Free Web NovelChapter 382: Chapter 186: The Siege Ends (Ready for the Kill)
In the pitch-black starry sky, Jing Liu, who usually harbored a tranquil heart, now felt a touch of the anxiety common to ordinary people.
Finding this place wasn’t easy, partly because seeing through cause and effect cost a great deal.
Especially since it wasn’t one of the other elder brothers, it was Jing Si, a super creature that could no longer be gauged with common sense.
Jing Liu wasn’t sure either if her maniacal brother would kill her in an instant.
So she had to make full preparations.
She was well aware that her brother was corroded by the Well Water and had become a being with distorted thoughts, but she also knew very well that he still retained some sanity.
However, this bit of sanity couldn’t control that kind of madness and distortion.
So much so that Jing Si harbored a strong desire to kill, even after restraining it for seven hundred years.
But Jing Liu also knew that as long as she could ease her brother’s violent urge, he would be clear-headed for a short time.
What she needed was a being that couldn’t be killed.
Shen Shuyue.
In the scene under the twisted starry sky, the "remnants" of Shen Shuyue were everywhere.
The numerous bodies that had split off were all destroyed by Jing Si with absolute annihilation.
But those bodies that turned to dust split again into countless Shen Shuyues.
Legendary Tier Entry, Infinite Proliferation.
Among the myriad systems birthed from twisted rules, it was an ability that even the Jing Family viewed with apprehension.
But is Infinite Proliferation truly infinite?
In Jing Si’s starry realm, all things could resist distortion and could clear his mind, even though he was insane, he could occasionally regain lucidity.
This was a sector capable of resisting the Wells, worthy of being called the "Inverted Well."
In this domain, all systems generated by the Wells were absolutely weakened.
Even suppressed to nothingness.
If in another place, Shen Shuyue would surely continue to split infinitely, this woman with the most beautiful visage in the world, showed fear for the first time after becoming Evil Fallen.
Because she felt that within the endless slaughter of Jing Si... her rate of splitting was slowing down, becoming slower and slower.
Countless mangled bodies were writhing, slowly repairing their damaged parts at a sluggish pace.
Numerous organs, flesh, and bones were undergoing similar changes.
But compared to the rapid splitting from not long ago, it now seemed excruciatingly slow.
After great difficulty, a complete body formed with a head, and Shen Shuyue incessantly muttered the names of old friends.
Liu Chengzi, Qu Li...
After an enormous amount of splitting, she would need a focal point to balance the overwhelming memories.
But this time, she didn’t have the chance to recall her own memories through her two friends.
Jing Si’s hand was already on Shen Shuyue’s head, his expression crazed.
Flesh exploded.
The body that had recovered with difficulty once more burst into a pool of twitching flesh, this beautiful body had forgotten how many times it’d been destroyed by this monster.
Without a head, there was no capacity for thought, and Shen Shuyue couldn’t even sense the danger.
She had slain many foes stronger than herself, relying solely on the Legendary Tier Entry to brute force her way through.
Constant splitting, continual rebirth, ultimately crushing her opponents. Nearly every battle was like this, the constantly reborn self easily killing foes who were exhausted and no longer had the strength to fight.
But this time, the situation was reversed. Within the stellar domain of the Inverted Well, her power was being continuously suppressed.
Jing Si’s vigor showed no sign of diminishing, exhaustion? That seemed to be a state alien to Jing Si.
Instead, the supposedly endless and limitless Infinite Proliferation began to show a "limit" within the Inverted Well sector, ceasing to be infinite, becoming finite.
Who would exhaust their energy first, Jing Si or Shen Shuyue’s Infinite Proliferation? The answer to that question was clear.
But from the very beginning, Jing Liu didn’t expect a single Shen Shuyue to be able to subdue her brother.
The seemingly inexhaustible Jing Si couldn’t possibly be defeated, but at least he would gradually regain his sanity amidst the unceasing slaughter.
Through destruction, devastation, and slaughter, Jing Si vented much of his negative emotions.
He was finally a bit lucid.
Thus, when Shen Shuyue’s remnants could hardly be seen moving, Jing Si stopped.
