Chapter 398

"Gather the sparks to stop the Re-creation." Seemingly sensing Ai Yue's thoughts, the man in black continued, "Restart the cycle of reincarnation, and await... the true savior."

This statement seemed to reflect a strong inner conviction, making it sound much more fluent than the other answers.

After saying this, the other person stared intently at Ai Yue, as if expecting some kind of answer.

The true savior... I see.

Although Ai Yue wasn't exactly a genius, the information he had was enough for him to conclude that the Bai E before him, or rather the Heie, was someone who knew the secrets behind Onfaros through some channel.

On the surface, the Re-creation of the Golden Kin is to save the world from the Black Tide and reshape a perfect and peaceful new Onfaros. In reality, it is a petri dish to use the nutrients obtained from historical calculations to supply the Great Extinguisher conceived by the mastermind behind the scenes. Once the Re-creation is completed, it will accelerate the incubation process of the Great Extinguisher.

However, as a digital life born in this virtual world, no matter how powerful Heie is, he cannot escape the constraints of the Emperor's Scepter and cannot become a true life. He can only act according to the internal rules, which means that he has no way to truly stop the birth of the Great Extinguisher. At most, he can only delay the process.

Heie's method was to collect the fire before the Golden Kin, thereby preventing the Journey of Chasing Fire's Re-creation.

Or perhaps, this very act is his Journey of Chasing Fire.

By analyzing the spark displayed by the other party, Ai Yue also understood what was going on with the abnormal data in the other party's body—without exception, all of that data was sparks.

At this moment, the Heie's body has accumulated all the embers from more than 30 million death cycles.

This enormous amount of data is undoubtedly an unbearable burden for a digital life, or even an incomplete one. From Ai Yue's perspective, it is unimaginable how this burden would be reflected on Heie, but it is not difficult to see from his fragmented language that the other party's sanity is clearly being tormented.

Looking at the Heie before him, Ai Yue was momentarily speechless.

More than 30 million cycles of reincarnation would be torture even for a machine, let alone Heie, who is not code that operates entirely according to fixed logic, but a digital life that has developed self-awareness. Even Ai Yue has experienced.

All he could do was pat Heie on the shoulder and use the power contained in his clone to optimize the other party's data, thereby reducing the burden on the other party.

Although he couldn't see the expression behind the Heie mask, Ai Yue could clearly sense that he seemed to be feeling a little better.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Taking this opportunity, Ai Yue continued to ask, "As you can see, I, along with those two extraterrestrial visitors, are here to help you solve the Onfaros problem."

"Gather the sparks, restart the cycle of reincarnation." Heie's words were noticeably more fluent than before. "Then, in the next... cycle...%&..."

But before he could finish speaking, his figure began to flicker, like a television screen with a poor signal, as if it might disappear at any moment.

No, not just seemingly.

Ai Yue realized something and reached out to press down on the other person, trying to stabilize his condition, but he was a step too late.

Just as his hand was about to touch Heie, the figure in front of him suddenly changed into another form.

Someone changed the coordinates of Heie's location and teleported him away.

"It wasn't easy to find you, esteemed guest."

Before him stood a sentient being with a circular hole in its chest, who appeared to be a machine. Its tone was indifferent yet polite, and it even bowed to Ai Yue upon its arrival. "My name is Laigushi. May I ask who you are?"

"Laigushi?" Ai Yue looked at the person in front of him, a puzzled expression on his face. "Shouldn't it be Zandal?"

The way this person suddenly appeared is enough to prove that he has an extraordinary ability to control the world of Onfaros. In Onfaros, there is only one person with this ability, and that is the mastermind who created this world and used it to incubate the Great Extinguisher.

But who is Laigushi? Could it be that we guessed wrong before?

Ai Yue was still wondering, but the next second, the other party admitted to the name.

"It seems you've come prepared." Perhaps realizing he couldn't deceive Ai Yue, Laigushi didn't try to hide anything and said bluntly, "However, I can no longer use that name, so please address me as Laigushi."

"As long as there's no mistake." Ai Yue nodded. "You can call me Ai Yue —so you're the one who did all this?"

"If you mean using the prototype to incubate the Great Extinguisher," Laigushi nodded. "Then, yes."

"So straightforward?" Ai Yue was taken aback by the other party's candid attitude. "I thought you would at least try to hide something."

"To you, all of this is transparent, isn't it?" Laigushi shook his head. "Even if I use excuses to cover it up, would you believe me?"

