The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 275 Welcome to Reality (Five Chapters Combined)

All was silent above the ruins of Huangtian City.

Xie Qian's body and his "Dao" turned into nothingness, along with the obsession that had supported his plans for thirteen hundred years, all of which dissipated in the world he had once wanted to reshape.

Below, the surviving Confucian disciples remained standing there, looking dazed.

The saint in their hearts had died completely, and their lifelong faith, along with the Imperial City before them, had turned into ruins. For a moment, they were at a loss as to where to go.

Should we grieve for the passing of our sage, or be angry at being used and deceived? Or should we remain confused by the questions that have just arisen?
No one knows the answer.

Xiao Yinghao stood in front of the White Dragon Army's formation, gazing at Gu Fangchen standing in front of the ruins.

Besides her, there were also Prajna Lotus Moon, Xu Fu, Shi Qingguang, the Ning family, and all the cultivators and soldiers who witnessed this scene.

Everyone was deeply moved and unable to calm down for a long time.

Today's battle has completely exceeded their understanding of cultivation.

This is a battle between two first-rank officials, a true "battle of the Dao." The power that Gu Fangchen displayed was not just a defeat for Xie Qian—the "Confucian Sage" who was once incomparably authoritative in their eyes—it was a complete crushing defeat!

Such a gap is terrifying.

Because it wasn't just the Confucian disciples of Yaoshan Academy who were confused; they were just as confused.

At this moment, everyone except Ning Caiyong, even those who had a deep understanding of Gu Fangchen before, had their understanding refreshed.

The figure of the young man, still dressed in white robes, seemed to become quite distant in an instant.

In the midst of this eerie silence, the sound coming from the direction of Tianmen Mountain suddenly echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

"Gu Fangchen, now, let's have a real talk—"

The sound was not loud; in fact, it was calm and devoid of any warmth or emotion.

But it penetrated space and reached the very soul, as if it contained some unquestionable supreme rule, causing everyone who heard it to tremble in their hearts.

Everyone's pupils constricted, their hearts filled with confusion and shock.

Who... is this?!
After the fall of the "Confucian Sage" Xie Qian, who else could speak to Gu Fangchen in such a tone?
But what's even more terrifying is that they couldn't even muster the thought of defying the voice, as if every word he said was an irrefutable truth.

On the top of Tianmen Mountain.

As Xiao Zhenwu finished speaking, an astonishing change occurred in the withered body that belonged to Ying Baishou.

This body had lost all its flesh and blood, becoming no different from a skeleton.

But at this moment, the withered skin became plump and moist at a speed visible to the naked eye, like a dead tree coming back to life.

His gray hair quickly turned black and fell loosely over his shoulders.

His hunched body slowly straightened, growing taller step by step, and regained its upright and majestic posture.

The dust and years that covered him fell away like sand blown away by the wind.

Finally, a handsome and dignified middle-aged man, dressed in an ancient black imperial robe, with calm eyes, appeared on the mountaintop.

He simply stood there quietly, and the entire Tianmen Mountain, and even the surrounding mountains and rivers, and even the spiritual energy, trembled. Every blade of grass and tree bowed to him.

He was not borrowing the power of heaven and earth, but heaven and earth were spontaneously worshipping him.

Towards the ancient human emperor, the master of the "constant" way.

"Om-"

The void trembled slightly, and the next moment, his figure disappeared from the top of Tianmen Mountain and appeared directly in the sky above Huangtian City, facing Gu Fangchen from afar.

Gu Fangchen looked at him, her expression unchanged, showing no surprise at his appearance.

Ning Caiyong's "Heavenly" Way can only trap him for a while. It's only a matter of time before he breaks free. It would be enough to kill Xie Qian, the original cause of "spreading the Way," before he gets out!

What is sealed by the "Heavenly Way" is an entire period of history, in which time is frozen.

However, beyond the laws of "Heaven," time continues to flow.

All the people and things involved, those who were not fortunate enough to escape being sealed away, have turned to dust over millions of years.

