He changed Tiwat

"The last time I saw her was after she created the general doll."

"At that time, she was already planning a long period of seclusion... Her last words to me were—"

"Only eternity is closest to the principles of Heaven."

"I didn't understand what she meant at first, but recently, I've become clearer and clearer..."

The goddess said in a very soft voice, "I... don't want my friend to become another 'Tenri'."

Chapter 146 Dream on! [4k]

“I…don’t want my friend to become another ‘Tianli’.”

That's what Yae no Miko said.

"Only eternity is closest to the truth of nature... So that's it, another 'truth of nature'..."

Han Fulai remained silent until the end.

This was yet another answer he hadn't anticipated, a reason that even a time traveler who had read the "script" couldn't have foreseen.

According to the plot that Han Fulai knows, Lei Yingdian went into seclusion because she lost her family and friends in the "dark calamity" five hundred years ago, and thus suffered too much "wear and tear". That's why she closed herself off, used a divinely created puppet that would not "wear and tear" to rule the shogunate, and retreated to the "pure land of one heart" to delay the "wear and tear".

Looking back now, this reason, though barely plausible, is completely inconsistent with the structure of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World." Instead, it seems more like those mortals who yearn for immortality and retreat into the deep mountains to seek immortality and enlightenment.

At least the Zhongli and Wendy he knew, who were also among the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," were not such simple people.

If the continent of Teyvat were merely a "script" written by a game company's screenwriter, and as a player's "waifu," Ray Movie might indeed be a stereotypical, nerdy girl who isolates herself in "Issue no Sora" (a fictional world of fantasy)... But Ray Movie, as a god, shouldn't be like that.

The Demon War of Inazuma ended over 2,600 years ago, and Rai's time as a demon may have been much longer. Even if she still looks young, her heart shouldn't be so innocent anymore.

This includes the "Eye Hunting Edict" and the "Isolation Edict".

On the surface, both orders appear to be completely "tyrannical and chaotic," the result of collusion between the Heavenly Order and the foolish masses, a perverse and perverse act—but what if Lei Film wants to become the next "Heavenly Principle"?

What if she really wanted to create an eternal "earthly divine kingdom"?

...If we take this reason into account, the nature of the matter becomes completely different.

The divine child slowly spoke, “The land of Narukami has remained unchanged for hundreds of thousands of years. Perched atop the Heavenly Guardian, overlooking the world’s loves, hates, separations, and reunions, all I see are the fleeting shackles of impermanence.”

"With the might of purple lightning and rice paddy light, she commands the fleeting dream of illusion. Whether it is pointless attachment or ignorant madness, she brushes away the momentary white dew. General... what Ah Ying pursues is the eternity of no thought and no attachment."

"'Illusion' is like the floating world, existing only by chance by clinging to essence; 'silence' is essence, hidden deep beneath fragile bubbles. — Its name is 'eternity'."

Her expression was unusually serious.

“Ah Ying... has experienced many pains and separations that I have never experienced.”

"She has walked through the past and personally witnessed the many sacrifices that Inazuma has made for progress over the centuries."

"The happiest years of her life were gone. She had witnessed countless lives taken, including her beloved siblings and friends. She had even drawn her sword against a former friend, regretting her powerlessness... And in the end, she had even lost the reason to hold a knife..."

—After the Battle of Canria, Ray lost his friends and his enemies... Looking back, he found himself all alone.

“As her family member and friend, I couldn’t help her when she needed it most. And now, I want to help her, but she refuses to see me.”

"In her view... as long as you move forward, you will lose something. This is the iron law ruled by 'time,' a theorem that this world cannot escape."

"The collapse of the most prosperous and thriving 'Kingdom of Man,' Kanria, overnight must have deeply affected her. She sensed that the winds of parting were blowing from the other side of time."

"The name of 'General Thunder' is still resounding, but what about hundreds of years later? Thousands of years later? ... One day, Inazuma will lose the protection of the gods. As a warrior, she is wary of all adversaries. Even if the enemy is a crisis as ephemeral as time, she will find a weapon to retaliate before that day arrives."

"The answer she found was 'eternity.' Only 'eternity' can bring all things to a standstill, and grant Inazuma immortality. And on this continent, the one who truly grasps the way of 'eternity' is..."

The divine child raised his head.

"That one who is high and mighty."

"That's what Ying must be thinking—"

"'Then, while everything is still beautiful, let's freeze time... and go to eternity.'"

The goddess's voice was deep and sorrowful, but every word seemed to be spoken by the goddess named Lei Yingdian herself. As her last friend in life, the goddess and the shadow shared a tacit understanding, and even though the shadow had never said it, the goddess already knew everything.

Han Fulai remained silent.

It seems that everything is now aligned.

The "pure land" in Lei's film and the "Aru" in Ahmar's film are actually similar in nature.

Lei Yingdian said, "Only eternity is closest to the principles of Heaven."

It probably refers to a "perpetual paradise".

