any newly born deity—Besides, there is the Lord of Wind, the Lord of Judgment… How could the combined strength of the three Gods be stopped by some pirates and a naturally born Water God?"

【But the Lord of Wind will not act.】

But the youth looked at Yishar calmly, and said the secret that had been hidden for hundreds of years: 【His divine soul has already left this world, leaving only the last trace of regret and the physical body, forming the network of consciousness, connecting the minds of the Wind Folk, and maintaining order.】

【And I, for the most part, will not stay in this world either—just as you have seen every time you have come to visit me in the past, it takes me a long time to return.】

Yishar was stunned. Although he knew this was the case, he had never thought it was like this: "Then, then why, why is that?"

The knight asked helplessly, "Why would the Lord of Wind's soul leave this world, and you, Lord…"

【It's very simple.】

The Fire Lord sighed. The white-haired youth raised his head, his gaze seemed to be able to see through the rocky ceiling and the world, directly into the void, becoming distant and tinged with a hint of sorrow: 【Our world is too far away from other worlds.】

【Around our world, there are only ruins and dust left after the world shattered. Apart from us, there are no other worlds… Not only that, Yishar, the world itself has a lifespan, and the lifespan of our world is particularly short. If we recklessly run amok in it without carrying out the cycle of order, then who knows if it can last for decades, or hundreds of years?】

As if intentionally informing him, the Fire Lord met the gaze of his Chosen, and He could see Yishar's incredibly shocked eyes, as if his worldview had shattered.

With a soft laugh, He withdrew his gaze, and the youth turned his head and continued to look at the elemental light screen before him. He said softly: 【For the sake of countless people, the Wind God left His physical body as the core of the network of consciousness, and used His divine soul to leave the world and wander in the void, looking for a new world suitable for living.】

【And I am also searching for usable world dust in the ruins of the surrounding worlds to fill the gaps in our world.】

【The Lord of Wind and I cannot stay in this world for long. Therefore, we guided the birth of the Lord of Judgment to maintain the order we designed, to ensure that you can maintain a friendly and loving heart when we are not around…】

Speaking of this, the Fire Lord seemed to recall the rebellion more than a hundred years ago, and He couldn't help but sigh: 【But sadly, that order has loopholes.】

In addition, the youth's mind flashed back to the scene he had seen when he left the world barrier and came to the void in the past.

That was the endless 'gray fog' that enveloped the entire world.

The gray fog enveloped the world. It originally absorbed the dust from the surrounding worlds and filled it into every corner of the world, maintaining the survival of the Tartadis world, but… just as the Wind God and the youth himself came outside the world, most of the gray fog receded, leaving only some remnants, no longer surrounding this world.

The Fire Lord's memory was clear. He knew that the gray fog was the symbol of the Elemental Cycle Era, and also the mastermind behind the Netherworld Maze and the alternation of Eras… but now it seemed that its true power was to maintain the existence of the entire world! If it weren't for the gray fog's reminder, He wouldn't have known that He could also collect the world dust in the surrounding void to extend the time of existence of the Tartadis world.

What is the gray fog's attitude towards them, towards their civilization?

The youth did not know.

Moreover, it was no longer important.

Withdrawing his thoughts, the Fire Lord looked at Yishar.

He said calmly: 【You are going to inherit my position and become the new Fire God.】

"Ah?"

At first, Yishar was a little dazed. He was still immersed in the shocking news that 'the world's lifespan is not long', so at first, the knight didn't understand what his God meant—but soon, after understanding, his face was full of shock, and he immediately froze in place, at a loss: "Wha, what?!"

On the lava throne, the Fire Lord smiled and looked at Yishar: 【You are a good child, Yishar. For the past two hundred and thirty-seven years, since you became a Chosen of God, you have been diligently working for the general public, solving their difficulties, and resolving their problems.】

【You have grown up from the grassroots level and have become a Chosen of God along the way. You perfectly understand all the keys to the operation of our order. It can even be said that you understand it better than I, the designer of this code.】

"No, God, I don't…"

【No, you understand.】

When Yishar tried to say something, the Fire God reached out his hand, indicating that his knight should not say too much at this time. Then, the youth-like God turned his head and looked at the central part of the Holy Fire Continent, the elemental advance that was rapidly normalizing. He said softly: 【In addition, you are also the only one who has adhered to my Dao to this day.】

