Chapter 824: Shattered Realities

In an instant, the scene left nearly everyone present dumbfounded – even the Coronated Clown was struck speechless.

Because they all understood one thing.

On the mental plane, one can achieve the unimaginable, witnessing things that defy logic.

But the crucial point is that the Old Building is real.

The crumbling Old Building that had just fallen apart is real, and now the fully restored Old Building is equally genuine.

How can something real be subject to arbitrary change?

The smile on the Coronated Clown’s face suddenly grew unnatural; as soon as he let go, another balloon drifted away.

Below him, the Circus personnel stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded by the Old Building, and after a long moment, they reluctantly turned to the Host – the actor playing the Clown – and murmured, “If you were here to perform magic…”

“It would be a hit, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Amid their terrified gazes, Lu Xin, standing beneath the Red Moon, nodded ever so slightly.

Then, all the windows in the Old Building suddenly burst open, unleashing countless bizarre and frenzied entities from within.

From a human perspective, it was impossible to discern exactly how many oddities surged out at once; only a blur of mental power, like a giant net, could be seen engulfing the surrounding area in a heartbeat…

In the very next moment, all the mental energy retracted, pulling every bit of strangeness back into the Old Building.

A delicate, greedy chewing sound emerged, reminiscent of a delightful dinner.

In an instant, all the oddities vanished; even the particularly lively black vines disappeared.

“Shhllaa…”

At that same moment, as every uncanny element dissolved, the Tyrant Legion exposed in the Wasteland showed signs of retreat.

Previously, the aura emanating from Lu Xin had forced them into hiding completely.

But now, the mental radiation from Lu Xin made them feel strangely disoriented.

Yet it still restrained them, leaving them with a profound sense of helplessness.

Lu Xin took notice of them and gently snapped his fingers again.

Black particles trembled once more.

The next moment, every monster within the Tyrant Legion buckled and collapsed, howling desperately as if turning into lumps of flesh; then, slender black tentacles erupted from their bodies, transforming them into countless black particles.

The moment these black particles broke free, their bodies rapidly withered and even began to decay.

All those black particles gathered in Lu Xin’s palm, swirling gently like a miniature tornado.

It was almost unimaginable that so many black particles, when concentrated in his hand, formed such a small, compact mass.

“Snap…”

At the moment Lu Xin accomplished this, the Ace of Spades in the Black-clad Bishop’s hand suddenly shattered.

And this shattering wasn’t caused by ripping or burning.

It split apart suddenly, disintegrating completely into sand-like fragments.

His palm became drenched in blood as his grip tore open.

The rest of the playing cards he held slipped from his hands, scattering across the ground.

Only then did he look up in terror, his eyes trembling as they met Lu Xin’s gaze.

Lu Xin sensed the commotion and a smile slowly crept across his face.

“Is it amusing?”

“…”

“…”

Hisss…

The expression on the Black-clad Bishop’s face grew intensely oppressive; his lips trembled as if he wanted to speak, yet nothing came out.

At that moment, the massive body of the Abyss Worm suddenly began to contract.

Its rough skin scraped against the ground, emitting a displeasing sound as it seemed to strive to distance itself from Lu Xin…

“How could I ever forget you?”

Lu Xin abruptly turned and shot a glance at the Abyss Worm.

Then, the black particles in his hand burst outward along with the seven black shadows trailing beside him – remnants left over from when he shattered seven foes from the Tyrant Legion.

These shadows hadn’t merged with his black particles, yet they did not stray away either.

Like obedient puppets, they clung closely to him.

The moment Lu Xin fixed his gaze on the Abyss Worm, the black particles lunged towards it.

Joined by the black tornado from his palm, they instantly converged on the Abyss Worm, clinging to its body strand by strand; the creature suddenly felt an overwhelming weight and crashed to the ground.

Mouths began to appear all over its surface, desperately gulping everything in sight.

Where the black particles touched, its body started to crumble piece by piece, then disintegrated altogether.

Yet the mouths on its body voraciously devoured the particles, creating a macabre scene that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Nonetheless, the Abyss Worm displayed a tenacity to counter the black particles.

Amid the struggle, parts of its massive surface began to crack open, exposing fragments that splintered into tiny worms and darted underground.

Even if the Ultimate might not match the level of the black particles, it still held considerable counterforce.

Moreover, even as the Ultimate neared its breaking point, they retained enough power to allow a part of themselves to escape.

All to avoid being completely annihilated…

“Clatter…”

Yet amidst the Abyss Worm’s desperate thrashing, Lu Xin frowned slightly as he looked at his palm.

Then, without hesitation, he charged forward in a giant stride.

The black particles around him seemed almost alive, tugging at his body and engulfing him completely.

In the next moment, his body transformed into a cascade of fine black particles before quickly dissipating into the air.

At the same time, on the surface of the worm, a cluster of black particles coalesced into a humanoid shape.

As the black substance faded away, Lu Xin’s body reappeared.

This was merely a mundane display on the mental plane – transitioning from one place to another.

For Abyssal Path ability users, such feats came almost effortlessly.

