---o---
"Urgh…"
The moment he came to his senses, as all of Ron's perceptions returned to his body, he felt a faint, phantom ache emerge in his chest.
The death in this simulation was his real, first-ever death with his consciousness fully immersed…
Although nearly every previous simulation had ended with his death, and the simulated Ron had died in countless miserable and abstract ways—even dying twice in a single run—it didn't mean that Ron had ever truly experienced the sensation of death.
Every time before, he would just watch the lines of text on the screen, or see the images play out, observing his simulated self die in some new fashion… but that was the extent of it.
For the Ron in reality, the "deaths" brought on by text and images were not deaths at all. What was the difference between a character you're playing in a game dying and actual death?
After the simulation ended, Ron wouldn't retain the full memories of that run, so naturally, he wouldn't know what death felt like.
In his prior simulations, there was basically no need for him to immerse his consciousness. On the rare occasions he did, it was never in a particularly dangerous situation. Or rather, he would have already ended the conscious immersion before the moment of death, never having felt true death…
But this time was different.
This was the first time Ron had died in a simulation while his consciousness was fully immersed… [The Destruction] Nanook's hand had pierced his chest, viciously crushing his heart.
That feeling of helpless decay, the sharp, piercing pain in his chest, the agony of his heart being crushed, and the sensation of his lifeblood and strength draining away… his whole body had felt as if it were being sucked dry, gradually losing all strength, his consciousness slowly fading. This was all now deeply etched into Ron's mind.
The feeling of life fading away, of personally descending into the abyss of death… Ron had now truly experienced it.
Ron had thought this death would leave him with some serious after-effects. But in reality, aside from the fleeting phantom pain upon returning, he felt almost no severe changes. The death brought by [The Destruction] Nanook himself hadn't managed to break him in the slightest, not even leaving a single psychological scar…
Perhaps it was because Ron had loaded so many entries, each one representing a grand achievement in a simulation, a manifestation of his past lives, which in turn granted him a far greater-than-normal capacity to endure?
Or perhaps it was simply because Ron could bear this extreme pain, unafraid of the coldness of death…
His will had not wavered in the slightest due to the agony of death. Death, as an obstacle, could no longer influence Ron's choices.
The greatest impact this death had on Ron, aside from that momentary phantom pain, was a slight dip in his mood…
He simply felt an extreme disgust for this powerless death, and that was all.
The impact of this death on Ron was minimal. He just shook his head and immediately returned to his normal state.
He shifted his gaze forward, looking at the new line of text that had appeared on the light screen.
[You have died.]
[[The Destruction] Nanook ran you through, seizing your heart and crushing it into dust in an instant.]
[Your heart completely exploded, turning into a mist of blood that scattered across the branches of the Tree of Existence and into the great void, your life fading away in that transcendent place…..]
[Your life force became fuel for a flame, staining the branches of the Tree of Existence, but it burned for no more than a few dozen seconds…]
[In the blaze created from the remnants of the nascent Path of [Salvation], the slightly withered bark of the Tree returned to its original state the moment the flames died out, suffering no damage whatsoever.]
[You died completely within the narrow passage between Paths, leaving not a single trace behind. Only white ash dissipated into the endless void, never to land anywhere in the world.]
---o---
[After your death, your sudden disappearance on the very first day alerted Master Diviner Fu Xuan of the Xianzhou [Luofu] Divination Commission… She believed you were a reliable Divination Commission diviner. You were hardworking enough and special enough that you shouldn't have just vanished so suddenly.]
[Upon discovering this, your superior very seriously activated the Matrix of Prescience at full power. It was said that the last time the Matrix was activated with such intensity was during the third Abundance War; it was absolutely unheard of on a normal day…]
[But for you, she activated the Matrix of Prescience without a second thought, attempting to use it to divine why you suddenly disappeared, what you experienced, and where you have gone now—]
[But even as she exhausted all her strength, completely draining all her energy and pushing herself to the brink of collapse to activate the Matrix of Prescience, the fully operational, overloaded Matrix was on the verge of a serious malfunction. Yet, it could only deduce a few silhouettes of you, serving as minor pieces of evidence in the "Case of Ron's Disappearance"…]
[Although they didn't see everything you went through, they still saw a few of the more important scenes, enough to discern that you had once walked the Path of a Pathstrider, perished at the hands of [The Destruction] Nanook, and were finally reduced to a brilliant golden flame that burned the Tree of Existence…]
[Regarding your death, the Divination Commission of the Luofu was deeply grieved. They held a memorial service for you, stating that even though you were a new employee who had only been there for half a month, you were still an indispensable member of the Divination Commission…]
[The shopkeepers of the Aurum Alley Merchants' Guild who had once received your favor were greatly shocked by your sudden death. With extreme sorrow, they joined the diviners of the Divination Commission for the memorial service and provided immense help with the post-mortem feast… in terms of culinary flavor.]
