Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 423 - 394 Dreams Begin, Dreams Fade 1

Chapter 423: 394 Dreams Begin, Dreams Fade 1

Looking at the Yinyue body I’ve captured, Ying Lingyun seemingly understands the situation is dire, but still doesn’t give up easily.

He immediately manipulates the metallic silver-white electric light flickering within the resurrection ritual array, transforming it into two massive arcs resembling a tidal wave, attacking me and Ming Zhuo.

I hadn’t expected this metallic silver-white electric light to be used for combat; I immediately counter with flames. Strangely, this electric light seems to possess a sharp attribute of intense aggression, which, although controlled by the ordinary Ying Lingyun without significant density, can actually tear my flames apart with just this sharp attribute.

Observing closely, one can see that this electric light doesn’t seem like real electricity, but rather countless tiny, fine threads akin to Sword Qi, intending to shred anything caught within.

However, this electric light only tears through a small portion of the flames. Since Ying Lingyun finds it hard to fully utilize this powerful, peculiar force, my flames easily push back.

If he struggles against me, he’s even less capable against Ming Zhuo.

Ming Zhuo casually releases a black-red mist, which corrodes and vanishes in the electric light as if tissue paper in a highly acidic solution.

Orange flames and black-red mist simultaneously assault Ying Lingyun, forcing him to concentrate all the power of restart around his body.

The power of restart, which previously troubled me, now needs to protect only him, becoming a seemingly impenetrable barrier. Yet, under the simultaneous attack of Ming Zhuo and my flames, the power of restart still struggles, quickly becoming unstable.

Ming Zhuo’s powers seem to accelerate time, causing contacted life to age and matter to decay.

He hadn’t displayed this attribute in our previous encounter, probably because my defenses were too weak. His mana alone could easily crush my body and spirit, leaving no room for such special traits to manifest.

Now, this special attribute clashes with the "time reversal" attribute of the power of restart. As these opposing attributes clash, it becomes a battle of strength rather than complexity of attributes. Clearly, Ying Lingyun is at a disadvantage, seeming to barely hold on while wrinkles and liver spots appear on his skin.

My flames appear to enclose him, but subtly infiltrate his body amidst the clashing forces. As I suspected, his power of restart doesn’t fully defend against influences in the domains of fate and causality perception.

The auto-defense mechanism of his power of restart protects him on this level, previously preventing me from halting the resurrection ritual process. However, it now devotes most of its force against Ming Zhuo’s mana, creating a flaw for me to exploit.

Heat transforms into flame, exploding from within Ying Lingyun’s body. His face changes dramatically as his body shatters into countless bloody fragments, his head on the brink of flying away.

Almost simultaneously, his power of restart operates beyond limits, and his head emits an earth-shaking roar: "Ahhhh---!!!"

The countless broken blood and flesh pieces, along with the blazing flames, freeze in space like being trapped in amber, and Ying Lingyun, retaining a barely human shape, slowly reassembles.

"What a tenacious will to survive..."

Ming Zhuo witnesses this and unusually sighs with what seems like empathy.

Will to survive... No, this seems not to be a mere survival instinct, but an obsessive fixation on a goal.

Ying Lingyun’s eyes remain locked on the Yinyue form in my hand, unwavering even for a moment, not sparing his shattered body a glance. Unlike the eccentric creator and Dr. Silver Mask, this might be the true Ying Lingyun, a man insane with obsession.

I don’t dislike such madmen and even find a unique charm in those anchoring everything in their lives to an obsession. Even if it’s an unachievable fantasy like a Mirror Flowers and Water Moon. Although what Ying Lingyun pursues is beyond my emotional reach, I won’t mock him for it. Who’s to say I’m not similarly hypocritical?

Regardless, Ying Lingyun’s defeat is inevitable.

Moreover, his fixation on the Yinyue form affirms my previous judgment. Due to the interruption of the resurrection ritual, the material of Ying Shen Silver Moon hasn’t been entirely consumed and might still be usable for future rituals. Meaning, there’s still hope for Changan.

