The moment her memories returned, Lu Zhi's short black hair visibly grew to her waist, turning silver-white from the roots. Two golden hair ties interlaced the silver strands at her temples into braids, and a black and gold hairband tied her long hair high.
Lu Zhi's attire also changed. She wore a silver-white, noble long robe, with crimson embroidery depicting paintings of clouds and mountains, sky and sea. Her white boots were also adorned with golden threads embroidered with cloud patterns.
The instant Lu Zhi opened her golden eyes, it was as if heaven and earth themselves trembled gently.
Shen Qi, who was locked in a fierce battle with Jun Ninghe, suddenly faltered. He was sent flying by Jun Ninghe and, upon landing, shattered half the landscape.
As Jun Ninghe looked towards Lu Zhi, his expression was a mixture of ecstatic joy, reverence, madness, and unwillingness—a kaleidoscope of emotions that ultimately twisted into a chilling abyss of desire.
Lu Zhi raised her hand, caressing the clouds in the sky. On her fair wrist, a red string was tied with a hollowed-out silver bell. She let out a sudden, light laugh, "The weather in this new world is truly wonderful."
After her exclamation, Lu Zhi tilted her head, her golden pupils meeting Jun Ninghe's. A faint smile curved her lips, "Jun Ninghe, is this the world you created after becoming a god? I like it very much."
"I don't like it!"
Shen Qi, having gotten back to his feet, interrupted Lu Zhi's moment of swagger with a stern voice.
Lu Zhi pouted, then raised an eyebrow in displeasure, "I haven't even settled accounts with you yet, and you dare talk back?"
Saying this, she took a step forward and instantly appeared beside Shen Qi, unceremoniously patting him on the head.
The Tiger God, not wanting the older man (Lu Zhi) and Shen Qi to 'flirt,' covered its eyes with its paws.
Shen Qi was taken aback, then grasped Lu Zhi's wrist, "You've regained your memory?"
Lu Zhi rolled her eyes, "What do you think? I'll settle accounts with you later. Go on, stay out of the way." She waved him off with a look of disdain.
Shen Qi: ...
Jun Ninghe's intense gaze fixed on Lu Zhi made Shen Qi extremely uncomfortable. Refusing to obey Lu Zhi's command to leave, he stood behind her like a guardian, ready to charge forward and stab Jun Ninghe at any moment.
This protective, wolf-like behavior delighted Lu Zhi, making her smile bloom. She suddenly cupped Shen Qi's face, leaned in, and chuckled, "Tsk, you want to get close to me now that I've regained my memory?"
Shen Qi was surprised, meeting Lu Zhi's smiling golden eyes directly. An irrepressible surge of joy swept through him. He excitedly grabbed Lu Zhi's hand, "You've recovered your memory, you also..." Before the words "like me" could be uttered, Jun Ninghe suddenly made a move.
"A god should not have emotions." Jun Ninghe, from beginning to end, desired only Lu Zhi's cold, emotionless demeanor, for Lu Zhi to be aloof and look down upon everything, to scorn all beings. He denied that the god he admired and revered could be a weakling swayed by emotions.
"Retire," Lu Zhi's divine voice fell softly, and Shen Qi's figure was instantly teleported beside the Tiger God.
In the sky, Lu Zhi held Jun Ninghe's sword between two fingers. The wind blew her silver hair, making her look spirited and proud as she said, "It's been tens of thousands of years, why do you still like to wield a long sword?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Zhi grasped the Silver Dragon Spear in the air and attacked Jun Ninghe.
He had been summoned to become a god as a young general. His most formidable weapon was naturally the spear in his hand. He was the god of war during times of conflict, and in terms of combat, Lu Zhi had never feared anyone.
The Silver Dragon Spear and the sword collided hundreds of times in mere moments. The sound of metal striking metal, the aftermath of their power, tore apart the beautiful mountain and river landscape.
Jun Ninghe was no match for Lu Zhi, but Lu Zhi also couldn't kill Jun Ninghe. In this new world created by Jun Ninghe, Jun Ninghe was the sole ruler. No one could kill him; this was Jun Ninghe's fearlessness.
"Mm—" Jun Ninghe gripped the spear piercing his chest, looking at the stern-faced, decisive Lu Zhi, and laughed maniacally, "Yes, that's the look. This is the you I wanted."
Lu Zhi remained expressionless, calmly saying, "I know."
Jun Ninghe's personality was deeply twisted and abnormal. He wanted the god to be superior, yet he also wanted this god's eyes to be solely on him.
It was less about liking him and more about wanting to create a god he approved of and then possess that god.
"Jun Ninghe, you becoming a god was something I facilitated," Lu Zhi's words landed like a bomb. She smiled faintly, "Because you want everything, you want to own everything. You are the most greedy human I have ever seen in this world, the one destined to become a god."