Free Web NovelChapter 499: Chapter 116: The Convergence of Various Forces
Scroll.
Although this puzzle piece was only a small part, filled with various strange elements, it made Bai Wu feel as if it were a scroll.
But was the scroll a map, or was it like the ancient mythological rivers and mountains chart, containing a world within the scroll?
Speaking of which, the appearance of The Pursuer had brought Bai Wu some minor troubles several times, but Bai Wu always managed to resolve them.
However, in Bai Wu’s view, the significance of The Pursuer was not in his Ten Thousand Phantasmal Bodies, nor in his attitude... but in his very existence itself.
According to Bai Yuan, The Pursuer’s existence might be very ancient, like Jing Yi, belonging to beings that had been dormant for a long time.
"Bai Wu... have you figured out anything?" Yan Jiu asked.
"Not yet, but I will eventually. However, I indeed did not expect that during my absence, everyone had been collecting Doomsday Puzzle pieces so diligently."
This led to a question: the Doomsday Puzzle pieces must be very important.
Eyes once said that every region would have pieces, but in fact, most regions did not have any pieces.
Does that mean that for the past seven hundred years, other forces have been collecting the pieces?
If this force were the farm... then the farm’s strength really couldn’t be underestimated.
Bai Wu shook his head, carefully sorting through the events in "Revelation of the Future"—
"Humanity will be driven out of the High Tower. Jing Si will be suppressed by a false High Tower created by Alpha."
"But this process is very long, which means that during the defense of the High Tower, the farm owner Jing Yi, should probably not come in person."
"Jing Yi’s strength is below that of Jing Si, but above the other Well Level beings. However, Jing Yi has part of Alpha’s body, and in a real fight, he might not necessarily be stronger than Jing Si, but can definitely hold out until the monsters break the High Tower."
"This is the biggest problem—"
Bai Wu narrowed his eyes as he looked ahead, as if a myriad of scenes were emerging in his vision:
"In that revelation, the people at the shelter did not participate in defending the High Tower, nor did I..."
"With us included now, might there be a change in the outcome?"
Bai Wu was uncertain.
But all they could do was to take a gamble.
"As long as the High Tower isn’t destroyed, Alpha won’t be able to escape, and Jing Si won’t be sealed into a new High Tower. In this way, Jing Si and Jing Yi can restrain each other."
Having clarified this point, Bai Wu realized the importance of the High Tower.
...
...
Black Gold Island.
In the deep sea hall, the flames in the furnace had cooled, and when Jing Wu saw this scene, he said subconsciously:
"Smithy, have you grown slack as well? Where’s Octopus! Where did Octopus go!"
A few seconds later, a creature draped in a black cloak, with wriggling tentacles inside the cloak, said:
"Master... are you looking for us?"
Next to the creature was another that had a shape similar to Liu Mu, with skin like black rock.
The forging hammer in its hand seemed somewhat petite compared to its enormous body, not quite fitting.
Jing Wu looked at these two beings and felt a bit dazed.
He realized once again that the smith and merchant were dead.
They had died at his own hand, and then again at the hands of Jing Si.
When the smith and merchant used to follow him, he never felt they were that great.
Sometimes he even thought the merchant was overly optimistic, often misleading him, and the smith was too silent, often failing to persuade him.
Now, using Decomposition of All Things, he turned all the monsters on the island into the most primitive energy and then used Reconstruction to create two creatures far more powerful than the smith and merchant had ever been.
But deep down, Jing Wu couldn’t shake off the irritation.
The newly created "subordinates" could never replace the smith and the merchant.
"Damn it! Damn it! Both of you get out! Get out!"
His subordinates of many years were dead, and Jing Wu thought he should be a person without emotions.
Just like he could instantly activate the domain of decomposition to indiscriminately turn the merchant and the smith into dust for the sake of killing Bai Wu.
Only later, watching Bai Wu distort time and restore everything, did Jing Wu realize he had done a stupid thing.
He was even somewhat relieved to see his subordinates coming back at the time.
