I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 464 The Coffin of Consciousness: Superego

(Previous chapter has been revised)

About twenty minutes later, the experts who had lost their target stood there dumbfounded.

Looking at the calm sea, Zhang Xiaolin revealed a wild smile.

"Hmm—it seems the paulownia wood hasn't burned out completely yet." She looked at the three great gods with hearts in her eyes.

All I could think about was getting their autographs—or finding an artist to paint their portraits.

Unfortunately, the experts don't seem to have much self-awareness.

A signature is no longer possible.

As for portraiture, she is only about the height of Pangu's foot—if a painting were made of her, she would probably be just a dot of ink.

"Who else?!"

Having already become arrogant, Zhang Xiaolin now wore an expression of complete ignorance, stood with her hands behind her back, and surveyed her surroundings like a ruler.

"While I'm invincible, demons and monsters, hurry up and show yourselves! What are you waiting for!"

The girl's voice was clear and melodious, carrying far into this eerie space.

No matter how she shouted, there was no response from the surroundings.

"Boring, you're already too cowardly?" the girl mocked.

Just then.

Suddenly, a sound came from the empty surroundings.

The sound was like the friction between stones.

Ms. Zhang looked up at the sound and saw a small mountain formed by a meteorite in the distance—no, it's now half a mountain.

The protruding rocks on its cliff face suddenly began to twist and forcefully create a step.

"Are you just letting me go up?"

Zhang Xiaolin frowned.

But they weren't afraid at all.

With three great gods by her side, what is she afraid of? The enemy should be afraid of her.

With this thought in mind, the girl took a step and quickly walked towards the steps.

The mountaintop was permeated with an aura of decay and decay.

The feet were as fine as sand, a desert of some kind of ash.

But this desert is not devoid of life.

A purple flower covered the mountaintop.

It looks like a tulip, except it has no leaves and the flowers are purple.

A flock of butterflies with strange, glowing patterns on their wings were flying around.

In addition, there are many skeletons, dried corpses and other such things on the mountaintop.

But it wasn't scary at all. On the contrary, these things were like components of a painting. The painting was eerie, but it had a sense of peace and tranquility.

It's just like the home in the fields in my memory, with the little river next to it, so harmonious.

Zhang Xiaolin gripped the magic wand tightly.

Although the surroundings were calm and peaceful, the sudden appearance of this aura in this place was definitely a trap, or some kind of mental attack.

She was getting closer and closer to that divinely inspired tower.

When she was only a dozen feet away, a clear, ethereal voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Hello--"

Zhang Xiaolin was startled and quickly turned around.

He pointed his magic wand at the other person.

"you--"

An arrow pierced through the body of the person in front of him.

But her body seemed illusory, passing straight through without causing her any harm.

The other party did not retaliate immediately.

He just stood there quietly, watching her.

Seeing that the other party had no intention of fighting her, Miss Zhang did not release any magic.

Before her stood a person with silver hair, just like her.

Only his eyes were emerald green.

That face—it felt familiar to her too.

After thinking for a while, Miss Zhang remembered who the person in front of her was.

"You are—Irving Rozier. Which famous therapist?"

"No—" she shook her head, "your appearance must be fake, so who are you?"

"Me?" The goddess disguised as Owen looked thoughtful. "I've been thinking about this ever since I woke up."

"Who am I? I am the Supreme Will Ionia, I am the Goddess Diana, and I am also you—Zhang Xiaolin."

"Are you playing word games with me?" Ms. Zhang said unhappily.

"There is no lineage—" the mysterious woman said calmly. "That wizard named Sirius Black guessed wrong. There has only been one person from the beginning."

"The inheritance of divine power is the transfer of will."

Why do mothers gradually die after having children? It's because the will of the previous generation is gradually transferred to the offspring.

"What are you talking about?" Miss Zhang looked at the person in front of her with a half-smile.

"Would you like to hear a long story?"

"In no mood!"

"This story includes you and me; it's the truth you want to know."

"I still don't want to."

"So—you don't care about those people either?" The goddess waved her hand, and the illusory stars in the sky suddenly cracked open.

The bright sunlight streamed in, causing Ms. Zhang to instinctively close her eyes.

But in an instant, she realized the danger and forced herself to open her eyes.

Then she saw the world beyond the stars—there was a tree with huge cocoon-like things hanging from its canopy.

Upon closer inspection, Zhang Xiaolin realized that what was wrapped up were people.

Mr. Basil, Mr. Winston, and Sirius were all there.

"You—" Zhang Xiaolin's face immediately turned cold. "What did you do?"

"They are all insignificant people; I cannot let them interrupt our trial," the woman said calmly. "So, now, are you in the mood to know the whole truth?"

"If you dare, I will..."

Before Ms. Zhang could finish speaking, the false stars sealed the crack again, the light disappeared, and the scenery vanished.

"Your fight is meaningless. Whether I defeat you or you defeat me, it's because—we are the same person."

"What do you mean?"

