Chapter 93: Waking from a Dream

What rushed towards him was infinite brilliance.

It was as if he had suddenly arrived at a broken bridge, standing in front of the abyss.

Past, future, separated on both sides of the present, and fell into the same darkness.

The moment the dazzling spiritual quality light surged from the scepter, Ji Jue's consciousness was swallowed by events like a torrent.

Like falling, towards the essence of all things. Like rising, towards the core of heaven and earth.

Soul and perception spread from the body, shrouding everything, covering everything, making the entire Rift Realm his body.

When the prophet untied the final seal, the machine god's descent that had continued to this day finally succeeded, completely covering and shrouding the workshop, making Ji Jue truly the master of all this.

The true ruler of the Rift Realm.

But he couldn't feel joy and happiness; what he heard were only endless wailing and shouting.

From the past, from the present.

From the ruins reflecting each other, in the shadow of the broken Tower of Tianyuan, he stared at the wailing and bleeding figure walking towards the abyss again and again. When he looked back, he saw the reincarnation of life and death of countless creations struggling in vain on the earth.

The same pain and despair were on both sides of him, like the two sides of a balance, but they were entangled in the same place, reincarnating from the endless hell, endless.

He needs to make a choice.

But why make a choice?

Why must he seek the heavier value among these pains?

He wanted to question the prophet, what qualifications does he have to pity? Is his essence, those hidden selfishness, so noble compared to mercury?

Why believe that he won't create hell?

But hell is right before his eyes.

The blood-colored ocean surged, infinite hatred like a tide, swallowing him.

His soul fell from the void, or rose, falling into the darkness. In the darkness, he heard the sound of the train hitting the tracks again, rhythmic, as if it would never stop.

So familiar.

Ji Jue stood in front of the familiar carriage door, hearing the sound of playing inside.

He stiffened in place.

As if someone was talking and laughing.

The mother who abandoned the past and the old with her child, embarked on the journey again, heading to her hometown, hoping to start over by the seaside and under the sunshine.

During the boring journey, she told the child those ancient fairy tales.

Princes and princesses, dragons and thieves, witches and fairies, kings and knights...

That colorful and gorgeous world made light shine in the child's lost pupils, and even the empty wilderness outside the window shone, the sunset was brilliant, and the world was gentle.

Beautiful like a dream.

Making him reluctant to break it.

Ji Jue listened quietly, the waves rising from the distant memory, for a long, long time, until there was no sound behind the door.

On the door of the carriage, dust peeled off, faded silently, cracked, and fell.

Behind the door, in the broken and twisted carriage, the unextinguished flames rose from the wreckage, spreading, leaving only rolling thick smoke. It seemed he could see that familiar back, but her singing was so distant.

It was as if, separated by heaven and abyss.

No matter how Ji Jue ran, it was difficult to reach.

Running again and again, failing again and again, even if he was overestimating his capabilities.

Until he was exhausted, lost in the ruins of flames and thick smoke, but still wandered persistently.

Letting the unextinguishable flames ignite his body and soul, the ocean of pain and despair completely swallowed everything. From the overwhelming flames and fire rain, he fell into the endless darkness, into that deeper abyss.

But still staring persistently at the source of the singing.

Refusing to give up.

Until a tender little hand grabbed his wrist.

"Caught you."

A gentle voice sounded, so cheerful.

The darkness and falling stopped abruptly, a gentle wind blew from the square of the town, and the bell in the distance echoed endlessly.

Ji Jue looked around blankly.

He seemed to have woken up from his nightmare, but he was so eager to return to that nightmare of only torture.

Even if it was just to get closer, as long as he could see her eyes again, as long as he could tell her... I miss you so much, he would pay any price!

Even if it means creating hell...

But hell is right before his eyes.

It was born from regrets and memories again and again, its name is 'Unreachable'.

"You look so sad, big brother."

On the steps of the square, the lonely waiting girl looked back, looked at him, stretched out her hand, and generously handed over the bouquet in her hand: "Here, share with you."

The pure white flowers still had dew, dripping into Ji Jue's hand.

So gentle.

She stood in everything on the verge of destruction, like a phantom forgotten by time, staring at the reshaping and destruction of everything, continuing in countless reincarnations.

Looking at Ji Jue before her eyes.

Stretching out her hand, gently wiping the dust off his face, solemnly and carefully.

"So you were still here." Ji Jue whispered.

"Of course."

The girl nodded as a matter of course: "Otherwise, it would be empty here, how lonely she would be."

In those phantoms of the past, the past flashed in time, crowding around her, dissipating, and reappearing, as if endless.

She stopped in those broken times, wandered persistently, but was unwilling to leave.

"Won't you be lonely?"

"Perhaps."

The girl shook her head indifferently, looking at everything before her, looking at the time like heaven and abyss. "At least, I can still miss her, just like she is missing me."

Day and night, never stopping.

Even if time and death separate us...

As long as this longing remains, parting doesn't seem so scary anymore, and death is the same. Even if falling into the abyss, wandering to the end of the world, one won't be lonely and afraid.

