Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Luo Ye smiled and said, "Get on the bus first, buy the ticket later. Even if you haven't purified everything in your heart except for the Dao and attachments, your accumulation in the path of transcendence will propel you towards a higher realm. So... are you ready to take the third step?"

Alice gave the answer she expected.

“The first world is over.” Alice looked at Luo Ye earnestly. “I… in my next growth, I will take Patchi with me.”

"As you wish." Luo Ye reached out and placed her hand on her chest, making an elegant gesture of invitation.

The next moment, they were back on the beach under the night sky in their personal space, and the clock on the side showed that time was still frozen at the moment they left.

Section 7: The Last Hidden Danger

Luo Ye gave Alice a few minutes to arrange Patchouli's affairs. After all, she had no interest in watching a beautiful girl hurriedly change clothes—she could easily guess how far Patchouli and the little devil would 'catch up.' She also understood that this was simply Alice's way of interacting with her. It was a subtle way for some purple-toned individual to express their own desires.

Alice will inevitably stumble upon some "good thing" at just the right time. Then, she will naturally immerse herself in it or be immersed in it, playing different roles depending on the situation to enjoy the pleasure. As for how long this process will last, that's another question worth considering.

But it didn't matter. Even though this was the personal space controlled by the main god, the true god still had an infinite amount of time to rest when he wanted to. Luo Ye knew very well that she would definitely see those two guys—who she was too lazy to find adjectives to describe for the moment—at the agreed-upon location a few minutes later. As for the rest—

That's Alice's family matter; she couldn't be bothered with it.

Moreover, this isn't really a 'big deal'. At most, it's just playful banter between lovers.

However, while this might not seem like a 'matter' in the traditional sense, its nature shouldn't be underestimated—Luo Ye knew that the young lady named Patchouli deeply loved Alice. And because of this love, Luo Ye herself was seen as part of Alice and became a target of her pursuit. In other words, if Luo Ye were to stumble into the erotic world Patchouli had meticulously created alongside Alice, then what would happen next would likely be very complicated.

How complicated would it be? Probably as complicated as a secretive mechanism involving the entire multiverse that would pop up a 404 error code.

Luo Ye didn't like the code, and she figured that others—like some of the upper-level narrators who weren't involved in the game—probably weren't much interested in it either. So, when Alice joined in her partner's 'reminiscing', she moved to the other side of this personal space.

—She stopped in front of Aige's door.

Half a second later, Aika, dressed in a cute pajama, gently opened the door.

"Luo Yemian—Madam?" Her expression and tone held the same genuine surprise and shyness. She took a timid half-step back, behaving in a manner befitting Luo Yemian's taste, and then asked hesitantly, "Excuse me, what brings you here…?"

However, Luo Ye merely glanced at her indifferently.

"I'm going out later, come with me."

"—Is it?" This time, the surprise in Aika's eyes was genuine—at least 70% real.

“I will take Alice and Patchouli to the edge of the multiverse, touring many worlds and teaching them the way of transcendence. And you will be a casual participant.”

The surprise instantly turned into genuine terror.

“This, such precious knowledge!” She waved her hands vigorously, her cheeks flushed, and a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. “Something like Aigo, something that’s not even human! How could it be qualified to listen to it…”

However, Luo Ye cornered her with just one sentence.

"Do you really think... you can leave Chu Xuan's side with just a few pleas and promises?" Luo Ye scoffed. "I know what you promised Chu Xuan. Chu Xuan needs an informant by my side, so you volunteered for the job. But why don't you consider that someone like Chu Xuan, would he accept an ending where he only gets some insignificant information?"

She saw the girl in front of her sitting on the ground, pale-faced.

"Aige, Aige just... just didn't want to betray your trust..."

Luo Ye could clearly sense the girl's fear and apprehension. But she also noticed that Miss Satori's words in her defense were very precise and clearly biased. Moreover, her slumped posture was a perfectly feminine and harmless duck-like pose. Her upturned face was directly facing the light source, and the tears welling in her eyes flowed naturally and aesthetically without detracting from her beauty.

She put on a convincing act, but Luo Ye didn't care—not about the pretense, nor the purpose. Because she knew perfectly well that it was all an outward appearance. All she needed to do was speak the coldest truth.