The woman paused, then continued in an ethereal voice: "In ancient times, the goddess Diana defeated the essence of the Supreme Will and sealed it in the Tower of Divine Power. The goddess's power far surpassed that of other wizards of her time. She completely erased the consciousness of that part of the Supreme Will's essence. Of course, the price was that her own consciousness also disappeared in the counterattack. From then on, the Tower of Divine Power contained only the purest ancient magic."

Later—the tower crumbled, and a Muggle girl gained this power—initially, she used it to heal the sick and save lives, and was quickly revered as a god by the unsuspecting Muggles.

"Heh heh—" Zhang Xiaolin responded with a cold laugh, standing there watching her tell her vague and unrealistic story.

The goddess ignored her and mechanically continued her narration: "But—when the girl gained this power, her consciousness was like a pebble stirring a calm lake, and the memories belonging to Ionia and Diana gradually returned."

"Just memories?" Miss Zhang raised an eyebrow. "Your story is terrible. What's the use of regaining memories? I thought you were going to say that the two gods have also been resurrected."

The other party was her enemy, and she wouldn't believe anything the woman in front of her said.

Who knows if this is a trick of hers? The three gods beside her are under time constraints, just to buy time.

So Ms. Zhang randomly picked a logical error in the other person's words in an attempt to interrupt.

"I—" the woman said, "or rather—you must understand how rich the memories of the two gods are compared to the mere few decades of a mortal's life. They almost instantly covered the entirety of that poor girl's life—when she regained consciousness, all she had in her mind were the memories of Ionia and Diana, and those two memories, like their owners, began to battle within that fragile brain."

"So—you mean to say that I am that girl? Or rather, the consciousness of that poor girl?" Miss Zhang interrupted the woman again. In this story, her identity is not hard to guess; even a fool would know the truth by now.

"Yes and no, you also have the memories of two gods mixed in, but after thousands of years of continuous copying (mother) and pasting (child), you have lost a lot of memories in the process. However, compared to the two gods, the girl has far fewer memories, so most of what was lost was from those two. This is a way for you to save yourself."

"ha?"

"So what? If what you're saying is true, then the goddess I saw in the sacred tree was actually my past self? I devised this plan myself, I was a participant and the decision-maker? And now? Am I going to return to the tree? Return to the goddess's body?"

"No—" The woman in front of her shook her head. "You misunderstand—this plan is merely to revive the girl's independent consciousness, and then, over time, allow it to grow stronger until it's strong enough to resist the memories of the two gods. As for whether it will succeed—after returning to the tree, it's still unknown who will open their eyes!"

"If you—I succeed, then this thousand-year cycle will end. If you don't—then please separate the girl's will again and continue this thousand-year cycle."

The woman spoke softly and calmly.

His tone was so calm, as if he were asking what to eat for dinner.

But it was precisely this indifference that made Miss Zheng feel a chill.

For some reason, a sense of fear crept into her heart.

She couldn't tell whether what the other person was saying was true.

If it's true—then why does he keep talking about reincarnation over a thousand years?

Zhang Xiaolin forced herself not to imagine the nonsense the woman in front of her was spouting.

But her consciousness began to uncontrollably contemplate what she was saying if it were all true.

It was as if she were truly a girl from a goddess story, as if her memories were about to return.

"Wait a moment!"

"Reincarnation?"

Zhang Xiaolin suddenly opened her eyes wide, her gaze scrutinizing as she asked, "If, if what you said is true..."

"Then I can't possibly be the first one standing here. There must have been others before me!"

So? Which generation am I?

"Seven generations," the goddess said calmly. "The first four generations entered the Coffin of Consciousness prematurely for various reasons, so they were insignificant. The last two generations, although they have reincarnated for hundreds of years, still cannot defeat me. They don't even qualify to return to the Tree."

You are the only girl whose consciousness has reincarnated for over five hundred years. If you cannot defeat me and instead dominate the goddess's memories after returning to the tree, then the next time will be a thousand years.

"The next time will be ten thousand years," the woman said, but her voice sent a chill down Zhang Xiaolin's spine.

She regained her rationality; that mindset of hers was as if she viewed everything in the world as a tool.

She dared not imagine what she would look like a thousand years, or even ten thousand years from now, after time had reshaped her.

In any case, she would definitely not be the same person she is now.

The latter, aside from possibly possessing her memories, would definitely be someone else.

This cycle of reincarnation is simply the most terrifying punishment in the world.

"Phew—" the girl took a deep breath.

"After saying all that," she gathered her scattered thoughts, "I'm still going to defeat you in the end, aren't I?"

"In the end, it still comes down to fists!" she sneered.

"He's a complete liar, but this is the only truth he said."

Having said that, a glint of light flashed in the girl's eyes.

Then, he waved his wand.

The three gods immediately launched an attack.

The terrifying potential energy seemed capable of destroying the heavens and the earth; this magic, inherited from the ancient land, was now unleashing astonishing power.

With a single axe stroke, the great god Pangu cleaved the bizarre half of the hill, along with the woman, in two once again.

"boom--"

The stones fell into the pale purple sea, creating waves.

Just as Zhang Xiaolin had predicted, the woman bearing Irving's image had her split body merge back into one almost instantly.

However, this was within the witch's expectations.

The great god Kuafu clasped his hands together with great force, and terrifying crimson flames engulfed the woman like a tidal wave.

