Chapter 823: The Clash of Fates Under the Red Moon

“What is that madman up to?”

As the stage for the Coronated Clown lifted its curtain and the grotesque performance began, silence fell over the surroundings.

Under the protection of the Void Maiden, the Black-clad Bishop, who had been casting defiant glares at Lu Xin, suddenly realized something was terribly wrong.

While Lu Xin attacked him with wild ferocity, his face had remained steely and his eyes provocatively challenging; now that Lu Xin had paused, his expression shifted in an instant.

Furious, he cast his glare at the Coronated Clown, his teeth nearly ready to shred.

But the Clown’s act moved swiftly, advancing in a carnival-like rhythm. The Black-clad Bishop hadn’t even had time to halt the performance—or perhaps, the bizarre force that Lu Xin’s shock had nearly annihilated was simply not enough to stop it.

And the Coronated Clown, whose gaze met his across layers of space, slowly turned his head with a slight stutter as the show neared its end.

He revealed a strange smile—a smile filled with madness and mystery.

Suddenly, the Black-clad Bishop was overwhelmed by a deep, unsettling uncertainty and whipped his head around to look at Lu Xin.

……

……

At that moment, Lu Xin stood motionless in place, the black particles on his body trembling violently before suddenly freezing.

It was as if a raging inferno was about to burst forth, only to have its explosion halted in an instant by a shutter’s click.

In that moment, the oppressive force poised to destroy everything—and the even more frenzied power within it—solidified completely.

Lu Xin’s eyes turned pitch black, like two unfathomable voids.

Yet he remained still, seemingly intently listening for any sound.

“The most important thing… is hope…”

“You are you, the pillar of our home, our only support…”

“In this world, countless people will try to force their fate upon you—but that’s not right…”

“No one’s destiny should be stripped away. Being true to ourselves is something truly great…”

“……”

His mother’s gentle words echoed lightly within his mind.

That tender, caring voice managed, for a moment, to drown out the chaos in Lu Xin’s head, jolting him back to clarity.

Then, a strange mix of fear and detachment made him feel as though he were split into two.

He lifted his gaze toward the shadow within the depths of the crumbling palace—a gaze that resided deep in his consciousness.

It was the first time he had truly looked into those eyes.

Yet, in reality, he was already very familiar with that look.

Since childhood, that indifferent, unresponsive gaze had watched him—pressing him down with endless pressure, leaving him forever gasping for air, trapped in a gray world devoid of lightness and liveliness.

And yet, looking into that gaze felt almost like staring into a mirror.

The power of that look always convinced him it was his own.

But it wasn’t.

At that moment, a shudder of dread ran through Lu Xin’s heart as countless thoughts flooded his mind.

Or rather, people.

For instance, those who once happily savored coffee at a street-corner café.

Or those at a transport company who believed themselves to be followers of Qin Ran.

Or those in Happy Town, wearing perpetual smiles day after day…

People tainted by corruption.

Lu Xin suddenly became alert—realizing that he too was polluted.

He was gradually becoming part of a pollution source, losing his sense of self.

“Shouldn’t I destroy them?”

As this thought struck him and he felt a shiver, a voice resonated in his mind.

Lu Xin couldn’t tell if someone was speaking to him or if it was simply a thought forming on its own.

He murmured softly, his tone a curious blend of calm and madness: “It’s them who persecute you.”

“It’s them who have forced this dreary life upon you!”

“It’s them who have ruined your home, who want to shatter your life…”

“So, isn’t anger justified? Shouldn’t you destroy them?”

“You must annihilate them. You must make them pay the highest price…”

“Because you are a god.”

“Because the majesty of a tyrant will not tolerate any desecration…”

“……”

“Yes…”

At the moment he spoke of destroying the enemy, Lu Xin instantly responded.

It didn’t require an answer—his very ‘self’ had already spoken those words.

But then, Lu Xin suddenly shook his head, his voice laced with uncertainty: “But this is a family matter…”

In that instant, the trembling of the black particles stopped for a moment.

“I am but one person…”

Lu Xin slowly and earnestly continued, or rather, a thought from deep within him emerged:

“Some are waiting for my return, and others for me to save them…”

“I can’t afford to waste energy on destroying the world—just protecting my own life is enough work…”

“……”

“Cowardice, timidity, shortsightedness…”

As these thoughts took root, a massive change suddenly erupted in his mind.

All the murmured whispers in his head unified in a tidal surge of angry roars.

It was as if a bellowing beast was condemning Lu Xin right there in his mind, railing against his very thoughts.

Lu Xin simply listened in silence, absorbing that boundless anger.

He felt as though the heavy flames of hell were crushing his heart…

He silently endured until, after the worst of the pressure had passed, he slowly spoke:

“Yes, without anger one is weak…”

“But being controlled by anger is to be foolish, isn’t it?”

“……”

“Swish!”

The moment Lu Xin uttered that word—or rather, the moment the thought emerged—the surroundings fell silent.

“I am just an ordinary person without ambitions to destroy this world, so…”

“Rather than venting lost anger, I’d rather not lose what I have…”

“……”

Lu Xin’s voice was low but resolute as he declared his inner conviction:

“You are not me. Our family matters do not concern outsiders…”

“……”

In an instant, all the frenzied roars faded away, like massive boulders suddenly surfacing from beneath the water. At the same moment, the gaze from the ruined palace receded deeper into Lu Xin’s consciousness.

It was an expression tainted with disappointment and a hint of anger.

Meanwhile, Lu Xin quietly watched it all, his eyes calm as he saw it vanish.

……

……

He had never experienced such clarity of thought as he did now.

The understanding emerging at this moment intertwined his mother’s parting message with the information left by Lu Tianming, merging together.

Layer by layer, it all unraveled, and Lu Xin finally understood everything.

