Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Soon, the street returned to silence, but this silence lasted for less than three minutes.

"Da da da—!!!"

"Boom! Bang! Boom—!"

The dense gunfire and explosions erupted like a long-suppressed volcano, suddenly bursting forth from all directions of the town!
The firelight instantly illuminated the windows of the once-dead buildings, and distorted figures flickered and exchanged fire behind the windows.

All the sounds that war should have filled the underground space at this moment.

This place was no longer a cage filled with rustling rats; it instantly transformed into a bustling battlefield.

Arius's students poured out of various buildings and alleyways, engaging in fierce firefights with the puppets that appeared around them.

At the height of this chaos, an exceptionally sharp whistling sound forcefully drowned out all the gunfire and entered Lin Yi's ears.

In the center of the false "sky" above, which shimmered with dim starlight, a bright orange-red light suddenly appeared, like molten iron dripping into water.

With a destructive trail in its wake, it hurtled toward the town center at a speed clearly visible to the naked eye!
"Cruise missile..." Lin Yi's pupils contracted slightly.

Arius actually possessed such heavy firepower, and using it in such a confined space was practically a suicidal tactic.

The idea had just formed in his mind.

The orange-red light spot touched the ground.

There was no sound—or rather, the sound was drowned out by the light and heat that arrived first.

A blinding white light, capable of instantly killing, exploded in the center of the town, transforming into a wildly expanding ball of fire!
The shockwave, centered on a sphere of light, swept outwards in a perfect spherical shape. Wherever it passed, low-rise buildings were flattened and blown away like sandcastles, while slightly taller buildings collapsed and burned amidst violent shaking.

Even from several kilometers away, the scorching heatwave pounded against Lin Yi's face like a solid wall, carrying a heavy smell of gunpowder and dust.

This power far exceeds that of conventional tactical missiles.

And this is just the beginning.

Before the embers of the first missile had even completely dissipated, the shrill whistling sounds tearing through the air joined together!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—!
On the outskirts of town, at least a dozen different locations simultaneously lit up with orange-red tail flames.

Cruise missiles, each slightly different in shape but exuding a deadly aura, rose from the ground, leaving long trails of smoke and tracing different parabolic arcs, crashing down on various seemingly key or densely populated areas within the town!
Saturation attack.

Arius, or rather the being that controls Arius, has gone completely mad, willing to destroy this underground lair that he has cultivated for many years, along with everything inside!
The Saints' counterattack came faster than the missiles landed.

Near the town center, several giant doll costumes, each as tall as a three-story building, appeared as if they had "grown" out of the ground.

They still retain the silhouette of nuns, but exude a sense of history and oppression, similar to church stone sculptures.

Faced with the deadly meteors hurtling in from different directions, the dolls simultaneously raised their heads, and a blinding white light shone from beneath their masks.

A chanting voice, neither male nor female, resounded directly in the consciousness of all living beings within a radius of several kilometers.

As they chanted, the blazing white light converged and compressed wildly at the core of their chests, its brightness increasing dramatically, as if it were about to transform into miniature suns.

The missile is approaching.

The chanting reached its climax.

“Buzz——!!!”

Several beams of pure white light, each as thick as a water bucket, shot out from the giant doll's chest, precisely intercepting the incoming missiles from the sky.

Wherever the beam of light passed, it left behind fleeting vacuum trails.

The missile hit by the white light did not explode.

They are like substances thrown into a powerful dissolving solution. Starting from the warhead, the metal casing, internal structure, fuel, warhead... everything disappears the moment it comes into contact with the white light in a way that defies the laws of physics.

The beam of light did not dissipate after shattering the missile; it continued to extend upwards and finally crashed violently into the simulated dome of the "sky" hundreds of meters high.

Sizzle—!!!
The dome, made of special materials and which should have been extremely sturdy, melted and collapsed rapidly under the white light, like ice and snow under the sun, revealing the dark and real underground rock structure behind it, as well as the intricate pipelines and support frames within the rock strata.

The already severely damaged sky simulation system completely broke down, flickered a few times, and then turned into pure darkness.

