Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"The next stage is the fourth order, the Great God, or, in more general terms in the multiverse, the Spiritual Position. The essence of this stage is actually the development and application of the Light of the Mind. Using the Light of the Mind to interfere with the four fundamental forces, observing and controlling the quantum vacuum fluctuations in the dimensional gaps—simply put, what can be defended against in the fourth order must be largely weaponized in the fourth order. And most extraordinary individuals at this stage will basically transform into a form of existence that is half-Light of the Mind. Theoretically, they can even survive when a single universe collapses and live into the next era."

Alice knew about this stage; she had seen it in the prediction records. The so-called advanced fourth stage was essentially a complete and utter crushing defeat of the intermediate stage, and the key element of this process must be the fusion with the Light of the Mind.

Why is integration necessary? Because it requires utilization and development, and the best way to utilize research and development is naturally to become a part of it. But if the essence of life is the light of one's own soul, then what should be used to integrate it?

Alice didn't know, at least not yet. But she knew that once she figured it out, she would probably have taken that step. But even if she didn't figure it out, it didn't matter; at least she could continue to use the brute force method, letting quantity lead to quality, and continue to practice until she became proficient.

And Aichidra continued her story.

"At this stage, it's practically impossible to die. And once you can directly observe dimensional gaps, even an illiterate person can master the ability to travel between individual universes. The only two things that could potentially have a huge impact on this extraordinary life form are the Dao Erosion from a higher level and its own unresolved obsessions... Intelligent living beings always have some biases. And biases are where weaknesses lie."

"Just like you?" Alice asked.

“Yes, just like I used to be.” Aichidra wasn’t angry, or rather, she quite liked this straightforward way of speaking. “And after that, there are saints.”

"In terms of life level, the stages of a saint can be divided into quasi-saint, initial saint, and true saint. But in terms of actual combat power, the combat power of a quasi-saint is often slightly higher than that of an initial saint." She flipped through many pages of the book in one go. "It is said that there are even higher levels above the true saint, but that is not very meaningful to you, or even to me. So I will talk to you about these secondary stages."

"I've read about the adventures of your Central Continent team. You should have encountered the Quasi-Saint stage at least twice. Once was with me in the past, and once was with a former reincarnator from some world... well, it should be that name, not the one named Ju Tianzi. And this Quasi-Saint first stage isn't much higher in terms of life level than an ordinary fourth-stage high-level one. At most, it's just that they've taken many steps from the semi-fused Light of the Mind towards the fully fused stage, but ultimately they still stop before the fully fused stage."

"In terms of pure power, a Quasi-Saint is very strong. Even stronger than most Elementary Saints. However, if their obsessions are not resolved, they are destined to perish directly when they merge with the Light of the Mind due to the insignificant burst of energy. Therefore, life forms at this stage are often in the process of self-sealing or expanding their scale of existence, in order to prevent their ever-increasing power from inadvertently crossing the red line of advancement and thus bringing about their own destruction."

Alice thought of the Emperor's angelic legion and the numerous world fragments and records that Aichidra had intercepted. However, these things didn't really capture her attention. What really made her nerves tingle was a word interspersed in the conversation.

"The Dao Erosion?" A distinct look of doubt appeared on her face.

“Wow, you have a good eye. You saw through the most crucial step in achieving sainthood at a glance.” Aichidra’s tone was clearly complimentary. “Although you should have already gleaned information from what I described about how to break through from the fourth level to the fourth level, well… yes, knowing how to achieve sainthood in advance isn’t a bad thing. Especially for you.”

"Then, I will tell you about the nature of the phenomenon of 'Tao erosion'."

Chapter 86: The Price, and the Return to Wholeness

What is Dao erosion?

This wasn't the first time Alice had encountered this concept.

Although she herself couldn't remember where this term originated, she was at least very clear that the first time she used it, it referred to Zheng Zha's (the first to advance to the transcendent level) erosion and assimilation of the lower-combat-power members within the Central Continent Team—yes, simply by existing, his desire to protect the innocent had a severe eroding effect on his comrades. He made them share his thoughts and beliefs, turning them…into him.

"Yes, you're right. The so-called erosion of the Dao is the phenomenon of one's own beliefs and path being eroded and assimilated by external things. And this so-called erosion of the Dao is actually an important factor in the advancement of a spiritual position to a saintly position."

Aichidra turned the page again, and the scene around her changed drastically at a visible speed. Their perspectives were instantly elevated without limit, first looking down at the earth, then at the sky, and soon even the galaxy was beneath their feet. When they finally stopped, the universe sealed within the membrane was clearly presented before Alice!

