Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"And before the spacetime barrier lies the battlefield of Luo Ye and... something else. I don't really recommend that you participate in that battlefield. Because... it's not very suitable for intelligent life forms to participate in too much." She didn't reveal Naya's real name or any related information, but she knew that every participant present had already considered it.

Luo Ye is not here. All her avatars and her true form have left, and she no longer has contact with the members of the Central Continent Team. This clearly indicates something serious that must be taken seriously.

“So we’re not considering the lower levels.” Alice then removed the battlefield outside the Time Barrier. “We can divide the battlefield into two parts at most: the modern era and the Time Barrier. And in both battlegrounds, Patchi, Luo Ye, and I have prepared a large number of resources for everyone to use.”

She pulled out a list and began to describe the resources and strength that the Central Continent team already had on the final battlefield.

Section 6. The Undetermined Covenant

"The factors that belong to us and that we can control are as follows. First, at the spacetime barrier, the battle between Luo Ye and that great enemy has locked the future of both the Ancient Saint and Star God races. It is difficult to control the races as a whole, but they have actually been weakening in the war, so it is fine to simply regard them as background."

Her fingertips created a clear galaxy, and then deep within the galaxy, she marked several large points of light of different sizes.

"The Necromancers of Space, this force will inherit the legacy of the Star Gods in the future and become the hidden overlords of the galaxy while in slumber. They are not at their peak in this era, and their supreme ruler, the Necromancer Lord known in later generations as the King of Silence, is a handiwork I constructed using the power of the Northern Flame."

A vast cluster of galaxies, like a spiderweb embedded across a small part of the Milky Way, was marked out. These were mostly barren planets unsuitable for ordinary life, lacking resources and produce, their existence confined solely to their cores and the heat they emitted. Beneath these seemingly empty lands, countless living metals, energy wells, and dark pyramids housing billions of undead soldiers interlocked and connected, ultimately forming a series of colossal tomb worlds.

Their numbers are vast. A small fraction of them have even completely transformed their celestial bodies, using the star's core as an energy source and ley lines and fiery currents as energy conduits. These colossal warships, which the space undead call the "world engines," were constructed like marvels of creation—some hidden beneath the earth's crust, motionless; others traversing the dark cosmos, always ready to etch their mark on the battlefield.

They... possess formidable combat power. Most of them exist in a form resembling skeletons, humanoid machines. After being granted immortality by the Star God, they abandoned their old thought patterns and now possess an immortal spiritual structure like AI, with indestructible bodies that can automatically regenerate even if destroyed and can be reforged even if annihilated.

They are the reincarnations of the Terminator, the ultimate conclusion that Skynet's concept could reach after evolving to its limit. And perhaps due to the aesthetic interference of the Silent King who governs them, the higher the level of the space undead, the more they prefer to prepare a humanoid body with flesh and blood—they "accidentally" resembled mortals of later generations before transforming into space undead. And when Alice showed her companions the humanoid bodies possessed by the higher-ranking space undead, the queen with the form of a young girl sitting high on her throne obviously attracted everyone's attention at the first moment.

“…Yuzuriha Inori?” The group who participated in the Battle of London in the Moon World recognized her at first glance. Her light pink hair, dark eyes, and flawless face blended together, ultimately pointing to a target that Alice had previously described in a few words.

“Yes, the real Yuzuriha Inori. That strong individual from the Northern Flame Continent team who could potentially rival us.” Alice crumpled the relevant information into a ball, tossed it to her companions, and continued explaining as they browsed. “The real Yuzuriha Inori’s soul is still within the Main God Space. As long as the Northern Flame Continent team hasn’t perished, anyone appearing here is destined to be merely a fabrication created by us using intelligence. But…”

"But you don't intend for the Northern Flame Continent Team to continue...?" Xiao Honglu gently tugged at a short hair on his forehead. "Is that so, Sister Alice?" he asked.

“Yes, I do have that plan.” Alice nodded. “As long as all the reincarnators of the Northern Flame Continent team die, even if the real Yuzuriha Inori’s soul is still in the hands of the main god, the fortune she possesses will be completely erased with the end of the final battle. And this fake Yuzuriha Inori, who has already laid a huge foundation in the final battle, will inherit the real Yuzuriha Inori’s legacy, turning the fake into the real thing.”

