Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

“But it’s worth it, isn’t it?” Patchouli replied, relaxing her body to make herself more comfortable. “I can sense your joy and elation. Because now you finally don’t have to face Loye, you don’t have to accept her overly heavy gift anymore. Isn’t that right?”

"Hmm," Alice hummed through her nose in agreement.

Patchouli was right. All she had done was to bypass Luo Ye and successfully gather the Light of the Soul before she could make a move. Although the original plan had become much more complicated than expected due to the interference of her adoptive mother, the core of the plan remained unchanged.

Regardless, success is success. Although the process was far more difficult than anticipated, even with mental preparation, she couldn't have imagined that the effortless demonstration of power that Zheng Zha, the clone in the prediction record, achieved would require such a tremendous price and a lengthy journey for her. If this process were written as an article, some mediocre author would probably drag it out to three or four hundred thousand words. But in any case, she had finally reached this point.

[In this way, Luo Ye wouldn't have to die. Although, I don't know why she subconsciously so desperately wanted to die. But regardless, it's always right to lend a hand when you see someone trying to jump off the ship's side. I'm certain her desire to die wasn't simply about wanting to die—if she really intended to do that, she had plenty of ways to self-destruct without going through this trouble.]

I even suspect that she herself didn't know what she truly wanted to do; she was just subconsciously walking down the path to that real goal, and death was merely a stop along the way. So…

Her thoughts paused slightly as she felt a warm, moist breath on her lips. She snapped back to reality and saw Patchouli roll her eyes at her in displeasure.

"You were thinking about other women while holding me, how awful!"

“That’s me too, and…” Alice shook her head helplessly, thinking to herself, [You started this whole thing, and Patchouli, when did you become so jealous?] But she quickly realized that this was actually a subtle way for someone to express their dissatisfaction, and the best way to deal with it had nothing to do with rebuttal or comforting!

She glanced at the small clock that had silently appeared on the side of her vision as her thoughts shifted. There were still about fifteen minutes until the Central Continent Team arrived in this world. Since she had already used time extension to stretch the previous half of the time into half a year, she naturally didn't care to extend the 'extra time for affairs' by a few more months.

So……

Alice blinked, and silently, the time that had already returned to normal flow rate was slowed down to an extreme degree under her will. And this time, she came up with some new tricks.

Hehehe.

....................................

Then another hundred days passed...

A crustacean, brandishing its massive claws, swaggered past the entrance to the Fairy Royal Court. The gates, sealed for over three hundred days relative to the court's internal spacetime, opened silently with a low rumble.

The two witches emerged from the royal court gates one after the other, Alice in front and Patchouli behind. The imp, who hadn't appeared in a long time and was practically invisible, was supporting Patchouli—it was hard to imagine that a supernatural being would need assistance. While this posture was undoubtedly 99% feigned, at least 1% revealed the weariness of the purple-clad girl.

Of course, that's not really important. After dawdling for so long, it's time to get back to business—with the little devil's help and Alice's assistance, Patchouli, who had unknowingly regained her slender fairy queen figure, slowly boarded the pumpkin carriage unique to fairies. At this moment, the noisy little fairies finally emerged chaotically from the forest, flowerbeds, or other places, crowding around the pumpkin carriage, flapping their little wings and singing loudly in their clear voices.

The songs of the fairies are songs that drive nature, creating natural phenomena without the interference of the elves. And the spread of their songs also signifies the proliferation of the nano-gray tide. After Patchouli's repeated, sometimes brutal, sometimes meticulous modifications, the initial nanite swarms have long since evolved from nanoscale molecular machinery to picometer-level subatomic structures. They can even unfold in lower dimensions like sophons, and then fold back into higher dimensions.

In short, their essence is far superior to that of the elven species, which are perceived and interfered with by the vast majority of mortals on this divine chessboard. They are essentially high-energy particle swarms possessing a vague, collective consciousness. This is because they can do much more than just manipulate free energy like the elves to create various natural phenomena representing magic.

Because once the corresponding commands are obtained, these subatomic mechanisms can even directly capture and replace the elves in this world. On a macro level, this means that the elves' secret arts can freely devour the enemy's spells in magical battles!