Beyond this universe, there are other universes, layered upon each other like pebbles along a stream.

“See that? Let’s assume this is the multiverse,” Aichidra said calmly. The next moment, Alice saw a point of light quietly appear on the surface of one of the pebbles in the cluster. “And let’s assume this is a fourth-order being on the verge of entering the path of sainthood.”

She saw the brightness of the light point rapidly increase, and then, in the next moment, the same luster of light was reflected on the surfaces of the other pebbles. The light then shone through the 'stream' and was reflected onto the surfaces of the other 'pebbles,' extending in an instant from one 'pebble' to the surfaces of thousands of 'pebbles' through reflection!

“And this is the process of ascending to sainthood,” Aiqidra said softly. “And this is the erosion of the Dao.”

"Don't you find it strange? As a reincarnator, you have arrived in so many worlds, and there are so many similar myths and legends in these worlds. Apart from a few extremely special small worlds that are basically completely fictional, almost all worlds have similar myths and legends. Even in those fictional worlds, their myths and historical legends are very similar to those you are familiar with."

"Avi, Brahma, the Three Pure Ones, Odin, Jupiter... the status of these gods in legends may change to varying degrees as events unfold. But they are always gods, always existing in one completely different world after another, in one entirely different historical system after another. Don't you notice anything amiss?"

Alice frowned. "Isn't all of this... due to the great fortune of humanity?"

“That’s the result, not the cause.” Aiqidra shook her head. “It’s not surprising that you, as an information mage, can see it. But you’d better not let it completely steal your attention. Human destiny… tsk, that word can’t be said here… Anyway, although it’s related to those saints, it’s not very important in the current context.”

"Humanity is merely a result, not a cause..." Alice lowered her eyes, the simple cause-and-effect relationship leading her to a quick conclusion. While this conclusion didn't fill her with trepidation, it still deeply shocked her. She suddenly looked up: "So you mean... this so-called ascension to sainthood is a 'corrosion' of the entire multiverse!?"

“Yes, it is the Dao Erosion.” Aiqidra reached out and extinguished the first 'pebble' and the wisp of light floating on it. However, although the source was extinguished, the afterimages reflected on the other 'pebbles' still remained! That wisp of light, separated from the source, was indeed dimmed a little, but it itself did not perish!

"At the fourth level, one can observe dimensional changes and see quantum vacuum fluctuations. To some extent, this grants the ability to traverse the gaps between worlds. With sufficient knowledge, one can achieve the great miracle of not just crossing parallel worlds but directly navigating to another universe. And to advance to an even higher level, one must allow the light of one's mind to erode other worlds."

"The initial sainthood is a relative endpoint. It is the result that one can achieve after partially merging with the light of the mind, running out of energy, losing the way forward, or for some other reason, giving up further merging, and instead directly projecting one's own 'light' into the entire multiverse to generate the spiritual position of the Dao Erosion phenomenon. The most basic work required to achieve this and maintain one's identity is to eliminate one's own obsessions before that. Because as long as there are obsessions in the mind, the Dao Erosion phenomenon will inevitably be distorted, and obsessions will entangle and destroy the Dao. The sainthood itself will become the first victim of the impact caused by the Dao Erosion phenomenon."

"Therefore, without eliminating one's obsession, one cannot become a saint. But once one becomes a saint, even a nascent saint, the Dao erosion phenomenon caused by the saint's ascension will imprint its traces on many worlds of the multiverse. As long as its story remains and its myth manifests in the multiverse, it will exist eternally until the multiverse itself comes to an end."

"Quasi-Saints, on the other hand, are at a stage where the fusion of spiritual light is pushed to its limit. The specific methods are still undecided and depend on each person's fate. Theoretically speaking, this is still four highs, but the attack range will reach the Saint level and even exceed most initial Saints. But winning does not mean killing. No matter how high the attack range of a Quasi-Saint is, for an initial Saint whose own traces have spread to multiple dimensions, at most it can only destroy an avatar, while the main body will not suffer any damage."

“But only quasi-saints can become true saints…” Alice murmured.

“Yes, only quasi-saints can become true saints. Only by completely fusing the light of the soul can one generate a sufficiently powerful Dao erosion phenomenon upon ascending to sainthood.” Aiqidra replied with a smile, “The Dao erosion of a primordial saint can only etch their own myths and legends into the multiverse. But legends will deviate, myths will become distorted, and this, in turn, can interfere with the existence of the original body, cutting off their path and preventing their life level from advancing to a higher stage.”

