Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

“If you really were going to do something to me… then I’d be saved trouble.” She stretched her neck, causing the ends of her pale golden hair to fall onto Luo Ye’s fingertips. “I’ve never taken those who are genuinely good to me and have truly given me a lot of help… or those living beings, there’s nothing I can do about it. You should know this better than I do…”

She slowly let out that breath again.

"What do you want me to do with you? What do you want me to do?"

"If you still want to die as you always have, want to die like that, like that... then I'd rather keep this stalemate going until the multiverse itself reaches its twilight!"

She heard Luo Ye chuckle softly.

“I am the twilight, Alice.” Luo Ye’s voice, accompanied by a gentle breeze, lightly brushed against Alice’s earlobe. Then, before the latter’s nerves could tense up, he changed the subject. “But you don’t need to worry, I no longer intend to die. Because death is no longer the end for me, and my mother won’t let me go back.”

"You're not lying to me?" Alice asked, her voice weaker than ever before.

"I'm not lying to you." Luo Ye pulled up a chair next to her and sat down comfortably in the sun lounger. She raised her hand and pointed to the bright moon in the night sky. "What do you see?"

"moon."

What do you associate with the concept of the moon?

"I thought of the moon falling into the abyss... Was it Aichidra?"

“You still remember Aichidra, that’s good.” Luo Ye nodded, a faint light emanating from his fingertip, and then the information that recorded many inside stories before and after the Hunting Saint Ceremony was inputted into the depths of Alice’s mind through that faint light.

“Aichidra is dead. There is no winner in the struggle between the true saints. She is not only the moon goddess, but also a true saint who embodies the concepts of mercy and compassion. She chose to return these two concepts to the Abyss of Death with her, and when she returned, my mother, her mother Gaia, regained these two qualities because of the return of the Dao.”

“Gaia accepted her and her ideas, so she was able to die successfully and sleep forever. But I am not like her; I am the same as her and yet different.”

"Because you are...twilight?" Alice recalled the words Luo Ye had just said.

“Yes, because I am Twilight, because I am the death of the multiverse.” Luo Ye gently touched Alice’s hair, letting the golden strands curl into a small loop at her fingertips. “In the War of Creation, the concept of death was forcibly created for the Mother who was neither born nor died. And the birth of countless ‘me’ and countless ‘Luo Ye’ is the process of the sleeping Mother healing her wounds. ‘Death’ is expelled because of my birth, so… even though I am only at the Fourth Middle School, the stronger I become, the less likely I am to die.”

“Because I am different from Echidna. A mother can accept pity and mercy, but she cannot accept death.”

“Mother won’t allow me to return to the deepest part of the Abyss. Because I’m already a finished product, I must live, at least until Mother fully awakens. So…” She tilted her head, looking at Alice. “I cannot die, and that is the most conclusive proof—can you rest assured now?”

Alice opened her mouth slightly.

She felt she should say something, yet also felt she shouldn't say anything at all. She felt she should do something, yet also felt she shouldn't do anything.

A thin mist suddenly enveloped the moon in the sky.

The contrast between light and shadow on the beach shifted slightly as a result, the aroma of the picnic barbecue intensified, and then she saw Patchouli waving at her from behind the firelight.

—She knew what she had to do.

“Patch is calling us.” She reached out and grasped Luo Ye’s hand, which seemed to be making a half-dodging motion.

—Luo Ye's fingers were even colder than she had expected. But she could clearly feel the blood flowing under her skin and the beating of a heart that was even colder than her hand.

"Let's go together, sister."

"……Um."

Section 3: The Secret of Transcending Species

Over the next few days, Alice, along with Loretta, Aika Sato, who had prepared a delicious feast, and Little Devil and others—yes, it was Aika and Little Devil who cooked—held a bonfire dinner that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Patchouli, who was unusually confident in her culinary skills, surprisingly showed some self-awareness.

At first, Luo Ye didn't say much, but soon, with Ai Ge's enthusiastic help in enlivening the atmosphere at the table, she gradually let down her guard—she began to participate in the conversation, discussing topics that women should discuss, such as clothing and dressing up. Although these topics were meaningless to everyone present, they were at least a starting point for conversation. As the conversation shifted, the relationships between the people gradually became closer.

Somewhat to Alice's surprise, Patchouli, whom she had categorized as the 'most unreliable person in the entire multiverse,' simply smiled and busied herself on the edge of the banquet from beginning to end, occasionally joining in the conversation and warming up the atmosphere, but never doing anything earth-shattering. Alice had spent at least ninety percent of her calculations on keeping an eye on her during the banquet, but she didn't expect that this precaution would never be of any use.

This is good.

Alice, though still puzzled, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief—ever since Patchouli unlocked the genetic lock at the middle stage of the fourth tier and gathered an independent spiritual light, she could no longer see through Patchouli's heart as easily as before. This was normal; a true god, apart from their own path and convictions, had no other flaws or shortcomings. And this long-lost uncertainty always added a touch of whimsy to their interactions.

Thus, the delightful banquet finally came to an end when Alice and Luo Ye both felt it was about time.