"Therefore, those of us who can interfere with her can be considered to have indirectly controlled the resources of a reincarnation team. She is destined to become stronger and more influential. Even if we cannot completely control this influence, we can still guide it to where we want it."

"I see." Xiao Honglu ripped off the short hair, released his grip, and the broken strands transformed into a flock of dark birds that vanished into the void. "To usurp someone else's place, to eliminate a reincarnation team while making the most of it—I understand what you mean, Sister Alice. You created such a powerful race so that this fake Yuzuriha Inori could bear this destiny. Not to control such a race, that's why you created her... Is that right?"

“You can understand it that way,” Alice nodded. “The counterfeit Yuzuriha Inori is an important resource for us, whether on the battlefield at the spacetime barrier or on the battlefield thirty thousand years ago; she herself is more valuable than the Space Necromancer race. Of course, the Space Necromancers themselves are also usable resources—”

"Apart from Inori Yuzuriha, the Silent King, many high-ranking Space Necromancers in key positions are AI shells I've prepared. You can inhabit them at any time if you deem it necessary, and directly mobilize over 70% of the race's power. While that's almost meaningless to true gods and higher-level beings, it still has a strong suppressive effect on those below the fourth level."

“That looks like a good deal,” Zhang Jie interjected, “But is it only the Northern Flame Continent team? I remember there will be a total of fifteen Reincarnation teams participating in the final battle. And why does it have to be her? She has a clone in the Demon Team who has at least obtained the Light of the Mind…”

“That’s another matter.” Alice nodded. Then she went around in circles. “When I was planning, I reviewed intelligence on many other Reincarnation Squads. Unfortunately, the Northern Flame Continent Squad was the only successful one. Only with this squad could I have a complete understanding of all their information and ensure their absolute elimination at the start of the final battle. But when I was observing the other Reincarnation Squads, they all suffered interference and countermeasures of varying degrees and scales.”

“…They’ve become stronger. But they didn’t originally have the capacity to grow to that level.” Zhao Zhuikong snorted. “Back in my time with the East America team, I participated in many team battles. Most of the time we won, but occasionally we were at a disadvantage. And because of that, I came into contact with five entire Reincarnation teams that weren’t wiped out by me and Sirin—and their capacity was never enough to make them ‘strong’.”

“There’s been interference from outside forces,” Sirin added—this lazy bum has finally gained some recognition.

“Yes,” Alice affirmed. “I think everyone can sense to some extent that this final battle, this year’s Reincarnation Team’s struggle is somewhat different—it may not matter to us, as long as we win, that’s enough. However, for some forces outside of the main god, they may expect more.”

“Proxy war.” Overlord took a cigar out of his pocket, Chelsea lit it for him, and then he took a deep drag and exhaled a large cloud of white smoke.

"Just like what I've encountered before. Just like what we did in the Moon World."

“Yes.” Alice nodded. “While we are locked in fierce battle on the battlefield of the final war, the multiverses outside the final war must be quite lively as well. After all, there are more ways to win a proxy war than just victory on the chessboard. Outside the chessboard, completely erasing the true form of the players is also a way to win the game.”

After going around in circles, she finally turned her gaze to Zheng Zha.

"This war has long lost its simplicity. Of the fifteen reincarnation squads, apart from those that will never appear again, at least half have been infiltrated by external forces—regardless of the price they paid for it. But their status on the final battlefield is by no means that of mere nobody..."

Zheng Zha raised his eyes. The atmosphere around the table suddenly froze.

"Just say it, Margot Royd."

“The Demon Team intends to delay the battle with us until the very end of the war.” Alice hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not explicitly use the word 'alliance'—“Choosing the true form of Yuzuriha Inori is a tacit signal from our side. At the same time, as a return gift, at least when the final reckoning comes, the potential risks and concerns of using 'Yuzuriha Inori' will be minimized.”

"I personally think this proposal is worth serious consideration. Of course, you, Zheng Zha, are still the captain of the Zhongzhou team. So the final decision-making power is still in your hands."

"..." Zheng Zha remained silent for a few seconds.

"Will not agreeing to the Demon Team's request affect our final chances of winning?" he asked softly after a few seconds.

