Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 657, the final entry in the navigation log.

The long white whip was raised, as if it were about to strike down a lash of punishment upon these overconfident ants.

As the illusionary realm disappeared, Zheng Fan's state quickly shifted from a panicked physical collapse to a phantom state, and the layer of superimposed shadows on his body also dissipated.

At this critical juncture, those guys broke through the illusionary realm in one fell swoop, leaving Zheng Fan no time to preserve even a part of it.

Faced with the surging momentum of the "Pulse," even the panicked entity was already struggling, let alone the useless ethereal state that was second only to the great god Cheng Fei... No, from the perspective of exertion alone, this state without a possessor might be even worse than the great god Cheng Fei.

To the depths of the dark world?
As explained in the previous statement, the plan to invade Dadu was devised by "Ye," the wholesaler. There's no reason why the wholesaler wouldn't have informed the other agents of his situation.

Not to mention that the wholesaler classmate almost got beaten to death by Zheng Fan in the depths of the dark world last time because he pulled Zheng Fan away at a crucial moment in order to kill Luo Ye, and that happened right under everyone's noses.

With the situation in such a good state, the other side is unlikely to suddenly have a brain fart and say they want to compete with Zheng Fan in the underworld.

"Abandon this useless obsession as soon as possible!" "Pulse" roared, and several long whips slammed down.

Boom!

The enormous base factory, which itself was a space base built over a long period of time and even larger than a super spaceship, was now shattered into pieces by a violent tremor!
Amidst the violent tremors and after the illusion was broken, the rescue team, which had already begun evacuating survivors despite not knowing the exact situation, was inevitably affected by the attack.

The entire base began to collapse rapidly, beyond saving. Only the base's still-functioning force field system managed to keep a large number of fragments afloat and prevent them from completely disintegrating into the black world.

Zhou Yinzhu, Lu Chongming, and Yi Yun lost their footing and fell downwards.

Yi Yun called upon his golden retriever to hold him off before going to rescue the other two.

Zhou Yinzhu also threw out her own fantasy marble, releasing a flight component to pull herself and Lu Chongming together.

They weren't seriously injured because Zheng Fan intervened at the crucial moment to block the enemy's attack. Otherwise, Zhou Yinzhu and Yi Yun would have been fine, but Lu Chongming, in his current state, would probably have been killed by the aftershocks.

"Hmph." "Pulse" briefly withdrew his hand and glanced around.

The lamplighter who had previously forcibly broken the illusionary realm saw that things were not so simple and had no choice but to come and surround this strange, dark world's representative.

Originally, Kalux had envisioned that their attack would most likely evaporate and bleach all the unclean things.

The Bureau of Handling the Case won't be seriously affected, since the majority of the population are still from the White World. However, those who borrow the power of the Fantasy Factor will also have their combat abilities limited for a short period of time.

At that time, Kalux will take action to eliminate Zhou Yinzhu. Although this incident resulted in significant losses, it can be considered a satisfactory conclusion.

In the end, they only achieved the most basic step of their goal: breaking through the illusion.

And not only did they fail to eliminate the spokespeople inside, but... it even had the opposite effect.

As the lamplighter who easily suppresses everything with the white power of pure white factors every day, he is completely unable to understand this situation. Not only has the lamplighter's power failed to solve the existence of a black world, but it has also allowed the other party to absorb, package, compress, and further strengthen all those powers!?
A profound sense of shock, as if the very foundation of one's existence had been shaken, swept over all the lamplighters present.

Especially those like Faros, who initially disapproved of stabbing the authorities in the back, were still hesitating to wait a moment before stopping Calux's backstabbing. But now, it seems they won't get to that point.

They had all become "accomplices," and after doing all the dirty work, they hadn't achieved the "acceptable" expectations they had hoped for; instead, they had only made the situation worse.

Conflict, resentment, frustration, collapse of faith, regret... a flood of emotions welled up in their hearts.

As their emotions surged so erratically, the lanterns of this group began to flicker.

However, they quickly recovered and forced the lights back to stability—the instability could wait; having made such a grave mistake, they had to make amends and stop this terrifying enemy before them!

"You overestimate yourselves, but your courage is commendable. On ordinary days, when we see you thinking you are holding firm, we can't help but feel a bit of pity and respect for you."

The words "pulse" are like invisible sharp knives piercing the hearts of those who hold the lamps.

"Spreading heresy!" Kalux suddenly appeared, his mental image completely covering and enveloping the "pulse," and he attacked fiercely, saying at the same time, "We will protect the capital at all costs, even our own lives! How dare you act so recklessly here with such crooked and evil schemes!"