A thousand years ago, Sumeru was under the rule of three gods. The twin demons of Inazuma should have met with the "Red King" of Sumeru at the banquet of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World"—the Lei Movie may have gotten its inspiration for "Pure Land" from the "Red King".

When Han Fulai refuted the "scattered soldiers" argument, he had thought that "Aru" was the "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" in Buddhism. Buddhism says that "impermanence is suffering," so the corresponding "bliss" is naturally "permanence."

"Aru" is the "eternal paradise" that Ahmar prepared for himself and the people who believe in him.

Ahmar's creation of "Aru" is essentially an "artificial Teyvat"—regardless of whether this idea is a pipe dream or whether it can succeed, the key is that he wants to create a replica of Teyvat, but why in this "pure land" form?

The answer lies in the essence of Teyvat, a pure land enveloped in a "false heaven," a "perpetual paradise" prepared for humanity by the divine principles.

Zhongli once told him: "That was an era that could be called 'paradise'. If there was famine, food and rain would fall from the sky. If there was barrenness, minerals would be produced on the earth. As long as the people prayed, a reliable government would respond."

What Lei's films want is this kind of "paradise," this kind of "everlasting paradise."

She issued the "lockdown order" to "control variables"; she implemented the "eye-hunting order" to "gather willpower".

As the "scattered soldier" said at the end: "...If I ascend to godhood, I can expand the 'Pure Land,' and the more people it accommodates, the larger the area it can expand to. And since I have become a god, I am naturally immortal, so there is no need for death."

The "scattered soldiers" are "ascending to godhood," and so are the "thunderous films"—they are not ascending to ordinary "demons," but to "heavenly gods," to the principles of heaven.

A life confined to the physical body that seeks "eternity" cannot avoid time and lifespan. Before pursuing the eternity of this realm, it must first touch upon eternity itself.

The one on Sky Island is none other than "Tianli," who wields the power over "life, death, time, and space." At least in Lei's eyes, Tianli is the true "eternal principle."

This also explains why Lei Films allowed the "stragglers" to "wander" outside, and even when the "stragglers" returned to Inazuma a few years ago to retaliate against "Raiden Five Transmissions" and left behind the name "National Collapse" to provoke, Lei Films still did nothing about it.

Perhaps in Lei's eyes, "Scattered Soldiers" are also candidates for "replacement of divine justice"—this divinely created doll, made with Kanria technology and capable of developing self-awareness, might be her "insurance." If she fails to "ascend to godhood," will her creation inherit her will and follow the same path as her?

Han Fulai couldn't help but glance again at the fallen "scattered soldiers".

Although there's probably no blood relation between "Sanbing" and Lei's movies, their personalities... can only be described as "mother and son," even more alike than biological children, their stubbornness is just as strong...

He thought for a moment, then said, "I have another question..."

“According to the ‘Scattered Soldier’s’ memories, he was created as a vessel for the ‘Heart of God’. But before, in the ‘Borrowed View Pavilion’, you told me that the ‘Heart of God’ is now in your hands. You even planned to use the ‘Heart of God’ to make a ‘deal’ with him, or rather, with the Winter Solstice Kingdom.”

"This means that the general doll currently in the castle tower doesn't need the 'Heart of God' as its power source, right?"

"Yes." The divine child nodded.

"But 'Scattered Soldiers' don't need that either. That's a contradiction. This puppet technology can clearly be driven without the 'Heart of God,' so why are 'Scattered Soldiers' made as containers for the 'Heart of God'? Also, if he was born as the divine body of that Thunder General, why is he made into a male... Thunder General is female, right?" Han Fulai asked.

The goddess lifted her sleeve, covered her mouth, and chuckled: "Well, although Aying's temperament is a bit rustic compared to mine... she's still considered a very beautiful woman in the eyes of mortals, isn't she?"

"As for your question... to be honest, I don't know. The production of the general doll was done entirely by Ying herself from beginning to end. I didn't participate in the specific production process of either the collapse of the country or the doll general—oh dear, thinking about it, could it be that I've been ostracized by Ying?"

Han Fulai smirked: "So, even if you really give the 'Heart of God' to someone else, General Lei Dian won't care?"

The divine child shook her head and said, "All I know is that before she settled in the 'Pure Land of One Heart,' she was troubled about how to place the Heart of God. She said she didn't need this thing, or rather, that if she kept it by her side, the 'Sustainer' might notice whatever she wanted to do... but this thing can't be thrown away so easily."

"So she eventually found me, and the last time I met her, we talked about this."

“I even asked her, ‘Aren’t you worried I’ll resell this?’ Guess what she said?”

Han Fulai dutifully played the straight man: "How did you answer?"

The divine child's face showed a look of longing: "She said, 'You understand the value of the Heart of God. Even if you were to sell it, you would need to find a traded item whose value matches it. That is by no means easy.'"

"She knows exactly what kind of person I am... I never suffer a loss."

Han Fulai nodded, "I happen to have an investment project that won't leave you at a loss."

He gestured with his eyes to the "scattered soldiers" lying on the ground.

"Your previous investments have now been proven to be bad assets. Why not switch to a new project?"