“I’m not sure,” Alice answered without hesitation. “There are many variables in the final battle, and many of them are beyond my observation. Theoretically, even if we ignore this invitation, we will naturally postpone our fight with the Demon Team until later when the battle actually begins. Of course, there is also the possibility that some unexpected event will occur, forcing us to engage in a life-or-death battle with the Demon Team the moment we step onto the field.”

"I can't give a definite answer. But I'm certain that the Demon Team's fighting strength is on par with ours, and they might even have a slight edge in certain areas. The war between us and the Demon Team will most likely end in a mutually destructive outcome—and those external forces will certainly try to incite a fight between us and them."

She eventually turned her gaze to Zheng Zha—and not only her, but everyone else present did the same.

Is there any animosity between the Demon Team and the Central Continent Team? — Strictly speaking, no. In the war in the Moon World, Luo Ye held back the main force of the Demon Team, allowing only a few near-elimination members to reach the battlefield between the Central Continent Team and the Celestials. In the end, the Central Continent Team suffered no casualties, and the Demon Team also achieved satisfactory results.

There is no conflict between the two sides, and their ideologies are not irreconcilable. Unless a final war is inevitable, the two teams can easily coexist peacefully after their meeting. Even now, there are still many other paths that can be taken between these two teams at the pinnacle of the Reincarnation World.

So, do you agree?

Or should we refuse outright?

Zheng Zha pondered and weighed the options in his mind, then lightly exhaled the air from his lungs—he had reached a conclusion.

However, he did not intend to say it so bluntly.

"What else do we have besides space necromancers?" he asked before giving his answer.

“We still have the warp. And the remnants of the Star Gods,” Alice replied, snapping her fingers to switch the previous star cluster composition to a dimensional structure resembling the nine heavens—four bright yet slightly dim suns hanging high at the very top of the sky. Alice pointed to one of them.

"War, life, aesthetics, knowledge—Patch and I control the last one. And aesthetics has most likely already been reserved by my clone and Patty's clone. The covetous of life is currently unknown, but if you, Zheng Zha, do not choose to devour war, then your clone may very well become the master of war."

She didn't waste time on those angels or demons—they were nothing more than a bunch of weaklings, perhaps even less powerful than the space undead. Instead of spending time describing them, she moved on to the next step—she switched the projection in her hand and then constructed a new optical structure.

Four powerful conceptual life forms materialized—the first resembled a grim reaper wielding a scythe. The second possessed a dragon-like structure. The third was filled with wisdom and cunning. The fourth, however, was vague and difficult to describe.

"Harvest, Void, Deception, Outer Side—four Star Gods who will inevitably live into the future. I have already taken control of the first three. The first is imprisoned, the second and third have become avatars of me and Patches. The fourth left the galaxy in a very early timeline and is now nowhere to be found."

"This is the main force we possess. In addition, we can also exert some influence on the human empires of thirty thousand years ago. There are also some miscellaneous smaller arrangements, but those are not very important to the overall war situation."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Zheng Zha once again.

This time, Zheng Zha gave her a clear answer that she had expected.

“Understood.” Zheng Zha looked at his hands. “Then, we’ll save our war with the Demon Team for last in this campaign.”

His five fingers clenched into a fist.

And at this very moment—

The final pronouncement of the Supreme God echoed in the ears of the reincarnators.

--Time is up.

Section 7: The Start of the War

—'Final battle teleportation is now in progress... All reincarnation teams will enter simultaneously.'

—Victory condition: Eliminate all enemy Reincarnation Squads.

—'Failure penalty: None'

—'The winner can choose to escape the cycle of reincarnation, and—'

The voice of the supreme deity abruptly ceased.

Everything stagnates, and all reincarnators, apart from their own perception, can no longer mobilize any power.

The next moment, a scene simultaneously appeared before the eyes of all the reincarnators—

—It was an office. An early 21st-century, minimalist contemporary office. In the center of the spacious hall stood a solitary desk. On the desk were several illegible documents and an unpainted pen. And a man who looked like an ordinary office worker sat behind the desk, greeting all the reincarnators.

"Hey everyone." The man gently twirled the pen, a warm smile playing on his lips. "And don't overthink it, everyone. I am indeed the mastermind behind the Supreme God, your direct superior. And you can call me—"

He took out a pocket watch, opened it, and waited a few seconds for it to turn.

