Chapter 290

"You know how to use a phone, so once you're here with big bro, don't overthink it—eat well, drink well, sleep well. If you need it, I can even get you an appointment with Doctor Audrey, and if that fails, there's Professor Adam—100% guaranteed treatment results, though he might charge a little extra, like having you do some... things..."

Su Lin glanced at the phone, which looked like evidence from a crime scene, and immediately decided to give it to Li Huowang.

Although he wanted to save it, wash it, and return it to Emperor Yufeng, since the owner was right here, Su Lin abandoned the idea—otherwise, Yufeng's expression would probably start crying again...

"No! I'm perfectly normal, I don't need a doctor!" Li Huowang stiffened and hastily protested.

Then he looked at the modern film studio set amid the emerald mountains, and the rows of seats two hundred meters ahead—the exact scene he'd seen in his livestreams.

'It's all real, not an illusion!'

The handsome young man with white hair holding a baby had the bearing of a transcendent immortal; his Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings had always been utterly calm, nearly devoid of any fluctuation.

He had met many people, but only this one had the most stable Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings.

"Where are the others in the group?" Li Huowang pulled his hand back, curiously scanning around, but saw only cultivators flying away on swords, levitating, or using teleportation techniques—he felt a surge of relief; these people and their arts looked perfectly normal.

"They're filming in the Cosmic Theater below—since the story's nearing its end, everyone except me has had little time these past few days to appear alongside the protagonist," Su Lin said passionately. "And no one has returned to their own world either."

"It's been a long time since I saw you..." Su Lin's divine avatar of his position looked up at the character portrayed by Emiya Shirou, pinned beneath a cross by a crimson spiral God-Slaying Spear, and said: "Dimensional Demon Man."

"Because he's planning something safe," said the Fallen God, portrayed by Su Lin, conjuring a crude table of pastries and a fragrant morning tea out of thin air.

Before them were the nearby early editing crew...

When I was young, my parents from the modern world took me to see a movie—the tickets were cheap back then. After my condition improved slightly, I watched one with Yang Na too; she had initially refused, since it was paid for with Kleine's long-saved breakfast money.

"Take your time going back—just come again once you're done."

At this moment, Su Lin was not portraying Gu Yue Fang Yuan; instead, he appeared in this Western-style library, in his own Dark God avatar, utterly out of place with its surroundings.

As the director shouted "Cut!", lightning and thunder erupted in the sky, and fierce winds raged.

Amon wiped the single lens carved from crystal, placed it beneath his left eye socket, and continued without pause: "Belief alone—that idealism—cannot sever a fated ending."

There was a way: Kleine's condition had already reached the point requiring hospitalization, and Yang Na ultimately went with Kleine to watch a two-hour movie.

Penglai Ruins. Jade Void Palace. Countless floating camera lenses watched from above.

This was the one and only memory he and Li Huowang shared, so no matter what, he had to finish filming this movie perfectly.

Heart Essence is priceless, but brother, you just met me and you're already baring your soul—is that really necessary...?

"Is that so?!" Kleine was stunned, but upon quick reflection, it didn't seem strange at all—the differences between worlds are often minimal, just like how the cultivators here are completely unlike those there.

Yi Leina glanced at the snow-white longsword, then pulled from beside her a scabbard adorned with the pattern of the Sala Twin Trees: "Good luck—you picked up his scabbard from a cultivator named Bai Yun."

Raindrops fell one by one onto the face of Li Huowang's portrayed Sword Cultivator; his left hand had vanished, his body covered in wounds, a completely snow-white sword planted beside him.

The instant before, his face transformed into Bai Yun's, his body cracked with fissures, beginning to disintegrate at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Li Huowang's portrayed 【Sword Cultivator】 is in position.

The Sword Cultivator's eyes snapped wide open; the sword beside him instantly pierced through a person's body.

Merlin Hermes stepped in and said: "But do you still remember what you once said?"

"God loves all beings, God loves the world, God despises order," the Fallen God's face merged with another woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to him: "The Sovereign must defend the Eight Realms' order, protect all beings."

"The idea of equivalent exchange isn't wrong, but constantly accepting others' help isn't right either—Kleine is just too polite..."