“Chu Xuan endorsed my joining, and he naturally expects a corresponding reward.” Luo Ye said calmly, “Your arrival gave Patchouli a reason to keep me here. Since I am staying instead of leaving or going undercover, I will inevitably take this opportunity to teach Alice some valuable knowledge. This is an action that is in line with my style and interests. For Chu Xuan, this is a predetermined future that is as easy as reading a book on the palm of his hand.”

“Since I will leave behind my knowledge, Alice will surely pass it on to Patchouli. At the same time, they also know that my ability to stay here is inseparable from Chu Xuan’s help. Moreover, if I’m not mistaken, Chu Xuan should make a special appearance after Alice and I enter our personal space to personally vouch for us to others—although the wording may be rather subtle.”

She gave a soft hum.

"But whether it's subtle or not, a guarantee is a guarantee. Since taking over as the strategist of the Central Continent Team, Chu Xuan has rarely expressed his opinions on the team's decisions—because he wanted to maintain Zheng Zha's authority, ensure the stability of the team, and accumulate his own authority until the right critical moment to make a decisive statement. But he took the initiative to speak up in this unnecessary situation."

“Miss Satso, you should now know just how precious the status of a Reincarnator is. The authority that Chu Xuan expends by speaking at this moment may in the near future be roughly equivalent to the survival of multiple universes, the life and death of a species beyond numbers, or even the life or death of a Quasi-Saint or a Sage.”

"Zheng Zha may not realize what it means for Chu Xuan to take the initiative to influence personnel changes within the team, but Alice, Patchouli, and I all know very well what a heavy bargaining chip this is—although there is certainly an element of coercion involved. But my foolish sister and mentally challenged sister-in-law are willing to do this because of some pointless emotion, so as the eldest sister, I naturally have no choice but to accept it. After all, owing Chu Xuan a favor is a matter with endless troubles, and since I cannot eliminate Chu Xuan here, I can only eliminate the troubles that follow."

"Do you understand now, Miss Satō?" Luo Ye reached out and gently lifted Ai Ka, who had been pretending to collapse but had actually collapsed, off the ground.

"It was inevitable that you would come to my side. But I think you actively sought this opportunity, which resulted in a significant decrease in your gains—of course, you don't need to blame yourself for this, because it was a foolish choice to outwit Chu Xuan. You just need to know why you were chosen."

"—Because you once came into contact with me, because you once served as a filter and a mouthpiece to receive the secrets I spoke. You have proven your own capacity and stability, so you will inevitably accept this responsibility—you will come to my side, and through me you will learn the optimal advancement schemes for different realms such as transcending the seed, sage, quasi-sage, and so on, as well as the dark secrets hidden behind them. And when all this is over, the fate you fear most will befall you."

Her words were firm, her tone ruthless and leaving no room for negotiation.

"You will return to Chu Xuan's side with the secret, whether you like it or not, whether you face it or run away, you will always return to Chu Xuan's side. Then you will become Chu Xuan's experimental result or experimental loss, because you have a contract with Chu Xuan, because you are Chu Xuan's vassal rather than a formal member of the Central Continent Team. Because Chu Xuan has not yet obtained enough satisfaction—relatively satisfying benefits."

Then, she heard Ai Ge's mournful cry, which sounded like a cuckoo crying blood.

"Aika...can't I even just want to live?"

Her face was pale and she looked like she was about to cry, but Luo Ye thought to herself that she acted quite well.

If the person standing here were just a sentient being or a member of the opposite sex lusting after her body, nine times out of ten they would be completely captivated by her. The rest would likely be stirred by protective instincts, paternal or maternal feelings, or other such inappropriate emotions. But Luo Ye was different from those things—Luo Ye had always been different from everyone else.

Luo Ye snorted again.

"I'm tired of this pretense, even if you don't find it annoying. Now that I've told you so much, you should be able to figure out why I'm telling you all this—it's foolish to go against Chu Xuan, and it's foolish to go against me. Chu Xuan sent you out not only to make the best use of you, but also to give you an opportunity. You're quite unqualified as a prop, but as an experimental subject for observation, you might be useful in some other ways."

“Aiko…” The girl’s tears stopped, her voice light and ethereal. “…What can I do for you?”

“To transform from an inanimate object into a living one, from a living entity granted the authority of the Hunting Saint Ritual into an independent entity possessing the light of the soul. This is the only thing you can do for yourself.” Luo Ye ignored the flattery in her words and went straight to the point. “For Chu Xuan, if a tool only achieves one purpose, then it is considered a serious failure and a loss. And in the current Central Continent Team, there is, and only is, a clear, but potentially remedial, loophole.”