Unfortunately, neither the merchant nor the smith had his undying body.
Now that he had reassembled his body, the merchant and smith had already been completely annihilated in the clash between the forces of the Inverted Well and the Well.
Jing Wu had not expected his greatest anger to be not at losing to Bai Wu time and again—
But at the death of his two subordinates.
The High Tower had already appeared.
As a Well Level being, he could sense that call.
Jing Wu believed that the biggest chaotic battle in the world was about to come.
He hung his head and looked at his own hands.
Ever since he had died in the flight battle and been resurrected, his skill in both Disassemble Everything and Reconstruction had improved significantly.
Although he couldn’t crush a tough nut like Jing Si, he could at least make Bai Wu, this softer target, feel the pain of losing a companion.
He gazed out into the pitch-black deep sea beyond the partition, his eyes deep and remote:
"Big brother, you surely wouldn’t miss the chance to attack the High Tower, would you? It’s been such a long time since we brothers have gotten together."
...
...
Outside the tower, in the unknown region.
Although this place was the edge of the Well, according to Jing Er, it was affected by the influence of the Well’s essence, causing spatial-temporal disorder.
But the distance from this place to the Well also varied constantly.
In these days, Hong Yin and Jing Er had come to a sort of reconciliation.
Jing Er had thought there would be time to gradually understand each other better.
But soon, Jing Er sensed the emergence of the High Tower.
He had also told Hong Yin about this.
"What’s your attitude?"
Above the wasteland, ever since that stretch of starry sky had receded, the seasons and terrain here were constantly changing.
At this moment, wind and snow were intermingling, and the next second might see a blazing sun high in the sky.
As the rocks lost their edges, Jing Er looked into Hong Yin’s large eyes—the ones like balloons—and said:
"I still don’t know."
"But you will go to the place where the High Tower stands?"
"Yes, I will go. I have a premonition that there, whether to witness the High Tower’s disappearance or destruction... I will receive some guidance."
Jing Er placed his hands together; he had not seen through everything, but the conversations he had had with Hong Yin these days gave him direction.
"Have you been lying this whole time?" Hong Yin asked Jing Er, feeling inexplicably annoyed.
She continued:
"The High Tower has appeared; it’s a place where humans live. If you want to destroy the High Tower, then we are still enemies."
Jing Er shook his head saying:
"We may not be enemies. As for what I’ll ultimately do with the High Tower, even I’m not sure. Besides..."
"I don’t want to be your enemy. If possible, I’d like to try changing my destiny."
Hong Yin remained skeptical:
"I don’t trust you."
"Then you might as well come with me."
Hong Yin was taken aback.
Jing Er said:
"We both have many confusions about this world. If there is to be a meeting like no other, it will surely be before the High Tower disappears."
"Is the High Tower really that important to you?"
"Very important." Jing Er became serious and explained:
"If the High Tower is to disappear again, my elder brother will never have another chance, meaning the Divine Revelation in my mind from birth, the prophecy in the Well, would all be wrong."
"So... you hope... the High Tower will disappear?"
"I don’t know, but I want to witness it as a bystander."
After saying this, Jing Er looked toward the White Deer; the deer walked up to him and bowed its head,
allowing Jing Er to stroke its antlers.
"Do you wish to come with me?"
When Jing Er asked this, he was speaking both to the White Deer and Hong Yin. ƒreewebɳovel.com
The White Deer nodded its head and looked at Hong Yin.
Although Hong Yin had changed her view about Jing Er, she couldn’t get rid of the evil aura that surrounded him.
She remained on guard around Jing Er.
But she could sense the sincerity in Jing Er’s tone; it seemed he really wanted to know... whether God was truly omnipotent and omniscient.
This question was simple for a materialist.
But for someone like Jing Er, who was brought up believing in Divine Revelation, it couldn’t be resolved through the words of others.
He had to see it with his own eyes.
If the High Tower disappeared, maybe Jing Er would be able to break through the barriers in his mind and become truly free.