"Oh?" The goddess looked at him with interest. "What project are you talking about?"

“Me,” Han Fulai pointed to his face, “how about you transfer the ‘Heart of God’ to me?”

"You secretly support Haiqi Island, plan to make a deal with the Fatui, and even drag Liyue into this scheme. It's all to pull that General out of 'Issue no Sojourn', isn't it?"

“Yes.” The goddess smiled and raised her wrist. “There’s a saying in Inatsuma, ‘I want to borrow even a cat’s paw.’ Well, now I want to borrow not only a cat’s paw, but even a Kirin’s paw.”

“I want to tell her that the ‘eternity’ she is pursuing is wrong… her path will not lead to ‘eternity’, but only to ‘abyss’.”

"I'm willing to do anything and give anything to achieve this goal."

Han Fulai also smiled and extended his right hand to the divine child.

"I've had the privilege of learning a few business lessons from the incredibly wealthy Tianquan Xing Ningguang. She once said that many businessmen often say 'don't put all your eggs in one basket,' and while that certainly helps mitigate risk, it's also why they don't make big money. Because, 'the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.'"

"So, Miss Yae, how about we take a gamble on me? I'll bet that I can not only save Inazuma, but also your god."

The priestess raised her right hand, but instead of shaking hands with him, she reached into her own chest—from the side of her priestess's robe.

The priestess's outfit on the goddess looked very dignified from the front, but from the side... well, it revealed some curves.

Whether this is due to the fox spirit's dislike of restraint, or whether Narukami Taisha truly has some special rules, in any case, the shrine maiden's robes were completely bare, at least the chest area was "vacuum-less"...

So after she made that gesture, Han Fulai had no choice but to look away: "Um... the 'Heart of God' doesn't need to be given to me now. It's not too late to give it to me after everything is done. I'm just confirming an investment intention, there's no need to rush..."

The goddess blinked. "Heh, little brother, you want your sister to give you her 'heart' now? Dream on!"

She pulled Han Fulai's hand and slipped something into it.

Han Fulai turned his head and looked closely; it turned out to be a "protective charm".

"The one for Kanoin was obtained by Nana for him, so you can't keep it for yourself; remember to return it. That's why I made another one especially for you—"

As she spoke, she raised her right hand again, connecting her thumb with her middle and ring fingers to form a "fox head seal"—in Inazuma, this is a hand seal representing a "fox".

She maintained the "fox head seal" posture and traced the surface of the amulet with her fingertips. Gradually, cherry blossom-colored characters appeared on the outside of the amulet's pouch—these were three characters from the Inatsume katakana. In the Inatsume language, the amulet is written as "お守り" and read as "omamori." The characters written by the goddess were the three letters "OMR."

The fact that the divine child used kana instead of kanji at this time suggests that he was infusing it with "the power of words".

"The amulets of Narukami Taisha Shrine are always very effective. I hope they can protect you... and also help me achieve my wishes."

"Hmm... Of course, you can take it out when you miss me, okay? Maybe I'll suddenly pop up to see you?"

Han Fulai gripped the amulet tightly, not putting it away immediately, but instead asking, "If the protection of Narukami Taisha is on the opposite side of Raiden General, who will it protect? Or, if I were to directly clash with Raiden General, whose side would you take?"

The goddess smiled faintly.

"You know the answer. It's... the winning side, of course."

Chapter 147 Those Who Should Have Been Killed But Were Not Killed Are Pits and Valleys Full [4k]

Sometime later, the alarms inside the Evil Eye factory had stopped—perhaps because they were no longer of any use.

An alarm is meant to be heard by people. But if there are no people left in the factory, who should hear the alarm?

Ying forcefully swung the bladeless sword in her hand.

A mark suddenly appeared on the wall of the corridor, like a smear of vermilion lacquer, an unusually ferocious red.

“Can’t get rid of it completely…” Ying frowned and stepped over the corpse in front of her.

Her sword was no longer recognizable as its original color.

Having been repeatedly stained with layers upon layers of blood, this sword has now become as red as the "Famous Blood Stick".

Borrenka slumped against the wall, his eyes wide open, an expression of disbelief on his face.

He never understood why the "new recruits" he brought back were such terrifying characters.

The naval warrant officer, a "scattered soldier" directly under the executive officer, used the Evil Eye and fought stubbornly until the very last moment—but for Ying, it was just a matter of a few more minutes.

Ying walked step by step toward the auditorium deep inside the factory, knowing that a Fool's Enforcer was waiting there.

She really hoped that person was a "doctor".

Xingqiu followed silently behind her.

She witnessed firsthand how the blood dripping from Ying's longsword transformed into a "blood trail."

In her eyes, Ying is an optimistic, cheerful, and helpful adventurer from a foreign land.

Ying travels far and wide in search of her brother, creating countless enviable legendary stories with her good friend Paimon. It is simply her ideal of "wandering the world with a sword" and her favorite "poetry and distant places".

It should be like this.

But today she saw another side of Ying.