Chapter 391: The Truth, Firewood, the Shrine Maiden, and the Awakened One’s Kiss

Chu Yuanqing was somewhat dazed and could not immediately wake from the dream that felt too real. The person before her looked exactly like Liuli, grown up by several years.

That face, one worthy of the big screen and regarded as a beauty’s facade, had hardly changed—only more elegant, with her beauty less shrouded by gloom. Her pair of emerald-green eyes shone like gemstones, their crystalline lenses sparkling in the light, framed by thick, long eyelashes.

The girl had grown slightly taller. The corners of her eyes curled upward, and when she smiled, she resembled the sunny green-eyed cat who had once skated near the Ferris wheel, rushing into Chu Yuanqing’s arms to sneak a kiss—bright and adorable, possessing a unique charm that could draw others into her rhythm.

This was undoubtedly Tang Liuli.

But obviously, she was no longer that melancholic, socially anxious, timid green-eyed cat from not long ago; rather, she was the Awakened One—someone who should not exist, and could not exist.

Chu Yuanqing’s thoughts were chaotic. She had returned to the [Pure White] that had not yet collapsed but was being corroded by the [Void], where she had lost herself and was in a severely deteriorated mental state, unable to comprehend the present situation.

In theory, Tang Liuli, who possessed the [Blood of Sighs], could traverse back into the past, but her body would reset to the state of the current timeline. It was impossible for her appearance to suddenly advance several years.

At the same time, the [Blood of Sighs] still resided deep within [Pure White].

Moreover, even based on the experience of that “dream,” the blessing on her body had been devoured by the [Void]. There was no chance for the [Blood of Sighs] to return to Liuli’s body, allowing her to cross back and alter the timeline.

Unless…

“It’s magic—‘Eternal Intertwined Fate,’ the third trait you awakened.”

The Awakened One tilted her head slightly, extended a finger, and touched Honey Qing’s forehead, revealing the answer.

In the next moment, vivid images rewound through her consciousness.

Chu Yuanqing recalled that on the morning after she awakened her traits, Little Shu had been joined by the Lantern Elf—Sunflower.

That day, after the family of three finished their meal, they left Sunflower at home and asked Dream Weaver Rabbit to give her an early education lesson as they prepared to go out.

But just before departure, the Mercury Blood inside Little Shu surged violently, and all the magic energy particles were extracted, causing the End of Utopia to open on its own.

Afterward, she fell into the illusion of the Sea of Truth. Several Calamity Gods revolted, entered the Perfection Realm, broke free from the illusion, moved to subdue the forbidden zone, suffered severe injuries from a backlash, withdrew from the performance, arrived at the resting room, and Little Shu entered Full Power Mode.

This continuous chain of events was so overwhelming that she forgot to investigate why the magic suddenly dissipated.

At this moment, in the images conveyed by the Awakened One, she noticed finer details previously overlooked: those vanished magic energy particles had all transformed their fate before departure, turning into Liuli’s jade-green color.

In other words, the trait [Eternal Intertwined Fate] had automatically activated on the day after awakening, with the cost being the depletion of all magic energy.

Regarding why it activated, it might have been due to her attempt on the awakening night to use [Blood of Sighs] with Liuli’s fate. Then, upon encountering the birth of Sunflower the next day, sensing danger, it triggered this stress response.

Right now, the scene within her consciousness was still playing.

The fate representing Liuli soared toward the sky, merged into [Ideal Homeland], where it consumed a large amount of magic power and wishes, then teleported away instantly, arriving at Gloria, and fell at Komo.

Subsequently, a shooting star fell onto the white beach and transformed into a girl standing behind a great bishop—the Awakened One. She smashed Thousand Faces’s hundred-faced dice, effortlessly killed it in an instant, then transformed into a beam of light and struck Tang Liuli from behind, causing the green-eyed cat to faint on the beach for half an hour.

With that, the entire sequence of events was clear and comprehensible.

The Awakened One smiled gently, her eyes curved. She curled her lips and reached out to stroke Honey Qing’s white hair, as if soothing her hardships. Her movements were soft and delicate. Smiling, she introduced herself:

“I am Tang Liuli, but also not Tang Liuli.”

“I exist within an illusory future, holding an equally illusory, nonexistent ‘Blood of Sighs.’”

“Therefore, after merging with the real Liuli, I have but one chance—to reverse the future and change the present.”

Chu Yuanqing listened patiently. She had already realized that this Awakened One was communicating through a spiritual illusion; no external time had passed, and time and space were effectively paused.

The Awakened One continued:

“Little Qing, what you had just experienced and seen were all illusions of the future.”