"Do you have any evidence? Without omniscience, you can't just say whatever you want," said Ningshiyong, portraying the Dimensional Demon Man, with a teasing tone.

That day, the Simulated Universe's cultivator forum added a new item: the Heavenly Artifact known as "Confused Siming's Remains."

"If you help me pull out that spear so I can return, I'll tell you everything—deal?"

"Let me be clear—I'm not pretending to be a pragmatist, but this kind of artifact art is still too advanced for me. I'm a orthodox cultivator—my entire being is abnormal..."

"Thanks to the former Supreme God, I'm now stuck in this neither-dead-nor-alive state—what an unfeeling woman, to have you, such a beautiful man, dismembered and scattered across different dimensions."

Unlike the bewildered Li Huowang, Illya, lying in his arms, could not hide the joy on her lips—but she achieved a healthy state by letting her magic run wild.

The scene lasted roughly ten seconds, until the Sword Cultivator's eyelids finally began to close—when, from the air beside him, several figures materialized from nothingness.

The Dimensional Demon Man's voice grew unusually gentle: "You're nothing but the fused residue of two beings—merged into this monster that isn't even anyone! What's the point of everything you're doing?!"

In the old world, dozens of cultivators in the underground were battling with all manner of divine arts—except for the forbidden gaze of pregnancy, everything was fair game: the Seven Circles of Transformation, Manifesting Heaven and Earth, the Universe in the Sleeve, the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, Monkey Steals the Peach, White Tiger Grabs the Heart, Tornadoes destroying parking lots—if he knew it, he could use it.

"In a broad sense, Azathoth has already died—in this moment of inversion, while asleep," Yi Leina smiled and said: "Now you are... hey, are you even listening?"

This was one of the filming locations of the Old World Movie City; only those who had registered could enter this temporarily designated area.

And upon the First Director's suggestion, he projected a magical artifact as a souvenir for every extra, ensuring they achieved 100% authentic exhaustion from depleted magical energy.

"That movie was pretty good," Kleine said sincerely. "The special effects were amazing."

Under Su Lin's guidance, the two walked toward the nearby Water Mirror Peak guesthouse.

"Why did you reject that proposal again?"

A bizarre scene unfolded beside the Sword Cultivator; his eyelids twitched, then he exclaimed in surprise: "Blind... Foolish... Azathoth... he's... still alive..."

And from the air, another woman emerged, wearing a top hat and a white tuxedo; she sighed, and alongside everyone else, spoke in unison: "Good—you found a low-grade puppet. What a pity."

"Thunder Division is ready!"

The moment Kleine finished speaking, he noticed Su Lin's Ten Emotions and Four Sufferings flickered slightly—then stabilized again.

Soon after, Su Lin gave the other person eight items (elixirs, talismans, magical artifacts)—he didn't know if they'd be useful, but at least he could take them back and test them.

"You're... this is just filming, right? Why aren't you on vacation... why did you come here to film...?"

Normally, distributing projected souvenirs came after the main filming, but to achieve a perfect effect and ensure this body's exhaustion, Li Huowang delayed this step.

"So this is a movie," Kleine realized suddenly, thinking the ticket prices here must be very expensive.

"Can we sell it, right?" Ning smiled and nodded.

"That's right," Su Lin nodded.

Yi Leina's Puppet Troupe is in position.

Slightly deeper inside, all cultivators had come here as explorers of the surface world, required to immerse themselves in this simulated universe and endure countless trials until they broke through.

As he walked, his fingers brushed across the spines of countless books on the shelves; as he advanced, the previously illuminated areas turned into patches of darkness, and within that darkness, only the eight wings before him scattered glowing fragments.

Shhh—

"No part of the Heart Essence can be used for artifact forging; its utility is great, but psychologically, you just can't overcome it."

Those are merely background props.

"Who deleted the folder where you stored the materials?"

At that moment, beneath the library's dome, the layered, overlapping non-dimensional spaces stitched together like a kaleidoscope shattered and scattered, shards of broken glass piercing toward the Fallen Emperor preparing to leave.

Kleine blinked, saying: "Isn't this a TV drama?"

"It's your turn," a voice reminded from the void.

"Eat these fruits as you walk—don't say anything to the crowd outside."

"Now, you are called..."