Once it leaves the scope of the "Heavenly" Way, it will disappear directly.

Xiao Zhenwu's physical body and soul were the same.

Therefore, he chose to possess a new body, forcibly covering his own karma with it, and replacing Ying Baishou's existence.

"【Hengchang Dao Master · Ancient Human Emperor】... Xiao Zhenwu".

Gu Fangchen slowly uttered the name of the final boss of "Mirror in the Dust," meeting the man's gaze with icy coldness:
"Are you still used to using this old, white-haired body?"

"A decent container."

As Xiao Zhenwu spoke, he raised his hand and twirled his sword.

This sword was once the only genuine sword of the highest grade, and its name was "Sick Spring".

Now, the person who wields this sword has truly come back to life, and spring has returned to the once withered tree... But alas, the person is no longer the same.

He looked at the sword in his hand, at Gu Fangchen's reflection on the blade, as if observing an interesting mistake, and shook his head:
"Unfortunately, his swordsmanship was based on 'flowing water,' which has no fixed shape and soldiers have no fixed tactics. It was almost the way of 'impermanence,' full of 'change,' which contradicted the way of 'constancy.' I have corrected it all."

He raised his hand, and on that hand that should have belonged to a peerless sword saint, there were no calluses from years of wielding a sword; it was as perfect as a work of art.

Gu Fangchen's heart sank slightly.

Ying Baishou's swordsmanship is one of the most outstanding paths in this world, yet he dismissed it so casually.

Information about Ying Baishou is scarce in the game, but as a cultivator who once reached the first rank, the same level as Xie Qian, and who left important clues after sealing the "Heavenly Gate," he then sealed the "Heavenly Gate" with his own body, which is tantamount to suicide...

Gu Fangchen also wondered if Ying Baishou had died too easily. With his abilities, was it really impossible for him to seal the "Heavenly Gate" and then escape unscathed?
Especially after learning that Ning Caiyong is the "Heavenly" Way, the goals of both sides should actually be the same, so why would he need to sacrifice himself?

It turns out that he was practicing the path of "impermanence".

"Constant" and "impermanent" are two completely opposite paths.

Perhaps he was assassinated by Xiao Zhenwu the instant he was promoted? So he could only leave a message before he died to warn those who would follow.

“You have severed the cause of ‘preaching’ and cut off all paths for the ‘Tao’ to continue to spread. That’s good.”

Xiao Zhenwu's tone even carried a hint of praise as he smiled and exclaimed:
“But ‘preaching’ is also a kind of change. Now, this world only needs to remain as it is and continue to operate, and the way of ‘constancy’ can completely fill every corner.”

"Gu Fangchen, you have done a great service by eliminating the interference of other 'paths' for me."

He then changed the subject:
"But it's still not quite right... it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

"The deep-seated problem of this world lies in 'change' itself. People's hearts are fickle, hence the strife; the four seasons change, hence the birth and death—all suffering originates from 'impermanence'."

"So, you want to establish your own 'constant' way, so that the world will return to eternal stillness?"

Gu Fangchen said coldly.

It is 'correction'.

Xiao Zhenwu leisurely corrected:

"Correct all the mistakes and let this world return to its rightful, most perfect and stable form. And you, Gu Fangchen, are the biggest 'mistake' that remains in this world now."

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Fangchen had already made her move.

Xiao Zhenwu had long since gone mad, and it was still unknown what he truly was at this moment. Words were superfluous in dealing with such a fanatical "Dao".

He extended a finger and pointed it at Xiao Zhenwu, just as he had done to Xie Qian earlier, pointing it in mid-air.

[True becomes false].

Gu Fangchen directly attempted to deny Xiao Zhenwu himself, saying coldly:

"Your existence is fake."

An invisible will instantly enveloped Xiao Zhenwu.

In an instant, Xiao Zhenwu's body, which had accumulated the "Hengchang" Dao for millions of years, began to become transparent and illusory at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The "real" attributes that constitute his existence are being forcibly stripped away and replaced with the concept of "false".