[It is reported that Qingque, who had some contact with you, was quite saddened by your death. She stopped playing Celestial Jade for a whole day. It wasn't until the day of the memorial feast that she finally recovered from her grief, her face beaming with joy thanks to the authentic, old-Luofu cuisine—]
[Afterward, many diviners who attended your memorial service were heard secretly praising it, saying, "Ron's feast was truly delicious!" and "I've never had such good tofu soup in my life…". All sorts of praises were endless, and soon, the news had unintentionally spread throughout the entire Luofu.]
[Everyone became curious as to why the food at Ron's feast was so delicious. Some enterprising individuals even collaborated with the master chefs of Aurum Alley to create a multi-course meal in your name, calling it "Ron Cuisine." As the matter became widely known and gossip spread, some people genuinely began to believe that "Ron Cuisine" was an authentic local delicacy of the Luofu…]
[Before long, everyone started talking about Ron's death with amusement. "Ron Cuisine" became a strange hot topic, and many knock-off restaurants trying to cash in on the trend added the so-called "Ron Cuisine" to their menus. Under the solemn protest of the Divination Commission, these trend-chasing establishments were strictly ordered to close down and were fined by the Sky-Faring Commission…]
[However, because there were too many such establishments, the Sky-Faring Commission's hands grew tired from collecting fines. Ultimately, they decided to set aside the fines related to "Ron Cuisine" and jointly established a funeral assistance fund with the Divination Commission, aimed at ensuring that when people die, they can rely on this fund to have a good meal—]
[Although the people of the Xianzhou rarely die, this fund is basically never used.]
[As time went on, your name was also gradually forgotten… No one was greatly affected by your death. The ones most affected were, conversely, the members of the original Aurum Alley Merchants' Guild, some of whom truly felt a deep sense of grief over your passing—]
[It is heard that the renowned master of dark cuisine and culinary martial arts, Yancui, under the tight-lipped silence of the diviners, managed to find out that your death was influenced by [The Destruction]. Furious, she packed her bags the next day, seemingly to accompany a Cloud Knight escort to the currently chaotic planet of Jarilo-VI, as if wanting to find trouble in the Annihilation Gang's territory…]
Looking at the lines of text on the screen, Ron couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated and nearly choked on his own saliva.
He gazed at the words on the screen, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards involuntarily, but he felt that laughing like this wasn't quite right—after all, it was his death. Shouldn't he be a bit more serious?!
"Pfft-hahahaha…"
But he really couldn't hold it in. This already not-so-serious atmosphere was shattered by him.
Alright, he couldn't help it, it was only normal. The events that unfolded after his death in this simulation were quite abstract. Anyone who saw it would have to have a laugh.
Who on earth could have said, "Ron's feast was truly delicious!" and then started a wild rumor that eventually led to the creation of something called "Ron Cuisine" as an authentic Luofu delicacy?
And the collected fines ended up establishing such a useless fund? The people of Xianzhou only die once every eight hundred years or so, and the funeral industry on the Luofu is almost non-existent. Even if a Xianzhou native dies, it's from being "mara-struck," a death that doesn't even count as death… How could this funeral fund ever be used?
It was too absurd… Of course, the most absurd thing had to be Chef Yancui. If she wanted to find trouble with [The Destruction], she should at least target the Antimatter Legion. What was the point of turning around to fight the Annihilation Gang?
That bunch from the Annihilation Gang are true mongrels, the kind of trash that even [The Destruction] Nanook wouldn't spare a glance for… It's doubtful there are even a few Pathstriders of [The Destruction] among them. Going there to cause trouble is purely picking the wrong target, isn't it?
