Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

“Distorted logic…” His voice was as heavy as a drum, causing all the rain on the entire continent to flow backward. “…You lack a decisive piece of evidence.”

However, Zheng Zha just chuckled.

"Evidence? You've seen my experiences, my memories, and you still say you can't find conclusive evidence? Can't you see Margot Lloyd? Can't you see Luo Ye? They've never hidden their experiences, never played coy when necessary. Even so, can't you see their origins, their mission?"

"Are you really that stupid, or are you pretending not to see?" Zheng Zha's smile vanished, and he shook his head. "Even if you can't see it, I can. After the Moon World ended, I knew they were simply representatives of some outsider and Gaia herself. Their experiences and thoughts are the thoughts and decisions of Gaia and that outsider!"

“Ancient,” he said, “Gaia is different from us, she is different from mortals. She doesn’t care about the myriad races that have died, she doesn’t care about her innate demonic offspring, she doesn’t even care about her last daughter who should be of utmost importance to her. She doesn’t have the love, hate, or other emotions that mortals possess. She doesn’t care whether two or three specks of dust fall from her body!”

"If Heaven and Earth were impartial, good and evil would go unpunished. Gu, you treat her as a human being, so you fear her and dread her revenge. But she has never been human, not in the past, present, or future!"

His words were like a drawn sword—sharp, precise, and ruthless. And this single strike inflicted more damage on Gu than all the previous battles combined.

"But we were hated by Heaven and Earth back then—"

"That's because you were standing on the mountaintop in a thunderstorm wearing iron helmets!" Zheng Zha's voice rose several octaves in emphasis. "Times have changed, Gu. Back then, you had no choice but to fight to the death; if you didn't, you would be wiped out by the oppression of all races. But now... how many races are there in this multiverse now?"

Zheng Zha shook his head. "You should know very well, Gu. Gaia seemed to be targeting mortals back then, but in reality, she was targeting that blood-red river. However, now, the blood river has dimmed, and Gaia has not yet recovered. So let me ask you, Gu, are mortals heading towards extinction because of the dimming of the blood river?"

Gu did not answer.

But the answer is clearly no.

The River of Blood is dimming, but this dimming has not led to the decline of human civilization. Because in this worldview where mortals rule the multiverse, even if all the hidden dangers erupt simultaneously, it would not be a significant blow to human civilization at present.

"The Blood River is dimming and will soon disappear. Once the Blood River ceases to exist, Gaia will no longer focus its attention on mortals, a race no different from any other race—mortals will become the true legitimate inhabitants of this universe, and they will be able to compete with other races on a level playing field."

Zheng Zha finally gave his conclusion.

"Mortals can still exist, and mortals can still be the protagonists in this diverse world. As long as we avoid Gaia like a dangerous natural phenomenon, then the great era of mortals will continue—just as the myriad races were able to rule the primordial continent in the past."

“But we mortals…” Gu paused slightly. “…we could still be killed one day by some whimsical sixth-tier or upper-level narrator.”

However, Zheng Zha merely hummed in response, using a relatively recent idiom as his reply.

"A man of Qi who worries about the sky falling." — Zheng Zha said this.

Gu fell silent.

Silence, the silence lasted for a long time.

then--

"You—Zheng Zha. How can you ensure that such a future will become a reality?"

“I’ve said it before, my path is a pioneering one. I will forge a path, and how those who stand on that path proceed will choose for themselves,” Zheng Zha answered without hesitation. “Everyone’s destiny depends on their own struggle and effort. But before that—”

"—It is my duty to 'pave a path'. I will sever this river of blood, and then, it will be the 'fair competition' that belongs to my fellow mortals."

"...What if Gaia goes back on his word? You will have cut off our only support, and then we will have no room to resist."

“Only humans can ‘go back on their word,’ Gu.” Zheng Zha turned his gaze away from him.

“Luo Ye never goes back on his word.” – That was his reply.

And this was also the last thing he said to Gu.

Chapter Sixty-One - Alice

Gu left.

He neither conceded Zheng Zha's victory nor denied his own defeat. But he left.

