Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 472: Chapter 89: Arriving at Huangquan Island

"I’ve had dealings with this doctor and paid attention to what he has said. He possesses the power to change terms. Honestly, it doesn’t look that strong, but if used properly, it might actually create some monsters..."

After recalling some of the doctor’s words and actions, Bai Wu thought of several suspicious points:

"Seven hundred years ago he was avoiding The First Generation; does that mean his abilities are not strong? And if it weren’t for this revelation, upon seeing someone identical to the doctor, I would have found it difficult to associate Jing Yi with him."

"It seems like the doctor... can’t remember his own identity? He was hiding from The First Generation seven hundred years ago, and now, seven hundred years later, when he saw Lin Rui again, although the doctor was very afraid, he didn’t reveal anything else."

Bai Yuan nodded and said, "You’re analyzing this quite well. The quality of Split Bodies can be good or bad. Why old K needs the doctor, perhaps even the doctor himself doesn’t know; he may not even know he’s a Split Body."

"Speculating here is pointless; find him, and maybe you’ll discover Jing Yi’s weakness."

Bai Wu still had doubts:

"If there really is a weakness... why would Jing Yi keep him? Why would he needlessly create a Split Body?"

With an enchanting smile, Bai Yuan suggested:

"That’s something you should think about. You know the answer. It could also be a topic of in-depth discussion because there might be something you know that I do not."

Bai Wu began to ponder:

"Split Bodies... Xiaoyugan is not the first one I’ve encountered; the earliest Split Body I met was a Lantern Bearer from Jiang Yimi."

"Then, there was a Tomb Guardian from a judge."

"Hold on... come to think of it, both Jiang Yimi and the judge actually have certain connections with the doctor..."

"If it hadn’t been for The First Generation arriving in Baichuan City, driving the doctor away, perhaps Jiang Yimi would’ve already fallen into the doctor’s hands?"

"Could it be that Jing Yi is researching Semi-Evil Fallen? Jiang Yimi and the judge are both Semi-Evil Fallen, and even The First Generation is Semi-Evil Fallen. Those most deeply involved with the doctor are actually all Semi-Evil Fallen..."

"Could it be that Xiaoyugan’s true body..."

Seeing Bai Wu reach this point, Bai Yuan was quite satisfied and nodded. He then generously shared a piece of information—

"Yes, she is a Semi-Evil Fallen. A species that even Jing Yi marveled at upon seeing. It’s like the perfect fusion between intelligent beings and twisted species.

Old K’s kind, they are distorted by powerful forces and finally corrected by Temporal Power, born under an extremely low probability. They aren’t truly pure Semi-Evil Fallen.

Thus, although his fusion disorder does also trigger Temporal Power and let his combat power go haywire, he cannot split."

From here, their conversation took a detour, turning into a discussion about Semi-Evil Fallen.

But whether it was Bai Wu or Bai Yuan, both were immersed in the discussion and didn’t mind the temporary digression.

Bai Yuan undoubtedly had more information than Bai Wu. As the Guardian of Bai Wu’s Inner World, he nearly knew everything Bai Wu did.

So, most of the time, he understood things better than Bai Wu because he was both an observer and a participant.

However, he had to admit that some of Bai Wu’s thoughts were different from his own.

Discussing with Bai Wu might also help him find some blind spots in his thinking and discover different things.

Bai Wu understood:

"But the judge and Jiang Yimi can split?"

Bai Yuan shook his head:

"The judge? He is indeed a Semi-Evil Fallen and a pure one at that, but his aptitude isn’t good enough. That poor girl you know, it’s the same for her; her aptitude isn’t good enough."

Aptitude isn’t good enough?

Bai Wu remembered when Jiang Yimi’s emotions exploded as Lin Rui died, trapping Jing Wu inside the Calamity Barrier.

Whether Jing Wu was defeated for wanting what he couldn’t have is hard to say. After all, the timing of Jing Si, Hong Yin, and Zero arriving on the battlefield was very opportune.

However, this is how Bai Yuan saw it. In his eyes, his standards were different from others’, akin to the special standard issue gear of Bai Wu’s Investigation Corps.

Bai Yuan clicked his tongue and shook his head:

"Alright, alright, seeing how you feel so indignant for your friend, let me put it another way—their foundations are too poor."

"One controls calamity, the other controls life and death. But in the end, the power of Destiny, the power of Life and Death, have nothing to do with them. Old K isn’t a pure Semi-Evil Fallen, but the Temporal Power he controls is genuine, bona fide Temporal Power."

This brought up a system that Bai Wu had always been curious about. He directly asked:

"Life and Death, Destiny, Causality, Time-Space... These rule-like things seem to exist independently of sequences and entries?"

"It’s not an independent relationship but one of inclusion."