If the High Tower were to be breached by Jing Yi before it disappeared, then Jing Er might suffer from the resurgence of his mind demon, forever unable to escape the torment of the Divine Revelation.
Given Jing Er’s strength, if he became the enemy after the destruction of the High Tower... that would undoubtedly add insult to injury.
Yet, after much hesitation, Hong Yin still decided to take a gamble.
So, in the shattered wasteland, a monk, a young girl, and a white deer headed towards the greatest battlefield in the world.
...
...
Outside the fog, in the South Sea waters.
The colossal Ark cruise ship moved across the sea like an island on the move.
On the top deck, Wen Hao’s cape billowed in the sea breeze, his silhouette bathed in the setting sun, his back looking somewhat lonely.
Behind Wen Hao stood the three great generals.
Calamity, Jiang Zhu.
Human Folly, Li Xin.
Disease Demon, Liu Bingshu.
"Who would’ve thought the world would turn into a purgatory in a flash, without calamities, human folly, or diseases, in the ordinary life, those suppressed emotions suddenly burst forth... they’ve become us."
Li Xin’s comment was heavy, yet her tone seemed somewhat flippant.
Wen Hao nodded ahead and said,
"Humans becoming Evil Fallen, signifies being overwhelmed by negative emotions; such a thing is actually quite common."
"Perhaps it doesn’t require an apocalypse, just one bad day can make a person completely fall apart."
Jiang Zhu said,
"Captain, the High Tower has appeared, and the crew below are very eager to see it."
Liu Bingshu coughed and added,
"Cough, cough, cough... that’s ultimately our past obsession."
"Yes, that’s everyone’s obsession; we are a group abandoned by the High Tower. There is one thing I want to ask you."
At that moment, Wen Hao turned around. Since becoming Evil Fallen, his appearance hadn’t changed.
He still had the face of a youth, but his aura now carried a hint of steely resolve.
"Just spit it out." Jiang Zhu said.
Wen Hao spoke,
"The Ark can still accommodate tens of thousands more people. If the High Tower is destroyed, would you be willing to let humans aboard the Ark?"
Li Xin did not answer, for she already knew the answer Wen Hao wanted.
Liu Bingshu suddenly coughed violently and then looked at Jiang Zhu.
Jiang Zhu, who normally seemed irritable and straightforward, wasn’t foolish when it truly mattered:
"Fuck, you two bastards are just waiting for me to fall into the trap, aren’t you?"
At these words, Wen Hao smiled, and so did Li Xin and Liu Bingshu.
Jiang Zhu continued,
"Yes, I hate those humans. Seven hundred years ago, we were the castaways, yet they were permitted entry, how did we live for seven hundred years? And them?" freewebnσvel.cøm
"But our roots are still human, and last time Bai Wu helped us out of a big trouble, we ought to repay that kindness."
Wen Hao nodded; Jiang Zhu hated humans, in fact, most people aboard the ship did.
But if humanity really had no place to go, they would be willing to take them in.
No one could have imagined that one day, the once sham Ark project would become the true Ark for humanity.
"We will not engage in war, we’ll try our best not to. If the High Tower is not destroyed, it’s best if Bai Wu and his friends can hold it."
Having said this, Wen Hao paused for several seconds,
"But if... the High Tower falls, we must try our best to save humanity."
Liu Bingshu sighed,
"Captain, if the High Tower really falls at that time... does that mean the era of humanity is completely over?"
"What it signifies, I do not know, we just need to do what we ought to," Wen Hao replied.
Li Xin said with a smile,
"I don’t have a problem; I’m an obedient crew member. Whatever the captain says, that’s what I’ll do."
Jiang Zhu snorted,
"But if those humans come here and refuse to obey, I won’t be indulgent with them."
Liu Bingshu simply looked at Wen Hao and nodded. Their eyes met, expressing understanding, as he mentioned another matter,
"The force capable of destroying the High Tower must be formidable. Our actions at that time might provoke them."