The magnitude of this advantage is evident even from the words themselves. Of course, this might not be decisive for higher-level races, those at the transcendent stage who can unleash immense power without entirely relying on elves. However, for lower-level races like goblins and forest elves, it's an extreme countermeasure, almost like a natural enemy. While the witches don't consider these somewhat insignificant races serious enemies, eliminating one or two potentially variable pieces on the chessboard, where the outcome is nearing, is ultimately a good thing at this stage.

And so, the Fairy Song began to play. The gate to the outside world opened silently, and all traces of the elves were wiped clean by the subatomic mechanisms driven by the Fairy Song. No race knew that the gate to the Fairy Land had ever been open at this moment. And perhaps, for them, ignorance was not such a bad thing as a blessing.

Thus, the previously suppressed nano-gray tide silently spread in all directions. As the pumpkin carriage, surrounded by fairies, drove towards a relatively safe area on the surface, these seemingly harmless fairy species flapped their wings and flew to several places on and beyond the land. Their goal was to clean up the chessboard, which had been almost completely altered, once the timeline returned to normal. Goblins and forest elves were naturally two important targets to deal with.

The pumpkin carriage continued rolling, and the witches inside waited quietly for it to reach its destination. The imp, having regained his sense of place, prepared a cup of colorless tea for Patchouli. Patchouli, now enjoying a different flavor, slowly drank it down.

Alice knew why. Because during their recent 'friendly interaction,' Patchouli had learned everything Alice had experienced in the past and future. Patchouli knew perfectly well that to construct the complete causal chain and complete the Dragon Break, she had to make Alice, at the appropriate time a week from now, drink that cup of poisoned tea that Alice herself had brewed. However, understanding was one thing, accepting it was another.

After all, this wasn't the first time she'd done something like this. New wounds inevitably tear open old scars, causing the lingering pus and blood to overflow from beneath. And it was precisely to heal Patchouli's wound (as she claimed) that Alice had to spend so much time in the fairy royal court comforting her. Even though things were finally completely settled, before that exact moment arrived, Patchouli, who knew about it through memory sharing, could no longer drink red tea.

Alice shook her head slightly, too lazy to bother with such trivial matters that would only cause more trouble. She simply kept calculating the time and observing the direction. And then…

She reached out and pulled several demonic creatures of suitable fighting strength from afar, placing them on a suitable patch of wasteland. And if her memory served her correctly—

—The Zhongzhou team will arrive at that location in seconds.

Section 84: Completing the Paradoxical Fortress

The causal loop will be filled in again, thus successfully explaining the existence of several powerful demonic creatures that inexplicably appeared near the landing point when the Central Continent team arrived—creatures attracted by the tides of the elves. The Central Continent team's decisions at that time will naturally gravitate towards that predetermined future path, further completing this not-yet-fully-closed causal cycle.

In the past, attaining enlightenment was such a troublesome matter. Compared to the orthodox advancement method common throughout the myriad realms—directly plunging into the depths of the abyss of the heart and fighting to the death against one's inner demons—the method of 'Dragon Break,' which rewrites the timeline, is undoubtedly far more cumbersome and complex. Even though true power is now in Alice's hands, until she returns to the correct point in time, everything she possesses is still a sandy fortress on the beach.

It is sturdy and thick, with an ideal internal framework and a protective outer shell, and the sea is calm. Yet it is still a seaside sandcastle. Even without the onslaught of waves and the ravages of storms, and in terms of strength even surpassing ordinary earthen buildings, it ultimately cannot serve as a qualified stronghold.

There's one final step, two more steps to take. And one crucial link needs to be achieved.

The distinguished person she was going to see was a key figure in transforming this seaside sandcastle into a permanent fortification.

The pumpkin carriage came to a stop, and the instant the doors opened, Alice could clearly sense a gigantic silver figure departing with the ease of having achieved its goal. She knew who it was, and he knew she was there. But neither of them seemed to see the other.

Firstly, because it was unnecessary, and secondly, because now was not the right time. Alice waited quietly for half a second as she stepped down from the pumpkin carriage, watching as Patchouli, supported by the little devil, stepped down and witnessed that shadow completely depart from this world, heading to another dimension beyond the comprehension of mortals or gods.