Su Lin exhaled, murmuring to himself:

"What does he have to do with this?" the Dimensional Demon sneered. "He's merely a byproduct we created to suppress the Reverse Position and prevent our return! Will he learn from Yang Jian and abandon himself?"

"Yes, it has nothing to do with you, which is why you hate such chains." The Fallen Emperor nodded, turned away, and as he departed, darkness reemerged: "But as long as you exist one day, this world will never be just a wall built by Yang Jian."

Simultaneously, a set of Eastern-style purple imperial robes appeared on the Fallen Emperor's body; he glanced back, and in that gaze, all the dimensional fragments vanished.

Gelmansparr said: "In the fate you have seen, he cannot escape that destiny."

Though he harbored doubts about the film there—like how audiences would handle bathroom breaks, or why so many screenings weren't treated as a TV series—since the other party called it a film, there must be his reason.

After uttering those words, Li Huowang's portrayal of the Sword Cultivator finally completed his task, closed his eyes, and fell into unconsciousness.

"This is from Episode Seventeen of the TV drama."

He tightly clutched the Holy Boy in his arms; the other's lips were pale, curled up within the Sword Cultivator's embrace, seemingly startled by the chill of the spiritual rain.

Amon, portraying 【Ningzhiyong】, took position.

"Look... isn't there a movie here? He won't listen to you—let him play more interstellar games. After finishing the movie, just focus on your cultivation."

As Ningzhi turned to leave, he suddenly noticed a stack of... placed atop a nearby stone pedestal.

Kleine returned first, because Su Lin casually asked what he was doing, then suddenly realized the guy was cultivating right in Niuxin Village, with no encounter with evil spirits yet.

"Huh...?"

"The Fool."

"Dragon cultivators can now spit water!"

"Even if he acquired some relics from the future, it's still inconceivable that he has so little strength now," Yi Leina adjusted the monocle beneath her left eye, her smile unchanged as she slowly drew her long sword from within her body:

The revived powerful ones within the Divine Tomb now transformed into one after another villainous NPCs, directly launching real attacks against the cultivators.

"Absolutely possible," Kleine assumed.

"Cut!" came a voice from the void: "Perfect!"

"What the hell?! Kleine didn't take his skin!"

The Sword Cultivator portrayed by Ningzhiyong, after meticulous makeup and costume design by the crew, quickly transformed into a "battle-damaged" version: tattered, ragged robes, a left arm severed by dimensional magic, embodying nothing but suffering.

Dada Liya, portraying 【The Holy Boy】, took position.

Most importantly, Su Lin truly needed Kleine's posterior molars as bullets; the man's current assistance was far from negligible, and even if his combat power increased, it brought no positive boost to Su Lin's own image.

"Big sister, your expression is too excited—restrain it." A voice from the void prompted: "Ah? Yes, just like that—perfect."

"Oh..." Li Huowang responded blankly before collapsing backward into the muddy, blood-slicked soil. Above, a tractor flew past, dropping several corpses of cultivators around him.

"What folder?"

Ningzhiyong, portraying 【Amon】, took position.

"Heh." The Fallen Emperor did not immediately reply, instead leisurely sampling the dimensional tea treats. After clearing them all, he prepared to rise and leave.

At Su Lin's urging, Kleine gratefully packed his small and large bags and returned, though he felt reluctant to leave the world he hadn't yet explored—still, Niuxin Village was more important now.

After briefly explaining, Kleine immediately took back the offline-saved book. Su Lin specifically warned him not to read too far ahead, or it would be unsafe.

"...", Su Lin looked at Kleine and said: "You probably don't know—in your world, all of this is just movies. The difference between worlds is precisely this."

"When you defected from the Upper Sword Sect and sided with the Reverse Position, you certainly looked capable enough to stand alone."

"Action!"

"I've healed your wounds. In the next two days, go back and prepare properly for the evil spirits." Su Lin's lip twitched as he declined Kleine's offer to give him Heart Essence components.

Everyone spoke in unison:

"Cut!" came a voice from the void: "Perfect! Hey, don't kill all the cultivators over there—other areas need extras!"

"What a rare guest," Weigongshi, portraying the Dimensional Demon, smiled as he opened his eyes. "What brings you here, Mr. Fallen Emperor?"