A beginner saint might be able to accumulate power endlessly to become slightly stronger than other beginner saints, thus transforming themselves into a higher saint, distinct from the beginner saints. However, their essence remains unchanged. Compared to the higher level of true saints, beginner saints and higher saints... are no different.

"The primordial Chang'e you are facing is the so-called First Saint. As for me... I have just touched the edge of True Saint. At the moment I ascended to sainthood, my physical body was indeed destroyed by the impact of the Dao Erosion phenomenon because my obsession had not been extinguished. But at the same time that my body was destroyed and annihilated, my Dao Erosion had already left its mark in the multiverse."

"This made me something... different from ordinary myths and legends, something that is probably a rule or principle that applies in the multiverse. And it is precisely because of this that I am able to stay here now and talk to you about this nonsense."

"It's boring, isn't it? People who want to die are still alive. And they can't die completely. Although theoretically I only need to suppress the Dao Erosion phenomenon, and there's a high chance I'll die completely after this Saint Hunting Ritual ends. But your teammate, that smart guy who doesn't want to be the reincarnation of a great figure, made me a suggestion that I found hard to refuse before you came here."

Aichidra sighed, not giving Alice a chance to speak.

"I guess I'm not going to die."

"Of course, I won't tell you why I want to die, because you are Luo Ye's other half, and we have a certain isomorphism, so this kind of thing should be told to you by her herself... or you can figure it out yourself."

She reached out and tossed the nameless book she had been flipping through to Alice.

"This book contains some of my insights as a mind-based spellcaster. I have suppressed the erosion phenomenon. You can read it at your own discretion. When you finish reading it, your companions should be awakening soon, and you can return to the correct timeline."

Alice took the book.

"Has my price already been paid in the future? Or has someone paid it for me?" she asked.

“No, no one will pay for your bill,” Aichidra waved her hand. “Luo Ye’s identity is the reason you can stand here and talk to me. But the content of this conversation and other trivial matters still require you to pay the price yourself. And the price is…”

She raised her head, her gaze passing over the boundary membrane above the sky, and came into view the eight-branched tree-like structure.

“These worlds, these civilizations, these stories… give them a chance, let them at least have a sliver of hope to continue their existence. Even if they are just illusions of power, even if they are just empty shells without the light of the soul… they should at least have one chance to continue their stories.”

She tilted her head and looked at Alice. "Can you do it?"

Alice remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.

And so time began to flow. Alice sat cross-legged in the nest, which had now returned to its original state. She studied the document given to her by Aichidra while trying to fill in the last missing section of cause and effect in Dragon Break.

Beside her, Patchouli, fast asleep, leaned against her thigh, a slight smile playing on her lips as she drifted into a dream that was both melancholic and sweet.

Section 87. Don't look around aimlessly.

When Alice opened that book, the concepts of time and space vanished from her mind. An endless torrent of knowledge poured into her mind like a waterfall—rituals, secret arts, ceremonies. Much of the knowledge within the Yaochi School, perhaps not powerful enough to her, could open her mind from another direction, thus inspiring her thoughts.

The concept of "drawing inferences from one instance to another" and "filling in the gaps" perfectly illustrates this. Even if Aichidra... or the idealistic Chang'e, had progressed far beyond her love for someone else in the path of idealistic information magic, there wasn't much difference at the basic level. Through the study of these idealistic secret techniques, many long-standing obstacles in Alice's experimental plan were instantly resolved, and many ideas that were previously just vague concepts materialized, and she quickly devised implementation plans.

Idealism and materialism are essentially one.

Materialist spellcasters excel at manipulating matter and energy, while idealist spellcasters are adept at the subtle changes in the mind, and the profound analysis of thought and soul. Alice even discerned from the idealist mind analysis techniques the means of materializing the dream world into reality, transforming the false into the true, and constructing the real world using the human heart.

She easily deduced that the idealistic spellcasters had collectively disappeared from Earth using this method to cross between worlds—similar to her immature method of relocating Gensokyo (though she ultimately relied on her cheap mother to save the day). And it was clear that the secret technique she now possessed was far more advanced and complete than her spellcasting back then!

[By constructing a false world with heart and dreams, and then using the secret arts of idealism to refine the false into the real, the false world can be sublimated into reality... And then, all that is needed is to activate the rejection reaction of the current main world, and this independent world can be easily separated from the previous single universe. Thus, sailing towards a new beyond...]

[That's impressive. If I could have done that back then, I probably wouldn't have been attacked by those outsiders when I separated Gensokyo. And I certainly wouldn't have run into that cheapskate mother of mine… well, the latter is debatable. If she was determined to see me there, then there was no point in me hiding anywhere. Besides… was she really there to see me?]