Only the scattered lights that had not yet been destroyed in the town, and the flames from burning buildings, barely outlined the contours of this area.

In the deeper shadows, the light emanating from the saintly dolls scattered like stars, and from a distance, this underground space, which had once been disguised as a small town, now resembled a ghostly graveyard.

“This is…” In the group, Hoshino subconsciously gripped the shotgun tighter.

The halo above her head seemed to sense the drastic change in the environment and the potential threat, and spontaneously adjusted its output, increasing its brightness and emitting a stable glow that slightly dispelled the darkness within a few meters around the team.

The white light attack emitted by those puppets just now... Lin Yi sensed an extremely familiar yet dangerous aura.

Pyrolysis characteristics.

That beam of light carried a hint of the "disintegration" rule—a terrifying force capable of ignoring the strength of most material structures and directly dismantling the very foundation of existence at the conceptual level.

He had felt a similar aura when he clashed with the severely weakened world-destroying race in Alice's demon castle.

The true Disintegration Beast is a Void Calamity that even large races are unwilling to face easily.

Although the attacks of these puppets are far inferior to those of real shattering beasts in terms of purity, intensity, and range, and are more like a clumsy imitation or diluted product, their inherent danger should not be underestimated.

If there are enough of them, and they all fire at the same time, forming a large-scale disintegration force field, even he would have to temporarily avoid their sharp edge.

These doll-like costumes, of unknown origin and carrying the property of disintegration, pose a potential threat that may even exceed that of Beatrice herself.

Their production or control cores must be located and destroyed before they cause greater damage.

Lin Yi's gaze instantly locked onto the direction where the abyssal power fluctuations were most intense on the entire battlefield.

It was a location on the western side of the town, near the rock wall. Its energy reaction was not only strong, but also showed a growth characteristic, as if the heart of a living thing was beating, constantly pumping out the contractual power needed to create those dolls.

"Follow me, target changed." Lin Yi stopped explaining, his figure blurred into a phantom that was difficult to catch with the naked eye, and sped towards the source in the west.

"Teacher!" Hoshino called out, but seeing that Lin Yi didn't stop, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Keep up! Don't fall behind!"

Hina Sorasaki reacted the fastest, flapping her wings and surrounded by purple light, she flew low into the sky, chasing after Lin Yi.

The members of the Trinity Justice Fulfillment Department followed suit; their wings were not small, enough to support them in keeping up with Lin Yi's pace.

Of the remaining five members of the Abydos group, Hoshino looked at Shirako.

Bai Zi nodded and quickly operated a controller on his waist.

Several light drones that had been used for reconnaissance and hovered nearby immediately lowered their altitude and lowered simple suspension cables.

"Hurry up," Bai Zi said succinctly.

Hoshino, Nomiya, Serika, and Ayane did not hesitate and each grabbed a lasso.

With its engine power boosted, the drone carried the four people at a pace that wasn't too fast but was fast enough to keep up, as it chased after the direction where Lin Yi had disappeared.

Bai Zi, with his excellent physical qualities and sense of balance, nimbly leaped and darted among the building ruins, and his speed was surprisingly fast.

Cave.

Or more accurately, a natural underground cavity that was converted into a church.

After Lin Yi passed through a rock crevice filled with defensive barriers, this was the scene that came into view.

Towering natural stalactites are embedded with stained glass and metal reliefs. The rough rock walls have been polished smooth, and the originally uneven rocks on the ground have been covered with smooth black stone slabs, which are also etched with intricate lines.

Standing at the entrance of the church, with his back to Lin Yi, the person who was "enjoying" this scene with great interest was actually an "acquaintance" of Lin Yi.

Secret meeting, master.

His two iconic heads were not looking into the church, but instead turned towards the entrance, all four eyes locked on Lin Yi, a fanatical smile on his face.

Lin Yi's steps did not falter at all. He instantly appeared behind the master craftsman, his right hand gripping the neck of one of the master craftsmen's heads like an iron clamp, and lifted him off the ground with one hand.

