Chapter 583: Revisiting the Soul Wilderness

It had to be said that after dealing with Yu Sheng for so long, Bai Liqing really felt like her resistance to certain things was slowly increasing—whether that was a good or bad thing, she didn't know, but in any case, she quickly accepted the concept that "if you plant a Gloom Angel, then knead another angel into it before it grows up, you get a tree that can bear space fissures."

And when she considered that Yu Sheng was the one who did it, it only seemed more reasonable.

Of course, as Director of the Special Task Force, her professional instincts still kicked in regarding risk management and such—even if, as Yu Sheng had said, Gloom Angels always left something behind after they "fell" (the Orthodoxy of Sanctified Seclusion called them Angel Catalysts), and both the Special Task Force and Thousand Spirit Mountain were indeed researching these "Angel legacies," it was obvious that the research projects of legitimate organizations were one thing, while Yu Sheng's "angel research" was another...

This man's various studies were basically based on "shooting from the hip," and even his personal understanding and imagination of the concept of "research" were wild and unrestrained.

"It's normal for you to worry about the risks," Yu Sheng said, unsurprised by Bai Liqing's reaction. "But you don't need to be that concerned. All the Gloom Angels have undergone deactivation treatment—you saw the deactivation process with your own eyes. Besides, the entire Soul Wilderness is under my surveillance. And after being transformed through 'death,' the angel legacies I sent into the Soul Wilderness have actually been converted into 'things of this world.' Now that they've shed their 'characteristics of extraterritorial corruption,' they're naturally not dangerous."

He paused for a moment, then added another sentence: "At least, that's what I think."

Bai Liqing didn't know whether she should feel relieved or more worried after hearing that last sentence.

After hesitating for a moment, she frowned. "Can I see that... 'tree' with my own eyes?"

"Of course," Yu Sheng said, nodding immediately as if he had anticipated the request. "Anyone who has received the blood has permission to enter."

"Then how do I... get to this 'Soul Wilderness' you mentioned?" Bai Liqing was still somewhat puzzled. "I only remember seeing that place for an instant above the Omen Goddess's temple, but I completely don't remember how I got in..."

"Oh, once you get used to it, you can enter by controlling your dreams. The 'Fairy Tale' kids gather there every so often. But if you're not yet practiced, you might need some guidance," Yu Sheng said as he casually pulled open a small door from beside him. "Wait a moment—I'll get you a helper."

The next second, he pulled an Eileen out from the other side of the door—she was still holding a TV remote.

The little puppet immediately started kicking and thrashing, trying to fly up and bite him: "Damn you, Yu Sheng! I was watching TV! The butler was just about to..."

"Either breaking someone's legs or slapping someone's face, right? That show has the same plot for eight hundred episodes—you don't need to watch it every day," Yu Sheng said, turning Eileen by the collar to face Bai Liqing. "Do me a favor, and you can go back to binge-watching afterward. Bai Liqing wants to go to the Soul Wilderness. She's not practiced, so pull her in."

"Why go to all this trouble? Just have the C-Type Clips bring her Knight Order over to summon the soul—same thing..."

The little puppet muttered, but she obediently cooperated, raising a hand and sending a mass of pitch-black spider silk spreading toward Bai Liqing. "Find a stable position and sit down. Don't resist—just let yourself fall asleep obediently. The more you resist, the dizzier you'll get. My dream penetration doesn't guarantee comfort..."

Watching this scene, Bai Liqing instinctively opened her mouth: "Is this thing really reliable..."

Then a bone-chilling cold invaded her body.

Instinctive resistance rose from the depths of her heart. The Colorless Dragon's powerful mental strength resisted the pull of the dream at first—but soon, Bai Liqing forcefully controlled herself to stop resisting. Trusting Yu Sheng and Eileen, she let out a light breath and allowed her consciousness to slowly sink into the dream under the guidance of those black spider silks.

"Whoa, that was exhausting," the little puppet turned her head to look at Yu Sheng. "First pull was like moving a mountain! That steel-faced stoic's spirit is really something—being a dragon, I almost couldn't pull her!"

Before she could finish, a drowsy voice came from Bai Liqing's direction: "I am not a steel-faced stoic..."

Eileen & Yu Sheng: "..."

"I think her mouth's harder than her face..." the little puppet muttered.

A moment later, in the Soul Wilderness.

The dim, chaotic sky hung over an endless expanse of wilderness. Unknown gray tall grass swayed in the wind. Bai Liqing walked somewhat bewilderedly on the Bonfire Path, but the next second she passed through the mist and arrived inside a black cathedral.

Yu Sheng's figure appeared abruptly beside her: "This is where Luna and her Knight Order are."

The sudden voice beside her startled Bai Liqing, but her face didn't show much reaction. After seeing the figure beside her, she frowned. As the daze faded and her mind cleared, she began to curiously observe this place.