Miss Aige was quite pleased with her successful public appearance. The fact that she wasn't kicked out after the banquet clearly indicated the witches' approval of her continued presence—she respectfully took her leave after tidying up the debris around the campfire. Then, guided by Shanghai and Penglai, she headed to the assigned spatial rift to rest.

Patchouli also chose to leave, claiming she would have a long-awaited reunion with the little devil that evening. She decisively disappeared after Ayaka and the dolls had all retreated. Before leaving, she casually adjusted the structure of the seaside space, extinguishing the campfire and creating a soft, neat patch of grass on the beach—and in that instant, she secretly gave Alice a thumbs-up.

Okay, Alice had to admit she might have been overthinking things. She decided that after this was over, she would at least take a month to spend with Patchouli as compensation. But before that…

Before that...

"Alice, what kind of future do you want?" Luo Ye stretched out her hand, making the stars in the night sky shine even under the moonlight. She sat down on the soft grass, turned her head, and asked Alice.

“I don’t know.” Alice shook her head slightly and sat down on the grass, shoulder to shoulder with Luo Ye. “My path is to exhaust all the changes in what I explore before me—and change should be endless. My current plan is to end the final battle that I, as a reincarnator, will inevitably face. And after that… we’ll talk about that later.”

“Then your current strength is not enough.” Luo Ye nodded slightly and then replied, “I will not comment on your path, but if you want to influence the outcome of the final battle, then you must unlock the advanced stage of the fourth level of the gene lock, become a transcendent species, or even become a quasi-saint—because that is the strongest combat power that the final battle can allow, and the clone Zheng Zha will definitely be waiting for you in that position.”

"Will my clone... become a quasi-saint?"

“I’m not sure, but as a clone, you can at least become a transcendent being. Quasi-Saint is a very high threshold, and crossing it is far more difficult than directly advancing from a transcendent being to a Primordial Saint. She has this potential just like you, but whether she can transform this potential into a tangible level of life requires sufficient opportunity and effort.”

Alice didn't speak, because she could roughly guess what Luo Ye's next words would be.

“And before that, I can help you overcome the obstacle of transcendence.” — Sure enough, Luo Ye’s words came out just as she had guessed.

Alice frowned slightly.

"I hope you don't tell me that you're thinking of self-destructing again."

“I told you I wouldn’t die.” Luo Ye snorted softly. “My mother will not allow me to go back. Even if she takes back all the innate demon gods, she will not allow me to return to the bottom of the Abyss of Death. You don’t need to doubt this, and I have no reason to lie to you.”

“I hope so.” Alice hummed softly. “But even so, I don’t need… I don’t want you to make any more sacrifices or pay any price for me… You should know my creed: whether I owe others or myself, I will always repay any debt—you don’t want our relationship to end up being one of ‘tit-for-tat,’ do you?”

—When she finished speaking, Luo Ye's lips curled up slightly, as if she were smiling.

She then ignored Alice's earlier words and proceeded to ask her own questions—

"Do you know the difference between a True God and a Transcendent Species?" Then he explained, "The difference is actually quite small. A True God already possesses the maximum power that a single universe can currently exert. A Transcendent Species, on the other hand, essentially adds two more abilities to this: the ability to survive epochal cataclysms and the ability to freely travel between multiple single universes. This allows them to reach the state of 'I will not perish even if heaven and earth perish'—it might be overwhelmingly powerful to a True God. But in terms of specific destructive power..."

"...The threat posed by transcendent species and true gods to the many living or dead things in a single universe is actually the same."

"Of course I know that..."

"Yes, I understand you know about this. After all, you made that arrangement in the final battle of the Moon World precisely because you knew that the final battle had not yet arrived and the main god had not released the open world for protection. So even if the clone Zheng Zha directly exercised his transcendent powers, he could only suppress the Central Continent team and could not directly wipe you out. But the point I want to tell you is not actually this."

"...You actually came into contact with the power of the transcendent species a long, long time ago. You were already using it a very, very long time ago. And in the Moon World, the reason why the clone Zheng Zha didn't attack was actually because 'this power' was also an important reason that could influence his decision."

She snapped her fingers lightly, and the curve of her lips widened as she looked at Alice's puzzled eyes. Just as Alice finally showed a look of realization, she spoke first.

"Do you remember now? That thing you didn't really pay attention to, or even notice, but which is actually crucial to you—that power, that place, do you remember now?"

Alice closed her eyes and exhaled slowly and forcefully.

"Interference force... around the table, fragments of the Tower of Babel!"

“That’s right, exactly, that’s exactly it,” Luo Ye replied with a smile.

Some things she hadn't understood before finally became clear to Alice. She finally understood why someone like Chu Xuan, who was so focused on managing time, would allow the Central Continent Team to waste so much time 'relaxing' and 'playing games' before the Moon World opened! Because that was the root of his plan in the Moon World, and the real reliance he had to suppress the Demon Team and stop them on the other side of the stage!

"That platform with the circular table... is it actually a disguise made from fragments of the Tower of Babel?"

"Exactly."

"And the fragments of the Tower of Babel are not actually some giant dimensional space at all. Rather, they are complete, independent, portable single-unit universes?"