He returned to the unknowable and unfathomable depths of the seas, abandoning a battle that could never be won. With his departure, 'Zheng Zha's' form, along with his battle axe, silently disintegrated. Defeat. In the end, only a delicate little bell remained.

Zheng Zha reached out and took the bell. He could clearly see the endless runes shimmering on its surface. He sensed the power contained within the bell, a power almost equivalent to a complete single universe. The moment his inner light intertwined and touched with it, he had a clear understanding.

“It’s not the Eastern Emperor Bell.” There was a hint of disappointment in Zheng Zha’s voice, but he quickly dismissed it, leaving only calm and composure on his face.

It is not the Eastern Emperor Bell.

Ah… of course not, it's only natural that he doesn't. After all, he's not Gu, nor did he inherit Gu's legacy, so how could he possibly possess the Eastern Emperor Bell that Gu seized from Taiyi?

He couldn't, he couldn't do it, unless one day he became strong enough to personally snatch the Eastern Emperor Bell from Gu's hands. Otherwise, even if Gu really gave him the bell, he wouldn't accept it.

So—what kind of clock is this?

Zheng Zha stroked the outer wall of the clock. As he shook it, his senses told him that the expansion rate of the entire universe was changing. Constants and physical laws were constantly distorted and then reorganized. With just a single shake, the end of the universe's era was brought forward considerably.

This is a certificate, a certificate that 'Zheng Zha is no longer ancient from this day forward'. This is an acquired spiritual treasure, a spiritual treasure forged from that hypothetical world line and the decaying universe it carries, and also symbolizing the great achievement of 'not being defeated by the ancient'.

In addition to the two points mentioned above, this is also a powerful artifact that, apart from Zheng Zha, has no connection with any person, thing, or other matter. Such a spiritual treasure needs a name that can circulate throughout the multiverse and is recognized by Heaven, Earth, and the Great Dao.

"The course of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie." A classical allusion suddenly flashed into Zheng Zha's mind, and he knew why. It was an extension of the arguments he had just used to refute the ancients, and this allusion perfectly complemented the current situation.

“Then, from now on, you shall be called ‘Youchang’,” he said to the small bell in his hand. The next moment, the bell trembled, and the characters for “Youchang” appeared on its surface, written in the Chinese characters he usually used. Then, the Youchang Bell rose from his hand, hovering above his head and casting a radiant glow. The next moment, he found himself detached from this unknown universe and returned to the inner side of the Abyss of Death.

The Abyss of Death, Zheng Zha's Abyss of Death, is a real 21st-century city.

When he found himself in this place, he also sensed the Constant Bell gently landing in his outstretched hand. It was as if Gu had chased him into the Abyss of Death with that battle axe; even in the Abyss of Death, where all things were mortal, things at the level of acquired spiritual treasures could at least serve as physical objects.

Zheng Zha put the Changzhi Bell into his pocket. The next moment, he re-perceived the world before his eyes and arrived in front of the two 'buildings' where Saito Ichi and Chu Xuan were respectively standing.

The ancient matters are over. He, Zheng, no longer needs to worry about his past life, no longer needs to fear suddenly losing himself one day. As he resolved this karmic entanglement, he also sensed the turbulence within the four high-level acupoints of the gene lock system—he felt he had found his own unique method to partially integrate the light of his soul with this multiverse. Perhaps, before this trial ends and the next world begins, he can reach the pinnacle of this cycle of reincarnation, like a clone of himself.

So……

"In that case, the next battle will most likely be the final battle of this cycle. The Central Continent Team and the Demon Team, me and the clone... all the causes and effects will be resolved, and before that..."

He first reached out his hand towards the 'building' where Chu Xuan was located—

"...Let's see how my companions are doing first," he said.

Then, the entire trial moved on to the next new stage.

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

Alice lowered her eyes, closed the scroll in her hand, and gazed at the chaotic universe engulfed in war.

Her ritual had begun, and under her manipulation, the heretical sorcerer Sehmed, whose essence was a weapon of war crafted by sages, temporarily collapsed and disintegrated during the ritual. He transformed into six parts and merged into six kingdoms. Then, under the interference of this heretical power, the six kingdoms rapidly rose to prominence and launched an attack on the most powerful and largest seventh kingdom.