A unique architectural style—beautiful yet solemn cathedral spires. Beneath the dark, oppressive tone, there was a wonderful, peaceful atmosphere. The formless wind passed through the bell tower, and in the sound of the wind, there seemed to be faint hymns lingering. And in an open space in the front courtyard, a silver-haired girl with a serene and holy temperament, clad in armor with a holy sword at her waist, was looking at her with a smile.

Bai Liqing subconsciously touched her nose, her eyes widening slightly.

"You probably haven't seen this form of Luna before," Yu Sheng said with a smile, introducing her. "This is her true appearance. This cathedral was built by her and her knights."

"I... have seen it," Bai Liqing said awkwardly. "Didn't I briefly enter this wilderness before? I happened to... see her once."

"Oh? Luna never mentioned that to me," Yu Sheng said, somewhat surprised, but then he laughed. "She's in charge of tending the cathedral here, guarding the Great Bonfire, and receiving souls entering the Soul Wilderness for the first time. It's good that you've met."

Bai Liqing hesitated for a moment, said nothing, and just subconsciously touched her nose again...

Then, led by Yu Sheng and Luna, she passed through the main building of the cathedral and saw the sky-shrouding crystal giant tree in the "courtyard."

In fact, before entering the courtyard, when she was outside the main building, she had already seen the edge of the magnificent canopy from a corner of the sky.

Director: shocked.jpg.

Bai Liqing tilted her head, staring at the pure white canopy that enveloped the cathedral, the crystal trunk thicker than the cathedral's bell tower, and the numerous pillar-like structures that hung down from the canopy, wrapping around nearby buildings or resting directly on the ground. She remained silent for a long time.

"Impressive, right?" Yu Sheng said with a smile.

"A little... too impressive," Bai Liqing said, choosing her words carefully and as tactfully as possible. "The bureau's lab cultivating Ankha'ela Crystals hasn't produced anything on this scale."

Yu Sheng thought for a moment: "Maybe the nutrition here is more balanced."

Bai Liqing: "..."

Then she saw Yu Sheng change the subject with a smile.

"See those fissures?"

Yu Sheng raised his hand, pointing at the canopy of the crystal tree.

Bai Liqing squinted. Of course, she had seen those streams of light slowly "flowing" among the crystalline branches and leaves from the very beginning. She had even seen through some of the light streams the flickering starlight on the other side and other twisted, blurry spatial scenes.

"Is that the 'World Bridge'?"

"Strictly speaking, the original World Bridge no longer exists. What you're seeing is the 'fruit' produced after the residual characteristics of the World Bridge were 'grafted' onto the Astral Being giant tree," Yu Sheng said unhurriedly. "And it's still in the early stages. This hybrid is still growing, and those fissures are currently very unstable."

Bai Liqing frowned: "Why did this 'fusion' happen?"

"I'm not entirely sure of the principle, but I have a hypothesis," Yu Sheng said, thinking briefly and speaking seriously. "Maybe it's because the 'World Bridge' itself was built from a large number of Gloom Angels using their 'selves.' Its blueprint inherently includes a 'compatibility' characteristic toward other Gloom Angels. And the Astral Being just happens to also have a 'parasitic' characteristic."

"Compatibility and parasitism—just right..." Bai Liqing murmured to herself, then turned to look at Yu Sheng. "You observed the 'Homeless' through these fissures before? Which specific fissure was it?"

"It's no longer visible now. That fissure collapsed during observation," Yu Sheng shook his head. "But I think that fissure will regenerate later. The process of fissure collapse and generation is ongoing in this canopy. I haven't yet figured out the pattern of those fissures, but through the 'connection' established by blood, I believe mastering that pattern is just a matter of time."

Bai Liqing seemed lost in thought and didn't speak for a while.

"Now, let's talk about that 'ship,'" Yu Sheng quickly broke the silence again. "The ancient spirits left the sight of mortals and went to the edge of the universe many years ago. According to Marlene, because the closer you get to the World Barrier, the more dangerous the 'information contamination' from outside the world becomes, the ancient spirits had to cut off contact with the inner universe. But when I observed the Homeless through the 'fissure,' I didn't seem to suffer such contamination."

"Maybe the characteristics of the 'World Bridge' blocked the contamination, or perhaps the power of the Astral Being was at play—after all, the Gloom Angels themselves came from outside the world, and their remnants are likely to have resistance to similar contamination," Bai Liqing said thoughtfully, but quickly changed the subject. "But I suspect it's more because you yourself are special."

Yu Sheng pondered.

If it had been a year ago, he might have subconsciously shaken his head and said there was nothing special about him—he was just an ordinary human.

But now, he just let out a soft breath and ran his hand through his hair.

"Alright, that makes sense. I am somewhat awesome, after all."

Having dealt with Eileen for so long, he had at least learned to maintain a good state of mind.

After all, you had to find something good in that irritable, ill-mannered little shorty, right...

(End of chapter)