Chapter 192
Chu Yuanqing understood the truth.
It's understandable that Flash Dance couldn't defeat this Calamity Beasts.
This is a rare rule-based calamity. It not only treats these spectators as containers, hiding its true form, power, and aura within the human souls, but also cunningly uses this to set up its domain, amplify its power, and turn the away game into the home game.
The venue for the Public Performance is now no longer under official control.
It can be said that unless there is a specific blessing or technology for this purpose, even if time were to repeat itself, no one would be able to find its trace.
At that moment, the previously latent evil energy, rising and falling with the notes, seemed to have found a target and could no longer suppress its killing instinct, writhing and twisting irregularly on the silk threads.
"Found you..."
"Found you..."
"Found you!!!"
These five thousand threads, intertwined and mixed together like chaotic line art in an animation, began to forcibly detach from their containers, attempting to recreate the monster that devoured Xie Qingyu.
Chu Yuanqing could even see what appeared to be half a ferocious beast's face struggling to break free, its scarlet eyes staring at him.
Unfortunately,
The Pure White Witch ignored this completely. Her eyelashes were painted pure white, and her expression remained unchanged. As soon as the music started, she moved like a dedicated girl group member, skillfully dancing and changing positions with her teammates.
The girl's beautiful calves, with their tautness and trembling movements, created an alluring curve in her body, and her flowing skirt exuded a seductive charm.
Chu Yuanqing seemed completely unfazed by the possibility of the other party taking action, focusing solely on her performance on stage. Occasionally, she would glance at the audience and smile at the fans who were calling her name.
The numerous threads intertwining in the sky ceased weaving, the surging Black Mist came to an abrupt halt, and the ferocious beast face that was about to break free seemed to have been frozen in time, like a special audience member looking at the stage.
This is an extremely bizarre and divisive scene. On one side is an idol stage symbolizing the beauty and peace of the world, and on the other side is a terrifying calamity that could kill and devour nearly 100 million people in the entire Sea Capital at any moment. The two should not have any room for stalemate, let alone coexist in the same room.
But that's just the way it is.
If Xie Qingyu were to see this scene, she would probably be shocked for a whole year.
After all, even though the [Flow State] that Kiriwake Yayoi, Xie Qingxuan, Tang Liuli, and Chu Wangshu gradually unleashed was already a prototype of Shine Magic and could play a certain destructive role against calamities, it was impossible for them to threaten high-risk Calamity Beasts at this stage.
But this monster stopped attacking, and even when the part centered on Chu Yuanqing was played in reverse, a large amount of calamity flowed back into the audience's bodies along the threads, and actually hid in the subconscious of the audience, which was quite magical.
However, from the perspective of a nightmare, it's a completely different story.
The beautiful girl, presented from different angles by the audience, has a necklace on her chest that rises and falls with her movements, radiating a delicate glow, exuding an aura of... [pure white].
As everyone knows, Calamity Beasts have no emotions and therefore do not understand fear.
But they can imitate.
Nightmares happen to fall into this category. As a high-risk calamity, it only needs to devour the dreams of a few people to gain nearly equal intelligence and then imitate their thought patterns.
In order to fulfill the mission entrusted by the gods, this Calamity Beasts lurked in the Sea Capital and continued to develop. It has grown to the point where it can construct Mirror Sea of Haido and control a Captain-Class [Witch]. It has also learned all the advantages and disadvantages of humans without missing a beat.
For example: conspiracy and intrigue.
The words Nightmare spoke to Xie Qingyu were imitations of humans. It had learned the concept of rhetoric and thus imitated this behavior, cunningly using the fragmented speech of a low-level Calamity Beasts to deliver extremely explosive information.
That is, the [pure white] essence has been found.
In fact, this operation was very successful; otherwise, Xie Qingyu wouldn't have suffered such a terrible fate as having her eyes gouged out at the start of the game.
It has advantages, but it also has disadvantages.
Humans are afraid of death, and they are also afraid of not being free.
Nightmares that mimic humans also mimic this inherent flaw.
What if? What if touching the aura of [pure white] triggers the suppression of that That High Wall, forcing one to reverse back into an egg, and once again become a [Calamity Species] to be manipulated at will by humans?
I will die, I will lose my freedom.
Therefore, stay away from it.
If we consider nightmares as programs, then "inherent weaknesses" are like an information virus that forces them to shut down, stop acting, and even choose to retreat.
But Calamity Beasts is still Calamity Beasts.
Once it realized that imitation would not bring any benefit, Nightmare began to autonomously detect and eliminate viruses, forgetting human thought patterns.
In the next instant, the sea of light in the audience, like a galaxy, was submerged by the writhing shadows as thousands of threads rose from the ground, and a loud buzzing sound resounded in everyone's ears, instantly replacing Tang Liuli's singing on the stage.
This Calamity Beasts no longer concealed itself and appeared in the Material World for the first time!!!
Meanwhile, Dream Weaver, located in the sky above, also glimpsed the true form of the nightmare.
