Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Her voice accompanied the stripping of this entire spatial region from the realm of life she governed. And with the pious promise of the chosen one, Lucia, this vast realm, carrying this idle piece, detached from the warp like a shooting star and fell upon a fertile land in the present world.

—As expected, this Lucia is also problematic.

Right before Sirin's eyes, this chosen one, who had never left the realm of life since birth, coincidentally stumbled upon the edge of the galaxy. A planet trapped for centuries by a subspace storm caused by a great vortex, its civilization reaching its 22nd century and already in decline. And this planet was precisely the lost remnant of the Jingyuan Federation, which had been favored by Sirin centuries ago and had once had a connection with the New East America team!

This was no coincidence, because Celine never believed in coincidences.

As she raised her finger, intending to press it down and flatten that entire star field into a two-dimensional plane, a predictable influence caused her to hesitate slightly—on the planet chosen by the chosen one, Lucia, she saw a manifestation of 'connection'.

It was a connection between mortals and machines, born under the influence of the Jingyuan Federation's ideology, yet vastly different from the Federation's absolute focus on the supremacy of all its citizens. On that planet, before the exploration of the cosmos and bound to the earth by various natural disasters, the connection between mortals and machines could perhaps be considered a symbiotic relationship. This allowed both groups to exist independently, yet also to coexist 'relatively' harmoniously.

This made her hesitate for a moment.

In the next instant, she caught sight of Lin Xi's reincarnation—this future life she had abandoned, which had found peace and death after gaining freedom. After crossing the Abyss of Death and becoming an independent, intelligent life form unrelated to her, Xilin, her next life appeared on this planet.

—In the end, Celine did not press her finger down.

She knew she could act, because their fate was over, and there was no longer any connection between her and Lin Xi. But even so, she ultimately restrained herself.

"What is this, a manifestation of destiny..." She looked up at the sky, a concept that shouldn't even exist in this realm of life. She knew, of course, that destiny was the gaze of those in high positions. But now that things had come to this, what high-ranking person could still be watching her?

The Supreme God? Pei Jiao? Or something even higher—

She shook her head and looked away. Just then, she sensed a change in the realm of life—it was Theresa Apocalypse, nominally the Eldar's goddess of life, but actually the Theresa she loved and valued, approaching her because she had noticed her alighting from her throne. And if she had pressed the button recklessly, Theresa's arrival would likely have been a fraction of a second earlier.

—She knew exactly what was going on.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Another Balance

There has always been a question in the Reincarnation Squad.

That's the kind of intrusion that happens in every reincarnation team—there's always one person who doesn't fit in with the other team members. There's always that one newcomer with a completely different background and origin from all the other members.

For example, Alice from the Central Continent Team, Kiara Sesshouin from the Indian Continent Team, Raho from the Great Western Continent Team, Setsuna Shimazaki from the Eastern Sea Team, or, for instance, Ms. Sirin, who was once a member of the East America Team.

They are different from others.

And most of them are aware that they are different from others.

Among the majority of these women, some learned of or deduced the existence of the chess player, the 'Witch,' through channels like Luo Ye's. This led them to speculate about their own origins. However, deep within their hearts, a question remained unanswered.

That is-

--why?

Why did you choose yourself? What purpose do you hope to achieve by choosing yourself?

Having emerged from the vast number of ordinary, mundane individuals, what are the ultimate responsibilities and obligations that we should fulfill?

Such doubts lingered in the minds of these extraordinary individuals, and they racked their brains but could not reach a suitable conclusion. It's like how mortals tend to use mortal thinking to speculate about the sacred, and the sacred tend to use sacred thinking to speculate about the player holding the chessboard. This fundamental difference cannot be bridged by wisdom or experience, because even the most intelligent and experienced summer insect cannot comprehend what ice is.

They didn't understand. But the more they didn't understand, the more they wanted to find out.

And only now, at this very moment, among these intruders, has the truly wisest one finally grasped the correct answer.

...She finally understood why she had been chosen, and what purpose she was to be placed in this cycle of reincarnation. The sudden interference, the phenomenon of the gathering of fortune manifested in 'Lucia', was less a hint and more a reward. Because even without this interference, Sirin would have been able to deduce her duty sooner or later, and this interference, which was actually unnecessary, became, in this moment, proof that she had guessed correctly.

