Chapter 1731: Chapter 75: The Divine Defiler Lost in Divinity
Atlanda grabbed Su Ming’an’s ankle, gazing into Su Ming’an’s eyes filled with determination:
"Please stop..."
This time, I still decide to stop you. But this is the last time I will try to do so, if you can still cross over, then...
Then go forward bravely.
A fierce resolve flashed in Atlanda’s eyes, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. With a motion of his hand, the azure Time Power suddenly erupted. Being one of the eight protagonists, he possessed a Golden Finger—the Time Elf Weirui. He could manipulate time to a certain extent, especially small-scale time flow.
"Crash—!"
A flash of brilliance, time reversed, and Su Ming’an’s forward momentum instantly retreated, distancing him from the believers, missing by a hand’s width. His figure unconsciously stepped back, chaos surged up and enveloped him, the gray mist infiltrating silently.
And Atlanda was forcefully controlling Second-level God Su Ming’an, using low to control high, draining himself, his expression instantly fading to grey, as if his entire being was burning, sinking down.
His whole body shattered, sinking into the deep dark ocean like a fractured statue, trailing a deep red. His dark blue eyes continuously stared fixedly at Su Ming’an, his vitality slowly dimming.
— A decisive act, a fatal blow.
At this moment, Su Ming’an suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if there was a deja vu of destiny. In the first instance, he was also similarly a hand’s width away from the falling Yuanyuan.
Back then, it was Lü Shu who first formally befriended him, using a butterfly to lift the unconscious Yuanyuan. This time... he had a similar divine Sixth Sense that this time, that distance wouldn’t exist.
He looked down at the falling Atlanda and said blandly:
"...But even if you exhaust all your strength, you cannot make me stop for even half a step."
He immediately activated the "Ring of Time"—
...
[Ring of Time (Purple Grade, Second Rank lv.1): "Since everything leads to the beginning, then why would you add an ethereal brilliance to my journey?"]
[Spirit+30]
[Control Skills duration +0.5 seconds]
[Current Recorders: Tretiya, Xiao Bi, Yao Wen, Noah, Sen Kylstia, Beili Sier, Lin Guang T-0321, Alice, Hei Que, Su Wensheng, Li Mingyue, Su Luoluo, Chang Ge, Xiao Ying, Lotasha, Su Wensheng, Sique, Antetolia, Chen Qingguang, Shi Ying, Kasadia, Su Qi, Tian Yu, Hui Chi, Hui Bei, Perlo...]
[Special Skill (Time Loop): Consume Emotion Value/Mana Points/Divine Power Value, choose a certain area within space, freely set the time retrospect (within twelve hours).]
...
The greatest gain since traversing the sea—the Ring of Time has advanced.
This was originally an extremely magical equipment, its overpowered nature far surpassing other equipment, making Su Ming’an wonder whether this was the initial state of "time" authority, needing to slowly evolve into authority. Perhaps if Edward had not died, this equipment would allow Edward to gradually master the "time" authority, becoming a powerful figure in the later stages of the World Game, vying with Su Ming’an and Noel. However, this possibility was prematurely eradicated by Su Ming’an.
Its upgrade method was extremely peculiar, "An important character’s" death increases the level by one. The standard for evaluating "important character" is also curious.
Initially, it could only retouch a few dozen minutes, and was ineffective on lives. As more names appeared on the ring, it started to affect some low-level lives, finally, after Perlo’s death... it completed the advancement, becoming "Second Rank lv.1".
Su Ming’an didn’t know what its highest level was. He had already reached the end, only advancing to the second rank, seeming a bit slow. But in reality, he was grateful it advanced slowly, indicating he lost far fewer people than initially expected.
He aimed at those around him, activating the skill—
The greatest progress of leveling up to the second rank was, "effective on low-level lives" disappeared, indicating it could be effective on all lives. However, it’s unclear how effective it would be on deities.
"Crash—!"
...
[Special Skill (Time Loop): Choose a certain area within space, freely set the time retrospect (within twelve hours).]
[You’ve set the time: twelve minutes.]
[Current Emotion Value: 3988/5000 (Base activation deducts 1000 points + Time Points 120 points)]
...
"Emotion Value" is a special blue bar of the Hundred Gods Profession, mostly used only for the "Judgment" profession skill. After gaining Divinity, the Emotion Value surged to 5000 points. Now, the "Emotion Value" had a new use, costing 1000 base points for one activation plus 10 points for each additional minute.
"Splash—!"
Centered on Su Ming’an’s consciousness, an invisible ripple suddenly spread in all directions! Where the ripple passed, the boiling scenes in the Consciousness Sea suddenly reversed.
In front of him appeared a dual image, one layer being the happening "present", the other being the rapidly rewinding "past", with the "past" image gradually covering the "present". Like two transparent canvases stacked, the bottom one slowly pulled out, revealing scenes from an earlier time.
