Chapter 266: Transcendence

"You're making another big fuss again—harvesting points this weak is meaningless."

The red lights atop the roof's four corners flickered dimly, and Su Tuoni's half-phantom, half-solid figure stepped out from behind the rooftop's iron door.

Su Lin gazed down at the ant-like crowds below—people who had come out onto the streets because of the earlier disturbance, still lingering even after the phenomenon had vanished.

"The night snack stalls must be doing great business tonight," Su Lin said slowly.

"You disturbed the neighbors—it's still a workday tomorrow," Su Tuoni walked over near Su Lin, both gazing down at the street. "So why did you call me out? Or did you run into something you can't handle and need my help?"

"You don't need that—after all, this is my world, not really your concern," Su Lin pulled a plate of crayfish from the mist of history: "Try some? Made by Weigong Shilang."

"What a cold-blooded thing to say, after I've given you so much useful information," Su Tuoni sat on the rooftop, legs dangling, pinching a claw from a nearby dish: "Will eating this turn a living person into a Heroic Spirit? I remember there's a meme about that."

"Are you even alive?" Su Lin countered.

"Probably," Su Tuoni wasn't sure, slurped some seasoning off the claw, and said: "Tastes decent—still room for improvement."

"Here comes another flashy character," Su Lin suddenly said.

"Who?" Su Tuoni, too lazy to peel, just bit straight into the shell.

"Yuan Shi Tianzun."

"Cough! Cough! Cough!! Cough!!!"

"The one from 'The Supreme of All Worlds.'"

"Can't you just finish speaking in one go? Is He even real? Fuck, the entire Jinxi Bei is in chaos now," Su Tuoni took a few tissues from Su Lin, wiped his mouth, and said: "Why the hell did you summon that Fa Tian Xiang Di earlier?"

Su Lin glanced sideways, ignoring him completely.

"I'm actually confused—according to the spacetime node setup, the Other Shore is merely one possible future of the other party. Unless they've already become an Ancient One, they could hide within the future—but if they've already become an Ancient One, they should have no interest in these past disturbances. Why then did they deliberately leave traces before us?"

Su Lin didn't answer Su Tuoni's question, but spoke to himself: though his realm shouldn't allow him to speculate on such great beings—

"I ask you: if this world is a shadow, then what is the nature of the world that casts this shadow?"

"Don't tell me you know nothing."

"I thought you'd never ask this question—just keep cheating your way to the grand finale," Su Tuoni restored the nearby food back into the mist of history.

"Heh. Once a cultivator's life tier is elevated, there's no reason their thinking ability shouldn't rise too—I'm just lazy to think, not that I haven't thought about it," Su Lin sneered, then looked up at the dark, heavy sky: "So, you and I—whose world did we really come from?"

"Everything's mixed together—I can't tell you anything if you ask me," Su Tuoni propped his hands on the eaves, pupils slightly dilated, as if recalling his own eyes:

"You're a transmigrant, I'm a transmigrant—so where did the original guy who studied civil engineering and worked as a laborer in this world go?"

"You're a financial slave too?"

"Was there anything special about your old world? No, right? It was just like this one—I always assumed it was a Parallel World."

Su Lin said nothing. The two fell silent for a long while. The wind on the rooftop was strong, damp and chilly against their clothes—when such weather appeared in the sweltering heat, rain was likely coming.

The divine phenomenon had briefly scattered the dark clouds, but could never alter nature's laws—remove one patch of raincloud, and the wind would simply blow others in from elsewhere.

"I don't know if it was because of my recklessness and demise that the system also sent you over," Su Tuoni hesitated, then spoke: "If… if I'm saying if… you're the original Su Lin of this world, then I must say to you…"

"Sorry. I'm sorry to you."

"I didn't protect your parents on this world's timeline."

Trace back to the root, piece together all the fragmented information—and some obvious truths hide within.

The description of a supreme-level skill cannot be false—just like the Divine Light Glyph, Su Lin could edge the boundaries to raise quality, use chaotic energy as adhesive to patch things up, but he truly could not repair the Divine Glyph.

So, after everything was burned to ash, where did the extra Su Lin come from?

Why do both possess identical memories, and both believe they are transmigrants? That clearly has a problem.