Has Chu Xuan already achieved his goal...? Having already fulfilled the past alliance, he's now initiating another. I wonder how much he gained from this conversation. But thinking about it... it's probably much more than I did.

[Although the price he paid might not have been any less than mine. To escape the destiny of becoming 'Jun' and ascend to a completely different existence based on one's own ideals? That's far more difficult than me proving my way in the past and rewriting the timeline of a mere single universe.]

Alice sighed inwardly, but the thought quickly faded from her mind. Chu Xuan's troubles were none of her concern, this not-so-bright little witch. She had more important things to do right now.

She reached behind her and took Patchouli's fingertips as she stepped down from the pumpkin carriage—the exquisite carriage, formed from the Naya Atomic Engine, instantly transformed into a colorless cloud and floated into Patchouli's skirt. Patchouli, who had regained some strength, became weak and powerless again when her fingertips touched her.

Her companions' capriciousness was commonplace—Alice was long accustomed to it. She simply leaned back slightly and hugged the demon who was feigning weakness. Then, as her left foot was stepped on, she looked at the distinguished person she was to meet on this journey.

Ah, yes, they've arrived.

They were now in the deepest part of the Demon Lord's lair, the dwelling place of the Mother of All Demons, who almost never showed herself but always held a place in history. And that truly revered one was now no more than fifteen meters away from them!

Aichidra!

................................................

In Alice's memory, this was likely the first time she had seen Aichidra in person. Although she had seen her before in Patchouli's memories, in Sirin's memories, and even in Luo Ye's memories using certain 'special methods', this was undoubtedly the first time she had met this indescribable being with the naked eye from a distance of no more than fifteen meters.

Aiqidra… She knew who Aiqidra was, and what Aiqidra had done. She even knew the deals Aiqidra had made with Chu Xuan and Luo Ye, as well as most of their conversations. She also knew that she would definitely meet her in this world.

Extraordinary life exists not by chance; all present events are woven from the causal relationships of the past. Alice was well aware that to advance to the mid-fourth tier using information magic and become a universally applicable true god in the multiverse, she needed to utilize two fundamentally different forces: idealism and materialism. While her research in the materialist path was sufficient, her accumulation in the idealist path was still lacking.

The world of Tamriel, where the Elder Scrolls reside, is a world of idealism. Because the entire world is merely a dream of the primordial order's gods, replacing the old deities through a process of rank substitution becomes relatively simple. It was precisely because Alice lived in such a world that she was able to successfully substitute her own will for the will of Heaven, embodying all things to simulate the rank of Anu-Brahma and thus trigger the Apocalypse. It's no exaggeration to say that such a world was tailor-made for her; however, who was the creator who crafted this world?

Was it Chu Xuan, who orchestrated the Hunting Saint Ritual? No, Chu Xuan was too busy with his own affairs to even think about setting up such a perfect ideal world. Even if he had the time, Alice probably wouldn't dare use it. And even if Alice dared to use it, Chu Xuan probably couldn't achieve the current ideal state without any variables.

His ability to weave a script doesn't mean he can completely control it. And to make a highly idealistic ritual like 'Dragon Break' function properly under complete control of the script is beyond his capabilities—at least not at this stage. Since it's not him, then there's only one other answer.

“It wasn’t me, Alice Margot Lloyd. The other half of Miss Loye. All I did was place that world at the right time and then cut off all external interference and change. The one who truly designed that world and put it into operation was yourself.”

A voice freed Alice from her reverie. She then realized she had done something incredibly foolish: 'suddenly getting distracted by trivial matters at the start of an important meeting.' And she'd only realized it after being reminded!

“Oh, no need to apologize, this is a natural phenomenon. The environment in my area has been eroded by my Dao, and any living being with intelligence can easily fall into a cycle of thought here. Although your mind has reached an ideal state, I am no longer the same person I was when I first met your Zhongzhou team.”

Alice abruptly looked up, finally taking in Aichidra's appearance carefully and thoroughly—before her eyes came a sophisticated young woman leaning against a laurel tree. She looked much younger than Alice herself, perhaps sixteen or seventeen. This was evidenced by the fact that the girl was wearing an unidentified high school uniform and holding a half-open book of poetry.

She's an ordinary-looking literature major high school girl. And this image is very similar to the appearance that Sirin showed when she first met her.

