Chapter 110
"In times of great importance, one must remain calm. Even the Sacred United Nation only revealed the truth after the Saintess herself realized something was amiss. Our Donghuang Federation must also be mature and composed."
"We must carefully control the public opinion surrounding Chu Yuanqing. We need to instill in her a love for the world, for humanity, and for her idols. We cannot allow even the slightest hint of cyberbullying."
"The same applies to the other Little Idol who have awakened [Flow State]; protecting them is our duty."
While discussions were raging in the central command,
Chu Yuanqing was trying to control his emotions as he hurriedly walked out of the [Flow State] training room.
Although he acted impulsively and, through the manifestation of his will and the majority of the demonic power within the lantern, annihilated the Calamity Species in the underground center, the use of concentrated power beyond his means once again threw the tug-of-war with the curse into an unbalanced state.
"How foolish, so impulsive."
"What if those Calamity Species turn out to be valuable research materials?"
"Never mind, it's just wrong to instill the aura of Calamity Species in those children."
"No, that's not right. What I should be concerned about now is whether I'll be summoned for a talk by the <FlashDance> officials soon."
Chu Yuanqing regained her senses, feeling both annoyed and anxious. Her vision was blurred with multiple images, and with only a sliver of willpower, she managed to reach the dormitory door.
The girl staggered into the bathroom, her magical disguise reaching its limit. Her hair, as if fading to pure white, turned pure white, and her clear pupils were tinged with gold. Exhausted, she knelt on the ground and began coughing up blood uncontrollably.
Deep within the soul, the roar of the glacier cracking grew ever more deafening.
The palace of memories was gradually submerged in the cold seawater.
It was a thick, heavy malice, like a demon that had never died in hell for a thousand years, wantonly devouring any fragment that carried warmth.
Loneliness and exhaustion were like an abyss, swallowing her up time and time again.
The halo of the incandescent bulb spread across my pupils, the dripping of the faucet was so noisy, and the summer cicadas' chirping seemed to fill my ears like a grand illusion...
But everything was suddenly pulled away, so far away that it became unreachable, in the instant the curse backfired.
Her consciousness plunged into the sea of shattered glass, slowly and painfully falling into its deepest depths.
As if,
A prisoner seeking redemption.
The curse of the Sea of Truth has gone berserk.
Chu Yuanqing's consciousness plunged into purgatory, writhing in intense pain and despair. His soul, like a cracked and withered leaf, shattered with a crackling sound, yet in the tenacious light of a dim lamp, it struggled to heal back to its original form.
Broken.
Repair.
Broken.
Repair.
This is the curse of the Sea of Truth, and the punishment that has overturned the fate of hundreds of billions of people.
17 years, 6205 days, 148920 hours, 8935200 seconds.
Throughout this long period of time, Chu Yuanqing endured similar suffering.
If she hadn't bound the Meme Authority to herself, constantly regenerating and repairing her soul by remembering the great cause of saving the world, she would have died long ago when the Worldline was being corrected.
Unknown achievements, unheard glories.
She is the Savior.
The Savior is about to be forgotten and drowned.
From beginning to end, there was no Savior with flowers, applause, or congratulations.
That pure white wall spanning the world, filled with the doubts and fears of humankind, is the only ancient object that can anchor her existence.
Chu Yuanqing used to look at it every day when she went to work, because she was afraid of forgetting who she was.
If forgotten, the ouroboros cycle will break.
The daughter will be left all alone, with no one to take care of her, care for her, or love her unconditionally anymore.
So we must not forget, we must live on, we must live until... when she no longer needs us.
But now, the cruel truth is revealed before her eyes, telling her that she has to shoulder not only the responsibility for her daughter, but also for her future and that of the world.
The [Calamity Beasts] still exists, and the Disaster God may still descend.
Chu Yuanqing must live. She must fulfill her duty and live long enough to be able to summon Laevateinn one last time for this world, to drag herself and the Disaster God down to hell together.
So,
"Don't die."
Chu Yuanqing once again bestowed upon himself a blessing that seemed like a magic spell.
At this moment, the mountain of weariness and despair was regarded as flammable firewood, welcoming a grand torch, burning together to create a pillar of light that reached the sky, forcing the curse of truth, which had almost swallowed up all of lifespan, back to its original corner.
Those abyssal malices, finally weakened and unwilling to retreat, like the sea under the moonlight, carrying a suffocating chill, slowly receding into the distance.
Chu Yuanqing regained her normal senses. She coughed a few times, trying to stand up and tidy her disheveled appearance, but found that cool fingertips touched her lips, wiping away the blood and bringing a strange sensation.
"Xiao Qing?"
The girl slightly raised her eyes, and the man's platinum blonde hair swayed in his pupils. His stunningly beautiful face was filled with confusion and sorrow.