Wen Hao agreed with this,
"From Bai Wu, I learned about some past events, and next, we might very well come into conflict with the most terrifying organization in this world."
"So, before heading to the High Tower’s location, we need to make thorough preparations."
Li Xin was somewhat worried; assisting humanity might attract enemies that were too powerful.
Liu Bingshu felt the same.
However, Jiang Zhu, despite hating humans the most, would protect the captain’s decisions to the death as long as the captain had made up his mind.
"Who cares about some terrifying organization? Our Ark has been enduring till now, and this is just the right opportunity for humans to join us, and for us to let them first understand just how strong we really are."
Calamity, human disaster, disease.
The union of the three great cataclysms was naturally not to be underestimated.
Wen Hao, although worried about the farm’s power, had confidence in his subordinates as well.
...
...
Outside the tower, Baichuan City’s refuge.
After the team assembled, only the preparation of vehicles remained before departure.
For vehicles, one naturally had to ask Mechanical City for them.
Upon learning that Bai Wu was not dead, Zero’s usually poker face unexpectedly revealed a smile.
But his smile didn’t last long, for soon Zero found out—he was the last to know.
Everyone in the High Tower, everyone in the refuge knew about Bai Wu’s return before he did.
Even though he was the very first to hear about Bai Wu’s death, now he was the last to get the news of his return.
Bai Wu had put in quite the effort for this.
In the principal’s office, Zero had left behind a communication device.
Now, Bai Wu was like a salesperson from a past life, peddling health products to customers, bowing and scraping, yet with a somewhat somber tone:
"I was thinking at the time, damn, if I die, my friends will definitely be very sad."
"I was feeling regretful and unwilling at that moment, and I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to you properly."
"But then I thought... everyone’s so busy, no one would know I died..."
"Only you are different, you could learn of my death through the Angel Envoy’s destruction."
"So the first thing I thought of when I woke up was how to notify you, how to tell you in a good way."
"The reality is, the reason I informed others first is simply because in my eyes, they didn’t know I was dead."
"I didn’t tell you last, I just... hadn’t thought of the right words to use."
Bai Wu rambled on, fabricating reasons.
Although Zero knew these were just excuses, he, seated on the Mechanical throne, still shifted to a more comfortable position, listening patiently.
Until he felt that Bai Wu had made up enough excuses, and even if they were lies, they were told with sincerity, he nodded and said:
"Alright, that’s enough fabricating. You’re in a hurry to stand up for that group of humans inside the tower, and I won’t stop you."
Knowing this was enough, Bai Wu found the subsequent conversation smoother:
"Mechanical City should keep a low profile for the time being."
"The affairs of Mechanical City are not your concern. According to what you said, Jing Wu probably won’t attack us for a short period but is very likely to head to the High Tower’s location. You and him... might face off for the fourth time."
Bai Wu wasn’t too concerned about Jing Wu, not because he was underestimating the enemy.
But rather because he had anticipated this possibility from the beginning. What worried him were other variables:
"The most troublesome part now is that we all know the farm is formidable, but we have absolutely no clear idea of just how formidable it is."
Bai Wu narrowed his eyes:
"This place is too mysterious. My showdown with the farm is like both sides competing to see who’s holding the bigger hand of cards."
Zero shared this sentiment. Bai Wu was marshaling troops and issuing orders, as was Jing Yi.
But Bai Wu had been in this world for less than two years, while Jing Yi had been for seven hundred years.
"So I’m thinking, even if I have obtained two Seven Sins, it would be reasonable for me to be defeated."
Zero understood:
"To change a situation that is ’reasonable’, one must do something unexpected?"
Seated on the Mechanical throne, Zero, and Bai Wu in the principal’s building, said at the same time:
"Make a surprise move!"
"But what counts as a surprise move? That’s up to you." Zero continued:
"Or do you still have something on you... that can allow you to engage in such deception?"
Bai Wu looked into the distance, seemingly struck by an idea, a light gradually appearing in his eyes:
"Hiss, now that you mention it, there might really be something..."
