Traces of [Destiny]

The four continued forward in the direction indicated by the Prophet, during which Cheng Shi repeatedly sensed traces of the power of [Destiny].

These traces were so obvious that even Hu Wei and Squinty Old Zhang, who were not Believer in [Destiny], could detect them. This meant that [Destiny] had indeed been here and had unleashed Divine Power here, which seemed to match what Hu Wei said about "intercepting the flow".

Therefore, Cheng Shi fell into deep thought.

Could it be that the blockage on the way home is truly the work of Destiny?

But why did He do that?

Cheng Shi knew that [Destiny] was most likely unaware of the existence of the True Universe, and that God of Merriment had concealed all of this very well. Therefore, the most reasonable speculation was that when he disappeared amidst Giggle and Mock, [Destiny], sensing that the Predestination fate was no more, came here to search for his whereabouts and demand an explanation from God of Merriment, which then led to a great battle.

That makes sense...

But Cheng Shi always felt that something was missing; the whole thing might not be as simple as he thought.

The four walked for a while longer when Hu Wei, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped. His face crumpled, and he said with some surprise:

"Such a strong [Chaos] power."

"?"

Zhang Jizu also stopped. He calmed himself and sensed his surroundings. He only felt a faint [Chaos] power emanating from him, far from being strong enough. So he looked at Hu Wei with a puzzled expression.

Hu Wei didn't give himself away, explaining, "I once intended to merge with [Chaos], and I possess some of [Chaos]' s gifts, making me quite sensitive to it. It seems [Chaos] has been here. Strange, what was it doing here?"

As Believer [Chaos] and someone who knew Hu Wei's true Faith, Cheng Shi naturally sensed it as well. However, his thoughts differed from Hu Wei's. He knew that [Chaos] was the God of Merriment, and the most likely scenario for the God of Merriment's "Avatar" to appear here together was that the God of Merriment was facing [Destiny] two against one, amidst Giggle and Mock.

Of course, it could also be three against one, but at this moment he hasn't sensed the aura of [Truth] within this place.

The four became increasingly excited, feeling they were about to discover the secret hidden in their Giggle and Mock. Unfortunately, for almost half a day afterward, they found nothing.

This river of [Existence], buried deep in Nothingness, has left no trace and shows no Change. Bizarre and distorted forms are everywhere, and everything is as usual.

Hu Wei was still unwilling to give up. In order to verify whether the Change appeared on the Scrying Mirror, he smashed several Scrying Mirror in a row and went to different towns in the Isle of Hope through them. He did not encounter any accidents or find any problems during the trip.

This left the Grand Marshal, who was eager to uncover the secret amidst the Giggle and Mock, somewhat disheartened.

Fortunately, his yearning for the [Deception] Faith and his passion for Fool's Game overcame his "disappointment," and Cheng Shi asking Cheng Shi a lot of questions about Fool's Game along the way.

He was very curious about how Fool's Game had taken a liking to Cheng Shi.

Cheng Shi had nothing to say about this.

I can't exactly say I was looking in a mirror, can I?

Helpless, Cheng Shi could only resort to the same excuse he used on the Clowns, telling Hu Wei he was merely fortunate to be summoned by the Fool's Game, and that this [Deception] envoy Emissary mysterious that no one could fathom his intentions.

However, in order to leave something for his good older brother to remember him by, and also to have a reason to summon him later, he made up a story, saying that Fool's Game love the devout, and if he could pass this Trials, he might attract His attention.

He intended to persuade Hu Wei to return to the Trials to find new clues, and Hu Wei, of course, believed him; after all, what envoy Emissary n't be devout?

However, the Squinty Little Bone and the vanished Blind Man declined to comment.

Having gained nothing more, and not wanting to waste any more time, the group quickly located their position, returned in a straight line, smashed the Scrying Mirror, and went back to Kanliwal.

But what they didn't realize was that they had chosen the wrong path from the very beginning.

Far in the opposite direction of their exploration, amidst a distorted and indistinct scene of Giggle and Mock, an Indifference voice suddenly rang out.

"[Deception], do you really think that by taking away my 'Change' and adding these dubious [Existence], you can trap me?"

"Of course, otherwise why would you stay here and not leave?"

"Is it because you've taken a liking to this place that you don't want to leave?"

A pair of star- Starry Eyes, slowly flashing and spiraling, opened in this area, looking at the seemingly nonexistent, Giggle and Mock, and said with a smile, "I never knew that 'being stubborn' was also one of your Divine Authority."

"You!!!"

[Destiny] was furious.

Indeed, what is unseen beneath An Mingyu's Giggle and Mock is precisely [Destiny] itself.

His current disheveled state indicates that a civil war has truly broken out within [Nothingness], and it is more massive than any previous one.

The outcome of the civil war is imminent, [Destiny] is bound to it, and [Deception] is smug.

Whether this civil war truly interrupted the Giggle and Mock as Hu Wei claimed is unknown; perhaps only those involved can say for sure.

Unfortunately, one of them will never have the chance to speak again, and the other will never mention it to the outside world.

The shackled [Destiny] spoke with an increasingly cold tone, looking at its own Twin Gods, and said, word by word:

Your scheme will not succeed.

I am [Destiny], the essence of [Nothingness], seeing through all truth. Even if you are deeply mired in it, I can still drag the Cosmos into misfortune. When that time comes, you will know that all your actions were nothing but illusions!

Hehe~

I'm so scared.

The Deception man's eyes gleamed with a sharp, upturned glint in his eye. "Then why haven't you taken action yet?"

There's a saying among Mortals: "A barking dog doesn't bite." If you were to unleash misfortune right now and drag the Cosmos into the mire, I might still consider how to protect your Predestination. But since you've already said it...

Let's continue then.

Look at your words, your saliva—can they, like your misfortune, plunge this Cosmos into Abyss?

"..."

Why aren't you saying anything?

"Have you fallen in love with [Silence]?"

"..."

Seeing the Twin Gods suffer a setback, [the Deception] laughed heartily:

"Oh, I see. It seems you've already guessed something and know that bringing down Cosmos poses no threat to me."

Excellent, this is more like a profound understanding of the true nature of [Destiny].

Unfortunately, the reality you see is merely the reality that others want you to see.

"Just stay put. I know you won't be trapped here for long, but I don't need to be either. Once this Trials is over, everything will be clear."

As he spoke, those eyes vanished, leaving only the silent [Destiny] gazing in the direction where Cheng Shi had once appeared, whispering coldly yet resolutely:

"Predestination, and there is no going back."

He doesn't belong to you or me, but to this starry Starry Sky...