Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 425 - 396 Taoyuan Village Master Makes a Move

Chapter 425: 396 Taoyuan Village Master Makes a Move

The surrounding scenery began to shimmer with an illusory light and became transparent, melting away in the glow.

The basement of the fifteenth floor is the core of this dreamscape. The moment I conquered it, the foundation of the dream became nonexistent. This dream is drawing to a close and will soon vanish. If I have the chance to enter Ying Shen Silver Moon—or rather, Changan’s Spirit World—again, it will likely present a different scene.

Although I just told Little Changan the crucial key to conquering the fifteenth floor basement, this key works due to many complex factors.

Ultimately, the fifteen-floor basement is a Different Space that should not exist.

Initially, the ritual array that the Fallen Demon Hunter—Agent Kong set up in the fifteenth-floor room for an unknown motive should never have been successfully activated. Zhu Shi once mentioned that even if all the symbol lines of that ritual array were completed, the probability of successful activation was astronomically low, almost impossible.

However, in reality, the ritual array still managed to open the door to the Different Space. The reason, I believe, likely lies in the divine seal fragments exerting influence. To be more precise, it is the connection with the divine seal fragments that exert power. Only with a bond to the divine seal fragments can such a nearly impossible miracle be achieved.

This judgment is based on my assumption that Changan was originally designated to connect with the divine seal fragments. Changan might inherently have a connection with these fragments, a wondrous bond that makes "the English letters on the rug in the rental house align perfectly with the missing symbol lines of the ritual array," which in turn allowed "the completed ritual array to open the door to the Different Space with an astronomically low probability."

At that time, Changan retreated from this door, causing the connection with the divine seal fragments to fall onto me as the second candidate. From the moment I picked up the divine seal fragments, the door to the Different Space had fulfilled its mission and automatically closed.

Becoming the second candidate was not due to my capabilities but Mazao’s Broom Star Physique. This could be considered an opportunistic position. Had it been Changan, he might have had "the fate of successfully bringing the divine seal fragments back to the real world," while I had to find a way to leave on my own.

Later, the reason I could again open the door to the Different Space by completing the ritual array might have been due to residual energy from its previous success or because my opportunistic fate lacked just a bit more effort. It’s even possible that Little Bowl’s wish was still influencing it... there are many conceivable reasons, but I am uncertain which one it is, so I won’t overthink it for now.

Moreover, my purpose for entering this dreamscape was not to conquer the fifteenth floor basement again.

Getting Little Changan out of the fifteenth floor basement within the dreamscape was something I could accomplish last time, but achieving this alone is not enough to truly save Changan. I must strike while the iron is hot and complete the final stage of work.

I picked up the stone collar and unceremoniously fastened it around Little Changan’s neck.

The original purpose of this stone collar is to physically bind the Ancient Moon God to Silver Moon’s Fatian Xiangdi in the real world. Although it is a tool specifically designed to seal the Ancient Moon God and Silver Moon, it doesn’t possess the ability to seal consciousness.

However, such common sense does not apply to Impermanence.

Now, I can use my hands to irrationally touch abstract realms like causality, fate, and spirit. Applying the physical stone collar to the spiritual realm is just a matter of action for me.

After this action, flames erupted from my hands, enveloping Little Changan like a torch.

The flames seemed not to harm Little Changan’s body, as if merely a layer of illusion, yet they continuously damaged Ying Shen Silver Moon’s soul.

Ying Shen Silver Moon, as Silver Moon’s self-cognition, had already sustained significant damage due to the resurrection ritual. And now, I released flames specifically designed to destroy Ying Shen Silver Moon in its entirety as Silver Moon. Coupled with the sealing power of the stone collar, it would reseal the memories that foster Silver Moon’s self-awareness into Changan’s unconscious sea.

In such a fragmented and severely injured state, subjected to such a powerful seal, according to Mr. Zhu, over time, just like a fatigued spring losing its elasticity, Silver Moon’s self-cognition would never be able to return to its original state.

Little Changan touched the stone collar and muttered to himself, "I will... once again fall into the dream..."

"—No, you will become a dream Changan had," I said.

"What is reality, what is a dream?"

Little Changan seemed to be looking at me, or perhaps seeing something unknown and profound. His eyes bore a bewildered hue as he continued, "...what truly is ’I’?"

Upon saying this, Silver Moon’s aura completely vanished from Little Changan’s body, as if it had finally been fully suppressed by the stone collar into Changan’s unconscious.

