Chapter 393
Upon hearing this question, Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and replied:
"Yes, with a total of a week's vacation, we need to reserve at least one day for training, so we should be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest."
Upon hearing this, the Little Cotton-padded Jacket felt extremely uncomfortable. Just imagining the scene of their reunion made her toes dig into the ground, and she felt waves of embarrassment washing over her.
What should I do? How should I communicate with everyone?
Although she was slow to react, yesterday, while chatting with everyone in WeChat group, she belatedly realized something terrifying.
That is, apart from Charlotte, her young biological mother, Tang Liuli, Kiriwake Yayoi, and Xie Qingxuan are all her Dad's girlfriends!
To be honest, after thinking about this, even without Chu Yuanqing's explanation, she could guess that the three junior seniors were probably comrades-in-arms who had close relationships with her Dad in the first timeline, just like her mother.
After all, Dad has been busy working and taking care of himself for the past 17 years, so normally it shouldn't have turned out this way.
In the first playthrough of the apocalypse, the population continued to decline sharply during the Great Cataclysm, and the order of civilization collapsed and was rebuilt. In order to ensure the continuation and survival of the race, it is reasonable for the Dad to have more than one wife.
Therefore, when this is inherited into the second playthrough, it evolves into this extremely abstract situation.
It may be reasonable, but that doesn't change the fact that it's fundamentally flawed.
At least from Chu Wangshu's perspective, the idol group she belonged to had become an absurd arrangement of -- Dad, stepmother, stepmother, stepmother, and herself.
The Little Cotton-padded Jacket's mind was a mess; the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Suddenly, her eyes filled with a clear light, and she turned to ask:
"Dad, if Yayoi birth to a child for you, should that child call me 'sister' or 'auntie'?"
Chu Yuanqing's mind went blank at her daughter's question. She first felt ashamed, then amused, pinched the child's cheek, and whispered:
"Silly boy, Dad has turned into a girl, how can a girl get pregnant?"
Chu Wangshu snapped back to reality, blushed, and gave a soft "hmm," quickly changing the subject. But in her heart, she couldn't help but secretly think that a normal girl shouldn't have a child with another girl.
But Magical Girl aren't human.
Thinking of this, Chu Wangshu's eyes sparkled, and she suddenly became incredibly interested in having another younger brother or sister. She wanted to have a cute little sister like Yuki, just like her Yayoi sister Yayoi.
It would be wonderful if Yayoi could give birth to one for her.
Moreover, Liuli can give birth to an even smaller Liuli! Sister Xie can give birth to a little Xie! Mom can also give birth to a little Charlotte! Dad can also... no, no!
Chu Wangshu patted her cheeks forcefully, extinguishing the dangerous thoughts in her mind. She was no longer afraid of feeling awkward when she saw everyone a few days later.
Thinking about it carefully, the reason why Yayoi and the others haven't brought this up yet is probably because they themselves feel shy, right?
Well, except for Sister Xie, she probably won't be shy.
The Pure White Witch looked at her daughter with a puzzled expression.
How strange, why did she suddenly feel a chill run down her spine just now? Is Xiao Shu imagining something weird?
At this moment, Miss Saintess came out of the kitchen with a tray. She placed the dessert on the table in front of the sofa, leaned between the father and daughter, kissed them both, and said with a bright smile and great cheerfulness:
"Ta-da! The egg tarts and crème brûlée are ready! Shall we eat them while we watch the movie?"
And so, this episode came to an end.
As night fell, the evening breeze carried a refreshing coolness after the day's downpour. The banyan trees beside the buildings were no longer chirping, only the rustling of their branches seemed to announce the end of summer.
Chu Yuanqing stood outside the window, her eyes lowered, glancing at the Weibo on her phone. It was as if she saw billions of threads of willpower flying to all parts of the world from the 118.17 million followers.
In a daze, the power of will refined through the dual cores of Ideal Land and Lantern was transformed into a massive amount of magical energy that merged into his bones and blood. The [Quicksilver Blood] in his body then boiled, began to be compressed, refined, and devoured, and was then transported into the Soul Flower.