Otherwise, the owner of this Legendary Tier Entry might have been killed by the least likely means.
"Brother..."
Jing Liu could feel that there was a spark in her brother’s eyes.
She was confident that she could make her brother remember her, and as long as he could remember, the rest would be much easier.
But Jing Si, after regaining a bit of awareness, suddenly started crying sorrowfully, repeating one sentence:
"Please, you must save Baichuan City! Please, you must save Baichuan City... Please, you must save Baichuan City!"
This sentence was repeated over and over, making Jing Liu somewhat incredulous.
She had long known that someone in Baichuan City had found her brother before she did.
She also knew that person’s destiny, for through her manipulation, became a closed loop.
When the First Generation Masked Strange Person was driven to desperation, it was Jing Liu who led him to where Lin Rui was.
That heroic inheritance was in fact just an experiment by Jing Liu.
She could see Lin Rui’s future, could see Lin Rui’s cause and effect, but she could not see Jing Si’s.
So at this moment, hearing the words repeated incessantly by Jing Si, Jing Liu gave a self-deprecating smile.
"It seems...you feel very guilty. Well then, he did give up his life to beseech you. Go on, go save Baichuan City. The boy’s performance was indeed astonishing; perhaps he truly wasn’t meant to die."
Jing Si continued to sob, uttering the last words of an old friend who had died.
Jing Liu caressed Jing Si’s face, and some information surged into his mind.
The location of Baichuan City, how to truly save Baichuan City... In this moment, Jing Si knew everything.
The next second, Jing Si was gone.
As Jing Si left, the stars began to dissipate as well.
Inverted Well resolved.
A naked body wriggled slowly on the ground, gradually regaining strength, and stood up.
Shen Shuyue could feel her power rapidly returning. Without Jing Si’s domain to restrict her, she gasped for breath and said:
"He just left like that... Is that okay?"
"He will come back to me."
"Where did he go?"
"A place that could give me a lot of trouble in the future," Jing Liu’s words left Shen Shuyue somewhat puzzled.
"The future?"
"Yes, a future that even I haven’t seen, but at least for now we are still on the same path as that group of people."
Jing Liu could try to peek into it, but the cost would be significant, especially since someone drank the Well Water, the cost became even greater.
But for Jing Liu, the Well Water was not a pity, because it was never his to begin with, and it rightfully belonged to humanity.
Shen Shuyue had great respect for Jing Liu, and not knowing how to respond, she said:
"At least you did what you always wanted to do."
"Everything has just begun, I still have a long way to go if I want my brother to understand me. By the way, you’ve worked hard."
It was difficult for Shen Shuyue to say "no big deal" as before. Facing Jing Si, she really almost died.
"Let’s go."
"Where to? Will he come to you?"
"When I told him the location of that city, I also shared my thoughts with him, my brother will come to find me."
Jing Liu and Shen Shuyue once again set out on their journey.
In the outer areas of the Well, the world was still changing incessantly, like a jigsaw puzzle made up of countless different places.
...
...
Baichuan City.
In the Inverted Well Domain, Jing Er and Jing Wu’s faces showed corpse-like mottling.
It was a sign of impending doom and decay.
If Bai Wu’s domain was like a weakened version of the "Well."
Then Jing Si’s domain was a weakened version of the "Tower."
The Well represents distortion, and the Tower represents the Inverted Well.
Evil Fallen, all twisted rules are completely invalidated within the Tower, even Evil Fallen itself would turn to ash upon entering.
Jing Er’s killer blow dissipated without a trace, and Jing Wu didn’t even have the courage to resist.
Watching this scene, Bai Wu realized two things.
If Jing Si is so powerful, does it mean that the monster at the Well Level... may not be the fifty-first floor’s Demon King that Jing Si refers to?
In comparison, Jing Si seemed more like the Demon King.
Bai Wu suddenly realized he had been wrong all along.
"I always thought that the monsters at the Well Level were the fifty-first floor’s Demon King, but if Jing Si is so strong, the fifty-first floor’s Demon King wouldn’t be this unstoppable... Could it be that the fifty-first floor mentioned by Jing Si does not refer to the other Well-named monsters?"
