Chapter 874: Clash of Celestial Powers

Sigh… Releasing someone like him—who can tell if it’s a blessing or a curse?

At the same moment, as the King of the Night’s roar shook every sentient being in the world, the Fire-Thief stood atop Qinggang City’s towering wall. Behind him, an unfurled sheepskin scroll and an expression full of resignation told their own tale.

The King of the Night faced three opponents alone—the Cangzhang Sect, Pale Hand, and the Dark Queen—all of whom had taken the upper hand.

Even at the ultimate level, such an outcome seemed almost unbelievable.

After all, they were all ultimate beings born from the same source.

There was no hierarchy among them.

Yet, on closer thought, this outcome seemed inevitable, not surprising at all.

The confrontation among ultimates was more about their intrinsic traits.

Hardly any ultimate would choose to directly clash using their own mental power—their strength lay in overwhelming mental pollution.

Since mental pollution affects a person in intimate alignment with their Mental Core, whichever trait stands out in an individual becomes more vulnerable to a corresponding contamination, and fear has always been the undercurrent in every soul in the wasteland.

Ambition and desire—even pride—naturally exist.

Yet, in the harsh struggle for survival in the wasteland, such emotions have long been pushed to the fringes of one’s spirit.

Thus, in this battle fought across the minds of hundreds of thousands.

The Terrifying Demon King remained invincible.

Of course, even though they now stood on the same side, witnessing the King of the Night’s fierce and unbridled rage left the Fire-Thief with an uneasy feeling—especially since the King of the Night had his back turned, making it all too easy to strike…

Sigh…

In the end, the Fire-Thief shook his head and abandoned that thought.

At that very moment, outside the city, the King of the Night, towering in midair as he surveyed the world below, suddenly shuddered inexplicably.

“Strange, why did my back just go cold?”

…

…

The ultimatum forces outside had been held off, and order within the city had been restored.

The Abyss Worm, winding its way around the eastern seas, was unrivaled in terms of ultimate traits.

It could virtually devour any form of mental power.

Yet now, it was being held at bay by the Fire-Thief using his ‘knowledge’.

Still, the creature continued its frenzied consumption of everything before it, as if it would never be satiated.

However, these worms—the weakest in consciousness among the ultimates—had not noticed that the Fire-Thief was drawing them into book after book, and from those books into the folds of his sheepskin scroll.

If anyone from Qinggang were to flip open one of these tomes, they would find its contents in utter disarray.

Every word seemed to have come to life, crawling, twisting, writhing constantly.

As if transformed into a swarm of insects.

That was exactly the Fire-Thief’s method to counter the Abyss Worm—

Feeding endless knowledge into an appetite that would never be fully satisfied.

The Fire-Thief might not defeat the Abyss Worm in direct combat, but he could seal it within the scroll of truth.

Similarly, as more Abyss Worms were drawn into the sheepskin scroll, the chaos that had just arisen in Qinggang began to subside. One by one, residents of Qinggang—whose emotions had been twisted by the worm’s devouring of their feelings, distorting their perception and thought—struggled to regain control. A few, utterly losing self-control, were already eliminated.

Meanwhile, the City Defense Department’s troops rushed to every street of Qinggang to maintain order.

Though chaos still lingered, the masses had not all taken shelter in underground bunkers.

But this crisis, which had seeped into Qinggang, was quietly being snuffed out at its source.

…

…

“How could this be?”

“Is Qinggang so insignificant that it forces us to back down?”

Yet as Qinggang’s crisis was quietly resolved, both the Cangzhang Sect, Pale Hand, and the Dark Queen—having just suffered a devastating loss in a skirmish—felt a surge of repressed anger and unhappiness.

This was clearly an outcome they could not accept.

Especially for the Cangzhang Sect and Pale Hand.

They had never been among the first ultimates to descend into reality, spent years painstakingly planning their arrival, only to have their plan thwarted in Flame City by the Fate Keeper—and suffered massive losses: one lost a hand, the other had part of his essence forcibly taken. Now, as they finally arrived in the real world, they were expected to regain the initiative, yet ended up suffering under the King of the Night?

The loss of essence was too great; their decline was already at the edge.

As ultimates, they absolutely could not accept such a result.

“The authority of God…”

With a deep, regretful sigh mixed with resentment and pain, the Cangzhang Sect lamented.

Defying the King of the Night’s arrogance and madness, he had no choice but to press on, with the remnants of his chains whirling about him.

Originally, those were meant for dealing with the Tyrant.

Their target this time had been the Tyrant—using Qinggang as bait to force him into a precarious position.

Yet, who would have thought that the King of the Night alone would cost them so dearly?

They could wait no longer, because at that moment, it wasn’t just about seizing the initiative—it was about their own standing.