This is different from the last awakening [the Ideal Land That Welcomes the End]. Her soul is boiling violently, her flesh and blood are being rewoven, and the exchange group of Magic Energy Particles is being updated.
What's amazing is that, within the magic of moonlight, a streak of red and black color began to emerge without the [Killing Karma of Annihilation].
In addition, cherry blossom pink, jet black, gold, azure, emerald, and many more vibrant colors flow together, forming a wondrous combination of Magic Energy Particles that transform into dazzling streams of light, filling the entire body.
Ultimately, all the colors blended perfectly, transforming into a pure, pristine white.
Unfortunately, in just a moment, the soul trembled violently, triggering the painful backlash of the curse, causing the pure white to immediately reverse and decompose back to its original color.
"This is... the new feature?"
Chu Yuanqing was stunned for a long time, pondering the information that surfaced in his mind.
Its name is,
[Eternal Intertwined Destinies].
PS: Sorry for the late update. I've been getting increasingly writer's block as the story nears its end.
Volume 1: 365. Undercurrents and Latent Crisis.
The night breeze was slightly cool.
Bathed in moonlight, Chu Yuanqing lowered her eyelashes, her pupils reflecting the silver Magic Energy Particles in her palm, which then, with her will, turned crimson again, mixed with a jet-black explosive motion, and she understood.
[The Killing Karma of Annihilation], [Echoes of the Past].
The interplay of these two spells allows her to actively alter the nature of magic, transforming the gentle, moonlight-like Magic Energy Particles into special Magic Energy Particles adapted to conceptual magic, imbued with the aura of destiny, and possessing a hint of Lingering Fire.
Chu Yuanqing understood the underlying principles; [The Killing Karma of Annihilation] and [Echoes of the Past] were both branches of [Pure White Aria], just like Xie Qingxuan's [Wise King] and Tang Liuli's Soul Manipulation.
The essence of [Pure White Aria] is the interpretation and record of the first playthrough experience, and the techniques that branch out from it are the same.
The Shattered Golden Cup represents the blessing of immortality.
[The Killing Karma of Annihilation] represents the concentrated collection of the intent to kill, the desire to destroy, and the act itself in the face of calamity.
[Echoes of the Past] has a broader meaning; it means exactly what it says, but in essence, it is more like the support that enables the activation of the first two spells.
The red and black magic is a product of using these spells to recreate and fuse past killing karma, destructive desires, and some aspects of Laevateinn's nature through idealistic power.
The characteristic of revival, in the simple word "fate," distills and summarizes the epic of saving the world in the first playthrough, reproducing the same operation and weaving the same red and black Magic Energy Particles.
"[A Fate Intertwined with Eternal Marks]..."
Chu Yuanqing whispered softly, and the magic in her palm faded and flowed again, turning into a beautiful and tranquil emerald color. The [Quicksilver Blood] within her body then evaporated violently.
The next moment, a crack suddenly appeared at the fingertip, and bright red blood rushed towards the sky as if returning to its nest. However, in the breath of the separated body, it was reshaped into a beautiful crystal that was as fragile as Liuli and shimmered in the moonlight, which was exceptionally spectacular.
The Pure White Witch, in a daze, whispered the truth of what had happened:
"[Blood of Sighs]."
This is one of the blessings that Tang Liuli possessed in the past. It may seem to simply turn blood into beautiful crystals, but in reality, it can rewind Worldline, like rewinding after death, and is a powerful force that can infinitely make up for regrets.
If we consider the first playthrough as a hellish game with no balance whatsoever, then for the "players" within it, finding Tang Liuli, who holds this authority, is a necessary condition for clearing the game.
This blessing inherited by oneself is clearly on the blacklist of the Sea of Truth, and is also an important component of the Miracle High Wall.
Theoretically speaking, she could only regain this power in the last few breaths before she died.
But now, this characteristic has recreated Tang Liuli's fate, presenting her power briefly before our eyes in a conceptual form.
Even if the amount of magic expended is negligible, merely reproducing the superficial appearance of [Blood of Sighs], the possibilities that can be uncovered by delving deeper are extremely vast.
