Chapter 1406: Cause and Effect Will Ultimately Close the Loop

Cause and effect will ultimately close the loop.

He appeared before Wei Mu!

This means his identity is inextricably linked to this top-ranked figure on the Broken Path to Divinity.

But the problem is their ages make a biological relationship impossible, so it must be... an experimental connection.

Then who would be the experiment subject?

The answer is obvious.

Watching Jie Shu's eyes flicker with despair and pain, the puppet nodded expressionlessly.

"It seems the experiment must proceed in a different way.

I've long wanted to send one of my substitute puppets beyond this world to witness the wonders of the true universe, but I never found a method.

Today, not only did I find the method, but I also gained a complete set of reusable spacetime experience.

To thank you for your 'sponsorship' and 'support' of this experiment, I name the subject 'Jie Shu,' as a tribute to your contribution.

What do you think, Jie Shu?"

"......"

At this moment, Jie Shu found his origin.

The puppet ignored the increasingly silent Sage and continued:

"So all things are destined by unseen forces—ah, this is perhaps the first time I've truly felt the mystery of 【Fate】.

Snatching you from Fool Play was a desperate act, but now you've given me a chance to ease the tension.

I suppose the Master of Deception is bound to you in this way, isn't he?

Good. If I send you both beyond this world, perhaps, given that Fool Play in the next world will benefit, the Fool Play of this world won't overly pursue my presumption.

Then, it's up to 'Jie Shu' to take this Master of Deception and embark on a new journey.

Relax—we'll meet again.

At the end of the next world's era, I'll be waiting for you in another laboratory."

"......"

Jie Shu was naturally left behind.

He was the experimental result sent by Wei Mu from another world; Wei Mu accepted him fully, grateful for the assistance, and promptly sent out the new 'Jie Shu.'

Of course, the Sage's companion was also the now-experiment-subject Master of Deception, Su Su Yi Da.

The next experimental cycle began: every Wei Mu would receive, at the moment the true universe experiment was initiated, the experimental result from another identical experiment, then send out a new sample.

No one knows when these 'stitches' that sewed together countless sliced universes began, but the one threading the needle knows: if possible, they will keep sewing forever.

On the other side.

The clowns had left.

Sometimes, not finding an answer is itself an answer.

When Seeing Zhen Xin said, "Only authority can block authority," the clowns found their answer.

Though utterly unexpected, it was strangely logical.

How else could one explain Wei Mu's wisdom and volume of thought, or his chasmic gap with peak players?

Yet Cheng Shi had never imagined that what he had been searching for had been hidden beside him all along.

【Foolishness】 lives up to its title as the wisest in the universe; sometimes, it is even more deceptive than 【Deception】.

The good news is that approaching the 【Foolishness】 authority truly granted him answers about the world's future.

The bad news is... does this count as spiritual contamination?

When calculating everything and telling himself this so-called 【Void】 answer, did Wei Mu know he himself was the 【Foolishness】 authority?

Cheng Shi fell into deep thought.

He felt that, whether aware or not, the other would surely seek him out; with the era's evolution having reached this point, all forward paths would converge—no one could escape the final curtain, so they would surely meet again before the future arrived or the world ended.

He could sense Wei Mu was not a conservative proximity-seeker and held no ill will toward this world, so perhaps the little puppet wouldn't turn into resistance?

And at this very moment, Cheng Shi remembered another person again.

Sun Miao!

If the clowns' guess was correct—that Wei Mu truly was the hidden 【Foolishness】 authority—then he, as the symbol of the old world's divine authority, could never approach the new 【Origin】 to become the new world's god; thus, the position of 【Foolishness】 was left vacant.

This meant someone in reality must be found—a close follower of the established 【Foolishness】—to inherit 【Foolishness】 entirely and become the new god.

But among those near Cheng Shi, who else had this 'qualification'?

After much thought, only Sun Miao seemed possible.

But it wasn't!

Because in terms of closeness to 【Foolishness】, one person was far more qualified than Sun Miao: Galusha!

At least in devotion to 【Foolishness】, she was impeccable.

But for Cheng Shi, a Sun Miao who fully believed in Fool Play was clearly more suitable than a fundamentally insane Galusha, so he leaned toward choosing Sun Miao.

Thus, it was time to return to the Hall of the Firebearers.

Since confronting 【Deception】, Cheng Shi had learned all truths; thus, the Flame of Hope could not be the emissary formed from 【Fate】's discarded change—it could only be 【Deception】's 'creation.'

Yet, recalling that after death it would become 【Fate】's vessel...

Cheng Shi couldn't help but speculate on the Flame of Hope's relationship with true 【Fate】.

Don't forget: when true 【Fate】 fell, it brought a thread of 【Origin】 power into this world—where that power was used remains unexplained by 【Deception】 to this day.

Could it be him...?

Cheng Shi didn't want to guess, didn't want to speculate—he wanted the Flame of Hope to tell him himself.

But his plan failed: when Cheng Shi contacted Qin Xin, he learned the Flame of Hope was gone, and with it vanished 'Vice President' Sun Miao.

"What do you mean, 'disappeared'?"

"Can't be found, can't be contacted, and even every trace has been erased. Apart from the fact that he and He still exist in my memory, they seem as if they never appeared at all."

"I didn't dare tell them the truth, only said that the Fire of Hope had a mission and needed to keep it confidential."

"But I feel... He doesn't seem to have left on his own because the Fire grew stronger — more like He deliberately drew a clear line between us."

"......"

Cheng Shi stood dumbly before Qin Xin, once again feeling that helpless sensation from long ago — being swept forward by an invisible force.

He could roughly guess that the disappearance of the Fire of Hope must be related to 【Deceit】's scheme, but why was Sun Miao involved?

Sun Miao's disappearance cost Cheng Shi the best candidate for the 【Folly】 divine seat. Fate, it seemed, after all its twists and turns, had once again brought him before Gallusha.

At this moment, he finally understood why he had been able to bring Gallusha — who did not belong to this era — out of a 【Truth】 trial.

So it turned out 【Deceit】 had long ago corrected the path for this present divergence.

So what is Gallusha doing now? Oh right, she's been going to Afluos's Dolgode a lot lately — seems she's become obsessed with the experiments there.

Cheng Shi fell silent. After a long while, he nodded and said:

"That's good. Everyone has their own path to walk.

All I can do is let the will to draw closer walk hand in hand together. But if He, he, or she wants to carve out their own path, of course I'm happy to see it.

If it works, we will become each other's backup.

Qin Xin, time waits for no one. Are you ready to inherit everything that 【War】 entails?

This time you won't be alone — there are still a few who will ascend to godhood alongside you."

The peak rankings vote count is in a fierce deadlock, with third place surging ahead — need everyone to push harder!

The plot has reached a point where adding extra chapters is a bit difficult, so I've been too embarrassed to openly ask everyone for votes, but if you're going to ask for votes you need the right attitude — I can only pre-book character side stories for now.

During the event period, using 360,000 votes as the baseline, every additional 20,000 votes unlocks one character side story (no fewer than 6,000 words). The timing of the extra chapters is uncertain, but I won't drag it out too long — I'll write them whenever I can squeeze in the time.

This section is used to collect characters for the side-story unlocks. I'll post it every day for 7 consecutive days. Before the update on the second day, the character with the most likes in the comments of this section enters the writing queue (each character limited to once). No scope restrictions — as long as the character has appeared in the text, even a native of the Land of Hope can get a story.

Next up is the part everyone loves to hear...

Cheng Shi reached out his hand: Dear readers, grant me a vote! I'm just one step away from becoming my own zhuangyuan!