Chapter 684: Prohibition of Gensokyoization Plan

Meng Qi: "After a god dies, its authority—as the world's rules and foundation—does not perish.

These authorities drift across the world's corners, and in different eras, by chance or fate, choose suitable hosts to fuse with or harbor the god's lingering consciousness.

If Tai Gongwang's words are true, then some demons and humans in Gensokyo may also possess such authorities."

Su Lin: "Truly worthy of Yuan Shi Tianzun."

Xiao Yan: "Truly worthy of Dao De Tianzun, who has connections everywhere."

Ye Fan: "Truly worthy of Ling Bao Tianzun, who has intelligence networks everywhere."

Shi Hao: "Meng Qi, your depth is immense, your disciples spread across all realms—truly astonishing."

Su Lin: "@Shi Hao, why did you change your ID?"

Shi Hao: "The bet deadline's here. Later, fight me again."

Su Lin: "Why should I risk ruining my 100% win rate against Huang Tian Di just to fight you again?"

Meng Qi: "."

If these people were sincerely praising him, he received not a single shred of positive emotional feedback from their words.

Are they trying to flatter him to his ruin?

Song Shuhang: "Senior Meng Qi, we've already learned some things."

Meng Qi: "When?"

Song Shuhang saw this message, looked up, and scanned the surroundings—everyone in the group was still on encrypted voice chat, providing an optimal learning environment for Teacher Huiyin's history lecture.

Song Shuhang: "Right now."

Kaguya, playing a game console, glanced up and replied: "Besides, I'm a local, and Yuyin Yonglin is among the oldest living beings here."

"You never mentioned this before?" Meng Qi asked.

Hōrai Mountain Kaguya: "It wasn't important."

Coming from Kaguya, a Hōrai resident who rarely cared about anything and focused only on her own interests, this remark felt perfectly normal.

Meng Qi: "Kaguya, ask whether the Three Pure Ones of this world belong to already-dead gods."

"Long before the Filth appeared, some gods vanished from this world; some speculate these gods created the Filth—the Three Pure Ones were among them. Wait, no—you are the Three Pure Ones. Welcome home, treacherous outsider," Kaguya replied.

"." Meng Qi: "@Su Lin, hurry up, move fast."

Su Lin: "?"

Miss Kelaien: "Translate: Tianzun wants you to reveal your identity as the Dragon King's Return."

Su Lin: "Laughable—you think I have local residency everywhere like you?"

Teacher Huiyin's explanation of "Filth" and Meng Qi's "authorities" together explain why Gensokyo's humans and demons possess extraordinary conceptual abilities in certain areas.

It's like after the Honghuang era ended, a group of beings directly inherited the authorities of dead Primordial Gods.

Most acquired only one or two, their overall strength unremarkable—not hexagonal warriors—but some reached peak mastery in one field, like that crow-tengu skilled at fleeing.

"You've all seen Gensokyo's setting in other worlds before, right?" Kaguya asked:

"The Moonfolk fled the Filth on the surface by moving to the Moon and establishing the Moon Capital, because their near-immortal lives were given the concept of 'lifespan.' In the Moon Capital, far from the Filth, they cannot achieve true immortality, but they live extremely long."

"In short, 'lifespan' is the Filth. Surface humans have short lives, so living among them exposes one to their Filth."

"I consumed the Elixir of Hōrai, so I now produce the same Filth as surface humans—though in small amounts, it was enough to get me exiled."

She recounted her past scheme, proud of her own cleverness.

For Kaguya, who naturally wields Eternal Magic, halting all history, rejecting all Filth and change, the surface world—so dreaded by Moonfolk—is far more fascinating.

"Immortals fare much better," Teacher Huiyin said, gesturing toward Tsukimi Haseshō:

"Immortals can create their own Immortal Realms, and they are close to humans, granting them the best resistance to Filth."

"My situation is special," Tsukimi Haseshō said, glancing at the still-sleeping Suika as she was suddenly mentioned.

"I became an immortal through demon cultivation."

Tsukawa didn't elaborate, but others knew: the original Tsukimi Dōji cultivated to become an immortal to draw closer to humans.

This talent alone could fuel a standalone female protagonist novel.

Teacher Yan Sen glanced curiously at her right arm, wrapped in bandages: "Want to join my sect as a student?"

Tsukimi Haseshō blinked: "Huh?"

She didn't understand why he suddenly brought up taking disciples, but from prior impressions, he was an immortal—especially powerful.

