"Saint Gate, Azure Cloud Sect."
"Layers upon layers of cloud seas, waves furious as if enraged, innurable peaks standing like islands in the sea of clouds, strewn like stars, resembling a chessboard's...."
"Stop." Jiang Si imdiately told White Fox to be quiet, "Say another word and that's copyright infringent."
White Fox stared quietly at the sect gate before her, the banner reading Azure Cloud Sect.
Among the myriad peaks, only this one had its summit trimd flat by a single sword.
"The thing is, it really looks like that."
"That doesn't an you tell it verbatim." Jiang Si stepped onto the flattened peak, "Mind your phrasing. Make slight edits. Have you ever practiced imitation writing?"
"No."
"Compulsory education in the old world has a long way to go." After saying this with mock gravity, Jiang Si spread his arms on the mountaintop plain, "The setting sun runs red like blood, the ancient ranges roll like seas, thousands of peaks stand like chess pieces on the world’s board...."
"This is plagiarism, sir."
"Not plagiarism."
What they had stepped into now was precisely the Azure Cloud Sect of the old-world disaster-human realm.
The green mountains were pleasing to Jiang Si's eye.
As the saying goes, the genuine always beats the counterfeit, but that doesn't an the original can't learn from copies.
Among three travelers there is always a teacher— even if the teacher is a squad of imitators. If sothing is useful, Jiang Si had no qualms incorporating it into Azure Cloud. Frankly, if it were a straight copy he could simply invoke destiny to erase it.
If it wasn't a straight copy and contained even a little of its own rit, taking it was no moral burden.
When they entered the Azure Cloud Sect gate, disciples of the sect imdiately erged.
One had a pair of goat-like horns—likely from the Disaster Race—and looked them over. "Here to register? A bit late, aren't you?"
"Our Azure Cloud only accepts talent. Co, drip your blood into the life lamp and we'll test your aptitude."
Never had he imagined that, in soone else's recreated Azure Cloud Sect, he'd find the aptitude test he most enjoyed.
Whether it was Combat Strength Stage Three or a root changing in a second into an anomalous spiritual root, every story starts with the protagonist's aptitude — that was the most intoxicating part of a book.
It promised endless possibilities and a future full of curiosity and expectation.
But the girls of Azure Cloud hated pain; the blood-drip aptitude test was vetoed by Bingtang from the start.
Watching the oil lamp, Jiang Si felt a surge of emotion as if he had arrived at the place where dreams begin.
He pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall in.
In these test scenes, Jiang Si had always loved a certain Western fantasy he'd read back then — always barely passing, the ultimate show-off.
But since this chance to test had finally co, he wasn't going to waste it.
No future opportunities to show off ant just max out the aptitude now!
The drop of blood was saturated with mana.
The oil lamp, which had been burning strongly, suddenly dimd as if it would go out.
The horned disciple widened his eyes. "Holy shit, this aptitude!"
Jiang Si wiped the blood from his finger and said indifferently, "So-so."
The horned disciple gave him a thumbs-up. "So-so? This is garbage beyond belief. I've never seen such trash aptitude!"
Jiang Si blinked, a little surprised.
White Fox's mouth twitched behind him; Jiang Si shot her a warning look. "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm not laughing."
"Then co and try."
White Fox also dripped her blood in.
The oil lamp flared once with an explosive burst, then went out.
Both of them looked at the horned disciple. Jiang Si asked, "Well?"
The horned disciple stared, astonished, then fished out a small notebook. "I didn't expect to et the two of you—Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix— in one day. This one here is completely ruined. You two absolutely must lock in together, never separate. With that aptitude, finding another partner will only drag them down..."
Jiang Si glanced at White Fox. She looked cold. "Why stop laughing?"
"I didn't laugh at all, sir."
As she finished speaking, the horned disciple tore a page from his notebook. "With aptitudes like yours, cultivation consus massive resources. I can help you apply for a cultivation loan. Aptitude isn't everything — resources and effort matter. With enough resources you can beat those talent freaks who have nothing. Talent counts for nothing against money!"
White Fox glanced: six point seven billion...
"We can't afford that much."
The horned disciple glared. "No money and no talent, and you want to cultivate? Why don't you just fly to the sky?"
While the horned disciple was trying to shoo them away, Xiao Qi arrived with Ruo Yun, Wind Chi, and Helen.
