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Chapter 398 Everything is turned upside down
"Utterly ridiculous, absurd. The subconscious of 17 billion citizens of the city-state—no, judging from the defense lawyer's statement, what she wanted to express was probably the collective subconscious of the 'city-state' as a result of the combined will of citizens throughout history."

Parriman laughed loudly.

"Unreal. Irrational. Utterly absurd. Pure delusion!"

According to her, it was the citizens of the city-state who saved me 20 years ago, it was the citizens of the city-state who have supported me for the past 20 years, and it is the citizens of the city-state who have supported me to this day!
Answer me, Judge Banningtick. Do you think this is possible?

"How is that possible?" the commoner muttered to himself at home.

"This is absurd," the politicians said, bewildered.

"Pure conjecture." The soldiers' eyes were lifeless.

It was like this everywhere, in every household. They were denying themselves. They were convincing themselves. Lico desperately pinched her fingertips, using pain to stimulate her mind; otherwise, she too would utter words of self-denial. The omnipresent pressure almost imprisoned her thoughts; under that force, she would cease to be herself.

Let alone Lico, a particle of magnitude 4, even Chu Hengkong and Velvet were frozen in place under that immense pressure. The two sides were not even in the same league; the power Parryman unleashed at that moment was even enough to reach the level of a demigod. That was the true power of a particle of magnitude 6!
Only one person could maintain their will in this situation. Banningtik recovered from his momentary daze and, before speaking, restrained his mind with the rules.

"This court will not comment on this opinion."

He spoke each word under immense pressure.

"Because this court represents the law of Jingsha, it only respects objective reality and has absolutely no room for its own opinions. Since the defense has put forward reasonable speculations... this court needs to verify the truth or falsehood of their speculations; this is the duty of the judge!"

"Now, this court formally grants permission to the defense's request for examination. We hereby summon several experts from outside the city-states, including Velbert Velus, representing the Dustless Land, and Chu Hengkong, representing the Dragon City, to appear in court simultaneously with the Thorn Sacred Tree to conduct examinations on Parriman!"

"--veto."

The judge's opinion was not heeded because the speaker gave the judgment to a higher authority. His voice gradually became hoarse, as if a thousand people were speaking, a chorus of ten thousand.

"Testing request denied."

"This trial is dismissed."

"A retrial of the 'Just Trek case' from 20 years ago has never begun. The independence of the city-state will proceed reasonably under the guidance of the established laws."

Parriman stood alone in the center of the courtroom, the only conscious victor. Those still conscious were subdued by the power of his voice. Even Trek was forced to the table, and throughout the entire courtroom, only Banningtik managed to hold on. Banningtik said in a deep voice, "Zan van Parriman, cease your actions immediately! You are currently using brute force to deliberately disrupt the trial and delay the verdict—a clear violation of the 'Constitution of Thorns'!"

"Oh, crimes? You are truly a conscientious prosecutor, still wielding the law as your weapon. It's just a pity..."

Parriman raised his hand and took off his mask.

Beneath that mask was a terrifying face without eyes or nose.

"I speak for the people of this city-state. The law of thorns has no right to judge me!"

The pressure exploded.

The formless, shapeless, and faceless being finally revealed its form at this moment. Countless pure white vines shot out from behind Parriman, their power binding everyone inside the court, every nobleman of Mansa Star Castle, and the 17 billion citizens of the Thorn City-State.

The true nature of the vines is countless tiny words, a "plant" formed from the collective opinions of all living beings. At the start of the manhunt, Parriman used this to restrict the actions of the captains. Now, he single-handedly controls the entire city-state of Thornsa, and even the Thornsa Tree itself is relentlessly restrained by the other face behind it!
Parriman coughed violently, almost coughing up his own entrails. Clear liquid gushed from his mouth, and his face, no longer concealed by the mask, was covered in wrinkles like an old man's. Behind the thorn robe, another face showed even more severe signs of aging—the price of forcibly using power without adhering to the rules.

Yet he laughed wildly, as if finally releasing the pent-up frustration in his heart, finally able to utter the words that had been suppressed within. He threw the mask into the air and roared almost hysterically.

"Fulfill the contract, Dark Kingdom!"

"—I would be more than happy to."

Far from the courtroom, on the other side of the city, another "Pariman" nodded gracefully. A perfect disguise, a perfect substitute identity, and the key "Trigger," personally given to him by Pariman. The King had obtained the conditions to intrude upon the Divine Tree's true form, and Pariman had spared no effort to create this opportunity for him.

Amidst the ruins, Wang Quan pressed his hand to his chest and solemnly declared: "Currently, all 17 billion citizens of the city-state are under threat from external forces, and the city-state's situation is critical. To protect the lives and property of the city-state's citizens, I, in the name of Zan van Pariman, Speaker of the Upper House of the Thorn Sacred Tree, hereby order: From this moment forward, the Thorn Sacred Tree officially enters the process of independence!"

Its consciousness flowed into the divine power center, pulling the final trigger.

