The Aspiration of the Blue Clouds was driven by an emotion of absolute Justice.

Under the influence of this pure, fervent, solemn, sacred, and impassioned emotion, everyone’s self-perception was temporarily altered. They were Assimilated by Zhou Chen’s Justice Avatar. Now, if you were to pick any one of them at random, they would believe themselves to be an invincible Celestial Venerable Immortal Emperor, or perhaps the protagonist of a hot-blooded manga.

A firm will, determination, and courage were the best ways to strengthen the Light of Spiritual.

"Silver saddle on a white steed, swift as a shooting star. Ten steps, one kill; for a thousand miles, I leave no trail!" A little girl, who just moments ago had been crying on the street, now stood with her hands behind her back, her face filled with a lofty arrogance, like a worldly master. She casually picked up a straight tree branch as faint arcs of cyan electricity crackled around her body. Now immeasurably strong, she charged toward several brawling adults and whipped them a few times, leaving them covered in bloody welts and crying out in pain.

"A man’s heart is iron till death. Watch as I try my hand and mend the heavens! Audis, you old scoundrel, taste my sword!" Not far away, a boy with torn clothes roared, picking up a branch and thrusting it at a notoriously vicious hoodlum from the neighborhood.

"Where the sea ends, the sky is its shore; when I reach the mountain’s peak, I become the summit. Before me, all evil shall be brought to justice!" A child, far more robust than his peers, roared as he raised his fists and hammered a nearby adult who was committing a crime, beating him until his face was black and blue.

"What power! What power! This Power is so strong and mighty! Heheheh. Dad, do you remember? You were addicted to women, drugs, and gambling, and you killed my mother with your own hands. It’s a good thing I was clever enough to escape. Even back then, I wanted to smash your head in. Dad, I’ve held onto that hatred in the bottom of my heart. Right now, I feel just like I did that day. I really want to smash your head in, Dad. Today is the day you die! Gyeheheheh!!" A child let out a gleeful, manic cackle, swinging an electricity-wreathed fist and smashing it into his scumbag of a father.

"I am the Celestial Emperor, and I shall suppress all my foes!"

"The bright sun commands ten thousand swords, its light shines upon the nine provinces. A thousand mountains chase the sun and moon, my Dao flows like a great river—Swords, come to me!"

"When yin and yang are thrown into chaos, I shall dye the heavens with my demonic blood. I’d like to see who dares stand in my way today! Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!"

The children, who just moments ago were weeping in despair and trembling in the face of doom, had now been transformed. Each was filled with boundless heroic spirit. Under the blessing of the Aspiration of the Blue Clouds, their combat power soared. Though young and small, they were now able to beat the adults—who had been driven mad by the corrosion of sin—until they were screaming for their mothers and fathers.

In the chaotic town, one crime after another was stopped. The flames of riot were gradually extinguished. Countless points of pure, illusory light shone from the children’s bodies, becoming dazzling beacons in the turbulent night, dispelling the Darkness and sin.

"No... NO!!!"

Satan was starting to panic. In its Sensing, the Power of sin being generated in Akita Town was rapidly fading!

This wouldn’t cause its current form to devolve, but without an inexhaustible source of Power, its injuries could no longer recover instantly.

It was no longer "immortal"!

"Trying to cut off my Power supply at its source? Wishful thinking!"

Satan roared, and a rolling black mud of sin erupted from its body, surging out like a tsunami. As the origin of the spiritual pollution, it now issued a final command to all the humans it had corrupted.

The adults, who had been beaten into a stupor by the children and lay collapsed on the ground, began to convulse. Their bodies gradually became hideous and deformed, showing the signs of a Corrupter. Flesh and blood writhed, forming mutated limbs, organs, tumors, and pustules...

Countless faces filled with venomous hatred and pain looked up, their eyes shooting out beams of malicious light as they shrieked wildly.

In an instant, a pandemonium of demons erupted as the corrupted monsters eagerly pounced on the bloody meal before them.

"Heretical Evil Demons, you dare act so wantonly?"

"Looking down upon the ages, accustomed to life and death, we Cultivators have never shied away from a fight!"

