Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Alice was still Alice. But Andromeda became less and less like Andromeda each day.

She was always in a daze, constantly making simple or complex mistakes in her research. After several experiments under her supervision were interrupted due to her errors, she was removed from all research projects without even needing to be spoken to by the director, Alice. She was then semi-forcibly sent to a sanatorium for care.

The inhabitants of Terra do not require maintenance.

Because this is a world located in the sea of ​​consciousness, the inhabitants here have no limit to their lifespan as long as their hearts do not die.

However, Andromeda's heart was dying.

When Alice visited her as a friend, in Alice's eyes, the oil in the vessel 'Andromeda' had almost completely evaporated. Perhaps in the next moment, the water beneath the oil would completely engulf her.

But she did not give up—she was still waiting for Alice.

When Alice appeared in her hospital room, there were two pots of tea of ​​different colors on her table.

“You win, Alice.” She gave Alice a wry smile as Alice walked in, and then— “I’m willing to change my taste and drink the kind of tea you mentioned.”

She seemed to have given up completely.

However, Alice remained unmoved, simply watching her without saying a word, ignoring the two pots of tea of ​​unknown color on the table.

Section Sixty-Nine - Alice Nine

“This is a pointless move, Andromeda.” Alice sat down on the edge of the bed in the ward and quietly looked at her dying opponent.

“I’ve figured out your trick. I won’t say that key word or phrase to help you regain your composure—I won’t even look over there. I’ll just stay here and watch you quietly, waiting for your imminent demise.”

She took a fresh orange from her side, peeled it, exposing the tender flesh to the air and releasing its slightly pungent, sour citrus aroma. Then, she offered it to Andromeda.

"Would you like an orange?" Alice asked.

She received no response, no response about the oranges. Andromeda simply smiled sadly, then sighed softly.

"Are you so sure you're right? Are you so certain your judgment isn't another trap I'm setting for you?"

Alice just smiled slightly.

“Of course I’m sure I’m right. Because I am a transcendent being, a transcendent being that transcends the limitations of ordinary transcendent beings. Now that I’ve made my decision, I will definitely carry it out to the very end. This doesn’t conflict with my beliefs, and now that you’ve come this far, it’s really pointless for you to say anything.”

She put a sour orange in her mouth.

"Because I've already guessed your purpose... Andromeda, the former leader of the stars. You are not actually on the side of mortals, nor even on the side of all races. You only want to be a complete destroyer, is that it?"

The tartness of the orange lingered on Alice's tongue, and she could clearly see Andromeda wavering noticeably.

"You..." The woman on the hospital bed might have wanted to argue or make excuses, but as she began to process her thoughts, her mental state deteriorated further—her face changed from a pale rosy hue to a bloodless pallor within seconds, and in the end, she could only leave with a sigh.

"...How did you figure that out?"—She admitted it.

Alice was not surprised.

“From your memories, your experiences, your actions, everything you’ve shown, and the methods I’ve deduced—” Alice paused, finally deciding to stop keeping everything a secret. “—And, some time ago, I met with the agent of the surviving races of the primordial era, and it didn’t say a word about you.”

Saying nothing doesn't mean doing nothing.

That Saint of All Races, whose name Alice never knew, couldn't possibly be unaware of Andromeda's secret, nor could he be unaware of Alice's current top priority—yet he still chose to remain silent. This was tantamount to explicitly stating that this matter had nothing to do with the myriad races.

Andromeda is not human, and Andromeda does not belong to any race.

Therefore, combining this with some historical memories leaked when Andromeda first arrived, it's not difficult to conclude that Andromeda's true purpose in letting Alice know was to destroy the lifeline of both factions.

“You want to force me to become a saint,” Alice said calmly, picking up the second sour orange. “You know my duty, you know my origins. You know that even if my obsession is shattered, I will not die but will directly ascend to the realm of sainthood. So you want to force me to take this step ahead of time, you want me to ascend to the holy realm in the most indifferent way.”

From the moment one transcends the level of existence, the difference between one's life and that of a sage is merely a thin sheet of paper. Although the thickness of this sheet can be considered, in a sense, as vast as the difference between heaven and earth, a sheet of paper is still a sheet of paper. Once it is pierced, the final obstacle ceases to exist.

after all--

The essence of the transcendent species is that the Light of the Mind exists independently, detached from its original single universe. And whatever single universes the Light of the Mind subsequently covers, all fall under the category of the transcendent species.