Crossing four hundred years of time, it is not just regret and pain.

Even if that darkness is so nothingness, they can still be engraved in the abyss, glowing.

Just like stars.

"So, make a decision, big brother."

She finally stretched out her hand, hugging the teenager in front of her, so light: "Some pain is already too much, no need to continue, and there shouldn't be more tragedies.

The time for parting has arrived."

Just like that, she picked up the pendant in her bosom and put it on Ji Jue's neck.

In the opened pendant, there was only a broken photo, a family leaning on each other happily, smiling happily. Even if mottled and faded, even if separated by a long time.

"The story of the past is over, please let it stay in the past. No more tragedies, and no more new hells."

From the dissipating old time, the girl smiled and said goodbye for the last time, "No need to hesitate for other people's stories anymore, please continue forward, to the future that belongs to you."

"No matter what that future and result is... I believe that the person you miss will still miss you like this."

Ji Jue froze in place.

From the gradually blurred old time, it seemed that singing sounded again, from the distant sound of the train running.

So gentle.

And so familiar.

When Ji Jue looked back suddenly, everything before his eyes dissipated like a phantom, the girl and the town disappeared without a trace, and the flames and ruins gradually went away.

Only her singing still lingered in his soul.

So clear.

It was as if, it had always been by his side, never far away.

At that moment, Ji Jue finally opened his eyes, returned to the mortal world, staring at the Rift Realm before his eyes, the cracked earth, the surging sea of blood, pain, despair, and hell.

"What an unrealistic dream..."

Clearly it was just a short moment, but it felt like a lifetime.

When the distant dream came to an end, the vibration of the workshop's resonance and the Rift Realm's operation filled Ji Jue's soul again, reflecting everything that happened into his eyes, as if to engrave all changes into his soul.

But this time, Ji Jue no longer felt hesitant and confused.

He raised his head, looked at the sky, the sage's wreckage still singing desperately in obsession amidst layers of shackles.

And when he looked back, he saw the collapse and overturning of the Rift Realm. In countless reincarnations, the wailing and crying of those broken souls surged from the sea.

Persist, or give up.

Both are tragedies, both are hells.

But at least he can choose whether hell continues...

Perhaps, creating hell, it is possible to see them again, but they shouldn't fall into this kind of hell.

So, must make a choice—

"Leave it to me."

He whispered, promising everyone, reaching out, and gripping the scepter offered by the prophet.

No longer hesitating, not hesitating to ignite all spiritual quality, all invested in this resonance and connection, once again, merging with all this.

—Machine God's Descent!

No resistance, no hesitation. The moment Ji Jue's spirit entered, the workshop filling the Rift Realm seemed to welcome a brand new master, vibrating and singing.

Infinite spiritual quality circuits, constantly changing fluid alchemy, countless runes and emblems, and even the vast Supreme Good blessing like a star sea. This workshop, which the sage had spent her whole life and exhausted everything to build, a true Heavenly Craft, welcomed a brand new control!

From his right hand, the watch that had been silent for a long time suddenly glowed with dazzling light, like a scorching sun, illuminating everything.

Under the guidance of the watch, the Non-Aggression matrix on Ji Jue's hands seemed to be given life, growing again, and in an instant, shrouded his entire body.

Inwardly, covering the soul, outwardly, holding everything.

Countless invisible hands appeared from the void, looking down from above, covering all phenomena, controlling everything.

And in the deepest part of the huge workshop under the nine earths, in the darkness sealed for more than four hundred years, a light vibration suddenly appeared, as if responding to this long-lost call.

Thus, from the trance-like vision, Ji Jue saw, in the blockade built on the basis of the entire workshop, that rusted blade silent in the dust...

From the vibration and clanging, the broken sword rose, and from the broken blade full of gaps, finally, a wisp of blood-stained rust peeled off.

Thus, under the peeling dust, a sharp edge that was dazzling to the point of making the entire Rift Realm tremble and making all phenomena stop appeared.

Just for an instant, it pierced everything.

Infinite fierce light rose from the blockade, surging out, towards the sky, towards the location of the hub, moving majestically, just like that, falling into the prophet's hand.

Extracting spiritual quality from the workshop like a bottomless pit, as if wanting to swallow everything, burn everything.

Making the prophet's body collapse and dissolve in an instant.

Almost completely evaporated.

But from the pain of tearing the soul, on that tired face, a smile appeared.

"Everything, always, must have an end." She held the brilliance like a scorching sun with both hands, whispering: "Otherwise, new things cannot be born..."

"Sorry to trouble you, this unrealistic dream has been too long."

"Now, the dream is awake."

She said, "Everything should end."

When the scorching light dissipated, after swallowing infinite spiritual quality, the outline of the sharp edge finally appeared again, but turned into a crown woven of thorns.

Thus, crowned on Ji Jue's head.

Like a coronation.

Infinite majesty appeared here, covering the sky and the earth, reflecting all changes, isolating all peeping.

"Damn..."

In the corner under the hub, White Owl, who was looking into the distance, was struck by lightning, even subconsciously taking off her mask, rubbing her eyes frantically, unable to confirm: "That is... the Blade of Reform?!"