“Because it was just an illusion, you were able to continue living and not be swallowed by the Void. But if everything proceeds as before, this future will truly unfold. It might be better, or it might be worse, but the major course of events will not change.”

“You will die, Little Shu will die, but the Disaster group might not be completely wiped out.”

It was a simple truth—miracles were ultimately rare.

The ending of that future dream had already represented the limit that this father and daughter could achieve under the circumstances at that time. Repeating it would hardly bring improvement, and on the contrary, the probability of things turning worse would increase with each reset.

But the problem was that, from listening to Liuli’s song lyrics, the outside world had already progressed to its worst state.

If nothing out of the ordinary happened, Little Shu had been persuaded by the Sunflower and had unleashed her [Full Power Mode], about to embody the sacrifice of the twelve apostles/Supreme Disaster Beasts from abroad and the seven bishops. The tragedy that killed thirty thousand spectators and destroyed the country would repeat itself within half a minute.

When Chu Yuanqing had previously restored her full strength, using the authority of [Helldir], she had looked down upon the past and grasped the details of the Disaster group’s plan. But no matter how much she understood, she could not change the overall outcome.

Because even if she returned to reality and immediately merged with [Pure White], she could only alter the minor details of Daxia’s destruction and the death of all the audience. To deprive or kill the Disaster group, they had to wait for the Sea of Truth’s Corrective Force to vanish, and that process was enough to let things revert to their original state.

“What should I do?”

Chu Yuanqing believed the Awakened One would have a way—just as she had in the past, in different timelines, helped herself break through suffering and revitalize a deadlocked fate. Now was no different.

The Awakened One was calm and confident as she laid out the situation:

“According to the scheduled future, you and Ji Qianju will be the first to die. [Pure White] will be forced to collapse, causing the twelve [Calamity Gods] to lose their seals and sequentially merge into Little Shu’s body, using the [Son of Mankind] as an anchor point.”

“But now, as long as you use the Chain of Contracts to inform Sister Charlotte, you can avoid the surprise attack caused by the information gap, and even rely on her Shining Magic to suppress Little Shu.”

Chu Yuanqing was suddenly enlightened. Her spirit was weak, and her thoughts sluggish—she had forgotten about the Chain of Contracts, making her nodding in agreement feel almost adorably naive.

If Charlotte was informed, she would realize that regardless of the bishops, the Supreme Disaster Beast, or the apostles, they would all become sacrifices during Little Shu’s Full Power Mode. There was no need to tend to them.

Similarly, the Shining Magic gathered from the entire Sea City’s audience, powered by The Last Diva’s idol strength, could still exert its remaining effect before the city’s destruction.

And the only question that remained was,

“How long could Charlotte’s Shining Magic suppress Little Shu?”

The Awakened One replied calmly,

“Ten to thirty seconds—that’s the limit.”

“We will have no chance to interrupt the sacrifice. After the sacrifice, Little Shu’s body will be equivalent to the early form of the Sovereign Lord. Even without the thirteen [Calamity Gods], the partial gene sequences and authority they possess combined will give her considerable fighting power.”

“Of course, without the billions of soul fragments from Daxia Country, the power of the Son of Mankind will be significantly reduced. Little Shu will not truly reach the Calamity God’s power level, but she will still be stronger than the Supreme Disaster Beast at its peak.”

In short, if the world consciousness did not revive and the planet was not reinforced, she could easily destroy the surface within twenty-four hours.

At this stage, all the witches in the Countermeasures Bureau—Charlotte, Tang Liuli, Xie Qingxuan, and Kirimi Miyuki—who had not yet entered Full Power Mode, could not handle Chu Wang Shu, nor could they rely on hastily used Shining Magic to suppress her for long.

If they slipped even once, Little Shu might cause losses even more horrific than in the future dream. At that time, Chu Yuanqing would be forced to merge with [Pure White] and die prematurely.

The Awakened One continued,

“So, the key lies in what happens next.”

“Miyuki, Little Xuan, and I have made many preparations in the Ideal State for this moment.”

“Although success remains uncertain, … it is worth taking the gamble.”

Chu Yuanqing neither hesitated nor wavered. Even though she had forgotten herself and the savior, deep within her heart there still remained love—for the world, for all living beings, for family and friends.

The Pure White Witch leaned close to the Awakened One’s face. She clumsily kissed the other’s forehead, lowered her warm, molten-gold eyes, curled her lips into a smile, and said clearly,

“Thank you all for trying so hard. I will do my best.”

The Awakened One’s delicate skin flushed like pink clouds. She whispered,

“Aren’t you going to hesitate? I haven’t even said anything yet.”