“That is the creation of people. Zheng Zha’s creation of people, Ming Yanwei’s creation of people, Cheng Xiao’s creation of people, and Zhang Jie and Ling Dian’s creation of people—they have invested too much emotion in these creations. And this also means that these creations, while becoming their driving force, are also chains that bind them.” Luo Ye said calmly, “Chu Xuan may not have considered this issue before, but after Xilin brought Miss Theresa back, he has to put this matter on his agenda.”

Theresa was originally just an imposter, a projection from Aichidra's memories, an illusion that never even had a true prototype, a level inferior to the creations of the Supreme God. However, as Aichidra... reached the end. When Sirin brought Theresa back to the Supreme God's space, Sirin discovered that this girl under the crimson moon had actually gained independent existence, possessing a prototype of the Light of the Soul—ordinary as those billions of mortals, yet truly existing at the deepest level of the Abyss of the Heart, still a fragment at this moment!

Although it's unclear how Aichidra managed it, she did it, and that's that. Others might not yet be aware of this change, but this secret, which may soon cease to be a secret, couldn't possibly escape Chu Xuan's notice!

A problem that would otherwise have been overlooked has been brought to the forefront, making its resolution the top priority before the final battle. After all, in the prophetic records Alice had seen, the clone Zheng Zha embarked on that path of divine retribution precisely because of the death and irreversibility of the created Lolita. And now, a possibility for properly handling this problem has appeared before everyone.

Chu Xuan would never say to Xilin, "Let me borrow your Theresa for some research." Because that would be no different from saying to Zheng Zha…or to the clone Zheng Zha, "Let me borrow your wife for one night." The consequences would be extremely serious, and Xilin is now absolutely aware of this problem and has made the necessary preparations!

After all, Sirin was never stupid; she was lazy and unwilling to think, not incapable of thinking. And if anything threatened the few things she cherished... even the laziest Magikarp would temporarily evolve into a perpetually insane Gyarados!

Chu Xuan was aware of this, so he would definitely avoid such matters. Since there was no way to obtain information from Theresa, the only option was to seek the methods of a sage—through the Luo Ye, which shared the same origin as Aichidra, to find answers deep within the Abyss of Death!

—The thought process was lengthy, but the conclusion was reached in an instant. After Luo Ye uttered the word 'Theresa,' Sajo Aika, who already had a considerable understanding of the composition of the Central Continent Team and was no fool, instantly grasped most of the above information.

It turned out to be the case.

The tear stains and sorrow on Ai Ge's face vanished instantly, and her suggestive pajamas transformed into a travel outfit suitable for an outing. She knew Luo Ye very well what kind of person he was. Although she couldn't possibly deceive him, putting on this act wouldn't offend Luo Ye, and she wouldn't suffer any loss. Since her goal had been achieved, continuing to feign interest would only be a waste of time.

Luo Ye nodded and turned to leave.

Then she 'heard' Aigo bowing deeply to the ground, her voice earnest.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty Luo Ye. Aigo... now knows which direction she should strive towards."

"I just don't want you to do anything stupid at a crucial moment that would waste Alice's study time," Luo Ye replied calmly, then continued walking forward.

There was a brief silence behind her.

Then--

"If, if Aigo succeeds... Your Majesty Luo Ye, would you accept Aigo and make her your vassal?"

"Let's talk about it after you get to that point." Luo Ye paused slightly, then said coldly, "Also, there is no hierarchy within the Central Continent Team, so don't use honorifics on me anymore."

"Yes!"—She heard genuine joy and excitement in the girl's reply.

Is this time... for real?

Luo Ye wasn't sure, and she didn't care. Because she had simply given the order, and someone... something had accepted it.

She continued forward, and Aigo followed closely behind her.

Soon, she arrived at the beach under the cover of night once again and saw her silly younger sister and her clumsy sister-in-law.

—It's time to continue our previous daydreaming journey.

Section 8: The Eldest Sister's Education

Alice wasn't quite sure how her...older sister viewed her now. But she figured her evaluation would likely involve adjectives like 'idiot' or 'moron.' After all, her previous performance had indeed been somewhat clumsy and hesitant, but...

So what if I'm stupid? I was stupid to begin with anyway.

[Besides, what's wrong with a younger sister acting cute and affectionate with her older sister!]