I divert some attention to observe the Yinyue body. Now this form fluctuates between resembling Yinyue and Changan, like wavering flames, while emitting an even more chaotic spiritual aura. Sometimes it’s Yinyue, sometimes Changan... Even the Yinyue aspect can be divided into the real Yinyue and the Ying Shen Silver Moon I’m more familiar with.

Yes, there are subtle differences between the spiritual auras of the real Yinyue and Ying Shen Silver Moon. Ultimately, perhaps it’s because, despite having the same memories, their personalities differ subtly.

Among them, the real Yinyue’s spiritual aura is rapidly fading, on the verge of disappearing completely. Once meant to fully revive, she’s now plunging back into a death abyss, and one can only wonder how she feels. According to her, she seemed indifferent to her own life or death.

Suddenly, I realize it’s a perfect opportunity.

What Ying Lingyun needs to sacrifice is Ying Shen Silver Moon. Specifically, the Ying Shen Silver Moon aligned with Yinyue, not the one aligned with Changan. Therefore, Ying Lingyun must first lift Changan’s demon bloodline seal, switching her self-awareness to Yinyue mode, thereby using her as a sacrificial offering for the real Yinyue.

Now in the resurrection ritual, Ying Shen Silver Moon has evidently suffered severe depletion, likely just in her "self-awareness as Yinyue," while her "self-awareness as Changan" isn’t needed and may remain intact.

I sense that the current aura of Ying Shen Silver Moon is weaker than after my previous strike. On the surface, her soul seems relatively intact, capable of withstanding further external attacks; but the Yinyue aura feels like a candle in the wind, an essential aspect deeply unsettled. Even my flames couldn’t damage the Yinyue part to such an extent.

In a little while, perhaps Yinyue herself could barely stabilize, so there’s no room for delay.

The best chance to save Changan is now!

Gathering all the flames scattered around the vast room onto myself, along with my own flames, the Fire Element body’s density significantly increases, as does the speed of my consciousness. Ming Zhuo and Ying Lingyun, along with those conflicting forces... the scene around us slows to a virtual standstill.

Using all my power to accelerate consciousness, I’m unable to move freely in this space, only managing to summon a palm-sized round mirror—a Fake Water Moon—by dispersing a trace of flame.

I laboriously take it in hand and aim it at the Yinyue body.

"Majestic and towering, once and forever destroyed..."

Though with my current skills, I can effortlessly activate the Fake Water Moon without incantations, since Impermanence’s words can be power, then perhaps fully reciting the spell may enhance the Fake Water Moon’s strength.

Word by word, I complete the Fake Water Moon’s incantation: "... Water Moon Reflection, devoid of returning."

Spiritual mana surges from the Fake Water Moon, assisting my consciousness to enter Yinyue’s spirit.

The vision abruptly plunges into darkness and then recedes, revealing the view anew.

The surroundings shift from the blazing massive metallic room to a familiar living room. It’s the living room of Changan’s rented abode on the fifteenth floor back in the day.

Given that Water Navy Xuanwu previously stole the Yinyue body when I delved into her spirit world, I’ve learned a lesson. Upon entering the spirit world, I first gauge the external world. Though forces severing my perception remain, I can vaguely discern external changes through the flames outside. The external world persists in a rapid consciousness state akin to a time freeze.

In Yinyue’s spirit world, however, time seems to flow normally. A snap of my fingers echoes naturally, and city’s background noises seep from outside. Considering this as a spirit world, these sounds are just settings, but at least it confirms the dream’s timeline matches my perception.

This synchronization is crucial.

After confirming, I turn to the living room floor.

The black plush carpet with coffee-colored English letters has been rolled aside, revealing a complex, mystic ritual array, while the entrance to the fifteenth-floor basement lies open like a beast’s maw, silently awaiting my entry.

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