Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Alice could tell that neither of them was in great shape, but the mental and physical constraints had been completely removed. It seemed that they had not only defeated their innate and ultimate adversary, but their relationship had also taken that final step.

This is truly a cause for celebration! Alice even felt a little tempted to reach out and ask for a piece of candy as a congratulatory treat.

"Congratulations." Alice smiled and nodded gently at them. "It seems you had a good haul?"

"Not bad. The nameless assassin who served as the prototype for our Empty Project has finally been completely destroyed by us." Zhao Zhuikong replied with a light laugh, clearly in a good mood. "We devoured it, using its death as a ritual to fill any possible gaps in my and Yingkong's Light of the Heart. Now, there are no obstacles in our path. We just need to remove the last shackle, and our path to advancement will be smooth sailing."

Alice raised an eyebrow, a few fleeting thoughts passing through her mind.

After considering it for a moment, she asked, "Xiang Liu?"

She received a positive response.

“Yes, the Great Witch Xiangliu.” Zhao Yingkong answered in a cold voice, “My brother and I are descended from the nameless assassin who orchestrated the Empty Plan. And that assassin’s bloodline originated from the remnants of the Great Witch Xiangliu. The Great Witch Xiangliu is not dead, so it cannot descend here. But similarly, as long as it lives, it is the source of my brother and me’s bloodline. Without severing this causal link, we cannot grow to a level higher than it.”

Alice lowered her eyes slightly.

"So that's how it is. The restrictions that the sages placed on the heretical sorcerers locked their bloodlines, preventing their offspring from growing to a level higher than their source? In that case, this problem is indeed quite thorny." Her fingers tapped lightly on the surface of her desk, slowly pulsating.

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

“No need, these are the opponents that Ying Kong and I will have to face.” Zhao Zhuikong replied with a smile: “From the intelligence we have obtained, we know that although the heretical great witches have the attack range of quasi-saint level, the defects of their weapons mean that they can only exert a maximum of conventional level 4 combat power.”

Moreover, Xiang Liu is currently sealed in some unknown universe and has been greatly weakened over the long years. Therefore, I believe that with Ying Kong and myself, along with some other preparations, dealing with a mere fourth-tier combatant who cannot escape the sealed universe should not be too difficult.

His tone was firm; he was full of confidence.

His sister added to what he said.

“But we can’t pinpoint the exact coordinates of that world.” Zhao Yingkong looked up at him and said, “We need Xiang Liu’s precise location. That’s why we’ve come to ask Miss Alice for your help.”

Alice paused slightly as she tapped the table.

She knew exactly where Xiang Liu was; she had a mental record of her predictions regarding this news. After only a moment's thought, she concluded that there was no need to continue concealing this matter.

“Dragon Knight,” Alice replied. “The Supreme God will sell the coordinates of the reincarnation world. And the world of ‘Dragon Knight’ may hold what you are hoping for. But be careful, Xiang Liu is not a weak opponent, so you might as well prepare a few more options.”

She didn't say how she knew and confirmed the information about the 'Dragon Knight'. Zhao Zhuikong and Zhao Yingkong didn't intend to investigate further. After all, some things are useless to know, or only cause unnecessary trouble. For the Zhao siblings, it was better to focus their energy on things that were more worthwhile than to explore the secrets behind her love for someone.

For example--

"Lin Xi... Xi Lin?" Zhao Zhuikong's eyes locked onto Lin Xi's figure, then he frowned. "What's wrong with this guy now...?"

“It’s just a ritual,” Alice replied casually. “She crashed and died once while fighting Fenrir, so she simply made herself her past life and used this trial ground environment to create a new present life to complete her advancement beyond the level of her species. Now she’s probably just one step away. With a little more effort, she can return from death and go even further.”

“For someone as lazy as her, this is an incredible improvement.”

“Who says otherwise?” Alice shrugged. “She probably suffered some kind of shock, but anyway, she seems to be doing pretty well now. If you think it’s necessary, you can help her or give her a push. After all, she’s been living as Lin Xi for long enough.”

