**Chapter 845**
*Animal World* Completed
“There have been three events where the Pillar Gods changed.
“The latter two were [Forbidden Fruit] and [Royal Power], corresponding to the birth of Hengwo and the Silver Crown Dragon, respectively.
“However, during the first event, [Cicada Molting], five Pillar Gods were born at once…”
“The Pillar God of Adaptation, Lord of Scales and Feathers.
“The Pillar God of Twilight, Amber.
“The Pillar God of Wisdom, Great Philosopher.
“The Pillar God of Power, Supreme Heaven.
“And…
“…The Pillar God of [Beast], Beast Lord.”
Eivass said in a low voice.
The old mage’s eyes suddenly widened. This was secret knowledge he had never received.
To the extraordinary beings of other countries outside of Avalon, the ascension of the Silver Crown Dragon was not a secret. It was precisely because the Crown Lord was the youngest Pillar God that other countries generally underestimated the Path of Authority… believing it could not possibly have any ancient legacy and was clearly insufficient in its foundation.
The secret knowledge of Hengwo replacing Beast Lord, leading to the birth of humans, was already known only to a select few. Perhaps the Elves knew more, but humans themselves clearly could not know the precise reason for “humanity’s arrival.”
As for Cicada Molting—that was a secret within secrets. Even in the history of the Church, it was an undetectable secret. Only races older than Elves… such as Dragons, Snake People, or the now nearly extinct Winged Ones, could possibly touch upon such a degree of hidden knowledge.
And if this possibility were taken into consideration…
Alistair recalled the names of those three missions. The three paintings completed using *The White Horse King*… *Mole Day*, *The Snow Queen*, and *Animal World*—did they not correspond precisely to the three Pillar God succession events!
*Mole Day* should refer to the most superficial story, closest to the original Jacob. That is, the “collapse of two dynasties” used as a metaphor—here, the white horse is the Crown Heavenly Envoy, the giant bear is Supreme Heaven, the lion is the Hrasal Empire, and the mole is the Child of the Moon. The white horse and the lion communicate, but the lion does not receive help. This corresponds to the knights who initially followed Arthur leaving their homes and abandoning their identities as imperial people to come to Avalon Island. After the white horse’s victory, the lion almost became the monarch—and finally, the aging sleeping lion was devoured from within by the mole, aligning with the chronological order.
*The Snow Queen* is a deeper story. Here, the white horse is Hengwo, the lion should be Beast Lord, and the mole is the Child of the Moon. However, Alistair has less knowledge of that period of history… He doesn’t know what Hengwo did back then, so he cannot know what Hengwo was trying to resist with Beast Lord’s power. But in the end, the white horse became the “Queen” of this sleeping lion. Since the lion slept for a long time, the white horse took over the authority and was displayed externally… but the actual authority still belonged to Beast Lord. Beast Lord’s power was digested and dissolved by Hengwo using the Child of the Moon, due to the birth of the Blood Heavenly Envoy. When the Child of the Moon became a Perfect Being, Hengwo’s Path was completely realized, meaning the Beast Path was completely absorbed by the Path of Love.
Then… came the third possibility.
—*Animal World*.
“Is this… the legendary ‘Cicada Molting’?”
The Archmage, in spirit form, widened his eyes, watching the battle between the Sky Warrior and the King of Earth. The white horse appeared so fragile before the giant bear, being thrown away almost the moment they met. However, a curse wrapped around the giant bear, causing it immense pain. Eivass looked up at the sky—such an intense battlefield could not affect the two dead individuals one bit. Even though everything was covered by the filters of fairy tales and animals, they could see what a bloody battle this was.
“The Path of Adaptation was called the Path of Hunting back then, and the golden male lion was the [Hunting King].” Eivass said slowly. “Before the Wing Heavenly Envoy became a Heavenly Envoy, he was an extremely powerful warrior… At the same time, he was also an ancient and powerful mage. He relied on the power of the Path of Hunting for enhancements, using the power of the [Hunting King] to defeat the King of Earth. He once wanted to bestow the glory upon the Hunting King…”
—However, the white horse considered the lion arrogant, and the lion considered the white horse foolish. Although the Hunting King lent his power to the Winged One, he did not believe that the Wing Heavenly Envoy, still a mortal, could defeat the King of Earth, nor did he believe he could become “King” because of it. For a king must be a carnivore. This so-called king should be a god! The King of Earth was not some mortal, but a Heavenly Envoy… or even a Pillar God!
“Thus, the white horse and the golden lion parted on bad terms. The white horse became the ‘King,’ commanding his animals…” Eivass looked at the small animals with white wings and, after a pause, replied in a low voice, “Becoming the King of Winged Ones, the Wing Heavenly Envoy.”
“And then?!” The old mage’s eyes trembled. He stared intently at everything before him, eagerly listening to the many secrets Eivass revealed. The driving force of the Path of Wisdom roared within his soul, endless curiosity and mystery like an unstoppable millstone, grinding his will to dust. For the extraordinary beings of the Path of Wisdom, the urge to solve puzzles was irresistible; a hidden truth was far more valuable than life.