Looking at the text on the light screen, the smile on Ron's lips gradually faded, the curve of his smile slowly flattening, and a trace of emotion flickered in his eyes.
The bottom line he maintained in this simulation was, in the end, not without meaning.
Although almost no one on the Xianzhou [Luofu] remembered him, and no one cared about this outsider who had only been there for a little over half a month, his actions ultimately earned him respect…
The members of the Aurum Alley Merchants' Guild, who had received subsidies from him far exceeding the market price, remembered his kindness and did not forget it even after he died…
Thinking of this, the frustration that Ron had just felt from experiencing death in the simulation, from that cold, powerless sense of emptiness, was swept away in this moment.
They say a person's death is not the end of their physical life, but rather the moment the last person forgets you. The body of the simulated Ron may be dead, but at least there were still people who remembered him. Perhaps that couldn't be called a complete death.
Ron's thoughts wandered, but he quickly reined them in, no longer pondering the philosophical questions of life and death.
There were more important things to do now… The simulation was nearing its end. Ron needed to see what kind of rewards this simulation would yield, and whether they could help him formulate a plan to break through the veil of fate laid out by Terminus, the Finality, and bring him new assistance…
With this in mind, Ron tapped the screen in front of him, allowing the simulation to continue.
The simulated text on the screen faded, and new lines of text appeared—
---o---
[Xianzhou [Luofu], 71 days after Ron's death.]
[Monsters of eternal, endless form swarmed from every corner of the Luofu. Almost no one reacted before they discovered that their families, friends, and even any Xianzhou native they might encounter had inexplicably become disciples of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. They transformed into terrifying, mara-struck monsters, wreaking havoc in the streets of the Xianzhou [Luofu].]
[These Abundance abominations, just like before, indiscriminately launched terrorist attacks against the entire Xianzhou [Luofu]. Many people died tragically at the hands of these creatures, their bodies pierced and their flesh torn apart by the twisted bio-spikes on the monsters…]
[The current Xianzhou [Luofu] has unimaginably become a hunting ground for these Abundance abominations… A common Xianzhou native merely walking down the street runs an extremely high risk of being pounced on by a monster emerging from a shadowy corner, their throats ripped out by its sharp teeth.]
[Thanks to the vigorous life force of the Xianzhou people, these poor souls would, in their despair, feel the agony of their flesh being torn away bit by bit. The frenzied Abundance abominations possessed not a shred of reason; their actions were driven entirely by their rampant and insatiable appetite—]
[The Xianzhou people attacked by these abominations would be torn apart and devoured alive, piece by piece. Their flesh and resentment would become sustenance in the stomachs of the abominations, spurring the growth of even more bio-spikes from their bodies, making their forms even more twisted…]
[The sudden terrorist attacks erupted in every grotto-heaven on the Xianzhou [Luofu]. The sheer density of the attack locations was unimaginable. The remaining Cloud Knights on the Xianzhou [Luofu] were completely unable to deal with these terrifying monsters…]
[The Divine Foresight of the Luofu was only momentarily stunned, the center of power bewildered for a moment. Then, everyone snapped back to their senses, recalling all the Cloud Knights still developing Belobog and repairing the ice cream-ball-like Jarilo-VI at the fastest possible speed. They were deployed to every corner of the Xianzhou [Luofu] to prevent possible attacks from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.]
[The Divination Commission of the Luofu reacted at the first moment. Master Diviner Fu Xuan immediately activated the Matrix of Prescience for divination. At a speed that made one wonder if she had even calculated at all, she completed the divination task, pinpointing the source of the plague of Yaoshi to be the Alchemy Commission's Elixir Censer Master, Dan Shu.]
[This blind Elixir Censer Master of the Alchemy Commission had fallen into madness under the grace of the Reignbow Arbiter, her heart filled with endless malevolence. She had taken over the so-called "Disciples of Sanctus Medicus," becoming the "leader" of the believers of the Denizens of Abundance. She often tricked and deceived innocent people into consuming her refined "panacea elixirs," causing them to fester with evil under the power of the Denizens of Abundance, fall into mara, and transform into twisted monsters amidst endless pain.]
[Upon hearing the Master Diviner's explanation, the entire Xianzhou [Luofu] was in an uproar… Due to the extremely vicious results and the inhumanly cruel terrorist attacks of these Abundance abominations, everyone gnashed their teeth in hatred for this so-called Dan Shu, wishing they could tear her to shreds and feed her to the very abominations she created.]
