In the deepest reaches of Wenwan's vast, icy Mind Corridor.
Zhou Heng stood upon a fault of nothingness constructed from countless garbled codes and misaligned data, his penetrating gaze piercing the overlapping torrents of data.
He showed not the slightest impatience; even the rhythm of his breathing remained entirely undisturbed.
The next moment, Zhou Heng shifted slightly and slowly, utterly naturally, sat cross-legged within the spatial fault, assuming an impeccably standard "Seated Awakened One" posture.
His eyes were half closed, and deep within them flowed an icy divinity of great compassion and sorrow, yet absolute transcendence.
At the same time, his gaze settled with perfect precision on a point 15° left and 7.2° below straight ahead.
And at the very instant Zhou Heng began the 1000s countdown deep within Wenwan's Mind Corridor.
Outside, in Cold Water Village, inside that humble Waterwood hut.
The Water-Bearing Race boy, Ci Shui, who had just been infused with the complete power of "compassion" through the Master of All Beings' immense "All Beings Suffer" God-Ascension Plan, suddenly opened his tightly shut eyes!
Those young eyes, which should have been clear and bright, as innocent as pure mountain spring water, changed color completely in that instant.
In their place was an ultimate evil, thick as ink and brimming with endless brutality and destructive desire.
The surrounding walls, constructed from pure water essence, actually began developing layers of ashen mottling that signified erosion by viral code at a visible speed the instant that gaze touched them.
He was no longer that little boy who knew only to fetch water for Village Chief Sister and would be happy for an entire day over a single word of praise.
He was the Boundless Court's 100th Seat Judge, "Lord of Compassion · ...%￥%...￥ · (•́へ•́╬) · Yixuxi," who had used