The Super AI's eyes were lowered, and its body, woven from underlying code and mixed with idealistic magic, began to sprout flesh and blood that seemed both real and unreal, as if it were shedding its skin, trying to rekindle its true humanity and unleash its final means.
Below the stage, all the audience members became victims of the nightmare's transformation.
Having abandoned its cunning idea of using the audience as hostages, this Calamity Beasts has stopped imitating human thinking. Instead, it has disrupted the stage performance, using its calamity energy to pollute the area and force everyone to undergo a terrifying catastrophe.
In just a few breaths, the five thousand spectators will explode like fireworks, undergoing a massive mutation of flesh and blood, turning into a new calamity.
Xu Ling's eyes went dark. Her soul was tainted by the calamity, and her blood and genes began to experience intense, dull pain. Her consciousness was filled with immense bewilderment.
That sharp blade, which overturned the past ten years of my life, squeezed into a leisurely daily routine of editing, managing the support group, going crazy over live streams, taking exams, studying, bullying my cousin and my little dinosaur pillow, and drinking milk tea. In the most joyful moment, it brought despair called fear and death.
The girl didn't understand what was happening. She only knew that she seemed to be dying suddenly. When she looked up, she no longer saw the stage in the distance, nor the giant screen broadcasting the Little Idol's dance moves, but a terrifying creature that writhed like a dark cloud and was as indescribable as Chimera.
How strange, is it a hallucination?
It was just an ordinary day, so why did it turn out like this?
For some inexplicable reason, at this moment, the image that lingered in my mind was Chu Yuanqing's gentle smile and his lowered gaze.
If...
If Qing Bao is alright, that would be great.
Upon reflection, Xu Ling thought the idea was incredibly foolish. If Tong Bao knew she was thinking about this before she died, she'd definitely be scolded to death!
Even so, the thought still lingered.
The smile of the Pure White Witch was so clear that, just as her thoughts were about to fade, it seemed as if she were hallucinating, causing her eyes to be tinged with a beautiful, shimmering gold.
At this moment, on the stage.
Tang Liuli caught a glimpse of this magical and terrifying scene. Following her instincts, she continued singing. Her dance moves remained perfect, but her brain was overwhelmed by the terrifying amount of information, forcing it to shut down and causing her to question the meaning of life.
Huh? Is that woman still suffering from hereditary mental illness?
Or is it that because I've been imagining Qing Bao so much lately, my imagination has become so vivid that it's affecting reality?
Something's not right, something's not right, something's not right.
Is it fake? Is it fake? Is it fake?
The Green Eyed Cat was completely bewildered. If it weren't for her unique sense of time due to [Flow State], coupled with Little Sakura's Perfect Domain, she would probably be standing still, having collided with the other Little Idol and rolled around on the ground.
With her extraordinary wisdom, she deduced the most reasonable answer almost instantly.
--This must be a villain who's come to cause trouble for the Magical Girl! Maybe it's the same bad guy who seriously injured Qing Bao!
Xie Qingxuan's dance moves didn't stop, but she returned to the overlooking perspective of [Meditation State]. She also thought of similar possibilities, but more images involuntarily popped into her mind. A sense of déjà vu spread in her chest, bringing her an extremely uneasy feeling.
Kiriwake Yayoi was confused, but she could still keep dancing. It was entirely due to her idol duty of "Perfect Performance Method" that she demanded of herself. She almost suppressed all the emotions that were not needed on stage and continued dancing with inertia.
Chu Wangshu was the most frightened. At least the other three had their existence as Magical Girl exposed by Chu Yuanqing beforehand, but she was completely ignorant of the supernatural. Her worldview was shattered, and she didn't know what to do.
Almost instinctively, all four players looked towards the team's leader after realizing what had happened.
Chu Yuanqing remained calm, but the darkness in her eyes had been replaced by a shimmering gold that resembled jewels. Her hair, which had been tied with a ribbon, had returned to its original state, appearing as pure and flawless as Tianshan Snow. She had actually dropped her disguise and revealed her true self to the public.
Even as if a global crisis were looming, the beauty of the Pure White Witch still captivated all who beheld her.
Chu Yuanqing's eyes slightly upturned as she gave her daughter and Little Idol a comforting smile. The Lantern Gem, disguised as Mobius Ring, also took on a similar hue, conveying warmth that embraced all negative emotions into everyone's hearts.
Then, her firm yet gentle voice, through the intertwined Heart Tide of the four, reached their ears:
"Don't be afraid, everyone just keep jumping like you did in training before, I'll protect you."
It was just a single sentence.
Tang Liuli overcame her fear, calmed Heart Tide Emotional Link, and continued singing.
Xie Qingxuan simply withdrew from the [Meditation State] session, awkwardly continuing to pour her emotions into this wondrous stage.
Kiriwake Yayoi smiled and once again threw herself wholeheartedly into the stage she had longed for for seven years.
Chu Wangshu was so engrossed in this strange sense of peace that he ignored the writhing behemoth, allowing the [Phosphor Tide] to sweep further afield.