That's definitely not possible.

"So what's hatching here really is the Iron Tomb?" Ai Yue gave a subtle smile, then continued, "But if the Iron Tomb wasn't truly born, then what about all those devastating events outside that were stirred up in its name?"

"It is indeed the Iron Tomb, but in reality, Iron Tomb state is rather vague, and it cannot be simply described as not yet being created." When talking about his area of expertise, Laigushi became noticeably more talkative. "In fact, the Iron Tomb is just an equation; even though it is not yet complete, it is still full of destructive power for other technological creations."

"But it obviously can't spread itself, right?" Ai Yue's tone had become even colder than Laigushi's. "So, the answer is obvious."

"Yes, I did conduct some experiments to verify and refine the Iron Tomb." Laigushi seemed oblivious to this, continuing his explanation, "And the results of those experiments all proved its destructive power over inorganic matter, but for my goal, all of this is still..."

"Alright, that's enough for now." Ai Yue shook his head, stopping the other person from continuing. "I completely understand."

"Your Excellency is so intelligent that you have already understood my intentions?" Laigushi seemed surprised by Ai Yue's response, and a hint of joy appeared in his tone. "Then you must also understand my predicament, right?"

"Dilemma? No, that's not what I understand," Ai Yue said coldly. "I only understand that you are a more vicious fellow than Iron Tomb, nothing more."

"Therefore, I will destroy all of your bullshit grievances, along with that so-called Iron Tomb."

Chapter 104 The Power of Light, Kid

There is no doubt that Laigushi had his reasons.

After all, without a strong desire, who would willingly confine themselves to a remote, isolated place, repeating the same experiment over and over again, just to incubate a Great Extinguisher?

Laigushi may indeed have grand ideals; he may want to use the power of the Great Extinguisher to solve problems beyond human capability—but what does all of this have to do with the worlds destroyed by the Iron Tomb's equations?

Even if a person possesses lofty ideals that transcend the entire universe, it is absolutely not a reason to use the lives of innocent people as firewood!

Therefore, when Laigushi admitted that his experiments had led to the destruction of many innocent worlds, his grievances and aspirations were no longer of any value to Ai Yue.

On the contrary, the flames of evil were burning fiercely within him.

"It seems the negotiations have broken down." Faced with Ai Yue's resolute declaration, Laigushi paused for a moment before continuing, "Although I had anticipated this, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly... May I ask why? Could it be because of those civilizations destroyed by the Iron Tomb Equation?"

"It's pointless to ask a question you already know the answer to." Ai Yue looked at him coldly. "Or are you going to try to justify your crimes by saying that those worlds themselves deserved to die?"

"Of course not, this kind of thing is really meaningless, and it would only make you more disgusted, wouldn't it?" Laigushi shook his head slightly. "The reason I asked this question was just to confirm your situation."

"As a powerful and extraordinary being, it is indeed quite rare for you to retain such strong emotions."

"That only shows that your worldview is flawed." Ai Yue dismissed the veiled sarcasm in Laigushi's words. "Trading humanity for evolution, or anything else, is wrong no matter what. Of course, considering that ordinary people do have limits, it's not your fault."

Ai Yue clearly remembered the sacrifices humanity made to defeat the Honkai, and therefore understood that many things were not subject to human will. Without him, without the incredible system within him, even if the United Earth Government could truly unite everyone, it would still be difficult to overcome the Finality and reach that beautiful ending.

Thinking of this, his tone softened slightly, and the anger that had risen within him because of Laigushi's actions subsided somewhat. "Stop your experiments now, and perhaps there is still a chance to atone for your sins."

"There won't be any more," Laigushi replied calmly, though tinged with sadness, "Because I am now atoning for my sins."

Laigushi's answer did not surprise Ai Yue, as he had already guessed it.

It's important to know that Zandal was a rather ancient figure. As the genius scholar who created Boshizun (the prototype of Bodhidharma), he was active even before Boshizun was born. As a standard Homo sapiens, it's impossible for him to have lived to this day through normal means.

The appearance of the Laigushi is the best example - clearly, in order to survive, Zandal transformed himself into an omnic in some way, or transcribed his consciousness into a digital life form.

The goal that would make him survive in this way to achieve it must not be a simple one; one can guess a lot from the word "atonement" alone.

However, Ai Yue no longer had time to dwell on this, because he could sense that the world had suddenly begun to reject him.