The Supreme Good weapon that had been silent for so many years, actually awakened?!

Are you kidding me?!

"Hey! Old guy? Old guy! Speak!"

She urged blankly, but in her hand, only cracks appeared on the map, and under the majestic and violent pressure, it was impossible to maintain its form.

No response.

The moment the Supreme Good weapon that once cut off the Tower of Tianyuan appeared from the Rift Realm, all Ember creations stopped in wailing, no longer able to be autonomous.

Even all the blessings of the Supreme Good fell into silence, no longer reflecting brilliance.

Because the only torch of this world burned long above the sky.

Shrouding everything.

Even Ji Jue's consciousness and thinking completely fell into a standstill, unable to continue. A majestic will relied on that crown, entered his body, gave him infinite power, and then rudely turned into a torrent, pushing him forward.

No longer autonomous.

When he raised his head, he saw the emblem of the Supreme Good from the eternally dim sky.

The stars burned from the flames, the furnace of heaven overturned here, all changes and essence gathered, flowing down towards the mortal world, turning into a line of infinite light of embers...

【This world will change, everything old will eventually return to dust】

The declaration like heaven moving appeared from the soul, echoed, leading him to receive that line of flame falling towards the mortal world, letting this infinite essence fall into the soul, exploding with a boom, crushing the final thinking.

The torrent-like illusion rushed towards him, countless changes appeared from the soul.

Not allowing retreat, nor allowing dodging.

So rudely forcing him to feel the essence of this Supreme Good, engraved in Ji Jue's eyes and perception.

All new births will eventually become old things, only change never stops.

Therefore, the fire is not in the furnace, there are only embers in the furnace.

—This is, the essence of Ember!

Thus, at that moment, the flame named Ji Jue was ignited from the furnace of reform—so small, like a candle in the wind, but under the push of the Blade of Reform, it expanded into a scorching sun shrouding everything.

Dazzling to the point of being unable to look directly!

All the new creations of the past, all the souls who sacrificed themselves in the fire, reproduced at this moment, turned into firewood, gathered in one place from the endless burning, standing beside Ji Jue, penetrating everything.

【Sage mercury, today I judge your creation as a creation of chaos, a rotten structure.】

Those high-pitched or low, clear or hoarse voices overlapped, sounded from Ji Jue's mouth, inheriting the essence of the Supreme Good, issuing a judgment to the mortal world:

【Today, I judge you as evil!】

The earth-shattering cracking sound appeared between heaven and earth.

Because in Ji Jue's hand, a line of dazzling light appeared, rose, from the center, splitting heaven and earth, just like the standard in the middle of all things, reflecting and measuring everything.

In the infinite chains, the blood rain stopped, the sad song interrupted.

Just like an invisible gale roaring, shrouding everything, peeling off all non-human structures and distorted creations, cutting thousands of palms.

At the same time, it lifted the curtain shrouding everything.

Revealing the weird shadow that was far away as if separated by eternity after the sage's wreckage...

Twisting the world and reality, turning into such a huge vortex, twisting the essence and truth, revealing the structure gathering all distortions of this world.

In that huge vortex of darkness that seemed to shroud everything and could swallow all Supreme Goods, blurry outlines faintly appeared, just like looking down.

Staring at its prey, and even, existence that dared to block itself.

Just staring, Ji Jue felt his soul was about to fall apart, but before that, the fierce light of reform had already burned all erosion and blocked everything.

Making Ji Jue finally glimpse its appearance and form.

Just like a huge furnace, eternally burning with the fire of pain, flowing out countless weird giant structures, constantly creating new distortions...

Within the infinite red flames, the furnace was like a ferocious eye, indifferently looking down at everything.

From this long time, He indifferently witnessed all despair and pain, waiting for the continuation of reincarnation and tragedy, hoping for the final result.

Waiting for the sage bearing infinite curses to fall into His flames and furnace, recasting and regenerating into an evil thing!

In the darkness that the twelve Supreme Goods could not illuminate, the vortex existed forever in the darkness of the present world. Corresponding to the creation of Ember, this is the shadow pointed to by all creations of chaos in the world.

—Nine Evils · Stagnant Rot Furnace Heart!

The brilliance of the Blade of Reform rose from Ji Jue's hand, and all the connections covered after the reincarnation appeared from behind the curtain.

Those thousands of connections that had extended and arrived had already entangled in the sage's obsession and soul, but were blocked, shackled, and entangled by the workshop in this long time, not allowing her to fall into that abyss vortex.

Now, the time for everything to end has arrived.

The reincarnation without an end collapsed, and the long dream shattered from the dazzling dawn.

The world became so drifting.

Compared with the torchlight formed by the brilliance of the world, it was like a bubble, trembling, cracking, and silently welcoming collapse and destruction in the rising of the fierce light.

The day of reform has arrived.

All old things should perish like dust!

When the singing and wailing stopped abruptly, the ancient melody welcomed the end, hell turned into nothingness from the burning of suffering... pure and clear brilliance rose from Ji Jue's hand.

Slash!

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