[And all this was not without effect… After almost all the Cloud Knights returned to the Xianzhou [Luofu] and to their posts, the rampaging Abundance abominations were immediately met with immense resistance—]
[The Cloud Knights are not helpless commoners. While ordinary people have no way to defeat these Abundance abominations, that doesn't mean the Cloud Knight soldiers, who fight across the seas of stars and are always on guard against Abundance attacks, cannot.]
[While these Abundance abominations are terrifying, at most, they are on the same level as other Abundance abominations in the sea of stars, perhaps even a few notches weaker. That is all.]
[Be it the Wingweavers or the Borisin, which of these Abundance abominations isn't more terrifying than the mara-struck monsters currently running rampant on the Xianzhou [Luofu]…?]
[Those Abundance abominations possess biological technology more advanced than the Luofu's, and equally intelligent minds and rationality. They aren't like these mara-struck monsters, whose rationality vanished the moment they fell to mara, washed away by the tides of memory, completely swallowed by the sorrow and recollections of long life, becoming utterly mindless beasts.]
[After the Cloud Knights returned to the Luofu, the mara-struck abominations rampaging on the Luofu were immediately put on the back foot. It was no longer like before, where they created countless terrorist attacks and massacres every day, bringing indiscriminate destruction and terror to the innocent people of the Xianzhou…]
[Meanwhile, the Divination Commission's investigation into the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, Dan Shu, also proceeded without hindrance. Under the leadership of Master Diviner Fu Xuan, the leader and all the Pathstriders of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were exposed under the surveillance of the Omniscia. In less than half a month, the Pathstriders and the leader "Dan Shu" were completely rounded up, bound and thrown into the Shackling Prison, falling entirely into the hands of the Ten-Lords Commission, awaiting nothing but merciless interrogation and utter death—]
[However, just when everyone thought the turmoil on the Xianzhou [Luofu] would settle down and return to normal, with all the leaders of the "Disciples of Sanctus Medicus" captured and thrown to the Ten-Lords Commission…]
[The frequency of Abundance abomination appearances increased rather than decreased compared to before.]
[A massive explosion occurred at the recently constructed Aurum Alley Stardock. A deep purple flame ignited within the explosion. Afterward, a speck of starlight could be seen within the flames, shining as brightly as the most brilliant star in the night sky amidst the port's explosion…]
[In the next moment, that speck of starlight flew towards the Scalegorge Waterscape—towards the stump of the Ambrosial Arbor's husk.]
[You, relying on your previous memories and experience, easily captured the Pathstriders of the "Disciples of Sanctus Medicus" and their leader, Dan Shu. These lunatics remained silent in the face of your curses. You were filled with disgust for these anti-human lunatics, tied them up like dumplings, and handed them over to the Cloud Knights to be transported to the Shackling Prison for strict judgment by the Ten-Lords Commission.]
[Just as you were solving these troubles, preparing to take your superior, General Jing Yuan, to deal with the [Lord Ravager Phantylia] who was still on the Xianzhou [Luofu] but currently lacked a useful body, a huge explosion occurred at the recently built Aurum Alley Stardock. A Stellaron inexplicably flew out of the explosion, heading straight for the Scalegorge Waterscape.]
[Seeing that Stellaron, you knew this was bad… You knew clearly that this was the essential item [Lord Ravager Phantylia] used to spur the growth of the Ambrosial Arbor and usurp it as her body.]
[You are well aware of General Jing Yuan's capabilities… As the general of the Xianzhou [Luofu] and a [Hunt] Emanator stationed here, although Jing Yuan cannot be considered a combat specialist, he is absolutely capable of easily expelling a [Lord Ravager Phantylia] who lacks a suitable vessel.]
[But if [Lord Ravager Phantylia] truly obtained the Ambrosial Arbor spurred into growth by the Stellaron, then everything would be completely finished…]
[Possessing the Ambrosial Arbor as a body, [Lord Ravager Phantylia] would have power far exceeding the vast majority of Emanators. This [Destruction] Emanator, having usurped the Arbor, would be equivalent to receiving the boon of [The Abundance]. She could almost be considered an Emanator of two Paths combined, a truly unsolvable problem…]
[It is now too late to send a message through the Zhuming system to request reinforcements… The Xianzhou [Yaoqing], the sister ship of the Xianzhou [Luofu], is currently hunting abominations in a distant star region. It is unaware that the Luofu is facing a Lord Ravager. Requesting their help is no longer feasible.]