Earlier Helen had been swallowed by a Disaster Beast in the disaster-human realm; she hadn't been mocked but imprisoned in their disaster-human prison. Now the misunderstanding was cleared, and Xiao Qi had co with Ruo Yun and Wind Chi to rescue teammate Helen.
Helen looked utterly drained, a little disheveled, but froze when she saw Jiang Si, then imdiately hid behind Ruo Yun, hoping the Saint Hall Envoy wouldn't notice her shaful state.
The horned disciple stiffened at Xiao Qi's appearance and bowed. "Greetings, Spirit Venerable!"
For the first ti the usually inscrutable Xiao Qi showed a helpless expression. "I've told you, I'm not a Spirit Venerable... I'm just a Dream Incubator."
"Impossible. In our hearts, you will always be Azure Cloud's Spirit Venerable!"
Xiao Qi could only lead the four inside, apologizing as they walked, "Sorry. To secure the disaster-human realm, we mimicked Azure Cloud Sect, and it turned out like this. It's a bit bizarre."
Ruo Yun: "You did know that?"
Wind Chi: "Knowing and not changing ans you liked it?"
Jiang Si: "It's not bad, but there are many small issues. Why does Azure Cloud have entry loans?"
White Fox: "Six point seven billion is still too much."
"Eh, that I don't really know."
Xiao Qi equivocated while guiding them into the Azure Cloud main hall. The celestial hall had a bronze cauldron with incense sticks, the smoke drifting.
The hall was spacious. Soon the girl who had been impersonating Shion, Ling i, strode out of the back room dragging along another little girl.
Ling i chatted as she walked, "But those people said Azure Cloud's seven true-transmissions, and Shion isn't like that..."
"No way. Do I know Azure Cloud better or do you? When I t Shion, you didn't even know where you were. Back in Beihai I faced Shion’s radiance herself; she even waved at ..."
Her chatter cut off when she entered and saw the four.
Ling i jostled the girl and cooed, "What's wrong, Coral? Coral?"
"Zi-zi-zi-zi-zi..." Coral pointed at Jiang Si, stamring, then at Wind Chi, "Feng-feng-feng...."
Under everyone's gaze her pointing hands shook like they were voice commands: "Feng-feng-feng Zi-zi-zi...."
She trembled back and forth like a child with cognitive delay.
Jiang Si scowled; he didn't recognize her.
Wind Chi looked at the little girl oddly. "Little Coral, weren't you supposed to be ho celebrating your birthday? Why are you here?"
Indeed, this was Coral, the Magical Girl Wind Chi had rescued from the Witch Association's researchers at Yanzi University. She'd been Shion's little fangirl, once rescued by Shion in Beihai as a child.
Coral tried to run, but Wind Chi scooped her up. "Where are you running to?"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Coral cried, pouting, "Coral had no choice, I... I..."
Her words tumbled out incomprehensibly and with a trace of grievance, but the protests grew weaker. Panic in her eyes turned into swirling circles. "I didn't hurt anyone..."
"Of course not! Teacher didn't hurt anyone!" Ling i imdiately defended her. "She was our invited honored guest, advising us as a legitimate inner sect disciple of Azure Cloud! She even fought alongside Shion!"
"Well, that's not true..."
Coral hid her face like a chick and blushed to the ears.
Wind Chi crouched beside her, smiling. "Don't rush, Coral. Tell us slowly. What happened? Why did you end up in the disaster-human realm?"
Lowered to the ground, Coral wiped her eyes and flung herself at Wind Chi's leg — she had wanted to cling to Jiang Si but was afraid of being kicked by Shion.
Others might be unaware, but did she not know who that big brother was?
Ruo Yun, watching how close Coral and Wind Chi were, felt surprised. So this kid actually had friends... He'd thought she, like other Beihai Disaster Control Bureau Magical Girls, had all fallen out.
Coral sobbed into Wind Chi's skirt. "Listen, Wind Chi senior. I really did celebrate my birthday with my parents, but a Disaster Control Bureau Magical Girl nad Qianying suddenly appeared and said she wanted to et Miss Shion. She took with them, but she was a liar. They tricked into helping handle a group of Disaster Beasts, and among them were Witch Association people!"
"They were spotted by Disaster Control's Magical Girls and blocked on a highway bridge, who attacked and accused of being an accomplice..."
