The image was hazy, but the figure of the white epidemic was discernible.
A dreadful darkness swept over, threatening to engulf all of Tobu City.
"This is..."
Bai Ping frowned, gazing at the darkness, feeling an unsettling familiarity.
He recalled having seen something similar in ancient records.
Suddenly, a snowflake appeared in the image. As it distorted, another scene emerged, filled with golden light that illuminated the entire crystal ball.
But just as abruptly, the screen shattered, reverting the crystal ball to its normal state.
"That's all," Luo Ning remarked thoughtfully. "I've researched extensively, but I couldn't find much information in the AI my brother provided or in various ancient texts."
"However," Luo Ning hesitated, "that darkness seems to represent a spectacle."
Bai Yi paused, his mind racing through countless pieces of knowledge, quickly recalling a relevant account.
World wonders refer to phenomena beyond even the comprehension of gods, and since this particular occurrence doesn't significantly impact the world, it is classified as an amazing observation.
Not all such wonders are benign. On the contrary, many have little effect on the world but a profound impact on individuals.
The white epidemic recognized this; it seemed to be a malevolent spectacle sealed by the gods, also known as the forbidden area.
It cannot be destroyed or touched, but it devours all living things, forcing them to be reborn within it, ultimately leading to their demise.
Simply put, the thoughts of those who enter are frozen, leading them to believe they have returned to a time of rebirth, trapped in a beautiful fantasy world, slowly decaying until death claims them.
This concept was alarmingly similar to a form of rebirth.
Yet this rebirth merely represents a beautiful illusion before death. As the body decays, the fantasy should collapse.
When Bai Yi first encountered it, he almost thought he had been deceived. However, reflecting on his childhood traumas dispelled that notion.
After all, a classic fantasy narrative typically features a heroic figure, free from setbacks.
In contrast, his own beginnings were riddled with deceit and bullying, which didn't align with the idealized fantasy setting.
As he pondered, the white epidemic felt a headache coming on. Who had released this entity?
Long ago, even legends trapped within it had been unable to escape. If this phenomenon reached Dongwu City, he shuddered to think of how many lives could be lost.
As for the golden light...
Since Luo Ning predicted two completely different scenes, could it be interpreted as two crises, utilizing the sun's praise?
Universal slaughter!
Bai Yi felt a wave of dissatisfaction. This slaughter seed had been causing chaos. Had it not been for the sea monster's significant benefits for Dawn, he would have considered throwing a sun into the abyss immediately.
Any conspiracy leading to death is justified.
"What's wrong, brother? Did you have an epiphany?" Luo Ning asked, her concern evident. She couldn't foresee the white epidemic's future, and the fragments that surfaced were vague at best.
But one thing was certain: Dongwu City would not sink in this crisis; otherwise, she would have sensed the impending doom.
"It's nothing. You're right; it truly is a spectacle. Let me investigate further."
Bai Yi said, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Luo Ning, you're remarkable."
Luo Ning: ...
"I'm not a child anymore," she replied, slightly flustered.
"Of course, you've grown up and are no longer that helpless little girl." Bai Yi chuckled, ruffling her hair again. "Focus on your training. I'll handle other matters."
With that, Bai Yi turned towards the laboratory.
The spectacle was indeed troublesome, but he was aware of it in advance, so he felt prepared.
Judging from the vague structures seen in the earlier image, the white epidemic looked eastward, contemplating altering the trajectory of the spectacle's forbidden area.
[Your creation, Mark Silkworm's life, has repeatedly violated the abyss consciousness, causing multiple layers of chaos. The abyss's goodwill towards you has now reached disdain.]
Bai Yi paused, surprised to learn that Mark had taken initiative.
It appeared that the destructive power of 2.0 was significantly greater than that of Fiya's 1.0.
An idea struck Bai Yi. Since the abyss held such low regard for him, would this spectacle not impact him severely?
After all, he hadn't considered how beneficial his relationship with the chaotic and tainted abyss plane might be.
Pondering this, he began to gather various potions and legendary materials from millennia past, preparing to create something enticing.