Lin Yi's voice was colder than the chill in the cave. His gaze swept over the giant cocoon and the giant that were "producing": "Is this the 'masterpiece' of your secret meeting or the Crimson Society?"

With his neck gripped, the master's two heads laughed simultaneously, their laughter hoarse and overlapping.

"Ahem...Relax, sir...This body is very fragile."

The left head gasped as it spoke, and the right head immediately followed: "As you can see, a little... a small application of heritage. Although most of the fanatics from the Crimson Society have become decorations on the walls, some of their research findings are indeed quite inspiring."

Lin Yi's fingers tightened slightly, and the bones in the master craftsman's neck creaked under the strain: "You're playing with fire."

In the void, the name "Crimson Society" was once an organization that troubled many powerful races.

The exact date of the Crimson Society's founding is unknown. Its founders are said to be three scholars who fled to this place from different worlds. They shared a common characteristic: they were disillusioned with the existing power system and turned to the power of the abyss, which was considered taboo by the mainstream.

The initial slogan of the school was quite misleading—"Understand the abyss, and you will transcend it."

They claim their research is aimed at finding ways to combat the erosion of the abyss and for the survival of all civilizations.

Initially, they did indeed conduct only mild experiments.

Capture low-intelligence predators in the void, collect plant or mineral samples that have been slightly abyss-ified due to accidental exposure, record data, and build models.

They published some fringe papers with radical views but detailed data, which attracted some attention in a small academic circle that also operates in a gray area.

The major powers turn a blind eye to this, since the void is vast enough to accommodate some dangerous "academic explorations," as long as they don't touch core interests.

As their understanding of the power of the abyss deepens, the appetite and moral bottom line of the Crimson Society simultaneously slide into the abyss.

Their theory posits that the fragile, primitive form of intelligent life is the greatest obstacle preventing it from progressing to higher levels, while the power of the abyss is the key to unlocking the door to evolution.

To verify the theory, they need more and more complex "samples".

The research directions of the society began to diverge into several research groups.

Some focus on flesh and blood mutation, attempting to use the power of the abyss as a catalyst for biological modification to create highly adaptable life forms; others, like the team led by the master craftsman, are obsessed with finding the point of combination between the power of the abyss and other extreme attribute powers. The ability of the rupture beast to erase matter from the level of existence naturally becomes a highly valuable piece of the puzzle in their eyes.

The test subjects have shifted from being neglected Void Beasts to being members of races with consciousness and even unique power systems.

The first to suffer were the nomadic clans or lost civilizations struggling to survive in the void.

The entire settlement was secretly erased, and all residents became numbers in the laboratory.

The Crimson Society's methods have become increasingly cruel. They are no longer satisfied with observing natural erosion, but actively design tortures and use different rituals to test the degree to which individuals of different races resonate with the power of the abyss under extreme pain, fear, and despair.

These atrocities did not go unnoticed, but the Crimson Society became exceptionally cunning.

They no longer have fixed bases; their laboratories are scattered throughout the void, in untraceable rifts and desolate worlds. They have developed sophisticated methods of disguise and evasion, and each operation is clean and efficient, like ghosts.

Occasionally, when the victim's faction investigates further, they often only find a cleared-out ruin.

Warnings grew louder, but lacking concrete evidence and a unified group of victims, the proposal for a large-scale crackdown remained shelved in the councils of the major powers.

Many even harbored a sliver of hope: perhaps these mad scholars could actually come up with something? Perhaps... the power of the abyss could indeed be used "safely"?

This dangerous appeasement came to an abrupt end when the Crimson Society extended its reach to key members of the Daemon, Winged, and StarClan.

A pure-blooded demon of the demon race mysteriously disappeared along with his personal guard while on a border patrol mission.

Months later, a noble squad of the Feathered Race, en route to an ancient temple for a coming-of-age ceremony, lost contact while traversing a stable star field.

Almost simultaneously, several young members of the Star Clan were silently abducted while in seclusion.

These races are all deeply rooted and powerful beings in the void.

This time, the Deep Red Society finally crossed the line, and a joint crackdown aimed at eradicating it was quickly put on the agenda and entered the preparation stage.

