Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

It is about to advance! From the level of a Primordial Saint, or even a High Saint, to the realm of a True Saint! Because—

"In the multiverse... can there only be one Chang'e?"

“That’s right, there can only be one Chang’e in the multiverse.” Chu Xuan replied calmly, “You call her Aiqidra in order to distinguish her from the Chang’e in the primordial world. But you should know very well that among the many identities she has, the one she identifies with the most, which is also the identity that represents the foundation of her power, is the Yaochi School, the one who focuses on Qi cultivators, Chang’e.”

“Using this identity will grant power. However, the price is being corrupted by the Dao of the saints in the mythological archetype. If she attempts to advance after reaching the level of a spirit, then due to the karmic consequences caused by this Dao corruption, even if she becomes a saint, she is destined to only become a part of the ancient Chang'e. Even if she manages to break free, she will inevitably have to pay a huge price, at least causing her life level to drop back to the level of a true god.”

“Yet Aichidra ascended to the heavens in one step.” Alice sighed softly, connecting the many details of the past in her mind. What prevented Aichidra from becoming a saint was not only her obsession, but also the Dao Corruption within her that she herself was unaware of, which played a significant role. No wonder she believed that becoming a saint meant death, no wonder she could still live after failing.

"And did the main god's isolation of the 'Wandering Earth-Three-Body' universe also isolate the possibility of Chang'e in the primordial era activating the hidden contingency plan within the Dao Erosion?"

"Although it was an accident, it is indeed the truth." Chu Xuan nodded. "The Hunting Ceremony, seemingly hunting Chang'e, was actually to preserve a sliver of life for Aiqidra. Even if Aiqidra fails to advance, she has still touched the level of a True Saint. If the Primordial Chang'e can use this opportunity to corrupt her Dao, then the concept of 'Chang'e' will also be qualified to reach the Gate of True Saints. Therefore, it is willing to pay a huge price for this."

"Its legion is the price it paid, and most of its power is also the price it paid. However, this is still not enough. Even if Aiqidra only has a breath left, her essence is still at least one level higher than Chang'e of the Primordial World. If Aiqidra is unwilling to start the Dao War, then Chang'e of the Primordial World, even if there is a causal connection, does not have the right to start a war."

"So while I was preparing the enhancement plan and pushing team members to advance, you went to handle these things?" Alice's voice was low, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"It was you who signed the agreement with Aichidra, luring her to this universe to help her fulfill her wish. After Aichidra's demise, it was you who used her power to open the dimensional barrier between the Primordial Heavenly Realm and the Primordial Chang'e, luring her down. And then, when Aichidra was given a sliver of life by the Saint Hunting Ritual, it was you who personally went to her secluded place and persuaded her to start the Dao Struggle... You really are amazing, Chu Xuan. Just how much did you pay to avoid being killed on the spot by the awakened Aichidra, and to persuade her to start the Dao Struggle to advance to True Saint?"

"Not much," Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses. "At least it's a price that doesn't harm the team's current combat strength."

Alice lowered her eyes.

Yes, Chu Xuan had his own purpose... Ah, he should have realized it sooner. His unwillingness to rashly step into the extraordinary realm and become 'Jun' itself indicated a deep understanding of Dao Erosion. He possessed prediction records involving numerous saints and even humanity's destiny resonance project, yet he remained a treasure trove, unable to utilize it—before meeting Aiqidra, how could he have guessed that the essence of saints was Dao Erosion? And since he lacked this crucial hidden knowledge, it was only natural that he couldn't see through this scheme.

Shift your thinking and piece together the clues.

The reason why the sages of the primordial world turned a blind eye to Chang'e's fall becomes clear. It wasn't that they were unaware of Chang'e's fall; they were aware of the news and also understood that Chang'e had initiated the struggle for advancement. Therefore, they wouldn't interfere, because this ritual only applied to Chang'e. Any external interference, whether benevolent or malevolent, would be seen by Chang'e as an obstacle to her path, making them eternal enemies. Furthermore, they didn't care about the final victory, because regardless of success or failure, whether the victor was the primordial Chang'e or the idealistic Chang'e, the sage who ultimately returned to the primordial celestial realm would be 'Chang'e'!

Alice only realized this fact when Satan descended to earth, and then she knew that Satan would never invest any power above the level of a true god in this world. Therefore, she was able to use Satan's power against him, successfully using Satan to eliminate Brahma and obtain her own true power. Because if Satan had dared to exceed the limits of power projection bound by cause and effect at that time, he would certainly have provoked Chang'e's full-scale resistance!