"I am Emperor Immortal. More precisely, above Emperor Immortal."

"What's that?"

"One's inner self contains multiverses, omnipresent across past and present, capable of destroying or creating countless great worlds with a single thought."

As Teacher Yan Sen spoke, he noticed her still dazed expression, and raised his fist to his mouth, clearing his throat twice:

"Sorry—seeing a wild talent like you is habitual. I came to Gensokyo mainly to accompany Su Daoist for rest and recovery. If you're interested, contact Miss Kaguya anytime."

Just understand the general situation.

To some beings, "lifespan" as Filth appears as a necessary product of the world's evolution.

You can't just go around punching lifespan with the Fist of Flame, can you?

For demons and gods unable to survive outside, Gensokyo is a sanctuary for long-lived beings; for the hardy, it's a retreat for retirement.

"Isn't it just a place to collect my share of the money?" Su Lin asked.

Half an hour later, everyone ended today's temple-school lesson together.

There wasn't much actual information about Filth—mostly, Teacher Huiyin, once in her stride, added a history of "Gensokyo's Five Hundred Years," claiming it was to "help everyone better integrate into Gensokyo."

It felt just like returning to the best-sleeping high school classroom.

"You're looking for the Gap Thief? First, find Orange—it's troublesome," Reimu scratched her head. "I have no idea what that weirdo Zǐ is thinking—maybe she's hibernating today."

"She definitely isn't hibernating today," Su Lin said, stepping past Reimu and glancing at the offering box at the shrine's entrance.

Sensing Su Lin's gaze, Hōrai Reimu's eyes widened gradually, and in an instant, she appeared beside the donation box, lifting it up and shaking it.

Empty.

Her pale arms showed faint muscle tension, revealing the girl's fierce effort to restrain herself, lest her strength shatter the wooden donation box.

"Wait here."

With a dark face, the Hōrai shrine maiden picked up the bloodstained Yin-Yang Jade. "I'll go find it."

Under Tai Gongwang's guidance, Meng Qi led the ox out from a hidden corner of Heaven, arriving in the realm of Scarlet Imagination Heaven, where heavenly beings were numerous.

"This humble Taoist has one matter still unclear," Meng Qi glanced at the elderly man beside and behind him, who clearly looked uneasy, and asked:

"Master Tai, do you know why the Register of Deification and the God-Smiting Whip appeared in the Xianglin Shop within the Land of Illusions?"

Even with perception sealed, one could see Tai Gongwang's expression darken considerably.

Meng Qi remained expressionless, waiting for the other's reply.

"When I first arrived here," Tai Gongwang paused, then lowered his hat and said:

"I was penniless, with no local currency, so I temporarily pawned them to obtain some emergency funds."

Between the peach groves, the green ox and Meng Qi suddenly stopped walking—especially the Blue-Horned Green Ox, whose mouth hung wide open, eyes as if saying, "Are you insane?"

"The owner of the Xianglin Shop never sells such treasures to others! I left them there purely as a custodian!"

Tai Gongwang quickly waved his hands, explaining: "It's just that, after growing old and being tainted by impurity, my memory has grown poor! In truth, I long ago raised enough money to redeem them by selling fish and transporting pine nuts!"

Is impurity used like this?

Meng Qi froze for a moment. Had he not listened to Teacher Huiyin's livestream about the immortals, he might have believed it!

I thought there was some hidden secret! But you pawned them for cash?!

Even that smug-eyed Tai Gongwang from the Type-Moon realm wasn't this casual—you took these two items and traded them for money? You probably traded your integrity along with them!

Tai Gongwang realized his excuse was weak and chuckled awkwardly: "Forgive me, Tianzun. I thought these two items were useless now, since the Register of Deification had ended anyway."

"The Register of Deification ended?" Meng Qi snapped back to awareness—he sensed something.

If the Mythic Age had ended and the gods had declined, there must still be other immortals and deities within Heaven.

Along this journey, most encountered were heavenly beings who resided here permanently; the architecture followed ancient Eastern aesthetics, yet resembled a residential settlement—singing, dancing, fishing, enjoying music, casting rods, and playing chess were the constant activities of these heavenly folk.

"That is correct," Tai Gongwang nodded:

"Originally, Hun Tian Di intended to use the Register of Deification to gather unclaimed authority from beyond the worlds, then bestow divine offices upon spirits, demons, and humans with superior virtue and soul compatibility."

"But things changed too fast—it became utterly useless."