"Hmm." Zhao Zhuikong nodded, looking deeply convinced. "This idiot definitely needs someone to look after him—"

His words were interrupted.

Because little Sakura's finger was gently pressing on her dear brother's lower back. The movement might have been light, but her finger had already penetrated that pitiful flesh and lingered on the surface of his kidney. One could imagine that if a mouth prone to idle chatter were left unchecked, that slender finger might just drill a delicate hole in some poor organ.

"—Taking care of her is unnecessary." The poor, doting older brother gave a helpless smile. "I think Sirin should be able to take care of herself. Hmm... then we'll take our leave for now. We'll be there to fight when it's time to deal with Sekhmet or Huhai."

After he finished speaking, he hurriedly detached himself from his body, vanishing into nothingness as if fleeing. Zhao Yingkong, standing beside him, bowed his head apologetically to Alice. Most of his form merged into the shadows, from which the faint plea of ​​a certain pathetic man could be heard. A tiny remaining part stayed in Alice's office, casting intrigued glances at her.

“Miss Alice,” she asked, her eyes wide, “I just skimmed through the historical remnants in this house. And before we came, you seemed to have concluded that Miss Zhan Lan was evil—I’m sorry to have read the information you left behind, but I still have to get this out of my head.”

"Why do you judge Ms. Zhan Lan to be the only evil one in the team? I haven't seen her do anything bad before."

“Because the concept of evil is different,” Alice replied with a faint smile. “My judgment of likes and dislikes here is not based on the moral concepts of the mortal world that we often encounter. It is not even based on my own beliefs. My judgment of Zhan Lan’s likes and dislikes is based on the subject of a group itself.”

“I have determined that if an individual’s actions benefit their own race, then they are good. If they are harmful, then they are evil. And Zhan Lan is now both a mortal and part of the myriad races. So whatever she does, as long as she is fulfilling her own beliefs and it affects these two opposing races, then she is undoubtedly evil.”

“Because she is a messenger who broadcasts messages, everything she does is beneficial to mortals but not to all races, and beneficial to all races but not to mortals… So, whatever she does is evil?” Zhao Yingkong frowned in confusion. “But this theory can also be interpreted as everything she does being good.”

“That makes sense, but unfortunately, good and evil are not equal.” Alice shrugged. “A virtuous person who commits one evil deed will ruin their reputation in their later years. A wicked person who performs one good deed will turn over a new leaf. In a tribe, goodness is not as important as evil. So as long as Zhan Lan continues to be her messenger, the evil karma on her will only grow heavier—her being a villain is already predetermined, unless she decides to completely abandon one side and join the other. But that might go against her beliefs.”

“This guy is destined for bad luck; he might get hit by a flying rock one day. Although I'll get her out of there, bad luck is inevitable.” Alice's gaze shifted to Zhao Yingkong. “You're the same, Yingkong. You're both a witch and a human, and a crucial time is approaching. Occupying multiple factions at the same time isn't a good thing.”

Zhao Yingkong was taken aback, then shook her head slightly.

"I think what you're saying is all subjective fallacy, which is different from my principles." She stepped back and disappeared into the shadows. In the instant her form vanished, a final phrase remained.

"...But I'll remember it for now and think about it when I have time. However, Sister Alice—"

"Do you still consider yourself a human being? Do you still categorize yourself as a member of the human race?"

She has left completely.

Meanwhile, Alice remained alone, sighing and shaking her head slightly.

"Human? Long ago, I considered myself a human."

"Then, I felt that I could be a human being."

"Furthermore, I think it's also worth considering the idea of ​​having all races."

“But now,” she lowered her brow slightly, “I cannot stand on either side. Therefore, I am neither human nor of all races.”

“I am the daughter of Shinki—I am a completely independent race.”

She sensed the light of her soul shining upon the vast emptiness beyond the universe.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Alice VII

Unlocking the fourth stage of the gene lock.

The light of the soul is partially integrated into the diverse oceans.

What she had initially thought would require lengthy preparation and considerable effort to achieve, now fell effortlessly into Alice's hands. And the instant she gained this new power, she instantly understood the difference between the Transcendent Species and the Four Highs.