Thus, an irreversible process began.

·
In that instant, the first phenomenon to be perceived was "tremor." The world was turned upside down. The earth shook violently. The tremor was so intense that it even interrupted thought, making everything blurry. There was no speech, no action; the frail consciousnesses, affected by the changes in the world, were so sluggish that it was as if even their souls had been shaken out of their bodies.

The silence that arose from such a massive change lasted for about 47 seconds. During this time, only the machines, unaffected by human consciousness, faithfully recorded the changes in the city-state.

The average elevation of the city-state of Jingsha increased by 10 meters.

The computational center reached this conclusion, and the reconnaissance plants along the city-state's borders were simultaneously activated to search for the cause of this illogical phenomenon. However, the machines within the city-state were unable to discern the truth amidst the chaos. Only the external observers trembled under the weight of reality.

The earth cracked open.

Tens of millions of tons of land flew into the sky.

Forty-seven seconds ago, the roots of the sacred tree, buried deep underground for thousands of years, broke through the surface. The soil and rocks that had gathered and adhered to the roots naturally followed them away from the earth. The scene resembled an eruption of an active volcano, but on a far greater scale. What spewed from the earth was the mountain itself, an entire landmass, a vast world large enough to support 17 billion people.

A void, resembling an ocean trench, was created, causing the Mysterious Realm of Senluo to tilt. A massive influx of seawater rushed in through the void, nearly forming a tsunami that would engulf the realm. However, before the giant wave could rise, it vanished. Burning meteorites crashed into the sea, the cataclysmic impact evaporating the seawater; what were merely "rubble" falling from the bottom of the thorny robe were, for the Mysterious Realm, a torrential downpour of rocks and stones.

The soldiers on the front lines gazed back. They had no "behind them," only a relentless flood of despair. The known world had been turned upside down simply because the gods had moved a moment.

This is God. Not the constant oppressive aura, not the absolute omnipotence, but the life you've grown accustomed to, the world you've believed to be unchanged for millennia. Until one day, when the gods take action, and all that is stubbornly entrenched collapses in an instant, you suddenly realize that there is no logic in this world, and that everything you know is based on "God."

When the gods are no longer what they once were, the world changes.

At the forefront of the desperate battle, the remnants of the heart knelt behind another god, almost speechless.

"Lord Martial Venerable, the city-state has declared independence ahead of schedule. What should we do?!"

They were prepared to evacuate promptly if the situation became irreversible, preserving their forces. However, with a full 20 days until the scheduled final date, too many preparations remained uncompleted, making an immediate evacuation impossible.

But if they didn't leave now, they would only face death, because the thorn robe had already taken flight, and behind them lay the sea of ​​illusions!

Another deity, the Martial Venerable on the front lines, stroked his sword without sorrow or joy.

"The demon of greed is just ahead. If I go to the city-state, will the battle lines be swallowed by the demon?"

He drew his sword and stepped into the dust, speaking calmly.

"Fighting will surely lead to death, and fleeing will also result in death. It is better to calm down and close your eyes."

"Listen to the prelude to destruction."

The colossal tree, rising into the air, was enveloped in a pale white light. Translucent petals gathered around it, forming a defensive wall protecting the city. The scene was grand and solemn; it rose in the light, transcending the filth of the mortal world, like a deity ascending to heaven. From this moment on, the conflicts of the earth were no longer its concern; it had officially severed its ties with the secret realm.

烛光历3001年8月8日03:24，质点7神祇荆裟神树，正式自森罗秘境中脱离。

·
Mansastarburg, military tribunal.

One by one, the radiant vines snapped, and the inexplicable pressure dissipated. The power that had bound all beings vanished at that moment, and Parriman, disheveled and covered in blood, still laughed with satisfaction.

He severely damaged his foundation, destroying his own base. However, he had ultimately achieved his goal. Knowing the dangers, he chose to appear in court precisely to launch an attack on Banningtik at this close range. Only at such close range could he be confident in controlling Banningtik, and only then could he guarantee the city-state's safe departure from the secret realm!

Banningtik discarded his judge's robes, revealing his prosecutor's uniform. He shouted sternly, "The trial is suspended. Speaker Zan van Parriman is hereby arrested on 3145 counts, including premeditated harm to the safety of the Sacred Tree and coercion of citizens' personal freedom!"

Trek had already drawn his pointer: "Chu Hengkong, go deal with Wang Quan; Vilbert, go support the Divine Tree; General Silayne, you take the rest of the team to support the front lines. Notify all Divine Guard members to prepare; the war has begun!"

"Understood." "Received!"

Instantly, everyone present was teleported out of the courtroom, leaving only the Captain-Commander and the Third Captain. Two vines remained unbroken, binding their wrists like ropes for a duel. Parriman gripped the vines tightly, his independent mask gleaming in the air.

"Please wait, Captain-General, Commander." Parryman revealed an ugly smile. "As long as I have a breath left, I will not allow either of you to leave!"

(End of this chapter)