The space around him began to distort, light and shadow intertwined, and his robes, hair, and even his indifferent eyes, and his figure swayed violently like a reflection in water.

It was as if he would disappear completely in the next second, as if he and his history were just a dream that no one remembered, and would be completely erased from "reality" in the next moment.

However, the shaking lasted only half a breath.

Faced with an attack that could annihilate Xie Qian in an instant, Xiao Zhenwu's face revealed a hint of... mockery.

"madness."

He sneered.

"Don't you understand, Gu Fangchen?"

In an instant, the power from the entire world stabilized Xiao Zhenwu's illusory figure, which had been almost distorted, and quickly brought it back to reality.

"Within this world, my existence is already synonymous with the existence of the world. I am the 'reality' of this world itself. To deny me is to deny this world."

Xiao Zhenwu's figure suddenly froze, becoming even more real than before, not even the hem of his clothes moved, as if he had transformed into a pillar supporting this world.

Gu Fangchen's pupils contracted slightly, her heart sank, and she thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

He did consider directly negating Xiao Zhenwu, but Xiao Zhenwu's "Hengchang" was the fourth Dao born after "Zhen", "Jia", and "Tian".

It is one of the foundations that builds the entire world, that is, all the "inherent rules" of today, as long as they exist, are affected by "constancy".

Without "constancy," trees would not be trees, flowers would not be flowers, and people would no longer resemble people.

Even Gu Fangchen's own existence is based on "Heng Chang".

When Gu Fangchen used the skills [Turning Truth into Falsehood] and [Turning Falsehood into Truth] before, she vaguely sensed resistance from the entire world.

At this moment, when facing Xiao Zhenwu himself, this resistance finally took on a concrete form.

The concept of "truth and falsehood" is actually quite interesting.

Xiao Zhenwu said calmly:

"It can define what is 'real' and what is 'false' according to your will."

"Unfortunately, it defines reality based on 'cognition' rather than reality based on 'facts'."

He raised his eyes and said:

Have you heard of the three stages of Zen meditation?

"When you look at a mountain, it is a mountain; when you look at a mountain, it is not a mountain; when you look at a mountain, it is a mountain again."

"At this moment, for you, the 'mountain' is 'reality'."

“You can say the mountain is fake, but in reality, the mountain will not disappear because of this, and I am the ‘mountain’ of this world, the ‘reason’ that constitutes this world.”

"What you are denying is merely the world's 'perception' of me, not my 'existence'."

"As long as this world exists, the principle of 'constancy' will not perish."

Having said that, he slowly raised his hand and gently waved it towards the dazzling starry sky manifested by Gu Fangchen's power.

"This heaven should return to this heaven."

At a single command, that vast and profound cosmic spectacle, with its shifting stars, was instantly wiped away as if by an invisible hand.

The flowing galaxy rolled back, and all the strange phenomena that had stained the grass and dust faded away.

The sky returned to its original appearance.

It was as if the earth-shaking spectacle that had just reshaped the world had never happened!
Everyone below was horrified and utterly terrified!
If Gu Fangchen's power is "I write what I feel," then she uses her own will as a pen to redraw the world.

So Xiao Zhenwu's power lies in the painting itself!

In any case, a paintbrush can only recreate the scene depicted on the scroll, but it cannot change the existence of the scroll itself.

[Turning truth into falsehood] is like trying to use a drop of ink to blacken the entire ocean.

The final result seems to be that it will only be diluted and assimilated by the sea, leaving no trace.

"Now, I'm going to 'fix' everything."

Xiao Zhenwu said calmly.

Everyone in this world looked up, staring blankly or in shock at the sky.

The sky was clear, but not azure; rather, it was a pale, almost transparent white, as if repeatedly wiped clean by an invisible force.

The entire sky that was almost completely covered in gold has been erased by an even more ancient and incredibly stable force.

This power is formless and invisible, yet it is omnipresent.