"—Well, it's time. You can now call me Pei Jiao. Of course, you can also call me by my name from my previous life, Fuxi. But that guy just died completely. That's why I can be here talking to you all so calmly now."

“Some of you might find this strange.” He put away his pocket watch and casually placed it on the table. “It’s strange that I, this clueless fellow, would appear at this time and do something that is completely outside the judgment of the wise ones in your group—because based on the information you have, it shouldn’t be hard to know that even a reincarnator who has unlocked the fourth-tier high level of the genetic lock is not actually that powerful in this vast multiverse. And the power of the Supreme God is undoubtedly at the very top of this multiverse pyramid.”

"I shouldn't be here at this time, should I? After all, I just completely killed Fuxi, leaving him only an empty shell of history. And that means that I'm not yet on the same level of communication as you all."

He suddenly smiled.

"Alright, I have to admit, playing coy isn't my forte. So I won't beat around the bush—I'll just get straight to the point. Your generation should be the last reincarnation team. And after your final battle, the entire universe will undergo a massive transformation."

"I won't go into the reasons; those who are qualified to know will naturally have plenty of ways to find out. Those who aren't qualified will simply suffer even if they do find out. In short, as the organizer of this final battle, I've decided to add a little extra prize for everyone."

He held up one finger.

"First, the Supreme God will provide you with special support in this battle. In other words, in this final battle, death does not mean complete annihilation but merely a departure from the stage. Regardless of the final outcome, the souls of all those who die in battle will be preserved and arranged for reincarnation when their respective reincarnation teams are completely defeated. As a privilege of the final generation, I allow you to retain all your memories, knowledge, power, and even personal belongings after reincarnation. Except for no longer being a reincarnator, all the losers will gain complete freedom."

"Of course, creating humans is included. At the same time, those reincarnated beings who died in the past will also be liberated. However, they are not as lucky as you. They still have to go through the normal reincarnation process unless one of you has the ability to give them special treatment."

Then, he raised his second finger.

"Secondly, the winning reincarnation team will be rewarded. And I have decided to use the [Main God] itself as the prize."

If any reincarnator were to react at this moment, the sudden shock would likely cause them to lose their composure. Even someone like Chu Xuan might not be immune to this shock!

That's the supreme god!

It's clearly a top-tier innate treasure, perhaps even surpassing it. Its power is estimated to be comparable to, or even equal to, that of a main god, a Saint Emperor! Once obtained, even with a weak foundation and limited resources, one is destined to become a great being like a True Saint in the near future. It's even possible to go further, reaching the Saint Emperor level or even stepping into the foundation of the inner universe!

"Surprised, aren't you?" The man named Pei Jiao chuckled softly once more. "I was also surprised when I made this decision. But some things, once you've made up your mind, there are no difficulties. Some past events, even if the price paid is unforgettable, must eventually be completely severed... Ah, I've said something ambiguous again. I'm sorry, but there are some things I'm not just saying to everyone here. After all, this is the last time."

He saw the main god avatars of some of the reincarnation squads wriggle slightly, as if some living thing wanted to pass through a barrier to come to him and tell him something or do something—and then he gently lowered the two raised fingers.

“No, that won’t work,” he said.

And so the fragments of the main gods returned to silence. Stagnant spacetime remained stagnant, and all things once again ceased to shift or change.

He stopped time.

He stopped time in the entire multiverse, including all planes of existence, including the Primordial Celestial Realm.

So……

"That's all I have to say, everyone." He addressed the various reincarnation teams, "Enjoy this final battle to the fullest, whether you win or lose. There's no need to hesitate, no need to hold back. The victor will gain everything, and the loser will not be left with nothing. And when this war ends, this multiverse will usher in a new order."

"Everyone," he gestured.

Have fun.

The next moment, he ended his communication with the reincarnator, and time remained frozen.

He then sighed softly, gathered all the documents on the table, and poured himself a cup of green tea.

Kuding tea.

The more you drink, the more bitter it becomes, until the bitterness reaches its end, at which point a slight sweetness, a result of the deception of the taste buds, appears.

As he set down his teacup, a unique visitor arrived opposite him. Right in the center of the office.

Shenqi.