Chapter 688: The Cicadas Cry in the Cold, It

HP-1

Failed to penetrate the enemy's armor.

"Hmm," Su Lin glanced at his lower leg where the attack had struck, tilted his chin, and smiled with an enigmatic expression: "How rare. Are you jealous?"

"Don't get too cocky," Yi Leina muttered, pressing down her soft-tipped witch hat and sighing. "Just thinking about having to fork out money for the gift while also preparing one for you is such a waste."

"If you're willing to pay per person."

Su Lin pondered carefully, then said: "I wouldn't mind gaining both wealth and beauty and becoming the King of Paradise of the Fantasy Realm."

"Are you a piece of trash?"

As always, utterly unconcerned about stepping into minefields, he carelessly spouted jokes meant only to please himself.

"It'd be more like you giving me money," Yi Leina cautiously glanced at her money pouch, then waved her hand. "Besides me, who else here would possibly be swayed by you?"

"Of course it's me."

Thud—Yi Leina was suddenly "attacked," her straight back bending downward.

"Hikari?"

She turned in surprise and saw Hikari had silently leapt onto her back, arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

"But none of that matters anymore," Hikari pressed against Yi Leina's cheek, extended a finger, and pointed at Meng Qi and Fujiwara Mei Hong.

"Since you're so obsessed with white hair and red eyes, you can just live with that basketball-loving, suspenders-wearing turkey over there. I'll pair up with Yi Leina-chan."

"You, over there, turkey!"

Fujiwara Mei Hong froze mid-conversation as Weigong Shilang asked her where to buy food in the Human Village.

"Don't come near me anymore. I'm afraid Yi Leina will misunderstand."

"Are you brain-dead?"

A flame rose in Fujiwara Mei Hong's hand; she glanced at Huiyin beside her, then suppressed her anger and extinguished it.

Su Lin also froze for a moment.

Don't misunderstand—he wasn't pondering who had "fucked" him or whom he had "fucked," nor was he watching the prank squad led by Lu Mingfei and Meng Qi preparing a pyre and scythes, inviting him, the "real-life king," to join.

He opened his system interface, which displayed the changes in Mr. Points: 【+1 +3 +6 +1145】

It was nearly approaching the Mr. intensity of a medium-scale war on a planet, and wars didn't even last this long.

【Eastern Emperor: Overseer of Covenants and the Zodiac Constellations, suspected of controlling celestial bodies. Calm demeanor.】

The file on screen was still being created, but most people's attention was elsewhere.

"Protecting the public's right to know is a journalist's duty," she said. "But can you spare my life?"

"Editor, how can you do this?! Exposing the dark side of the world—I grew up with Sister Bingtisi! Please, for her sake, don't hurt me!"

Besides the incorrigible tengu girl, a Dark God Clan member from the Star Domain also had a gun pressed to his head.

Underestimated this guy.

Over the years, the reporter organization beneath "Wenwen News" had expanded far beyond Shadow City, spreading across the Macroverse's media networks and gathering all sorts of like-minded misfits.

They say the paparazzi are the third most combat-capable force after the Urban Management and Imperial Army—this doesn't seem baseless.

They'd already set up a backup plan and simultaneously released a couple of rumors.

"Just some photos with captions and character relationships," Tawer said. "No secrets involved."

Execution is out—though Chen Jun had wanted to do this for a long time.

"If you must execute me, let me file this final news report first—this love triangle will definitely become tomorrow's viral headline," the tengu girl raised her hand.

Execution isn't enough—even five minutes of execution wouldn't be enough!

The saying "Nature is hard to change, even if the mountains and rivers change" had never described someone so perfectly.

"Honey, that's Yi Leina—her real-life figurine has already been ruined! I just saw Xiao Yuan! We really can't wait any longer!" Old otaku PaoPao was worried about the characters from the neighboring Fantasy Realm.

Chen Jun had also watched plenty of anime over the years—he recognized them.

It's now confirmed: the deities enshrined in the Hakkai Shrine are them.

Although the Macroverse's various realms and civilizations have myths involving the Three Pure Ones and Hun Tian Di, they're either artistic embellishments, religious inventions, or offshoots of powerful beings.

So far, their actual power level is incomparable.

But

"Isn't the anime concentration of that group a bit too high?" asked the Emperor, once a fake otaku.

If the Jade Emperor and the Three Pure Ones are like this, then who's Azathoth? Don't tell me Azathoth is also a shut-in?

"Chen Jun, I have an idea," Shandora established a mental link and glanced at "Shemingyuan Wen."

