Chapter 111: I Will Ignite My Soul to Pave the Path for Your Ascension.

Chapter 111 I'll Burn My Soul to Pave Your Path to Godhood

The dream shifted scenes, revealing a more composed, longer-haired Bryce before Yi Fengchu.

Three pairs of massive wings unfurled from Bryce's back as gray, thorny tentacles writhed wildly, casting twisted shadows that blotted out the heavens, shielding Yi Fengchu from the malicious gazes of other divine beings.

Surrounded by wings and thorns, Bryce gazed deeply at Yi Fengchu, wearing his usual gentle smile:

"Teacher, you can trust me at your back, for I will never be your enemy."

"Ascend peacefully to the heights destined for you—I'll burn my soul to pave your path to godhood..."

Bryce's voice faded as the dream trembled violently before shattering completely.

Yi Fengchu awoke, hints of melancholy and surprise remaining in his eyes.

It genuinely surprised him that "Longinus" had once been connected to Bryce...

And what did that "burning the soul" mean?

Could it be that Bryce had fulfilled this vow in the end, leaving him now as nothing but an empty shell?

Rubbing his temples, Yi Fengchu materialized Bryce’s body.

By now, Yi Fengchu had become skilled at using clones, simultaneously controlling multiple bodies. He manipulated the serpent clone of Bryce to mimic the golden-haired youth from his dream, awkwardly twisting its lips into that same gentle smile before softly calling out, "Teacher."

"......"

Yi Fengchu stared at it for a while, sensing something was off. The inexplicable melancholy in his heart wouldn't fade, instead growing more restless.

Frowning, he commanded the clone to stop mimicking. The deliberately lifted corners of its lips instantly fell, revealing a cold detachment Bryce would never have shown his teacher.

Yi Fengchu then picked up a stack of documents from the bedside table—materials his clone had pilfered from Longinus under the guise of the "Scholar."

In truth, though the Scholar had once been proud to join this mysterious organization, he'd always been on the fringes, making it difficult to access critical or classified information.

Thus, during the few days the clone had infiltrated the organization, its greatest achievement had been charting Longinus’ internal structure, understanding how its members communicated, and snatching these documents from the Scholar’s mentor’s drawer.

Skimming through them, Yi Fengchu realized the documents might be...

A list of potential collaborators?

Was the Scholar’s mentor also doubling as Longinus’ HR manager?

Suppressing the odd thought, Yi Fengchu scanned the names—a roster filled with defectors from various churches, including high-level ability users who had once held positions as high as Archbishop.

"If the churches and schools of the gods shared their wanted lists, the overlap with this document would probably exceed 80%..."

Yi Fengchu couldn’t help but mutter before reading on. Beyond faithless ability users hunted by the gods, the list also included non-religious researchers, rich merchants and nobles across dimensions capable of providing vast resources, and more.

"With so many researchers and resources required, this organization is clearly conducting a massive experiment."

Yi Fengchu sighed. "A shame that ‘Teacher’ of the Secrets domain preferred to fry his brain with information rather than reveal what they’re researching—or what other test subjects they have besides the Moth God."

Glancing again at Bryce in the corner, he murmured, "I wonder if your friend and their successors still keep to the founding principles behind Longinus’ founding?"

Reading on, Yi Fengchu noticed the "potential contacts" were sorted by domain alphabetically, with ability users of the same field grouped together.

Soon, he reached the files on Fate Domain ability users—and his eyes stopped.

One of the documents belonged to the "Doomsday Prophet," Wu Suer.

Beneath basic information, Longinus’ evaluation of him read:

「A failed contender in the struggle for the "Fate" Divine Throne, once a rival of the current God of Fate. Likely harbors hatred toward Him. Could exploit conflict between the two.」

「However, uncertainties remain. For instance: How did he survive the ascension war? In what capacity did he preserve his life? What is his current relationship with Fate?」

「Conclusion: Priority: B-. Requires further observation.」

「1.1 Update: Intelligence suggests he does not oppose the current Fate. Neither serves Him nor has engaged in direct conflict. Their relationship remains ambiguous.」

「Thus, recommended downgrade to Priority E. No contact unless essential.」

「1.2 Update: The Doomsday Prophet took a C+-level dungeon from the half-nightmare Hao Youqian, only for the Lord of Fate’s power to later take this prize... Could it be that Fate did not reconcile with His former foe, but instead takes pleasure in playing with His defeated rival—humiliating him, trampling him, relishing his perpetual state of loss like a homeless dog?」

「However, this speculation is questionable. Based on character analysis, Fate does not seem the type to treat enemies with such contempt. He likely prefers quicker, cleaner endings.」

「Conclusion: Temporary Priority D. Continue monitoring intel with caution.」

Yi Fengchu fell into thought.

He had begun figuring out Longinus’ criteria for evaluating potential members:

First and foremost, the subject must not hold unwavering faith in the gods.

Second, if the subject harbors unresolved conflicts or grudges against the gods, Longinus would find them all the more appealing.

Third, the subject must possess notable capability—whether as a powerful ability user in the playground, a leading researcher, or a resource-rich tycoon. Anyone beneficial to the organization could draw attention.

Yi Fengchu couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret. Originally, Wu Suer’s identity would have perfectly fit Longinus’ standards.

Judging by the initial rating, had Yi Fengchu waited longer, the organization might have reached out to "Chu Fu," the disguise hiding Wu Suer...

Unfortunately, they had now detected some connection between Wu Suer and him. Even if they didn’t realize the "surviving prophet" was merely a facade controlled by the very "Fate" they feared, they would likely avoid further contact.

Sighing, Yi Fengchu turned to the next Fate Domain ability user’s file.

This individual, named Elius, was often revered as the "Ill Fate Witch." A Rank 8 in both Fate and Curse Domains, she had once been the fourth-ranked in the Fate Domain.