Alice's mind wandered, but she quickly dismissed it. Thinking about such things now was just creating trouble for herself. She'd rather focus on the present; perhaps she could achieve something new that way.

For example, his own bubble world, which served as his foundation (though somewhat outdated), could be strengthened using this method of transforming the fake into the real. This would allow him to become a real, self-expanding, and extensible universe with its own boundaries and independent spacetime perspective. Once it took shape, he would no longer need to rely on Chu Xuan's Tower of Babel fragments for his experiments, thus avoiding having to pay for the venue rental for all his experimental records. Furthermore, his spellcasting abilities would be significantly enhanced, rising several levels, and when the spacetime axis within the bubble world was relatively complete, he could even cultivate a massive army within it to fight for him at any time!

It's important to understand that the previous bubble world depended on the life force of someone she loved. Even when her true consciousness descended, she couldn't significantly slow down or speed up the flow of time within the bubble! Filling it with high-energy life forms was a pipe dream. However, if she could successfully transform the illusion into reality, Alice even felt she could build a transcendent legion within the bubble!

"Hmm... probably not. Controlling beings at the transcendent level is incredibly difficult. Even if we use Cybertron's method to create mechanical lifeforms that are easily interfered with by messages and commands, these guys might still break free and cause trouble once they advance to the transcendent level. So it's better to be cautious."

An exciting idea was suppressed, but as her research into idealistic spellcasting deepened, she felt she could probably settle for second best.

Creating an army at the extraordinary level is certainly impractical, but if the requirements are lowered, and considering the angelic legions that mass-produce third-tier limit-level lifeforms and equip them with extraordinary or near-extraordinary level weaponry, then it might be a viable enhancement plan. While such troop increases would consume enormous resources, if the faking were successful, this seemingly unsolvable resource depletion might be remedied.

—And when you're short on cash, you can actually rob other worlds...and develop them!

Alice rubbed her forehead, temporarily suppressing the fervent urge to immediately immerse herself in experimental research. Having gathered the full power of her inner light, she found controlling her emotions effortless and intuitive. Aside from the 'love' that most likely would turn into an obsession, she could stand firmly on top of all emotions at any time, weighing the pros and cons with absolute rationality, making choices without being swayed by external appearances.

All mental attacks were ineffective against her, and any illusion that failed to materialize into an independent world appeared flawed in her eyes. If the Celestials from the Lord of the Rings were to try and fool her again with that Yin-Yang Dust Array, she could probably destroy all the array's cores with a single punch, thus crippling this expensive and highly effective formation. Of course, it was more likely that she would destroy them before they could even set up the array. Even if she didn't achieve her goal completely for various reasons, she could at least force those bastards to use up their valuable life-saving items and flee in disarray.

The difference between the so-called "Fourth Grade Initial" and "Fourth Grade Intermediate" is precisely this, and it's not a gap that can be bridged simply by having some special enhancement items. Of course, exceptions exist if innate spiritual treasures, merit artifacts, or even high-level or Great Thousand-level innate weapons from civilizations appear. But if such things appear, then the power lies in the items themselves, not their users. In that case, there's no need to worry about such trivial matters.

However... a primordial spiritual treasure...

[So, having already advanced to the mid-fourth tier, and with most of the Central Continent team able to advance after this world ends, it's about time I could try my luck with the Sage's Legacy from the Legend of Gods and Demons. Tsk, the Eastern Emperor Bell, the Jade Disc of Creation, the Primal Records of Cultivation… I wonder if I, whose faction should be considered white, can even enter the ruins… Which incredibly clever mastermind designed the system of using skin color to divide factions? Does skin color hold some unexpected, special meaning at the Sage level?]

Alice shook her head, banishing the pointless thoughts from her mind. Only after considering this did she realize that she had far more to do than she had anticipated. For example, there was her agreement with Anubis, the pre-arranged setup at the Qin Empire ruins, and her original plan to take everything—the entire Sage's Ruins, including even the 'First God'—with her.

The first two options are still worth considering, but the last one is probably out of the question. This is because the intelligence provided by Aichidra also mentioned data on innate spiritual treasures and merit artifacts. After assessing their authenticity, Alice felt that her plan might need to be revised.

[Innate spiritual treasures, acquired supreme treasures, sacred artifacts of merit... Damn, these things don't belong to just any person or non-human! They are themselves extremely powerful, at least at the spiritual level or higher, extraordinary beings. And in this day and age, even a bench can cultivate into a spirit; how can these powerful artifacts possibly need a master to function?]

Shao sighed dejectedly.