--It was Xie Qingxuan.
Volume 1: 114. The Invincible Qing Offense, with Extremely High Cost-Effective Magic Replenishment. (5K)
Inside the restroom,
Chu Yuanqing's delicate face was slightly furrowed, her eyelashes trembled, and the arc of light that danced in her golden eyes gradually dimmed, like an extinguished sun or cooled lava.
The girl's hair, as smooth as silk and as pure as Tianshan Snow, spread out on the ground, creating a pure white picture. Her peach-like lips were stained with blood, making her skin appear exceptionally white, like the last rays of the setting sun about to dissipate.
Xie Qingxuan could hardly recognize this as her teammate with whom she spent every day.
The transformation from white hair to golden eyes is like breaking a seal, completely liberating her hidden self, and unleashing a dazzling and captivating charm that is enough to make one's Heart Tide surge with emotion as she changes.
What truly seemed unfamiliar to her was the magnificent Magic Armor that appeared naturally as she lost her senses, enveloping her soft body.
It was a gradient gray gown, adorned with pure white lace, with exquisite details everywhere. The fabric was cut with the utmost elegance, but the skirt's original tone was completely reversed, as if licked by a raging fire, winding out irregular and broken lines, revealing destruction and loneliness.
Tiny, pure white flowers bloom in profusion on hair ornaments, leg rings, gowns, and hairpins adorning the snow-white hair. They embrace each other, sometimes withering, like shattered bubbles shimmering in the light, telling a story of the lonely beauty of death.
Such a surreal outfit, coupled with unusual white hair and golden eyes, and inhuman charm, makes it hard not to wonder if one is in a dream and has encountered a character from a fairy tale.
If it weren't for his exceptionally advanced state of Meditation State, his terrifyingly fast information gathering speed, and his ability to identify the answer directly from multiple details, it would be difficult for anyone to immediately realize that this was Chu Yuanqing.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock."
Blood droplets continued to shatter on the ground, blooming into crimson roses.
In a daze, Xie Qingxuan guessed a whole host of illnesses in her mind.
From the simplest oral injuries to bronchiectasis, and even a range of lung diseases, treatment methods and optimal approaches for brain-related conditions also emerge one by one.
However, no corresponding illness could be found.
Chu Yuanqing coughed up so much blood that it looked like he was about to die at any moment.
Even as she tried to wipe the blood from the person's lips with her hands, until her slender hands were stained bright red and her expensive watch on her wrist was covered in blood, sticky, cold blood still seeped and dripped from them.
It's so strange, why does Xiao Qing feel so familiar, so nostalgic, and so close to me now? Just imagining never seeing her again makes my fingers tremble with fear.
Xie Qingxuan looked bewildered, her eyes filled with a dark, misty light. The watch on her fair wrist trembled slightly; it was studded with tiny diamonds, and the platinum petal-shaped pendulum spun wildly, swallowing up Heart Tide of intense fear that began to heat up slightly as it officially connected with her soul.
But the thought vanished in an instant. She pursed her lips, scolding herself for being too stupid. She couldn't afford to daydream anymore. No matter what Chu Yuanqing's situation or state was, she had to leave it to the doctor to make a judgment.
Xie Qingxuan lifted the other person in a princess carry. The person in her arms had a supple waist and a weight so light it didn't seem to fit her figure at all. It was as if she had coughed up most of her blood, like a butterfly about to wither away. Her eyes reddened, and she softly comforted her:
"Xiao Qing, don't be afraid."
"There's a medical unit at the base. I'll notify the Program Group right away. You'll be fine."
The Golden Haired Doggy's face remained expressionless, but her eyes were already brimming with tears. She was about to carry Chu Yuanqing out of the bathroom, which, to the person who had regained her senses, was nothing short of a devilish act.
Chu Yuanqing panicked. Her intuition was spot on. There were no cameras in the bathroom, but once she entered the dormitory where the cameras weren't covered, her Magical Girl persona would be completely exposed to the Program Group.
This, combined with the previous impulsive act of eradicating all the Calamity Species within the base, is tantamount to self-destruction for <FlashDance>.
No, I have to find a way to fool Qingxuan.
The girl reached out and wrapped her arms around the other person's smooth neck, coughing as she spoke:
"Qingxuan, I'm fine, really. This is just a minor incident, the blood is all fake."
Xie Qingxuan was somewhat naive, but not stupid. Hearing that Chu Yuanqing still had the strength to speak, she was pleasantly surprised and quickened her pace, continuing to walk forward while sadly saying:
"Xiao Qing, stop talking. You've coughed up so much blood, your brain is so oxygen-deprived you're confused. You can't even say things like that to a child."