From the beginning of the Wandering Earth-Three-Body world to the present, the many logical and illogical points in between finally connect at this moment. The reason the Main God sent down the other reincarnation teams might not have been to make them work for free, but rather as a warning against Chu Xuan's unbridled probing of the Main God and his involvement with powerful beings outside the Main God. However, even with the Main God's protection, those unfortunate reincarnation teams fell into Chu Xuan's trap. Apart from the Demon Team, which withdrew early, the rest of the reincarnators became free labor.

No wonder the clone of Alice was unwilling to meet, and even the original Alice refused to come. They simply sent a lost, insignificant avatar to make a brief appearance—because what lurked in the unknown darkness outside the Sacred Hunting Ritual wasn't the demon team's trump card to disrupt the ritual or to intimidate Chu Xuan. Rather, it was their means of protecting themselves and preventing Chu Xuan from seizing the opportunity to pull them into the ritual!

"What will become of this universe?" Alice asked softly.

"The struggle for supremacy will begin, and a new stage will be built around that Type-Moon world." Chu Xuan replied calmly, "Except for the liberated solar system region and the Virgo Supercluster, the entire Wandering Earth-Trisolaran universe will be completely transformed into a new universe dominated by the 'Moon' under the intervention of the Sage's power. Before Chang'e and Chang'e determine the victor, we reincarnators have the opportunity to place our bets. And our Central Continent team will receive some extra advantages before then."

The unknown area beneath their feet silently transformed into a pure white platform. Within the platform, it was as if the main god's space, devoid of the large sphere of light, existed. Outside the platform, a vast new world began to construct order at a visible speed. The figures of the other members of the Central Continent team gradually solidified at the top of the platform, and Chu Xuan then turned around and pushed open a portal that resembled the personal space of a main god.

“Your efforts in the ceremony were not in vain, Alice.” His voice came slowly as his body departed. “I took care of the big picture, and you took care of the details. This is a very reasonable division of labor. The seven universes that gained freedom were the power that Chang'e of the primordial era sacrificed in order to purify herself for the sake of the Dao. It is not an inappropriate choice for you to grant them the power to continue.”

"There's still some time before the Dao Competition begins. I'll organize the preferential treatment our Central Continent team deserves into a way that everyone can understand. Then, we can take a short rest before reaching the right time."

"Get yourself together, Alice."

"After all, you paid a huge price for this."

Section Two: Some...Routine Things

After a period of time...

A familiar-looking circular meeting...

A familiar mission briefing...

A familiar summary of loot and intelligence sharing...

then……

“So that’s how it is.” Zheng Zha put his hands together, elbows on the table, chin resting on the back of his hands. “One section within another, one ring within a ring. No wonder I was dizzy from beginning to end. But aren’t five layers of boxes a bit too many? I feel like the narrative structure is already a complete mess.”

“What narrative structure…” Alice, who had just explained the truth behind the many changes in the various scenes, was taken aback at first, then a look of doubt appeared in her eyes. “Uh… is that what you’re focusing on?”

"Of course, what else is there to worry about?"

"My act of freeing the Fruit of the World..."

"I think granting freedom to those worlds during those countless years of the Sacred Hunting Ritual was the most correct thing you did, Margot Royd," Zheng Zha said earnestly. "You made it very clear before, didn't you? Chu Xuan prepared the overall strategy and the background stage, while gathering the power fragments into the World Fruit was your plan, Margot Royd. I admit, your plan was very effective and perfect. If everything went smoothly to the end, then there shouldn't be any members in our team who couldn't unlock the fourth-tier gene lock. But..."

“…But that’s not good.” Zhang Jie picked up where Zheng Zha left off. A transcendent aura had subtly begun to emanate from him, completely contradicting Alice’s observations during the Saint Hunting Ritual. “Our Central Continent Team isn’t an evil team. Killing monsters to level up is acceptable, but consuming the world to level up is out of the question. In those countless cycles, those mortals we perceive, even if their essence is an illusion of power, their experiences are not false. And to treat all those experiences as resources to devour… I think most of us here couldn’t do that.”

"And at the end of the ritual, when Alice decided to release them, they had already transformed from illusions into reality, becoming complete entities rather than fragments of a saint's power," Ming Yanwei, who rarely expressed her opinions, chimed in. "Although it's somewhat putting the cart before the horse, if these worlds can become real and tangible entities, then if we swallow them whole before that, wouldn't that act be no different from eating a fetus?"

“How can you calculate it like that…” Alice’s lips twitched. Some details she hadn’t noticed at the time finally had an answer… So that’s how it is. No wonder Zhang Jie, Ba Wang, and Zero Point wasted thousands upon thousands of loops in such a ridiculous way within the Assassin’s Creed universe. It turns out they realized something was wrong early on, so they used this dragging-out method to express their protest… No, this wasn’t an intentional action. They probably weren’t even that intelligent enough to think of this—

Yes, what caused all of this was the turmoil deep within their souls, a tacit understanding woven from their own beliefs and subconscious... Their deepest instincts deduced that participating in the cycle would make the world a source of nourishment for them to devour in the future. So that's why they did it on purpose...?

So, could it be that Xiao Honglu, who also chose to slack off and played his cards for tens of thousands of years in the wizarding world, is also...?

She glanced at Xiao Honglu, and then noticed that he was gnawing on a grilled sandworm leg while giving her an innocent smile.

Ah... I knew it. I underestimated them.

[Yes, I underestimated them, and I underestimated myself. How many useless people could be among the companions I, Alice Margotrovid, have chosen?!]

Alice sighed softly, her tone tinged with regret and relief. It was certainly regrettable that she hadn't been able to push everyone to their limits through the Hunting Saint Ritual. But if her companions all had their own ideas, their own paths forward, and their own beliefs, then her final decision to give up wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

After all, if trees can thrive on their own, then the foolishness of pulling up seedlings as an emergency measure will be magnified a thousandfold. And if that's the case, then...

“Margot, your choice at the end of the ceremony was correct. Absolutely correct.” Zheng Zha gave a concluding speech. “Gaining power is certainly gratifying, but we don’t need to dirty our hands with unnecessary haste. Our Zhongzhou team is already very strong, and I believe everyone here is confident of reaching an even stronger level. Sooner or later, we will stand at the top of the Reincarnation World, and until then, we don’t need to be impatient for temporary victories.”

His words were simple, and his reasoning was quite straightforward. Almost all the team members agreed with his opinion. Alice looked around and realized that her Central Continent team had indeed reached a level far superior to what it had been at the last roundtable meeting. Apart from Luo Gandao and Cheng Xiao, who were still stuck in the late stages of the third-tier gene lock, even the weakest members had reached the limit of the third tier. Furthermore, more than half of the members were just one step away from advancing, waiting for a specific opportunity.

Even without consuming the Fruit of the World, the second-tier members of the team had largely seized this unique trial opportunity and caught up with the powerful individuals at the transcendent level. Meanwhile, the first-tier members, already at the transcendent stage, mostly progressed to higher realms from their original levels. Aside from Chu Xuan, whose strength was difficult to assess, at least three members of the team had already gathered the Light of the Mind!

Alice herself, Captain Zheng Zha, and the specially promoted Sirin were already undisputed true gods. The Zhao siblings, after successfully advancing, demoted themselves again, but also successfully stripped away the darkness hidden deep within their hearts and mended themselves. Once they could return to the Main God Space to repair some deep-seated damage, they could advance without hindrance. Patchouli, on the other hand, was in a state where she could advance at any time but was still waiting for a specific opportunity. Perhaps she planned to construct a sufficiently perfect time-space loop under the right circumstances, so that she could obtain the superior power of that level the moment she stepped into the realm of true gods.

[Of the sixteen members, three are true gods, and four are poised to become true gods at any time. Zhang Jie, Xiao Honglu, and Zhan Lan have all found their own paths to transcendence. The remaining members are also basically at the limit of the third tier, at least in terms of attack power, they are already in an ideal state indistinguishable from the transcendent level.]

Ah... so the team has become this reliable. If I had a way to counterbalance the four high-ranking members, with this current strength, I'm confident I could handle the Demon Team in the final stage of the predictions. But right now... it's not enough, but there's no need to force it.

Alice shook her head; the complex thoughts flashed through her mind only briefly. She sat back down in her seat, pursed her lips, and finally let out a soft sigh that carried little regret or depression.

"Impulsive actions yielding suitable results... well, I suppose so. That's all I have to say. Does anyone have anything to add?"

She returned to the serene state befitting a witch, and as she naturally placed her fingers on the armrest of her seat, Patchouli, who had been sitting quietly beside her, gently took her hand.

She stopped speaking, and the Zhongzhou team's roundtable discussion then moved on to the next topic.

The speaker for this topic was Zheng Zha, and what he said was—

"—Uh, it seems like there's nothing else to do. That Dao Competition should still be a while before it starts. How about…" He rubbed his head and tentatively asked, "How about we… go take a break? Go on a vacation?"

It was a terrible proposal, and this terrible proposal immediately met with opposition.

“Brother Zheng Zha, I think we're probably already past the point of being tired.” Xiao Honglu’s tone was tinged with helplessness. “Besides, this isn’t the Main God Space, it’s just a demiplane that looks a lot like it. Instead of wasting time resting, we should use this time to do a few experiments…”

Before he could finish speaking, Zheng Zha laughed loudly and patted him on the shoulder from a distance, then slapped the poor little guy off the white platform floor like a radish. Then he continued yelling.

“That makes a lot of sense, but I think a balance between work and rest is also very important! A demiplane isn’t such a big deal, right? It’s not that hard to manually create a resort. Don’t you think so, Margot Lloyd?” He glanced at Alice, who had originally planned to slack off until the Dao Contest began. “If the entire environment is created by hand, then this so-called 'vacation' shouldn’t encounter any problems, right? Huh?”

He emphasized the word 'vacation'.

Alice ignored him.

The space rippled slightly, and Xiao Honglu, who had been slammed into the floor, emerged from the spatial ripple with a helpless expression and returned to his seat. He didn't say anything, but silently took out a roasted gorilla hand and began to bite into it viciously.

Zheng Zha pretended not to see it, and then looked at the others.

“I think a hot spring trip would be a great option. After all, we tried a beach vacation a long time ago, and the results… were barely acceptable. But strictly speaking, our team has never actually done anything together or had any fun together. I think that’s not good. We’re all partners who would go through thick and thin together; it’s not appropriate to be so stressed and busy with work all the time.”

He glanced at Zhang Jie, who had once made headlines during a 'beach vacation,' and Zhang Jie, as he expected, made a 'whatever' gesture. He then looked at Ba Wang, the burly Russian man who had somehow acquired a scholarly air, only to quietly wash it away at some point, and gave a 'good-natured' smile, at least not objecting. His gaze shifted again; Zero, who seemed to have no presence, was still feigning death.

“I have no objection.” Zhao Zhuikong was the first to unexpectedly support the idea. “I’ve heard that there’s a kind of relaxation called ‘team building activities’ in Eastern offices. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try; I’d like to experience what it’s like to be a white-collar worker.”

Great, now Zheng Zha has supporters. And with the first one, there will naturally be a second, and with the second, a third will naturally follow. Before long, Zheng Zha had gained the approval of most of the team and the neutrality of a small number of people, and only then did he turn his attention to the most difficult target to deal with.

He looked at Chu Xuan, who had remained silent since the beginning of the meeting, but whose eyes were brimming with a torrent of data. To be honest, he wasn't very confident in persuading Chu Xuan. But he felt he needed to give it a try.

The team is now strong enough, a fortress that's hard to destroy by external forces, but vulnerable to internal damage. Although we've had many opportunities to work together during previous long missions, a mission is still a mission, not a vacation. And then there's this World Fruit ceremony… the members of our Central Continent team have been apart for far too long…

Zheng Zha opened his mouth, mentally preparing a passionate speech before he began to speak. But just before his vocal cords could vibrate, the data stream in Chu Xuan's eyes abruptly stopped.

"A vacation... is fine." Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, his tone as calm as ever. "There's a slight error in the analysis of the rules regarding the Dao Competition, and it will take some time before we can arrive at a comprehensible conclusion. Until then, it's feasible to spare a wisp of thought for a 'vacation'."

"Hahaha, then there's no problem!" Zheng Zha breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, then asked in confusion, "Uh... why is it a wisp of thought?"

“Because there’s a suitable ‘vacation’ place right now, and I don’t think it’s a good strategy to come down like this,” Chu Xuan said slowly. “Looking too closely and knowing too much will greatly reduce the enjoyment. I saw the phrase ‘it’s rare to be confused’ in a book, and I think it’s very applicable to some people.”

"Huh?" Zheng Zha tilted his head.

But in the next moment, everything changed!

The reincarnators suddenly found themselves disappearing from the white platform. No, their physical bodies did not disappear. Their physical bodies, which still had ten thousand experiments to conduct, were still standing in front of the circular table on the white platform—they were still working. What disappeared from there was only a wisp of their consciousness!

A wisp of thought that has been reduced from a powerful life form to a mortal one!

The next moment, a cacophony of noises, clamor, and other miscellaneous sounds and smells assaulted their senses. Before the reincarnators lay a bustling, vibrant Victorian-era Western European city. This city exuded the pristine cleanliness and refinement characteristic of fantasy worlds, and above it, a warm, radiant sun rose from the horizon!

Alice blinked.

This is Yharnam, now back to normal!

Section 3: Sunrise over Yanan

Yharnam, the source of dreams, the core of the Sacred Hunting Ritual, at the very bottom of the Tree of Events. Long ago, in Alice's plan, when all the World Fruits ripened and were harvested, the path to the source of dreams, where the primordial Chang'e resided, would open. Then, the reincarnators could reach the core of the dream and achieve final victory in this battle by slaying the sleeping saint.

At that time, Alice was unaware of the saint's true nature. At that time, Alice believed that the saint could be killed like a supernatural being with a physical body.

At that time, Alice designed one intricate and elaborate scene after another to ensure that her companions would have sufficient fighting power when they arrived. Alice trapped Luo Ye Huo here because she didn't know how to face her other half.

Luo Ye, who had countless opportunities to kill Alice, yet only anticipated Alice's growth and her own demise. What Luo Ye truly meant to Alice was something even Alice herself couldn't know. Even now, after Alice has unlocked the fourth-stage mid-genetic lock, gathered the light of the soul, and become a true god, Alice still feels lost when she thinks of her.

【Luo Ye, what should I do with you? How should I treat you?】

She was lost in confusion, and this confusion brought her hesitation. While others were trying to adapt to their new life as mortals, looking around curiously and shouting, she just absentmindedly echoed their enthusiastic discussions.

Ah, right, not many people in the group know about the base world of Yharnam. Most of them regard it as a casual demi-plane that Chu Xuan casually created. It's just that Zheng Zha is still there shouting, "Where did Western Europe get hot springs in Victorian times? Why not design a Japanese-style resort?" This kind of historical nonsense is completely lacking. Then they were quickly educated on the fact that the large bathhouses in the West at this time were far superior to those in the war-torn Far East.

He paused for about two seconds, then immediately resumed organizing various sightseeing activities with renewed energy. Clearly, his previous 'vacations' in the Resident Evil world, the Mummy: Tomb of the Gods, and the Ju-on world had left a deep impression on him. After repeatedly confirming with Chu Xuan that 'this world is absolutely peaceful, without hidden monsters, war, or the darkness common in classic cities, it is a purely fantasy world of peace,' his white-collar blood, hidden deep within his memory, began to boil.

In short... complete chaos. Zheng Zha went berserk, and many other reincarnators who had also been scheming and calculating their way through the game joined in the uproar. The final result was that Zheng Zha set a meeting point, and everyone went off to enjoy some ordinary human exploration before meeting at the agreed-upon giant bathhouse at sunset!

A very suitable arrangement, a very reasonable plan. After a noisy commotion, the group disappeared into the Victorian-style fantasy city. When Alice came to her senses, she found herself standing alone on the streets of Yharnam.

She blinked. In her perception, the members of the Central Continent Team around the table were still busy with their experiments and various miscellaneous tasks. Patchouli, sitting beside her, was still holding her hand. Their main consciousnesses were intertwined, exchanging various information and preparing for numerous research projects. However, in this demiplane where only a wisp of thought had descended, Patchouli was not by her side.

Chu Xuan's words, "It's rare to be confused," echoed in her ears. Only then did she realize that Chu Xuan's words were not meant for Zheng Zha, who seemed to be the most careless (and actually was).

[Is it rare to be confused...?]

With a slight shift in her mind, she abruptly abandoned her plan to increase her computing power. Her previously sharp perception, capable of instantly covering the entire city with a focused mind, vanished without a trace. At this moment, she finally returned to her original state before her transmigration—without any special enhancements, all her attributes and parameters no different from those of an ordinary person.

Chu Xuan is right. If you see too clearly and know too much, all the fun will quietly slip away. The sense of the unknown that accompanies us as mortals may be an obstacle to progress for weak mortals. But for someone like me, who is no longer considered mortal... perhaps this should be considered a valuable treasure.

Besides, Patchouli left me on her own initiative. So, what about this world, this sky...?