"A relationship of inclusion?"

Bai Yuan instinctively glanced at his watch, which usually would have meant it was time for tea, but not today—just a subconscious gesture.

This filial son, for a rare occasion today, didn’t crush this fragile father-son sentiment, and he seemed pleased to say a bit more:

The sequences and entries related to calamity on Jiang Yimi’s body come from the power of Destiny."

"Sequence 59: Instant Shadow, Sequence 12: Temporal Return, one related to space and the other to time-space. The powers actually used in these entries are also Time-Space Power."

"Your eyes, they utilize the Power of Causality."

Bai Wu paused.

"Including several Guardian Spirits on your body, they too are extensions of these powers."

"What Old K controls is Temporal Power, not any specific sequence or entry but the source of these sequences and entries. That’s why he is naturally more powerful than these people."

Bai Yuan was somewhat proud. The origins of sequences and entries were one of the revelations he had received.

But then he remembered that Old K, despite his immense combat power, had still died. It made him feel that the filial son before him was likely not going to avoid failure either.

After all, the second loop is always more difficult than the first. Moreover, the challengers of the second loop are not as well-equipped as those of the first.

It’s like trying to win with a dragon sitting on your face, how could you win?

The discussion between father and son reached a divergence of opinions, and Bai Wu put forward his view:

"That’s not entirely accurate. It’s like Jing Liu controls the Power of Causality, but she pays a hefty price to use this power."

"I use Prayle’s Eye without any cost. The causality I see may not be as far-reaching as Jing Liu’s, but the causality Jing Liu sees may not be as precise as mine."

"Perhaps those who created the sequences and entries indeed fashioned them from these powers, but that doesn’t mean control over sequences is inferior to owning these powers."

"The First Generation is powerful, but he might not be able to use temporal forces better than Xu Wei, and when it comes to spatial control, within a certain scope, he might not be superior to the captain’s Instant Shadow."

"The inclusion relationship isn’t wrong, but a more accurate way to put it is—

Sequences and entries are a refinement of these powers, reducing some side effects and other abilities, but they enhance the main features, making them stronger and easier to use."

This time, it was Bai Yuan’s turn to be surprised. Bai Yuan looked at Bai Wu, and a smile gradually returned to his face:

"Not a bad analysis."

"But it seems we’ve gone off-topic," Bai Wu said.

Bai Yuan shook his head:

"The power system of this world has already far surpassed technology, and research into power is always valuable."

"We haven’t really strayed off-topic. What we’re discussing now could be precisely what Jing Yi urgently wants to find out. About the nature and use of the various rule-based forces in the twisted world, and about sequences and entries."

Bai Wu didn’t speak, just listened attentively.

Bai Yuan said slowly:

"Jing Yi is researching the Semi-Evil Fallen, but let me tell you something—the unfortunate ones in the shelters and the judges on Huangquan Island, the abilities they’ve split off—are different from their original abilities."

"That is to say, there is infinite potential in the Semi-Evil Fallen, a potential that even the Well Level monsters don’t possess."

"You’ve seen it, six Wells, some have rebelled, some are indifferent to their duties, and some harbor ambitions of dominance."

"In the end, they were all originally human, even though they underwent changes and distortions in the Wells and in the Shell World, their humanity wasn’t completely erased,"

"If I were Jing Yi, I’d leave some contingencies in place, too."

"Dong Nianyu, Xiaoyugan, their abilities stem from strong spiritual power, but the way they use it is completely different."

"And coincidentally, the Split Body simulated by Jing Yi, though weak, just happened to possess the ability to change ’entries’."

As Bai Yuan spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly:

"There are too many coincidences here. Whether that doctor retains Jing Yi’s memories or not, the fact that Old K was fixated on the doctor means there must be a secret with him."

Bai Wu recalled another matter:

"The relationship between Jing Yi and Jing San seems to be quite close? Wasn’t it under the orders of Jing Yi that Jing San went to the Memory World, and then had her memories replaced by Xiaoyugan?"

"The people of Huangquan Island and Black Gold Island both want to seize the power of Jing San. I keep wondering, Jing Er is very zen, his non-competition is understandable to me, but why doesn’t Jing Yi compete?"

Bai Wu looked at Bai Yuan, who smiled and said:

"Don’t you have an answer already?"

"Yes, Jing Yi does compete, perhaps the doctor is Jing Yi’s means."

"So the doctor is a crucial link, no matter what he actually is. Finding him and capturing him is imperative."

"Will he confess everything?"

"Have you forgotten your Step Mom Number One?"

Realization dawned on Bai Wu—the Memory World of Xiaoyugan was designed for this purpose, wasn’t it? Plus, it would be a chance to visit Xiaoyugan.