"Exactly."

"And the 'game' that Chu Xuan created, those 'interference powers,' are actually abilities that surpass what a genius should possess. Interfering with things in another universe from one universe, thereby expanding one's own influence... Is that his real purpose, his real experiment, his real plan...?"

“That’s partly true,” Luo Ye replied. “He really doesn’t care about the battles in the Moon World, because he had already achieved the greatest results when your will came down. He did want to find a way to advance from the Fourth Middle School to the Fourth High School by studying the phenomenon of ‘interference force,’ and he was quite successful. He did use these experimental data as a bargaining chip, and as part of his deterrent, to delay the main force of the Demon Team. But that may not be his real purpose, his real experiment, his real plan.”

Luo Ye shrugged.

“Apart from your mother, Shen Qi, and her opponents, I don’t think anyone can see through Chu Xuan’s true nature. And although Mr. Adam defeated him, he didn’t see through him either.”

“You’re right… I was arrogant.” Alice leaned back and lay down on the soft grass. She blinked, her eyes reflecting the vast starry sky above. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I really would have forgotten about the ring table and interference forces. Indeed… phew…”

She heard Luo Ye lie down beside her and felt strands of black hair brush against her cheek.

"...That 'interference power' actually originates from your power, doesn't it?"

“Yes, this is part of the deal between me and Chu Xuan,” Luo Ye replied. “Your entire team’s interference in the Moon World, the descent process, and the rare return to the Circular Table were all executed by me. Your status as Reincarnators grants you the privilege of freely traversing between individual universes, while my power serves as a guiding beacon. Chu Xuan completes his research by analyzing the phenomena and consequences generated by each of your ‘interventions,’ and in return, I gain the qualification to participate in the main layout of the Moon World.”

Alice frowned slightly.

“Flora, that woman… she’s not a reincarnator, but I brought her to the Ring Table once. A transcendent being… capable of such a thing? Or was it just a phantom you created?”

“I made a promise to her.” Luo Ye paused, seemingly hesitant, but finally told the truth. “I meant what I said, so I let her experience an authority that transcended species. I paid the price I could, and in the end, she took that step on her own.”

"...She became a transcendent being?" Alice was slightly surprised. She still remembered the girl who had stood tall before her, enduring the oppressive aura of a true god over mortals—that tenacious, persistent girl whom she had abandoned.

“Hmm, fifty-fifty.” Luo Ye’s fingers touched her fingertips, and she grasped them in return. “Although I provided her with this opportunity, and although there were many shortcuts involved, she truly persevered to the end on her own, until the moment when everything except her Dao and her attachments decayed—she successfully survived the Great Cataclysm and returned to her Origin World from the Moon World. Although she may slumber for a long time as a result, she will awaken from her eternal slumber once the right opportunity arises.”

"But she still has one last hurdle: she must awaken before the next great calamity arrives in order to exist as a true transcendent being in the multiverse. That's why I say she's half and half right now."

“Half will succeed, half will die, and her chances of awakening within an era through her own will are extremely slim—unless an outsider extends a helping hand to her.” She squeezed the edge of Alice’s palm with the hand Alice was holding. “Will you extend your hand to her, Alice?”

"..." Alice did not answer.

After a long while, she let out a soft "humph".

"First, you told me that the native transcendent race was no different from a true god to the reincarnators, to prove that this journey would not be dangerous. Then, by revealing Chu Xuan's plan, you told me that this action would not harm you, while also taking the opportunity to pique my interest in hearing your story... You've even resorted to moral blackmail, sister!"

"Then will you let me tie you up?" Luo Ye wasn't angry, and her voice lingered lightly in Alice's ear. "Alice, my sister, will you?"

"...The contract you made is no different from the contract I made." Alice pursed her lips. "Besides, Miss Flora did indeed make a contract with me and didn't break it. And she did indeed have a questionnaire for me...although I no longer need it, the agreement still stands—I'll go!"

She heard Luo Ye chuckle smugly in her ear. That laughter stirred a wave of unease within her.

She couldn't help but ask.

"Sister, have you already transcended the species?"

"No, I can simply travel freely between the Abyss of Death, thus traversing numerous universes. With a little effort, I could easily bring one or two non-reincarnators along. But only with you can I carry her across the Abyss of Death without incurring any additional burden." Luo Ye tilted his head slightly. "What, do you want to take Patchouli and the others with you?"

Alice pouted.

"Never mind, Patchouli gave us some alone time, we shouldn't waste it like this. We'll just invite her next time... There will be a next time, right, sister?"

“Yes, the more times you cross the Abyss of Death, the more you will be able to grasp the direction to the transcendent species—and of course, there will be more than one such journey.”

So Alice stopped talking.

The next moment, she saw the dense cluster of stars in the sky crashing towards her!

"Then, let's begin our fantastic journey."

Section 4: Remains and Attempts

When Alice's vision returned to normal, she found herself surrounded by stars. Countless tiny points of starlight dotted the dark void.

No, that wasn't starlight, not planets, not celestial bodies—it was just a series of simple light sources. And the surrounding darkness wasn't a structure of void!

This is... the outermost layer of the Abyss!