It determines the direction of the wind, frames the trajectory of light, and even defines the speed at which each dust particle settles.

This is the way of "constancy and balance".

At this moment, Xiao Zhenwu seemed to be connected to the pulse of the entire world, and every breath he took felt like the heavens and earth breathing in and out.

He is the foundation of this world's existence, the general outline of all rules.

Those open eyes held no trace of human emotion, only absolute indifference to and maintenance of the "ought" state of all things.

He looked at Gu Fangchen like a high-ranking chess player scrutinizing a piece that had jumped off the board and was disrupting the game.

Now, the chess player has decided to no longer tolerate the existence of this piece and to personally remove it from the chessboard... completely.

"Gu Fangchen, don't forget where you came from—you should never have existed in the first place."

This time, Xiao Zhenwu's voice was no longer just words, but transformed into the supreme law and rule of heaven and earth.

Every word he uttered resonated with the underlying rules of the entire world.

"Truth, when it returns to truth."

“Falsehood should also return to falsehood.”

As he said, Gu Fangchen severed the path of "transmitting the Way," but could not make the existing "Way" leave.

On the contrary, because the way of "spreading the word" is constantly changing, it is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of "constancy".

Today, the "Hengchang" way, which has existed for millions of years, is more powerful than ever before.

Previously, Xiao Zhenwu needed to resolve Gu Fangchen's issues from a causal perspective.

Now, he's going to directly invoke the "rules".

Because Gu Fangchen is an existence that transcends "Hengchang," and now, this world constructed by "Hengchang" naturally cannot accommodate his existence.

Om-!
The moment Xiao Zhenwu finished speaking.

Gu Fangchen felt a violent shock to his soul, and an unprecedented sense of being stripped away from the very foundation of his existence instantly swept over him!

This is not an attack, not harm, but "deletion".

This entire world, just like the vast and sophisticated system in the game, began to execute the "clean up abnormal data" program under the command of Xiao Zhenwu, the "highest-level administrator"!

The bug that is Gu Fangchen must be completely eliminated.

Gu Fangchen's pupils contracted, and the scene before her eyes began to shake violently and become distorted.

The ruins of Huangtian City beneath his feet, the surrounding mountains and rivers, and even the figures of Xiao Yinghao, Ning Caiyong, and others in the distance all became blurred, as if separated by a layer of swaying water ripples.

It's not that they've become unreal, but rather that Gu Fangchen herself is being rejected and driven out by this world dominated by "Hengchang"!
He felt like a drop of oil, forcibly dripped into a glass of water. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't blend in and would eventually be mercilessly discarded.

"Uh……"

Gu Fangchen let out a painful groan.

His body began to twist in a bizarre way, and the world beneath his feet was collapsing, as if he had been thrown into a vortex from which he could not escape.

Everyone watched in utter horror; for a moment, it seemed as if even the wind and time had stopped.

Whether it was Xiao Yinghao, Banruo Lianyue, or Xu Fu, who were closest to them, none of them had time to make a move at this moment.

Or rather, they were originally born into a world bound by the rules of "Heng Chang," and at this moment, they are naturally also trapped by "Heng Chang" and are unable to make a move.

"Chen'er!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Ning Caiyong instinctively cried out in alarm, but most of her power was used to bind the cause and effect.

At this moment, her "Heavenly" Dao carries the cause and effect of the entire world, and she cannot act rashly, otherwise it will affect Gu Fangchen's plan.

Therefore, even though she was extremely distressed at this moment, she could only choose to believe Gu Fangchen.

In their eyes, Gu Fangchen was like a malfunctioning phantom, flickering in the air, ready to disappear completely at any moment.

This is the strangulation of the world's rules.

In the domain of the Way of Balance and Constant, any existence that contradicts the order will be met with hostility and rejection from the entire world.

However, Gu Fangchen showed no fear in the face of this immense power of rules.

His face was slightly pale, but the light in his eyes grew even calmer and sharper.

"The sea..."