She set the rules, and Sekhmet must abide by them if it wants to participate in this battle, unless the other side finds a loophole in the rules or possesses a power beyond the control of the supreme god to overturn the table. However, if it could do the latter, then this war would never have happened in the first place. Moreover, as the weapon of a sage, the former is utter nonsense to this heretical great witch.

Thus, it was trapped within the ritual. Alice could not kill it, but she could divide and influence it. And its only way to win was to unify the six kingdoms, thereby piecing together its true self.

If it succeeds, Alice might really have to fight a fierce battle with a heretical sorcerer whose destructive power is close to that of a quasi-saint. However, it's obvious that Alice will do everything she can to prevent its success. And Alice won't be the only obstacle to the unification of the six kingdoms—Hu Hai will notice Sekhmet's existence, and Hu Hai cannot communicate with a heretical sorcerer who is divided into six equal parts. Therefore—

Hu Hai will prevent the unification of the six states. Just like the late Warring States period in other universes, he will use his power and kingdoms to achieve another form of 'alliance and counter-alliance'!

It will not fail, because Alice will let it run rampant, even assist it. And as the battle between the two sides unfolds and escalates to a fever pitch in an instant, Alice quietly chooses to disappear into the war.

The world was thrown into chaos. Under this double scheme, the six states, while besieging Qin, were also fighting amongst themselves. Hu Hai, also a weapon, was now able to contend with them, barely maintaining a balance while too busy to attend to anything else—it was temporarily bogged down on this battlefield. The longer it was delayed, the more it would be drawn into the ritual. And when all its resources fell into this external revelation, all its changes would fall into Alice's hands. And after that, the outcome of the battle would be entirely in Alice's control.

The plan has been laid out, the momentum has been established, and as long as there are no unexpected disruptors, Alice has already foreseen the end of her victory.

The end.

Victorious, the end.

However, at this moment, Alice didn't really care which direction the war would take. She was simply observing and planning in secret. And when everything was running smoothly, she separated a small wisp of her reclaimed will and cast it into the most inconspicuous kingdom.

Terra.

While Hu Hai was preoccupied with his own troubles, and Alice closed the scroll of the Book of Revelation in her hands, within the city-state of Lungmen in Terra, the scholar Roy opened his eyes from an ordinary afternoon nap.

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

The changes that have occurred on Terra in these past few months far exceed those of its previous thousands of years combined. Whether the passengers are ready or not, the entire planet continues to race along its endless tracks like a train with its accelerator jammed and brakes removed.

First, the world suddenly became peaceful, and the moral standards of the entire planet inexplicably rose by a huge margin. The crime rate plummeted from an explosive level to near zero. Even the police force was reduced in number, as officers were completely useless in this era of upheaval.

This was the beginning, and immediately afterward, the Originium clouds covering the planet's surface began to shift violently. It was as if two forces beyond mortal comprehension were wrestling within the clouds, threatening to turn everything on Earth upside down.

A year ago, this might have been a catastrophe of annihilation. But now, it has caused little disturbance in this rapidly changing civilization.

Because all the nations on earth have united.

All nations, all forces, and all peoples united at an unimaginable speed, and with that incredible cohesion, they fought against the heavens. For the first time on the entire world of Terra, a unified government was born to govern the entire land. Then, the first special team in Terra's history to bring together the most skilled and powerful Originium Arts practitioners on the planet was successfully formed. And with the almost relentless help of this new government and the countless people on Earth, this nascent force successfully suppressed the Originium storm that was about to sweep across the land!

The greatest terror on Terra, the Cataclysmic Storm that threatened the survival of all life, was contained for the first time. And with the first time, naturally there would be a second and a third. In less than half a month, the inhabitants of Terra established their sovereignty over the planet, for they had finally, for the first time ever, successfully restrained the Cataclysmic Cloud!

This was the first step. Soon, for the first time since the beginning of time, the scholars, under the leadership of two unnamed former Rhine Lab experts, successfully calculated and produced a vaccine for Oripathy that combined two different philosophies. And it was from this moment on that Oripathy could no longer be a shackle on the people of Terra.