He heard sounds flowing backwards, his last conversation with Atlanda also reverberated in reverse order in the Consciousness Sea, extremely eerie.
The boundary of effect of the Time Loop was significantly larger than he anticipated. Not only encompassing his area but extending into the deep Consciousness Sea.
"Ugh...!"
The gray mist intruding into his consciousness rapidly withdrew like a receding tide, Su Ming’an feeling a strong dizziness and weakness, a side effect of the massive Emotion Value consumption and violent Time Law changes.
—Time had returned to twelve minutes ago.
That is, when Su Ming’an and Lü God passed through here, seeing Bai Chun and Najasha’s consciousness bodies.
Su Ming’an found an interesting aspect of the "Ring of Time"—since it was a range retrospect rather than a world-wide retrospect, it inevitably led to causality conflicts. For instance, this Consciousness Sea underwent retrospect, but not outside the consciousness sea, meaning Lin Wang’an’s golden thread had been used, Bai Chun had already been rescued, they wouldn’t appear again. Numerous believers of Radiant Mother God who had jumped down remained beside him, unaffected by the retrospect to revive. This retrospect mostly altered his condition and position, such as clearly dispelling the pollution from the Eighth Thrones.
But simultaneously—Atlanda was also within the range of the retrospect, his injuries also recovered.
"You...!" Atlanda was momentarily stunned, immediately grabbing Su Ming’an’s leg again. He hesitated for a moment, should he continue to stop Su Ming’an this time? This miracle-creating man...
The next moment, he felt a heaviness on his legs.
—There was indeed another figure, also grabbing his legs.
He looked down—meeting a pair of captivatingly beautiful eyes, life as enchanting and dangerous as a Mandala flower.
She had flowing sea-blue hair, a face both soft and exotic, her skin adorned with delicate starry specks. The most captivating were her brows and eyes, slightly tilted at the ends, forming curves capable of enchanting deities, with pupils as mysterious as the deepest ocean abyss, saturated with poison and honey.
"Shh... look into my eyes..." a dizzying voice echoed, followed by the chant of the Sea Monsters.
Atlanda’s eyes wandered for a moment, subsequently, the endless Power of the Ocean pulled his body, his grip on Su Ming’an’s leg loosened, sinking down.
Subsequently, a "Judgment" struck, shattering his mental defenses, when he recovered, Su Ming’an was floating upwards amidst the many believers of Radiant Mother God.
Atlanda reached out high—
"Time Retrospection!"
He used the Golden Finger, attempting to pull Su Ming’an’s figure back again, back into the chaos of the Eighth Thrones, however, those mesmerizing blue eyes looked over, the seawater pushed Atlanda further away.
Ocean Angel Najasha. Mastering the Power of the Ocean. And here, it was the Sea of Consciousness.
Su Ming’an performed the twelve-minute retrospect precisely for this, to bring Najasha’s consciousness back again beside him. Here was also the "Ocean", and Su Ming’an intended to give it a chance, seeing if Najasha could assist him, otherwise let it be. Unexpectedly, the near-death Najasha successfully helped him in one go, a wave of seawater shot out, pushing Atlanda far away.
Su Ming’an dared not act recklessly, fearing harm to the many consciousnesses in the Consciousness Sea, but with Najasha mastering the Power of the Ocean, there was no need to fear.
"Lical Bos usurped my Divinity, but I still retain the last of my Strength, didn’t expect to help you instead."
The ocean fiercely pushed Su Ming’an upwards, Su Ming’an being surrounded by believers, floated upwards.
Amidst the chaotic gray mist, Su Ming’an looked down—
A pair of eyes.
He saw a pair of captivating eyes.
The silver-blue starry color, reminiscent of beautiful swimming whales, the extraordinary and dangerous abyss.
In the tenth round of the game, the defeated, dying Najasha, who had committed countless wicked deeds in her life, killed wantonly, did all kinds of evil, grinding teeth and drinking blood, possessed by obsession, finally did one good deed, but it was a deed that supported the entire world.
"Savior, you’ve saved me, can you erase my past sins?" The eerie voice whispered beside his ear.
"No," Su Ming’an said.
"I thought so too... There’s a cycle of cause and effect in this world, good and evil will be repaid, I never thought... I would finally die at the hands of the people I killed, in the tenth round of the game, they didn’t forgive me."
She smiled, "How interesting. To do good, I fell as an Evil God. To do evil, I was killed by those I harmed, ended up here, but finally achieved the greatest good for the entire world... The good and evil of my life, I cannot articulate or untangle."
Su Ming’an floated upward; Chen Yuhang’s team was nearby, the Power of the Ocean driven by Najasha greatly accelerated his speed.
Admittedly, this was indeed the most significant good deed this Evil God had done in her life.
"Do you remember me?" Najasha asked.