Wind Chi ruffled her hair. "Ah, getting kidnapped into a lab once and still so easily tricked..."
"I thought Magical Girls were all good people..." Coral sobbed, then continued, "They took to a separate space in the Mirror World and tried to force to comply. I said I was an Azure Cloud inner sect disciple... I thought if I joined properly later then it wouldn't be a lie..."
Wind Chi smiled a little — the kid still wanted to be honest even then.
"They were really frightened. The Witch Association mbers said they didn't want to die; who would dare to kidnap an Azure Cloud inner sect disciple? Shion would show up that afternoon and wipe out the JIANGMING City female association like that, and then they'd run. The other old-world mbers didn't dare harm and let go. But the Disaster Control Bureau put on their wanted list, saying I'd joined the Witch Association — they called the worst local Magical Girl. I didn't dare go ho; my parents must think I'm doing bad things."
"Not necessarily," Wind Chi consoled. "If you explain clearly, the Disaster Control Bureau won't do anything. You can trust them on that point."
Coral nodded through tears and continued. "Because I was afraid to go ho, I did odd jobs in the old world to get money. Qianying saw my face and thought I was going to take revenge on them."
"But when they realized I was just hungry and afraid to go ho, she let stay for a al and gave a job—plant picking and transporting stuff. I think she suspected I wasn't actually an Azure Cloud inner sect disciple."
"Fortunately, after a few days they stopped making do black-market work. I don't know why; they were really scared and kept saying the 'Magical Girl Killer had been taken out' and stuff. Qianying decided to send back to Azure Cloud, called soone from the Curse Realm, saying the Curse Realm would contact Azure Cloud to take away."
Oh—this linked back to the ripple when the Magical Girl Killer attacked Beihai and Shion handled it, triggering chaos in the old world.
"When we t that person, he turned into a puddle of maggots and died right before our eyes... I cried, Qianying cried, and then she dumped in the Black Mountain Realm and ran off. She said to treat well but not let Azure Cloud know. The folks in Black Mountain Realm were friendly at first..."
Yes — the 'Death Ca' incident; Shion had annihilated the Curse Realm, leading to upheaval in the Black Mountain Realm.
"Then a few days later, their leader died at Shion's hands. The Black Mountain people were riled up, yelling revenge and even wanting to attack , so I escaped."
This was the fake-Full Bloom incident in South China; the death of Jade Fox in Black Mountain Realm caused the riot.
"Then the disaster-human folks rescued . They were super nice and asked to be their consultant, to help refine their Azure Cloud. They all worship Shion and Azure Cloud like I do..."
Wind Chi sighed contentedly. The thought of Shion's casual actions causing such consequences thousands of miles away delighted her — though it had made the little girl miserable, it was oddly satisfying.
She wondered how many lives Shion had upended by acting so freely.
At the thought, Wind Chi's pupils shone with excitent.
Coral looked at Ling i and apologized through sobs. "I'm really sorry. I'm not actually an Azure Cloud disciple. I tricked everyone..."
Ling i: "It's okay. Though we were startled — you knew so much yet weren't a true inner sect disciple..."
Coral scratched her head, embarrassed, a tearful smile. "I just like Azure Cloud so much that I collected all the material..."
Jiang Si shot a look: what kind of materials did you collect? Since when does Azure Cloud offer usury loans?
"I have one question," Ruo Yun frowned. "Why is Teacher Bai i a greatsword wielder?"
"Uh, actually...."
Jiang Si cut her off instantly. "Enough. That's beyond the scope."
"Skip it."
Coral closed her mouth at once, and everyone else fell silent, not daring to speak further.
Jiang Si turned to Xiao Qi and continued, "Forget Azure Cloud for now. If you rely want Full Bloom, wouldn't joining the Mirror Kingdom be better?"
His voice echoed through the quiet hall, drawing everyone's attention. "Why steal the Mirror Kingdom’s tech? You have Incubator technology—you should be able to cooperate with the Prince."
"The Mirror Kingdom won't save this place."
Xiao Qi climbed the offering table slowly. "The Mirror Kingdom's Prince is an extrely selfish person. Do you think the old worlds that obtained Full Bloom from her truly saved themselves?"
"No. From the start she was using every old world to achieve her ends. You think I stole Mirror Kingdom tech? I traded for it. I contributed a lot of data about mindscapes, but in the end she accused us of stealing Mirror Kingdom technology and put us on the wanted list."
