Chapter 325

Chapter 325: Changing the World Into What We Hope For

Intracastral Sea.

Chu Yuanqing had come here many times, but the first time she arrived, she had already achieved the great feat of defeating a god and was the brave one carrying the hopes of humanity, thus she reached the deepest part immediately, receiving the crown of the stars and the world.

Therefore, in a way, she hadn’t really paid much attention to its shallow layers.

Perhaps due to its natural defensive and exclusive qualities, its outer side was purely an endless vacuum, where even light would freeze and stop, and the distant twinkling stars were unreachable, making the lonely and cold universe the greatest barrier.

Without the recognition of the planet, even if one pointed out the technology of the hyperspace engine and flew a spaceship, one would remain lost here forever.

But if there was a key, then it was just a huge curtain.

Esther held the permission to enter, and this sight lingered for only a breath before it disappeared from view as its position shifted again.

The shadows of clouds danced with the light of the sky, while the world spun around.

Chu Yuanqing built a Magic Armor and followed the rhythm of her companion, soaring through the clear blue sky, gazing down at the beautiful views below.

This was an area wrapped in a mystical membrane.

From high above, one could see the colorful whirlpool at the edge, symbolizing walls and boundaries, with most of its interior showcasing natural beauty.

The forest sparkled like crushed emeralds on a canvas, pulsing with quiet life under the golden light. As they sped along, a vast sea of flowers in different shades of green came into view, swaying like waves in the wind.

Though it was silent and devoid of any animals, the energy particles in the air made the magic inside them cheer and dance. The magical surroundings were home to little fairies like mayflies, flitting about in the flower sea.

Esther passed by these sights. She seemed very familiar with this enchanting place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, walking straight towards the lake in the center.

"This is the most stable entrance to the Ideal State."

Chu Yuanqing looked up; the lake was neither too big nor too small, easily seen from edge to edge. Its water was exceptionally clear, floating with radiant energy particles like the morning mist, but tinted with a golden hue.

This was a mysterious lake, where light and shadow were fixed in the moment, with no wind and no waves, like a picture frozen in a frame, radiating a sense of solemnity and majesty that transcended time.

"Indeed, it is the breath of the Slit World."

"But it’s not just that; there are some other familiar places."

The Pure White Witch whispered in her heart, sensing this strong feeling of déjà vu, her mind flickering with uncertain memories, and she looked at Esther and asked:

"The Disaster Debris you gave me, does it contain some traces of the Ideal State?"

Esther replied calmly:

"Yes, some of it comes from the ruins of the Ideal State."

Chu Yuanqing understood; the material she had extracted from a high-level Disaster Debris, named the Blessing of the Golden Sea, had a power source that resembled the energy emanating from this lake.

So, this place was likely the Slit World that she had visited before.

Even if she wasn’t, she had encountered related information, or else she wouldn’t have unconsciously attached this name to it. This was like the Tears of the Rose Dragon, where a connection existed in the unseen.

However, without thinking much, the golden hue of the lake filled the entire forest.

Many years passed.

Chu Yuanqing heard the echoes of history again as she walked through the mist, like a reflection leaping out of the lake, arriving in a more vibrant real world.

The forest and lake vanished, replaced by various buildings that leaned towards Western Europe but mixed with a touch of fantasy. Next to each other stood towers of stunning artistic beauty, and below her were neat pathways made of small stones.

A white dove flew away, carrying an envelope in its beak.

In a daze, she could still hear the melodious whistle of a steam train.

The streets were bustling with people, with vendors by the roadside, beast-eared girls selling magical ores outside shops, sanctuary knights patrolling, and a floating academy with sky islands nearby.

The lively and noisy atmosphere was occasionally interrupted by strange languages from another world, and the rich scent of life enveloped her, as if a frozen painting had come to life.

"Incredible, right?"

"This is the land of all nations, the capital of the Karembu Empire—Yves Saint Laurent, and it is the only area in the Ideal State that exists in a semi-active state."

Esther’s silver hair flowed down as she wore a large hat that looked like a witch’s, draped in a cloak-like robe, and walked toward the academy in her leather boots, continuing to explain:

"The so-called Ideal State is an obsession carved by the remnants of other civilizations; everything we see here is an echo of history."

"If we leave Yves Saint Laurent, we will only find traces left by countless wars and a few ruins that still hold the essence of civilization."

Chu Yuanqing pondered for a moment. She had visited many Slit Worlds and naturally knew their secrets, but still asked:

"An echo of history? Do you mean that time here is fixed, like watching a completed movie clip, and we are simply outside viewers who cannot change anything?"

Esther thought for a moment and replied:

"I just said, Yves Saint Laurent exists in a semi-active state."

"If the echoes of history are compared to a piece of music, then the capital at the center of Ideal State is the prelude, the opening act, the beginning of everything."

