Chapter 674: The Xiling Post-Generation

I originally thought that once the bridge project succeeded, we could rest easy, but who knew

who knew we'd barely left the starter village?

Inside the massive Jin Zita, hundreds of mainframes were synchronizing computations; each mainframe had ten levels, and each level held dozens of hot-swappable mainframe slots.

Inside the hive-like palace, a man with an ordinary face but solemn attire was conversing with a little girl one meter tall.

"Always maintain a learner's heart toward the Void—even toward Void beings."

"Alright, honey, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Our journey is the endless Void."

Don't misunderstand—the man's name is Chen Jun, and the little girl addressing him as "honey" is a Hive-style collaborative processing Xiling mainframe, a standard Xiling Fortress Thought Core named Pao Pao.

Chen Jun, male, age (?), is the leader of the Divine Nation.

"It's not the pressure—I just keep thinking that beyond our dimension's Void lie endless other dimensions' Voids, and the Abyss appears in all of them too; I feel like I won't be able to clock out for a very long time," Chen Jun sighed.

"Fortunately, our dimension is special—the Void and Abyss phenomena are unusually active, lying along the inevitable path where cosmic debris or proto-universe spacetimes fall into the Abyss, accumulating plenty of samples and data," Pao Pao said:

"But based on current collected information, it's not universally applicable."

Chen Jun nodded: "That's why we need to seize this opportunity to establish contact with more universes across other dimensions."

Their conversation gradually grew quieter as both turned their gaze toward a transparent, coffin-shaped device, where a gap opened and the figure of Yuyun Zi appeared.

"Sorry, she still won't agree," she said with a slightly apologetic smile.

"There's nothing we can do—you've worked hard."

Since the Empire shifted its research focus to other dimensions beyond macro-world observation, and interdimensional travel through the Void became easier, the gap spirit Yuyun Zi underwent certain special changes.

Her realm ability was enhanced, and she established connections with countless Yuyun Zi from the Fantasy Land, among whom one Yuyun Zi was extraordinarily powerful.

Precisely because of this case, a door opened to the next tier of World Interference Theory.

After prolonged research, scientists discovered that certain subordinate dimensions of the Empire originated from other dimensions—these were spacetimes that had already been destroyed or separated, lingering in the Void of their dimension before sinking into the Abyss, where they were later absorbed by the Empire.

The inhabitants of these dimensions remained completely unaware of external changes and continued living within them.

Currently, confirmed individuals such as 'Kido Sakura' are cooperating in experiments to locate their original universes beyond the dimension through creation data.

Regrettably, the only one successfully contacted so far is 'Yuyun Zi'.

"The dimension where Fantasy Land resides is currently chaotic; with our help, the situation would improve significantly," Chen Jun said.

Pao Pao frowned: "Refusing formal contact means she believes she can handle the current situation—but not kicking you out means she's treating us as a backup, ready to use us if she ever faces something she can't handle."

"You're being way too scheming."

According to the Third Law of Thermodynamics, entropy always increases; the direction of ever-increasing entropy corresponds to the arrow of time, forever forward and irreversible.

In fact, the negative entropy flow proving Maxwell's Demon's existence has already been found; the notion that time has more than one direction was long ago deduced from Newton's equations.

Fantasy Land—or rather, that world—is experiencing a natural cosmic barrier's decay, caught in an upheaval of negative entropy flow, causing matter, energy, space, and time to exist in chaos.

Meanwhile, the vacuum zones within the Void are gradually narrowing, making interdimensional travel even simpler.

This has caused the dimension codenamed 'Fantasy Land' to manifest all kinds of beings and objects from other worlds—some deliberate probes, some accidents.

"That's just how her personality is," the Shadow City Yuyun Zi smiled awkwardly.

In fact, she too had tried contacting other Yuyun Zi across spacetimes, but without exception, all trusted the most powerful 'Youkai Sage' more.

It's understandable—if she were in that position, she wouldn't trust a 'herself' endorsing an external force.

Especially when one's realm reaches the level of a Creator.

The Shadow City Yuyun Zi had a hunch: all the Yuyun Zi from different Fantasy Lands might be viewed as the same person, and she herself was excluded because she had interfaced with the Empire.

"Ah Jun, my new invention's ready!" Sandora's mental link rang in Chen Jun's mind.

Soon after, they saw the golden-haired Empress arrive at the Hive, bringing along the entire Fantasy Land group from Shadow City.

"What's this?"

Chen Jun watched his wife, who loved inventing, pull out a device that suddenly expanded like pulling a prop from a magic bag.