The Transcendent Species are true gods who have survived the Great Cataclysm of the Epochs. The most basic Transcendent Species are unable to escape their own universe; they can simply live from one epoch to another and are still subject to interference and even constraint by script memes. They can be considered the lowest level of eternal immortality.

Slightly higher-level transcendent species can autonomously detach themselves from their original single universe. They can traverse the Abyss of Death and the multiverse seas, successfully arriving in another unfamiliar multiverse and leaving their mark there. This expands the source world line, and with careful planning, the number of worlds they control will inevitably increase—Alice belonged to this level before participating in this trial. The other transcendent species in the Central Continent Team are the same.

Further on, a more advanced level is the Four Highs, or a level where the Light of the Mind is partially integrated into the multiverse through other means. At this level, transcendent beings no longer need to actively send out avatars, diligently infiltrating unfamiliar universes one by one and attempting to leave their mark—

—No, it doesn't need to be that complicated. Because at this stage, the light of the mind merges, illuminating the entire universe. The Dao erosion phenomenon of the transcendent species itself can already cross the multiverse and autonomously extend into other universes. It will become a source of radiation, and even if it does nothing, corresponding traces and source world lines will be autonomously generated in the many universes floating in the multiverse. The universe will adapt to the existence of the transcendent species and leave its mark.

Alice blinked, her eyes reflecting nearly ten thousand points of light. Each point of light was a universe, and these nearly ten thousand universes were precisely the area of ​​Anubis's Trial, which had been confined by the Supreme God.

Her origin timeline had already seeped into these nearly ten thousand universes at this moment. For her, this was equivalent to her appearing simultaneously within these nearly ten thousand individual universes.

One universe was the one Saito Hajime inhabited. Stepping into it, she discovered that only three different types of writing remained, battling each other through various mediums. One resembled primitive seal script, another looked like worm-like writing, and the last one seemed to be in dire straits, though Alice could discern it was some kind of writing system similar to simplified Chinese.

This is a universe of words.

This is a universe where there is nothing but words.

Perhaps there was once a flourishing civilization in this universe, but now they have all vanished.

When Alice's will reached this point, the two seemingly evenly matched scripts simultaneously attacked her. In the instant of contact, all of Alice's knowledge, experience, and other elements that could serve as written language were completely eroded and distorted, transforming into seal script or worm-like patterns. Then—

—It ended abruptly.

Alice reached out and adjusted the timeline of this universe directly to the end of an era. In the unparalleled cataclysm, the carriers to which the two scripts resided were completely swallowed up. And as the new era began, at the moment when all things were born, Alice turned her head to glance at the remnants of a third script.

Then, the third script coalesced, materialized, and transformed into the image of a tall, thin man wearing glasses—who gave Alice a somewhat awkward smile. Then he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

“Your growth rate has exceeded my expectations, Miss Alice.” Saito pushed up his glasses, looking both amused and exasperated. “I thought you would be stuck at this stage for a while, but I didn’t expect this day to come so quickly—the gifts I originally planned to prepare for you are still not quite ready.”

“I just suddenly realized something.” Alice shook her head. Without being modest, she said, “Although I don’t know if I can become a True Saint, becoming a Quasi-Saint is an achievement I will definitely reach. Because my path is my mother’s decision, and when I become a True Saint, her decision will be woven into this multiverse along with my path.”

“I am destined to succeed, as long as I can find my own place and understand my own responsibilities, I will surely succeed. Therefore, when I establish my own position and accept this divine duty, the blood of Gaia will naturally release the restrictions on me. If it were before the creation of the world, my state might be classified as a saint. However, since times have changed, this result of being four high is not unacceptable.”

She tilted her head and looked at Saito Hajime beside her.

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

“No need.” Saito shook his head with a wry smile, and the next moment he clasped his hands together. Silently, his third, weak script abruptly emerged from every corner of this new era, enveloping every corner of the four directions and eight wastelands in the instant time gained meaning!

Thus time was defined, and at the instant the definition appeared, the two scripts of different sizes shot toward the edge of the universe, trying their best to escape from this universe—however, their efforts were unsuccessful under Saito Hajime's third script—only a small part of them managed to escape, while the majority of them were captured by the third script and sealed into this universe, unable to escape!

