Chapter 154

Xia Zhi had no intention of giving up just like that.

He would not be easily discouraged, so he continued to quietly keep watch.

Like a pure outside observer, he silently observed that world located in another dimension, searching for an opportunity to arrive and interfere.

As if driven by some intense instinct or premonition, he did not doubt in the slightest that he would certainly find an opportunity and achieve his goal.

Mainly because the newly lit ability was too useful, giving him unprecedentedly sufficient confidence.

After all, his main body had successfully simulated the Holy Lance's Conversion Circuit, lighting up an extra advanced skill for his own "Qi Refining Stage"; originally in his conception, Level 20 was considered Qi Refining Perfection —

Yet now, within the "Qi Refining Stage" phase, he had lit up Level 21.

Although it did not count as a major realm breakthrough, the improvement within the realm was still of great significance, especially the successful remodeling of the Extraordinary Meridians, which granted the pseudo-Mystery of the Lance at the End — Rhongomyniad; whether on the magecraft level or the physical level, it possessed astonishing properties.

The similar "Independent Manifestation" ability brought about by this also allowed him to make up for his greatest shortcoming.

Although it was only similar…

And could not be completely equated…

But in terms of nature there was no difference, and that was extremely terrifying. After all, abilities like "Independent Manifestation" are unique characteristics of Beasts, special skills, the Ultra superior version of Independent Action. Because their existence is determined, they possess not only Instant Death resistance but also resistance against time-manipulation attacks.

It signifies "one exists in any spacetime"; therefore, not only are attacks that cause time paradoxes via time travel ineffective against them, even various Instant Death attacks can be nullified.

Whether it is Human Incineration or Compilation of the Human Order, the possessor of this skill remains unaffected; as long as conditions are met, they can manifest and independently appear in the Mortal World.

—So basically, that's how it is.

Strictly speaking, the order in which Xia Zhi achieved this goal was different; he did not gain this skill and thereby determine his existence… rather, he first confirmed his own existence, then obtained this skill; one could say the order was reversed.

But regardless, in principle, he currently indeed possesses this Existence Karma.

It was precisely because of this that he had such confidence.

After all, those Beasts possessing "Independent Manifestation" — those existences called "Human Evil" or "Beasts" — can each repeatedly jump between different realities and worlds.

Judging from intelligence, not to mention Gaius, the monster who initiated Human Incineration, take the Creator Mother Goddess Tiamat for example; she could return from the Imaginary Number Space where she was exiled; and that strange High Servant could also freely travel between different Lostbelts.

Be it Lostbelts or Singularities —

They can basically all be regarded as another reality, another world.

And those fellows can repeatedly jump among them, transfer at will; as long as conditions are satisfied, they can manifest.

Although there is currently no evidence indicating this Existence Karma can cross universes, at least for parallel worlds under the same universe background, it seems to be a powerful force that works universally.

In Xia Zhi's view, the current situation also applies.

Even though the world on the opposite side seems not to have fully crossed over yet, only showing some signs of convergence, and unilaterally affecting this side's dimension, he firmly believes that since influence has already been produced, both sides must have already established a connection, giving rise to causality.

If it can be observed, it can be interfered with;

If it can be interfered with, it can be dominated.

This is a basic principle of Mystery; Xia Zhi believes he currently only needs a tiny opportunity.

He very patiently circled the planet's surface, unhurried, leisurely patrolling every continent, letting the scorching sun and the cool moonlight intertwine on his body, cycling back and forth who knows how many times, until the turbulent atmosphere and ocean currents slowly subsided, and the remnants of storms and tsunamis were no more.

On this day —

When the great sun in the far distance slowly set, sinking into the end of the sea horizon…

Dyeing the boundless sea a deep crimson like blood…

In satellite orbit, a figure maintaining high-speed cruising suddenly stopped; he abruptly looked down at that continent below, a strange light flashing in his pupils, as if he had perceived something.

The next moment, without any hesitation, propelled by gravitational acceleration, he erupted with astonishing maneuverability, like a blazing falling star, plummeting from satellite orbit, instantly tearing through the sky, like a brilliant star slashing across the horizon.

At extreme speed, he closed in on the continent below.

According to previous experience, as long as he approached to a certain degree, he would be stopped by an emerging repulsive force…

Preventing him from continuing to approach.

If he forced a breakthrough, he would simply pass straight through the mirage-like illusion and plunge into the Sea of Nothingness, rather than truly descending onto that seemingly insubstantial continent.