"My Sword Qi stretches thirty thousand miles; the cold gleam of my blade chills nineteen continents. Today, I, Clark Wayne, once again enter the realm of the Land Sword Immortal!"

Faced with the hideous, mutated monsters, the children showed no fear and charged into battle. Boosted by the Aspiration of the Blue Clouds, their Power was enough to contend with the Corrupters.

Jack lay on the ground. He could feel the sincere and fervent emotion deep in his heart, but he couldn’t muster any energy.

He was old.

After being tormented for so many long years, he no longer had the hot-blooded passion and drive of his youth.

But he couldn’t help but reveal a gratified smile. Looking at the figure who commanded the Thunderbolt, his eyes were filled with solemn gratitude.

Akita Town was saved.

’Thank you... for making my wish come true.’

"Jack Reeves, your determination and will shall become the blade that slays the Demon."

’I will fulfill your lifelong wish.’

Zhou Chen gripped the Crystal Spearhead, which was about the length of a sword. He wiped his hand across it, and a fierce, cyan Thunderbolt flared to life, stretching out to form a long shaft.

Countless points of radiance, like brilliant stars, rose from all over Akita Town, flying over to gather at this spot. The pure Light of Spiritual from all the children’s hearts was now United as One.

When the blinding Thunderbolt faded, it revealed a slender Crystal spear shaft condensed from the extension of the Light of Spiritual. Only then was this Weapon officially complete. It was gorgeous and dreamlike, exquisite and solemn, refracting a seven-colored halo as it moved.

Zhou Chen swung the Long Spear in a series of sweeping slashes. A cross-shaped, piercing radiance flew out, tearing a cross-shaped scar into the gushing black mud in the distance.

But Satan’s figure was nowhere to be seen within it.

"Over here!"

Renie’s shout came from behind and to the side. In a hidden, inconspicuous corner, a puddle of black mud instantly writhed and took the form of Satan.

Renie had discovered Satan’s sneak attack. She decisively swung her Jet Sword in a leaping strike.

Essence was injected, and the engine vents on the back of the Jet Sword ejected a blinding flash of lightning, providing instantaneous secondary propulsion. It whipped up a low-humming hurricane in the air, as if a weight of ten thousand tons was crashing down.

BOOM! Satan sank abruptly. The carapace and Dragon Scales on its body disintegrated as the heavy Jet Sword cleaved deep into its shoulder.

Renie tried to pull it out, but the Jet Sword was stuck fast. She immediately abandoned the greatsword and dodged backward.

But it was too late. Satan had taken the hit for the sole purpose of finding a chance to kill her.

The Light of Sloth shone, and Renie’s retreat speed suddenly slowed. Just as Satan’s gluttonous maw was about to bite down, a tyrannical cyan Thunderbolt erupted from her body, tearing through Satan’s carapace and sending it flying.

The Aspiration of the Blue Clouds was active.

With a flash of fire, Zhou Chen appeared in front of Satan. Accompanied by lightning and flames, the Crystal Spear stabbed out like a sudden storm, easily piercing the demonic body of sin and creating ghastly, searing craters.

In excruciating pain, Satan swatted the Long Spear away as the four pairs of dragon wings on its back melted like ice cream into viscous black mud.

A shrill shriek came from the black sludge. This materialized sin transformed into a torrent, surging toward Zhou Chen.

CLANG!

The Long Spear touched the ground, and a ripple of dreamlike light washed out. Wherever it passed, some of the sin was purified and destroyed.

"Light!"

Renie, behind him, threw a Talisman Stone and shouted the Spell.

The Talisman Stone exploded in midair, bursting with scorching divine Holy Light. Beams of Purification light shone down, causing Satan unbearable pain as its body suddenly collapsed into a pool of black mud.

In the surging sea of mud in the distance, Satan’s figure reappeared, its aura already somewhat weakened.

"It’s all yours," Renie said, retreating to Old Jack’s side. Although she had drunk a few Alchemy Potions to recover, the days of Forging had completely exhausted her mental energy.

"Mm."

Wisps of cyan lightning leaped across Zhou Chen’s body, and the ocean of Thunderbolt covering all of Akita Town became active in response.