He murmured to himself, and then a cold smile curled up at the corner of his lips.

Gu Fangchen grinned:
"If one drop of ink is not enough, it can only mean one thing—not enough ink has been poured."

“Xiao Zhenwu, your greatest asset is your deep connection with this world. So, if…”

Gu Fangchen suddenly opened her arms, her expression not one of madness, but of absolute, reckless rationality.

"What if this world itself is fake!"

Boom!

The whole world trembled violently.

This time, he no longer limited the power of "Turning Truth into Falsehood" to Xiao Zhenwu alone, but expanded it directly to the entire world!

Just now, he used this skill on Xiao Zhenwu to test whether he could shake the underlying rules of this world.

The answer is yes.

Gu Fangchen had always known that although his understanding of the "Dao" was at a higher level than Xiao Zhenwu's, Xiao Zhenwu's mastery of the "Dao" was superior to his. Simply put, his skills were of higher quality, but Xiao Zhenwu's skills were of higher level.

Relying on the experience points accumulated over millions of years, Xiao Zhenwu managed to push his skill level to the maximum. Even though Gu Fangchen's skill ceiling was far higher than his, at this moment, Xiao Zhenwu's stats were still higher.

It's really worth it, even after counting...

Gu Fangchen still lacks a crucial opportunity to truly integrate with the two paths of "truth" and "falsehood".

He needs to create this opportunity for himself.

Before that, he needed to make sure that even though his skill level was currently relatively low, he could still deal damage to Xiao Zhenwu because his skill was superior to Xiao Zhenwu's due to his skill mechanics.

Even a moment's hesitation can be amplified through the karmic force that Ning Caiyong has gathered!
All of a sudden.

Centered on Gu Fangchen, a ring of golden ripples spread outwards again, sweeping in all directions!

Wherever the golden ripples passed, the concept of "constancy" vanished.

The concept that all things carry is stripped away, and they begin to collapse like quicksand, revealing the empty and boundless void beneath.

The entire world, under his will, is rapidly falling into the abyss of "falsehood".

At this moment, Xiao Zhenwu's expression finally changed.

For the first time, a genuine sense of gravity appeared in those indifferent eyes.

He underestimated Gu Fangchen's determination and methods; the latter was dismantling the very foundation upon which he depended for his existence!
However, he did not believe that Gu Fangchen would really do that. He had seen almost everything Gu Fangchen had gone through.

He went to great lengths and waited until now to make his move, was it just to let Gu Fangchen grow stronger step by step? Of course not.

He is creating the connection between Gu Fangchen and the world constructed by "Hengchang".

Only in this way will he willingly let go of himself, release the two paths of "truth" and "falsehood," and achieve his goal as Xiao Zhenwu.

"You are crazy!"

Xiao Zhenwu's voice carried a hint of anger:

"Those you cherish are also in this world! By doing this, you will destroy them all!"

Gu Fangchen's voice was eerily calm, echoing between the collapsing heavens and earth:

"Xiao Zhenwu, don't try to threaten me with this. In the end, any piece can be sacrificed, can't it?"

Xiao Zhenwu's heart sank.

Did he miscalculate?

No, not possible!

Judging from Gu Fangchen's behavior, there is absolutely no way he would treat everyone he has come along as a pawn!
Xiao Zhenwu roared, clasped his hands together, and then slowly opened them.

An invisible domain, yet containing the power of order, spread out from him to the entire world in an instant, forcibly maintaining the world's "balance"!
Two completely opposite "Tao" are like two invisible giant hands, frantically tearing at the very foundation of this world's existence.

This battle of wits has reached a delicate balance.

Xiao Zhenwu's expression grew increasingly grim. If things continued this way, the world would surely collapse, which was not the outcome he desired. He knew he had to step down first.

His mind raced, and he made up his mind.

We must change our strategy. Gu Fangchen is definitely not going to make a decision, and I need to make her admit that.

The distinction between "true" and "false" is most difficult to discern when one is in the midst of it all.