"To prevent this music from finishing and leading to the end, which would cause the collapse of Ideal State, the Countermeasures Bureau has always intended to maintain this situation."

"So, every week, Yves Saint Laurent’s time resets to the starting point."

Esther pointed out the meaning of half-activation and continued to explain:

"During this week, you can freely communicate with the people inside, building any kind of connection; their wisdom is no different from ours, and they can be treated as real people."

"Although time will reset after a week, the Countermeasures Bureau has also taken advantage of this, trying various ways to explore Yves Saint Laurent, ultimately forming several inherent and efficient trial routes."

"By the way, have you heard of the captain-level assessment?"

Chu Yuanqing replied:

"Step into the sanctuary, accept the trial, and then gain the Unrestricted Technique from the blessings, right?"

Esther pointed to the distant academy and introduced:

"Yves Saint Laurent Academy, according to known historical records, it is not only the highest institution in the Karembu Empire but also favored by the gods, having nurtured several legends, and even produced a Divine Emperor from its ancient power."

"The sanctuary you mentioned is the shared place of inheritance in the three tall towers of this academy, where there are blessings from the gods, Saint treasures, and legendary heritage, and it only opens during the tri-annual trials."

"Based on past experiences, to reach a position that allows one to receive a blessing and obtain the Unrestricted Technique, one must at least place in the top ten in this elite gathering trial."

"And coincidentally, this week’s cycle perfectly aligns with the opportunity to participate in the trial."

Chu Yuanqing already understood how the Countermeasures Bureau was exploiting the resources of Yves Saint Laurent Academy, essentially taking advantage of the cycle’s glitch to repeatedly infiltrate others’ academies and utilize their resources to support their own people.

This method of borrowing to grow is indeed very effective.

So, how well can Little Yu perform in the trial?

Esther naturally walked into the academy, ignoring the students who greeted her and addressed her as teacher, and continued speaking:

"We, the newcomers who walked through the front door into the Ideal State, will be assigned suitable identities to fit into this world."

"I am a professor at the Yves Saint Laurent Academy, and I have three trial spots. Not only can I be a pest, but I can also help carry materials in the library, which is quite convenient."

"By the way, there are three chances for the captain-level assessments. Using the information gap and reloading saves, the difficulty is actually not very hard."

Chu Yuanqing listened while noticing the changes in herself. She, like Esther, had changed her clothes, but unlike the professor’s casual style, her smart suit with a short skirt highlighted her identity as a student very well.

The Pure White Witch reached down to adjust the black stockings on her thighs. She bit her lip, wanting to find a place to take them off and change into more refreshing bare legs.

But because of the important matters at hand, the girl still ignored this odd feeling and voiced the key question:

"I generally understand the situation, but there are two unresolved questions."

"One is the time issue."

"Even though this academy is very big, it is hard to take in more than three thousand new students all at once. Relying only on the teachers from Yves Saint Laurent Academy is not realistic."

Esther calmly said:

"Both of these problems can be solved with one method."

"That is to have Historical Echoes finish writing its ending and completely bring the Ideal State to life."

"This way, the time difference between the Ideal State and the real world might reach 6 to 1, or even 10 to 1, allowing them to transform completely before the next stage of Dazzling Stage."

Chu Yuanqing was not surprised; she just analyzed it rationally and said:

"There are both advantages and disadvantages. If the entire Ideal State, or even the whole civilization, comes to life together, it will surely capture more valuable knowledge."

"But you should know that Historical Echoes was born because this civilization faced failure."

"The repeated Disaster Waves and the crises that randomly emerge all over the world, if they happen again, could easily affect those children."

Esther smiled and said:

"Don’t worry, the Ideal State is a gift from the planet to humanity. This Historical Echoes cannot truly harm us. Even if you die inside, you will just be bounced back to the Intracastral Sea, returning to your original place."

Chu Yuanqing nodded in agreement:

"Since we won’t really die, we can raise the level, intensity, and even the goals of the trials, and we can also have a rotation system, letting the active witches take turns to practice."

"If someone can survive in such a big environment and witness the end of Historical Echoes, even a deserter will experience great transformation and growth."

This sentence resonated deeply with her.

After all, using the time difference in the Slit World to sneak away had become a good habit she formed during the first playthrough.

Esther continued sharing the rest of the information, leading Chu Yuanqing back to the staff dormitory, gathering the attention of most of the passersby, and encountering several rounds of flirting along the way.

If it weren’t for her quite intimidating professor identity, this number would likely have multiplied tenfold.

Of course, most people inside came for the Pure White Witch, both men and women, including some classic nobles.

Chu Yuanqing understood what the person was saying to her. She did not recall related memories, nor did she use any magic; she simply understood all languages.

This skill was meant for adventures in the Slit World.