[And the Xianzhou [Luofu] is the only Xianzhou ship without a complete Dragon Sovereign to guard it… The previous Imbibitor Lunae committed a grave error, and the molting punishment was incomplete. The new Dragon Sovereign has also not fully inherited the power of the Imbibitor Lunae.]
[Having lost the protection of the Dragon Sovereign, the Xianzhou [Luofu] has lost one of its two most powerful combatants. Now, only General Jing Yuan can be relied upon… It has reached the most perilous moment.]
The text on the screen faded away, and a new selection box appeared:
[Now that the Luofu is on the brink of life and death, [Lord Ravager Phantylia] is by no means an easy opponent. Everything that is about to happen is crystal clear…]
[Faced with the threat of such a [Destruction] Emanator, you no longer have time to consider—]
[Quick, make a choice now… This choice will undoubtedly affect the future of the Luofu.]
[The survival of the Luofu, at this moment, rests entirely in your hands.]
[Please choose—]
[1. "This is no time for thinking, it's time for a heavy fist!"]
[Right now, immediately, at once! You know that [Lord Ravager Phantylia] is not far from taking control of the Ambrosial Arbor. You must lead General Jing Yuan to find Phantylia before she usurps the Arbor and defeat her with the power of an Emanator…]
[You decide to head to the Seat of Divine Foresight immediately, find General Jing Yuan who is still dealing with the headache of the endless Abundance abominations, and rush with him to the Scalegorge Waterscape, grabbing the current Dragon Sovereign, Bailu, from the Alchemy Commission on the way to act as a key to open the seals.]
[Choosing this option will trigger the event: "Set to the Torch."]
[2. "It's too late… No, we must find the nearest allies for help first. I hear the Azure Planet is only a few thousand light-years away. We must use the starskiff engine to make a forced jump there and plead for the help of the [Erudition] Emanator, Herta."]
[You know that the Stellaron has already flown into the Scalegorge Waterscape. [Lord Ravager Phantylia] must have been waiting in front of the Ambrosial Arbor for a long time… This Lord Ravager, born from the essence of stellular flame, possesses a mobility that no other Lord Ravager has. No obstacle can hinder her, as she can shift between states of existence and non-existence, as ethereal as a dying ember.]
[It is definitely too late to go and deal with her before she usurps the Ambrosial Arbor… But before she gains complete control of the Arbor's body and chooses not to attack proactively, jumping the Xianzhou [Luofu] next to the Azure Planet is highly feasible.]
[Although the [Erudition] Emanator Herta seems to be a rather aloof character, one would think that as long as a sufficient price is paid, she would definitely be willing to lend a hand.]
[Choosing this option will trigger the event: "Set to the Torch."]
[3. "There is no sacrifice too great to be unacceptable."]
[You decide to stake the inevitable destruction of half the Xianzhou [Luofu] and use the "Reignbow's Decree" you obtained.]
[This "fragment" of a light arrow is a remnant you once retrieved from the body of the [Vine-Dragon Emperor Ron]… This light arrow, although it was embedded directly in the head of the [Vine-Dragon Emperor Ron], is completely different from other Decrees.]
[Although it has already killed an Emanator, it did not disintegrate into dust-like fragments of light. Instead, it still shines with the light of [The Hunt]…]
[It is a light arrow that is almost completely undamaged, in a perfect state.]
[This arrow only needs to be fired to easily destroy a star system. Crushing an Emanator with it is not out of the question.]
[The Ron from that simulation was arguably the most powerful [Abundance] Emanator, yet he still fell to this arrow.]
[If you are willing to sacrifice everything to use it… you might just get an interesting result.]
[Choosing this option will trigger the event: "Equal Destruction."]
Seeing the options on the screen, Fu Xuan couldn't help but frown, subconsciously clutching the warm light arrow she always kept close to her, hidden in the inner lapel of her clothes…
This arrow was her reward from the end of the simulation before last. When she first received it, she was completely stunned, unable to imagine that she could actually obtain a complete Reignbow's Decree.