【Don't argue, Yishar, don't you understand? Most of the Chosen of God, after they have great power, no longer want to abide by the precepts I have set.】

【They want to enjoy wealth and enjoy their rights… Of course, because I still exist, they still cannot eat luxurious food, so some of the Chosen of God painstakingly popularize luxurious food, making it no longer luxurious—this is really not a bad thing. This is very good, isn't it? I never thought that my precept could actually have this effect.】

Speaking of this, the Fire God laughed, but his eyes showed no smile: 【Among the Chosen of God, there are many who pursue greater power, and even more who pursue power. There are too few people who simply want to eat something delicious, just that.】

【There are too few Chosen of God who sincerely want to make the world a better place, so that everyone can live happily, who want to maintain such order, and who are not afraid of fighting.】

The youth on the throne raised his hand, rubbing his forehead. He closed his eyes tiredly and sighed: 【They all want to become Gods, but they are unwilling to find their own path, but instead covet my power.】

【Therefore, I have appointed you, child.】

Yishar was still stunned at first… Indeed, even he himself knew that there were quite a few Chosen of God with ulterior motives. Since the rebellion more than a hundred years ago showed the injustice and weakness of God, the minds of many Chosen of God had changed.

But soon, because he felt anxious and uneasy about the Fire Lord's words, the knight immediately became a little angry.

"I am not a child! My Lord!" He frowned, shook his head angrily, and reached out his hand to press against his chest: "I am your knight!"

"What appointment? What inheritance of your position? My Lord, are you going to give up the throne of God?!"

The Fire Lord opened his eyes, and He turned his head and looked at Yishar calmly. The two looked at each other, and Yishar's emotions gradually softened.

Until the end, he silently took a step back, and then said blankly: "But… why?"

【The existence of the Water God is necessary, but the Primal Soul of Water rejects holders of other elemental souls. Before it is tamed, I have no way to grab it—our powers interfere with each other, even forming a blind spot at sea.】

Saying this, the Fire Lord sighed tiredly: 【And for some reason that I am not very clear about, the power of those children at sea is expanding too fast. It seems that there is an invisible power from outside our world helping them… Originally, in my plan, those children would have to spend hundreds of years to slowly find the whereabouts of the Primal Soul of Water. By that time, I would also be able to slightly soothe the order within the Holy Fire Kingdom, and then formulate a new code to make up for the previous cracks…】

【But now, the over-expanded Primal Soul of Water has encountered the over-expanded forces of the Sea Folk… I don't know what the final result will be, but either the newly born Water God is incredibly powerful, enough to replace the order of the elemental cycle, or they are so numerous that they even outnumber me, the Wind God, and the Judgment God combined.】

【The existence of the Water God is necessary. But if those children in the sea really become the Water God, then they will inevitably choose to counterattack the continent—at that time, because I have been collecting world dust to maintain the world for hundreds of years and have not accumulated too much power, I am afraid I will not be able to resist it.】

Speaking of this, the white-haired youth smiled casually, He reached out and straightened the divine crown on his head, saying indifferently: 【They have never been able to guess how I plan to deal with them. They have always been wondering if I will send my Chosen of God and many priests to conquer them.】

【Not to mention that there are many with ulterior motives among my Chosen of God, and they have made many preparations. The sea is their home field, so even if you go to conquer them, there will be many casualties, and the entire world will weaken as a result. The civilization that I have worked so hard to build will be completely plunged into eternal doom.】

【I don't want that.】

The Fire Lord's tone was calm, and his voice echoed in the sea of lava, causing Yishar to be speechless: 【And love is the strongest plan.】

【Those selfish children will never imagine that I don't care whether I die or not, I just want to create a better order so that everyone can live in a better world.】

【Based on this, they will never be able to guess and prevent my plan.】

"My Lord…"

The knight knelt on the ground, and he felt that even if he was in the lava, he could not stop the cold feeling from spreading through his spine.

