It's time to improve the strength of the infinite world

Chapter 491 The Calamity of "Seeing the Turbidity"

The long, dark night is finally giving way to dawn.

This seemingly endless night, which felt like it had frozen in time, finally came to an end. Just when the residents of Gensokyo had almost forgotten the concept of day and night, the first rays of dawn finally pierced through the thick darkness.

To accurately calculate this infinitely stretched period of time—

In reality, it was just a dozen or so days that Princess Kaguya maintained through her abilities.

But when the night never fades, there is no day, and the darkness lasts forever...

This inevitably makes the night feel like it stretches on for centuries...

On a new day.

The warm morning light poured down on the open space in front of Hakurei Shrine, gilding the vermilion torii gate with a golden edge.

The deep darkness that shrouded the sky last night has vanished without a trace, replaced by a clear, bright sky moistened by the morning dew.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, causing early cherry blossoms to fall in a flurry of petals. Amidst the swirling sounds of clinking glasses at the banquet, the atmosphere was filled with the sounds of toasts and laughter.

The fairies, carrying mead they'd snatched from the dining table, frolicked and chased each other, their laughter echoing through the shrine, creating a scene of jubilation.

Naturally, this was a banquet.

A banquet is always held after an incident—this has long been a common knowledge in the unconventional Gensokyo.

The holding of the banquet essentially signifies the resolution of the matter, or at least the achievement of some kind of consensus, bringing everything to a temporary close.

"..."

"..."

"Sometimes I really envy them, their carefree attitude..."

The yokai in the gap leaned against the cherry blossom tree, holding a wine bowl in his hand, watching the hustle and bustle of the banquet with a subtle expression.

Marisa laughed and snatched a sakura mochi from Reimu's hand, beaming with pride.

—Not far away, the distinctive sizzling sound and fragrant aroma wafted from the Night Sparrow barbecue stall;
—Yuyuko drifted by, heading straight for the grilled eel with a clear goal in mind, her eyes sparkling with her obsession with food.

Besides.

The demon kings were playing drinking games, their boisterous laughter echoing through the air; the tengu of Monster Mountain were bickering endlessly with the celestial lady, their words sharp and witty; the vampire young lady stood with her hands on her hips, her face a picture of stern (and adorably foolish) laughter...

At first glance, the banquet seemed no different from any other, harmonious and lively.

However, the subtle point is—

At the center of the banquet, the Dragon God of Gensokyo and the Qi Practitioner from another world were exchanging veiled sarcasm and exchanging words.

The atmosphere wasn't exactly tense, but it had a bit of a tit-for-tat feel to it.

Against this jubilant backdrop, it appears particularly intriguing.

"Anyway, even if the sky falls, there are tall guys like you to hold it up, so what's there to be afraid of..."

Sitting on a tablecloth under a tree nearby, Miss Mary looked noncommittal: "I think their attitude towards life is what you'd call magnanimous."

you do not say.

Since we know that things are beyond our control, why add unnecessary trouble to something that we cannot control?

Of course, the best way to deal with it is to give up and live for the moment...

Moreover, since the sky didn't fall last night, it seems unlikely it will fall today either.

On this point, everyone understands without saying a word, so there's no need to dwell on it—for now, all we need to do is observe the game between the two big shots; thinking about anything else is pointless.

That's about it—

"I know, that's why I feel envious... Thinking too much is definitely not a good thing."

The golden-haired demon raised his wine bowl, took a small sip, then looked around and found that most of the people there were also watching closely, just like him…

That means only Kanako, Yuuka, Eirin, Eiki, and a few others.

Yes, they're all real leaders, very reliable.

"Speaking of which, what exactly is your master thinking? What does he truly want?"

Turning her gaze away, Yukari Yakumo looked thoughtfully to her side.

She looked not only at Merry sitting on the tablecloth under the tree, but also at the Eientei group standing next to her.

"..."

"..."

"This……"

Lady Yorihime, who had already been chosen by the gods, twitched her lips slightly, then subconsciously glanced in the direction of the shrine.

There, the Qi practitioner was smiling as he raised his cup and lightly clinked it against the obviously reluctant Dragon God's.

It seems the talks are over.

The cherry blossoms continue to fall, and the revelry continues.

No one knows where this game will lead Gensokyo.

however……

As Princess's gaze passed through the fluttering cherry blossoms and landed on the person, her fingertips unconsciously tightened around the hem of her dress.

A slight choking sensation rose in the Moon Princess's throat.

She recalled the cold palace walls of the moon capital, and the "destiny" that her master had solemnly mentioned long ago, but those distant words suddenly materialized into that figure at this moment.

Like fate, it cannot be stopped.

Even now, she was chosen in a daze and still doesn't understand what this "destiny"-like existence wants.

Why would you look down on yourself?
At that moment, amidst the grand and boisterous feast, the young girl tasted a bittersweet feeling that bordered on awe.

"I have no idea."

In the end, she could only shake her head and give this answer.

"Oh, why think so much? They've finished talking anyway. If you're really curious, why don't you just go and ask them?"

Miss Meryl was quite direct; she stood up and walked over there.

Yukari Yakumo blinked and readily followed along.

Because the Dragon God had already turned his head and looked over.

"Come here, everyone, come here—"

Xia Zhi clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention with his cheerful and sunny older brother demeanor.

"Based on our just-concluded friendly consultations, we are now announcing that we will soon establish a long-term partnership..."

The Dragon God opposite him scoffed and turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to offer his opinion.

His reluctance was obvious.

"The contents of this agreement apply to Gensokyo, the human world outside, and the Lunar Capital..."