“A great responsibility has been bestowed upon me…” She withdrew all the energy she had been investing in unnecessary areas and verified her own integrity in this realm of life—she sighed. “So, I…we are another scale.”

Balance scales—what kind of balance scales are they?

Ha, isn't it obvious? Just as Alice uses 'change' as a benchmark to measure the universe and determine who can continue to exist in the era after Gaia's resurrection, Sirin's philosophy is 'connection,' so isn't it self-evident that she herself is the scale of 'connection,' and everything she does is based on this philosophy to measure the fate and future of this era!

This is truly an undisguised way of using tools... Even if I knew everything, I would still inevitably continue to act in this world according to my principles. And no matter what I do, ultimately the great being who arranged my destiny will obtain a solution that satisfies it.

She blinked.

Having obtained decisive evidence, past clues began to connect. She carefully examined her past and easily discovered that her course of action had shifted after she achieved 'True Man,' acquiring her own ideals and inner light—in The Lord of the Rings, her attitude towards all things was more one of respectful distance. And in the ancient scroll world within the Sacred Hunt ritual, she had personally taught the still-transformed Zheng Zha, helping him to curb his excessive attachment to the innocent.

At that time, she valued herself and her companions above all else. While she might occasionally, or even frequently, feel compassion, those compassions wouldn't cloud her judgment. If it meant personally annihilating an entire star cluster to save her precious companions, she would act without hesitation or second thought. Even if that civilization revered her from top to bottom, worshipping her as a god and savior, she wouldn't waste a single moment.

The person I was then is different from the person I am now.

However, when the ancient scrolling ritual ended, and some members of Team Middle-earth consumed the World's Essence, and Sirin accepted Aichidra's gift, everything changed—she confirmed her own path of connection. And to uphold this path, on the battlefields of the Moon World, she would even fight fiercely against a group of mortals who were nothing more than fleeting illusions, even on a whim, for their sake. She was even guided by the safety of those mortals during battle, taking actions that were neither in her own interest nor in the interest of Team Middle-earth.

That was at the beginning, and it only intensified as time went on. I repeatedly verified the 'connection,' practicing a path that wasn't entirely consistent with my earlier self. So much so that when I look back now, I even feel like I've become somewhat of a saint.

Ah… did it all really begin from that time? Aichidra's gifts, her benevolence towards all things, ultimately led me to establish the concept of 'connection'—treating all things with compassion—when I became a true being, a true god. And at that time, Aichidra was determined to die; her arrangements for me were certainly not intentional. So… was it all just a coincidence?

But, but... in the multiverse, where can you find such coincidences? Looking back now, my exploration of connections... even during this final battle, many of my actions were actually traceable, as if propelled by an invisible hand.

[Doubt] Once the first step is taken, the subsequent ninety-nine steps will naturally follow—after contemplating her past, she shifted her perspective to the present. Then, she unpleasantly discovered that all the confusion she had faced was actually something she herself had created.

Is it really that difficult to completely wipe out the East American team without resorting to erosion and engulfment?

Is it really that difficult to eliminate voters corrupted by filth and obtain external surveillance through other channels?

—At the moment Lucia is reincarnated, or before that moment, or simply by cutting through the timeline to erase everything. Is that so difficult?

No, it's actually not difficult at all. The reason I haven't done it is simply because I 'don't intend' to. Because I have long since transformed into a life form constituted by the Daoist system. Even if I don't admit it, even if I pretend not to know, all my actions are for the purpose of putting the concept of 'connection' into practice.

"I am the one who made all of this possible, and I am the one who measures them."

Whether it's the Jingyuan Federation, the Life Realm, or the Cyber ​​Star that houses the captain of the East American team, all these things met such a fate simply because Sirin herself wanted to do it that way. It was simply because she desired that kind of future that the future changed into what it is today.

After all, the universe itself will adapt to her.

"And I set up these different forms of 'connection'. The ultimate purpose, I suppose, is simply to test the stability of these civilizations under different degrees and types of 'connection'."

She reached a definitive conclusion.

Beyond this conclusion, she felt there was no need to think further.

She didn't intend to speculate on how the Supreme Being, who had shaped her into this form through 'coincidence,' would treat the universe after obtaining the final answer from the scales of her 'connection.' Because she knew she was still a summer insect, and a summer insect cannot comprehend ice. All she had to do was simply fulfill this duty, and make the most of herself as a tool on the scales.