It looked somewhat like a camera.

"A camera designed for Void beings."

Really a camera?!

"By leveraging your Void being's traits, we've granted the camera universal adaptability—and we've modified it further using the causality of isomorphs."

She pulled over the Shadow City's security chief, Byakuren Lingmeng: "Simply put, have Yuyun Zi send this device over there to gather information without being detected."

"I'm still on duty—skipping work deducts pay."

"Triple your salary this month."

"I'm ready!"

The Shadow City's security chief had high awareness.

The girl prayed silently.

Seeing Huiye during the day, especially in the afternoon, is extremely rare—its probability is no higher than encountering a Pupitar or a rare Pokémon on the street.

"Did you go to Zhishan?"

"I went, but not fully."

"The Temple School?"

"I stayed overnight."

"The Boli Shrine?"

"I just got back."

The two exchanged questions and answers while Huiye Zhishan marked checkmarks (√) next to place names in a small notebook.

"What are you doing?" Su Lin asked.

"The first phase of the Paradise Plan still has the Red Moon Manor and the Lost Home left," Huiye said. "When are we going to bring in that old purple hag?"

Su Lin's lip twitched: "Did I ever carry out your plan?"

Should I loudly declare, "I'm taking the title of Harem King of Gensokyo"?

"But…" Kaguya suddenly grew melancholy, her eyes glistening, speaking with resentment: "Even that old lady Zi's notebook has more pages than mine."

"Then draw your own."

Would any normal person develop envy or revenge over something like this?

"Is that so…" Kaguya thought, then said: "Then when I draw it, you must keep it safe—don't let Yi Leina find out."

Su Lin: "?"

Before he could speak, Kaguya pulled out her phone and pressed play. A voice, identical to Su Lin's but dripping with carefree flair, rang out.

"When I was in school…"

"Ora!"

The Sky Manifestation appeared, punching out in sync with Su Lin's voiceover.

The phone fell to the ground, unharmed, imbued with Eternity.

Tap-tap

After a few more bumps, the phone continued playing:

"I've done too many wrong things to Kaguya's notebook—after all, you're my favorite self-insert character. No self-insert? Oh, then… my favorite three hundred heroes."

Have I even played that game?

Xiao Yan, who had just walked into the room holding a box, froze. Under the gaze of both, he asked: "What's a 'notebook'?"

"Literally." Su Lin changed the subject.

He changed his mind—abandoning the idea of sacrificing Su Tuoni's head to heaven for fortune, he now planned to one day find Yao Tian and present Su Tuoni's name with a Grade Nine Great Restoration Pill.

How many times had that bastard used my voice?

"Oh, try this first."

Xiao Yan didn't dwell on the previous topic; instead, he privately messaged Ye Fan, Meng Qi, and others, describing what he had just witnessed.

Su Lin picked up a pill with the hue of white jade and exclaimed: "Your efficiency is truly impressive."

"It might not work," Xiao Yan poured cold water: "Try it first. Wait—get Kaguya's help."

"Kaguya?" Su Lin glanced sideways in surprise.

Strictly speaking, this isn't a Jin Dan pill. According to Su Lin's explanation, his internal laws and information would passively reach ultimate transcendence when complete. After considering the current situation, Teacher Yan Sen proposed an idea.

Continuous filling.

Using the information and backups brought by Zhao Shuangdian, craft it into a pill. At the instant of fusing with the Dao of Heaven, let Kaguya apply Eternity with her ability.

But there's one problem: if successful, Su Lin's internal laws will regress to the version two iterations prior.

"Fine… let's try it."

This situation isn't worth complaining about.

"Shall I feed you?"

Kaguya asked, holding the pill—but then she saw Yuyin Yonglin walking from behind Xiao Yan, pressing her forehead as if she had a headache.

"It's fine. I already learned it from Miss Zhao Shuangdian."

"Yonglin, I'd very much like to know what you learned…" Kaguya's expression was puzzled.

She shoved the pill into Su Lin's hand.

Su Lin looked at Zhao Shuangdian, her hair pure white. She nodded at him.

"I'd also like to know what the two symbols of great wisdom just said."

He swallowed the pill imbued with Eternity, then linked his spirit force—not to absorb it, but to use it as a kind of power core to provide law integrity.

"How is it?" Xiao Yan asked quickly.

"Warm…" Su Lin hadn't finished speaking when a faint glow appeared on his body, not blinding, with a thin veil of black aura spreading at its edges: "It might work?!"

Whoosh—!

Countless gear-sized magical array patterns surfaced, beginning to rotate. Extreme energy compressed endlessly; the surrounding space began to warp.

