Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 769 - 726: Heading to the Front Lines
Little Bowl nodded.
However, if one merely attempts to become the new Master of the Divine Seal by collecting a large number of Divine Seal Fragments, it most likely won't work. Since Tai Sui encourages Void Envoys to collect Divine Seal Fragments, he must have calculated this development and prepared countermeasures.
He mentioned that his consciousness is attached to the Divine Seal Fragments. This form of attachment probably doesn't allow him to lock onto the positions of all the Divine Seal Fragments or clearly sense the surrounding scenarios. At most, it allows him to operate his consciousness and exert power within the Void Realm, otherwise, he wouldn't need to have the Void Envoys rely purely on fate and luck to find the Divine Seal Fragments. However, at critical moments, this attached state might allow him to have enough initiative.
"If you want to expand your authority, you can't rely on collecting Divine Seal Fragments. Given that there are already two people with Seal Authority, a third person's Seal Authority will inevitably be more strictly squeezed. Even if you obtain all the Divine Seal Fragments and reorganize the Doomsday Divine Seal, you probably can only possess a small portion of authority." Little Bowl said, "However, there is a way to immediately expand part of the authority to its limit, enabling the Void Envoys to mobilize all the power of the Doomsday Divine Seal."
Is there actually such a method? Based on this hint, I quickly integrated all the clues in my mind and then got the answer, "Could it be like Tai Sui did, attaching to the Divine Seal... becoming the soul of the Divine Seal?"
Tai Sui originally couldn't normally use the Doomsday Divine Seal, but after becoming the "Divine Seal Spirit," he could exercise the near-omniscient power of the Master of Divine Seal at will, implying that he could exert all its power after repairing the Doomsday Divine Seal.
The key to his becoming the soul of the Divine Seal lay in the power of the Divine Son he simulated before being killed by Yama.
And Little Bowl not only had the authority of the Divine Seal Fragments but was also the legitimate Divine Son and could further strengthen the Power of Righteous Heavenly and Earthly using the power of the Divine Seal Fragments. What Tai Sui once accomplished, Little Bowl also had all the prerequisites for. Even if the degree of enhancement was still insufficient, more binding of several Divine Seal Fragments could completely enhance it.
Little Bowl actually had the opportunity to become the Master of the Divine Seal? I was astonished at this possibility.
"If there's any problem with this approach, it's that Tai Sui might have guarded against this possibility..." Little Bowl contemplated, "Since he reached his current state by simulating the power of the Divine Son, seeing me as the Divine Son, he might have a corresponding vigilance as well.
"Even if I can fight for the position of the Divine Seal Spirit in the same manner, after all, he holds the initial advantage. To surpass him later, relying solely on my strength is probably insufficient. I must add one more advantageous condition..."
After thinking, I asked, "Even if we can find a way to catch up... Tai Sui is nearly omniscient. The method we think of he's likely known from the start, right?"
"Tai Sui being nearly omniscient, and Tai Sui possessing nearly omniscient power are two vastly different concepts," Little Bowl shook his head, "Human personality is piled up by memory information. If he really knew almost all information from the start, he couldn't maintain his current personality. From his series of reactions and judgments, it's evident he hasn't transformed into that kind of non-human state.
"We can believe his omniscience is an 'active skill,' meaning if he wants an answer, he must first propose a question himself. In other words, if he hasn't questioned a certain direction, he can't obtain the related information. This form necessarily creates blind spots and gaps, which in turn creates opportunities for us."
As for specifically what to do, Little Bowl seemed still to be pondering. From her expression, it didn't appear to be a completely hopeless matter.
After some time, we received news from Weichi's side that Fa Zheng and the others in the post-mortem world were ready for Mazao and me to go over.
The vast amount of "fireflies" I scattered in the Arctic Circle still didn't detect any trace related to the Current World Divine Seal, and Little Bowl also felt there was no need to continue searching in that location.
I bid farewell to Little Bowl first, then called upon Mazao and No. 7 to head over to the teleportation array at Du Shuo Mountain.