"We've finally locked onto you, Mr. Ai Yue." Laigushi's tone remained calm, but Ai Yue could sense a hint of relief in it. "Your way of being now... is truly unique."

"If you don't understand, just say you don't understand. Why are you making it sound like it's my fault?" Ai Yue knew from the beginning that Laigushi's intervention was just a delaying tactic, but he didn't expose him. "However, since you can now interfere with my existence, it means you've managed to do something. Impressive, truly a genius."

Ai Yue's current body is constructed from the Power of Light, which means that this ancient imperial scepter has not recorded any relevant information, so it cannot interfere with him at all. Unless Laigushi, the administrator, collects and organizes the relevant data, he will be able to use the scepter's resources to interfere with his existence.

Since the other party was able to achieve this level, it meant that in such a short time, he had already gained a preliminary understanding of the Power of Light. Even Ai Yue couldn't help but show some admiration for this scientific research ability.

As expected of the number one spot in the Genius Club, he really has some skills.

"Since the birth of the Boshizun, there have been no geniuses in this world, including myself." Laigushi shook his head slightly. "I was able to achieve this level only because you revealed a flaw—you shouldn't have stopped Nicadori."

If it weren't for that inexplicably delayed siege, Laigushi might not have even noticed Ai Yue's existence. After all, the mere appearance of Dan Heng and Xing would have been enough to attract his attention; who would care about a siege that couldn't cause any casualties?

It could be said that Ai Yue's own overreaching actions backfired, thus exposing his own existence.

"So, the unusual reaction I felt when Tibao and the others encountered the Heie was also something you intentionally created?" Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, but unfortunately, such a subtle movement couldn't be detected by the glowing humanoid silhouette. "You really know how to use the right method to lure me in."

"Having willingly exposed my existence to protect a group of data that can be rewritten countless times, I naturally wouldn't turn a blind eye to a girl about to be harmed. I'm sorry for taking advantage of your conscience." Laigushi bowed slightly, seemingly genuinely apologetic. "However, I also have things I must accomplish, so I must ask you to leave."

The power of this clone was ultimately too weak, and Ai Yue wasn't present either. Otherwise, what would a mere Emperor's Scepter be? Even if both Emperor Rupert were resurrected simultaneously, with the full power of the Scepter Network, they wouldn't be able to restrain him for even a second.

"Delaying time is enough. I have a feeling that the Destroyer is the key to breaking this deadlock." Laigushi's tone remained calm and indifferent, ignoring Ai Yue's threat. "Time flows very quickly inside Onfaros. Before you return, I will be able to complete the incubation of the Iron Tomb."

"That's a very reasonable guess, but I have a question." Ai Yue smiled, a smile that the other person couldn't see either. "Do you know that interference is mutual?"

The fact that the Emperor's Scepter can interfere with Ai Yue's existence means that Ai Yue can also do the opposite and Power of Light to interfere with the operation of the Emperor's Scepter.

"Under normal circumstances, that would be true, but this is the prototype of the Emperor's Scepter." Laigushi shook his head. "You may not be familiar with its performance, but from my perspective, this is simply impossible."

The Power of Light is indeed miraculous. Even though Laigushi extracted some samples from Tian and used the redundant computing power of the Emperor's Scepter to analyze them, he could only preliminarily confirm its existence and could not figure out its specific properties and attributes.

However, one thing is certain: for both sides to interfere with each other, they must be roughly equal in quality. But Ai Yue currently possesses far too little energy to possibly interfere with the Emperor's Scepter.

It's like an elephant colliding with another elephant; it will certainly feel the recoil. But if an elephant tramples a cat, will it be overturned by the cat?

But soon, Laigushi could no longer remain calm, because he suddenly discovered that the world had also begun to flicker—and the frequency was gradually synchronizing with Ai Yue.

How is that possible?

"This is the Power of Light, buddy." Ai Yue finally stopped hiding his emotions. "Do you like this feeling that defies common sense?"

"What have you done?" Laigushi demanded loudly. "No, common sense still applies. You simply can't withstand such intense exertion!"

"I don't need to hold on. What's wrong with giving you a point?" Ai Yue shook his head slightly. "As for what I did—you were right before, the flow of time inside Onfaros is your greatest advantage."

"So I synchronized it with reality, it's that simple."

After leaving those words, Ai Yue's figure completely vanished from Laigushi's sight, like a stranger who cursed and then blocked the other party, leaving Laigushi with no target even if he wanted to retaliate.