The reason the Xianzhou [Luofu] had suddenly come to Jarilo-VI and was willing to provide such massive aid to Belobog was that Fu Xuan had presented this arrow, fabricating a so-called "Reignbow's Decree" and using her Omniscia to provide a far-fetched interpretation of the information it contained.
Although the so-called Reignbow's Decree on this arrow was completely different from all previous ones, and Fu Xuan's explanation was barely convincing, she managed to get it past the Luofu's Six Charioteers meeting. They agreed, albeit with suspicion, to aid Belobog, even consenting to alter their previous route and berthing plans to jump directly to Jarilo-VI.
Of course, someone must have seen through the discrepancy… For example, Jing Yuan must have seen that Fu Xuan was lying at a glance. But Fu Xuan had, after all, produced a genuine arrow from the Reignbow Arbiter. Moreover, in Fu Xuan's telling, this was an arrow of peace personally bestowed upon her by the Reignbow Arbiter in a dream, asking her to aid Belobog. It was not like the previous, ferocious arrows that were fired at any sign of trouble in the sea of stars.
But why would the Reignbow Arbiter care about an obscure little planet, about a weak civilization on the verge of destruction on that planet?
This matter couldn't be scrutinized too closely… Perhaps the Six Charioteers were all aware that Fu Xuan was lying, but no one would say it out loud.
After all… no matter what, the arrow Fu Xuan produced was a genuine arrow from the Reignbow Arbiter, a true miracle…
No one would question a miracle… To put it bluntly, if aiding a single civilization on the brink of ruin was all it took to obtain an arrow like this, then the Xianzhou Alliance would transform from the minor philanthropists of the galaxy into super-philanthropists, sprinkling money wherever they went. Even the Interastral Peace Corporation couldn't compete with the Xianzhou Alliance's generous aid.
This also served as a testament to the importance of this arrow—and now, the simulation was even proposing the option of using it.
Has the situation truly become this dire?
Fu Xuan stared at the screen, quite hesitant. To be honest, she had already seen enough information from this simulation. The final outcome of the simulation was no longer of great importance. How she chose now was, frankly, not that crucial to Fu Xuan anymore.
However, she was not prepared to choose option three and use this cold arrow of light.
As a diviner who had lived through the third Abundance War, Fu Xuan's master had faced the Reignbow Arbiter's arrow head-on. Her master had paid the price of her own life and the Divination Commission's artifact, the Foursquare Mirror, to send positioning information to the Reignbow Arbiter. In the next moment, an arrow of light shot down, and more than two-thirds of the grotto-heavens of the Xianzhou [Fanghu] were obliterated, utterly destroyed.
Although those two-thirds of the grotto-heavens were occupied by the Abundance allied forces at the time, and using the Reignbow's Decree was indeed the best choice… it was different now.
That sacrifice could perhaps be called a necessary one, but every corner of the Luofu is now traced with the footsteps of its people… These Xianzhou natives, apart from living longer, are no different from ordinary people; they have no way to withstand the favor of the Reignbow.
To release this arrow—and not one released by the Reignbow Arbiter himself, but an arrow that had killed the most powerful Emanator without taking much damage… It absolutely cannot be released, especially not on the soil of the Luofu.
If this arrow were to be shot, it likely wouldn't be just two-thirds of the grotto-heavens, but the entire Luofu, along with this star system, that would be completely blown apart, turning into scattered stardust.
Fu Xuan didn't feel the situation was desperate enough to warrant mutual destruction… Hasn't Phantylia only just arrived at Scalegorge Waterscape? Based on her previous speed, if she and Jing Yuan rushed over, Phantylia would probably have just settled into the Ambrosial Arbor, her new body not even fully formed yet…
A Phantylia like that, while not weak, was not so terrifying that Jing Yuan would be completely helpless against her.
There's always a chance to try… The probability of victory isn't even that low, so why choose mutual destruction?
With this thought in mind, Fu Xuan pondered for a moment and decisively chose the first option.