The essence of the Four Highs is that the light of the soul is partially integrated into the multiverse. They can passively imprint their own traces onto the numerous universes around them. This can be considered a transformative realm from finite to infinite. Theoretically, if the multiverse ceases to expand and self-proliferate, then given enough accumulated time, all those of the Four Highs would have the potential to become sages.

Alice doesn't yet understand the true nature of a Quasi-Saint, but it must be another stage beyond that. However, beyond that, she does have some knowledge of the essence of a Saint.

Sages do not possess a fixed form—for they are sages precisely because they have completely integrated the light of their souls into the multiverse, becoming a part of this multiverse. If they are nascent sages, their spiritual light, their principles, and their ideals will be found in homogenized legends, spreading throughout every universe within the multiverse. But if they are true sages, they entrust the light of their souls to a fixed concept within the multiverse and rewrite it, thus becoming immortal and eternal.

Therefore, with a little summarizing, it's not difficult to see that the difference between transcendent beings and sages lies simply in whether the light of the soul merges with the multiverse, leaving its own immortal imprint. The power domain of the Four Highs, exclusive to the gene lock system, can be completely skipped, achieving ultimate victory in one step.

Perhaps it is very difficult, extremely difficult. Unimaginably difficult. But that doesn't mean there is absolutely no chance of success. After all, the only thing that prevents the spiritual light of a living being from merging with the multiverse is the obsession held by the species itself. As long as one is not corrupted by the Tao at the moment of understanding it, then one can naturally ascend to heaven in one step.

This is not a dead end, but it is not necessarily a path to survival either. Because throughout history, such a path has existed, and only two people have successfully traversed it. As for anyone other than those two and Alice at this moment, whoever attempts it will inevitably perish.

“You’ve met Gu and Jun. You’ve learned about this kind of meteoric rise from them. Because they shouldn’t have become the inner universe under Gaia’s nose at such an absurd speed. So you know this method works for certain life forms, as long as those life forms meet the requirements.”

Alice peeled the third slice of orange.

"Take me for example—I am almost the same kind of life as Gu and Jun back then. And after I became a transcendent species, my sainthood was inevitable—I would become sainthood no matter what. Whether I die, live, or my obsession collapses and my mind dissipates, I will inevitably become sainthood. So you decided to act as an external force to break my obsession, my unchanging love for Patchi, so that I could directly become sainthood in the backlash of the Dao."

"I will become a saint, with an empty heart and hatred for mortals and all races. This is equivalent to my mother concluding that 'all impurities should be cleansed from Gaia's body.' The final result will be that when Gaia awakens, all civilizations in the entire multiverse will be destroyed in a divine punishment with no chance of survival. Even if other players intervene, this multiverse will completely collapse in the flames of war."

"And you, the leader of the stars abandoned by the times. One of the last few remaining dead beings in the Star Soul race, you will also successfully complete your ultimate goal. At the same time, you will take revenge on mortals, all races, and everything in this void sea—of course, before that, you will die cleanly and decisively."

She looked at Andromeda, who had stopped struggling in vain and whose whole body was now relaxed. Finally, she asked, "Am I right, Miss Andromeda?"

She saw her opponent shake his head.

“Even if I said…” Andromeda’s voice was weak and slightly hoarse, “…even if I said your conclusion was completely wrong, would you believe me?”

“No,” Alice readily replied, “but you can try.”

If Andromeda still had the strength, she might have gotten up and given Alice a good beating. However, she didn't even have the energy to get out of bed. All she could do was roll her eyes at Alice and then sigh softly.

“I had a chance to succeed,” she murmured sadly. “I had everything prepared and calculated the perfect moment to strike decisively. But I missed that moment… no, I didn’t find that perfect moment. I was just one step away from making you break free of your obsession on Terra… just a little bit short.”

“Perhaps it’s not that much difference.” But Alice replied, “You’re talking about the moment you arrived in Terra. At that time, you were indeed very close to success, extremely close. But I could feel a significant discrepancy in my behavior at that point. And I suspect that there was some terrible player taking back their moves.”

“I shouldn’t have fled Terra at that time. It doesn’t align with my principles, nor with my usual way of doing things. I even suspect that time in the entire multiverse reversed at that moment, and you might have achieved ultimate victory in the original future.”