His recent self had been influenced by Lu Tianming’s consciousness, nearly falling prey to complete corruption.

He had transformed—from a sealed container of anger into the Secondary Pollution Source of the ‘Primordial’, completely losing that part of his self.

Lu Tianming’s message from thirty years ago contained vital elements and even his own consciousness.

It was this very consciousness, resonating with the black particles within Lu Xin, that channeled Lu Tianming’s mental power left in the Research Institute thirty years ago. But this was not a gift—it was merely a parasitic influence on a mental level.

Lu Tianming’s consciousness wasn’t meant for him—it was left for his future self.

Yet, he was not him; he had merely been tainted by him, at times even mistaking him for his own self.

That eerie sense of familiarity was nothing more than the process of his own corruption.

……

……

Realizing this, Lu Xin let out a long sigh.

No wonder his mother had fought with every last ounce of strength before leaving—to help him see clearly.

And no wonder…

In one swift motion, Lu Xin turned his head to face the Black-clad Bishop standing close beneath the cascade of white hair.

The man’s expression was cold, his eyes brimming with provocation and a chilling hint of expectancy. He wasn’t at all afraid of Lu Xin’s wrath; instead, he continued to taunt him, as if eager to drive him to total loss of control—to revert him back to that original Secondary Pollution Source.

This was clearly an obvious trap, yet earlier, Lu Xin had failed to notice it.

He had thought he was merely venting his anger, but he had nearly been led to a dead end—falling straight into the other man’s snare.

Is it because they weren’t afraid of the Primordial Secondary Pollution Source?

Perhaps those who once claimed to have slain a ‘god’ possessed the means to counter the ‘Primordial’.

So, after becoming the Secondary Pollution Source, did they still have even more ways to handle him?

“The Primordial is dead—only the instinct to destroy remains.”

So the ‘Primordial’ can only rely on its instinct to seize any opportunity to resurrect within one’s body?

Cold sweat trickled down.

Surrounded by these monsters, Lu Xin discovered that his options were extremely limited…

But thankfully, he had stopped at the edge of a cliff.

When Lu Xin opened his eyes and looked at himself, the Black-clad Bishop’s eyes betrayed undeniable disappointment.

His lips moved, as if to taunt once more.

Alas, he wasn’t adept at office maneuvering or reading people’s minds, and for a moment, he was at a loss.

“Heh heh…”

Lu Xin looked at him and let out a cold laugh.

A sense of foreboding suddenly arose within the Black-clad Bishop’s heart.

……

……

“Crackle…”

For Lu Xin, in the depths of his anger he had come perilously close to the aura of the ‘Primordial’.

He was only a hair’s breadth away from merging completely with the ‘Primordial’.

Yet at the crucial moment, he managed to hold on one last step, understanding what he needed to do.

But for everyone else, it wasn’t nearly that simple.

For a brief moment, those around him felt as if the entire space had turned pitch black.

Fine, sharp mental energy continuously pricked every pore of their bodies.

Unceasing, wild murmurs surged around their ears, as if tiny insects were burrowing into their minds.

Each passing second plunged them further into despair, as if they were falling into an endless abyss.

Then, just as suddenly, they sensed the pressure around them evaporate swiftly.

It was like surfacing from thousands of meters beneath the sea in an instant—seeing the stars above and feeling fresh air fill their lungs.

In that precise moment when their senses cleared, they heard Lu Xin speaking.

Everyone abruptly lifted their heads to see Lu Xin standing in the wasteland beneath the Red Moon.

He simply stood there, the black particles on his body swirling heavily.

The state of extreme trembling from moments ago had in an instant transformed into a contemplative calm.

“Did you hold on?”

Doctor An suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of joy striking her heart.

Yet, she remained uncertain, as that intense joy hovered in midair, too cautious to fully descend.

On the other side, Director Xue suddenly threw a punch.

Elated beyond measure, he grabbed an Undercover Unit and roughly squeezed the black top hat from its head.

At the same time, the corners of the Coronated Clown’s mouth split widely—his pristine teeth appearing ever more sinister.

Yet a bizarre kind of glee also surfaced on his face, beginning to twitch strangely.

Left and right, like a delighted child.

Meanwhile, from the balloon he was holding, a red balloon slipped gently from his grasp and floated off into the distance…

……

……

Standing beneath the Red Moon, Lu Xin seemed completely devoid of anger.

Even his tone was remarkably calm as he stated, “Honestly, I have no idea what you all are trying to do.”

“Until now, I never really understood what the Unique Consciousness was—it isn’t something I desire either.”

“But since you want it, I’ll accept it…”

“……”

As he spoke these words, he paused briefly.

Suddenly, he turned his head to gaze up at the strange assembly emerging in the wasteland, barely visible beneath the glow of the Red Moon.

Their numbers were vast, and under the oppressive will of the First Researcher, even though they were merely bizarre mental entities, they moved like a loyal troop, stealthily roaming the area.

Peeking out, they constantly wore expressions of sinister greed.

With one glance, Lu Xin surveyed them, paused in thought, then raised his left hand and snapped his fingers lightly.

“Snap!”

At that moment, the black particles trembled with the sound of his snap.

An invisible mental force radiated outward.

Behind Lu Xin, the old apartment building, which had moments before taken on the appearance of a ruined palace, began to shake violently.

Layer upon layer of dirt and sand rose from the ground, returning to the old building and submerging the ruined palace.

Then came the sound of steel bars and concrete chunks compressing and fusing—as if modeling clay was being reshaped into a new form.

The ruined palace reverted to its original appearance as the old apartment building, leaving no trace of change.

Even the enormous holes carved by the Abyss Worm and the bizarre Lu Xin that they had devoured returned one by one.

They appeared behind each and every window.

Astonishingly, their number had grown even larger…