The patterns on the "pulse" became active again, piercing directly into the surrounding mental image and beginning to draw this power once more.

Kalux was startled, and before he could react, "Pulse" swung his hand and drew a whip.

Snapped!
The mental image was shattered on the spot. The black and white whip shadow swept across Kalux's chest, sending him flying. He crashed through layers of debris from the base and continued to fall.

He gritted his teeth as he watched the lofty figure of "Pulse" gradually recede from his sight.

As he was thrown out of control, he smashed through the base, and his powerful senses allowed him to take in the entire situation at the base.

Factory workers struggling to survive, rescue teams actively trying to save them, and under the whipping of the "pulse," many human remains, unrecognizable from their former selves, and gradually cooling corpses, cries of despair...

Was this all his fault?
Bang!
He ultimately failed to crash through the wreckage of the base and flew out, becoming lost in the dark world.

The hard texture and embedded posture indicated that he seemed to have stopped, but he was also buried under a pile of scrap.

Where did he fall?
Kalux struggled to maintain his hazy senses and actually saw Zhou Yinzhu and Yi Yun... What were they doing here? Lying on that table was... that foul-mouthed, stubborn brat.

Zhou Yinzhu and Yi Yun, taking advantage of the fact that the "pulse" had not continued its attack, quickly led Lu Chongming down the mountain with the help of the golden hounds, intending to get as far away from the source of danger as possible and find a relatively safe place to help Lu Chongming deal with the situation.

Yi Yun looked around and said, "Chief Zhou, how come you are so familiar with this place? There is actually a place under this factory base. The space is huge but the structure is hidden, and the material is also the most solid batch in the base... But this place is very empty, as if it has been abandoned for a long time."

With lightning speed, Zhou Yinzhu placed Lu Chongming on a table that should have been a workbench, took out several small marbles and turned them into syringes in her hand, injecting them into Lu Chongming's body.

Seeing that the writhing metallic flesh on Lu Chongming's body had eased slightly, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why are you so concerned about an unknown kid?" Yi Yun asked again upon seeing this.

"At least... he's back. I don't want to see the child who inherited part of his mantle die like this," Zhou Yinzhu sighed. "You mean... who is he?" Yi Yun's expression changed slightly. The name that was considered one of the biggest stains on both the Wave Society and the Pure White Society, a name that couldn't even be mentioned... Lu Chongming actually inherited part of the power of that person who had been missing for many years?

I can't tell.

This kid is a bit clever, but he still looks silly, unlike that shrewd and reserved man.

Yi Yun didn't notice that his thoughts were subconsciously drifting towards the child.

"So this place is...?"

"The place where Jin Qunhou privately built the Jin Tie Guo Hao was the space he reserved for himself when he participated in the renovation and improvement of the Langchao factory base. I also helped with that," Zhou Yinzhu said, recounting the glorious history of this place.

Yi Yun gasped.

Actually, his family had also provided financial assistance to Jin Qunhou back then. This guy was a scoundrel who would run away after taking out a large loan. However, Jin Qunhou did repay what he was owed, using some blueprints and materials.

However, the subsequent investigation triggered by his running away after destroying the spaceship implicated Yi Yun's Golden Clan, and it took them quite a while to extricate themselves. In the end, they still felt they had suffered a huge loss.

When they were willing to provide funding, I never heard of them planning to secretly build spaceships!

Zhou Yinzhu took a deep breath, not letting the memories linger for too long, and looked up, saying, "The situation has stabilized, I should go back now. The lamplighter can't defeat that thing."

That's a black monster capable of absorbing pure white factors. The situation is far from optimistic, not to mention that this thing is merely the first shot fired by the black world against the white world.

Suddenly, the pile of wreckage beside them stirred, startling the two men. They became alert and prepared to act immediately should anything that jumped out was not to their liking.

The one who scrambled out of the pile in a disheveled state was actually Kalux!?
However, Kalux was no longer as arrogant as before. Especially his chest, from his left shoulder to his right waist, the flesh had been completely torn apart, and it was only by a thin white force that it was held together and not separated.

He was covered in sweat, his face was covered in dirt, and he was staggering as he walked.

“You can’t save that kid like this,” Kalux said expressionlessly, but his eyes were fixed on Lu Chongming, who was breathing weakly. “It’s like another kind of factor deficiency syndrome, but caused by the invasion and erosion of the body by the black factor. It’s right for you to stabilize his illusion factor to prevent hallucinations from arising in him, but you can’t save the remaining living factor.”