He tightened his grip on the Long Spear, and a blazing light shone in his eyes.

As if sensing the aura of death, Satan grew even more frenzied. A large amount of viscous Darkness flowed from its body, merging into the black sea of sin around it, which churned, expanded, and spread.

It was drawing on the Power of sin with all its might!

The next second, a magnificent thunderclap roared, and a shockwave swept out.

Zhou Chen shot forward like an electric bolt. Countless gorgeous cyan thunderbolts, lightning flashes, and sparks flew with him, dancing and stretching for dozens of meters behind him like savage wings of Thunderbolt.

Fueled by Essence, Thunderbolt and fire intertwined. The Long Spear in his hand erupted with a dazzling, fierce light, burning violently.

A pitch-black torrent rushed toward him, condensed from countless Original Sins and malicious intents. Any living being that still possessed desire would be swallowed and dissolved by it.

But under the burning light of the solemn Long Spear, the torrent of sludge rapidly melted away. Thousands of pure wills converged into a single line at this moment, bursting forward!

Fierce light erupted from the spear’s blade, piercing the painful night. The dazzling radiance made the world as bright as day.

The spear, condensed from the pure Light of Spiritual, thrust out with Zhou Chen’s roar.

Forward—

Piercing through the deepest Darkness and sin, section by section!

A Demon born from the evil in humanity should be vanquished by the light of humanity!

The searing brilliance easily tore through layer after layer of Darkness and finally, pierced its target.

CRACK...

The demonic body froze. Its Dark Soul solidified and began to show fissures. Beneath the cracks, a dreamlike light faintly surged.

Satan’s eyes widened, unable to accept what was happening.

Immediately after, a magnificent, blazing light erupted from within its body. In an instant of silence, Satan turned to ash. With the annihilation of its Soul, it could no longer be reborn.

The night of turmoil was over.

Witnessing the Demon’s death, Jack closed his eyes peacefully. A weariness originating from the depths of his Soul washed over him.

He was so tired.

He wanted... to rest for a good, long while.

Suddenly, Jack felt something cold and icy land on his face. He opened his eyes to see.

Snowflakes were drifting down from the sky.

It was snowing.

"There’s one last job to do."

Zhou Chen put away the Crystal Spear and took the Contract Ring from his Justice Avatar, slipping it on his finger.

Then, he raised his hand and beckoned, and the crisp sound of bells rang out from the heavens.

A flash of light enveloped his body, and he was cloaked in a magnificent red robe.

JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE—

The sound of bells grew closer. In the sky, nine exquisitely adorned reindeer pulled a sled, treading through the air and leaving a long trail of Star Dust behind them.

Finally, they stopped in front of Zhou Chen.

On the Prayer System’s panel, a brand-new title appeared.

—[Santa Claus]!

This was the Ability of that Ruby.

Zhou Chen still hadn’t figured out the origin of that Ruby, but the Ability it possessed had appeared in his mind the moment he fused with it.

He sat on the sled, pulled the reins, and turned to look at Jack and Renie, saying with a smile, "Want to come for a ride?"

"Yes, yes!" Renie nodded eagerly. Riding in Santa Claus’s sled was cool in every sense of the word.

Without waiting for Jack to answer, Renie helped him up from the ground and led him onto the sled.

Zhou Chen flicked the reins, and the reindeer pulled the sled into the air, leaving behind a beautiful trail of Star Dust.

Amidst the crisp, pleasant sound of the bells, Zhou Chen made a Prayer.

And so, heaven and earth were overturned.

The Christmas Sled streaked across the night sky, sprinkling down brilliant stardust. The scenery below began to rewind rapidly, day and night spinning in reverse as everything returned to the "save point."

Akita Town Rebooted once more.

But this time, under the intervention of Zhou Chen’s Prayer, there would be no Natas, no death, and no misfortune.

The cycle in Akita Town was over, and Jack’s mission, which had lasted for decades, was also over.

"Merry Christmas."

As the reindeer pulled the sled through the air, Zhou Chen’s laughter soared across the sky.

Akita Town once again welcomed Christmas Day.