Chu Yuanqing ignored invitations for marriage, making friends, going out, and studying magic together, and spent the whole morning shopping at Yves Saint Laurent with Esther, then stayed in the library and classroom for several hours, returning to reality only after a full day.

During this time, she tentatively set a training plan and abandoned her past intention to do everything herself.

There was no way around it; for others, spending a few extra months in the Slit World while time flowed differently was a good thing, as it meant the Pure White Witch’s collapse was postponed by several months.

But the problem was, she was the Pure White Witch.

"After this time, the upper class should be well aware of it."

Chu Yuanqing stood by the window, gazing at the distant night, as a faint glow appeared in her palm.

If one turned it over and observed, one would find that the shape created by light was a symbol made of a staff and a blade crossing each other, which looked just like the emblem of the Karembu Empire.

Esther gathered the reserves from all over the world into the Ideal State, needing a similar medium to do so.

Chu Yuanqing was the first to get the key and was given the power to enter and exit freely, making her a true player of the seal-breakers.

"If possible, I would like to explore this Slit World a bit longer."

Deep down, the Pure White Witch felt regret; the Slit World was a product of paradox, and when the echoes of history played out until the end of civilization, everything inside would completely collapse without leaving a trace.

In other words, when the melody officially began to play, there would be no chance to rewind and load, and only a true time restart like the first playthrough of New Game Plus could allow one to re-enter the next quest and try again.

Charlotte turned her head to look, her long hair flowing in the gentle breeze, her enchanting fairy-like face glowing with a smile as her pink lips curled up and she said:

"Little Qing really is a perfectionist; even if we were to do it all over again and achieve a victorious ending in the echoes of history, what would remain is just emptiness."

"You should have experienced this many times, enough that before you could save your home planet, you were already crowned with blessings, called the savior."

Chu Yuanqing whispered:

"This proves that it is not a fantasy."

"The people we met in those Historical Echoes, the bonds we formed, the stories we wrote, and the laughter shared over clinking glasses all shone brightly in our souls."

"Although I have forgotten many things, it remains bright, so even if it seems pointless, I want to create a melody different from sadness in those echoes, turning the tone into a victory march."

Charlotte’s eyes lifted at the corners, and she said seriously:

"I certainly agree with that, but maybe you achieved the victory ending in your first playthrough of this Slit World?"

Chu Yuanqing thought it was unlikely; she remembered her completion rate for the Slit World was 9%, and that was after many attempts in the later stages to test information about the Calamity God.

However, after thinking for a moment, the girl gave a very fitting response:

"A beautiful song makes you want to hear it again after you have listened to it."

After Chu Yuanqing finished speaking, she said honestly:

"But time is running out, so it doesn’t matter if you listen or not."

Chu Yuanqing guessed that the curse of the Sea of Truth would grow stronger depending on how long the Calamity God was suppressed in reality.

That is why she said that the lifespan gained from magic enhancement was just an illusion; these "lifespans" were like fake health in the game, which could prevent sudden death but could not truly increase one’s health.

From this perspective, staying in the Ideal State could indeed help slow down the curse’s growth and allow her to live a little longer.

But it was meaningless.

Doing this would only leave her with even less time after leaving the Ideal State; if she didn’t make it to the final planning of the Dazzling Stage, it would be a complete waste of effort.

So, she still planned to participate for only two weeks, and the rest was about how to make the most of that time.

Charlotte blinked her beautiful eyes, showing a bright and lovely smile, and declared earnestly:

"It’s okay, I will take care of the training and the plan."

"Everyone and I will together change the world to be how Little Qing likes it."

…

…

The Upper Council.

Esther shared the news that Chu Yuanqing only wanted to stay in the Ideal State for two weeks. The group seemed to confirm something in silence, and after a unanimous vote, they began to discuss how to make the final changes to the Ideal State.

As for the reason why the Lighthouse made this choice?

No need to think, and cannot think.

Just…

All the plans and policies silently picked up the pace once more.

…

…

Shadow Dimension.

Tartarus still slept.

The archbishop looked down at the dimming light in his hand, smiled slightly, gazed at the shadows crawling around him, raised his staff, opened a path to the human world, shook his dark robe, walked in, and disappeared.

At the same time, a similar scene unfolded in various hidden dimensions, as the Church of the Gods began to take their own actions, shrouding the increasingly restless world in a deep darkness.

…

…

The next day.

The official Weibo account of Dazzling Stage announced the update time for the seventh episode, leading to many fans’ complaints:

"I can’t believe this! You said it would update at six in the evening, but you told us at six in the morning. Was it on purpose or a mistake?"

However, while many fans were ranting and commenting on Weibo, more internet users discovered that the earlier episodes of Dazzling Stage were being played in a loop on CCTV.

What really stirred up a big reaction was when the national official website and news released an announcement, with a well-known host openly stating that the segment Heart Flow in Dazzling Stage does indeed have a close connection to magic!