Yishar stared at the youth in front of him, the God he worshipped. He murmured, "You, you mean…"

The God reached out and gently touched the head of the knight he regarded as a child. He smiled: 【Although I haven't accumulated much power, I have been entering and leaving the void for many years, and my divine soul has long been tempered to be extremely powerful—as long as I burn my soul at that time, no matter what plans those children have, how can they stop me from suppressing their souls and recovering the Primal Soul of Water?】

【As long as I am not afraid of falling, then my power will be enough to burn all their century-old plans, even if the power accumulated by the Soul of Water is far greater than mine, it cannot stop me from using this to redefine the Era—The Wind God has already entrusted the Wind Soul to me, and the Earth Soul… In short, at that time, when the four souls gather, the true God will be born, and that will surely be a more perfect and beautiful era than this one.】

Saying this, the youth touched the flame mark on Yishar's forehead that seemed to be burning. He smiled happily: 【And at that time, you will become the new Fire Lord, or rather, the God of the Four Souls—Yishar, you are my successor, fulfilling my Dao and formulating a new order.】

However, after hearing this, Yishar showed no joy at all, but instead turned pale.

The Chosen of God stood up. He took two steps back, avoiding the Fire Lord's hand, and then roared, "Why?"

"God, why do you have to do this kind of thing, and force this responsibility on me?! How can you be so reckless… to speak of your death?!"

Faced with Yishar's accusation, the Fire Lord simply shook his head: 【I am not forcing you, Yishar, but if you believe in me, you should do this.】

"Isn't that forcing me with faith?"

Yishar couldn't believe it. He waved his hands, his meaning of refusal was so strong: "I believe in you, I hope you will always sit high on the throne of God, leading us forward like the sun!"

"I am willing to die for you, rather than willing for you to sacrifice for us!"

At the end of his words, Yishar gritted his teeth. He stared at the God sitting on the lava throne in front of him and said word by word: "My Lord, do you want a dog who only listens to your orders, or a knight who is willing to die for you?!"

Even the Fire Lord did not expect Yishar's so resolute resistance.

In the Holy Church of Fire, almost all the Chosen of God are craving for greater power or rights. This is not a bad thing, but rather the basic ambition of people. People who crave progress should not be asked too much, even if some of them intend to plot against the Fire Lord's power, that is not a big deal.

The white-haired God originally thought that Yishar would gladly accept this responsibility and accept this huge power that everyone envied—that was the gathering of the four souls, the power that surpassed ordinary Gods and could even lead to a higher realm—He did not expect that the other party's loyalty to him would actually reach such a point that he could refuse this temptation.

Why?

The God's memory flashed back, He recalled the scene nearly three hundred years ago, at the beginning of the Elemental Era, when He was still in the mortal world, leading the first Fire Folk to build their homes.

At that time, there was a boy who always followed behind him.

【Child, why are you following behind me?】

The God at that time bent down and gently asked the other party, wiping away the sweat from the child's head.

The ignorant boy said in a simple and honest manner: "The city you built for us is so big and beautiful. I have never lived in such a big and warm house!"

"So I want to learn, so that in the future, when I grow up, I also want to build many, many bigger and better houses for you and for everyone!"

Yishar, indeed, has built a lot of temples for me.

Over the years, he has been busy at the grassroots level, building a lot of 'houses'.

I built the foundation and frame, but the flesh and blood and decoration of this world's order, this house, were built by them themselves.

——Because God built a beautiful order for people, so people want to defend this beauty.

Or rather, what Yishar wants to follow may not be a God who, in his opinion, wants to give up his responsibility, so he is angry… In fact, what he follows is the path that makes everyone happier than before.

Just like himself—He walks with himself, so he believes.

The reason for following… Perhaps it is so simple.

After a long silence, the God chuckled softly.

【I don't want any of it.】

He was still smiling gently, looking at Yishar, as always: 【What I want is a wise man who can walk with me and pioneer the way forward—I don't need a dog who doesn't know how to question me, I don't need a knight who will only die for me—I need a companion who can understand my thoughts, can understand my doctrines, and follow my ideas.】

【What I need is someone who can raise my banner, re-ascend to my position, and maintain the kingdom and order I have created after I leave.】

【I need such an existence.】

"Understand…"

Repeating this word in a low voice, Yishar stared blankly at the Fire Lord who could still laugh in front of him. He could not understand why there would be a God who could 'easily' give up his life. He first chuckled, and then laughed loudly: "What understand?! We humans cannot understand each other, a father cannot understand his son, and a daughter cannot understand her mother!"

"My Lord, your churches are secretly violating your will! They are flirting with pirates, they are coveting your power and authority, they harbor ulterior motives, let alone believing in you!"

"What exactly do you want? Understand? This is more incredible than your demands for freedom and life from us!"

The God watched the other party silently until the sound of Yishar echoing in the sea of lava gradually dissipated and calmed down.