Thus, with inner turmoil, bitter hatred, and helplessness, he made his decision.

As he whispered these words, most of his controlling chains—already shattered by fear—ripped through his body, sending more chains shooting out like bats from a cave, blotting out the sky.

In that chaotic, maddening darkness, a faint glow emerged from deep within him.

As the light dimmed, it revealed a scepter.

A formless yet tangible scepter, twisted into existence by an endless torrent of the purest, most potent mental power.

It lay hidden within the very body of the Cangzhang Sect.

In the instant the scepter appeared, the few remaining chains of control suddenly stiffened like black blades, radiating outward from him. Each chain pierced through thousands of heads in an instant.

They resembled iron chisels, impaling countless people around him.

Then, an inconceivable surge of mental power—like it had lost all control—rushed ferociously toward the Cangzhang Sect.

Even the ground trembled, as if struck by a magnitude-10 quake.

The surrounding earth turned pitch black and cracked open, revealing dark red wounds as magma spewed forth.

No one knew if the ground had truly split to reveal magma,

but everyone could feel that oppressive, mad intensity, sensing their own thoughts and consciousness slowly slipping away.

It was as if worker ants had encountered their queen, overwhelmed by an instinctual submission.

Endless hallucinations began to fill their minds.

Some even saw thick, massive tentacles rising from beneath the ground, reaching greedily toward the sky.

With each lengthening tentacle, those who witnessed it saw their bodies flicker and fade, as if becoming mere silhouettes.

Because their mental power could no longer be contained by their bodies, it leapt eagerly to break free.

…

…

Swish…

At that very moment, a panicked Pale Hand suddenly turned icy, burrowing deep into another’s mental world.

He had been impatiently waiting for the Cangzhang Sect to reveal his trump card.

But the moment the scepter appeared, all he felt was sheer terror.

The Dark Queen, too, gritted her teeth; her once-beautiful face now twisted with tension into something almost grotesque.

God’s Scepter!

It was the very scepter stolen at the moment of the first death.

Back then, because the Cangzhang Sect had stolen God’s Scepter, he was constrained—unable to immediately manifest in reality.

Yet that scepter also fed his ambition, driving him to attempt to forge a hell and descend as a new god—only for his plan to be thwarted. No one expected that God’s Scepter would debut on such a battlefield.

…

…

“Ouch…”

At the instant his eyes met the scepter, Father felt the night retreat rapidly.

The power he hadn’t yet managed to withdraw now even hinted at being snatched away by God’s Scepter.

Not only did he pull back his power, he immediately sought to escape.

But just before fleeing, he hesitated and glanced toward the Mind Palace where Doll resided.

“Phew…”

At the same time, inside Qinggang, the sheepskin scroll behind the Fire-Thief slammed shut.

All the mental power sank in an instant. The Abyss Worm was sealed within the scroll, but before anyone could catch their breath, God’s Scepter materialized, stirring up an unimaginable vortex.

“Is the real challenge upon us?”

He sighed deeply as he watched from afar, utterly powerless to intervene.

…

…

“What’s happening?”

At the Mental Power Research Base, before victory could even spread to their faces, everyone suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure. The erratic instability of mental power sent everyone’s heads throbbing—almost as if their brains were splitting.

Mr. Su had already set off for the helicopter but, after a few steps, his legs gave out.

He turned tearfully to Professor Bai and began cursing, “Damn it, Old Bai, you…”

But he stopped halfway through his rant.

For he saw Professor Bai standing at the edge of the base, before a constantly shifting Mind Palace.

It appeared as if, as an ordinary man, he was holding the line in front of the Mind Palace.

Outside, waves of mental power surged forward. Although much of it was filtered by the night—thanks to the King of the Night circling the base—the impact on him as an ordinary man was still devastating; his body trembled like a sieve.

Yet he gritted his teeth and stood in front of Doll’s Mind Palace, refusing to budge an inch.

This forced both Mr. Su and Minister Shen, who was planning a tactical retreat to the military formation, to pause in shock.

“Old Bai, what are you doing? Run now…”

They shouted shakily, their voices nearly drowned by the raging mental turbulence.

As if hearing their call, Professor Bai’s body trembled slightly as he turned around.

His face contorted subtly while blood trickled from his nostrils.

Yet he managed a pained smile and spoke softly, “This is our plan…”

His voice was so weak that hardly anyone could hear him.

But every onlooker felt the resolve behind his tone.

Mental power is a curious thing.

Sometimes, communication transcends words or text.

Thus, in that moment of terror, a strange calm pervaded the base.

Those who sensed the might of God’s Scepter instinctively trembled.

Ordinary people—the base’s researchers among them—exchanged wary glances.