"Every Fantasy Realm's Shemingyuan Wen holds vast amounts of private information and intelligence. Since they're all using the Empire's name, and Bayun Zi is already suspicious about whether they're truly ours—"

Chen Jun's eyes lit up, pointing at the Shadow City version of Shemingyuan Wen: "You!"

Click

The executioner had just chambered the Numeral Rune; the tengu girl trembled all over.

Chen Jun quickly ordered the guards to lower their weapons.

"Go be a war correspondent over there!"

"Winter has come. The cicadas cry. It's that season again—the White Album season."

Kleen spoke in a flat, documentary-narrator tone:

He was guiding the underage group in the chat to craft spell cards, while gazing toward Su Lin's direction. "Lady Star, won't you join in?"

"Ah," Star, holding a bamboo slip, seemed startled from deep thought. "Did you just call me?"

"It's nothing, Star-bao."

Kleen saw Su Lin and the others approaching, and returned the "Cosmic Civilization Burning Formula" card to Lu Lu Mu Yuan.

"She hasn't eaten yet. Generate some historical projections," Su Lin said.

You say this guy is dismissive, yet he remembers Yi Leina hasn't eaten; you say he's observant, yet he plans to treat her to a historical projection.

"Remember, fooling around can become real," Su Lin added.

"You really—" Ke Ke Ke Laien pulled out a nebula cake: "I'm crying."

Probably due to the lingering Yin Witch Elixir and Yang Hunter Elixir from last time when he battled Yuanshi Tianzun for control of the body, Su Lin always felt this guy's Yin-Yang sarcasm had reached a new level.

"Bring a few more—your historical projection has no limit on uses."

"You're worrying too much. I can't eat that much."

Yi Leina propped her chin up, weakly saying: "You're not being overly attentive out of guilt, are you, Mr. Su?"

"I just worried that the several of you sharing one portion wouldn't be enough."

"."

Hearing this, Yi Leina released her hand from her chin, looking at Su Lin with faint surprise.

"You're—"

As if against her will, her lips curled into an unnatural smile, entirely opposite to her dazed expression.

"How did you know?"

"Hard to say. Normally, if I were to become Lord of the Paradise, you'd only support me collecting more shares, then split half the money and leave when it went to court."

Su Lin thought for a moment: "I suspect a particularly greedy Yi Leina slipped in."

Yi Leina nodded blankly: "That's impressive…"

"That tone… is depressive," Su Lin's expression grew increasingly odd: "You didn't all merge together, did you?"

"Not quite. Excluding me, there are only seven now."

Yi Leina's gaze began scanning the table; Ke Ke Ke Laien, seeing this, pulled out silver cutlery and signaled to Huai Shi behind him.

"Xiao Yuan, shall big brother take you to hear the cello?" Huai Shi coughed and offered what he thought was a sunny smile.

"Big Brother Huai Shi, you're smiling so weirdly…" Lu Mu Yuan instinctively stepped back half a pace.

Feng Xiaoxiao, still munching popcorn, looked up warily: "I'm calling the police."

"Lady Nuwa," Yang Jian rushed over at Meng Qi's prompting: "Last time, when we collected the Heavenly Court's outstanding payment from Taishang Laojun, Meng Ge said he paid it."

"Oh oh, coming right away."

Feng Xiaoxiao's eyes sparkled.

Just like any bartender, Ke Ke Ke Laien calmly manifested a bar counter and smiled at the guests.

"Madam, a non-alcoholic mojito." He gently pushed forward a triangular glass garnished with a mint leaf:

"Sir, what would you like to drink?"

"Humanity. Your humanity has been too abundant lately—extra can be used to mix drinks. I'll treat Tianzun to one."

Su Lin interlaced his fingers, propping his head up, watching Ke Ke Ke Laien tidy his tools and leave the bar.

"Those idiots," Yi Leina covered her forehead and said:

"To replicate my magic, they used modified spirit-summoning rituals to establish homologous links. Since their souls were originally identical, during spellcasting and combat, they directly synchronized their soul frequencies."

"They don't even have basic knowledge and still play like this."

"As this dictator, I at least have to shoulder half the blame—shut up, you beautiful bunch of Yi Lenas."

She slammed her fist on the wooden table, downed the non-alcoholic drink in one gulp, then, as if giving up entirely, ate her meal with no regard for decorum.

"You haven't eaten all these days, have you?"

"Magic power depletion is too severe—we need replenishment."