Speaking of Xiaoyugan, Bai Wu again posed the question:

"Where is the real Xiaoyugan?"

"No comment."

It had been a long time since Bai Wu had conversed like this. It seemed that the last time they had such a conversation, according to the timeline, was seven hundred years ago.

In a previous life, when Bai Wu was still a child, the conversations between them were always less than pleasant.

Feeling Bai Wu’s gaze, Bai Yuan still wore his usual smile and said:

"Don’t look at me like that. I said ’no comment.’ Let’s not break our fragile father-son bond too quickly. There are some things better left unknown. When it’s time for you to know, you will naturally find out."

"Now, you should head Inside the Mist to return to the High Tower, and then use the Traction Disc to reach Huangquan Island. Doesn’t the doctor like using needles? You should have learned at least some basics from me, right?"

Bai Yuan changed the subject, returning to his own perverse sense of humor.

Bai Wu knew that if he continued to bring up Xiaoyugan, Bai Yuan would most likely evade the topic all the same. ƒreewebɳovel.com

He didn’t care for so-called father-son affection, and certainly wouldn’t have any favorable impressions of Bai Yuan because of this conversation.

But when it came to finding the doctor, the father and son were in agreement.

However, Bai Wu also had a doubt:

"If I head Inside the Mist now, isn’t there a chance something unpredictable could happen outside the Mist?"

"Isn’t there a reliable dwarf outside?"

"But then he would have to stay outside the Mist... If the High Tower shows up outside the Mist... wouldn’t the future unfold as I saw in the Magic Tower?"

Finding someone who is one hundred fifty-nine centimeters tall is difficult, but finding a person from Sheng Country of that height carrying a cat on their shoulder is very easy.

Bai Wu just needs to remind Tang Jing to contact Wu Jiu as soon as possible.

But the problem is—Bai Wu doesn’t wish for things to proceed this way; he doesn’t want the captain to bear such a burdensome future.

Bai Yuan said:

"If I had allowed Old K to come with me to another world, and he was deceived by me, only to find out that his original world was destroyed, do you think Old K would be happy that he survived?"

Bai Wu fell silent.

Bai Yuan smiled and said,

"He belongs to this era. The moment you thought to keep him from it, you were wrong."

"If your teammate is ready to sacrifice everything they have, what you should do is respect their determination."

Many images flashed through Bai Wu’s mind.

There were scenes of the captain standing in front of him, killed by the Lake God, and scenes where the captain’s sword flashed as he broke through from the other end of the cabin to rescue him.

At the same time, there were also imaginary scenes, like that of Qin Zong and Paoze from the old days of the Investigation Corps, being pierced by a blade as he fought back his grief.

After about the time it took to smoke a cigarette, Bai Wu finally nodded.

"I respect the captain’s determination, but I can’t let that future come to pass, so this time, I cannot fail. If there’s a mistake in my calculations..."

Bai Wu paused slightly, then looked at Bai Yuan with a serious expression and said,

"Please help me."

Bai Yuan was amused because this filial son had never said these four words to him before—please help me.

It was the most interesting thing he had experienced since appearing in his current form.

...

...

Two days later, Huangquan Island.

As the regional boundaries dissolved, Huangquan Island’s scope kept expanding.

This expansion was not only due to the Evil Fallen from other regions seeking refuge, but also to the appearance of a large number of Wandering Spirits from the High Tower earlier on.

These Wandering Spirits are actually special energy forms that can materialize under twisted rules, driven by the Power of Life and Death.

It could be said that the losses from the great battle at Baichuan were compensated for during this time.

It was not just compensation, but also an unprecedented feast of the Undead.

As Hei Wu was breached, connections between the Inside the Mist and outside began to be slowly established, and the judge saw many faces he had never seen before.

Black people, white people.

The souls of these people continuously flowed into Huangquan Island, making its population of the Undead unprecedentedly vast.

The judge also speculated that a major change might be imminent for the world.

It was time for Huangquan Island to expand its influence.

The long-delayed plan, now was the opportunity to implement it.

The judge and the doctor had also received news from Black Gold Island not long before.

Jing Wu had recovered and was preparing to attack Mechanical City once again; the Inner World that had been calm for so long seemed poised to stir up new waves.

On this day, the judge gathered a large number of Wandering Spirits and was preparing to leave Huangquan Island with the doctor.

And on the shallow waters outside of Huangquan Island, a young man carrying a great sword successfully landed on the island.

History can never be changed, but was the future glimpsed altered at this moment? All remained unknown.

Feeling the howling sea breeze and the wailing of the spirits, the young man twisted his neck.

He seemed to be speaking to the void:

"The judge cannot be killed but can be severely injured, so the mission objective is to severely injure the judge and abduct the doctor?"