Some sighed softly, some shook their heads, others wore looks of terror; a few even had tears welling up, yet they all, with downcast eyes and trembling legs, slowly returned to stand beside Professor Bai.

First came the Nanny Teams, then Professor Chen Liqing, followed by Chen Jing, the Leader of the Central City Research Team, then Minister Shen. The researchers of Qinggang… and finally even Mr. Su wiped his face and joined the others.

They, as mere mortals, formed a human shield before Doll’s Mind Palace.

Troops armed with steel rifles at the base likewise faltered under the invisible onslaught of mental power, and no one issued orders. Yet when they saw what was unfolding, they hesitated only briefly before rushing forward to block the researchers—only to be halted by Professor Bai’s raised hand:

“It’s alright, children.”

“In the face of such power, we’re all equally fragile. No one is bound to protect anyone.”

…

The soldiers paused in stunned silence.

Then, one by one, they simply nodded and stood together, side by side, with no one taking the lead.

“Old Bai…”

Mr. Su stretched his neck, bypassing three or four people to gently pat Professor Bai’s shoulder.

With an almost tearful expression he asked, “Are you sure about this?”

Professor Bai shook his head slowly, “At this point, we can only trust our plan.”

“The dice have been cast—it’s time to reveal our hand…”

…

Mr. Su, with a pained face, simply nodded slowly.

Minister Shen, a bit curious, turned to him and said, “Mr. Su, I never thought you’d return.”

“I never expected it either…”

Mr. Su’s face reflected utter misery as he replied, “But the helicopter pilot has already passed out…”

…

…

The moment God’s Scepter appeared, its influence surged through the mental power of everyone in Qinggang and beyond.

And as time passed, its impact only grew without limit.

Yet, amid this battle that transcended even the ultimates, those deemed insignificant made their choices.

And as they stood before Doll’s Mind Palace, behind them—

As the influence of God’s Scepter on the surrounding mental power grew ever stronger, Doll slowly opened her eyes.

The formatting of the Midnight Tribunal was complete; Doll was forming her new Mind Palace.

But at such a critical juncture, even the experts and scholars most versed in mental power were powerless.

For every individual’s mental trait was uniquely their own.

One could understand the principles and progression of mental power, but not change one’s intrinsic nature.

Doll’s Mind Palace had been brewing for some time, ever-changing yet never stabilizing.

It seemed that even within her, there was a hint of confusion about which path to take at the final moment.

Until, at that moment, she seemed to sense something.

When she gently opened her eyes, the determination on her little face was unmistakable.

…

…

“Whoever wields the scepter becomes the new god…”

The moment the Cangzhang Sect brandished God’s Scepter, it began frantically absorbing mental power from all around.

In the ensuing chaos, among hundreds of thousands of survivors, not to mention the King of the Night’s own nightfall, vast amounts of mental power were ripped away from even the weakened Pale Hand and the Dark Queen.

The Red Moon appeared in the sky, and under its dark red glow, gigantic tentacles stretched toward the heavens.

Under the sway of God’s Scepter, these colossal tentacles subtly leaned toward the Cangzhang Sect, as if like trees swayed by a wild storm.

When the accumulated mental power reached a level even the Cangzhang Sect couldn’t support, he suddenly opened his eyes. His cold, piercing gaze shone with unprecedented brilliance, sending bizarre mental waves racing into the minds of every sentient creature.

That was his proclamation.

Immediately following was an unprecedented mental impact.

A mental assault from the brink of the seventh level.

Few would doubt that such an onslaught would force the King of the Night to retreat.

The base—and indeed all of Qinggang—would be utterly annihilated.

“Damn it…”

The King of the Night’s voice trembled as he muttered, “Should we run or stay?”

Atop Qinggang’s high wall, the Fire-Thief slowly removed his hood, revealing pale hair that shone conspicuously under the Red Moon.

…

…

Boom!

A sound that did not exist in reality suddenly erupted.

Amid the chaotic mental turbulence, it was as if everyone could see a mushroom cloud rising at the horizon.

In an instant, the Cangzhang Sect, unable to contain the amassed mental power any longer, unleashed it.

Like a gigantic tide, it surged forward in a mad frenzy.

The myriad strands of mental power, under the crushing pressure, transformed into a disastrous force—exceeding even the terror of rampaging floods—sweeping across the ground and obliterating every inch of reality.

Before the Cangzhang Sect, those survivors who lay prostrate were the first to be overwhelmed.

In that moment, their bodies lifted slightly, frozen in midair like statues.

A quick inspection would reveal that their brains had been completely obliterated.

Their minds had been pulverized into sheer fragments, yet their outward appearance remained intact, their expressions serene. Such a level of mental impact lacked the explosive, annihilating effect of a hurricane—instead, it was hauntingly silent and chilling.