The second thing was about the mottling on Jing Er’s face...
That scent of rot and oblivion, Bai Wu felt it very familiar instantly.
Even though, for him, it had been over a decade.
But upon seeing those scars, Bai Wu understood everything in an instant.
Right at that moment, Zero looked up at the sky, where Jing Si was subduing Jing Er with overwhelming power, and asked:
"The strongest monster in the world, huh... Such an exaggerated title, when used on it, it’s hard to argue. But did it come because of you? When did you meet such a formidable existence?"
Bai Wu’s heart was empty, he wished he could feel that bitterness, that pain, but all he could do was let out a calm sigh:
"It wasn’t me... It didn’t come to Baichuan City because of me."
"Then who was it?"
"A hero."
Perhaps no one else in the world could detect the emotions that Bai Wu lacked from his calm tone.
Zero was the only one.
If Bai Wu had complete emotions, he could imagine that Bai Wu would be very sad.
Thus he could also guess, the fate of that hero.
...
The morning sun was gradually rising.
The world transitioned from absolute darkness to dark blue, with more and more light driving away the night.
A certain conversation was taking place between Jing Er and Jing Si.
But this dialogue caused Jing Er to collapse at times.
Jing Si indeed wanted to save humanity, Jing Er was very clear about that, but Jing Si was insane, and because of this madness, he generated an enormous, self-imprisoning will.
Even in his insanity, he remembered that he must not end this self-imprisonment.
He indeed lived like the monsters in the High Tower.
One, because of the High Tower, could not reign supreme. frёewebηovel.cѳm
The other, because of the restraint of his own will, was forever self-imprisoned.
But why did it suddenly appear?
Jing Er tried many ways to ask, although he occasionally saw a hint of confusion in Jing Si’s eyes, but soon, Jing Si was overwhelmed by another will.
It kept repeating the same sentence over and over.
"Please, you must save Baichuan City! Please, you must save Baichuan City! Hahaha... Please, you must save Baichuan City! Save Baichuan City!"
To the unaware, it would seem as if Jing Si was hypnotized, but only Jing Liu knew.
This is his own brother, his insane brother, opposing madness with all his will, to mourn his mistakenly killed old friend.
The air was filled with Jing Si’s mad, painful, and mournful cries. The strange plea of "Please, you must save Baichuan City" kept echoing.
Who exactly implored him?
For the first time, Bai Wu felt as if his heart was pricked with pain. Hearing those words, he stared wide-eyed at the lunatic in the night sky.
Without any emotion, but if one looked at his silhouette, they could feel a depressing sense of grief.
In the battle against Jing Er and Jing Wu, the battlefield was utterly shattered, and the remains of Lin Rui had long been buried by the vast dust.
People would naturally mourn him, but they did not know that he faced the most terrible of monsters alone.
Under what an extreme despair and expectation would he beg Jing Si like that, engraving those words in Jing Si’s memory?
As Jing Si repeated those words, countless stars in the night sky exploded, black energy erupted ceaselessly. Jing Er’s face was completely overtaken by the deathly pale mottling of decay.
This ultimate Demon King, who nearly destroyed Baichuan City not long ago, continued to rot, to perish, turning to ash.
The same was true for Jing Wu.
With the guidance provided by Jing Liu, Jing Si, half-mad and half-awake, effortlessly obliterated two beings that brought despair to Baichuan City.
The blacksmith, the merchant, the judge, they couldn’t believe that two great beings had just faded away.
The judge could feel that they had not died, at least there was no fluctuation that could manipulate the power of life and death.
This was indeed absolute destruction, but it seemed... unable to truly kill the two lords.
The smith and the merchant also understood this point, that a being as great as Lord Jing Wu could not be utterly destroyed.
But after that incident in Mechanical City, the lord took a long time to recover, and this time... it was feared that it would take an even longer time.
Black Gold Island must lay low for a long while in the future.
Moreover... this is under the premise that the monster high in the sky doesn’t suddenly turn around and kill all the surrounding Evil Fallen.