Yi Leina wolfed down her food: "You can even tell that? You haven't been lusting after other Yi Lenas, have you? If you want to support me, at least show this much sincerity money."

You're planning to pocket the sincerity money and run off, right? With such an obvious trait, not recognizing it would be impossible.

Su Lin wasn't worried about Yi Leina's original self—after all, the chat group resided within her soul; even Su Tuoni couldn't possess him back then, so maintaining independence should still be fine.

"Why didn't you send a message?"

"I wanted to see if you could tell. These guys together still can't fully suppress me—not even close. Don't take her words seriously, cough—cough."

Yi Leina pointed the spoon at Su Lin, about to say something, but choked from eating too fast, coughing repeatedly.

Su Lin exchanged for a bottle of Soul Spring from the system and handed it to her.

He asked, half-amused: "So why did you start fighting?"

Puff!

Su Lin's face twitched; even though the Celestial Form blocked the spray, the sensation of being sprayed directly still synced through.

This stuff is expensive—you wasteful woman.

All the few thousand points I just earned are gone.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Su Lin retracted the Celestial Form.

It was a gaze filled with too many emotions—no pie chart could quantify it. Su Lin admitted his psychology knowledge hit a slight snag here.

"Forget it," Yi Leina sighed, murmuring as if to herself: "Destroy it all. Hehe…"

"Did a dark Yi Leina slip in too?"

"Stop listing them off like you're counting your own treasures."

Facing Su Lin's question, the "Gray Witches" before him synchronously attempted to cast reverse-time magic—but such attempts had already been tried before they arrived.

"Only try reversing the Second Law—see if we can develop a magic to peel off parallel dimensions."

"Need help?"

Su Lin said seriously: "I feel your state is a bit strange."

"If only your intuition in this area were this accurate," Yi Leina thought for a moment: "I can fix it."

【I already told you—you don't understand this guy at all】

【You had to come over here? Now are you relieved?】

Closing her eyes, a couple of shy, comforting emotions surged from her body.

What's so good about this man?

Yi Leina clenched her teeth, reopened her eyes, and said: "I'm going back first."

"Mm," Su Lin nodded: "Don't push yourself too hard."

After all, Yi Leina's library still rested in his hometown, and the clone preserved by the Dao could awaken at any moment to intervene.

He opened his arms and asked: "Want a hug before you go?"

"?"

Before Yi Leina could speak, her body moved on its own.

"Bye-bye~~~"

The witch who flung herself into his arms bid farewell in a mischievous, sunny tone.

"You're a fool, Yi Leina."

"Huh? I'm not a fool… Let go. Let go!"

Her tone changed again—now no one knew which version she was.

"Seven times the joy? No, counting the original, is it eight?" Su Lin gently patted her back: "Enough. This isn't the Yi Leina I know."

"You can still tell us apart?"

Yi Leina sighed: "You're not actually putting thought into this, are you?"

Her resistance and struggle eased slightly, but traces of agitation and tenseness remained.

"I've always been serious about you."

A warm, resonant voice sounded beside her ear.

"!"

Yi Leina suddenly thrust both hands against him, pushing him away—her cheeks, even her entire face, flushed crimson.

"How do you like these lines from the girls' novel genre?"

"Idiot!"

She cursed, muttering something, and prism-like dimensional spaces appeared; the witches, their soft magic hats pressed down, broke into a run and leapt inside their brooms.

"She didn't use a Cross-World Rune—she appeared suddenly last time too."

Miss Kelaien's original body stepped out from the rift in history, gazing at the direction Yi Leina had left, and said: "Has dimensional magic reached this level?"

"." Su Lin stared at Miss Kelaien in silence.

"By the way, this situation feels just like a movie plot device."

"Shut up."

Inside the prism-like space.

Different dimensions spun like a kaleidoscope, endlessly assembling into varied, enchanting shapes—this was the illusory multiverse from the manga "Legendary Witch."

A gift from above all things.

Returning via an anchor and a soul projection cast into the Fantasy Realm.

"I just took the money to do a job—why did I get dragged into this!?" The greedy Yi Leina cried out, on the verge of tears.

The original Yi Leina, along with several other Yi Leinas, were all here—none of them had gone anywhere.

Each bore a mark on their forehead, glowing brighter and brighter; the Yi Leinas not physically present were being peeled away from their respective spaces and drawn here.

"Shut up!" Yi Leina raised her wand, glaring at the other flushed figures, and shouted:

"Why are you all blushing?! Reverse-use the Second Law, all of you!"