Chapter 381: The Rat Arrives, Baichuan's Counterattack

Just this one ability alone far surpassed the ordinary in power.

Of course, the information exposed by such a powerful effect was not exactly friendly.

Baichuan understood that the greatest crisis of his life had arrived. Clearly, that cold figure rushing toward him was the Lingneng Clan's "Ancestor" who had long had his eyes on him — Zishu!

One Zishu alone was already enough to give him a world of trouble, and now another, even more mysterious Star God Clan's Divine King had shown up!

Baichuan furrowed his brow and began carefully reviewing the images from moments ago, searching for a path to survival.

His greatest crisis before, where even retreat was impossible, was clearly because two powerhouses worthy of being called "Ancestors" were besieging him. But what if he took the initiative to deal with that mysterious old-man-shaped Divine King summoned by Lan Hai Xing?

Baichuan thought it over, then helplessly shook his head. Clearly, once the Star God Clan's king grasped the protective item — whether in the dream's illusory grip or in reality's true grip — any force capable of threatening his life would be directly repelled, thereby summoning that old-man-shaped Divine King. Even he could not prevent this.

After all, the Xingkong was vast, and those with bizarre methods were countless. If the protective item given by that group of Star God Clan couldn't even achieve this much protection, wouldn't it be a pointless loss of face for the great Star God Clan?

Then, given that he now knew this in advance, what about retreating first? He had already obtained what he wanted anyway.

However, being chased off in disgrace by Zishu left an unpleasant knot in his heart.

Being targeted for no reason and relentlessly pursued — if not for the chance encounter that earned him the Source Point and activated the 【Precognition】 function, he, Baichuan, would have been done for.

He was pondering whether there was a way to strike back hard against this arrogant creature.

But relying on his mortal wisdom alone, he probably couldn't manage it. He had never been any kind of genius — he knew this perfectly well — even with computational power beyond ordinary imagination.

So he needed a little help. Thinking of this, Baichuan's consciousness stirred…

Tianyuan Star, the peak of the mountain range.

This was the highest point on all of Tianyuan Star. Standing here, one could almost see every location across the entire land — the legendary dwelling place of the gods.

And indeed it was so. Compared to the masses living on the land below, those who lived here wielded power and status nearly divine.

Though they did not possess the power to destroy heaven and earth, every word and deed of theirs, once transmitted, would cause tremendous upheaval across the entire world, even leading to the rise and fall of dynasties — something even those lofty gods could not match.

For their existence was established to devise strategies for the stability of the entire world, and to solve problems for the legendary, mysterious master of this world.

This was the "think tank" Baichuan had ordered his subordinates to specially seek out over the years. Every person who could appear here was the wisest sage from this long history.

In an elegantly understated bamboo tower atop a cluster of mountain peaks, fragrance curled gently, tea mist swirled and lingered, exuding a fresh and tranquil charm.

Chen Ye, dressed in a light ink-colored elegant robe, wore a calm expression. With lowered gaze, he methodically brewed and lightly sipped tea, while beside him sat a chess game locked in fierce "combat."

This was his pastime as a member of the "think tank" during ordinary idle days.

"Report— report—!"

Suddenly, a rapid, anxious child's voice shattered the tranquility here, and shortly after, the bamboo tower's main door was pushed open.

"M-Master! Something terrible happened!"

"Little girl, how many times have I told you? A wise person triumphs by curbing impatience and arrogance. It's been so long, yet you're still so flustered…"

"Today I'll punish you by making you copy…"

Facing this almost routine situation, Chen Ye was not surprised in the slightest. Without turning his body, he lightly sipped his pale tea, and only then did his unhurried, gentle voice, utterly devoid of worldly fire, drift over.

"N-no! Master, something truly major has happened this time!"

The little girl, whose face had flushed red from running, did not slowly listen to her master's lecture as she usually did. Given her master's slow-paced temperament, in the past a punishment was just a punishment. But now things were different. She anxiously stamped her foot, her face reddening as she waved her hands repeatedly and shouted loudly: "Master, the True Dragon Majesty has sent down a question slip!"

"What?!" The moment these words left her mouth, it was as if a lake of still water had been startled. Chen Ye, who had been calmly holding his tea moments before, froze abruptly. His usually lowered eyes snapped wide open, and those normally steady hands began to tremble — he couldn't even hold a cup of tea steady.

The next instant, he sprang to his feet, strode forward with heavy steps, and asked the little girl in disbelief, "Y-you just said what? The True Dragon Majesty?"

At this moment, because the news he had heard was too shocking, he finally could no longer maintain that composed expression.

Shock! What had he just heard?

