Chapter 1434: The clown's nose is on the clown!

The clown's nose is on the clown!

As the sisters swapped identities again, Zhen Yi, just as Zhen Xin had anticipated, did not refuse the 【Deception】 Divine Throne, and the will of 【Deception】 was finally able to continue.

But Cheng Shi was in no rush to hand over the 【Deception】 Divine Throne; whether holding onto a final shred of hope or for the sake of absolute stability, he wanted to wait a little longer.

However, once the new 【Deception】 was finalized, 【Time】 naturally had a successor. Long Jing, the Pointer Knight who had only stepped onto the path of 【Time】 halfway through the 【Deception】 era, took the pointer from Cheng Shi's hand and became the new 【Time】.

And the moment he reclaimed the authority of 【Time】, he looked at Cheng Shi's fingers in astonishment, saying in disbelief:

"That... that is..."

Cheng Shi paused, raised his hand, and looked at the ring on his finger.

Time of Eternal Imprisonment.

This was the only ring he still possessed, and it was a gift once bestowed by 【Time】.

"What's wrong with the ring?" Cheng Shi frowned.

Long Jing seemed to have realized something, as if struck by something shocking, his face full of emotion:

"We searched for it for so long, yet never imagined it had been hidden here by 【Time】.

I can see the twisted time on this ring, and I can see the meaning buried beneath that time. That looping ring of time—don't you think it looks like something?"

"?"

Looks like what?

Cheng Shi took off the ring in confusion and held it in mid-air. Changing the angle before him, he suddenly realized that the side-by-side rings looked exactly like a pair of... nostrils?

"!!!!"

The Nose of Discernment!?

The name flashed through the minds of every clown present almost simultaneously.

Was the Time of Eternal Imprisonment actually the Nose of Discernment?

Was this possible? One was a faith artifact bestowed by 【Time】, the other a secret puzzle piece concerning 【Deception】. No matter how you looked at it, these two things couldn't be connected.

But don't forget, 【Deception】 steals everything. Just as the Ear of Secret-Peering approached 【Silence】 and the Eye of Mockery approached 【Dementia】, as another backbone of the Fear Faction, it wasn't incomprehensible for the Nose of Discernment to approach 【Time】.

Moreover, 【Deception】 does not distinguish between truth and falsehood; only 【Existence】 cares most about truth and falsehood. They do not wish to turn falsehood into truth, nor do they wish to distort reality. Thinking this way, the Nose of Discernment really might be the Time of Eternal Imprisonment!

So the nose had been on him all along!?

No wonder it would piece together as soon as he entered the Laughing and Mocking Mask. It had shown him the answer long ago; the clown just hadn't realized it...

Cheng Shi was dazed for a moment, his expression tightening. He immediately shielded the universe, took out the Tongue of Lie-Eating, the Eye of Mockery, and the Ear of Secret-Peering, laid all the parts out before him, and asked Mouth Brother in his heart:

"Is it this, Mouth Brother?"

The Lips of Envoy Envoy Yu Xi had not made a sound for a long time; since 【Deception】 departed, it seemed to have fallen into silence as well.

Now that the "brothers" were all present, feeling the faint familiarity on the Time of Eternal Imprisonment, the Lips of Envoy Envoy Yu Xi said uncertainly:

"I can't say for sure. There is the power of 【Time】 masking it..."

Before the two could finish their exchange, Long Jing reached out, driving the surrounding power of 【Time】 to erase the seals on the Time of Eternal Imprisonment one by one. The moment the seals faded, a truly existing mask nose appeared before everyone.

The Nose of Discernment!

It was it!

At the same time, all the mask fragments except for the Lips of Envoy Envoy Yu Xi vibrated simultaneously. They resonated at the same frequency, drawing closer and closer. Seeing this, Cheng Shi knew he should throw Mouth Brother in as well to solve the greatest puzzle 【Deception】 had left for him.

Yet when it truly came to this moment, he hesitated.

The Predetermined had already lost too much. Now, was even Mouth Brother to leave?

"Mouth Brother..."

Cheng Shi's expression dimmed. Before he could say anything, his mouth moved on its own.

"Idiot, I'm just leaving your body to synthesize the mask, not dying. Can you hurry up? I also want to know what He left behind."

"..."

Sure enough, it was still it.

Cheng Shi knew this was a comfort in the style of the Lips of Envoy Envoy Yu Xi, but at this moment, he couldn't laugh at all.

Beyond the nervousness and anxiety of approaching a secret, there was also the confusion and fear of uncertainty about the future.

But Cheng Shi knew everyone was watching him, everyone was waiting for him. So, gritting his teeth and hardening his heart, he pulled directly at his own mouth.

He had used this move on Su Yi Da on the snowfield. At that time, the heavens and earth changed color, and the detached Mouth Brother became his trump card to intimidate the Trickster Master.

And now, with no Patron left to be angered by it, Cheng Shi pulled off the Lips of Envoy Envoy Yu Xi that had accompanied him through the entire game and fused it completely with the other fragments before him.

"Hum—"

"Bang!"

The resonating parts collided, exploding like a circus into blinding smoke and dust. After the smoke cleared, a pure white mask appeared before everyone. The mask no longer had the vitality of fragments; it floated quietly, like a key.

Long Wang understood upon seeing it and moved the 【Memory】 Collection Hall directly before everyone. Cheng Shi, with mixed feelings, took the "key" and gently combined it with the sealed collection item.

The next second, a touch of intertwined divine power, including that of 【Deception】, rose from Cheng Shi's fingers, turning into a viscous pulling force along his arm, dragging him straight into the collection item.

"Whoosh—"

Watching Cheng Shi disappear into the collection hall, the remaining few looked at each other, extremely curious.

"What do you think is hidden inside?"

"【Deception】's backup plan, the future of the universe, or perhaps the past of the gods?"

"Who knows? When the Fate Weaver comes out, it will naturally be clear."

"This wouldn't be a trap, would it?"

"The Patron destroying the hope of the world at the most promising juncture to express rebellion against 【Origin】?"

"Chairman Gong, you are already a god. Be more mature. Even Zhen Yi is more mature than you."

"???"

I've risked my life for the world, how am I not mature!?

Long Jing still wanted to retort, but Cheng Shi, who had just been pulled into the collection hall, walked out of it at this moment. His expression was solemn, and he didn't look like he had the joy of having gained something.

"Inside is...?"

Cheng Shi's eyes, filled with countless emotions, swept over the gods present, and he sighed in an indescribable tone:

"I saw the future, and I saw the past."

"We were all wrong. This is not a mask, but a covenant signed by several gods at the beginning of the era."

"Its appearance was earlier than the 【Convention】, so early that when 【Fate】 just fell, a calculation lasting an entire era had already begun."

"After seeing all this, I know I have no choice."

"Everyone, this path of the Predetermined—you will likely have to follow me to the end."

"Sorry, for some reasons, I cannot show you the secrets within, but please believe me, I am working hard to let this world have a future."

This secret, which could be called the greatest in the universe, was swallowed just like that. It seemed unacceptable to anyone.

Yet the clowns present had no objections. Long Wang even smiled and added:

"Should the collection item be taken off the shelves? If it can't be made known, it's better to keep it hidden."

Cheng Shi shook his head slightly, holding the mask in his hand, and said:

"The key is in my hands. I will inform you of what you should know at the appropriate time."

"Next, I need to finalize all the Divine Thrones as soon as possible, and then try to realize the vision of the Fear Faction."

"The era of 【Void】 is about to end. Everyone, get ready to welcome the 'future'."