Longinus gave her an equally low priority (D-rank), not because she had shown signs of reconciliation with any deity, but because—this ancient witch had disappeared thousands of years ago.

The organization retained her records solely because some worlds still sheltered her followers, who spread a "prophecy" insisting the Ill Fate Witch would one day awaken and return.

Timeline-wise, her disappearance came before even Bryce and co. vanished.

This meant the witch had neither participated in the final ascension war nor survived it—she had simply fallen asleep or perished long before.

Yi Fengchu murmured, "Strange... Why do I have no impression of her?"

Phone: "As if you had any memory of Bryce or Wu Suer initially either."

"It’s not the same," Yi Fengchu explained seriously. "At first, I truly couldn’t recall those two, but their names and faces still carried a faint familiarity... This witch, however—I genuinely don’t know her."

The phone fell silent for a moment, as if pondering, then replied, "That’s not surprising. The era she was active in didn’t overlap with your entry into the mystical world."

"Do you know anything about her?"

【Hmm... I’ve never met her, but I do ‘know’ of her.】

Before Yi Fengchu could press further, the phone preemptively raised another question: "Do you remember the old god's phantom you once devoured from within and killed in the Nightmare Father's cursed dungeon?"

Yi Fengchu stared at the phone in confusion but answered honestly, "I do. After cutting open its abdomen to escape, I only had time to glimpse its silhouette—its body stretched like undulating mountains, with what seemed to be two spiral horns growing from its forehead..."

"Like a goat."

"Exactly, it was a goat," the phone said. "It was once the supreme existence of the Fate Domain, an incomplete deity of fate, an old deity representing the chaotic, capricious, and fallen aspects of fate—the Fate Black Goat."

Yi Fengchu caught the key phrase and repeated in puzzlement, "Incomplete?"

"Yes. The Fate Black Goat was a natural-born deity conceived within the Fate Domain, and to some extent, it could also be seen as the living embodiment of the scepter, much like the Tree of Life, Truth's Fallacy, and other deities."

[However, for unknown reasons, it seemed to have failed in developing self-awareness, never successfully breaking free from its 'egg,' and thus sank into endless slumber, retaining only the instinct to occasionally stir the river of fate.]

[Compared to your 'order,' the power of the Fate Black Goat leaned more toward embodying the chaos, cruelty, and depravity of fate.]

"Under its influence, the fate of all things was perpetually on the verge of descending, until they spiraled toward their end amidst unpredictable changes."

"That sounds ominous."

Yi Fengchu straightened up, instinctively displeased—he preferred orderly things. "But so far, the Fate Domain ability-users I've encountered all seem to wield powers leaning toward order—we trace the footprints of the past, observe the ripples of fate, and scour the river of fate for probabilities of different futures."

"That's related to you ultimately devouring the Fate Black Goat. Since a new king has ascended, naturally, a new order would govern the domain."

The phone chuckled, adding: [After you truly ascend to godhood, the characteristics of 'order' will only grow stronger, while 'chaos' will gradually fade... This will also manifest in the majority of lesser ability-users in the Fate Domain—their awakened abilities will lean more toward order, reflecting your inclinations.]

"However—"

Shifting the topic back, the phone returned to their earlier discussion: "The birth of the Ill Fate Witch predates your rise as a high-tier superior, so her abilities share stronger affinity with the traits of the Fate Black Goat—chaotic and disordered."

[Thus, she also earned another title—'the herald of endless calamity and chaos, death's harbinger.']

"According to legend, the last time this terrifying witch appeared was near the slumbering egg of the Fate Black Goat. Many speculated that she might have long been corrupted or devoured by this old god."

Yi Fengchu lapsed into contemplation.

After a long pause, he hesitantly spoke: "Since she's been missing for so long, does that mean no one clearly remembers her appearance, personality, or specific abilities anymore?"

Even in Longinus's records, vast portions of the witch's personal information remained blank, making her seem like... a tabula rasa for others' projections.

She might have left behind many legends and tales, allowing different people to interpret and speculate about her in various ways, but no one could truly provide evidence to define her nature or image.

"Yes, the Ill Fate Witch was enigmatic—even to her followers and fellow high-tier beings, few knew much about her," the phone seemed to guess his thoughts. "Are you thinking...?"

"If that's the case, couldn't I create another identity to impersonate this witch and wait for Longinus to extend an olive branch?"

Yi Fengchu mused: "It's actually quite simple. I just need to use this identity to generate sufficient impact, have a sufficient number of people witness the witch's return, and have her manifest opposition to 'Fate'—then it wouldn't be hard to attract the organization's attention."

As he spoke, he casually grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began sketching with a pen:

"First, I need to choose a grand enough stage to set the scene for this grand deception meant to deceive Longinus."

"Then comes the groundwork—realistic and logical buildup that will make the character's entrance more impactful and dramatic, leaving no room for skepticism about her authenticity."

"Of course, suitable supporting actors are also part of enhancing the performance. These actors must wholeheartedly believe in the act, burnishing the lead's credibility..."

"Lastly, I need an 'audience'—they're crucial for magnifying the deception's spread. They should be eager to spread the word, preferably with influence or backing from influential factions..."

As he pondered, Yi Fengchu had already scribbled a rough blueprint. On the hastily drawn stage, he absentmindedly sketched a few stick figures, labeling their heads with corresponding names.

As for how to gather his chosen "actors" and "audience" around the stage—that wasn't a problem he needed to worry about.

Yi Fengchu only needed to trace a few ripples in the river of fate. These ripples, spreading outward layer by layer, would naturally alter the probabilities of these people entering different dungeons.

—Under the invitation of the Lord of Fate, destiny would invisibly push them together, steering them toward the appointed path.