After being poisoned by mushrooms, all the strange creatures became fascinated by me.

The third door quietly opened.

A strong wind whipped at the hems of their clothes, and light filled every line of their bodies. The feeling of weightlessness made them both scream.

Only one figure didn't slip and fall—it was Jiang Hui. Realizing she couldn't hold onto Tang Li's clothes, a cold glint flashed in her eyes as she shouted to her still bewildered companions, "Leave the instance!"

With a flick of her wrist, the dagger transformed into a dazzling crossbow bolt. How decisive! Jiang Hui didn't even glance at Tang Li again, and fired several bolts in quick succession at Lei Hong, who was also falling!

All the arrows pierced Lei Hong's back, and even though he now possessed the body of a werewolf, he instantly died at Jiang Hui's hands! Thick black liquid gushed from the werewolf's mouth and nose, forcing out Lei Hong's true form!

The black liquid clump rushed straight towards Tang Li, wanting to change hosts, but Tang Li was still not gone!

"Good shot!" Tang Li grinned, but her voice suddenly lost its smile, replaced by a raging inferno.

Her clenched fingers suddenly opened towards the black liquid—

The golden concentric circles radiated a dazzling light at this moment, like a tranquil, azure lake rippling with beautiful yet deadly waves. It swallowed the black liquid mass whole without splashing a single drop.

A desperate wail came from Tang Li's palm; it was the death knell for Lei Hong's life.

Was Tang Li truly happy? Was she finally satisfied and left the instance?

No.

The raging wind made it impossible for Tang Li to open her eyes. Unable to open her eyes, she used her voice, she shouted.

Tang Li roared in the air, her long black hair dancing wildly: "Gu Xiaoying—"

—Since the third door is right beneath my feet, Tang Li’s heart is pounding like a drum. So, is there really such a door of light on the rooftop?

At this moment, Tang Li remembered the heavy things hidden in her pocket and in her arms: a pair of curved surgical scissors and a cricket fighting bowl.

Tang Li suddenly realized something: Who controls where the light gate opens?

First, let's rule out Lei Hong; he doesn't have that much goodwill.

—Who else could it be?

That means it can only be Gu Xiaoying.

He is now just a former instance boss, but he still has the authority to control everything as they open up spatial nodes everywhere.

Tang Li's heart sank infinitely, falling even faster than her body.

Yes, how could I be careless? You, Gu Xiaoying, who always thinks about sacrificing yourself to do something, it is your bones that broke through the passage between the dungeon and the original world. Even if you are no longer the Boss, opening the portal still belongs to your authority.

A door of light opened in the archives room because the "bald, strong man" who was possessed obtained evidence of the hospital staff's crimes.

A portal of light opened in the eighth-floor corridor, where swollen human bodies and children gathered;

The last door, which I had reserved for myself, suddenly opened beneath my feet at this very moment!

Was it for me? To stop Lei Hong from gouging out my eyes?

But clearly, Jiang Hui had already gathered all her strength, and everything was just one final blow away.

Not necessarily, not necessarily, maybe, maybe there will be a fourth door.

Gu Xiaoying still didn't respond in the earpiece. Tang Li stubbornly refused to leave the instance, and the endless wind carried her voice, "Gu Xiaoying! You'd better not lie to me!"

You must not lie to me.

Do you want me to break my promise? Do you want to break your promise to your daughter, Gu Xiaoying?

All anger and sorrow ended in the next second.

"I'm innocent, Lord Tang." A soft laugh, like heavenly music, filled Tang Li's ears.

Gu Xiaoying's hoarse voice was almost gentle, "I have made such a mistake, and my daughter has paid for it with everything. This is enough to make me extremely remorseful and hateful."

"And to abandon everything and die after the dawn? I will never be so cruel to you again."

Then Tang Li suddenly laughed. The image of that small, pitiful figure flashed in her mind, looking up at her empty eyes.

"Let your companion leave in peace," Gu Xiaoying said. "The instance is about to completely collapse. I'll take care of protecting you on your final journey."

As his last words fell, everything changed.

The bizarre private hospital that had once descended upon the world was now reduced to ashes and drifting clouds. The sky was so bright that the strange employees who had been hanging on the edge of the dungeon let out pig-like howls. The purplish-black umbilical cord that had once caused them extreme pain but also kept them alive was snapped.

Tang Li heard the final countdown to leaving the instance.

"I'm leaving, Gu Xiaoying." Tang Li said, then laughed with relief. "You underestimated us. Even without you opening the portal, Jiang Hui won't let Lei Hong hurt me."

"That's not what I was worried about," Gu Xiaoying said gently. "What prompted me to make this decision was my wish: I want to fly through the sky with you."

It was as if something had caught Tang Li's falling body, and something had shielded her from the oncoming gale.

Gu Xiaoying's voice no longer came through the headphones, but rang truly in her ears.

"I want you to see the world you and your companions fought so hard to save. I want you to see my and Xiaomei's hometown."

"She is beautiful, and even though she once buried me in the dirtiest corner, I still love her."

Gu Xiaoying spoke softly, and Tang Li, though falling from the sky, felt as if she were in a warm ocean, with the waves gently lifting her body and trying to wipe away the intense pain in her eyes from overusing her powers.

"Tang Li, Tang Li, I want you to see with your own eyes what she looks like without the blood and sin."

"—Because all of this came from you."

So that's how it is. Tang Li was speechless, deeply moved by the solemnity and sincerity in Gu Xiaoying's tone. A bittersweet feeling welled up in her eyes, and Tang Li thought, "That's great, my efforts haven't been in vain."

Gu Xiaoying said, "I ask you... to open your eyes."

So even though she would face the pain of exhausting her powers, Tang Li opened her eyes regardless.

Under the blue sky and the bright sunshine, Gu Xiaoying flew beside her. The black mist that had accompanied her transformed into boundless wings, which resembled clouds hanging from the sky.

She finally saw this bright and splendid new world with her own eyes.

A feeling of newfound emotion and awe surged within her, something she had never experienced before, whether in times of pain or danger. But at this moment, Tang Li's eyes suddenly filled with tears, which rolled down her cheeks like beads.

"Gu Xiaoying." With ten seconds left on the countdown, Tang Li suddenly grabbed the hand of the person next to her.

"I want to do something more for her," she asked earnestly, like the most generous person in the world, "What else can we do for her?"

Gu Xiaoying was stunned, then laughed.

"Then let us present her with another gift, and I should also offer a token of gratitude to that deity."

And so the black mist surged and spread endlessly, reaching the ground, where the tiny Tang pears were still running for their last moments. The black mist sprouted wings, carrying the little Tang pears on a carefree flight.

The black mist could not dispel the light in Tang Li's little figure's hand.

Therefore, wherever the light spread, that became the realm of God. All the strangeness within that realm should be attributed to the gods.

The fifth second to go.

The light fell on the patients who had not yet undergone the bizarre separation, taking away the purplish-black chunks of flesh that were entangled in their limbs.

The third to last second.

The light fell on people who had not yet realized they were infected, tearing away a layer of flesh that was slowly writhing deep within their skin.

The black mist carried the light, and the light swept across every corner of the world.

In the last second.

"This is for you," Tang Li said gently from the sky.

"This is dedicated to you," Gu Xiaoying responded respectfully and devoutly.

Dedicated to you, our gods who are immersed in slumber.

Today, we remember in history how your gentle acquiescence saved countless lives in this world.