Then let him know that his so-called indifference is nothing but a lie that crumbles at the first blow.

"……enough."

Xiao Zhenwu's voice suddenly rang out, and the solemnity and anger receded like the tide, replaced by a deep sigh, as if he knew everything, like an old father looking at his wayward child.

He looked at Gu Fangchen, his gaze gradually replaced by a kind of compassion that a creator would show to a lost lamb.

“I didn’t want you to wake up originally, after all, in my eyes, you are the offspring I raised with my own hands.”

Gu Fangchen paused:

"Xiao Zhenwu, is there any point in your desperate struggle?"

Xiao Zhenwu said calmly:

"Have you ever truly seen reality? What if... from beginning to end, there was only one place where you stood?"

Gu Fangchen frowned:
"what do you want to say in the end?"

Xiao Zhenwu smiled silently.

Don't you want to know where you came from?

Then, he voluntarily gave up maintaining "Hengchang" and let the spreading golden ripples completely engulf him.

It will also engulf the entire world.

But at the same time, the collapsing nothingness stopped, and the whole world began to flow backward at an incredible speed. A river of time flowed beneath their feet.

Gu Fangchen felt the scene before her eyes blur, and the whole world began to change rapidly, like a black hole in Interstellar Travel.

Even though he remained motionless, the river of time carried him upstream. This was Xiao Zhenwu concentrating all the principles of "constancy" to rewind time.

"What are you doing?!"

“I’m taking you to see the ‘truth’.”

Xiao Zhenwu's voice, like the whisper of a devil, resounded directly in the deepest recesses of his consciousness:

“I know you’ve always been confused, and you’ve been obsessed with finding ‘truth’.”

"Then I'll show you with your own eyes where you, and everything you care about, really came from."

Time has rewound to the point that can no longer be traced back.

This place is an endless, pure white expanse.

An absolute, chilling emptiness.

A huge, white cocoon of light, radiating a soft glow, floated silently in the center of this void.

Gu Fangchen's consciousness was within this cocoon of light, where she could "see" her own "body" curled up like a fetus.

It was described as a "body," but in reality, it appeared to be just a human-shaped ball of light.

"This is... 'Boundless Emptiness'."

Xiao Zhenwu's figure slowly coalesced outside the cocoon of light, looking down at him from above:
"Do you see that? Gu Fangchen, there are no two worlds at all. You are a special 'container' that I created with the Dao of [Constancy] as the bone and the two aspects of [True and False] as the flesh."

"It hasn't even begun yet."

"Your previous experiences were nothing more than a dream born from this blank container."

"Just a... baseless, randomly generated dream."

"Everything you experience in this world, the people you meet, and the emotions you give are all part of a complex and vast dream that you have woven yourself."

"Your world, your family, your lover, your enemies... everything is a 'thought' born from the fusion of 'Tao' within this container."

"Gu Fangchen, their existence is solely because of what you 'want'."

Xiao Zhenwu's words silenced Gu Fangchen, and a moment of blankness appeared on his face, which Xiao Zhenwu noticed.

With a gentle wave of his hand, faces that Gu Fangchen knew all too well appeared in the white void outside the cocoon of light.

Xiao Yinghao, Ning Caiyong, Xu Fu, Banruo Lianyue, Shi Qingguang... Gu Yuye, Gu Yuandao, Yu Baigong, and even Granny Meng and Hongdou, as well as Wen San and Deyuanzi, who were just passing through.

Countless people of all shapes and sizes stood densely packed in that empty space, staring at Gu Fangchen with blank expressions.

"Their 'authenticity' comes from the 'ideas' you give them. And what keeps these 'ideas' stable and makes them seem flesh and blood, capable of love and hate, is my 'constancy' principle."

"Do you know what will happen once you completely overturn the 'constant' way?"

Xiao Zhenwu said in a deep voice:

"You think you can change everything from true to false in terms of existence, but the truth in your cognition cannot be changed to false, because they are already in your cognition, right? However, they are inherently false, only relying on the construction of 'constancy'. Apart from this rule, they are nothing."