Just before the combined fleet completed its assembly and the operational plan was finalized, something happened at the headquarters of the Crimson Society.

The joint operation was temporarily suspended amid shock and confusion.

No one knows what happened. Any probes that approached the headquarters of the Crimson Society would soon lose contact. Two medium-sized reconnaissance ships that dared to approach were never able to emerge after being shrouded in that "darkness".

The remaining members either went into hiding or were eliminated one by one in the subsequent manhunt.

But its legacy, like deadly spores, has scattered to every corner of the void.

The master craftsman is one of them.

As the person in charge of the project to fuse the Fragmented Beast with the power of the Abyss, he was away from headquarters at the time because of a crucial wild capture mission, and luckily escaped the fusion that would turn his colleagues into eternal reliefs.

He took away his group's most crucial research data and a portion of experimental samples, disappearing into the void.

After arriving in this world, he clearly did not learn his lesson. Instead, he used the Saints' Guild as a new breeding ground, taking advantage of Beatrice's ambition and the resources of the Secret Society to restart and advance his dangerous research, attempting to create the fusion product he envisioned.

"Playing with fire? No, we are pursuing the truth!" The Grandmaster's right head throbbed with excitement, even though his neck was distorted from being choked. "The Crimson Society's mistake back then was that they took too big a step, directly attacking the higher races and angering those hypocritical behemoths. But their direction was correct! The power of the Abyss is the end, and disintegration is one of the ultimate antitheses of order! Studying their combination is to peer into the mysteries of the deepest level of the void!"

The left side of the head coughed a few times, then added, its tone calm as if engaged in an academic discussion: "We came into this world and discovered the 'Halo' system... It's simply a perfect testing ground. That madwoman Beatrice provided the venue and some of the 'materials,' while we provided the technology and... a little bit of inspiration. Look at these 'Saintly Attire,' how beautiful they are! They inherit part of the contractual framework of the Eustina Saints' Society, incorporate some of the Crimson Society's analysis of the rules of fragmentation, and use the power of the Abyss as a fusion agent and power source... They are art! They are miracles that have fused the powers of three different systems!"

"Your miracle is creating a bunch of uncontrollable monsters that only know destruction?"

“Control? That’s so boring.” The right side of the Great Master’s head grinned. “We set basic commands, endow them with the instinct to purify ‘filth,’ and then observe how they evolve, how they interact with this world, and how they eventually… perhaps reach that critical point. Beatrice wants to use them to destroy Trinity, while we want to see if these creations can undergo further ‘evolution’ in the midst of fierce conflict. Different experimental objectives, but they can coexist.”

"So, from the very beginning, you planned to let everything here get out of control, including the creations you left behind?" Lin Yi's gaze fell on the huge bishop giant, which could command those puppets, clearly indicating that it was a higher-level control node or production core.

"Loss of control is part of the observation," the Grandmaster's left head murmured. "Absolute order produces nothing new. Chaos, conflict, death... these are the breeding grounds for variables. We, the Secret Meeting, are merely the stage builders and the initial setters of the plot. How the actors perform, how the story unfolds... we are happy to witness."

"Including witnessing your own destruction?" Lin Yi's voice was devoid of emotion.

The two heads of the master craftsman were silent for a moment, then laughed again, their laughter carrying a martyr-like composure and madness.

"If destruction can bring us the ultimate answer, then that will be the best ending for us."

Lin Yi said no more.

A wisp of sword energy pierced through the fingertips of the right hand that gripped the master's neck.

The master craftsman's smile froze, the light in his four eyes dimmed rapidly, and his body went limp as if a skin bag had been ripped of its bones.

There was no kill notification.

Sure enough, this was yet another meticulously crafted double or puppet.

Lin Yi casually tossed the limp "master craftsman" onto the cold, black stone floor, as if discarding a piece of useless trash.

The organ music stopped the moment we stepped into the depths of the cave.

The hundreds of kneeling effigies simultaneously stopped moving, turned their heads, and fixed their gazes on the uninvited guest beneath their masks. (End of Chapter)