Meanwhile, Xing and Dan Heng, who were searching for Heie's whereabouts near the Abyss of Destiny, simultaneously heard Ai Yue's voice. "Hey, can you hear me?"

"Brother Yue (Mr. Ai Yue)?" Xing and Dan Heng exchanged a glance, realizing that they could actually hear each other's thoughts. "What's going on?"

"A temporary mental chat room. By the way, this is just a message board, and I can't answer your questions," Ai Yue's voice continued to echo in their minds. "So calm down and listen to me—I have to leave for a while. The mastermind is Laigushi, and you should see him later."

"And who is that?" Xing couldn't help but ask, even though she knew Ai Yue couldn't answer. "Sounds like a very symmetrical guy."

"He's the mastermind behind the incubation of the Great Extinguisher. Just pretend you don't know him," Ai Yue continued. "However, considering he won't target the two of you for now, don't worry too much if you can't pretend."

"Secondly, help the Golden Kin collect the fire seed and advance the Re-creation, but Heie —that man in black, or the black-robed swordsman—will definitely stop you," Ai Yue paused, then continued, "But don't worry, he won't harm either of you. As for why, you'll understand when the Re-creation."

"I will return with reinforcements as soon as possible. Until then, protect yourselves. The last of my strength is for you. From now on, you will not be subject to the internal rules of Onfaros. Go ahead and do your best."

After saying his last words, Ai Yue's voice disappeared, and the spiritual connection between the two vanished as well.

"Brother Yue said so much..." Xing scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Why does it feel like there's so little information?"

"Perhaps they're afraid of leaking information from us," Dan Heng frowned. "However, knowing the identity of the mastermind is already very valuable. Let's analyze the intelligence later."

"Then I'll leave it to you. I don't understand." Xing decisively rejected this mental task. "Collecting fire seeds is more suitable for me."

"Don't try to shirk your responsibility," Dan Heng naturally wouldn't let this guy off the hook. "I'll also help with collecting the fire seeds, so you'll have to contribute here as well."

"So what's next?" Xing shrugged. "Go straight for Laigushi?"

"Of course not. Our focus is still on reclaiming the Flame of Time from that black-robed swordsman." Dan Heng shook his head slightly. "You heard it too. Collecting the Flame and advancing the Re-creation is our most important task right now. Speaking of the name Heie... what are you looking at?"

Noticing that Xing's gaze wasn't on him, Dan Heng followed her line of sight and saw the black-robed swordsman suddenly appear not far from them.

However, unlike their previous aggressive demeanor, the other party showed no murderous intent whatsoever, and didn't even brandish their weapon. Instead, they gave off a... peaceful feeling.

Is it some kind of disguise? Or is it for some other reason?

"Yo!" Unlike Dan Heng, who was trying to think, Xing greeted him directly, "I heard your name is Heie? That's a weird name, just like Bai E."

Ai Yue's message didn't contain much information, but Xing Cong confirmed one thing: the man in black in front of him didn't seem to be a real enemy.

So no matter what, she has to try to communicate with them first.

Then she saw Heie walk towards her, reaching into his robes as he went, as if he were taking something out.

Dan Heng cautiously Strike Cloud sword, ready to strike in case the opponent suddenly attacked, but Xing made no move. She could tell that the opponent's movement wouldn't actually allow him to pull out that strangely shaped longsword, so he definitely wasn't preparing for a fight.

As for what he was pulling out, it couldn't possibly be a spark, could it? -- Wait, it really is a spark?

Even when Heie walked very close to the two of them and handed them a spark of fire, Xing and Dan Heng were still a little dazed. They looked at each other, unable to believe that this scene was real.

But it was indeed true—the spark of the Titan of Time was right before their eyes.

"For us?" Xing scratched his head, then tentatively took it. Seeing that Heie didn't stop him, he looked puzzled. "Why?"

Heie didn't speak, but took a few steps back, then suddenly drew his weapon!

"What do you mean?!" Xing hurriedly pulled out his baseball bat, casually stuffing the Time Flame into his pocket. "You're giving me the thing and then accusing me of stealing it? You're framing me!"

Considering that Heie wasn't exactly a saint either, Star didn't accuse him of entrapment.

"Something's not right." Dan Heng's senses were more acute, so he noticed what Xing hadn't seen. "Bai E and the others are here!"

As Dan Heng finished speaking, Ai Yue also heard footsteps behind him.