"From false to false...you will erase them from your own perception, and from then on, they will never exist again."

To prove this point, his gaze fell on the little girl named Red Bean.

"For example, her."

The presence of the red bean began to flash intensely.

Gu Fangchen's heart and soul clenched suddenly.

This caused him no physical pain, but it was more excruciating than any other heart-wrenching pain he had ever experienced before.

He watched as Hongdou's body, starting from her feet, gradually and irrevocably transformed into scattered specks of light.

In the instant before she was about to completely dissipate, a glimmer of life seemed to return to her empty eyes, as if she were yearning for a ray of hope in the desert. She glanced at Gu Fangchen in the cocoon of light, her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it did not reach Gu Fangchen's ears.

Then, it completely disappeared.

At that moment, it was as if a piece of Gu Fangchen's consciousness had been ripped out, leaving a hollow and unfillable sense of loss.

For a time, he thought he was treating everything in this world as if he were playing an extremely realistic game, and everyone was an NPC made of data.

He could plan for their fate and feel for their experiences, but ultimately, he was separated by a screen and could not truly empathize with them.

until now.

It wasn't until that innocent little girl "disappeared" from his sight that he realized he couldn't actually treat these people who were truly facing him as "mission props" and "plot characters."

Her disappearance was not simply the departure of a game character. Gu Fangchen had felt the warmth of her skin and seen her innocent smile.

Next was Ning Caiyong, who gazed at Gu Fangchen with infinite longing and tenderness.

Then came Xu Fu. She simply glanced at Gu Fangchen, a glance that seemed to contain countless secrets and an unspoken "take care," which ultimately vanished into nothingness.

Prajna Lotus Moon, bestowing pure light...

One after another.

Their disappearance was like a silent, slow torture.

Gu Fangchen remained motionless and silent, simply watching quietly.

"Now, do you understand?"

Xiao Zhenwu's voice softened, carrying a hint of helplessness and gentleness:

"What you pursue will only bring destruction. I am just rehearsing what the consequences of your actions will be."

“As long as you accept ‘constancy’, everything will return to normal. Everyone will come back and continue to exist in your world. Their voices, smiles, love, hate, anger, and infatuation will all return to you intact.”

"You just need to stay here, behave yourself, and finish your beautiful dream, forever... and keep doing it."

"how?"

He asked patiently, waiting for Gu Fangchen to completely break down and surrender.

however.

A very soft, almost soliloquy laugh suddenly broke the silence.

"Ah……"

Xiao Zhenwu's smile froze this time.

Because the laughter did not come from the cocoon of light, but from behind him.

Xiao Zhenwu suddenly turned around and met Gu Fangchen's eyes, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

The young man in white robes appeared behind him at some point, his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely, showing no sign of collapse whatsoever.

Xiao Zhenwu's pupils contracted, and he turned his head again to look at the human figure inside the cocoon of light.

Gu Fangchen then chuckled and said:
"Stop looking, it's fake. Do you think you're the only one who can create illusions? After discovering that this skill of turning the surrounding false things into real ones is passive, do you think I wouldn't be on guard?"

"It will only take effect directly on my illusions, but if it is someone else's illusion, I need to operate it manually."

"And now, unfortunately, it's actually your fantasy moment."

Gu Fangchen slowly walked to the front of the cocoon of light and spread her hands.

Then, he looked at Xiao Zhenwu, and a smile slowly spread across his face—a smile that was both extremely cynical and extremely cruel.

"Xiao Zhenwu...you didn't actually believe that just now, did you?"

After using Ning Caiyong's "Heavenly" Dao to settle the cause and effect, what Gu Fangchen needs to do is to set up an illusion array that is unprecedented and unparalleled within this world.

The illusion array had already taken effect before Xiao Zhenwu could restore the sky.

Xiao Zhenwu's pupils dilated, and his face turned extremely ugly.

Gu Fangchen's smile deepened:
"You don't really think that killing a few 'data' with such clumsy illusions will break me down, do you?"

