He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

The immense power that had been brewing descended from the dome, transforming and solidifying into a mysterious essence that was simultaneously poured into the mortal world and the Red Pool.

The colossal structure operates, unleashing the majesty of destruction.

The light was extinguished layer by layer in this pitch-black passage—when the black light sank into the center of the sealed iron curtain, a sudden, invisible shock surged from the pool, accompanied by the traces of the extermination order, and pierced straight into the main body of the blazing sun.

A deafening roar, almost tearing the curtains off, echoed throughout the Great Ceremony Pool, like a scorching iron ball plunging into solid ice. Amidst the sizzling sounds of melting, the extinction passage, having eliminated all obstacles, left a piercing void at the center of the Great Sun.

The remnants of radiant light rose from the corona, while a tearing hum echoed throughout the entire hive, like a mournful wail.

The effects of being confined within the Iron Curtain still leaked out under the dual power of the Extermination Order and the Grand Ceremony, overflowing the barrier that isolates the present world.

In the dead of night in the lower city, countless people awoke in cold and unease—a blinding glow imprinted on their eyes, freezing their will and seeping into their scalp.

It was a chilling light, like the light of winter, and blood spurting from the wounds of the great sun.

It was injured.

"Target severely damaged/Miracle Mechanism operating well, Mysterious Flow configuration stable, continue attack—"

On the distant shores of space, the collision between the Milky Way and the Great Star remains deadlocked, but the scales of victory are tipping in favor of the Foundation.

The great sun in the sky was ultimately just a remnant left from the blood of the blazing sun. Even if it was powerful, it was still a rootless thing. The principles it governed had fallen, and it could no longer obtain the red liquid supply from the bottom of the pool. Under the Foundation's relentless attacks, even the sun eventually met its end.

The sun is cracking open.

"Its main structure was observed to be 17.4% damaged, its mysterious energy level has dropped by more than 30%, its influence is weakening, and it is about to fall into the fifth stage—the target can no longer maintain its integrity..."

"It's going to break."

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"We're going to win..."

Standing guard at the very edge of the Iron Curtain, with the annihilation order, which was about to shatter the world, just inches away, the young man wiped the fine sweat from his brow, exhaled a deep breath, and forcefully suppressed the pounding in his chest.

Although the Hume Tree had reached its computing power limit, it remained steadfast—the blocking protocol stood on the devastated land, and even though it teetered on the brink of collapse several times, it still acted as a divine wall, isolating the effects of disaster.

"We even shot down the sun in the Grand Ceremony Pool... thankfully, we didn't let that thing surface. The bosses are still awesome!"

My colleagues were already getting ready to pop the champagne. "Brother Ye, we've survived until dawn! And we're still sticking to these frontline positions! We're going to get a huge promotion and raise when we get back..."

.

There was a moment of silence; the senior technician did not speak.

Something's not right...

Yeats's expression was grave as he examined the complex data, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. He muttered to himself, "The ritual site hasn't dissipated; the unknown grand ritual still exists..."

"But we've already destroyed its main body, so why...?"

Ritual studies is a very profound and complex discipline. It is difficult to get started, difficult to master, and even more difficult to study. It is recognized as one of the most challenging majors to master.

But even the most rudimentary ritual apprentices know one thing: a complete ritual, once its core essence is destroyed, is like code with errors—it simply cannot be compiled into a coherent form.

The sun has been shot down, but the grand ceremony is not over yet...

What does this tell us?

The next instant, he suddenly realized, followed by a sharp pang of fear, "It's possible that raising the sun isn't the purpose of the ritual, or even its core... So, this is just one part of the ritual!"

In that case...

He roared into the access channel at top speed:

"Monitor 131 reports: It's not over yet—"

The next moment, the communication was torn apart by the shockwave. Ye Zhi looked at the shattered sun sinking in the distance, his eyes wide with fury.

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-It's too late.

"I certainly didn't say... that this grand ceremony was for the re-rising of the sun."

Unlike the Foundation, which was in a state of chaos, Ash, who witnessed the Great Sun being shot down, remained remarkably calm. He was strolling in the Red Pool with his eyes half-closed.

He was saying something along these lines:

"A basking in the light once prophesied... that the sun would once again hang high in the sky, rising from a crimson expanse, neither the color of blood nor the hour of night..."

"Honoring the oracle of dawn, I have raised the great sun high in the nest."

He seemed to be singing a hymn born of radiance, his tone soaring, yet the meaning shifted, revealing supreme arrogance:

"But if He does not follow my will, then it is meaningless."

"That rising sun should bear my name, but if the sun is not me..."

"Then let's try again."

The ecstatic man declared: "Here I recreate the sun's ill-fated destiny; its division will transform into the rebirth of heavenly light!"

"The Sixth Great Ritual: Desire"

"I fill the void of desire with my devotion—"

"The Second Dawn"

"Buzz—"

The horn sound reached its peak.

Abandon, dissolve, grieve, offer, sacrifice, desire.

The six gaps in the intercalation method have all been filled, and the grand ceremony has been completely completed.

Next...