Soon, that mental assault—beyond the understanding of ordinary beings—struck the King of the Night.

In an instant, the night was destroyed, leaving no chance for resistance.

The King of the Night roared as he desperately tried to shrink his colossal form, desperate to retreat into Qinggang.

Professor Bai, the researchers, Mr. Su, and the base’s soldiers all…

Faced with the oncoming impact, they closed their eyes.

But just then, behind them, the distorted lines of the Mind Palace suddenly stabilized.

A dazzling white wall emerged, studded with specks of starlight.

Sharp spires and fairytale-like brickwork, once ethereal mental constructs, became vividly real.

A series of slender, bright windows appeared on the wall, reminiscent of eyes lighting up in a smile.

Towering steps, carved like glittering crystal, led toward a mysterious palace.

A giant statue of a man, emanating a charming glow while idly seated on a stone, appeared before the castle.

A castle straight out of a fairytale had materialized in reality.

Except for that slightly out-of-place statue of a man, everything else was the epitome of imaginative beauty.

The moment the Mind Palace appeared, it was as if everyone’s brain paused for a split second.

Even the soft creak of the palace door opening exuded a sense of carefree delight.

A girl, holding a parasol and dressed in a black skirt—beautiful and doll-like—slowly ascended from the pinnacle of the Mind Palace. Her face was calm, tinged with a hint of shyness and a gentle smile as she flirtatiously lifted her skirt and stepped forward.

With that single step, she appeared right in front of everyone.

Not only did she stand between the ordinary people guarding the Mind Palace, but she also positioned herself before the King of the Night.

Facing an assault potent enough to obliterate any unique trait, she gracefully opened her parasol, shielding them all.

As the parasol unfurled, the light behind the Mind Palace grew even brighter.

Then, everyone in Qinggang, at the Mental Power Research Base, and even among the survivors whose minds had not yet been completely shattered, felt as if a dark door in their brain had been unlocked, awakening a long-forgotten joy.

Sometimes, sorrow and loneliness need no reason.

And ease and delight require no cause.

They were simply beautiful emotions.

Everyone deserved to feel such beauty—it was a power we had long forgotten.

Now, the survivors of Qinggang and its outskirts were reminded that simple joy still existed.

From deep within, they felt as if they were gently awakened from a nightmare, their heavy lids lifting to reveal eyes filled with gentle wonder. A warm force converged upon the open parasol.

It was as if starlight, millions of times larger than before, showered down onto the parasol from the sky.

Yet this time, the starlight emanated from that long-forgotten part of every heart.

Twinkling, dazzling, interwoven and expansive—it formed a magnificent umbrella of light.

As waves of mental impact, once powerful enough to obliterate any intrinsic trait, met the Wall of Starlight centered on the parasol, not a soul was left forgotten—each person retained the right to bask in such beauty.

And then…

…as suddenly as a gentle breeze, it all dissipated.

…

…

“What?!”

An instant of collective horror compelled countless people to widen their eyes in disbelief.

That moment of cognitive shock was as overwhelming as if their minds had been hit head-on by the mental onslaught.

The furious, nightmarish mental impact seemed unstoppable, defying any logical countermeasure—until it encountered the starlight and, without the anticipated explosive force, simply dissipated.

There was no violent rupture of space, only a gentle, tender calm.

All the mental power that had surged like untamed beasts softened upon meeting the Wall of Starlight.

It was as if raging floods instantly transformed into trickling streams, and wild beasts morphed into timid kittens.

Layer upon layer of kinetic mental force, upon touching the Wall of Starlight, appeared to be soothed by its beauty, defying physical laws as they all softened, dispersed into delicate threads, and meandered around the girl with the parasol—joyfully fluttering the ribbons on her skirt.

They cherished her too much to bring harm—standing before her, they became gentle.

After all, she was the beacon of light that those in the wasteland clung to in their darkest moments.

She brought light to those facing the end of days.

So what is light?

The answer is simple: light is beauty.

…

…

“No way…”

The Cangzhang Sect abruptly opened his eyes and stared at Doll mere feet away, a look of sheer horror on his face.

He suddenly sensed that some essential trait was slipping away from him.

Yet he couldn’t understand why God’s Scepter’s mental onslaught failed to harm this girl.

Before he could figure it out, he felt a tearing sensation within his body.

It was as if God’s Scepter had developed a will of its own—breaking free from his grasp, it shot forward like lightning.

This sent his heart into a frenzied panic, leaving him bewildered.

…

…

Mental power itself seems to favor Doll.

Thus, the God’s Scepter—crafted from the highest quality, purest mental power—could only show affection for Doll.