Alice turned her head slightly and noticed that Patchouli beside her was somehow lost in a mental trance with a vacant look in her eyes. And it wasn't just her; the little devil following behind her was in the same boat.

“This is good for them.” Aichidra turned a page in her book, and a comfortable sofa appeared out of thin air behind Alice, allowing her to help her partner sit down. Alice tilted her head back slightly, waiting for Aichidra's further explanation, but she didn't have to wait long.

"The young lady beside you, who inherited the scholarship of Hypatia, is too obsessed with her feelings for you, just like you were before your heart reached its ideal state. You see through things, but you can't let go. Although poisoning your lover is a necessary part of the ritual in the future, it is ultimately a hurdle that she can't overcome. And I think you should be well aware of this. If you didn't feel guilty, you wouldn't have wasted 307 days in the fairy royal court, and she wouldn't have clung to you like a parasitic vine since you returned."

She turned the page to the next one.

"So I gave her time to think. I don't know how long it will take her to figure it out, but I think she'll be able to get back in time to help you fix the causal chain when she wakes up. And the red-haired familiar that's a collection of information behind you is thanks to her. When that familiar wakes up, it will probably have a better understanding of 'self' and be more useful in your future battles."

Why...did you do that?

“Didn’t I already say?” Aiqidra said calmly, “She is a disciple of Hypatia, while I am Chang’e of the Yaochi School. The Yaochi School and the Celestial School have always had a close relationship, although they have different doctrines and do not cooperate. But when I see my juniors in a bad situation, I will still lend a helping hand.”

She continued reading, the pages turning slowly and deliberately. Alice had no idea what the book of poems in her hands was called, nor could she understand the words. And she didn't seem to have any intention of continuing the conversation.

Alice stared at her for several seconds. Many complex thoughts rose from the depths of her soul and then vanished. Before she knew it, her gaze shifted from Aichidra's face to the book of poems Aichidra was holding. Although she still couldn't understand a single word, many of the thoughts that had just vanished in her contemplation reappeared, piecing together and forming new shapes.

She herself didn't know what she was thinking, but a basic module of a chaotic world was already being pieced together in her mind. Rocks, earth, ocean, starry sky... many complex and even conflicting elements were silently combined from the depths of her mind, and then, in the process of mutual fit, gradually pieced together a result that was rapidly approaching completeness.

She witnessed the origins of Tamriel, the initial war between Anu and Padome. She saw the founding of Nirn, the birth of the original eight and the later Holy Spirits, and the manifestation of fifteen Daedric beings who did not participate in creation… No, she didn't just see it; she was orchestrating it all, making herself the master of this Dream of the Godhead from the very beginning!

Was it because she became Brahma that she was able to have that dream of the divine head here? Or was it because she had that dream of the divine head that she was able to complete the ritual and become Brahma?

She didn't know, but she roughly understood. Because time, space, and causality were becoming an inescapable cycle through her hands. And a logical barrier constructed of paradoxes was being built by her own hand!

She has shaped the world of the past, and the past has made her who she is today. She was able to replace the original Lord of Order, 'Anu,' with the Dragon Break Ritual because she herself was the original Lord of Order who dreamt of a god's head. And she is able to become that Lord of Order at this moment precisely because she has completed the Dragon Break Ritual!

Her past became a closed Möbius strip. From the moment she attained enlightenment until the distant future she was to experience, this contradictory cause and effect was permeating her. At every point in time, she was at her peak and perfect, and any adversary who attempted to use causal and temporal means to diminish her power from the past would face a fully-fledged Alice Margotrovid when they acted!

The fortress on the beach became a sturdy and enduring fortification. And when Alice came to her senses, Aichidra had already finished reading the entire book of poems in her hands.

She now knew the book's name: *The Elder Scrolls*, a grand narrative chronicling the beginning and end of a world shaped by dreams. And as she realized this, the book was already in her hands, which she instinctively caught.

“See? I told you you created that world yourself.” Aijidra tilted her head slightly and winked at her.

Alice, holding "The Elder Scrolls," fell into a long silence.

"This is..." she said with some difficulty, "the power of a saint?"