"Xiao Zhenwu, oh Xiao Zhenwu, should I call you naive, or arrogant?"

“Yes, when they disappeared, I felt pain, a pain I had never experienced before, a pain that was incredibly real.”

He readily admitted it, even reaching out to gently cover the cocoon of light, as if touching the lingering pain, and whispered:
"This proves one thing—they are 'real' to me."

"This is enough."

"Your performance made me feel their presence so clearly for the first time."

"For this, I should even... thank you."

He spoke the last three words casually, yet they were like three invisible slaps to Xiao Zhenwu's face.

In that instant, he suddenly realized something, and his pupils contracted:

"You! It's impossible..."

Gu Fangchen lowered her hand, turned around to look at Xiao Zhenwu, and said calmly:
"What's impossible?"

"I want to thank you for helping me truly break through the tribulation of my inner demons, forge an indestructible Dao heart, and advance to the Infinite Realm."

Gu Fangchen's inner demons are about the conflict between "truth" and "falsehood".

But that inner demon has never actually disappeared.

Just now, through Xiao Zhenwu's help, he confirmed his truest thoughts.

Only by experiencing that pain did he truly understand what is real and what is fake!
From this moment on, his skill level and Xiao Zhenwu's skill level were equal.

"As for you..."

Gu Fangchen's gaze pierced through the cocoon of light, through this void, as if she were looking at a pathetic, narrow-minded prisoner.

"Your biggest mistake is using your barren and self-righteous imagination to speculate about my past and to define my 'reality'."

"You've used every means to try and prove that my world is fake, and to trap me forever in this 'real' dream you've woven."

"You probably don't understand what this world, and you, mean to me."

Gu Fangchen flicked her finger, and the cocoon of light in front of her shattered instantly, bursting outwards with dazzling white light!

"Then I'll let you take a look."

The moment he finished speaking, he didn't even make any extra movements; he only had one thought.

A thought of going home to visit.

boom--! ! ! !

The white cocoon of light, along with the entire "Boundless Void," was engulfed and disappeared along with the bursting white light.

The entire pure white void space, along with Xiao Zhenwu outside the cocoon of light, was instantly refreshed at this moment.

When the light fades.

Replacing that pure white area are not the ruins of Huangtian City, not the darkness of heaven and earth, the primordial chaos of the universe.

But...

The deafening, continuous sound of cars speeding by and honking their horns.

It's the dazzling sunlight reflected off the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers.

It was the cacophony of voices on the street, the pop music playing in the shops, and the hawkers' cries.

It's that pungent yet incredibly familiar smell from the cement road, a mixture of dust, exhaust fumes, and the aroma of food—a scent unique to modern industrial civilization…

"!!!"

All the expressions on Xiao Zhenwu's face froze, replaced by an unprecedented shock and bewilderment that came from the depths of his soul.

He was shocked to find himself standing on a crowded sidewalk, surrounded by a constant stream of men and women dressed in strange costumes that he couldn't understand.

His principle of "constancy" seems to have completely failed here...

He could not sense the rules of heaven and earth, nor could he perceive the flow of spiritual energy.

His immense power, enough to stabilize the world and make his words law, seemed to have vanished into a black hole here, without causing the slightest ripple.

The "rules" of this world are so rigid, so unfamiliar, so... incompatible with him.

In an instant, he went from being the ruler of a world, a high and mighty god, to... an ordinary person with no power to even kill a chicken.

Gu Fangchen stood opposite him, on the other side of the road.

His white robe had been replaced by an ordinary T-shirt and jeans. He crossed his arms and leaned casually against a lamppost covered with flyers, his face bearing a hint of nostalgia for his hometown, and a... cold smile.

"Welcome," Gu Fangchen mouthed silently to him.

"--Reality."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I'm feeling dizzy from writing this. I'll probably just need to reach 10,000 words per chapter and then post it. Two more chapters and it'll be finished.

(End of this chapter)