Chu Yuanqing nestled against the big cat’s warmth, grasping the light of past human kindness. The emotions in her chest grew thinner, yet remained sincere and pure. She spoke softly,

“Even if I forget those old memories, even if I almost forget who I am, I still believe in you, believe in all of you. That is enough.”

“…You’re such a fool.”

The Awakened One embraced the girl’s fragile body. She paused, then released her arms, stood up, and smiled brightly, saying,

“Come and see the gifts everyone brought.”

As her words faded, illusory light and shadows intertwined and scattered; pine, moon, and cherry blossoms fell and swirled. A familiar figure emerged from within. She lowered her sharp brows, sheathed her blade, and her robe fluttered. The pure shrine maiden stood silently, serene and valiant.

If Chu Yuanqing’s memories had been complete, she would have recognized the figure before her—standing just as the shrine maiden did when she was still the Saiō King.

Dark stars shattered space like black holes as the Demon King stepped forth. Her platinum hair cascaded down, and a matching white wedding dress initially cloaked her form. Then it gradually receded, forming pure black heavy armor, and her mask concealed her cold, aloof face.

This was Xie Qingxuan from the old era, who habitually wore the Mythical Armament. Her appearance was fierce and terrifying, her gender indistinguishable, which earned her the respectful title of Demon King.

But it was not over yet. The last to appear was a figure both strange and familiar.

A young boy wore a heavy travel cloak, caked with dust and dirt. His untrimmed black hair partly covered his forehead and eyebrows, making his face appear even colder. Behind him, a demon sword wrapped in dying embers hung on his back, exuding the scent of ashes and death.

Compared to the shrine maiden and Demon King, he looked more battered and weary, as if he walked along an endless path with no rest. His willpower, terrifyingly resolute, ran through his spine and soul. His breath constantly burned with the heat of the demon sword.

This was…

Chu Yuanying, the self that Chu Yuanqing had forgotten—the young savior still inexperienced, not yet at the journey’s end, wounded but choosing to move forward.

Chu Yuanqing could no longer identify him. She simply gazed quietly at the boy, feeling a faint, nostalgic warmth.

“Virtuous King.”

“During the ten days in the Ideal State, we exerted all our strength, using the wish power gathered from the Ideal Homeland. With Little Xuan’s Patronus Magic as the prototype, we forged four shining phantoms. They transcended the limits of the Shiny Knight and replicated the power of blessing.”

“As a cost, Little Xuan’s Virtuous King collapsed. Even if repaired in the future, it could not replicate herself, you, me, or Miyuki.”

Chu Yuanqing felt somewhat confused as she murmured,

“Me?”

The Awakened One gently stroked her hair and softly said,

“Yes. We initially intended to replicate the you of today, but the Pure White Witch seems unique, so it failed. We could only momentarily weave a version based on our memories of the past you and the past Chu Yuanying.”

“But judging by your state, perhaps this is for the better.”

Chu Yuanqing nodded. Just as she was about to ask about Liuli’s phantom, she fixed her gaze on the Awakened One cat before her and suddenly realized that this incarnation of the Awakened One’s body was also created by Little Xuan.

Reflecting more deeply, the essence of the Shiny Knight was a puzzle of fragmented personalities and idealistic power, allowing everyone to appear together within their own sea of divine sense and communicate via thought.

Moreover, without Little Xuan’s magic—using the pretense of a double to circumvent the paradox of two Liulis not being able to coexist simultaneously—the Awakened One should not have been able to appear so effortlessly before her.

This also explained why the Awakened One did not prevent Little Shu from activating Full Power Mode. The more she foresaw, the less freedom she had. Even hurried warnings were like drinking poison to quell thirst, only deepening future calamities.

Therefore, the Awakened One could only appear at a critical moment, using this one chance.

The Awakened One spoke with a hint of regret:

“It’s a pity there was no more time. Otherwise, creating a ghostly figure of Sister Charlotte would have been much more convenient.”

The Awakened One did not continue to chat. She looked back at the three Shiny Knights and said seriously,

“Let’s begin.”

With that, the young savior looked squarely at Chu Yuanqing. He nodded slightly, then transformed into a streak of light that struck her heart, soul, and flesh, like adding fresh firewood to glowing embers, causing the blazing flames to surge forth and dispel the cost of ascending to the Perfection Realm.

In an instant,

Chu Yuanqing reclaimed more of herself. She could see her younger self, bearing an unyielding resilience akin to immortality, using clusters of radiant light to brighten the dim and shattered lantern, forcefully reclaiming the share of the Void.