She used to think that those legendary treasures had previous owners, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for her to try and take their place. However, after reading Aichidra's data, she realized that her thinking was completely wrong. Those legendary treasures were either crafted by powerful beings, becoming part of their will, power, and even their path; or they had a pre-existing user upon their arrival, their ownership predetermined from the start!

Yes, it's the treasures that are born with a user, not some extraordinary person born with a treasure by their side! Because there's never been a principle in this world where the strong belong to the weak. Those legendary figures born with secret treasures weren't born with great fortune or luck. Rather, they were born as that very treasure, and the user is actually just a part of it—a humanoid terminal interface!

Gan!

[In this way... it's only natural that Chu Xuan, as the reincarnation of 'Jun,' would obtain the Jade Disc of Creation. And that Eastern Emperor Bell... ah, no need to even think about it. Although we're now in the era of the Primordial Heavenly Court, that Eastern Emperor Taiyi certainly isn't completely dead... Even Aiqidra couldn't die, let alone such a powerful figure? So, Zheng Zha's ability to obtain the Eastern Emperor Bell and, with Chu Xuan's assistance, acquire the means to use it... there's probably some unknown, dirty deal behind the scenes.]

[But if that's the case, then the user of an innate spiritual treasure is itself part of the treasure... In other words, does that mean even a powerful figure like Donghuang Taiyi could join the Central Continent team?]

Alice felt her head throbbing more and more. The prediction records that had seemed unremarkable before, and which she no longer used as much reference data, became unpredictable again after she obtained more information. Her rationality then took control of her thoughts, preventing her from focusing her attention in this direction.

Don't provoke things beyond your capabilities; this is a valuable lesson Alice learned from those unlucky days in the past.

She felt that her small frame probably wouldn't allow her to escape unscathed after getting involved in the power struggles of these important figures—although she felt she should, or had already, been involved. But at least until many unsettling events erupted, she could bury her head in the sand for a while.

Ostriches—Ostriches bury their heads in the sand when danger approaches, leaving their entire bodies exposed. In popular perception, emulating the ostrich means ignoring impending disaster and adopting a passive, escapist attitude to pretend one is still alive. However, this is merely popular perception; for the ostrich itself, this is not the case.

Because ostriches don't actually bury their heads in the sand. What they really do is lower their necks, bringing their brains close to the ground to amplify their senses and using their dark feathers to camouflage themselves as stones in the sand. This is also a preparatory stance suitable for the ostrich's body structure, allowing it to react quickly when danger approaches, either fighting back or escaping swiftly.

That's how it is for her, and it's also for Alice. Faced with powerful external interference that they cannot cope with, all they can do is accumulate strength, remain vigilant, wait for the opportunity to counterattack or make a strategic shift, and seize it completely.

Putting everything else aside, Aichidra's attitude alone is very strange. The information she provided me is undoubtedly a blessing in disguise. But she deliberately arranged it as a mutually beneficial transaction, as if she intentionally didn't want to be involved with me... I can perhaps understand that, after all, there's that troublesome stepmother of mine, and she's probably much stronger than Aichidra. But why did she then turn around and get involved with Luo Ye?

According to her, she and Luo Ye share some kind of isomorphism… What kind of isomorphism? Are they both eager to die? No, death should be merely a means, not an end. But why is she using this means? Hmm… I don't understand, I don't get it.

As she turned the pages of the document in her hands, she gradually came to the end of the book that Aichidra had entrusted to her.

She couldn't sense the passage of time around her. But she could feel Patchouli dreaming a dream, both dark and sweet, while resting on her lap. Out of curiosity, and also out of interest in exploring her newly acquired spiritual abilities, she carefully considered her options and, after confirming that she wouldn't interfere with Patchouli's dream, lowered her eyes and stealthily peeked into Patchouli's dream.

She regretted it.

Some things are indeed best left undone, such as peeping into the romantic dreams of a seasoned, artsy young woman. When those scenes, a hodgepodge of hundreds or even thousands of Jinjiang palace intrigue dramas, Korean melodramas, and Qiong Yao-style romances, came crashing down on her, she almost instinctively turned and ran. Yet even so, the glimpses she caught in that fleeting moment still had a considerable impact on her!

The light of the soul... is ultimately not omnipotent.

Realizing this, Alice rubbed her eyes and looked up.

Only then did she realize that, without her noticing, the entire demon race's mother nest had been transformed into an empty, deserted cavern. Aichidra had vanished, and the next moment, a faint energy reaction emanated from the distance.

The time is almost up. At this point, 'Alice' has finished preparing for the vampire ritual and is about to enter the fairy realm.