“If I can hear the Tao in the morning, I can die in the evening!”
“Then…” Eivass was about to answer. But at that moment, just as the giant bear was about to pounce on the battered white horse, time suddenly stopped. Three illusory light doors appeared beside Eivass, each covered in vines. The question was also presented at the opportune moment:
[What should the ending of the story be?]
—[Splitting]? [Fusion]? [Betrayal]?
It was self-evident what Eivass had to choose. These three options corresponded to the possibilities of [The Wing Heavenly Envoy splitting into Great Philosopher and Supreme Heaven], [Hengwo and Beast Lord intertwining], and [The Silver Crown Dragon suppressing the Calamity Demon Dragon].
The first painting and the second painting had subtle differences. If the first painting was about “many things that shouldn’t exist appeared,” requiring manual pruning… the second painting had many ambiguous statements, where any option could be correct. It required observation and choice to determine which direction it would ultimately lean.
Alistair’s first question was likely answered incorrectly. If he chose “both,” then the subsequent plot could only lead to the first ending… but fortunately, it was reversed later. He didn’t know how many points would be deducted, but Alistair probably had no hope of winning through points, whereas Eivass could win through points…
However, according to this logic… wouldn’t the third painting be missing something, requiring human intervention to supplement it?
Eivass thought so and chose the door of [Splitting]. He strode into it, walked to the end, and pushed open the door without hesitation.
—At this moment, the storm had ceased. The sun was shining, and spring had arrived. The white horse, clad in a bearskin cloak and wearing a crown, paced slowly atop the tall tower. At this time, it did not look as purely white as before. Its fur, in contact with the crackling flames, had turned black, becoming like charred charcoal, emitting wisps of smoke. It had become “King.” The red fox no longer stood on its back but circled at its feet.
“Have you decided?” the fox asked. The white horse was silent for a long time before replying, “I must eventually face [Truth].” Its voice was no longer as clear as a young boy’s, but had become low, hoarse, and mature. It turned back, and there were still traces of blood in its horse mouth. —That was the residue of carnivorous consumption. Its pupils had turned black and red—black as the base, with red crosshair-like pupils. Those were the eyes of the red bear from before.
“I defeated the carnivores, and I began to be carnivorous; those who defeated tyrants also became tyrants; the riddles I solved became another riddle… All things seem to be in a cycle. Repeating endlessly, no one can escape the shackles of fate…” The white horse said in a low voice, “Only ‘Truth’ can give me an answer.”
“…Where is the Truth?”
“As long as that tightly shut door is opened, one can step into that river where no one has gone. Although our beastly nature always makes us resist the Truth, I must obtain it, obtain… Wisdom. Just as I obtained Power. Without wisdom, we live confusedly on Earth. We will always fall into endless cycles. Only by contacting the Truth can everything be clarified. I will return, fox. You just guard this tower… When I obtain the Truth, I will resolve everyone’s confusion. Why we fight, and why we live.”
So said the white horse.
At this moment, on the other side.
An aged white dog stood silently aside, coldly gazing at the remains of the lion. It had collapsed on its side at some point, its chest and mouth covered in blood. It had died of poison. A black mole was greedily chewing on its liver. It turned to the white dog and said with a smile, its voice sharp, “Want some? Share and share alike—you still have a chance to regret, don’t you? Mage?”
“No need, sir,” the old dog replied coldly. “My mind is made up.”
“Then you should call me…” As the mole spoke, its body suddenly melted into black mud. It reassembled, transforming into an immensely giant Roc, which then threw the lion’s remains into the sky and swallowed them whole. Then, the dark golden eyes of the bird turned back and coldly gazed at the old dog, “Call me ‘Your Majesty’.”
“No need,” the old dog replied. “In my life, I have only served one Majesty. …Lord of Scales and Feathers.”
The Roc stared at him coldly for a long time, then flapped its wings and took flight. It let out a world-shaking cry in the sky, announcing its birth. In the distance, the white horse, cloaked in burning deep red bearskin, also looked up. It too took flight, its pure white wings burning with red flames, trailing a deep red arc, like the sun in the sky. The hundred beasts on the ground looked up at the two new kings in the sky.
And the sky at this moment had entered twilight. The sun in the twilight was precisely obscured by the Roc behind it. The next moment, the entire world turned into light, condensing into a complete painting. On the left, the giant Roc, obscuring the sunset, making it seem as if night had arrived early; on the right, the white horse burning with fierce flames, shining brilliantly like the sun, illuminating half the sky. The hundred beasts on the ground looked up at the sky.
That might be the day of rebirth, or it might be the end of times. Perhaps the beginning of the end, or… the end of the beginning.
[Rebellion is the first sharp blade of the helpless, and curses will be the last. History will eventually cycle, once, twice, thrice… No one can escape the curse of the eternal ring. Those who become kings will surely die by the sword, and those who kill by the sword will surely become kings. This may be a paradox, or perhaps a cycle. Who knows? Let alone all living beings, even all gods are just blood-drinking beasts, preying on each other…]
[—Completed, *Animal World*]
A voice, both young and solemn, echoed in Eivass and Alistair’s ears.
(End of this chapter)