Xia Zhi didn't take it seriously and said to herself, "For now, let's just have these three parties. The representative of the human world is Skynet... well, you probably don't know her, she's an artificial intelligence."

"Once she integrates the networks and computing power of the outside world, she will come and contact you."

"As for the representatives of the Lunar Capital, I'm sure you all know them, so I won't introduce them."

"..."

"..."

Naturally, everyone present turned their gazes toward Miss Meryl.

Among them, the feelings of Eientei were more complicated. Unlike Yagokoro Eirin and Houraisan Kaguya, who had long since come to terms with things, Princess Toyohime and Princess Yorihime couldn't help but purse their lips and then sigh softly.

"Huh? Wait, wait a minute, that's too sudden..."

The beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes couldn't help but raise her hand in protest: "Doesn't this feel like an appointment?"

"What kind of 'designated' feeling?"

"I mean... I mean, I just finished my last mission, I need a chance to take a break, right? It's not really appropriate to suddenly ask me to take over the moon or something like that?"

“It’s indeed not very appropriate.” Xia Zhi nodded. “So—I wasn’t talking about you.”

"……what?"

Miss Meryl tilted her head and uttered a questioning syllable.

Opposite the Qi practitioner, the Dragon God frowned, his eyes sharp: "Is it Yueyejian?"

"Yes, that's right." The young man nodded casually, readily admitting it.

"..."

"..."

“I have already destroyed her…” The Dragon God stared intently at him and spoke earnestly.

"It only destroyed her physical body. Even if she had just adapted to that power, she couldn't have died so easily..."

Xia Zhi shrugged and said casually—

"Besides, even if someone really dies, it's not a big deal... as long as they come back to life, right?"

"..."

"..."

At that moment, everyone fell silent.

Every world may be different.

But one thing is certain: even gods have laws that cannot be transgressed.

And coincidentally, in this world, life and death are one of them...

The possibility of reversing life and death is not entirely nonexistent, but it is indeed a very strict and demanding case, and—

The desire to resurrect a mortal is different from the desire to resurrect an ancient god; they are, in fact, completely different things.

but.

When this person was talking about this matter, his words were so calm, so calm that they only conveyed a sense of certainty that came from nothing.

That's precisely why it's so impactful.

He didn't even bother to explain the specific methods, because that was probably as natural to him as breathing.

This understated confidence is precisely what is most chilling—only those who transcend the rules can be so nonchalant about them.

"No wonder you're so arrogant... Can you really achieve this level with just a wisp of magic power?"

The Dragon God narrowed his eyes slightly.

She's currently appearing in human form, but it's unclear whether this is to conceal her true appearance or because she's too lazy to customize her face.

Therefore, the image used is still Reimu's.

"It is indeed a form of magic, but to me, it is all the same."

The young man waved his hand modestly: "My magic is here, and there's really no difference between me and myself being here."

"Ok?"

Yukari Yakumo, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow, seemingly sensing something: "Wait... what about the situation before?"

"..."

"..."

"Of course it's the same."

Xia Zhi blinked, then smiled—

"I know what you're wondering, but I can tell you that those decisions were also 'my' decisions."

“Merry must have said that the so-called uncontrollable magical thoughts are just my unintentional thoughts…”

His voice carried a hint of light laughter as he explained in an almost casual tone, his fingertips casually tracing the rim of the wine bowl.

"It's like someone walking down the street suddenly thinking, 'What if I jumped up right now?'"

“I wouldn’t have actually done such a meaningless thing, but the thought just happened for a moment… and so the world did it for me.”

"As you know, thoughts always come one after another."

That's all.

At this point, the young man shrugged.

"..."

"..."

A brief silence.

The sage of demons remained silent for a moment, seemingly understanding something. She let out a soft breath, her tone earnest and serious:

"So, the reason you sent Merry out... was to draw a line for those whimsical ideas, is that right?"

"The most dangerous thing is never power itself, but the habitual use of power..."

Xia Zhi gently swirled the wine bowl, gazing at the shimmering light within, her voice carrying a detached tranquility:
"In the end, these uncontrollable magical thoughts were just a matter of my own whim."

"Just as you might occasionally have the thought of 'breaking this bowl,' but never act on it—for me, every 'what if' becomes a proposition that the world must address."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Meryl, a slight smile playing on his lips: "So, the problem isn't whether you can control it, but whether you can maintain your composure."

"I don't want to get used to that state, to become a puppet corrupted by power, and eventually turn into a foolish thing that can't even be bothered to think about right and wrong."

"So I need to set boundaries for myself..."

He pointed at the beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes—

"When I saw Mary appear before me, I had to start thinking... whether this idea should become a reality."

These words were spoken with righteous indignation.

only……

Only Xia Zhi herself knows the specifics.

After reading through all the records and knowledge in those magical books, he gradually realized...

As one's spiritual path advances rapidly and diligently, one enters a crucial transitional stage—

seemingly……

The tribulation is about to begin.

This is the case now. When a Nascent Soul cultivator is condensing their Nascent Soul into a Divine Spirit, their Three Corpses have not been severed and their Seven Emotions have not been extinguished, thus giving rise to the Tribulation of "Seeing Turbidity".

Unlike tangible calamities such as heavenly thunder and earthly fire, this calamity is not outwardly manifested, but arises in the heart.

This "transcendence" was also based on the teachings of those Buddhist scriptures.

Because if one does not maintain one's moral compass, one is very likely to gradually fall into that state—

The true Dharma has perished, the semblance Dharma is gradually rising, evil Dharma is being born, and wrong views are increasing, causing people to not cultivate the path of goodness.

(End of this chapter)