Chu Yuanqing looked wistful. She raised her hand to dispel the strange scene that resembled still flowing water, and the [Quicksilver Blood] within her body returned to normal. She looked at the Magic Energy Particles swirling around her, which displayed different colors.
[The Eternal Intertwined Destinies] refers not only to one's own fate or that of those close to them, but also to Savior crowned by the stars and the world, who bestows blessings upon all humankind.
Simply put, she inherited the fate of all humanity from the previous Worldline.
If we truly divide the old and new eras into one and two playthroughs, then this characteristic is like an achievement reward for completing the first playthrough, used to commemorate that young hero who shouldered the ideals of millions and whose fate was intertwined with that of all humanity.
In other words, if the Sea of Truth hadn't interfered, she would still have been able to maintain her peak strength after returning all the blessings she inherited from all of humanity.
But now...
The soul is cursed and devoured, and the destiny cannot be perfectly reproduced. Just like being forced to fall from a higher realm and being unable to use even a fraction of the power of Martial God Skill, it is like having an overpowered skill set, but being unable to adapt to it.
In reality, [The Ideal Land That Welcomes the End] is even more effective, which is why the curse of the Sea of Truth backfired so severely when this characteristic was revived last time.
"That wisp of pure white must be Aetherial Substance."
Chu Yuanqing had once guessed that the Lantern Pendant given to her by the Planet Consciousness was quite extraordinary. It transformed her Life Form, turning her into the Pure White Witch. She should be naturally compatible with the six categories of elements, spirit, time and space, concepts, rules, and life.
In other words, the initial magic should be the purest Aetherial Substance.
However, due to the incompleteness of his soul, his initial magic power was a silver color close to pure white.
The moment its unique characteristics were first revived, it was probably trying to borrow the power of the fate of all people to make up for this deficiency and reverse the flow back to the purest white essence, but unfortunately it completely collapsed in an instant.
Chu Yuanqing composed herself, picked up the Lantern Gem, and gently stroked the crack with her fingertips, smoothing it. A soft smile appeared on her pink lips as she murmured:
"Regardless, thank you all."
While the fate of the masses did not free her from the shackles of the Sea of Truth, nor could it change the predetermined ending, it did break through the lantern's repair progress, which had been stuck at 9%, and boosted it to 19% in one go.
As a result, the quality of magic power, refined almost infinitely with each breath, has been pushed to the limit of the [River] Realm in one go, aided by a large amount of willpower.
Chu Yuanqing looked up at the cloudless sky, the coolness in her eyes melting away. Tomorrow would be a good day; where should she take Xiao Shu to play?
The girl stared blankly for a while before turning away from the balcony and returning to her bedroom. There, she began making group phone calls with her Little Idol were in Hokkaido, Gloriana, and Paris.
To avoid being investigated by the disciplinary committee, everyone secretly created a WeChat group without Little Cotton-padded Jacket.
As for why a group video call is necessary, it's because a certain Pure White Succubus only has 24 hours in a day, and is currently in the "honeymoon period" of confronting and reuniting with her daughter; making one-on-one video calls would be too much of a waste of time.
Although this sounds like the words of a scumbag, Qing Bao's succubus level is so high that the Little Idol didn't notice anything amiss and were quite enthusiastic during the video call, showing no signs of jealousy.
Xie Qingxuan returned to her parents' estate in Paris and confronted her sister about the Magical Girl and her joining the Countermeasures Bureau.
After a long silence, Mr. and Mrs. Xie, shocked and unusually, declined many work assignments and decided to take a week off to spend with their daughters.
If being a parent were a graded exam, Xie Qingxuan's parents probably wouldn't even score 30 points. They are arrogant, stubborn, self-righteous, dictatorial, and even seem somewhat indifferent.
Unlike Ai Huasi, they did have some love for their daughter, and after learning about the dangers of raising Magical Girl, they strongly expressed their opposition and protest.
Even though the argument was fruitless, knowing that they might not see their daughters again after the holiday, the couple restrained their tempers for the first time and chose to stay with them, trying to persuade their two daughters to change their minds with a gentle approach.