—She was referring to the terrifying vision of the future that Ming Yanwei had witnessed on Terra in the past. However, neither of them, nor Ming Yanwei, who was still freely wandering the Terra lands, knew of this 'premonition'. After all, it was a concealment made by a royal-level sage. It was only natural that it was difficult to see through.

Andromeda fell silent. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, the breath caught in her throat, and she said nothing—she fell backward, staring at the white ceiling.

"Now that things have come to this, what good is knowing all this except to make me regret it even more?" Andromeda said self-deprecatingly, with a subtle smile in his voice.

“You’ve won, Alice Margottloy.” She acknowledged her defeat with a smile, and the loss of everything, both present and future. “I will leave and return to where I belong—so enjoy your victory, Alice Margottloy. But you should also know that your fate will soon befall you.”

She closed her eyes and said nothing more.

The next moment, a colossal presence clearly detached itself from this material world in Alice's perception. She swaggered away, leaving the battlefield and heading to a secret place that was no longer related to Alice.

The oil in the container is finally about to evaporate completely.

Alice knew that her lover, her companion, would soon return from his slumber with all the spoils of war. And that would only require a short wait.

Only then did she turn her head to look at the tea set on the table beside the hospital bed—only now was she willing to look at them directly and focus her gaze on them. And Alice was not surprised to find that in the cups that should have contained black or green tea, there was some prop whose purpose and meaning were completely incomprehensible.

It was a cup of tea, a cup of tea without a name, without color, and without aroma.

This was Andromeda's last tactic to turn the tide.

A ritual, an anchor for positioning. In fact, after losing her best opportunity, Andromeda fell into a terrible disadvantage in her struggle against Patchouli. Like a bow drawn but unable to find its target. After that defeat, Andromeda grew weaker with each passing moment.

She demanded results, and naturally, she had to pay a price. When Alice arrived in Terra for the second time, she had essentially lost the ability to take the initiative—Patchouli was constantly eroding her heart and will. This forced her to prepare an anchor for herself in order to continue to exist on the land of Terra in this state.

She had prepared her anchor. But in reality, the anchor Andromeda had painstakingly prepared wasn't the apparent black or green tea—no, she was far bolder than anyone expected. Because the anchor she ultimately chose was Alice herself, and every time Alice asked her why she didn't drink black tea or anything like that, her concept would solidify!

She didn't actually care what kind of tea she should drink—where would a Star Soul like her have a tea-drinking habit? All she needed was Alice's repeated emphasis on the concept of 'drinking black tea'. Whenever Alice brought up the topic, it objectively acknowledged the difference between Andromeda and Patchouli. And Andromeda could even maximize this 'acknowledgment' through the connection between Alice and Patchouli. She could even objectively create the effect that 'Alice denied that the owner of this body was Patchouli,' and transform this effect into her resistance against Patchouli's corruption!

This was her last resort, prepared in this weakened state, in case Alice didn't discover the truth soon enough. Perhaps, after three hundred years, this 'admission' could even threaten Patchouli's very essence and reverse the outcome of this battle for the body. She could even define this act as 'Alice's objective betrayal of Patchouli,' thereby shattering Alice's obsession on the eve of the battle against Hu Hai, forcing her to become a saint!

She was almost successful.

But "almost" means "no success."

With the breaking of this thin veil, all her preparations vanished. And at this moment—

A slender hand suddenly appeared in Alice's field of vision, and plucked the fourth sour orange segment from her hand.

Alice then looked up—

“Welcome back, Patchouli.” A smile appeared on her lips.

Section 70 - Conclusion

Patchouli opened her eyes and put the fourth slice of orange into her mouth. Savoring the sweet and slightly sour flavor, her beautiful brows silently relaxed.

"Alice, Alice," she murmured the name of the person beside her. "I thought you would just stand by and watch until this fight reached its final stage... but I didn't expect you to be unable to resist and make your move ahead of time."

"Are you angry?" Alice tilted her head slightly, peeled off the fifth piece of orange, and placed it to Patchouli's lips.

“A little,” Patchouli nodded, gently taking Alice’s fingertip into her mouth as she bit into the citrus. “But I forgive you… What are your plans now? To end all of this, conclude this trial, and return to the Main God Space?”

It was a cute gesture, but before Alice could respond, she turned her face away and changed the subject.