The judge and the merchant both recovered a lot during this gap. The merchant was very clear, everyone could die.
But he and the smith must return to Black Gold Island.
And the only one who could make all this happen was the judge.
The judge also understood very well that he could abandon the merchant and the smith and run away, but the death of these two people might not absolutely benefit him.
At least at this moment, they all shared a common enemy, so why not grant Black Gold Island a favor.
At the brink of life and death, several powerful leaders from the twin island forces reached an unspoken agreement.
Their strength was not mediocre, but in the face of Jing Si, they were truly insignificant as ants challenging a great elephant.
As Jing Si destroyed Jing Er and Jing Wu, the judge initiated the Nether River Ferrying.
Masked Evil Fallen caught on to this and tried to rush over but was tragically abandoned.
Yan Zizai and Wu Jiu were the fastest to react, trying to intercept, but unfortunately, the judge’s power of life and death was hard for even Jing Wu to hold onto.
Bai Wu looked into the distance, not too concerned.
As long as the two Well Level entities fled, perhaps the most rational course of action would be to kill the octopus, the smith, and the judge.
But after over a decade of a Twisted Journey, Bai Wu’s understanding of the Well had deepened. He knew very well that more twisted and powerful monsters would continue to emerge.
The judge, merchant, and smith, at least, had all started to fear humans and their diverse methods were well known to the core.
Keeping them to suppress other Evil Fallen served as a form of balance.
Most importantly, the judge with the power of life and death was not absolutely certain he could be forcibly retained.
Moreover, at this time, no one dared to assure that they wouldn’t suddenly provoke the strongest monster in the sky.
"Brother, did they just die like that?" Hong Yin couldn’t believe it.
Such formidable beings, it was also the first time for Hong Yin to witness them.
Bai Wu shook his head and said:
"Probably not, if Jing Si could kill them, he would have done it long ago. Beings with the surname Jing, perhaps only a specific method can thoroughly annihilate them."
Zero agreed with this. This was also why he believed, even if one’s strength reached the Well Level, it was not necessarily possible to be on par with them.
Of course, his judgment was based on the resistance methods of Jing Er and Jing Wu.
Two top-notch monsters would obviously not be so easily killed by Jing Si, and in Zero’s view, even if they could not beat Jing Si, they should have the power to fight.
They did not even enter the state of Extreme Release, directly giving up resistance.
It seemed that they were relying on not dying, as well as being too wary of Jing Si’s methods, and gave up struggling outright.
But regardless, it all meant that this war had... ended.
Any fight became meaningless after Jing Si arrived.
Everyone’s eyes were on Jing Si, wanting to know what he would do next.
The sunlight gradually brightened but failed to illuminate the realm created by Jing Si.
After destroying Jing Er and Jing Wu, Jing Si, floating in the sky, seemed at a loss.
His mind was overflowing with information, most of it hints brought by Jing Liu, like some kind of guidance flashing through his mind. He wanted to follow these guides yet always felt like he was missing something.
His gaze swept across the entire battlefield, finally settling on Bai Wu.
In that moment, Jing Si remembered.
He lifted his head, his eyeballs rolling around wildly, making him look foolish, as if there was some kind of obstruction.
It was hard to imagine such an expression, which only an ’idiot’ would wear, appearing on the face of such a monster that had easily defeated two Wells.
Bai Wu could imagine that though Jing Si seemed to have lived for seven hundred years, he might have already been lost in distortion for tens of thousands of years.
Perhaps the world seen through Jing Si’s eyes was the same as the absolutely distorted world that he witnessed.
Without any rules. In such a situation, it was hard to maintain cognition, and one might even lose the ability to judge ’normal.’
Over time, what was normal and what was abnormal became difficult to distinguish.
About a dozen seconds later, Jing Si’s expression finally cleared from the confusion. Perhaps he would soon return to chaos, but this time, his tone was extremely earnest:
"Save... Denglin... City... save Denglin City... you, must... do what you say..."
Suddenly, Jing Si’s chest disappeared, as if pierced by some force.