Chu Yuanqing was really anxious. She couldn't figure out Flash Dance's stance, nor could she figure out the official salvation policy behind it. Coupled with her frail and near-limited physical condition, any form of confrontation would be very disadvantageous for her right now.
Chu Yuanqing has a trump card.
She was confident that, relying on her obsession with slaying the Disaster God, she could instantly sever the curse and shackles of the Sea of Truth, unleash all the suppressed blessings, and, using Laevateinn as a vessel, unleash a strike powerful enough to punish the Disaster God.
But with only a breath left, and only enough time to swing a sword, one will face the fate of having one's soul scattered and falling into the Yellow Springs forever.
In order to ensure her daughter could live in a peaceful and happy world, she could only choose to wield her sword against the Disaster God.
Therefore, this self-destruct technique cannot be used as a bargaining chip.
Putting all that aside, she only possesses the power of Magical Girl, which is beyond that of ordinary people, but even that is only enough to deplete her mana after casting a few large fireballs.
As for the extremely high magic utilization rate?
Chu Yuanqing couldn't distinguish that kind of concentration. To reproduce that kind of precise Magic Control would come at the risk of losing control of the curse, coughing up blood, falling into a coma, or even having his lifespan drastically reduced.
In other words, lying low is the only option.
From now on, she must actively gather the audience's emotions, expand the magic power of the lantern, and, along the Magical Girl system, gain enough leverage in a short period of time.
This is the truth of the world: only those who wield power have the right to wield power and are able to approach the truth of the apocalyptic crisis.
So, rounding up, fooling the Golden Haired Doggy here is practically like saving the world!
With his mind just regaining consciousness, Chu Yuanqing struggled to think in the oxygen-deprived state and seriously arrived at a conclusion that seemed both correct and not quite correct.
At the same time, she realized that in her current state of coughing up blood, she couldn't fool even a fool, and she had to find a way to quickly get rid of the aftereffects of the curse from the Sea of Truth.
At this moment, the sensation of being in contact with Tang Liuli's mucous membrane and being passively kissed flashed through my mind like an electric current.
--Mana Magic Replenishment mechanism.
But coincidentally
Xie Qingxuan had already reached the door; just two more steps and she would be inside the dormitory.
Chu Yuanqing's mind went blank, and she didn't have time to think any further. In a flash, she chose the option with the most comments and actually initiated an attack.
The next moment,
The Golden Haired Doggy's lips were sealed by the cool, jelly-like substance. Her eyes widened slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the brief moment of eye contact with Chu Yuanqing, she became lost in those misty, alluring eyes, losing all room for thought and surrendering at lightning speed.
It smells so good, it's so soft, and it's so sweet.
The slightly bitter yet sweet blood, overflowing with floral fragrance, mixed with saliva, filled the mouth and teeth. The initial whimpering sound was quickly swallowed away by the allure of the blood gripping the heart, turning into a more ambiguous, subtle, and indescribable sound.
Chu Yuanqing, on the other hand, experienced the same joy he felt after his first Magic Replenishment. An even larger amount of unfamiliar mana than Tang Liuli's had filled him, penetrating his soul and producing a wondrous chemical reaction once again.
At this moment, the burden of the curse seemed to be temporarily halved, and the joy of ascending to heaven surged, intensified, and exploded, rapidly replenishing the body and making it warm and comfortable all over.
The girl's sickly pale face was tinged with a beautiful coral pink. Her consciousness was already somewhat blurred after experiencing the rampage of the curse, and now she was almost dazed by the pleasure. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes narrowed like a kitten's. Following her instincts, she became even more aggressive in conquering territory.
Xie Qingxuan's legs went weak from A's influence, and she slowly sat down on the ground in a daze. The curves of her chest rose and fell with her breath. The [Meditation State] was still working, allowing her to instinctively access the knowledge in her memory and quickly put it into practice.
So the Golden Haired Doggy's breathing changed several times, from its initial rapid and chaotic breathing to its current deep, slow inhalation and exhalation, and then to a slower, steadyer, and lighter breathing motion, as if it was trying to launch a counterattack.
Unfortunately, no matter how much she struggled, Chu Yuanqing's attacks were more domineering, as if he were a peerless warrior rarely seen in the world, capable of easily defeating any move.
The reason she sought it was not the dopamine and hormones released after mucosal contact.
Rather, it was a brief respite of comfort after 17 years, a way to alleviate the excruciating pain of having one's heart and bones ripped out, and a yearning to ease the curse after the will to survive had been activated.
These emotions were manageable in the past, which I could suppress with willpower. But once I entered this confused state, it was like a pure and innocent young widow who had been abstinent for many years and was suddenly ignited. Her desires were a hundred or a thousand times stronger than those of a normal person, incredibly intense.
Time passed, and only the intermittent, continuous sound of water echoed in the bathroom.