However…

This time was completely different…

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As if having lost all perception…

Like falling in a dark, lightless deep sea…

There was no concept of time, and he did not know how long had passed; from the main body's time flow, it was probably only a brief instant, yet Xia Zhi felt as if he had been frozen in a frozen river of time, experiencing a "time" of subjective perception that even he felt was long.

Then, without any warning.

He woke as if from a dream, regaining his senses and perception, and opened his eyes once more.

The light was very dim, only the air conditioner quietly blowing cool air, its operating sound also very quiet, the only white noise audible in the entire room.

Xia Zhi lay on the bed; even he, facing all this before his eyes, was momentarily somewhat blank.

But, as if a conditioned reflex formed from countless repetitions, he subconsciously reached out lightly, his slender finger precisely swiping across a smooth surface, dismissing the alarm page that had just lit up on the phone screen, not letting that piercing alarm bell sound.

"…"

"…"

The room remained quiet and still.

Only the sound of the air conditioner quietly running, the phone screen's light illuminating a small area of the bedroom within a certain range.

The youth just lay quietly on the bed, staring blankly at the dim ceiling in a daze.

He could not describe his feeling at this moment, as if he had had a long and vivid dream.

Now he had woken up.

Faint light seeped through the gap in the curtains, outlining the window's silhouette; he didn't even need to think, and the scene outside the window naturally emerged in his mind — surely it was midsummer, the blazing sun like fire, heat waves accompanied by incessant cicada cries.

The cement ground of the residential compound, under the scorching sun's exposure, emitted a searing summer heat.

"……"

"……"

Xia Zhi slowly closed his eyes, recalling scene after scene, then opened his eyes again.

He slowly sat up from the bed, sitting in the dim bedroom, then slowly raised his palm, gently clenching his fist.

Terrifying magical power circulated within his body, like the deep rumbling emitted by the massive energy flow beneath the Earth's Crust; this most intuitive Qi Body Source Flow, Power Follows Intent, told him with incomparable clarity that he had perhaps indeed just woken up, but everything before was absolutely not a dream.

Moreover, the connection with the Main Body still existed; this was an equally abnormally clear sensation.

He gently took a breath, reached for the phone he hadn't seen in a long time, lit up the screen again, which clearly displayed the date and time.

——2024, June 21.

——Xia Zhi, approaching noon.

The exact same date and time made him stare at it for a full two minutes, until the phone screen automatically locked and went black due to no operation.

The room fell into dimness again, but this had no influence or hindrance for him; he casually tossed the phone onto the bed beside him, then fell into contemplation. If it was still conjecture before, then now it could be confirmed: this world was the world of his origin.

And the moment he returned to this world, he was naturally reset back to this Cycle's Time Node.

What situation is this?

Was the Cycle not truly broken, so that as long as he returns he will enter this sequence again? Or is it the world's own correction phenomenon — because he disappeared on this day, his return would also go back to this day's node?

He couldn't determine which it was for the moment, stroking his chin and slowly pondering; and he still remembered that when he was falling downward, below was clearly the hospitable United States... hmm, right, if it's the United States, could it be that explosion accident?

Seeming to have thought of something, the youth frowned and picked up the phone again, proficiently searching.

Then, naturally, a piece of news he had seen many times refreshed.

It spoke of last night late at night, when a certain secret high-energy physics Research Institute on the United States side suffered a massive explosion, completely destroying the entire base, and causing the tragic result of no survivors...

Could it be this?

His expression became somewhat subtle, and also somewhat conflicted; isn't this really the appearance of some kind of Paradox?

After all, the original him had already seen this news many times, but the him at that time... wait, speaking of this, there seems to be one more thing!

Xia Zhi suddenly thought of something, blinked, and immediately stood up and walked toward the bedroom door, pulled it open and walked out.

Before long, his figure had already walked out of the residential complex familiar to the point of being unable to be more familiar, heading straight for the nearby Breakfast Street. Although subconsciously feeling it was somewhat unlikely, he still had a strong intuition that he must verify it.

Finding a shop on Breakfast Street to sit down, ignored as a matter of course by everyone, he just waited quietly, gazing at the end of the Street.

Simultaneously silently counting down in his heart, calculating the time...

Time passed minute by second, and just as the countdown neared its end, he suddenly faintly perceived something, raising an eyebrow.

The next moment——

At the point his vision captured, accompanied by a ray of light, a white-haired girl stepped out from within, vigilantly scanning the Surroundings, the Sword in her hand revealing her wariness.

"……"

"……"

Xia Zhi took in this entire scene from not far away, his expression completely without a sense of relief, but rather the color of doubt even heavier.

If I go over this time...

Will I transmigrate back to the first meeting with Vivian? Or transmigrate to a completely different Universe?

(Chapter End)