"What do you mean? Are you still going to be so ruthless even when you're about to die? Do you think I can't see what you're planning just now?" Zhou Yinzhu said coldly.

"You really want to save this kid, and you're even determined to die. I bet when this kid appears in front of you, proving that Jin Qunhou is dead, you'll be eager to go find him, right?"

Zhou Yinzhu opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Kalux interrupted her: "Your story is a tale that was once talked about with great interest. A gifted blind scholar met a pure white beauty who created a pair of 'eyes' for her. Although the two societies often clashed, it didn't mean that genuine feelings couldn't blossom. It's just a pity... that man's ambitions lay elsewhere. Or rather, his pursuits were far greater than yours."

Zhou Yinzhu slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was incredibly calm: "Don't make hasty judgments about my feelings. I am no longer a scholar of the End Society; I am now Zhou Yinzhu, the chief of the Lumière Street Management Bureau. He holds fast to his dream, but do you even know what my dream is? A relationship that has long ended is fine to cherish for a moment, but why should it cost me my life?"

Yi Yun listened from the side, feeling somewhat wistful.

This woman wasn't putting on a brave face; as she said, she had already moved on from that relationship.

Perhaps she still has some lingering feelings, and might want to know how he is doing. She might offer help to Lu Chongming out of some ulterior motive after seeing him, but she would never recklessly give anything more for this past relationship...

“I am not him. There are many people who need me. I will not abandon them for my own selfish desires.”

As Zhou Yinzhu uttered what could be called a declaration, Kalux fell into a long silence.

"If that's all I wanted to say, then I'll take my leave. I need to go help your colleagues who are struggling," Zhou Yinzhu said.

“What a brilliant speech, all for the sake of Dadu… But often, when you’re so caught up in it, you can’t even realize that you’ve strayed from the right path. I firmly believe that I’ve always been on the path of protecting Dadu. I know all about Eliadodic’s despicable acts, but he would never abandon Dadu… I trust him… But, I’m gradually losing sight of him.”

Kalux took a deep breath and took another step forward.

"What are you going to do?" Zhou Yinzhu asked warily.

“I told you, you can’t save that kid like this. I don’t want my last bit of pure white energy to just rot in this dark world,” Kalux said softly.

"A lamplighter's life, until the very last moment, should be dedicated to lighting up others."

……

"The Navigation Log of the Golden Iron Pot".

In his hazy state of consciousness, Lu Chongming heard the voice that had frequently appeared in his dreams recently.

He slowly opened his eyes, raised his head, and saw the figure in the captain's cabin. The interior of the Golden Iron Pot now looked more rudimentary than before, showing that compromises had been made everywhere due to limited resources.

"First day of sailing. Most of the people are currently chasing after the Golden Iron Pot. It will probably take some time to shake them off, but they are no longer a threat. So, I'll suppress my excitement and start recording the log."

The naval uniform worn by that figure also looked very new at that moment.

"My dream has taken flight, but it hasn't been as smooth as I'd imagined. The joy is real, but... I also need to thank the many people who have secretly supported me under these harsh conditions, even at great risk. Especially Zhou Yinzhu, thank you. Although this diary entry probably won't be circulated, I still have to say what needs to be said."

"Sailing into the vast world, to see what it truly is, even if it means being shattered to pieces... In the capital, talent is inevitably accompanied by an irresistible 'mission,' even if we cannot fully understand its true nature, but the impulse from the stars and the sea inspires us."

"This super spaceship is so big, and I'm all alone. Zhou Yinzhu said she wanted to embark on this journey with me, but I can't watch my lovely girl walk with me on a journey to certain death. Even if she thinks it's romantic to spend a long time together and die together, it doesn't change the fact that my personal wishes are intertwined with her going to her death... I'm sorry, I can't accept that."

"She has her own dreams and aspirations. The eyes I gave her did not gaze at the same sky as mine, but rather at the land of Dadu. As for my fate, it was already predetermined."

As he spoke, Jin Qunhou slowly straightened up and turned his head.

Lu Chongming stared blankly at him, certain that this was Jin Qunhou from his memories, his own image clearly reflected in his eyes.

"The logbook of the Golden Iron Pot," Jin Qunhou spoke again, his smile hearty. "The last logbook entry that will not be recorded. For my dream, Yinzhu supported me without hesitation, and now my destiny, my Golden Iron Pot, will be steered by you, the successor. Go do what you want to do, and help her out while you're at it."

(End of this chapter)