Incubators did not lie, so this was no fabrication.
For Jiang Si, the Prince's behavior wasn't surprising.
He only comnted, "In the end people have to rely on themselves."
"But we need help from the Saint Hall." Xiao Qi said seriously. "I've collected your information. If the reward is sufficient you'll help, right?"
Ruo Yun, leaning against the wall with folded arms, nodded. "Yes, but saving a world probably costs more than you can pay."
"If our perfect Full Bloom succeeds, you'll want the experience and process," Xiao Qi continued. "Not only that, we can gift you a world bubble."
She swept her tail and the environnt under their feet shifted into rivers and mountains.
"A world bubble — even the Saint Hall would not ignore it, right? A world bubble is different from an old world: it's a projection of a world's past, present, and possible futures..."
"Isn't that just a parallel world?"
"You could say that." Xiao Qi didn't deny it. "Where there are dregs there will be shadows. When light no longer shines, the places covered by shadow leave conspicuous traces. That's a world bubble."
"You never said anything about world bubbles before."
Xiao Qi cocked her head innocently. "You didn't ask."
"You also said new-world embryos crave birth and will bring forth powerful Disaster Beasts—the New World's Enemy." Jiang Si's tone grew icy. "Where is the New World's Enemy? How powerful is it?"
Xiao Qi showed visible helplessness. "No power can surpass Azure Cloud."
"Many were accidentally trampled by Azure Cloud, there's no way. Sotis old worlds also fill that role."
"Alright, you pass for now."
"One more thing," Jiang Si asked Xiao Qi, "Are there other new worlds out there with similar scales to this one?"
After all this travel, what Jiang Si most wanted from an Incubator was this answer.
"Or are they all just a bunch of old worlds you can't lift?"
Everyone froze at the question.
Even Xiao Qi was surprised, but tilted her head. "Each world grows from an embryonic world, and embryos co in different sizes and strengths... There may be larger worlds than a new world, but if the worlds are too distant from each other, they'll never make contact."
"Could there be soone stronger than Shion?"
Wind Chi looked puzzled; Ruo Yun furrowed his brows and wondered why the Saint Hall Envoy ntioned Shion.
Coral and Ling i watched Xiao Qi anxiously for the answer.
Xiao Qi wagged her tail. "The size of the embryonic world directly affects the power Magical Girls can access. The larger the newborn embryo, the more power it can mobilize. The miracles granted by a world that matures from a larger embryo are greater. I've observed countless worlds."
"It's not surprising that a Magical Girl stronger than Shion could appear."
Coral and Ling i shouted, "Impossible! Magical Girl Shion is the strongest!"
Jiang Si only smiled and said, "Not bad."
He was ready to start mining the big world.
His pick and shovel were thirsty.
He dug fast; the Calamity Dragon dug frantically; Shion dug fast and urgent...
"A new world is a fresh adult organism. An old world is a rotting corpse after Full Bloom. A world bubble is a world’s reflection. So the disaster-human realm is a world bubble, not an old world—aning the disaster-human realm is rely a reflection of so world, right?"
Jiang Si glanced at Ling i and the seven Magical Girls who had appeared earlier.
Undoubtedly they were authentic Magical Girls, using pure mana rather than dregs' polluted magic—completely different from old worlds.
Yet their mana differed from that of a new world; it had obvious defects and changed with the world.
Ling i's mana, which had almost impressed Jiang Si before, had completely vanished here.
"Yes." Xiao Qi did not deny it. "The disaster-human realm was once a world I observed, but while I was captured, it entirely vanished, leaving only a world bubble."
The environnt shifted again; they were now in outer space.
Ahead, countless bubbles floated, each reflecting a world. "Where we are now is inside the body of a special Disaster Beast. I used it to swallow innurable world bubbles until I eventually found this disaster-human world bubble."
"Here, world bubbles can remain forever without disappearing, but they are only reflections—phantoms of past, present, and future."
"The stronger the light, the denser the shadow. In that sense worlds and world bubbles are one."
Xiao Qi hopped onto Ling i's shoulder and smiled, tilting her head. "So I want to save this world bubble with Ling i, to make the disaster-human realm real, to beco a true world. If Ling i can reach Full Bloom, we can achieve it."