At that moment, time seemed to reverse, and her state reverted to one week prior. The Mercury Blood within her body reactivated, the boiling magic energy expanded and intensified, the lantern rapidly restored, climbing to 19%, and then breaking through barriers again, reaching 20%, 29%, and 39% completeness.

With every breath, her magic realm continuously shattered shackles, reaching the Sea level.

Moreover, based on the fleeting sensation of ‘full bloom’ from that future dream, she was already close to ‘full bloom.’

At this level, for pure magical girls like Esther and Dorothy, naturally, she still could not defeat the complete Supreme Disaster Beast.

But for her, battling the Supreme Disaster Beast was no longer a formidable challenge.

The Awakened One clearly understood Honey Qing deeply. She nodded and said,

“Little Qing, your past self—Chu Yuanying—could burn the Void for an hour. After an hour, your lantern would shatter back to 19%, but to you, that hour was enough to prevent the worst outcome from occurring.”

Chu Yuanqing felt her restored self and said,

“Hmm, with Charlotte’s cooperation, we should be able to perfectly suppress it without causing casualties in the public venue.”

And one hour would be enough for the Countermeasures Bureau to mobilize perfectly. With the power of the whole world, they could unleash even stronger Shining Magic, just as Elise’s team sealed fragments of Nergal’s authority with the Mortal Realm Barrier, locking and suppressing it.

Even in the worst-case scenario, she did not need to die prematurely, and Little Shu’s life would not be directly endangered. At most, she might lose consciousness and be sealed inside.

But unless absolutely necessary, she was reluctant to confine her sweet daughter together with a horde of filthy, vile Calamity Gods.

Yet, allowing Little Shu to find herself again and break free from the Calamity God’s suppression was another level of difficulty.

At that moment, the Demon King silently stepped forward. Her heavy, ferocious armor gradually dissipated and fell off step by step. By the time she reached Chu Yuanqing, only light silk and a dress remained.

The girl lowered her eyes to carefully examine Honey Qing’s face. She supported the full curves of her rounded figure, rising and falling with her breath. Without a word, she gently embraced her, her perfectly exquisite form vividly expressed in the embrace, and a sweet fragrance wafted into the air.

But before anyone could indulge in the moment, the Demon King transformed into blue smoke that slowly dissipated, leaving behind only a silent blessing and a violent stirring in the heart—symbolizing the mighty power of The Power of the Titan at its peak stage.

Xie Qingxuan had given her a chance—a chance to freely change her own existence.

The shrine maiden glanced at the dissipating form of the Demon King, her brows slightly furrowing. She did not wait for Honey Qing to express any opinions or feelings. With light steps, she approached and studied the Pure White Witch’s face for a while. Her eyes lifted with a smile and she happily brightened again.

Then, like soft cherry blossom petals, her lips gently pressed against Chu Yuanqing’s breath.

Sweet, tender, smooth—and then it vanished in an instant.

In the next moment, only the softly falling pine cherry blossoms remained in front of her eyes.

Yet deep within her soul, a cherry blossom tree adorned with a thousand paper cranes appeared. The paper crane amulet Miyuki had given long ago also hung there, as if linked, quietly emanating tranquil waves that soothed her soul.

After watching, the Awakened One smiled and said,

“This is a gift from two Miyukis, given to you through Tempering of the Heart.”

“She said this is a creation even rarer than the Mythical Armament. You can personally experience its concrete effects.”

After finishing,

The Awakened One, in her cat form, came closer. She hugged Honey Qing, blinked her emerald eyes, and secretly kissed the lips that the shrine maiden had just kissed, hiding the sorrow in her gaze, then smiled,

“Little Qing, we will accompany you until the very end of your life.”

“So, no matter what, you must never give up.”

As her words fell, the world spun around. The vision before her eyes dissolved like bubbles, her mouth and nose felt as if submerged underwater, then suddenly she was back on the shore, breathing in clearer air.

The Awakened One’s gentle voice drifted farther away, replaced by clearer singing:

“But they’re back again just like a long lost friend”

“all the songs I loved so well…”

Time flowed again.

These lyrics, heard for the third time, seemed to foretell awakening from the third dream.

Chu Yuanqing returned to the real world and looked up toward Ji Qianju, who was not far away.

In the Witch of Relief’s eyes appeared the mark of Divine Control. The Awakened One’s last move erased the means left by Amahl, eliminating the final risk of wasting time.

Thus, as her mental space grew stronger and reappeared in the real world, Mercury Blood wildly surged, boiling out magical echoes that oppressed the entire Golden Temple. The Chain of Contracts on her wrist shone brilliantly, synchronizing the information to Charlotte.