The Azure Phoenix Flew Away Carrying the Golden Light

"I heard about it from a deity ages ago," said Grandpa Gene the High Saint. "Spirit Trees are just trees—they don't feel love or hate. But sometimes, even they develop obsessions. Those obsessions can turn into fruit."

"Obsession..." Grace stared at the gourd in a daze. "So, even this Ancestral Tree once had an obsession?"

Grandpa Gene the High Saint nodded.

"Then, what could possibly grow out of that gourd?" Grace asked.

Could it be a dragon?

"It could be any living creature! Spirit Trees are the source of spiritual power, the gods among gods. They can give birth to all things—even humans."

"Oh..." Grace nodded. "Do you know what that fruit actually is, or where it is now?"

Grandpa Gene the High Saint smiled at her and said, "I don't know what the fruit is, but legend has it that after the fruit appeared, the Ancestral Tree entrusted twelve beings born from her to guard it, generation after generation."

Grace nodded and suddenly had an idea: "High Saint, may I touch the Ancestral Tree?"

The Ancestral Tree no longer has life, so naturally, it can't offer her any guidance like a living Spirit Tree would.

But she still wanted to give it a try.

What if a miracle happened?

Grandpa Gene the High Saint paused for a moment and said, "Go ahead!"

So Grace walked over, touched the Elder Spirit Tree, and closed her eyes.

But at that very moment, she saw a world of chaos.

The world was just beginning, splitting into two energies—pure and turbid.

Where the pure energy gathered, a sapling sprouted.

Other living beings also grew alongside it.

Like dragons, phoenixes, qilins, and so on.

Those were the ancient gods born at the dawn of chaos.

Later, the roots of the Elder Spirit Tree stretched far and wide, giving rise to more Spirit Trees.

They were all connected, yet each stood alone.

There was no slavery or slaughter among them, only peaceful coexistence.

Because of their existence, the world grew more and more magical.

Immortals appeared.

The divine realm appeared.

Because of her selflessness and her sacrifice, all the gods worshipped her.

Later, the chaotic, turbid energy from the dawn of creation became the Fiends.

If the Spirit Trees stood for peace and coexistence, the Fiends stood for slaughter, plunder, darkness, and bloodshed.

They corrupted living beings, making them kill each other.

All across the land, misery reigned and darkness fell.

At this moment, the Elder Spirit Tree gave her the divine power to command all the trees. When the Fiends invaded, she could unite them to fight back.

She also summoned the gods to join the battle against the Fiends through spirit mediums.

The Fiends were finally destroyed.

But the Ancestral Tree was gravely wounded by their attacks.

In her final moments, she condensed her power to command all Spirit Trees into a single fruit.

That was the gourd.

Grace saw that when the gourd cracked open, a sliver of Golden Light emerged from inside.

An Azure Phoenix perched on the Ancestral Tree took the Golden Light and flew away...

That was the last thing Grace saw.

After that, there was nothing more.

So, her deepest obsession was still the countless living beings of this world! She feared the Fiends would return, so she left behind that fruit... Grace, for some reason, began to cry.

"How dare you!" Suddenly, a voice full of majesty rang out.

Grace turned to see two people floating in midair.

One was a goddess, noble inside and beautiful outside, dressed in divine robes.