This scene made everyone very nervous, but Bai Wu knew that in this world, probably only a ’Origin’ level existence could harm Jing Si.
Above Jing Si was the source that caused such distortion in this world.
It wasn’t that Jing Si had been pierced through; rather, he was showing off... a chest without a heart.
He had once left a heart in Xuanhui City, waiting for a savior.
Bai Wu thought that Jing Si wouldn’t remember, but Jing Si was able to recall all of this just by glancing at him, even during such insane chaos.
He was certain... the scientists in Denglin City had, through their own efforts, earned this monster’s recognition.
"Alright, I’ll do as I say. I will definitely go there."
Jing Si shook his head, but immediately realized he was supposed to nod instead.
He was too confused. The brief moment of lucidity disappeared, and his mind was left with only the various words planted by Jing Liu.
He was somewhat afraid, afraid that he might go mad and destroy the city.
He also hoped that, as Jing Liu said, he could find a way to clear his mind.
So, the next second, Jing Si disappeared.
Along with that expanse of stars.
His arrival had been abrupt, and then with incredible speed, he resolved the two monsters that had brought Baichuan City to despair.
In the end, he left inexplicably. Bai Wu actually had many questions, but he didn’t dare to ask.
Even the Eye of Prayle could not peer through that patch of starry sky.
No one dared to guarantee whether Jing Si in the next second would be a friend, a passerby, or an enemy.
...
...
The morning light grew increasingly bright, and in the ruins, people with disheveled hair and bloodstained bodies stood quietly.
Even Bai Wu, Zero, and Hong Yin did the same.
After a long while, someone finally could no longer stay upright.
Wang Shi fell to the ground, the pains that had been temporarily forgotten due to tension, despair, and fear began to assault him relentlessly.
Meng Yuan looked at his arm, bitten off by evil spirits, and finally came to his senses.
Lin Wurou swore that although he enjoyed dismembering the Evil Fallen, he had never seen so many of their corpses in his life.
Shang Xiaoyi suddenly missed the days when he would go mad at the sight of the Evil Fallen. Because that version of him, at least, was not afraid.
Yin Shuang and many from the Investigation Corps with healing sequences started treating everyone.
Feng Zhan stood behind Long Xiao, both of them seemingly in disbelief that the battle was over.
"Is it really over? Brother Long... why does it feel so unreal?"
Long Xiao nodded, his body covered in dozens of wounds, his suit from the Investigation Corps ripped and tattered.
Looking at the ruins, the massive floating object in the sky, the protective barrier that could isolate the Evil Fallen, Long Xiao thought of tonight’s deadly battle and said:
"Before this battle, someone like me never believed in miracles in this world, but after this battle, I do."
Everyone shared the same thought as Long Xiao.
Before the explosive force of Jing Er’s annihilation, no one could have imagined such an ending.
A true god suddenly descended, dispelling all human suffering with a casual ease.
If this wasn’t a divine act, what was it? If this wasn’t a miracle, what was it?
Only a very few knew the cause of such a miracle.
As dawn broke and darkness was completely dispelled, the long night finally ended, and countless people sat on the ground with dazed expressions.
So it turns out that humanity really can defeat the Evil Fallen, that all those seemingly impossible things outside the tower—
were nothing but lies cloaked in cowardice.
Some people began to laugh heartily, while others cried for their fallen brother, Paoze.
Such sounds seemed contagious, gradually spreading, with the voices of crying and laughing echoing through the ruins.
More and more people began to vent their post-battle emotions, whether crying or laughing, their faces reflected not just sorrow and joy, but more so bewilderment and confusion.
But soon enough, these people began to emerge from their confusion, finding paths truly worth persevering for.
And so the crowd... got busy.
The excitement from the victory after the big battle was natural, but with so many dead, it did not erupt under the weight of grief.
Perhaps it was also because they had witnessed a force truly capable of inducing despair. Yet the victory itself was indeed inspiring.
Gu Hailin and the Twenty-Four Iron Cavalry watched the busy humanity in the distance, feeling surreal.
Ninety years ah... That ephemeral dream really became reality!