No matter who you are, whether you're a cultist, a mortal, a board member, or a beggar, regardless of your status... open your different colored eyes and use your transparent pupils to etch this scene into your memory.

Gray laughed loudly:

"You must remember my kindness and respond to my great aspirations!"

Even you, the insignificant and humble, are fortunate to witness my great deeds here—

"Great Achievement: The Time of Division"

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First, there was a moment of utter silence.

At the end of the silence, some invisible substance, having accumulated to its limit, erupted, and terrifying ripples surged forth, covering everything in the red pool.

So dazzling, so cold...

The earth folded in the bursting radiance, like plastic sheeting shrinking and curling up near a fire.

The shrieks and roars rose together, weaving a symphony with the vibrations of the Hume Tree.

The Iron Curtain, standing tall, tilts under immense power—

"Warning: Hume Tree computing power overload, blocking protocol about to go offline, all personnel prepare for shock - no buffer, 3, 2, 1..."

Yeats remained expressionless as he sent a top-level shock warning to the internal think tank, and the next second pushed the quiet environment intensity in the monitoring room to its limit.

"Record: The First Impact—"

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The Great Sun was shot down.

But the split sun just happened to complete the final step of this ceremony.

The Foundation became his tool to help Gray dissect the Sun—which was also the final raw material.

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The shattered sun transformed into countless large stars, like fallen wormwood sinking into the red pool. The solidified red liquid evaporated wildly, creating a surging tide in the boundless pool.

Then the pool overflowed, just like the "Great Flood" recorded in Revelation, carrying the power of destruction, washing over the boundary between the present world and the Red Pool.

"Blockade Protocol - Iron Curtain, offline —"

The mournful wailing sounded like mountains collapsing, and the earth and sky lamented in unison. The Iron Curtain was almost torn apart by a giant wave as tall as the world.

The fragments of the sun dissolved in the pool, transforming into materials for building with light.

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"First impact complete - three seconds countdown, prepare for second impact... Emergency situation: Red tide suppression module overclocked and lost connection with think tank. Operator has manually removed it from the system. All power supply is used to maintain a silent environment."

The skilled technicians deftly discarded the overloaded and burned-out module. Ye Zhi watched as flames exploded from the dark dome, followed by a muffled thud as the module fell deep into the black soil.

After doing all this, he sighed softly, closed his eyes tightly, and punctured his eardrum with his little finger. Although the effect was limited, it was still to minimize the impact of the red tide emerging in the world on himself.

"Record: The Second Impact"

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Nearly half of the sun's boundless outline had dissolved into the Grand Ceremony Pool, and the remnants of the Iron Curtain stood at the edge of the Grand Ceremony Grounds, their broken roots looking ferocious and terrifying.

The next moment, above the fragmented swamp, an invisible, magnificent thing rose from the crimson pool.

It was a pure white door, covered with jagged cracks.

Dried bloodstains were seeping through the crack in the door.

The distant, ethereal aria, like a divine hymn of creation, resounded from the heavens and descended to the earth, etching its brilliant light into the eyes of all living beings.

From here, the path leads directly to the pristine white tower.

-From here, there is a direct route to the land of the inhuman.

From here, you'll reach the City of Eternal Light.

[Inspire my Creator in the glorious heavens; the power that created me is the force of radiance—]

It originates from supreme rationality and coldness.

A gray figure appeared at the door, smiling as he chanted:

"I am immortal!"

Before me, there was nothing, only eternal ignorance.

Pure white waxwood floats and sinks in the boundless red pool, its radiance pulsating like the blazing sun, dazzlingly brilliant—both towering tsunamis and flowing tides are drawn into the cracks of the pure white gate.

The bright red liquid sank at an unreal speed until the cracks on the door gradually healed, transforming into a flawless white door.

The red pool, which had been drained to near depletion, finally solidified and collapsed.

Gray enveloped everything; it clung to the door, surrounded the remnants of the extinguished sun, and watched the remnants of the blazing sun transform into part of its radiance.

Then, he murmured softly:

"I don't need to endure it anymore."

In the pure white world, a gray figure strolled towards the other side of the door, a faint, indistinct silhouette.

- On the distant altar, slender arms offer their grand aspirations.

-A grand ceremony, offering the pure white color of radiance.

The gray shadow gradually melted away in the omnipresent glow, as if it had been shattered.

Beneath his feet, the luminous building materials, composed of the bones left by the scorching sun, continued to pile up, following his unwavering resolve...

This path was rebuilt by Me, therefore you must heed the commandments I have set forth:

Those who enter this gate must abandon all kindness!

The door was open—

The nascent radiance was icy and dazzling, obscuring everything as it silently spread beyond the door, towards the depths of the red pool, leading to the magnificent possibilities at the bottom.

The radiance transformed into a pure white road.

It is magnificent and dazzling.

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What's next?

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I don't know how much time has passed.

Chodhu, 5:55.

The season of rising darkness has not yet dissipated, and all things are still shrouded in night.

The world sank into a deathly silence, just as it had before it was created.