Thus, the fourfold Flow State, no longer collapsing, began to intertwine and coordinate again, continuing to climb under extreme focus.
Chu Yuanqing lowered her eyes and glanced at the nightmare. She plucked the strings deep within her soul, and the pure white rose silently bloomed. The patterns of her Destined Magic scalded, and the sacred yet lonely melody swept through heaven and earth, blending into Tang Liuli's singing. Finally, a wisp of soft white light, like a sigh, was added to the four Heart Tide.
--[Pure White Aria].
At this point, like boiling cold water in a raging fire, the Stage Aura woven by the entire team was covered by an infinitely expanding pure white, and the remaining Heart Tide turned into fuel to ignite the flames. It was Chu Yuanqing's will that created an epic scene as if it were a dream.
In that instant, the Calamity Beasts known as Nightmare was swallowed up by the past forged on the stage.
It was a giant tree rooted in the tectonic plate fault, burying all things at the bottom of the abyss, its branches reaching the clouds. It was so large that it seemed to be able to support a world, and magnificent palaces were built on its leaves, where giants a hundred meters tall could live.
Beneath the roots of Yggdrasil, rotting serpents flow, and a black dragon, a symbol of death, gnaws at the venom beneath the bark. Its flesh crumbles like tattered paper, and human corpses pile up on its scaly, bone wings, each vibration accompanied by the mournful cries of the dead.
Valhalla displays many specimens of those who bestowed blessings.
The Pantheon was filled with the embryos of gods and the eggs of giants.
Like a torrent, the giant of calamity continuously rises from the abyss, embarking on a journey to find life and trample it.
All of this froze in an instant. The deepest roots of the tree at the bottom of the abyss were swallowed by the paleness, followed by billions of unhatched embryos and eggs. Then, hundreds of millions of hectares of branches and trunks turned into self-collapsed blocks of salt like splashed ink.
A thunderous roar, stretching from the deepest abyss to the clouds on the horizon, was like a stirring symphony dedicated to [Ymir], who resided at the center of the World Tree.
The boy's skin was covered with cracks and fissures, his pupils were like shattered glass, and his body was constantly being torn apart by fire and salt, as if he could truly die at any moment.
This is the price of using the authority of the [King of Salt]: to bear the endless saltification that continues until the end of one's life.
This forgotten, solitary hero, listening to the Funeral Procession melody, looked up at this scene and whispered:
"Laevateinn."
Thus, the inexhaustible will once again paid the price of bearing the cause and effect of the myth, unleashing a sea of red and black fire that submerged the towering salt pillar, officially launching the crusade against this Disaster God, causing a torrential rain of salt and ash to fall on the entire sea and the shattered, ruined continent.
In a daze, the soft murmur of edelweiss drifted by.
In the real world, nightmares do not have a physical form; they transform into tangible blocks of salt, which are then burned to ashes in a raging fire.
This process is extremely terrifying.
Saltification spreads along the path of cause and effect, while flames climb and fate becomes entangled.
The nightmare's countless offspring, lurking in the Sea Capital, the Great Xia, the Donghuang Federation, and even other countries, are being pulled back through the threads, forcibly refilled into their original forms, and endlessly undergoing the cycle of death through saltification and burning.
This is the change that [Pure White Aria] has undergone since it officially became my Destined Magic. It now possesses the authority to manifest past experiences and reflect them onto any target, using the stage as a ritual and fueled by Heart Tide, magic, and brilliance.
This skill, when applied to other [Witch], is utterly useless—a chicken bone that's neither useful nor worth discarding.
However, when applied to Chu Yuanqing, who had defeated thirteen Disaster God, it would be an ultimate, Shine Magic that surpasses all others in the world.
Although it cannot replicate even a fraction of the power used to kill Ymir, both the authority of the King of Salt and the destructive power of Laevateinn at its peak are ridiculously high. Even the fully formed Supreme Calamity Beast would have to give way, let alone Nightmare, which is several levels below it.
"We can't continue like this."
Chu Yuanqing felt her demonic power dwindling and realized she no longer had the strength to drag all of the Nightmare's sub-selves over and kill them all. She had to reserve some of the remaining functions of [Pure White Aria] to protect the thousands of audience members who had come to watch the Public Performance.
Thus, the nightmare's offspring, which had been dragged along, ceased its salinization and burning. Seizing this opportunity, it transformed into countless threads without hesitation, extending beyond the stage and audience area, and sweeping away from the venue.
The Pure White Witch glanced in the direction the other party had fled, then poured all her remaining magic into the Soul Flower, causing its pure white radiance to rise like the sun, illuminating the entire audience area and sending an unparalleled warmth through everyone's consciousness as if flowing against the current.
At this point, the calamity within his soul melted away like ice and snow.
Crisis resolved.
PS1: Bad news, this chapter was really hard to write, I've been stuck on writer's block until now.
PS2: Good news! The cycle of sleep and wakefulness has returned to the mortal realm!
PS3: Today Qing Bao uses the stage to fight the Calamity Beasts, tomorrow Qing Bao will wield a sword to slash the Calamity Beasts.