The primordial creation law, engraved in the Eternal Core, the Light of the Primordial, achieved resonance and coverage.

"Blessed be the Profound and Yellow Tianzun, blessed be the Profound and Yellow Shangdi."

"I am One, and I am Ten Thousand. I am the Beginning, and I am the End."

Su Lin's Nascent Soul reappeared, draping him in a semi-transparent cloak and light effects.

He sensed the spiritual imprints and soul entities of his two old friends. They, unusually, made no move—as if too overjoyed by his restoration.

Finally, the Jin Dan recondensed. Though the radiant shadow immediately slammed into the Nascent Soul, Su Lin intercepted it.

The Light Law solidified into six radiant wings, crystallizing behind him.

"This is the path I came from."

Under the gaze of Yuyin Yonglin and the others, he slowly rose into the air, positioning himself at one diagonal corner opposite the Sky Manifestation, which resembled the deep blue void of the cosmos, both extending their fingers toward each other.

Xiao Yan couldn't help saying: "Can you not show off?"

"Same as before," Su Lin grinned, giving Xiao Yan and the stunned Yuyin Yonglin a thumbs-up: "Miraculous healing, Physician!"

"You'd better just shut up."

The moment the Sky Manifestation touched him, the Kabbalistic Tree of Life mark reappeared.

And at that instant,

Everyone felt as if instantly cast into the deepest darkness, eternally sinking.

Then, a ball of light slowly expanded, rising, illuminating, generating infinite possibilities through collision, exhausting all transformations.

A figure took shape upon the divine throne, then

Thud!

He sat down empty-handed and fell hard on his buttocks.

Countless dust-like particles reformed, linking together to reconstruct all things in the world.

They stared at Su Lin, sitting on the ground with a pained expression like cracks in shattered porcelain; the ceiling of Yongting Hall had vanished, leaving a vast hole.

Had only one second passed? Or two?

"Failed?" Hiyari pinched Su Lin's mouth open to look inside, then released him: "The pill infused with Eternal Power is gone."

"Physician, I think I can still be saved."

Su Lin retracted the Celestial Manifestation into his body, rolled his eyes back, and fainted again.

【Prototype charging complete. Mathematical core stability remains within safe threshold.】

【Disengage first through third safety valves. Void form entering adaptation phase. Adjust causality, presence, material form, establish logic.】

【Adjustment complete. Confirmed no gaps or traces remain in surroundings.】

A Hearing Song Shu appeared beneath the snow-covered grass outside the Hakkeshu Shrine, poking its head out to survey the surroundings, reflecting the silver-clad world in its eyes.

As if startled, it scrambled swiftly up the tree with its tiny paws and vanished into a hollow.

But

Its winter food stores were nearly gone.

With no choice, it ventured out again; after searching in vain, it set its sights on the Hakkeshu Shrine.

Recording in progress.

"Does it really need to be this complicated?"

"If you're going to act, act fully. This is a natural Hearing Song Shu—even with its own history—so it must do exactly what a Hearing Song Shu would do!"

On the projected screen, the Hearing Song Shu scoured the area for 'food,' actually synchronizing to build a map data model and collect relevant information.

"It's just like the shrine in my old Fantasia—what's so interesting about it?"

"It's the fortress hub of the Hakurei Great Barrier—of course we need to examine it closely. How come you in this Fantasia weren't holed up in your room at this time?"

The Hearing Song Shu passed through the torii gate, leaping continuously along the treetops, then jumped into the open window of the house to search.

"Maybe it went to deal with the anomaly?"

The City Patrol Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng lay reclined in a chair, sipping tea; instruments were strapped to her body, yet she paid no attention to the recording.

After all, someone else was controlling it.

"What deities do you worship at your shrine?"

"Deities? Of course the shrine has deities—but I never knew which one, so I never got much incense. Once I tried enshrining the big oak tree at the gate and ended up messing up the Great Barrier."

"But the you in this Fantasia seems to be worshipping a deity."

At this, City Patrol Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng lifted her head in surprise.

On the recording screen, a red-and-white shrine maiden with a similar face carried a bag, her body dusted with Bai Xue, as if she had just returned to the shrine.

She placed three sticks of incense and half an orange—cut in two—on the back of the offering box, near the interior of the room.

Worship?

"Go take a look."

After the shrine maiden left, the Hearing Song Shu spotted its target, scurried toward the orange, paused to scan the surroundings, then clutched the food and lifted its head.

A cross.

Three statues.

A hanging painting.

A seal.

All placed together.