So Alice turned her head slightly—she looked outwards, where nearly a third of the universe was engulfed in war. The endless, vast, yet rather tedious mass war continued. And the future of this universe was no longer subject to any variables; the bells of destruction were already anchored in a predetermined time-space that she could easily and accurately calculate.

“There’s no need to rush.” She looked away. “Terra still has nearly a hundred years left. And we also have that short time to spare. So, before that happens—why don’t we finish that collaborative project with Andromeda, that transcendental project that will ensure this ideal nation continues to exist even after the end of the era?”

She saw Patchouli raise an eyebrow.

“Andromeda… Ha, this guy is indeed a troublesome past life. Alice, we will meet her again in the future. And next time, perhaps we won’t be able to win so easily.”

“I know.” Alice nodded slightly—she knew, of course, that Andromeda had only lost, but had not truly died—she still had a record in the multiverse, and she could still choose another present life as the vessel for her resurrection in this past life. Because her goal was not to become a saint, not to go any further, she naturally didn't need to be as timid and hesitant in the struggle for power as other people's past lives, lest she be unable to inherit the newborn's will. And naturally, she would soon be able to be resurrected from another 'present life' and then participate in the final battle of the Reincarnators.

That battle was not long ago, not long after the moment the two of them were in.

“We will meet her at the end of the war.” Alice nodded. “And the end of the war should be the next cycle of reincarnation. The Supreme God will not give us any more time to prepare, and we will soon face the reckoning of all karma in the future.”

"Because you already have four high blood pressures?" Patchouli asked, peeling a piece of orange and feeding it to Alice.

“Yes, I already have the fourth level. And… it’s not just me.” Alice answered confidently, “Zheng Zha has successfully settled his past life. He will definitely reach the fourth level before the final battle and already has a handy acquired spiritual treasure. Chu Xuan’s condition is unknown, but he will definitely have a life level that surpasses the top of the species. And—” She tilted her head, as if she had heard something in her ear, and then added further.

"—Moreover, Chu Xuan's project is progressing smoothly. He used Little Devil and Gauze Song as models to replicate our experiment of giving them real life. Now, all the creations in the team have become independent life forms with the potential for spiritual light. And this may also provide considerable help to others."

“He’s been quiet all along.” Patchouli nodded, stretching as she stood up from the bedside. At first, her movements were a little awkward, requiring Alice's help. But she quickly adapted to the body and was able to move freely—Patchouli then walked to the window, looking at the bustling city outside—“But that’s certainly his style. And what about the others? During my struggle with Andromeda, they should have made some progress?”

“Yes, there is.” Alice accompanied her to the window and looked out—after hundreds of years of construction, Terra had transformed from a desolate world plagued by natural disasters into a dense and thriving construct city. Because of its ideal nature, everything in sight was clean and free of any filth, and when the ideal sunlight shone down, the entire city shone brightly under the eyes of the two girls.

"Saito Hajime is currently refining a batch of pills. Before the pills are completed, he will already have reached a level beyond the seed. And after the pills are completed, he will at least be able to become an incomplete fourth-level expert—I still do not know his philosophy and path. However, I think that at least until the final battle ends, or until the end, there will be no conflict between us."

"Zhao Yingkong and Zhao Zhuikong are both at the upper level beyond their species. It will be difficult for the four of them to advance. Perhaps they will have some fortuitous encounters on the battlefield of the final battle. However, the hidden dangers they pose have been completely eliminated. Even if they cannot become an important cornerstone for the final victory, at least they will not become dangerous bombs."

Alice paused, her brow furrowing slightly.

"As for Sirin... her situation is a bit special. She is undoubtedly a Transcendent being now, but I'm not sure if she plans to advance to the fourth level... I always feel that she lacks motivation to improve. To be honest, sometimes I even suspect that she will choose to leave the team before the final battle. Anyway, the main god is unlikely to shut her down."

“But you know she won’t leave, won’t you?” Patchouli reached out and smoothed her furrowed brows. The girl’s voice echoed in Alice’s ear, like a gentle breeze caressing her hair—“Sirin’s philosophy is connection. In the whole team, she’s probably the one who cares most about her teammates and values ​​‘friends’ the most—she will stay with us until the very last moment. No matter how many people are still alive or how many have passed away, she won’t leave.”

“…I know.” Alice nodded gently, agreeing with Patchouli’s point of view.