“I’m a little stronger than the average saint, after all, I’m stronger than the average saint.” The young girl sitting opposite her shrugged and answered easily, “But that’s not really accurate, since saints shouldn’t be described as strong or weak at all.”

"Based on your understanding of gene locks, the power difference between the first and third tiers is between one and ten thousand. The difference between the third and fourth tier limits is between ten thousand and infinity. And beyond that, whether it's the initial saint, quasi-saint, or true saint, none of them can be measured by strength or weakness. Because they are all outside the number line."

Another book appeared in Aichidra's hand at some point, but Alice still couldn't understand its contents.

"Quantity is meaningless to a sage. Even if you gather the Four Highs, which is the total number of atoms in a single universe, it is still meaningless to a sage unless you have some outrageous stuff. This principle applies to me and also to the lady Chang'e that you will soon be facing."

She turned to the next page of the second book.

Do you want to know why?

Section 85. Sacred Discourses and the Phenomenon of Erosion of the Way

Alice nodded.

"Great, we still have plenty of time. So let me explain it to you briefly. After all, you've probably reached this level now, and it's time to start thinking about how to proceed from here."

Aichidra turned another page in the book.

"I won't go into detail about the basic concept of life levels. I think you should know that all living things whose lifespans are not under your control are considered mortals, which is the lowest level of life in this multiverse. Things like the first three stages of the gene lock, the Golden Core stage or the legendary stage that uses general cultivation magic systems all belong to this stage. Let's not talk about combat power for now, after all, even an infant's finger can press the nuclear button. And anything with a finite lifespan belongs to this category."

"Above that is the extraordinary stage, the initial fourth stage of the gene lock, the Nascent Soul stage, demigod, demon king... The combat power varies, some strong and some weak. The stronger ones can expand their scale to the size of a planetary system. The most pathetic ones might even be hit and killed by a fishing boat. On average, they can suppress a civilization that has not left its home planet in any direction. But putting aside combat power, after reaching this stage, their natural lifespan can be regarded as infinite—even if it seems finite, there are plenty of ways to extend it indefinitely."

She glanced at Alice, then turned to another page. Whether it was her imagination or not, Alice vaguely saw an image of someone on the page.

"You should know that there are also disgraceful superhuman beings who have been killed by flying rocks from an explosion. Although such people will definitely find a way to survive if they want to, if they themselves believe that they will be killed by that rock, then no one can save that damned ghost."

Alice felt that this guy seemed to be alluding to something, but she couldn't immediately recall any corresponding evidence. So she decided to treat it as a normal example and quietly waited for her temporary mentor to continue.

Echidra did not continue to elaborate on this topic.

"However, even excluding those shameful individuals, this level of extraordinary life still has its limitations. First, its existence is limited by the strength of its soul, and it cannot endlessly expand its body. Second, its mind is inevitably in an incomplete state at this stage; while the strength of its soul will certainly increase, the evolution of its seven emotions and six desires may be even more intense than that of ordinary mortals. Furthermore, it still lacks resistance to attacks on spacetime and causality. Even with reliable defensive measures, it is very likely to capsize when using them against an enemy."

"These are the limitations of extraordinary life at this stage. The next level up is the middle stage of the fourth tier, where all these shortcomings are overcome. This is the stage you are currently in, a stage where the light of the mind is gathered, and in the multiverse, it is associated with powerful beings such as True Gods, Nascent Soul cultivators, and Overlords." She paused slightly before continuing:

"Upon reaching this stage, the mind will have virtually no weaknesses. Having declared its independence, it will not be cursed to death by a Seven Arrows of Nailhead interference using parallel world methods. It also possesses considerable resistance to abnormal interference from time, space, dimensions, etc. For example, the Möbius strip you designed is considered a top-tier countermeasure at the level of a true god."

Alice nodded again.

Very well, the basic knowledge is covered. Now it's time for the new stuff that requires taking notes. Although she didn't know why this person, who was either the Moon Goddess of the Jade Pool or the Demon Mother Aiqidra, was taking such good care of her instead of just telling them to get lost after completing the transaction to complete the causal chain, this important knowledge... it wouldn't hurt to listen to it.

Besides, she couldn't decide whether to listen or not. After all, the debt of karma had already been incurred the moment the other party spoke, so owing a little more now... didn't matter.