Terra's technology thus advanced by leaps and bounds, dominating the land and conquering the skies. And just as they turned their gaze beyond the skies, the final and most dramatic change ensued.

They made contact with the universe, becoming natives whom Qin considered out of control and in need of purging. They became part of a ritual of the Seven Kingdoms, unknown to Qin and the other five kingdoms. Then, they were drawn into war.

Initially, Qin used cleanup ships to deal with the out-of-control alien natives. Then, the star system where Terra was located was drawn into a battle of unprecedented scale. Two-thirds of the entire star system was wiped out by annihilation weapons manufactured by a certain nation. The sun went out, and only a small fragment of the star was captured by Terra. Through the calculations of scholars, it was made into an engineering tool, which could barely provide light and heat to Terra before it extinguished itself.

Terra thus joined the war, its presence barely noticeable in this remote corner. After understanding the current cosmic situation and the gap in combat power and technology, they decisively chose a strategy of concealing their battlefront—through one technological breakthrough after another, they successfully mobilized the Originium energy of the entire planet, creating a stellar barrier that was still quite advanced technology even in this era before other nations turned their attention to it, and then concealing the entire Terra within it.

After that, the obvious course of action was to flee. When Terra successfully escaped its previous star system, a dimensional attack from the sky blasted the original location of the galaxy into a giant, exquisitely crafted pancake no more than one millimeter thick.

Terra successfully escaped, although it was obvious that someone orchestrated the ritual behind the scenes. But in the eyes of the inhabitants of Terra, they and their civilization had undoubtedly narrowly escaped death.

Thus, thoughts of war arose on the peaceful planet Terra. Because the technological gap was simply too vast, Terra's World Government decided to forge a different path, one that the other six nations had never taken: crafting swords and guns for self-defense. They decided to push the power of Originium to its limits, hoping to find a way, at least, to protect their planet.

Obviously, as the most outstanding Oripathy scholar of this era, the complex-minded Ms. Luo Ai naturally became one of the project's leaders.

Alice blinked.

She felt satisfied digesting this ever-changing information. Although the main body of the game stored the records, the information circulating in the market was definitely more to her liking. She wanted to continue reading, but before that, she had an important thing to do.

She looked up. Just five minutes earlier, Governor Wei Yanwu and his wife Wen Yue had requested a last-minute meeting. They were already at the office door, perhaps ready to burst in at any moment!

"Kampavsky, Chelsea..." she murmured to herself, looking at the closed office door.

Chapter Sixty-Two - Alice II

The identity of the visitors was not unexpected. When the office door opened, the person standing outside was indeed the Overlord and Chelsea, who were disguised as the rulers of Lungmen, just as she had observed. They greeted Alice and then sat down in the seats in front of her.

Alice poured them each a cup of coffee.

"It seems you haven't quite succeeded yet?" The girl lightly tapped her chin with her finger, scrutinizing the two uninvited guests. In her observation, the Overlord had clearly mastered the final step of gathering the light of the mind; all he needed to do next was find a quiet place to prepare himself for a while before he would succeed.

He could choose to stay on this star called Terra for a few months and become a fourth-tier student. Or he could choose to return to the Main God Space and then break through, which would also allow him to become a fourth-tier student. And because he had gone further than Ming Yanwei from the beginning, and had even understood his own path, he might be able to successfully grow to the level of a true god before the final battle.

A bumper harvest.

However, it was not entirely successful.

Alice could detect a slight sense of loss in the King's expression and deep within his heart.

"Yes, not quite there yet." The Overlord held the coffee cup, and despite his alien form, his shoulders trembled like a giant bear as he gave a bitter laugh. He sighed dejectedly, venting his pent-up frustration in his words. "That guy... got away."

He drank a mouthful of bitter water with a melancholy expression.

Fenrir ran away, or rather, consciously rolled back into the abyss of death. It chose to give up at the last moment before Alice's revelation unfolded. It relinquished this chance for rebirth and returned to its long silence.