"What?"
"Remember me as the antagonist."
Whether liked or hated, this sea monster with a mix of good and evil indeed made him remember her.
Then, as the water flowed past, he suddenly saw a face with no makeup at all, not seductive.
Najasha’s face always had heavy makeup, eyeliner, blush, lipstick... The extremely glamorous makeup made her appearance extremely splendid and gender ambiguous, leaving an unforgettable impression. Yet at this moment, she actively wiped off the makeup, revealing her original appearance.
Su Ming’an’s expression changed dramatically, looking in shock at the gradually revealing true form of Najasha.
"Shh... look into my eyes... remember my original appearance..."
Su Ming’an opened his mouth, striving to speak something, but was overwhelmed by immense astonishment covering his throat.
He was indeed shaken, to the point of never considering this possibility.
—Without makeup, her original face had a pair of round eyes, somewhat youthful facial features, a slightly rounded chin...
This is truly a capricious and inexplicable destiny...
I guard the good, and the good is me.
I do evil, and evil is me.
I fall into evil while avenging good, both good and evil are me.
I believe in me, I bewilder me, I weep for me, I bury me, I stand by me, I killed me...
"There was never a Tao’er..."
This life that confuses the soul.
The hoarse and gender ambiguous voice softly spoke next to Su Ming’an’s ear,
...
"Tao’er was always, just me..."
...
["Of course I believe, from six to thirteen, always believed in the deity!" Tao’er said without hesitation.]
["Because I’m beautiful?" Najasha said.]
["Because the deity is beautiful, but not just beautiful." Tao’er said, "You always supported my studies, you described big cities and important people to me, talked about the Heroic Magpie who punished evil and upheld justice, catching the bad guys..."]
["Moreover, I believe in you, because, I am the deity, you are!"]
...
History can be false.
As long as the Memory Clip is altered, the experiencer can be deceived.
Najasha did not arrive at the mountain injured, but one day she received a message from Sique—to monitor a Divine Mountain. Najasha came on orders, using her reincarnation ability as a "Reincarnation Siren," transformed into Tao’er, to monitor the girl who would eventually be possessed by the Little Fortune Star.
From start to finish, Tao’er was herself.
She prepared osmanthus cakes at home, carried a basket up the Divine Mountain, spoke to the nonexistent air, talking to herself, playing the deity and the girl simultaneously.
"God! God! I’m here to bring you a sacrifice!" Najasha carried the osmanthus cakes up the mountain.
Then, Najasha turned her head, murmuring, "Why do you have faith in me?"
"You see, you’re very pretty, your ears are coral." Najasha touched her own ears.
She confusedly muttered, "Just because you’re pretty?"
She quickly burst into laughter, answering, "No, not just... You’re a good God! You saved me and you’re pretty!"
She ate the osmanthus cakes she made by herself, praising the nonexistent person, and returned to the town with an empty basket.
As night fell, she took out a needle and thread, weaving a rainproof sachet and a beautiful long dress.
The next day, she descended the mountain at dawn, took a nap at home, made new osmanthus cakes in the morning, and carried the basket up the mountain again.
"God, I’ve brought you a sacrifice again!" She waved her hand.
"Tao’er, giving you a gift, I heard you say before you’re afraid of rain." She handed the rainproof sachet that was originally hanging at her waist.
"Wow, thank you, God! God is so good." She happily transferred it from her left hand to her right, hanging it back on her waist, very pleased.
"And this dress, wear it, and you’ll be different from the children in the town." She handed the long dress.
"God, wait for me..." She hid in the bushes, put on the dress herself, the size just right, even the sleeve fit was perfect, after all, she sewed it herself, she walked out smiling, twirled around, "God, am I pretty?"
She immediately nodded, eyes filled with admiration, "Pretty."
She chuckled, her bewitching and joyful laughter echoing amidst the misty morning mountaintop, so eerie that the woodcutters hiking up the mountain fled in terror. Gusty winds, scattering rain, startling the birds.
—A one-person two-role play, absurd deity and believer.
The one with faith is me, the one being believed in is me. The one giving gifts is me, the one receiving them is me.
When she took it for real, played Najasha when as Najasha, Tao’er as Tao’er... In doing so, altered the perspective of the Memory Clip, when Su Ming’an and Bei Wang reviewed this history, sailing forward across the sea, characters within the drama danced with abandon, and the Memory Clip truly presented as two independent persons.
Tao’er’s death was also inevitable, for Najasha to subdue the townfolk possessed by the Awakener, she had to reclaim her power—Tao’er’s death wasn’t caused by the townfolk, but was a mechanism that Najasha had set long ago, programmed for the day they massively arrived at Luowasha, Tao’er would die... without pain, nor sorrow, as if a sentence being concluded.
This is why even when Su Ming’an had changed history, Tao’er still died.
