After giving his instructions, the Aeon of Joy turned into a stream of light and slowly vanished before everyone's eyes.
The Space Station researchers all breathed sighs of relief at the sight.
"Thank goodness. I really thought the Aeon of Joy was angry. So it was just a joke."
"This observation was highly meaningful. From Aha's attitude, it's clear that as long as Brother Huan is willing to walk the Path of Elation, he'll definitely gain an incredibly considerable amount of power."
"Exactly. Given how compatible Brother Huan is with this Path, the power he gains will definitely surpass that of other Emanators. He might even be able to exchange a few moves with an Aeon!"
For a moment, everyone was talking at once.
They were mostly sharing the good news, and every face was filled with the smiles of those who had survived a disaster.
They had thought it would already be fortunate enough for an Aeon to appear. They had never expected to discover an Aeon successor as well.
More importantly, they all knew him fairly well.
If Yan Huan really gained the title of Emanator of Joy, they would be able to benefit from it too.
After all, they had all witnessed the process with their own eyes. No matter how you put it, they counted as witnesses.
Inside the office.
Everyone had relaxed, but Herta and March 7th alone wore grave expressions.
March 7th kept feeling that something was wrong.
No matter how powerful virtual Aeons were, could they truly affect reality outside the Simulated Universe?
If that were true, then this project's loopholes were far too serious.
She looked at Yan Huan, who was currently lying within the data array.
The shattered fragments of the chair beside him looked especially jarring.
"Beep, beep, beep—"
Herta took out her tablet, seemingly placing a call.
The communication was quickly answered.
Herta glanced at the data array and said,
"Screwllum, come back soon."
A puzzled voice came from the other end of the line.
"What happened, Ms. Herta?"
Herta stared gravely at the data array.
"An Aeon consciousness has invaded the Simulated Universe. The Simulated Universe is already out of control."
For a moment.
The entire office fell silent.
Asta listened blankly to the conversation, her eyes widening. "Uh, Herta, wh-what did you just say?"
Herta gave Asta a calm glance.
"Was I not clear enough? The Simulated Universe has been invaded by an Aeon consciousness. I tried the forced logout module, but it can no longer be activated. The entire Simulated Universe is now under the control of some Aeon."
March 7th immediately panicked.
She looked at Herta and anxiously asked,
"What? Which Aeon? Was it the Aeon of Joy? Did his true consciousness come here?"
Yan Huan's consciousness was still inside the Simulated Universe.
Herta shook her head. "No."
"Didn't you notice the tremors just now? They were caused by the invading Aeon consciousness. It has already entered the Simulated Universe."
"As for the Aeon of Joy... he merely dug a pit beneath Yan Huan's feet."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the office froze where they stood.
Simulated Universe.
Yan Huan looked at the vanished Aha and sniffed.
"So you're leaving already? You couldn't chat a little longer?"
The surrounding environment changed once more.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him.
When he opened his eyes, Yan Huan found himself standing on a desolate planet.
"Hm?"
The sky was dim and gloomy. Windblown sand brushed through Yan Huan's hair, while withered grass and broken stones covered the ground beneath his feet.
Everything was steeped in deathly silence.
A heavy sense of oppression lingered around Yan Huan's heart.
"Why does this feel so strange?"
After walking a long distance, the scene before him remained just as barren.
There was not the slightest trace of life.
"What's going on?" Yan Huan was utterly confused.
There was nothing in this place. He could not possibly just waste time here, could he?
Crunching over the sand and gravel, Yan Huan wandered aimlessly for a very, very long time.
By the time he was drenched in sweat.
A figure finally appeared in the distance.
He stood beside a dead tree, silently watching Yan Huan.
He was a tall, muscular man, with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...
...a whole lot of abs.
Since he was shirtless, Yan Huan could see them very clearly.
Every one of the man's abdominal muscles brimmed with strength. Paired with his wheat-colored skin, he gave off the impression of a gym trainer.
There were several golden cracks on his body that looked like scars. Yan Huan had no idea who had inflicted them.
His long white hair fluttered amid the wind and sand, carrying an intense air of age and hardship.
Yan Huan walked over, waved, and greeted him.
"Hey, buddy, do you know where this is?"
The white-haired man did not answer. He merely examined the man approaching him in silence.
Yan Huan at that moment.
He wore a black trench coat, his long hair wild in the wind and sand, while his molten-gold eyes held a trace of confusion.
"Hey, say something. Hello?"
He waved a hand before the white-haired man's face, trying to get his attention.
The latter simply watched Yan Huan silently before slowly opening his mouth.
His very first words were explosive.
"Do you have any final wishes?"
Yan Huan froze. "What? Final wishes?"
The white-haired man nodded. "Afterward, I'll consider fulfilling them for you."
Yan Huan smiled casually.
He only felt that this white-haired fellow was rather interesting.
"Final wishes? I've got quite a lot of those."
"Tell me."
"For example, I'm too weak. I don't know when I'll be able to exchange blows with an Aeon."
The white-haired man stared at Yan Huan.
"At your age, your current strength is already sufficient. As for challenging an Aeon with a mortal body, I'm afraid you will never accomplish that in your lifetime."
Yan Huan frowned.
"How do you know? Do you also think that people in this world must rely on the power of Paths to survive?"
"This is the law of the world. No one can change it, including me." The white-haired man's tone remained calm.
His words carried immense age. Though he did not look old, Yan Huan could feel the distance of time within them.
Ancient and everlasting.
"Buddy, you've got a story."
Yan Huan gave the white-haired man a thumbs-up.
This guy spoke with real depth.
"Do you know how to get out of here? I'm starting to feel a little oxygen-deprived staying here."
"..."
The white-haired man silently walked past Yan Huan, then slowly turned his head.
Looking at Yan Huan and the withered tree trunk, he said,
"This planet was destroyed many years ago. Naturally, you will feel unwell."
Yan Huan nodded as if he understood. So this was a planet that had already been destroyed.
Then this fellow must have been a native, right?
Then.
The white-haired man declared expressionlessly,
"Alright. Let me send you on your way."
"Send me on my way? Where to?"
Suddenly, the entire ground began to tremble.
Yan Huan immediately became alert and stepped back.
The sky began to shatter, falling like fragments of glass and leaving behind only a void.
Boom—!!
The white-haired man instantly erupted with a terrifying aura, sweeping outward in all directions from his body.
In an instant, sand and stones flew everywhere.
The ground churned like an earth dragon turning over, and the mountains and earth shook.
Yan Huan could barely keep his footing. He could only crouch down and grip the ground, staring blankly at the man who had suddenly powered up before him.
What was going on? How did this guy go from chatting to unleashing his ultimate move?
"Hey, stop staring and run!"
Suddenly.
A clear voice, crisp as silver bells, rang out.
A slender hand grabbed Yan Huan by the collar, tugged him along, and then took off with him at full speed.
Yan Huan sped up in utter confusion, blankly looking at the girl pulling him along.
Her eyes were pink and blue.
Her delicate, pretty face was now filled with anxiety.
"You..."
Bang—!!
Before he could finish, a force weighing a thousand catties slammed into his back.
The blow sent him crashing straight to the ground, where he rolled repeatedly with the earth.
Only after violently smashing through a boulder did he finally come to a stop.
His body ached faintly.
The intense pain left him somewhat dazed.
Yan Huan staggered to his feet and blankly touched the corner of his mouth.
A smear of blood appeared on his hand.
...You have exited the slacking-off state.
Before you continue