Her gaze silently drifted to a certain spot in the starry sky. Just moments ago, she had sensed the hiding places of several other teams of concealed reincarnators.

This is not surprising—after all, she already knows that she is merely a scale used to measure 'connection'. Therefore, the intruders in the other reincarnation teams must also bear similar responsibilities. For example, Ex, whose essence is likely the scale of 'order'. For example, Sesshouin Kiara, whose essence can probably be categorized as the scale of 'self'. And since everyone is a scale, the affinity arising from this commonality is enough for her to manifest in her mind through 'connection'.

She saw a civilization still in its primitive stage. That people would call themselves 'Titanium' in the future, possessing an innate degree of subspace resistance and scientific research capabilities. It would grow rapidly over the next few thousand years, forming an alliance of nations based on a strict order and set of ideals—in this undeveloped civilization, she saw the shadow of Ex.

She saw a shadow in the void, neither in the current universe nor in any other derivative universe. That shadow slumbered in the gaps between universes, steadily growing over countless ages. It had no civilization, nor did it need any. Because when it matured, it would awaken and proclaim its birth by devouring universes—and this purely self-centered entity was likely related to Sesshouin Kiara.

She wanted to see more, even the Atlantean team to which Luo Hao belonged. However, this third attempt at surveillance was not as successful as the previous two—she sensed a strange barrier blocking her view just as she was about to spot the real Luo Hao. And in that slight gap, the real Luo Hao immediately became alert and moved out of her observation range.

[Luo Yinglong, I recognize your aura.] Xilin gave a soft snort. She was too lazy to bother with this guy; they would eventually face each other head-on. Besides, even if she missed a good opportunity because of this momentary obstruction, it didn't mean her actions were in vain.

—She pinpointed a general location.

A large community containing approximately a hundred independent individual universes.

When she located her position, the erosion phenomenon, belonging to her and also to 'Nurgle,' unfolded in that distant land—stories about her, Sirin, appeared in books. Myths arose with legends related to her. And a number of believers who worshipped 'Nurgle' for various reasons emerged, establishing cults within a short time, offering sacrifices and prayers to her.

She gained a channel, but it wasn't immediately useful—some external force corrected the erosion she had projected—and books related to Sirin were burned before they could be written. Those destined to become Nurgle cultists died in various accidents before even coming into contact with 'Nurgle.' This slightly thwarted her plan to remotely project an avatar.

But that doesn't matter; she has plenty of time. And besides time, she also has external support.

After sharing information about Ex and Sesshouin Kiara with her teammates, she greeted Zheng Zha, who was in the War Zone, and Patchouli, who was in the Knowledge Zone. The latter declined, while the former readily agreed. Immediately following, a crimson blade of light, accompanied by a furious roar, pierced through the universe, directly traversing the boundless void and crashing into the area where that cosmic cluster was located!

Pure power is the easiest way to break the deadlock.

As the blade struck, in those hundreds of universes—whether galactic, planar, or other heteromorphic structures like towers or rings—all the sentient beings inhabiting them, in their understanding of what was called, or equivalently called, 'sky,' were instantly stained a deep crimson!

There was no cataclysmic natural disaster, but in that instant, the flames of struggle ignited within the hearts of all sentient beings. Some strived upwards, becoming diligent workers; others, driven by restless desires, threw themselves into adventure or battle. And beyond these, many individuals were consumed by the flames of struggle, falling into the clutches of war. And when these three groups became the dominant forces in the world in an instant, chaos and void inevitably arose.

That invisible force of interference adjusted the timeline three times. But even if it rewound time by ten million years, as long as Zheng Zha's sword strike had not been completely erased, the effect would remain. And this immutable fact meant that the hiders within that cosmic cluster only had two paths to take.

The first option is to deploy more power and intervention to eliminate Zheng Zha's absolute brute force. However, acting under the watchful eyes of such a numerically superior species would be tantamount to completely exposing their hiding place. This means that what follows will be a pure force-based confrontation that is absolutely disadvantageous to them.

The second strategy is to lie in wait and hide. Then, amidst the chaos of the cosmic cluster, they can leverage their home-field advantage to continue their struggle against Xilin and Zheng Zha, who are conducting remote intervention. They will wait for the opportune moment to reverse the situation in one fell swoop.