The Emperor Gods wish to sacrifice this universe as a vessel to reach another dimension—a world that imparts identical information, gives rise to identical figures, identical legends.

The beings of this world are tickets, entry passes—meaning the other world must also contain identical existences.

If the Su Lin who studied finance came from that world, and was brought here by the system, then where did the original Su Lin who studied civil engineering go? Exchanged? Did he become a 30-year-old uncle going on blind dates?

The system must have its own goal requiring Su Lin—whether collecting points or karmic threads. What if the original main account blew itself up? Then only the backup account remains.

Sometimes Su Tuoni suspected whether the system feared this lone seed would be wasted and thus boosted Su Lin's probability—but after careful thought, it seemed implausible: if it truly feared the account being ruined, why didn't it adjust the probability back then?

But here's another problem: if Su Lin is a native of this world, why does he, like Su Tuoni, believe he is the transmigrant?

Su Lin didn't pick up Su Tuoni's thread, but continued: "Do you think this world's original has any value worth the scheming of these great beings?"

"Of course it does," Su Tuoni didn't hesitate, affirming immediately: "If those mythological legends are true, what value does the original mother plant—spreading information seeds—hold? Guess what exists in that world? And what do these beings crave most?"

Su Lin watched the street below, where the crowds had thinned, inhaled gently, and uttered two words: "The Dao."

Does the Dao have an end?

Every road has a start and an end—what then when you reach the end?

Either carve out a new path, or change direction and take another.

Even if the final outcome is the same, the scenery along the way is still a gain.

Those beings in the group probably didn't join the chat group because of this world—in truth, no one knows how the chat group came to be, or who created it.

The chat group is a brute—doesn't care who you are, how powerful, what rank—just drag you in and be done.

Su Lin frowned tightly. He wasn't worried those beings would act like the Emperor Gods—but if they learned the relevant information, they might not lack their own schemes.

After all, Su Lin only knew these beings at this current node—he was unfamiliar with those who roamed across different dimensions. Thus, he must at least clarify "value" and "need."

If one day he was truly cornered, he could still sell this world for a good price.

"The path of transcendence?"

Emperor Su Meng, the product of the Three Pure Ones of the True World practicing reduction to seek emptiness—he himself was harder to transcend than the Other Shore, and because of that slash against the Golden Mother, his future for transcendence across several eons became impossible?

Karma is hard to sever, debts weigh upon him—Emperor Su Meng's Dao path is full of unknowns, transcendence is hard to speak of!

"I doubt it," Emperor Su Meng chuckled, gazing beyond the heavens, calmly and elegantly saying: "Fuck karma. You all just watch whether I can transcend!"

The twenty-four ancient wells of Yu Xu Palace rose with strange lights, reflecting the dusty lanes of mortal life.

The chat group has linked together void latitudes that once never interfered—interesting.

Who says the product of reduction to seek emptiness can't be oneself?

He gazed upon the ancient era shrouded in haze, where countless beings floated and struggled, striving—even past enemies sought to claim as many timelines as possible.

Master, will you be there after transcendence?

"Strive to change what you cannot accept, what you despise—even if it involves the plans of the Other Shore, the myriad realms are vast, and all things hold a thread of hope."

At that moment, a mocking voice rang out.

"Even your first love has a chance? If not, how can you say there's a thread of hope?"

The Yuan Emperor's body stiffened; even he could not find a perfect answer to this lethal question.

"Wife, you're teasing me again."

Changing the subject is hope.

"Watch closely—this era, even the Golden Mother cannot transcend. Watch as I avenge you, and when you surpass her, turn her into the product of reduction-seeking-emptiness."

By the way, that man named Su Lin—I once saw him, glowing brilliantly like a super-bright lamp in the void. I thought he failed his Dao cultivation. What's his situation now?

He's in that group too, but he seems different.

Never mind—it's none of my concern. That's Meng Qi's matter.

He reached out, exchanged a smile with Gu Xiaosang, and they walked away hand in hand, behind them rolling crimson dust, ahead endless darkness.

Su Meng's eyes blazed with light; the world turned illusory. Above his head, the faint green tree shimmered, its starlines weaving into a new illusory fruit—tiny as a grain of rice, unreal, as if just sprouting after the stamen had withered.

