Chapter 745: An Mingyu, Shattered

"!!!"

The instant she heard those words, a strong and warm An Mingyu — shattered.

She stared at her Benefactor in disbelief, certain she'd misheard.

'What is She saying — that I'm not part of the fixed path?'

'So... in the finale of that script the Fate Weaver mentioned, there's no place for me?'

'Yes — of course! As the author of the world's script, Destiny Herself has spoken. How could it be false?'

In that moment, An Mingyu's heart shattered completely.

A buzz of nothingness rang through her skull. Everything went hazy. From the instant the Faith Game had descended, she'd tirelessly chased Destiny's trail — even believed herself to be the first person in this world to gain Destiny's audience. But now, every pursuit, every belief, every conviction, every shred of devotion... popped like soap bubbles under the sun's scorching glare.

Fear was spreading, breeding. A terror far greater than suddenly realizing she'd switched worlds. In a game orchestrated by gods, if she lost her Benefactor's guidance and protection, An Mingyu couldn't begin to imagine where her future would lead.

She'd always been a strong and resolute person. But today, after blow upon blow, that strength seemed to have reached its limit.

For one fleeting instant, every thought went dark. She even considered death — but Death... had somehow become her Benefactor.

An Mingyu felt dazed. A belated realization dawned: so that was what Death accepting her meant?

'Preventing a Destiny follower's demise?'

The Blind One was lost. She sank limply to the ground — though as a skull, the motion barely registered. She might as well have entered eternal silence.

Those eyes gazed down from high above, watching everything, entirely unmoved by their follower's despair.

Her gaze was cold. The Void's storm was gathering. From the look of things, those gales would blow the Blind One to wherever she truly belonged.

Whether that was another timeline or some eternal nothingness — no one could say.

The Blind One accepted her fate. No resistance. No ability to resist. As the Void winds drew closer, stripping her skull form bare, flaying her skin, shredding her hem — she was a leaf with nowhere to cling in the storm. In the blink of an eye, riddled with wounds.

But the very instant before she vanished into the Void — another disruption struck. A panicked figure plummeted from above, crashing directly toward the nearly unconscious Destiny Chosen.

That figure was, naturally, Cheng Shi — hurled here by the Fun God. The moment he appeared, the Void's cutting winds ceased instantly.

Though those eyes still churned with endless frost — at least this patch of Void was safe again.

Cheng Shi slammed down before the Blind One with a resounding THUD. He howled in pain, cracked one eye open — and found himself face-to-face with a battered, black-veiled acquaintance.

"?" His expression froze. He scrambled upright. "Chosen One An?"

Without a second's hesitation, he raised his hand and fired off several healing spells in succession.

At this moment — witnessing a Deceit-faith clown openly using healing power to restore the "sinner" She'd just been punishing — those eyes in the Void darkened. The Void's gales howled once more.

"???"

Feeling that unmistakably familiar chill, cold sweat erupted across Cheng Shi's forehead.

Expression frozen, he glanced at the now-recovering An Mingyu, then tried to sneak a backward glance to confirm whether the presence behind him was the Benefactor he feared. The Blind One, wrenched from terror and despair by the healing, sensed it was Cheng Shi before her. The dam finally broke. She clamped her lips shut but couldn't stop helpless tears from falling.

"Cheng Shi... the Benefactor has abandoned me..."

"Nonsense!"

Cheng Shi snapped. He leapt to his feet and jabbed a finger at An Mingyu in a blistering tirade:

"Foolish!

Abandoned!? You're Her Chosen! The one She values most to carry Destiny's will! She'd abandon anyone before She'd abandon you!

Don't equate a setback in fortune with Her averting Her gaze! Remember — Destiny isn't only good luck and fixed paths. It's also full of change and misfortune.

To put it crudely, whether thunder or rain, both are the ruler's grace—

No, that's too crude. That's feudal garbage. Let me rephrase: Her radiance shines equally upon the universe. She won't bestow an extra ray upon you.

An Mingyu — remember this! The reason you caught Her eye was because you believed the path beneath your feet is Destiny's road! It was your own fate-script that you wrote and spliced into the world's grand play!

The coming path, the going road — all are destined!

You and I are both Destined Ones! But we Destined Ones don't rely solely on Her guidance to find the way. It's the roads we walk ourselves that pave the path. It's the directions we choose that align with Destiny's guidance!

If you haven't woken up properly, go sleep some more.

If someone tampered with your dreams and gave you nightmares... that's not a big deal either. I'm an expert at countering Dream Peeping Rangers. I can teach you.

Not... not for free though. There's a fee."

Having lectured the Blind One, Cheng Shi frantically started signaling with his eyes.

The Blind One was stunned — or more precisely, scolded senseless. She stared blankly at Cheng Shi, feeling his desperate determination to drag her back onto Destiny's rails. And behind the Fate Weaver... she also saw those star-studded eyes, their expression gradually softening.

'So... Her eyes can be this beautiful.' But that beauty...

'Stop thinking, An Mingyu! Your self-pity is wasting the Fate Weaver's effort!'

The Blind One snapped to her senses. She immediately closed her mouth. Head bowed, like a criminal awaiting sentencing, she stood perfectly still — waiting for the "inquisitor's" next verdict.

Destiny watched all of this without a word. In Her eyes — a flash of... surprise.

Because She suddenly noticed that the thread of destiny that should have deviated from the fixed path had, after Her follower spoke the words "Destined Ones," actually reconnected.

That change from the unknown had returned to the fixed. A fate from a "parallel world" had genuinely replaced the original providence, becoming the present's "future."

Seeing this, Destiny's expression darkened once more.

Change was Her authority — but She hadn't activated it on An Mingyu. So if Change arose now, it could only mean one thing: during their brief clash, Her twin deity had stolen part of Her authority!

He hadn't merely borrowed it temporarily. He'd actually partitioned the authority of Change — and taken half!

And the reason She was only discovering this now was because He had disguised some Deceit authority as Change and slipped it back to Her!

He'd deceived Her. Used that universe-shaking civil war to execute an authority swap within the Void!

And She hadn't realized until She observed the change in Her own follower!

'Where... did He acquire these unthinkable powers?'

'And what does He intend to do with Her stolen authority of Change?'

Destiny fell silent. Lost in thought. And as She sank into contemplation, the atmosphere in this Void grew increasingly strange. Cheng Shi didn't dare turn around, only sweated. The Blind One was dazed, lost. Soon, only the sound of breathing remained.

Cheng Shi found this unbearable — worse even than his audience with Folly. If this continued, he wouldn't need the Benefactor's judgment. He'd drown in his own sweat.

So he steeled himself, prepared to scold the Blind One again — hoping to interrupt the Benefactor's scrutiny. But before he could open his mouth, Destiny spoke first:

"The matter of Change — I will pursue no further.

But you — Cheng... Shi!

The crime of blasphemy — how do you explain THAT!?"

Hearing this, both Cheng Shi and the Blind One went blank.

Cheng Shi had assumed his fast-talking had fooled his Benefactor. But clearly She remembered everything — each offense tallied separately.

The Blind One was even more baffled — because when she'd been on trial moments ago, she definitely hadn't been given a chance to explain!

But she couldn't dwell on that now. Because the moment Destiny spoke, the surrounding Void winds had already knocked her unconscious.

In this patch of Void — only one mortal and one deity remained, facing each other.