In other words, it was Stalingrad.

Section 27 Transaction Completed

The war has once again reached a stalemate.

Time and time again, again and again.

Whether on the offensive or the defensive, any transcendent being that is well-prepared will inevitably find its process of attacking and being attacked filled with a tedious cycle of killing time—because their battles could continue from the creation of the universe to the end of all things, and then repeat infinitely through the cycle of epochs.

Even in the transcendent stage, battles between reincarnators were already of a scale where 'if a victor cannot be decided in an instant, it is destined to last for thousands or tens of thousands of years.' However, after becoming a transcendent species, having patched up these flaws and eliminated the possibility of being instantly killed due to some minor weakness, battles between transcendent species have become increasingly drawn-out.

There is a sure-fire way to win, but only one: to forcibly cover all of the enemy's source world lines through the phenomenon of erosion, thereby achieving final victory. However, once the battlefield is wide enough, this war of attrition is destined to become a perfect manifestation of the piecemeal tactical approach. For example... right now.

For example... the other side of diversity.

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

As it turned out, Alice couldn't defeat Flora on Flora's home turf. Flora, in turn, was helpless against Alice, who was a level above her—the Four Highs and the Transcendent ultimately belonged to the same category, not different classes. Even if the former could destroy the latter's form a dozen times in a single victory, the battles in the Source World Online remained unresolved, and no matter how exciting the fighting, it was nothing more than a game.

Alice killed Flora, or rather, destroyed Flora's physical form, approximately 1,256,000 times.

Flora, by taking advantage of home field advantage, power, fate, and other miscellaneous factors, broke Alice's form around 97,000 times.

If the time of their battle were to unfold entirely according to the Earth calendar, it would amount to six Jingjing years, or six hundred million, or six times ten to the power of thirty-two years. However, when both sides felt that this playful banter was a waste of time, this entire timeline used for the battle was completely deleted, and everything returned to the moment when the two sides were about to clash.

That galaxy still floated in space and was completely still.

Also affected by the stillness was the captain of the West Sea team. After Flora removed all the protections placed on her, she fell back to the initial limit of the fourth level, the form she had when she possessed the simulated light of the mind.

As expected, this guy turned out to be just like the most likely candidate among the several scenarios Alice had prepared beforehand. The captain of the West Sea team hadn't made any progress since leaving the Moon World, and hadn't even overcome his inner demons. Since he hadn't overcome his inner demons or gathered an independent spiritual light, it was only natural that he was completely ignorant of the struggles on the spacetime axis.

After all, spacetime distortion is an external tribulation generated synchronously with the convergence of the Light of the Mind during the process of overcoming inner demons. Only by overcoming it can one understand what spacetime axis interference is. If one cannot overcome it, or skips it altogether, then one can forget about receiving the relevant protection unless one makes up for it. The simulated Light of the Mind cannot provide resistance to spacetime interference, a fact that was already known to everyone involved in the Saint Hunting Ritual.

The captain of the West Sea team was also in the Sacred Hunting Ceremony at the time, but she was not qualified to reach that level.

Since we didn't know that back then, it's naturally impossible for us to know it now.

So……

Flora reached out and made a cube, stuffing the West Sea team's captain inside. She set the cube aside, and Alice retracted the galaxy, restoring stability to the universe that would have shattered instantly. As everything was restored to a peaceful state, free from war, time began to flow around them, and the scene shifted to an ordinary city.

Let's talk.

If they can't determine life or death, or victory or defeat, then naturally they can only sit down and talk.

“You are severing ties.” Alice picked up a cup of coffee, gazing at her former witch. “There is no enmity between you and me. But the persona of Mangotlund is bound to you. And now that Mangotlund no longer exists, so you have set your sights on me?”

Her opponent sat opposite her, saying nothing.

She remained silent because she knew there was no need to—Alice's choice to sit here meant she already knew everything. Since she already knew, there was no need for further words.

"Your philosophy... is it still about achieving something?"—But this question is different from before.

This question is about the Dao. It's about the Dao that Flora has followed. And given the inherent conditions that transcendent beings have never been able to understand each other, Alice cannot force a definition after asking this question if she doesn't want to continue the fight.

She cannot define Flora's Dao; to do so would be to perpetuate the war. This is because it is essentially a phenomenon of Dao erosion, a struggle at the level of the source world line.