Since the True Dragon Majesty's think tank was established, they had never once been called upon to share the True Dragon Majesty's burdens. Yet now, that incomparably mysterious True Dragon Majesty had actually thought of them — the first time they were truly needed?

Was he still not awake? Was he dreaming?!

If it was a dream, please let this dream last a little longer.

Chen Ye, known to the outside world for his indifference and composure, experienced such a massive emotional upheaval for the first time.

Watching her master reveal an expression so unlike his usual self for the first time, the little girl secretly found it amusing. But equally shocked herself, she still nodded and confirmed:

"Yes, the True Dragon question slip has appeared!"

"Let's go, we're going!"

As the words fell, the man's voice — gentle yet urgent — was already rising from outside the door.

"Wait, Master! Your shoes! You forgot to put on your shoes…"

……

Unaware that certain people on Tianyuan Star had been thoroughly stirred up because of a single question from him, Baichuan, after sending out the question, also began exploring the functions of the Source Point and the newly activated abilities on the panel.

After a long while, he finally discovered that the 【Precognition】 ability seemed unable to be actively triggered — or rather, he had not yet found the true means of triggering it. That previous precognition had merely been passively activated under certain conditions right after he obtained the Source Point. Baichuan guessed this condition might be related to his life and death.

For example, whenever he was about to face a crisis where death was certain within a period of time in the future, as long as he had the Source Point, it would automatically consume itself to show him that scene.

Whether this was true or not, he couldn't be certain for now. But he did clarify another function of the Source Point — namely, that 'Drivable…' function on the panel.

Just as the former 'Kedianji' function had determined his path to becoming stronger — constantly seeking out abilities possessed by powerful creatures, then killing them to plunder those abilities to grow stronger —

This function had also determined his path to becoming stronger for a very long time!

Since breaking through to True Immortal, Baichuan had found it somewhat strange — how should he proceed from here?

Because things were different from when he was weak in the past. Back then, he could easily rely on the combination of countless abilities to kill enemies stronger than himself. But after True Immortal, every powerful ability represented a terrifying being whose strength far surpassed his by several times.

Take Zishu, for example. The other party certainly possessed abilities far exceeding his LV6 level. So if he still followed the old method of hunting those who possessed powerful abilities and plundering them, it would be nothing short of a fool's dream.

Was he currently a match for Zishu?

The answer was no — Baichuan knew this perfectly well.

Therefore, if he continued following his old method of becoming stronger, he would undoubtedly fall into a dilemma —

To grow stronger, he needed powerful abilities to evolve — but powerful abilities resided in beings whose strength exceeded his by countless times, and he needed to grow stronger to kill them — but to grow stronger, he had to evolve powerful abilities…

If this dilemma could not be broken, unless he was extraordinarily lucky enough to encounter an even more powerful being that had died and lost all resistance.

But this possibility, he could only say, was even less likely than him working hard on his own to forcibly kill Zishu.

Even True Immortals find it difficult to die to a certain extent, let alone realms above that.

However, with the appearance of the Origin Point and new functions now, he no longer needs to worry about anything.

In other words, perhaps before long, he would be able to surpass Zishu and take his revenge in proper fashion!

Of course, before that, he still decided to give Zishu a greeting gift first.

After all, "traveling thousands of miles" is hardly enough to describe the other party crossing endless distances to seek him out.

Such a weighty courtesy — how could he not "repay" it in some measure?

Carefully reviewing the plan transmitted by the Tianyuan Star think tank, Baichuan silently used a massive amount of computing power to deduce it several times and found that it was still feasible.

In that case, it was time to act!

The next instant, Baichuan vanished from the cramped little room, abruptly rose into the heavens, then closed his eyes and began to wait calmly.

According to the precognition shown, there was still some time before Zishu's arrival, which should be enough for him to set up.

In the world that had fallen utterly silent, the grey crescent moon representing 【Moon Dream】 grew ever more conspicuous, nearly descending fully into this space from its illusory shadow.

A force representing dreams began to invisibly entwine around the Xuanlan Great Bright God of Lan Hai Star, who was holding the protective object of the Starry Divine Race. If anyone were to wake at this moment, they would surely see that beneath the radiance enveloping the imposing Xuanlan Great Bright God, his brow had faintly furrowed.

At this moment, within the dream, the Xuanlan Great Bright God, who was laughing heartily with the gathered gods, suddenly furrowed his brow and secretly glanced sideways at one of his subordinate gods — had he just seen things?

Why had he glimpsed a patch of pure white on his subordinate god, as though it were some kind of animal's fur?