Xie Qingxuan was somewhat confused. In her original plan, after telling her parents with her sister, she could take a plane back to Great Xia to find Qing Bao the next day. But who knew that her parents would show an attitude she had never seen before?
Because of this, she was too embarrassed to make her sister kowtow and apologize to her. Instead, under the other sister's reluctant gaze and Violet's accusation, she revealed her secret stash of money and took away tens of millions.
Although taking the money was useless, her sister's pained and reluctant expression gave her a subtle sense of pleasure.
Tang Liuli was still handling the funeral arrangements in Gloriana. She didn't know any of Ai Huasi, and Aiwas's relatives had already died in an accident long before he met Thousand Faces.
Fortunately, there's the Super AI, Dream Weaver Rabbit, who can easily find Ai Huasi's close friends, classmates, and colleagues from the past. The remaining tasks are preparing the cemetery, packing his belongings, holding the funeral, and notifying interested people to come and pay their respects.
In the past few days, she asked Dream Weaver Rabbit for help to withdraw some money from her mother's trust and have a construction team build a memorial near the seaside cottage where Ai Huasi used to live, large enough to house the paintings.
Tang Liuli wanted to put all her parents' belongings inside, along with Ai Huasi's tombstone, in the backyard. After it was completed, she planned to hire a security team to look after it and send an email to her Dad's deceased relatives so that they could come and visit, which would be considered a memorial service.
For Ai Huasi, who was obsessed with art and was willing to sell himself to Flashdance just to hold a grand art exhibition, this must have been an extremely gentle funeral.
Even though I know the other person doesn't love me, they're gone now, so why dwell on it too much?
Tang Liuli won't stay until the memorial hall is completed. Once the tombstone and surrounding greenery are finished, she will send a bouquet of Scottish Green Rose that she personally picked and dyed to formally say goodbye before returning to compete.
In contrast to the two whose atmosphere was rather somber,
Little Sakura exudes a simple yet warm sense of happiness. While she was on the phone, a super lively and adorable little girl with her hair in a bun was sitting in her lap.
Yuki's eyes sparkled. She pointed at Xie Qingxuan, calling him the "Empire's Fierce Tiger," and then at Chu Yuanqing, calling him the Donghuang Amaterasu." When it came to Tang Liuli, she tilted her head in confusion and finally happily called out "Cat Cat," making the other party seem utterly unimpressive.
Looking at his young sister-in-law, Chu Yuanqing began to reminisce about when his own daughter was just as young. As a result, he treated the child with extra gentleness, and even used a little magic to amuse Yuki.
Unfortunately, she didn't get to play with the child for long before the video on Little Sakura's end started shaking, and then the video showed her parents- Pure White Witch, whose faces were tense and very nervous.
Kiriwake Tatsuya, Little Sakura's Dad, was very kind. Megumi Kirimi (her mother) looked at him with the affection one would show for a daughter, and greeted him warmly, hoping everyone would come to Hokkaido as a guest.
This attitude is understandable. After Kiriwake Yayoi revealed her Magical Girl information, in the eyes of her parents, these teammates who were also Magical Girl were comrades-in-arms with whom their daughter could entrust her life.
In this kind of relationship, even if they don't reveal their private romantic relationship, they are not just ordinary colleagues or friends.
Chu Yuanqing's video call lasted until almost midnight before she hung up. She lay back down on the edge of the bed, cautiously lifting the covers. Not finding Charlotte, who liked to ambush people, she breathed a sigh of relief, but also found it somewhat amusing.
Although Charlotte is very clingy to her Little Cotton-padded Jacket and wants to sleep with her almost every day, she will move on to her partner soon after the child falls asleep and start their marital game.
Let's go to sleep first tonight.
The Pure White Witch lay in bed. She had just covered herself with the blanket and closed her eyes when she glanced at the paper crane amulet shimmering with light in her Sea of Consciousness, and suddenly remembered something.
Speaking of which, with the power of [Destiny], it seems she no longer needs to borrow [Heart Forging] from Little Sakura to forge weapons with special effects.