Ling i shrank back. "I-I’m not sure I can do it."
"Don't worry. You can. Just like before, believe in yourself."
Hearing Xiao Qi's words, Jiang Si fell into thought.
Did the Witch Association know this intel?
At that ti they had assigned him escorts. It looked like more than coincidence.
An Incubator who pushed Magical Girls toward Full Bloom—it wasn't that different from Azure Cloud’s relationship with Qingluán. Not surprising.
After reassuring Ling i, Xiao Qi continued. "So, can you help? Get past this period and the disaster-human realm will forever be an ally of the Saint Hall. We'll give you safe Full Bloom thods and a world bubble."
Ruo Yun, Wind Chi, and Helen all looked to Jiang Si. In the Saint Hall, the Saint Hall Envoy had the final say; he could even manipulate the Main God to release missions.
Jiang Si nodded. The Witch Association's tasks had similar framing; he still wanted to use this to beco vice president and enter Chongxu...
Boom!
Before anyone could speak, the entire world shook and they were rapidly returned to the Azure Cloud gate. It seed Xiao Qi had been using illusion.
"Not good!"
The horned disciple sprinted out. "The Ancient Sage's demonic sects are attacking!!"
Ruo Yun blinked. "What does that an?"
Ling i looked tense. "They’re old-world people. How many?"
"A whole crowd!"
The Prince had no intention of personally coming to the disaster-human realm.
After all, such a small place did not rit her presence. A single wave of her hand could call countless old-world forces to exterminate it.
Now that a Full Bloom slot was up for grabs for annihilating the disaster-human realm, the majority of old-world mbers rushed at once.
For them, the temptation was irresistible.
Looking at the massive onslaught of old-world forces, the Prince held the marriage certificate and closed her eyes.
[Query: Is this a bit too conspicuous?]
"My ally died in the disaster-human realm. Letting them perish too will prove my Mirror Kingdom's sincerity."
[Calculation: The disaster-human realm and Simo Tu's death are not directly linked.]
"They died on their turf, it's their fault."
[Reminder: Simo Tu probably died at the hands of Alicephile No. 0; theoretically Mirror Kingdom killed Simo Tu...]
The system, which had hoped for denial or backlash from its master, found the Prince silent.
She buried her head in the lap of her white silk, murmuring, "Yes, it's my fault. I didn't expect my mother to leave code interference for Alice..."
[Condolences: Your Majesty, please do not bla yourself too harshly...]
"But they're dead now." The Prince lifted her head, the marriage certificate crumpling in her hand, and sneered, "Is the marriage certificate part of my past plan?"
[Answer: Negative.]
"Did my past self think she could predict everything? That I'd obediently follow her plan?"
[Reflection: After three steps, your past self becos the enemy...]
"No one can bind or control , not even my past self." The Prince declared decisively, "I don't need past plan mories. I will still use Simo Tu as a tool!"
[Cheer: Your Majesty is wise!]
Roar!
The Prince suddenly looked up and saw a huge golden celestial silhouette appear above the disaster-human realm again!
The Calamity Dragon King—golden...
This ti it carried a bubble-smooth globe of the disaster-human realm and flew into the space turbulence, fleeing the assaults of countless old-world forces!
"Wait, who is that! System, scan!"
[Scan complete: Undoubtedly genuine. It's Simo Tu resurrected from fake death! The true queen of the Mirror Kingdom!]
"Enough chatter. Chase after them..."
Before the words finished, the pursuing old-world forces unleashed multicolored energy cannons!
Many of them used Mirror Kingdom tech, producing dense bombardnts that filled the visible turbulent void and even pierced the Golden Calamity Dragon King's curse, propelling the giant disaster beast.
Its body tilted.
It fell toward a nearby pitch-black sphere!
In a mont the disaster-human realm, still cradled, and the Golden Calamity Dragon King plunged into that absorbing spatial black hole and vanished without a trace.
The Prince's expression froze, robbed of a chance to rejoice over the recovery.
Mirror space plunged into a deathly silence, the calm before ruin.
Outside, the old-world mbers who had celebrated now shouted, "My Full Bloom slot!"
"Mine!"
Heaven and hell collided.
After a long ti, the system in mirror space spoke again.
[Congratulations: You have earned the achievent—killed your fiancé twice....]
Shred.
The marriage certificate in the Prince's hand tore with a ripping sound.
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