In the boundless darkness and ignorance, something suddenly surged, and faintly, it seemed as if colors were being splashed onto a blank canvas—a touch of gray, a touch of colorless.

First came an excited voice: "This is so cool! Like a creator god! I should have shouted something too... It looks so awesome!"

Then came a cold, chilling whisper: "How could I let you preside over such a complicated ceremony... Although we are now the same person, it's safer for me to handle this kind of thing."

"Why make such a clear distinction between the same person..."

The fox seemed to be playing dirty tricks; Gray could easily picture the large tail swaying behind him, leaving afterimages.

However, he soon fell into despondency again.

"So, you're still completely dead, right? You should understand what I mean, Gray. I was once the one who gave Ai new life. If we consider the red liquid and the vessel as the essence of a person's soul... when the vessel is reshaped and the red liquid is renewed, can you really still be considered alive now?"

"Obviously not." Gray shook his head, chuckling softly. "You're right. I'm already dead, and you've been born from my remains. It's a new life worth celebrating..."

He gently clasped his hands together, seemingly quite pleased with the gesture: "This is truly a cause for celebration."

"Congratulations!"

The fox was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I don't want you to die, even though it's already a fact, I still don't want you to die—I remember that prophecy, that ship whose parts were all replaced..."

Sometimes I wonder, who am I really?

Hui is dead, so what about Zhou Yi?

If the survival of the original will is taken as the standard for a person's existence, then certain ethical issues will be difficult to investigate further.

This is the Ship of Theseus, and also the "Paradox of the Replicants".

The fox is the "clone," inheriting everything from the original owner, yet no longer the original Zhou Yi.

"Actually, there's only me inside this body."

The fox seemed a little dejected. "Actually, I'm still all alone. I rely on the power of the moth to transform my past obsessions into a mask, and talk to myself inside this body..."

"—Like a mental patient, right?"

"Tsk..."

"Are you really okay?" Gray sighed softly. "We've already given you so much psychological counseling, and you're still crying and acting all weak and delicate..."

However, given the fox's heartless nature... he might become an even worse guy than Mr. Grey in the future, who knows?

"Tsk..." Hui clicked his tongue in thought.

However, I will tolerate your willfulness, after all... you have only just begun your new life.

Gray tried his best to suppress the harshness in his tone, and said softly, "Please don't forget, you still have to reclaim my lost property, punish those thieves, complete my puppets, rebuild my cult, and rekindle my grand ambitions..."

If you feel lost, then I will become your support.

"Until the second dawn."

He recounted:

"Ai, you are not gray, nor do you need to be gray."

What's gone no longer needs to be looked back at. The story of gray has been recorded with repeatedly sculpted meaning, engraved on the inner wall of the nest, and will be forever remembered by this decaying world.

When you see that grayish substance, you will understand: this world is no longer as cold and unfamiliar as you imagined, because you have witnessed the rise of grayness with your own eyes—

Because we remember each other.

Gray met Ai's pale blue eyes, and he remained smiling.

All you need to know now is that Ai is not alone.

No matter what you go through in the future, no matter how much you hate this crazy nest... remember, someone can understand your loneliness, even if he is gone.

"I...Ai, I will witness you forever, just as gray is eternally painted on your vessel."

She said softly, "We are the same."

The fox pouted. "I'm just a little sad."

"This is a good thing."

"You feel grief."

Are you very sad?

The fox touched its cheek; it was indeed wet.

"Grief turns into red liquid, rolling down from your invisible eye sockets, dissolving and sinking deep into the soil, nourishing the growth of seeds."

"Feed collected: Grief (2/3)"

"You can even empathize with your own predecessor? You're really overly sensitive..."

Hui was first surprised, then moved, "Perhaps you can go further than me, and the ideas you can carry must be more magnificent than mine."

"Maybe..."

The fox quickly composed himself, patted his face, and resumed his cheerful tone: "Oh right, didn't you forget to shout 'Let there be light'? You didn't even say such a high-class phrase, Gray, your pretentiousness is terrible..."

Hui sighed helplessly, "Then you can finish it."

"Hey... is it too late? Isn't it too late? I see everyone's getting ready to go home and find their own mothers..."

"Are you going to shout or not?"

"...Then I'll give it a try."

The fox seemed a little shy.

He took a deep breath in the darkness, and after a moment, a clear sound broke through the gloom.

"Let there be light."

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Even in the distant high heavens, the sun remains vacant.

But the light of new life is vibrant and proud...

The light was like fine, shimmering sand, seeping out from the edge of the dome, clear like distant stars that once filled the sky.

As dawn broke, the icy cold light illuminated the entire hive.

And so, the world was illuminated once again.

Just like the first dawn that has passed away.

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Downtown Foundation, staff quarters.

6:00

The shrill alarm clock rang, and in the bed bathed in the morning light, a soft outline rustled as it turned over.

"Well……"

The girl with emerald green eyes rubbed her eyes as she climbed out of her small bed in her single dormitory room and stretched her arms.

After showing off her not-so-plump figure, the girl turned and pulled back the curtain, staring blankly out the window.

Its daybreak.