She was initially somewhat self-destructive, but after finding a suitable reason for herself, she suddenly became self-righteous again. After all, familial affection was something she had never even encountered in her dreams. And when this unique emotion became a reality, and was bestowed upon her in the form of care and concern, she felt truly powerless to resist.

It wasn't that she couldn't resist, but that she didn't want to—she knew that these emotions, in a broad sense, were actually a form of Dao erosion. But she also knew that even if she ignored them, Luo Ye wouldn't allow these emotions to become a weapon that could kill her.

This should perhaps be called 'trust'. Just as she trusted Chu Xuan's mind, Zheng Zha's muscles, and Patchouli's love for her, she trusted that Luo Ye wouldn't harm her, much less hinder her path.

Deep down, she felt she should call Luo Ye "Mom" rather than "Sister." But even as a true god, the meaningless feeling of shame would still surface when she felt she should. So, she gave herself an out, considering Luo Ye's Eastern custom of "the elder sister is like a mother," and tentatively treated herself as a younger sister. After spending some time together, she found herself becoming more and more comfortable with this role.

Identity... Ah, identity is an interesting word.

In the past, when she was joking around with Patchouli, she often switched identities to enjoy all sorts of amusing scenarios. She never cared in the past because she knew it was just playful banter and had its own unique charm. However, now, or more accurately, not long ago, she felt a slight allergy to some of these elements.

—As a result, she completely crossed out the entries for 'maternal line' and 'elder sister line' from one of her private lists that she was reluctant to show to others.

Of course, Patchouli was unhappy about this. But she knew that this so-called 'unhappiness' was actually part of the playful banter. And in order to appease Patchouli's 'unhappiness,' she had to spend almost three times longer than the estimated schedule in her personal space to resolve the issue.

Okay, this last sentence is the key point. The nearly 800 words above are essentially her process of justifying her love for someone—[It's all Luo Ye's fault that I wasted so much time on Patchi! And what's wrong with me, as a younger sister, occasionally being a little spoiled!]—that's roughly it.

So, when the main god's time was advanced by about three seconds, Alice, who had actually wasted six months by adjusting the timeline, arrived at the beach first. Then, seeing Luo Ye and his little follower arriving precisely at the agreed-upon time at the departure point, she finally had the nerve to pout and say—

"You're so slow, sister. I've been waiting for you for ages." — She said this without the slightest bit of embarrassment.

“Well, I did some other things.” Luo Ye was too lazy to expose her, so she just nodded slightly and waved to Ai Ge, who was following closely behind her. “This girl will come with us. Don’t worry about the load. Her condition is similar to that of a little devil—you should have already passed on the lessons I gave you earlier to Patchouli, right?”

“Ah, I’ve already told Patchouli everything.” Alice gestured to Aika, who was respectfully greeting them, as if to say, “Do as you please.” Her other hand held Patchouli’s tightly. “Sister, should I hold your hand like before when we go this time?”

Luo Ye glanced at Patchouli.

The latter smiled and bowed slightly to her, calling her "sister" just like Alice. Throughout this process, she never let go of Alice's hand.

well.

This is ridiculous! Are elementary school students holding hands and spinning around?!

“No need. I held your hand earlier because you couldn’t properly perceive the Abyss when you perceived it. So I wanted to share my senses with you through physical contact. And this time…” Her toes lightly touched the sand, and the next moment, the beach beneath their feet transformed into an open void gate.

"...You should do your homework."

The group's perceptions and perspectives immediately changed.

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

Alice opened her eyes. Just like last time, she clearly sensed the decline in her life level and the depletion of her controllable energy. Once again, she traversed the inner side of the Abyss of Death and arrived at the outer side, representing the transit area connecting the multiverses, and what met her eyes was still that vast starry sky in the darkness!

The Abyss still perceived her as a mortal, and she perceived the Abyss as a vast sea of ​​stars—her dual identity as the Daughter of the Goddess and a Reincarnator protected her, ensuring her survival even in the dark expanse of space in her mortal form. But as she prepared to take a closer look at the starry sky before her, she felt a slight gripping force emanating from her fingertips.

Sure enough, even with shared knowledge, unexpected things always happen the first time you actually put it into practice—just like standing on the shore and mentally rehearsing swimming postures thousands of times. A beginner, no matter how talented, will be a landlubber for at least a few minutes after falling into the water.