The great archer Hou Yi drew his bow and nocked an arrow. Meteors rained down, falling one after another through the woman's mangled body amidst the lightning.

"good."

Even amidst the flames, the woman's voice remained crystal clear.

"For thousands of years, you are the only girl whose will has reached such heights."

"Then—burst forth, dance, fight to the death, unleash your vibrant power!"

You had no choice, and I had no choice.

Inscribe majesty in the eyes of the cowardly, and let your name become the doctrine followed by fools.

Follow the spine of the Coffin of Consciousness to the Promised Land beneath the Sacred Tree.

Pitch your will into the sea, or even the sky.

Now—tell me—your real name!

High above, the goddess's voice slowly descended, like the melodious tolling of a bell, solemn and sacred. This ancient echo transcended the barriers of time and space, reaching the depths of Zhang Xiaolin's heart.

"Shut up!" With the added power of the loud incantation, Zhang Xiaolin's voice instantly drowned out the woman's. "You old hag, why do you talk so much?"

As she finished speaking...

The stars in the sky seemed to have been revived; their light was no longer false and unchanging, but shone brightly, gradually becoming brighter.

Slowly, it falls.

And this pale purple sea seemed to come alive.

The boiling seawater reveals its true form.

It was made up of countless hideous flesh and blood, and the limbs and blood of various creatures.

The sea is not a sea, but a mirror, a one-way mirror.

"boom--"

"What's wrong?"

A tremendous roar followed, and the sky seemed to collapse and the earth to cave in.

It was truly a cataclysmic collapse.

Stars fell from the sky, and the seas below turned into swamps.

The figure of the great god Pangu sank dozens of meters in an instant.

By the time Zhang Xiaolin realized what was happening, three parts of the god's body had already sunk into the purple sea.

"This—" She didn't even have time to be surprised.

Because the sky began to collapse.

First came the shooting star.

Countless meteors crashed to the ground, but the great god Pangu held them up with his hands, and a layer of golden light shone, blocking most of the meteorites.

But there are still some left.

This is when the great god Hou Yi unleashed his divine power.

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and countless dazzling streaks of light shot upwards against the sky, directly blasting the meteorites apart.

"This place—" For the first time, Zhang Xiaolin sensed that this pale purple sea, this strange space, might be an illusion, a magic trick, or something else entirely.

But her thoughts were already too busy to separate.

Suddenly, a voice, a decadent melody, emerged from the depths of her heart.

The girl felt dizzy and had tinnitus, as if someone was chiseling open her brain with an axe.

In an instant, she no longer had the strength—or rather, the energy—to speak.

"ah--"

A vast amount of memories, memories that did not belong to her.

It was roughly shoved into her brain.

The resulting suffering is indescribable.

"Feel it—this belongs to you, to our original thousand-year-old history."

The woman's voice seemed to blend seamlessly with her surroundings.

Her voice could be heard from all directions.

A powerful psychological attack came from all directions, and this time, Ms. Zhang couldn't even stand up straight.

At that moment—a graceful black bird flew out from her body.

The sight of the wings flapping freely startled the girl.

She never imagined that her guardian deity would be a black bird.

Perhaps—what that woman said was true; deep in her soul, she yearned for true freedom, even if it meant death, which would be easier than endless reincarnation.

But the next second, endless pain struck again.

"Ah—" A heart-wrenching sound echoed throughout the eerie space.

Beneath her feet, the stones that make up the mountain also reveal their true form, which is also countless limbs and flesh.

The flesh and blood twisted and reformed.

They transformed into countless hideous dark creatures.

Suddenly, a venomous snake as thick as a forearm bit her arm.

Zhang Xiaolin was powerless to resist.

The one who helped her was the great god Kuafu.

The master grabbed the venomous snake, tore it to pieces, and then threw the corpse out.

Facing an increasing number of enemies.

The master, like a father, slowly knelt down and held the girl in his arms.

Then, flames of the blazing sun illuminated his entire body.

All the dark creatures that came to invade were no match for the sun and were burned alive.

In her pain, Zhang Xiaolin raised her head and looked at that imposing face with her bloodshot eyes.

"We're doomed!"

Suddenly she smiled.

The memories in her mind, that strange voice, and the mental attack from high above had already robbed her of her ability to cast spells.

She's not even as strong as a Muggle now.

At least a Muggle can defeat a few tigers, wolves, and leopards; she can't defeat anyone right now.

But then she suddenly wasn't so scared anymore.

The warm embrace of our ancestors is just like the phoenix emanating warmth from the phoenix on the parasol tree behind the Imperial Academy in Chang'an.

She spent her entire childhood and adolescence there.

This temperature reminded her of home.

That home that I can never return to.

Gradually, the girl's vision became blurry.

The colors before my eyes turned into dazzling light, followed by an empty white light.

"Five hundred years—is that still too short?"

The goddess within the coffin of consciousness let out a soft sigh.

"Then—see you a thousand years from now!"

The next second, the entire pale purple sea turned transparent, as if someone had wiped away a colorful painting.

Everything became blank.

Like words gradually disappearing on parchment.

In the end, nothing was left.