Or was it that…

Realizing something, the Xuanlan Great Bright God, without showing any reaction, surveyed the gods laughing freely around him, and actually discovered that on several of them, strange features had flashed by in an instant!

White fur, large round ears, shiny black eyes, long tail…

Those were the features of a strange creature he did not recognize!

On the surface, each of them appeared no different from a normal god, conversing and drinking heartily with the others as usual, yet they were quietly and constantly drawing closer to the gods, then seizing the moment when no one was paying attention to drift wisps of fine white hair into the gods' wine cups, causing them to drink it down unwittingly…

And once one drank this strange wine, a corner of strange rat-like features would immediately appear on their body! As if they had lost themselves and begun to harm the other gods.

What kind of bizarre power was this?!

Though inwardly shaken, he held his composure on the surface, while secretly gripping that tiny Jin Se Lei Dian.

He vaguely recalled that once, for a period of time in Xingkong, a horrifying replacement-eldritch power had spread to an extreme degree…

It was a terrifying eldritch power that, once it took hold, would invisibly replace the original host without anyone knowing. The reason this terrifying replacement-eldritch power had become renowned throughout all of Xingkong was that it had actually replaced an entire super-civilization!

"Lord Ming God, to celebrate your triumphant return from slaughtering that dragon, we raise a cup to you here!"

Just then, a god who in the Xuanlan Great Bright God's eyes had become extremely corrupted walked over holding two cups of strange wine, respectfully revealing a smile as he proposed.

But, would he dare to drink it?

Just when had their Shenyu been eroded to such a state?

Staring fixedly at the wine before him, the Xuanlan Great Bright God burned with rage; the intense fury directly consumed him, and he thunderously raised the Golden Lightning in his hand.

Great Xingkong Divine King, save the pitiful gods of Lan Hai Xing beneath your banner!

"Boom—!"

A thunderous roar split across the sky.

'Now!'

At the same moment, Baichuan suddenly opened his eyes. All of the 【Moon Dream】 power, without waiting for the arrival of some being in the next instant to be shattered, gathered entirely into a phantom bearing white fur, round ears, and a long tail that enveloped a certain spot in the void — shaped like the strange omen of some great being descending upon Lan Hai Xing!

The next instant, he directly activated the power of the Ancient Bell, teleporting away repeatedly and withdrawing back into the Subspace.

At the same time, as the thunderous lightning resounded across the heavens, a sound like the sky shattering followed.

Startled by this terrifying commotion, the many living beings of Lan Hai Xing who had been peacefully sunk in dreams jolted awake, and then they saw—

A strange creature with white fur, long tail, and round ears stood howling at the sky within the world, nearly propping up the heavens!

And within the phantom, a figure in white robes, cold and aloof, stepped through space and descended!

Zishu had arrived to kill!

"Brat, die!"

The thunder had not yet ceased when Zishu had just arrived.

The phantom of an old man filled with endless golden lightning rose in close succession; beneath the majestic might of the heavens, lightning ran rampant, and a Sharpness-wreathed thunderbolt spear tore across the sky, stabbing straight toward the cold, aloof figure who had yet to steady himself!

What was happening?

Zishu, who had just followed the aura across to arrive, had not even found the familiar figure or made out the specifics of where he had descended before he felt a stinging pain between his brows. In an instant he looked over, and discovered a phantom whose aura was nearly no weaker than his own hurling a thunderbolt spear brimming with endless destructive force at him!

"How dare you!"

With no time to think, facing the destructive thunder spear hurled by some Xingkong Divine King, Zishu also rose in furious battle. He formed the ancient lamp seal with his hand, and an ancient lamp — a white-jade, fine-furred mouse embracing a lamp — rose into being, spilling down a continuous stretch of ghostly green flames.

Yet the appearance of this ancient lamp only further enraged the Xuanlan Great Bright God who had summoned the Starry Divine King — so it was you!

With a roar, he decisively transmitted his will to the Divine King's phantom.

And so, a great battle between a Divine King and a "Ancestor"-realm being erupted!

This was a battle destined to dim the stars and bring about the fall of the gods.

Fragile Lan Hai Xing simply had no ability to survive a battle at this level; even the Divine King's phantom could not protect it. If his true self had come, there might still have been some hope.

Of course, all of this was no longer Baichuan's concern.

Having returned to the Subspace, he only hoped that Zishu would like this generous gift.

After all, before long, his second generous gift would likely be delivered.

And this gift, Zishu would surely like even more.

It was just unknown whether, by then, He would still recognize him — that remained to be seen.

Thinking this, Baichuan also began to explore the new functions that had appeared on the Ability Panel…

Time Reversal!

(End of this chapter)