The selection box on the screen faded, and new lines of text appeared:
[You decide to leave immediately, head to the Seat of Divine Foresight to get Jing Yuan, rush into the Scalegorge Waterscape to pin that Phantylia to the ground and give her a good thrashing, so she'll never dare to have any funny ideas about the Xianzhou Alliance again…]
[But just as you arrive at the Seat of Divine Foresight, before you can even call out for Jing Yuan to go with you, you suddenly feel an extremely intense palpitation—]
[You and Jing Yuan exchange a look of astonishment, then immediately rush out of the Seat of Divine Foresight, casting your gazes towards the Scalegorge Waterscape…]
[As your gazes sweep over, you discover that the streets, which should have been mostly under control with few rampaging Abundance abominations, are once again filled with many frenzied monsters.]
[But these monsters are different from the previous ones. The color of the bio-growths on their bodies is darker, and they appear to have sharp edges, looking very hard…]
[And in the next moment, these Abundance abominations, as if hearing the same command simultaneously, thrust their hands violently through their own chests, turning their chests inside out as if they'd gone mad, trying to expose the inner layers of their flesh to the outside—]
[And then they actually succeeded in turning their bodies inside out… Their twisted bodies proved their identities. They were Voidrangers that had been converted long ago, war machines of the Antimatter Legion…]
[But unexpectedly, these war machines did not attack passersby. Instead, after turning themselves inside out, they took out their own weapons, stabbed them viciously into the ground beneath their feet, and aimed the sharp points of their weapons at their own "hearts," at the antimatter engines within their chests—]
[You have triggered the event: "Set to the Torch."]
The text on the screen faded, and a new scene appeared:
Far, far away, the landmark that had always served as the central landscape of the Xianzhou [Luofu], which had been reduced to a broken stump after being severed by an arrow…
And now, a brilliant point of starlight landed on that stump. The moment the starlight made contact, a dark purple flame erupted, enveloping the entire Ambrosial Arbor—
At the same time, the Antimatter Legion, already prepared, pierced their own antimatter engines in that instant. Countless antimatter engines detonated, and the resulting wave of dark purple flame swept over the entire Xianzhou [Luofu]…
The scene on the screen faded, and new lines of text appeared—
[The Xianzhou [Luofu], under the self-detonation of a Lord Ravager carrying a Stellaron, was completely engulfed in flames. Everything burned in the calamitous fire of [The Destruction], ultimately turning to ash, with nothing left upon it.]
[But this has nothing to do with you… Long before the destruction of the Xianzhou [Luofu], you had already been obstructed by [The Destruction] Nanook while attempting to climb the Tree of Existence. You died at His hand, thoroughly burned away into pure white ash.]
[You staked everything to learn a piece of information that would drive you to despair… The top of the Tree of Existence has been shrouded by the veil of fate. To climb it, you must find another way.]
[The flames of [The Destruction] have burned all of this away… but you know, this is just an appetizer.]
[Game Over.]
[Score for this life simulation: 70 points.]
[Founding Era, Year 700. The Xianzhou [Luofu] aided Jarilo-VI, which was slowly heading towards extinction in the cold.]
[You also boarded the Xianzhou [Luofu] at this moment. With the help of the Xianzhou [Luofu], Belobog began to rebuild its civilization. Everything seemed to be thriving…]
[Until the flames of [The Destruction] ignited, burning the Xianzhou [Luofu] to cinders.]
[White ash fell upon Jarilo-VI. After learning that the Xianzhou [Luofu] had been completely annihilated, everyone in Belobog, filled with immense sorrow, began to excavate the sparse ashes, attempting to find something within them…]
[Among them, both the Everwinter Monument and the Underworld were extremely fervent in this endeavor, frantically excavating the white ash. Even though not a single relic remained in the ashes, they still dug, still searched, just to find an existence that should not have departed…]
[And amidst this endless ash, the ashes you left behind were the least… Your existence, after being burned away while climbing the Path, was reduced to a tiny speck of fly ash that passed through a crack and fell into a guest room at the Goethe Hotel. Your presence in this boundless ash was practically zero.]
[However, your burning was clearly more meaningful than theirs…]
[As one who traced the Path to its source, who foolishly attempted to climb the Tree of Existence, and who momentarily awakened the nascent concept of the Path of [Destruction], you have received a stern blessing forged from all of this—]
[You have obtained the entry: "Piercing the Veil (Miracle Plan)"]
---o---
PS: OK, another 11k-word chapter. I feel like I've completely burned myself out:-: