Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"Come quick! Look what I've found!"

"Jibril!"

"This rock looks just like my mother!"

【end】

End Summary

Well... and so the long story finally came to an end.

Strictly speaking, the entire story, from the beginning of The Wandering Earth to the Hunting Ceremony, the destruction of the ancient dragon, and finally the end of the Moon World, constitutes a complete epic. However, due to length constraints, it was ultimately split into the four volumes we have today, and these four volumes are all about inner demons.

The main purpose was to help most of the Central Continent Team overcome their inner demons, and although it took a while, this goal was achieved. The problems from the previous volumes have already been summarized, so I won't go into detail. Now, I'll mainly talk about the content of this last volume.

The Moon World storyline has three main storylines. The first one, which is obvious, is the struggle between the reincarnators. Five teams of reincarnators fight each other with different purposes. Of course, I know there are actually six teams, but the White Queen is too embarrassing, and this is not her home turf, so I'll just gloss over it.

The underlying theme is the struggle between the players, specifically the interaction and scheming between Luo Ye and Alice. So far, it seems both sides have achieved their goals. However, some things remain unresolved, and I have a rather interesting opening to the next match. We'll find out then.

Besides this, there is a third line, the hidden line. And this line is Flora's line.

Flora's identity is actually quite special. After all, as the combat power of the reincarnators increases, I can't let them fight like gods every day. So from the beginning, Flora and her past lives were the hidden protagonists I chose. And these four interconnected stories actually started with her and ended with her.

Yes, strictly speaking, Flora is actually the protagonist of the Moon timeline. Because only Flora truly put in the effort, fought, and risked her life. For Team Middle Continent, the script had already progressed to this point; if they couldn't guarantee victory, they might as well boil themselves alive. (Of course, Adam was also genuinely risking his life). Therefore, for me, as the author, in this story, Flora's actions and the consequences she reaped are what I intend to express.

She gave everything she could, persevered to the very limit, and ultimately achieved the result she desired—that's what I want to express, and this can be considered Luo Ye's answer to Gaia. Of course, Luo Ye couldn't have thought that far ahead; her three selections of Flora were actually a coincidence within inevitability. A careful review of the plot reveals that Luo Ye was destined to choose Flora at that time, and the only change she could have made was not to choose her—which, of course, would have led to a different outcome.

Then, the two characters appearing in the final side story are Azriel and Jibril. The reason they are the ones is because after Luo Ji performed the Death of Rebirth, he disappeared as nourishment, and his relationship with Altshu is one of progression rather than reincarnation. The transformation chain of Liu Ping (mortal) – Luo Ji (genius) – Altshu (god) – Flora (?) also requires the medium of Death of Rebirth. Otherwise, it would be rather abrupt.

Well, I'm going over the word limit, but that's basically it.

As for whether Flora's ending is tragic or happy, that shouldn't be a question for readers familiar with my setting.

Then I'll take a day off, and then it'll be time for the next volume!

Side Story: Moonset

—The way is to deliver those who suffer.

—This is Chang'e of the Yaochi School, and this is Aiqidra, the heir of the Abyss of Death.

The war between sages actually broke out simultaneously in nearly an infinite number of individual universes within the multiverse. The moment the struggle for the Dao began, in every universe where the moon existed or where concepts related to the moon were prevalent, the war commenced at the same instant.

In some worlds, the wars were more intense. In those high-energy worlds, all the ancient deities associated with the Moon Goddess transformed into avatars of one of the two Chang'e at the moment the conflict began. Some transcendent beings foresaw this impending end and took action.

Those who ran fast were not stopped by the Chang'e goddesses. But apart from them, all the extraordinary beings or true gods who failed to immediately sever their ties with the concept of the "moon" had their fates written into history in an extremely short moment.

Then came the war of the gods.

True gods fought each other for timelines, while extraordinary beings vied for territories and dojos. Moon gods clashed and slaughtered each other, and war broke out on the earth. Those mortal dynasties, mortal empires, and mortal federations probably never imagined that the Moon Goddess, whose image was gentle and kind in most universes, could reveal such a violent and warlike side, and soon, they too became part of the war.

One group of people kills another group of people, one god kills another god, one civilization kills another civilization, one world's community kills another world's collection.

In some universes, the idealistic Chang'e wins, and the tradition and theories of another Chang'e are completely expelled from the universe.

If some primordial Chang'e in the universe wins, then all knowledge and records about the idealistic system will be completely erased.

Sometimes, when victory and defeat are neither achieved, the struggle continues. Even if an era comes to an end in war, the flames of war will still spread in the next era.

Now that the war between sages has begun, no one can escape it. For under the gaze of the sages, all things are equal. The saying "Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs"—a theory often misused even in the context of pluralism—is fully explained here. After all, if nothing is beyond killing, then nothing is beyond dying.

No one could stop them, not even the Primordial Heavenly Realm, the supreme world where all the saints gathered. This is because the True Saints were the most powerful beings in this multiverse who could manifest in the mortal world. And regardless of which of the two Chang'e ultimately prevailed, the sages knew that Chang'e would inevitably return to the Primordial World and become a new force within it.

Since the outcome was predetermined, the details of the process became irrelevant. Thus, in this vast Daoist struggle sweeping across the multiverse, all the sages lowered their gazes.

But the tide of battle was turning little by little.

Although the war swept across multiple universes, not all universes were shrouded in divine conflict. In many worlds, the battleground was confined by one of the Chang'e goddesses to the realms of literature and folklore, unlike the many other war-torn universes where blood was shed in bloodshed.

This move initially put her at a disadvantage, because while she had confined wars in one universe to the realm of academia—where bloodshed was prevented, or at least not in large numbers—her ideals had been wiped out in at least three other universes in a much simpler way. However, as the number of universes she controlled dwindled, her ideals quietly emerged from the ruins of those civilizations she had defeated and whose very existence had been erased.

This isn't actually that hard to understand, because the ultimate goal of all civilizations is simply survival and continuation. And when the war ends, those radical, fanatical ideas—ideas that benefited the war but not necessarily the order—naturally fall out of favor. So they need to be revised, changed, and peacefully transformed in academia, and then, unknowingly… they become another version of Chang'e.

This process is secretive, this process is slow. It is like a small, deadly blade, hidden within the collapse of a nation. And when Chang'e, the one who led the war, was about to achieve victory and reap all the rewards, she suddenly looked back and discovered that the almost infinite number of 'selves' in the multiverse had all unknowingly transformed into 'her'.

Therefore, Chang'e won against Chang'e.

The initial decisive factor was actually determined at the very beginning.

“Because ‘those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help.’ And you have ‘strayed from the Way,’ so you lost. You lost very early.” Aichidra sat atop a high-rise in a modern city, holding a book, looking at the elegant woman in palace attire standing on the edge of the rooftop. “You lost from the very beginning, from the moment you abandoned your legion, abandoned all your followers, even abandoned your own physical form, and were willing to sacrifice your Dao to fight me, you lost.”

"For a nascent saint, their foundation lies in records, in the homogenized myths and legends that circulate throughout the multiverse. As long as the legend of Chang'e continues to circulate in the multiverse, you will not perish. The content of the legend is irrelevant, so you can fight for it, and you only need to fight for it—but for a true saint, once they become one of the many inherent concepts that inevitably exist in the multiverse, legends and traces become irrelevant. The key is whether the concept they represent can continue in the multiverse."

"So, I used the methods of a beginner saint to fight you, and even though it seemed like I won, I actually lost?" The woman in palace attire frowned, then slowly relaxed before letting out a soft sigh. "What a pity. At the moment of your advancement, you touched the realm of a true saint, and thus understood the essence and the way of struggle of a true saint, while I have been struggling in vain in a realm one level below yours from beginning to end... What a pity. No wonder since ancient times, so few lives have been able to advance from a beginner saint to a true saint. It turns out we were on the wrong path from the very beginning."

“Yes, a moment is eternity. Although I only had a brief moment before my death when I came into contact with the True Saint level, that moment was actually equivalent to countless eons, equivalent to, or even surpassed, an immeasurable amount of time. There is no difference in experience or combat power between me and those other ancient True Saints who were born in the primordial chaos. And your act of abandoning your followers and your legion has also caused you to lose your allies.”

Aichidra nodded slightly, then held up one finger. "Do you remember Laurel?"

"Laurel? My legion doesn't only have Moon Rabbit, Moon Toad, and Wu Gang..." The palace-dressed beauty was slightly taken aback, then smiled wryly in realization. She finally remembered that her legion actually had more than three transcendent beings. However, before that, she had completely forgotten about this fourth one.

"So that's how it is..." She shook her head and sighed softly. "Did I ruin myself?"

Aichidra did not answer.

There's no need to answer.

It is true that Aiqidra possesses the true essence of a True Saint, but Chang'e, born in the Primordial Heaven Realm where Saints gather, how could she not have come into contact with other True Saints, and how could she be completely ignorant of the many matters in the realm of True Saints? The reason why she forgot that much knowledge in the Dao Struggle is only one thing—that is, the True Saint who entrusted this knowledge to her took it back.

The embodiment of that knowledge is the laurel, a symbol of the friendship between Chang'e in the heavens and other sages. But when she abandoned everything to compete with Aegera, all the friendships and alliances she had built were naturally discarded as well, leaving not a trace.

The Primordial Celestial Realm doesn't concern itself with this matter, firstly because it can't, and secondly because it doesn't want to. This is because Chang'e of the Celestial Realm has already staked everything she can. And staking everything means there will be no external support—and if she didn't gamble everything, she wouldn't even have the right to compete with Aichidra.

After all, she forced Aichidra to fight her by relying on the universe that her Dao-realization body had transformed into. But Dao-realization... there's no such thing as resolving 99% and still having a little left over.

—She finally understood the truth of everything, and finally died with a clear understanding.

So she walked away from the edge of the rooftop and headed towards Aiqidra. With each step she took, her form shifted slightly in resemblance to Aiqidra, her palace attire transforming into simple casual women's clothing, her classically beautiful face changing as she walked, and her posture gradually shifting towards Aiqidra's. When she was one step away from Aiqidra, she stopped.

“What is your path?” she asked.

“All who suffer will be freed,” Aichidra replied, closing the book and looking at her earnestly.

Why did you die at the moment of your ascension to sainthood?

"Because my obsession is to return to a homeland that never existed, and I am bound by my homeland and cannot break free."

"Then how did you manage to come back to life?"

"Because I have realized the error of my previous beliefs. My homeland does not not exist, but I was not aware of it before. Because I am a failed son of the Abyss of Death, death for me is a return to my homeland."

"So that's how it is..." Chang'e from the Heavenly Realm sighed softly. "You are a primordial demon god..."

“Indeed,” Aichidra replied, then asked, “And what is your Dao, Chang’e?”

“…I’ve already forgotten.” She shook her head and took the final step toward Aiqidra—her independence as an individual was completely lost. From then on, she was Chang’e of Yaochi, she was Aiqidra.

The battle for supremacy has ended, and in the multiverse, only Chang'e remains.

Then, Aichidra walked to the edge of the high-rise building, leaned down, and the bustling traffic of the modern city came into view.

A bustling city, a free and vibrant city.

She raised her head, and the Moon Palace of the Primordial Heaven Realm clearly appeared in her eyes—a True Saint possesses authority, and even if she doesn't accept it, everything that once belonged to another Chang'e now belongs to her. And if she takes just one step forward, all the myths and legends related to the Moon Goddess in the multiverse will change, and the Moon Goddess's authority in any universe with an intelligent being will be greatly strengthened.

The concept of Chang'e will leap from a famous but lowly goddess to being on par with the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors. Even the Queen Mother might have to relinquish the Jade Pool for her because of her birth and obsession. Moreover, at mealtimes, anyone who sees the moon will instantly think of their homeland and freedom, inspiring countless timeless poems.

She has become immortal; all she has to do is take one more step forward.

"But why did I choose to become a saint in that way?" She stood on the edge of the high-rise building, pursing her lips.

Memories flashed through her eyes like smoke and dust... She only learned at the moment of her death that she was a descendant of the Abyss of Death, and that she only obtained her true identity from Luo Ye before the Dao War began.

—She was another daughter of Gaia, a failed 'Loye'. She was supposed to meet and unite with another Alice on an almost infinite journey, just like Loye, but she did not embark on the path she was meant to take. And when she unlocked the genetic lock of the middle stage of the fourth tier, and even if she encountered a situation similar to that of the Heavenly Emperor of the Bina Kingdom, it would be impossible to unite with another Alice, her heart was overwhelmed by the urge to return home.

Why return home?

Because she had failed, she was now a waste product. Compared to the inexhaustible resources of the divine Qi, Gaia, still grappling with death, did not possess such abundant resources to utilize. Therefore, the waste product should be recycled, thus becoming the foundation for the existence of another 'Luoye'.

She should have died. The outcome of this struggle should have been another Chang'e—no, the final outcome of this struggle should have been a lose-lose situation with no winners. She would have slumbered in the depths of the Abyss of Death, while the other Chang'e, after gambling everything, would have failed to gain the opportunity to discuss the Dao, and would have been forced to return to the Primordial World alone with an empty legion of saints and unimaginable losses.

She should have died long ago, because becoming a saint was just a means to an end; death after becoming a saint was the real goal.

The reason she has survived until now is entirely because Luo Ye and Alice took that crucial step. Only then was she able to break free from Gaia's will and become one of the most powerful figures in this real universe.

So, should we take that step forward?

She looked at her hands—white, slender, and seemingly clean and nimble.

"I want to die because of my mother's call." Her five fingers slowly clenched into a fist.

“But to die for holiness was my own choice. Because I am Echidna, and I want all those who are bound to be free—this is my ideal, my creed. Compared to this, my life is utterly insignificant.”

Her eyes reflected the billions of worlds in the multiverse. A glint appeared in her gaze, and a clear number came into her mind—the number of worlds she, as a True Saint, could protect, the total number of universes that could liberate them from the script memes. It was a number many, many times larger than the thousands of universes she had redeemed upon ascending to sainthood…

...That is a finite number.

Even a true saint's authority is ultimately limited. And what can limited authority do in this infinite multiverse?

To don a crown, to enjoy the glory and majesty of the king of kings, to indulge in praise and sensual pleasures forever? What is the meaning of such a thing? To live merely to live, to be powerful, to enjoy life—what value does such a life have?

Perhaps, but not for her, Aqidra, or for Chang'e of Yaochi.

and……

"The reason for the existence of script memes is that after the war of creation, humanity attacked Mother, which caused an imbalance between heaven and man and led all the universes in the multiverse to their end. Therefore, they were created by the primordial saints to stabilize the universe by scripting the principles of civilization. In other words... as long as Mother awakens, all the universes will be free."

"...and punishment."

In her eyes, she saw the inevitable end of all things—she knew that Luo Ye and Alice had fulfilled their duty by concluding 'let it be.' However, that was merely a matter of not deliberately targeting mortals. It wasn't intentional, but rectification was inevitable. Gaia's awakening was already certain, and when the Heavenly Dao was re-established, what would be destroyed was not only the script meme, but also the 'human destiny resonance' that the Heavenly Court had built upon the script meme.

Gaia won't intentionally destroy mortals; the decisions made by Alice and Loya will lead her to ignore these ant-like beings on the day of her awakening. Just as a Tyrannosaurus Rex wouldn't care about the ants at its feet, when the Tyrannosaurus Rex awakens from its slumber, utter destruction will still come with the stretching of its limbs.

"A devastating catastrophe will spread throughout the multiverse, and this calamity will not be limited to mortals—it will fall upon all races of the old and new worlds simultaneously. For the Mother will not care about them, for only the innate demon gods born from the Abyss of Death are considered the Mother's offspring."

"so……"

She lowered her fist and looked down at the ground beneath her feet.

“I cannot bear such a future. I cannot bear the fate of this infinite world and the infinite beings in this infinite world being trapped in suffering and unable to escape.”

"So……"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She knew her true nature; she was Gaia's offspring, a part of whom Gaia had once sought to reclaim. And if she were willing to return, she would inevitably be able to merge with Gaia, becoming a part of her.

She knew she was different from Luo Ye. Luo Ye was a finished product, the last daughter who truly represented the 'end'. As a failed product, she originally meant nothing, but now, the Dao she possessed could be considered a kind of rebirth.