All that remained was black and white. Outside the Jade Xu Palace, the twelve ancient wells also emitted strange radiance.

The Jade Xu gates slowly closed; the two figures, along with the Jade Xu Palace, detached from reality.

The world is beautiful; Jade Xu is dark.

Only when the era sinks does the Primordial appear.

If he could, Qu Yanping truly wanted to chop this cultivator called Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang into minced meat, turn his essence and cultivation into blood food, even spare not his soul.

A righteous cultivator, yet he abandons his fellow sect members like this.

But

Now he was trapped in Eden, merely a mortal with a stronger body.

"Drink!"

Qu Yanping roughly pressed the wooden bowl to Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang's lips, pinching his mouth to pour water in.

This was no torture—it was his care for the man.

Even though Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang had used him as a stepping stone at the moment of escape, Qu Yanping could only suppress past grudges, tend to him well, and wait for the next chance to flee.

Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang's entire body was shattered, and a verdant long spear was embedded in his chest.

He felt embarrassed—he'd thought he could escape this Mystical Realm, only to be speared by some unknown Golden-winged Great Peng.

This was the so-called random encounter? In the simulated universe, random events could bring misfortune—or fortune.

"At least I got one piece of equipment."

Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang glanced at the spear embedded in his chest—the Hupuyuan, sold for 9,999 spirit stones in the Ye Zhetian Trading House; even its projection was worth something.

Heh, free loot isn't bad.

"Young friend, don't worry—I'll take you with me next time we leave."

Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang spoke sincerely.

Qu Yanping wanted to kill him.

There was no choice—Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang's strength was indispensable to escape.

Every creature in this Eden is a monster! Even the lovely Miss Cissy is a monster! Aside from outsiders, all living things are flesh and dead matter!

Every December 24th, enter the only church within Eden, and you will see the world's true form.

Whether dragon, elf, human, or even a grass-eating rabbit—all transform into grotesque, deformed beings. Merely seeing their forms causes mutation.

The human agents who entered the church with him had become one of those monsters, kneeling before the cross under moonlight to repent, while the monsters outside the town prayed and wailed, shifting into human skins with bizarre forms.

Such distortion and madness—even a cultivator of evil sects like him would break out in goosebumps.

This place was no Eden at all—it was more like Hell from Western legends!

"Young friend, why so glum? I've been here for years—it's just another round next year."

After drinking the holy water, Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang clearly felt better. With all his strength, he yanked the spear free—with a wet splatter, blood sprayed, and the wound writhed as it healed.

Why has Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang survived so long in this simulated universe? Through heavenly artifacts? Resurrection spells? Or cultivation?

"Because I was too afraid of dying, I put all my talent points into healing." Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang's body was fully healed; he twirled the spear the kind NPC had given him.

His resurrection methods couldn't keep up with his reckless pace.

Though he didn't have to be reckless, such behavior sometimes felt addictive—he did it unconsciously.

This simulated universe is paradise—it lets him be his truest self. Perfect.

"Let's go—back to the village." Kuang Dao Kuangdao Sanlang gave Qu Yanping a new resurrection method as compensation: a pill to be taken in advance.

"At least, for the next year, we'll be safe."

Qu Yanping suppressed his emotions and followed him out of the church, arriving at the village named Eden.

There, he met John Jonas, who had turned into a pile of brass eyes last night—the man warmly greeted him, still carrying that small leather case.

"Mr. Qu, did you sleep well last night?"

"Fine."

"On Christmas Eve, you should come out and join everyone. By the way, another outsider arrived today—at the pub by the fountain."

"Hmm, thanks."

He passed by, his expression unchanged—except his suit was gone, replaced by Eden's simple, classical long robe.

"Mr. Qu?" A familiar voice rang out ahead of Qu Yanping, laced with confusion.

Qu Yanping turned toward the voice and saw a man with black hair and brown eyes, radiating scholarly air.

He adjusted the single eyeglass carved from crystal and said, "How unexpected—you're here too?"

"Mr. Klein?" Qu Yanping first froze, then smiled with delight.

But the next words from the other man plunged him into icy despair.

"This is my master, the Fool's earthly divine realm."

(End of chapter)