Every time the Xia Chong opened a door, the distance he could traverse was far greater than Lu Xin’s.

Yet now, Lu Xin’s simple action had the surrounding onlookers trembling with excitement.

“Is this body remodeling brought about by mental power influencing the physical realm?”

Doctor An gasped, his heart pounding as if struck by a heavy blow – leaving him unsure whether to feel excited or terrified.

The Magician abruptly grabbed the Clown, exclaiming, “Look, look! He’s even mastered the notion of a teleportation door…”

…

…

Before the eyes of countless onlookers, Lu Xin raised his left hand and plunged it downward with determination.

Creak…

His arm slid into the gaping maw atop the Abyss Worm’s head before forcefully plunging deeper.

He pierced straight through that monstrous mouth, extending into the worm’s body until he felt something – and then he yanked it out forcefully.

To his shock, it was a head, from which slender worm-like bodies extended from the neck, tethering to the Abyss Worm.

Clutched in Lu Xin’s hand, it continued to blink in terror, its features contorted in pain.

It appeared to be agonizing in torment.

Yet Lu Xin’s expression remained cold and indifferent; the black particles in his palm convulsed violently as the head disintegrated into nothingness in an instant.

A section of the Abyss Worm’s body suddenly stilled, trembling no more.

Then it fragmented into countless pieces, each shattering further into smaller worms.

They scurried underground in a flash before vanishing completely.

While the Ultimate was not so easily slain, Lu Xin had managed to eliminate the ‘person’ grafted deep within the mouth of the First Researcher.

Thus, yet another trump card in the First Researcher’s arsenal dimmed in significance.

“You…”

The Black-clad Bishop convulsed; his limbs twitching as he watched card after card become worthless, his expression marred by disappointment and pain.

But there was nothing he could do.

Above him, the shadow of the Void Maiden suddenly swelled dramatically; her white hair flew wildly as she descended, enveloping even the Old Researcher in a shroud.

With the Abyss Worm in disarray, the Old Researcher no longer had the luxury of protection.

“It feels so good to reclaim what’s truly mine…”

Lu Xin did nothing to hastily stop the Void Maiden from safeguarding the Old Researcher.

He simply observed them from afar.

He watched as they transformed—from having once controlled innumerable oddities and wielding two levels of Ultimate power as the First Researcher—to now, merely spectating as their trump cards were destroyed, powerless to change their fate.

Then he fell into a pensive silence, as if sensing that it wasn’t enough.

After a brief moment of deep contemplation, he once again slowly extended his hands, pressing both palms against the surface of the Abyss Worm.

Between his hands, a peculiar mental power manifested.

It was a power unlike any seen before – gentle yet calm, reminiscent of a warm spring.

This mental force began to melt away a portion of the worm’s body.

Soon, a delicate bud of flesh emerged from within.

The bud stretched out into a vivid red filament, extending bit by bit.

Only when it had grown long enough did Lu Xin take a deep breath and step back.

That single bloodline ceaselessly absorbed what remained of the Abyss Worm’s body – its mental traits erased by Lu Xin’s will.

It gradually swelled in strength, lengthening and growing denser.

In the end, it astonishingly transformed into a small humanoid form, complete with limbs and a head, increasingly distinct.

Finally, it abruptly opened its eyes wide.

It looked around with a confused gaze, its face still bearing traces of earlier terror.

In the distance, Doctor An, witnessing the scene, suddenly displayed a mix of astonishment and delight:

“Sissi?”

“…”

Could it really be Sissi, who had once been swallowed by the Abyss Worm?

How could she possibly return?

“The dead coming back to life?”

The Magician, watching from afar and on the brink of despair, muttered, “This power is even more miraculous than our Fantastic Glue act…”

…

…

After it was all done, Lu Xin let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He wasn’t absorbed by the astonished stares of the onlookers; instead, he stewed silently in thought.

After this brief period of familiarization, he finally felt ready to try something new.

So, he walked over to a spot where fragments of playing cards lay scattered – remnants recently torn apart.

He carefully picked up each fragment from the ground, placing them in his palm.

“You wanted me to hand over the Unique Consciousness to you – at the very least, transform me into a Pollution Source to cloak the Unique Consciousness in chaos.”

Holding the shards of playing cards, he murmured softly.

These were the fragments that sealed Mom’s Mind Palace – the shattered playing card symbolized that Mom’s Mind Palace had broken; as he cradled the fragments, his movements were tender, as if he were embracing his mother, his voice barely above a whisper.

“This will prevent the Unique Consciousness from falling into the wrong hands.”

“And him…”

Lu Xin gestured toward the ground and whispered, “He hopes to revive himself through the Unique Consciousness and return to reality.”

The face of the Black-clad Bishop twisted ever so slightly.

He despised that vessel, as it exposed his own thoughts.

“But…”

Lu Xin pointed to his head and murmured, “My consciousness will always be my own.”

As the words left his lips, he gently clasped his hands together, pressing Mom’s playing card fragments into his palm.

Then he leaned them close to his forehead.