The place where the Teleportation Door is located was once the entrance to the basement on the fifteenth floor, but the residential building there has now been completely demolished, replaced by a massive 20-meter-high stone arch. The ordinary people around the compound and nearby have also been evacuated; this area has now become a heavily guarded forbidden zone, watched over by numerous demon hunters standing guard.
Luo Mountain no longer conceals its presence and activities thoroughly. There are many discussion posts online about this place, with no understanding of what it's being used for, and Luo Mountain's side has never provided an explanation.
Weichi stationed nearby the Teleportation Door approached us as we arrived, greeted us, and looked curiously at No. 7, seemingly speculating. No. 7 stood discreetly by my side without any response.
Then, a familiar elderly figure appeared like a ghost. No. 7 seemed reflexively tense, while the newcomer merely glanced at her before turning to me.
"Thank you, Zhuang Cheng, for saving my apprentice's life not long ago," said the Divination Master.
"He's my believer now, so of course I had to save him," I said, "More than that, the situation with Shan Liangyi, you must have heard about it too. What countermeasures do you have concerning him?"
Shan Liangyi was not just my enemy; since he is a supporter of the Human Massacre Plan and an agent of the Evangelical Institute's Impermanence, he's an enemy to both Fa Zheng and the Divination Master as well. Regardless of how much advantage we gain over the Evangelical Institute in the war, once this Impermanence who has opened the third door enters the battlefield, the scales of victory will undoubtedly tip towards the Evangelical Institute.
"Only the Old Fist God can deal with Shan Liangyi. We'll focus on handling the Evangelical Institute in the post-mortem world," Divination Master said.
"Hasn't the Old Fist God been unreachable all this time? Moreover, regardless of whether Shan Liangyi will invade the post-mortem world's battlefield when we deal with the Evangelical Institute, if he first executes the Human Massacre Plan in the real world, even if we eliminate the Evangelical Institute in the post-mortem world, it still amounts to complete defeat, right?" I asked.
Divination Master shook his head as if weighing his words, then said, "Shan Liangyi has always been cautiously hiding in the real world as the King Zhuanlun, even allowing Meng Zhang, the Green Dragon Inheritor, to grow and not immediately make a move when you, the renowned Innate Manifestation, rose to fame. He only acted, nearly catching you all in one sweep, when you were all within the barrier of Paradise.
"The only reason for him to do so is to prevent the Old Fist God from discovering him before he regains his strength.
"Actually, he should also know well that it's impossible for the Old Fist God to strangle him before he grows strong enough to surpass his past self. But being a man of extreme pride and ambition, he cannot accept being in a state of being merely observed and spared by his mortal enemy.
"The execution of the Human Massacre Plan is an extremely high-profile act, and as long as he hasn't killed you or reclaimed your Vermilion Bird Seed, it's impossible for him to conduct such flagrant actions."
While speaking, he looked toward the distant massive stone door and continued, "As for whether he will raid the post-mortem world, that is also easily resolved.
"This Teleportation Door is currently the only portal between the real world and the post-mortem world. According to my consistent monitoring, Shan Liangyi hasn't passed through here recently. Even if he has opened the third door as Impermanence, he can't evade my vigilant watch here. After you enter the post-mortem world, we will close this only portal between the real world and the post-mortem world.
"The Teleportation Door will be set to a state where it cannot be opened from this side, only the ones located in the post-mortem world can restart it."
"Can this method absolutely prevent Shan Liangyi from entering the post-mortem world?" I asked.
"This is the best effort we can make," Divination Master didn't speak conclusively, "As for your grudge with Shan Liangyi, although I wish to offer assistance, we estimate that we can't provide sufficiently strong support. After this, it might be up to you alone to handle it."
With that, he bid farewell, then his body dissipated into smoke. The one who appeared here was merely an earthly projection; his true form was probably still in the Eastern Coastal City, continuing to suppress the expansion of Doomsday Space-Time.
Weichi then stepped forward, leading us to the enormous stone door.
He presented a fist-sized wooden box from his coat. I immediately recognized it as the same material used when Divine Light gifted me a Divine Seal Fragment.
"Thank you and Little Bowl for allowing me to meet the Qilin; this is my heartfelt late token," he sincerely said, "Unfortunately, I can't join you on the frontline, but I want you to have this. Please accept it."