Yuan Ye hopped a few times and climbed onto one of the Hydra’s heads:
"Big guy, seems like your brothers from hell don’t care much for you, haha..."
The lioness’s laughter was hearty, diluting the sorrow in Gu Hailin’s heart.
Gu Hailin’s emotions were complex; he had made his peace with dying but had not expected to survive, especially having such a significant target on his back.
"Yes... It seems they are not willing to let their senior pass away just like that." Speaking was Qin Zong.
Gu Hailin had a deep impression of Qin Zong, the man who had picked up the Return Roulette and smashed it fiercely, much like himself ninety years ago.
He could not imagine that such a corrupt place could, after ninety years, produce someone like him.
Qin Zong, too, had braced himself for death, prepared to burn his bridges.
He hadn’t expected himself to have survived.
"I am the current leader of the Investigation Corps, Qin Zong. Gu senior, I regret that I cannot work with you in the High Tower."
Gu Hailin quickly accepted reality. Yes, since he had survived, then he must do more for the brothers of the past and for future humanity.
He looked at Qin Zong:
"No wonder someone like Gu Qingyu was trained. Having you as the leader of the Investigation Corps is an honor for all soldiers."
Gu Hailin paused before continuing:
"This war hasn’t killed us, it seems our mission isn’t over yet."
"That’s exactly what I wanted to say. The world outside the tower still needs you, but I, inside the tower, will not fall behind either." Qin Zong declared resolutely.
In the distance, Nie Chongshan and Liu Mu, watching the dialogue between the two generations of leaders of the Investigation Corps atop the giant snake’s head, noticed Nie Chongshan’s expression was full of disdain, but Liu Mu could feel that the man was almost brimming with joy.
Liu Mu was much more honest:
"When that bastard turned me into an Evil Fallen, I actually had no regrets at all, because I had stood in front of Wu Jiu."
"But now, I regret it even less. Though many things that only a human can do are no longer possible for me, I have found something even more worthwhile to do."
...
...
The great war had ended, and after a long night had passed, humans and Evil Fallen began to work together to tidy up the battlefield after a brief catching up and getting to know each other.
No one knew how long the Well would remain open, but with Nie Chongshan there, neither Zero nor Hong Yin were in a hurry to return.
Humans, Evil Fallen, the Investigation Corps, the Shudu Prison forces, rulers, guardians, and the ruler’s progeny—all powers now seemed united.
They had a new name, Shelter Guardians.
Finally, the world outside the High Tower had a foothold that belonged to humanity.
Bai Wu helped the unconscious Jiang Yimi to the command center at a slow pace, promising her that he would bring Lin Rui back.
But for now, people needed to realize the importance of this victory. The involvement of the Investigation Corps, the Xie Family, and the Yan Family meant that the Shelter was no longer a secret.
The biggest challenge was over, but that didn’t mean future challenges would be easy.
How to arrange the affairs of the Shelter, how to handle the relationship between the Shelter and the High Tower—these were very important matters.
Of course, there were still many things for Bai Wu to worry about.
Jing Si had left, and Jing Liu’s diversion probably had something to do with Jing Si. But since Jing Si had gone mad, what exactly was Jing Liu’s purpose?
The Ten of Spades, the Club King, the Heart King, the farmer, and also the High Tower and the Well— what were they all about?
If the Well-named monster was not the fifty-first layer Great Demon King as mentioned by Jing Si, then who was?
His journey in distortion—was it a random encounter or someone’s deliberate arrangement of cause and effect?
Could the great cruise ship heading towards the edge of the Black Mist shatter the fog... and head to the outside world?
Bai Wu had gained new power, but he also knew that the challenges he faced were even greater.
The riddles of the High Tower and the Well remained unsolved.
For the moment, there was only one person he could ask.
Bai Yuan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End of Chapter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(The next Chapter is the final Chapter of this volume, which will set the stage for the new volume. Of course, the overall tone will still be quite calm. The next volume will be quite long and will fill in some gaps. Of course, we’ll talk more about that later. For now, that’s it for today. Lastly, writing is not easy, and I hope you support the genuine version.)