At that moment, his eyes seemed to flicker with black particles.

But in an instant, the black particles were suppressed, and his gaze turned exceptionally clear.

A perfect blend of black and white – only pure mental power remained.

Even the Red Moon overhead appeared brilliantly bright, its dark crimson hue fading slightly.

Then Lu Xin fell silent, his heart trembling slightly as he slowly spread his hands open.

In his palm lay a complete playing card, etched with bizarre patterns and sealed with an eye.

It wasn’t an illusion or the trick of a magician.

It was the very same torn playing card, now mysteriously restored in his hand.

“How is this possible…”

In the distance, Doctor An’s eyes widened in shock as he stared blankly at Lu Xin’s palm.

Even Director Xue, who was about to escape from the battlefield to safety, suddenly showed an expression of rare delight.

Correspondingly, the Black-clad Bishop began to tremble violently.

His eyes nearly bulged out, his teeth chattering as he glared unblinkingly at the playing card in Lu Xin’s hand.

…

“This…”

And then, whether it was the Coronated Clown, Director Xue, or Doctor An,

they all witnessed Lu Xin’s final act; their pupils constricted, their faces shifting from earlier excitement into overwhelming shock, their hearts pounding furiously.

“Whoosh…”

Another balloon drifted from the Coronated Clown’s hand.

Director Xue suddenly felt an urge to check the materials immediately.

“This is something from the Ultimate tier – but still… is this even logical?”

“…”

“…”

“Isn’t this exactly what you least want to see?”

Under the disbelieving stares of everyone, Lu Xin carefully and earnestly secured the playing card,

Not in his black bag, but in the inner pocket of his intact clothes, pressed tightly against his skin.

Then he rose and fixed a determined gaze on the Black-clad Bishop.

There was even a trace of scorn in his eyes – something he had never displayed before.

…

…

“Splendid…”

At the same time, from the direction of the Sleeping Mountains, the Old Director – who was calmly evading pursuers – looked up and saw a red balloon flying in from the Night sky; his face lit up with delight as he gazed at it.

His expression was filled with quiet satisfaction: “The Trial of the Heart has succeeded…”

Number Seven shifted his lips as if to speak, but then fell silent, opting instead to protect him and lead him away.

At that precise moment, a second red balloon suddenly appeared in their line of sight.

Everyone paused in shock.

The two balloons appeared in quick succession – so swiftly that they made everyone fear an impending disaster.

Their hearts sank a little as a result.

But when the Old Director focused on that red balloon, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Number Seven and Zhang Sihuo at his back exchanged worried glances, wanting to ask but afraid to speak.

The Old Director only stood there in stunned silence for a long while before, with a slight look of bewilderment, he finally lifted his head.

In his eyes, an irrepressible look of ecstatic joy began to flicker.

He even trembled with excitement as he whispered, “It’s done… the Keeper of Fate’s plan has succeeded…”

He continued, “He’s even managed to retrieve the power of True Creation that he once commanded as a Tyrant…”

He found the strength he had once wielded…

He…

“…”

Before he could finish his exhilarated words, a third balloon flew in.

It came so fast, swaying and bobbing like a panicked messenger.

The Old Director suddenly froze, his face growing stiff.

His expression turned somber and confused, as though he couldn’t comprehend the message the balloon carried.

After a long moment, he sighed and whispered, “His performance has exceeded all our predictions…”

…

…

“Madman…”

Facing the scorn on Lu Xin’s face, the Black-clad Bishop’s hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

He saw Lu Xin recovering his composure in a fit of rage, then consecutively restoring the original form of the Old Building, even reshaping bodies within a certain space at will, and forcibly retrieving the dead from the depths of the Abyss Worm.

Finally, he even restored that playing card sealed with the Keeper of Fate’s Mind Palace – a feat of Ultimate-level power.

This left his expression incredibly sullen, bordering on agony:

“Madman…”

“You really are a madman…”

“You have no idea what the Unique Consciousness truly is, yet you dare use its power so recklessly…”

“You’re a madman; you understand nothing…”

“…”

Listening intently to his words, Lu Xin’s eternally smiling face remained icy cold:

“Should I thank you for helping me find my true self?”

The Black-clad Bishop and the Old Researcher held their lips tight, saying nothing.

Only they knew how their hearts pounded at witnessing such power in Lu Xin’s hands.

“I will be sure to thank you properly.”

And Lu Xin murmured to himself as he looked up at the expressionless white-haired girl, “I still cannot break the power of Nothingness, nor will I trade higher levels of chaos to shatter her barrier.”

“But I can promise you this,”

“No matter what logic or plans you have, I will utterly destroy every one of them,”

“You will never get the chance to negotiate or expect any compromise from me.”

“Because I am a madman…”

“And you’ve just crossed me – and I’ve got you right where I want you!”

“So, no matter how great or strong you think you are…”

“All you can do is watch as I methodically dismantle your plans.”

“Just wait for me to find you, and then…”

He looked up at the Black-clad Bishop and the Old Researcher, quietly muttering, “Screw you…”

“I’ll screw you over real good!”