In the sound of lava bubbles churning and exploding, He simply said: 【But that is faith.】

【I need a new Fire Lord to appear after I suppress the Four Elemental Souls and redefine the Era, to stabilize the order and protect the survival and happiness of all people—He can continue to collect the embers of the surrounding worlds as fuel for our world, maintain the existence of the world, and can sacrifice himself at the most important juncture to create a new era. Do you understand? Becoming a God is not a gift, it is my harsh request for you.】

【Yishar, if you love me more than you love my Dao, then it means you are not believing in me at all, but just worshiping me, loving me.】

【The distance between faith and worship is more distant than the distance between heaven and earth.】

【Are you believing in me, or are you just worshiping me?】

The Fire Lord's voice stirred the boiling elements of the entire lava sea.

The majestic power of the fire element stirred in the center of the world, causing the viscous magma to set off layers of waves, slapping and intersecting each other, splashing sparks all over the sky.

Yishar felt the mark on his forehead burning hot. He trembled as he stared at the Fire Lord who was staring at him in front of him, and then couldn't help but shed tears.

He had begun to accept it, but it was still difficult to let go. The knight walked step by step towards the lava throne, murmuring: "God, is this the only way? Is this the only path we can take? Is there no other way to calm this elemental turbulence?"

【Of course there is, but I can only choose to sacrifice myself. I have no right to let others sacrifice for me, even if that person is willing to die for me.】

The Fire Lord smiled, He reached out and pressed his hand on Yishar's forehead again, the scorching mark of the Fire God was imprinted, the youth said calmly: 【If you want to change something, do it yourself. As an existence that can be sacrificed without sin, only yourself, otherwise it is wrong. This is what I learned in the last Era.】

【But now…】

Speaking of this, his expression could not help but become a little complicated. The Fire Lord raised his head, He stared straight ahead from afar, his gray eyes seemed to be able to see through the heavy rocky earth, directly to the huge fluctuations that were slowly approaching in the distant beyond.

Far away.

July 5, Elemental Era 307.

In the middle of the Holy Fire Continent, on the avenue near the central Holy City, a mighty crowd was walking.

They were dressed in simple clothes, their faces were full of sorrow in the past, and their bodies were mostly incomplete, either with broken hands, broken feet, or marks on their faces.

But now, their limbs have been reborn, and they can use them freely, as if they had never lost them.

"Justice!"

A loud and clear cry rang out, and the sound of banners waving fluttered in the wind.

An old fisherman with dark skin carried a banner. His eyes were bright, and his will was low. Old Chuck waved the banner, and then shouted loudly again: "Justice!"

Then, the entire team also shouted in unison: "Justice!"

It could be seen that this old fisherman, who had lost his hands in the past, now had a pair of white new hands—Although they had not experienced wind and frost, and even blisters had appeared on his tiger's mouth because of waving the banner for a long time, he still refused to let go and waved it vigorously.

The gray-haired priest walked at the front of the team. Aimon led this team of 'sinners' forward, all the way forward, and strode towards the central Holy Church.

There was no need for their God to walk in front.

As a companion of God, the apostle of judgment would naturally open the way and fulfill the Dao he recognized.

At the end of the team, Su Zhou followed behind everyone, watching this team continue to grow and move forward firmly.

Then, he seemed to notice something. The youth turned his head to the side with a puzzled look.

"Is that you? Elias?"

As if noticing the Fire Lord's gaze, Su Zhou lowered his head sharply, looking deep into the earth with sharp eyes, his purple-blue dragon eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the heavy earth all the way to the very center of the world.

Then, he smiled: "Long time no see, I'm back!"

——You are back, teacher.

In the sea of lava, the Fire God, who had been sitting on the throne for a long time, slowly got up from the lava throne in the shocked eyes of Yishar.

For two hundred years, this was the first time He had left the throne, and His feet stepped on the earth.

【I don't think there can be other ways.】

The God in the form of a youth looked up at the rocky dome, He murmured: 【But for that person, perhaps there is nothing impossible in the world.】

But even so, He just smiled, smiling indifferently.

【But I cannot place my hopes on others. I must try to transcend this cycle myself, even if the cost is death.】

【Let's go, Yishar.】

Saying this, the Fire God stepped forward and walked towards the passage that left the world's core, the sea of lava, and the knight followed closely behind the God.

【Let us go and welcome that God who has finally returned.】