The Clown's nose was on the Clown all along!

With the sisters' identities changed again, Zhen Yi, as Zhen Xin had predicted, did not refuse the [Deception] Divine Throne, and the [Deception] will was finally able to continue.

However, Cheng Shi was not in a hurry to hand over the [Deception] Divine Throne. Whether out of a last glimmer of hope or for absolute stability, he wanted to wait a little longer.

However, after the new [Deception] was finalized, [Time] naturally had a successor. Long Jing, the Pointer Knight who only embarked on the path of [Time] halfway through [Deception], took over the pointer from Cheng Shi and became the new [Time].

The moment he regained Divine Authority of [Time], he looked at Cheng Shi's fingertips in astonishment, saying in disbelief:

"That... that is..."

Cheng Shi was taken aback, raised his hand, and looked at the ring on his finger.

The Eternal Prisoner of Time.

This is the only ring he still owns, a gift from [Time] itself.

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

Long Jing seemed to have realized something, as if he had been shocked by something, and his face was full of emotion:

"We've been searching for it for so long, but we never imagined that it would be hidden here by [Time]."

I can see the twisted time on this ring, and I can also see the meaning buried beneath time. Don't you think that cyclical ring of time resembles something?

"?"

What does it look like?

Cheng Shi took off the ring with a puzzled look and held it in the air. Just by changing the angle in front of him, he suddenly realized that the two rings side by side now looked exactly like a pair of... nostrils?

"!!!!"

Nose of Discernment!?

The name flashed through the minds of almost Clown present at the same time.

Is Eternal Prisoner of Time the Nose of Discernment?

Is this possible? One is a prop of Faith bestowed by [Time], and the other is a secret puzzle piece concerning [Deception]. No matter how you look at it, these two things cannot be connected.

But let's not forget that [Deception] steals everything, just as the Ear of Secret Prying approaches [Silence], Gaze of Mockery approaches [Folly]. So it's not incomprehensible that the Nose of Discernment approaches [Time], another mainstay of the Fear Faction.

Moreover, [Deception] cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood, and only [Existence] cares most about truth and falsehood. They are unwilling to turn falsehood into truth, nor do they want to distort reality. Thinking in this way, the Nose of Discernment may indeed be the Eternal Prisoner of Time!

So, my nose has always been on my body all along!?

No wonder the Mask of Giggle and Mock would reassemble itself the moment it entered his body; He had already shown him the answer, but the Clown hadn't expected it...

Cheng Shi was momentarily dazed, then his expression tightened. He immediately blocked the Cosmos, took out the Tongue of Lies, the Gaze of Mockery, Ear of Secret Prying, and then arranged all the parts in front of him, asking in his mind to Mouth Brother:

"Is that it, Mouth Brother?"

The Lips of Foolish Play have been silent for a long time; since [Deception] left, they seem to have fallen into silence as well.

Now that his "brothers" were all present, feeling a vague sense of familiarity amidst the Eternal Prisoner of Time, the Lips of Foolish Play said uncertainly:

"I can't say for sure, there's some kind of [Time] power at play here, acting as a cover..."

Before the two finished their conversation, Long Jing reached out and used the surrounding power of [Time] to erase the [Time] seals on the Eternal Prisoner of Time. The moment the seals were completely removed, a real, tangible Mask- like nose appeared before everyone.

The Nose of Discernment!

That's it!

At the same time, all the Mask fragments except for the Lips of Foolish Play vibrated simultaneously, resonating in unison and drawing closer together. Seeing this, Cheng Shi knew he should throw the Mouth Brother into the fray as well, to solve the biggest mystery [Deception] had left for him.

However, when the moment actually arrived, he hesitated.

Predestination already lost so much, is even Mouth Brother leaving now?

"Mouth Brother..."

Cheng Shi's expression darkened, and before he could say anything, his mouth started moving on its own.

"Idiot, I only created the Mask through separation, I'm not dead. Can you hurry up? I also want to know what He left behind."

"..."

Sure enough, it's still the same.

Cheng Shi knew this was a Lips of Foolish Play attempt at comfort, but he couldn't laugh at all.

Besides the tension and trepidation of getting closer to the secret, there was also confusion and fear about the uncertainty of the future.

But Cheng Shi knew that everyone was watching him, everyone was waiting for him, so he gritted his teeth and made a tough decision, and directly pulled his mouth open.

He had used this trick on Su Yida on the snowfield. At that time, the world changed color, and the detached Mouth Brother became his trump card to intimidate the Master of Trickery.

Now, no Lord of Grace could anger him anymore, and Cheng Shi tore off the Lips of Foolish Play who had accompanied him throughout the game, merging them completely with the other fragments in front of him.

"Buzz--"

"Bang!"

The resonating components collided, creating a dazzling cloud of smoke and dust like a circus act. After the smoke and dust cleared, a Pure White Mask appeared before everyone. The Mask no longer possessed the vitality of fragments; it floated quietly, like a key.

The Dragon King understood immediately and brought the [Memory] Memory Archive to everyone's eyes. Cheng Shi, with mixed feelings, took the "key" and gently placed it back on the sealed collection.

The next second, a wisp of entangled Divine Power, including [Deception], rose from Cheng Shi's fingertips, transforming into a viscous pull along his arm, drawing him straight into the collection.

"Whoosh--"

Watching Cheng Shi disappear into the Memory Archive, the remaining group exchanged glances, filled with intense curiosity.

What do you think might be hidden inside?

"[Deception]'s follow-up move, the future of the Cosmos, or perhaps the past of the gods?"

Who knows? We'll know once the Fate Weaver appears."

"Could this be a trap?"

"Lord of Grace shattered the world's hopes at its most promising juncture, thus expressing His rebellion against [the Origin]?"

"President Gong, you're 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 immature!?

Long Jing wanted to argue, but Cheng Shi, who had just been pulled into the collection, suddenly came out of it. He looked solemn and didn't seem to have any joy at having gained anything.

"What's inside...?"

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

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

We were all wrong. This is not a Mask, but a covenant made by several gods at the Dawn of the Era.

Its emergence predates the Covenant, so much so that a Destiny spanning an entire era had already begun the moment Fate fell.

After seeing all this, I knew I had no other choice.

Ladies and gentlemen, Predestination this path has been chosen, you will likely have to follow me to the very end.

I'm sorry, for some reasons I can't reveal the secrets to you, but please believe me, I'm working hard to give this world a future.

This is arguably the Cosmos's greatest secret, swallowed up like this; it seems unacceptable to anyone in this situation.

However, none of the Clown present objected, and the Dragon King even laughed and said:

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

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

"I have the key, and I will inform you of what you need to know at the appropriate time."

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

The era of [Nothingness] is coming to an end. Let's all prepare to welcome the 'future'.