For a quasi-saint, this level of damage cannot even be considered damage.

However, for a quasi-saint who has already died and is in the process of being resurrected, such losses are devastating.

Saito ignored the escapees and simply pushed his clasped hands outwards, causing the entire universe to collapse and concentrate towards its center before him and Alice. The next moment, the two stood on the inner side of the Abyss, which had been defined as a large plaza. In Alice's eyes, the universe she had just stood on had collapsed into a gigantic alchemical furnace!

The universe is the furnace, the path is the fuel, and the quasi-sage is the medicine, in order to create the elixir!

Standing beside Alice, Saito Hajime wore the same shy smile as when he first entered the cycle of reincarnation.

"Originally, I planned to spend thousands of epochs slowly setting up a trap to kill both the creator of the characters and the master of the alien script here so that I could refine a great elixir, which would also repay the kindness you showed me back then, Miss Alice. However, it seems that you no longer need to use my external alchemy method to complete your advancement, so I don't need to risk destroying the furnace and killing people to wipe out those two in one fell swoop."

Alice silently removed the erosion phenomenon she had placed in this universe, as well as the corresponding source world line.

The furnace fire quickly blazed brightly, and even in the mortal world of the myriad seas, a faint fragrance of medicine wafted from it—clearly, even this level of refining was a considerable undertaking for Saito Hajime. And if Alice hadn't successfully reached the Fourth High at this moment, perhaps she and Saito Hajime would still have had much more to do here.

That's good; it reduces Alice's workload.

Saito then gestured to her as if to say "please do as you please," and she began to perceive the Abyss of Death anew, recognizing it as a large, modern metropolis.

Thus, the alchemy furnace transformed into a burning building in her eyes. Inside the building, numerous humanoid figures constructed from characters ran and roared in the corridors, only to be gradually engulfed by the flames—clearly, although it was laborious, Saito Hajime had managed to finish the remaining work. And this batch of pills was probably only for him to consume, so when they met again, even if he hadn't reached the fourth level of mastery, he would probably be close enough.

With that matter settled, Alice turned and left.

She crossed the empty road and walked through the quiet neighborhood, and when the noise reached her ears, she heard someone greeting her.

“Margot Lloyd! Over here!”—Only one person in the Central Continent team was used to calling her that.

Her gaze shifted, and the Abyss of Death was once again switched in her perception. This led her to a barbecue stall located on the edge of the block. Zheng Zha, shirtless, and Chu Xuan, dressed in a suit, were enjoying their meal at the only table, which was laden with fragrant skewers and beer.

Eating junk food that has little nutritional value—that's the reality.

The outward appearance is that a universe is in a state of desolation and disintegration. Zheng Zha is working hard to piece it back together, to make it function again, and to extract and remove the culprit that caused the universe's collapse—a kind of alien energy that is deadly poison to true gods and below, but useless to transcendent beings.

Alice shook her head and sat down in the triangular position at the round table.

She picked up a skewer of grilled meat—from the cosmic realm a pale, sky-covering hand reached out and removed a nameless curse that had covered a nebula—cooked it briefly, and then put it in her mouth to enjoy this inferior food that had little nutritional value but was also harmless.

“Margot Royd! Look, I’ve obtained a rare treasure!”—Zheng Zha proudly displayed the nameless little clock on the table.

"Oh." Alice gave a soft "oh," finished her grilled meat, and then picked up a skewer of dried bean curd.

“Margot Royd! I’m about to unlock the fourth-order advanced gene lock!”—Zheng Zha clenched his fist and confidently showed off the bulging muscles on his shoulders.

"Oh." Alice said expressionlessly, finished eating the dried bean curd, and then found a can of instant coffee and poured it into her mouth.

“Margot Lloyd! I solved Chu Xuan’s problem and chased Jun away!” Zheng Zha laughed and reached out to pat Chu Xuan’s shoulder blade hard.

"Oh?" Alice turned her gaze and cast a probing look at Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan answered calmly.