"I've carried them with me ever since, as a keepsake."

Meng Qi gave a slight nod, but did not listen closely to Tai Gongwang's subsequent explanation.

The Register of Deification and the God-Smiting Whip are famed artifacts across other worlds.

He felt only an illusion—as if before his eyes appeared a scene from countless eons past: a grand plan, poised to unfold with heaven, earth, and all things as its board, had quietly ended before it even began.

"Truly, the world is ever-changing."

"Truly, the world is ever-changing."

Su Lin had expected to see the Hōrai shrine maiden tearing apart a gap demon—only this?

After returning from some unknown deal with Yuyin Yonglin, Reimu's mood shifted faster than flipping a page; she pointed to a rift forcibly torn open in space and said:

"There are too many of you. If you need space, send one representative." Reimu said:

"Himiko is out—Yun says she doesn't want to see you. Did you offend her?"

"I already apologized," Himiko shrugged. "She's probably plotting something again. It was the same during the Lunar War—I've grown used to it."

"Then you go," Reimu said to Su Lin.

"..." Su Lin retrieved the betting chips placed on Reimu's victory from Miss Kelaien, and nodded:

"It's only right—I'm the elder. It's better if I handle such negotiations."

As the sole Father-class participant in the Holy Grail War, and as Hui Liyi's former contract holder and mentor, Tianrang Jiehuo, Su Lin felt obligated to represent the two younger members of the group.

Perhaps this is paternal love.

Lu Mingfei wore a face as if he'd swallowed a fly but couldn't complain; Weigong Shilang couldn't refute it either—after all, that guy truly was their universe's broad-sense "Father."

"You can call me Uncle Zhou," Kleine snapped his fingers, dismissing the stone table's projection.

"This is the rejuvenation potion I asked Yuyin Yonglin to make," Himiko shoved a vial into Su Lin's hand and waved her hand. "Pour it down that old woman's throat—turn her into your favorite manga."

Inside was actually a spare "Five-Second Recovery Pill," named so because it only restored Su Lin for less than five seconds.

As Su Lin passed by, the squirrel perched on Song Shuhang's shoulder, licking its paws, suddenly leapt onto Su Lin's shoulder and settled there.

"It's fine—our future chief scientist of the Xiling Empire, Ms. Sandy, wants to come along and take a look," Su Lin poked the squirrel's head twice with his index finger:

"It's eaten so many good things—its spirit must be awakened by now."

"Repeat after me: Victory forever!"

The squirrel immediately stood at attention, raising its paw at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Good. Very spirited."

"Senior Su Lin, don't corrupt Sandy!"

Song Shuhang looked utterly despairing.

Unfortunately, Su Lin hadn't heard him—he had already vanished upon entering the gap.

The House of the Lost lies on Mount Youkai, which, strictly speaking, is not the Yūn Estate—it is only Orange's residence.

It cannot be found by ordinary means; located on the boundary between the Land of Illusions and the outside world, it is an extremely ancient house.

Inside, many artifacts from the outside world are stored: unidentifiable machines, unreadable books and magazines, and an old television.

"Guest, please come in," said Yūkai Ran, her expression indescribable.

At this moment, behind her, Su Lin was staring fixedly at her nine fluffy fox tails, completely unaware that Yūkai Ran had already led him to the door of a room.

"I can touch it."

"No, guest."

"I am actually Di Xin."

"Madam Daji is a white fox, this guest."

"Then can you please turn back?"

"Please maintain your dignity, guest."

With no other choice, Su Lin tore his gaze away from the fluffy tail.

"Can you give me some shed tail hairs later?"

"What do you want this for?"

"To make a fox-tail brush."

Reluctantly, Yagumo Ran nodded, pulled open the frosted glass wooden door, hoping the other would hurry inside.

As soon as he stepped in, a familiar sweet scent rushed over him.

A pink-haired ghost girl was wolfing down a constantly expanding nebula cake, along with several steaks and Neptune-class roasted meat.

No wonder the ingredients ran out—poor Weigong Shilang.

He hasn't collapsed from exhaustion, has he?

"No."

A lazy, alluring voice sounded.

Su Lin tilted his head, glancing toward the spot behind the stack of plates—the source of the voice.

"No way."

A golden-haired woman held a manga with a blurred cover, its illustration showing a golden-haired girl entwined in embrace with Su Lin; she lowered her voice, revealing her hidden violet eyes:

"No to lewd things and the Fantasy Garden Project."