"Well then, next time, see you in reality," I said to Little Changan.

In the phantasmal radiance, the dreamscape thus ended.

-

My consciousness returned to the real world, specifically to the battlefield of the vast metallic chamber where I cooperated with Ming Zhuo to suppress Ying Lingyun.

Changan’s form no longer fluctuated but settled entirely into Changan’s own shape, indicating that all my efforts had been successful. I smoothly released myself from the intensified conscious super-acceleration state, resulting in the flow of time around me resuming its normal pace. All the sounds and movements on the battlefield returned to their original speeds.

Ying Lingyun had kept a constant eye on Changan, whom I had caught. Immediately, he noticed the change in Changan’s form and seemed to instantly realize what it signified, causing his face to change drastically. He let out a sound of agony and despair, as if his dreams had shattered: "No---!!!"

To Ying Shen Silver Moon, the things he pursued were nothing more than delusion. If it had been a mentally stable Ying Lingyun, he might have been able to recognize his delusion and distinguish between the true Silver Moon and the idealized Silver Moon in his memories. As for whether he could accept it, I wouldn’t know.

And now, he probably couldn’t even manage that; his spirit had long plunged into madness and chaos. To gain the power to resurrect Silver Moon, he became incapable of distinguishing the true Silver Moon from himself. Such a void.

It’s time for me to draw the final curtain on this tragic farce.

As Ming Zhuo used black-red mana to systematically break down Ying Lingyun’s defenses, "Eclipse" appeared in my palm again, launching toward Ying Lingyun. This wasn’t about placing the last straw on the camel’s back, but about placing another camel on it. Taking this blow, Ying Lingyun’s power of restart defense would inevitably shatter.

And at this juncture, the battlefield witnessed a development that caught everyone off guard.

Behind Ying Lingyun, the air got torn apart, revealing a vast, bottomless darkness.

The act of tearing space itself wasn’t surprising; Ming Zhuo had done it before, and I could replicate something similar with "Eclipse." The key lies in what emerged from the space rift—a giant hand exuding a familiar mana fluctuation.

This giant hand was composed of azure light, its mana signature striking a strong resemblance to the previously summoned colossal power by Ying Lingyun, which was a hundred times greater than my own strength.

The giant hand casually swatted "Eclipse" aside like a volleyball, then swiftly grabbed Ying Lingyun.

Seeing this, Ming Zhuo looked thunderstruck, his eyes widened as he shouted in disbelief: "Is that... the Taoyuan Village Master!?"

Even as he spoke, he didn’t stop. One hand continued to emit black-red power, while the other gathered mana, forming an unprecedentedly high-density mana reaction.

Could this sudden giant hand belong to the Taoyuan Village Master? The legendary Impermanence beyond Luo Mountain?

Why would the Taoyuan Village Master appear here to aid Ying Lingyun? Does Taoyuan Village have a covert connection with the Human Bureau?

The origin of the seed of the heart—and thus all aberrants—remained an unresolved mystery, only known to be at least a figure on the level of Impermanence. I had speculated whether it could be the legendary Taoyuan Village Master, and now given the Taoyuan Village Master’s clandestine collusion with Ying Lingyun, could the Impermanence supplying the seed of the heart truly be the Village Master?

The aberrants are the most critical project of the Human Bureau, with the seed of the heart being key among them. That its origin is the Taoyuan Village Master implies a connection between the Human Bureau and Taoyuan Village... no, perhaps it should be said there is a deeper than imagined tie between the Taoyuan Village Master and Ying Lingyun...

Seeing the azure shining giant hand about to pull Ying Lingyun into the space rift, I also did not sit idly by.

To kill Ying Lingyun was the primary objective of this decisive engagement at the Human Bureau’s main stronghold, and Ying Lingyun is an important target for me personally. I will not just sit and watch him being saved by some emergent power.

This giant hand strikes me as incredibly powerful, its origin probably exceeds that of Ming Zhuo and me combined.

That the legendary Taoyuan Village Master possesses such formidable strength was beyond my expectations. However, the might displayed didn’t match the absurd intensity of the power summoned by Ying Lingyun during Silver Moon’s resurrection. Although the nature of the power was very similar, the scale was not on the same level. I have no idea what specific connection exists between the two. And now, without pondering any further, I acted immediately.

Traces of my heat still lingered inside Ying Lingyun. Through this connection, I transmitted my flames directly towards him in one swift move.