These materials were taken from Metheus's medicinal garden. The garden in the demon dimension of the white epidemic was already quite impressive, though he had nurtured some delicate specimens.
However, the magic soil of Metheus was extraordinary. For plants, it was akin to infusing the white epidemic with soul energy.
Hundreds of legendary materials, worth at least hundreds of millions of gold coins, had been gathered. When Bai Yi sought to deliver the Xinghe B07, the old man had refused to take him to the new medicinal field.
Nonetheless, Bai Yi was satisfied. When Diane emerged from her retreat this time, she would also reach level 69, and it was time to return.
He couldn't allow his granddaughter to come back to an empty home, could he?
With that thought, the white epidemic began to call for Mark with excitement.
The potent soul energy of the Holy Spirit began to emit a distinctive fluctuation.
With 1.0 silkworm life, he could only establish a brief cross-level connection by providing some equipment to Fiya and transmit a small number of items.
However, the 2.0 silkworm life was different. Although its potential had slightly diminished, it was more controllable, and the white epidemic had incorporated some backdoors.
Due to its singular nature, this backdoor could only be set to similar coordinates and connection forces, requiring the other party to respond to influence them.
Half an hour later, a vague response materialized.
A smile crept across Bai Yi's face. Strengthening the fear of these transformed beings was indeed effective.
[Father.]
The sharp, intermittent voice resonated in the soul of the white epidemic. Over the year, the voice had developed more emotions, but the respect within it remained evident.
[How have you been lately?]
Bai Yi's tone remained unchanged, devoid of delay, with a hint of cheerfulness. He seemed genuinely pleased.
In the ruins, a powerful flame demon paused for a moment. "Under your crown, what's happening? What are our next steps?"
A consciousness within the flame demon emitted slight fluctuations. "We must leave here; a leader is approaching."
After that, Mark solemnly responded to Bai Yi's inquiry: [Father, do you have any instructions?]
[I want to discuss something with you. Just now, the abyss consciousness marked me to a certain extent, which reminded me of you, and there are tasks I need you to undertake.]
Listening to Bai Yi's calm tone, Mark hesitated momentarily. Yet, under the weight of Bai Yi's formidable soul energy, he felt compelled to accept the task: [What... tasks?]
Bai Yi: [I plan to guide a spectacle of Sia into the abyss, and I need you to assist with that.]
Mark: [Understood, Father.]
Bai Yi's satisfaction grew: [You've done well in the abyss, but I still require some data. Provide me with your growth process; I need to document it.]
A sensation of being observed at the soul level emerged, and Mark's consciousness fluctuated increasingly.
Suppressing his fear, he expressed some dissatisfaction: [Father, I also have my privacy. You shouldn't be entitled to access my memories.]
[Hmm? I didn't expect you to mature so swiftly, but your origins aren't fully comprehensive. Perhaps your potential is nearing its limit?]
Mark fell silent. After the white epidemic's words, he ultimately relinquished his resistance against the invasion of his memories.
The improvements he'd made over the past year had indeed elevated him to legend status, but he was beginning to feel the strain.
In truth, Mark understood that reaching the legendary realm wasn't merely a matter of energy; it required time and effort.
However, facing the creator's words stirred something within him. Others might not be able to assist, but he believed that the creator who could connect with him and read his memories would genuinely help.
"That's excellent, Mark. I'm proud of you."
Bai Yi's voice brimmed with satisfaction: "If you adhere to this plan, I'll provide support, provided your performance meets expectations."
Mark fell silent again. In a calm tone, he asked: [Father, how can I assist you?]
[You've done well; now for the next step.]
Listening to the white epidemic's forthcoming instructions and arrangements, Mark viewed the chaotic abyss from the perspective of the legendary flame demon, his thoughts wavering.
He couldn't help but reflect on his own growth. Over the past two years, he had changed hosts thirteen times, each from different races.
The first was a dark night elf, but he had grown too rapidly and nearly perished when he encountered an abyss lord.
Had it not been for the timing of his death, he would have been lost when he burrowed into the ground.
The second was a demon, through whom he inherited all the memories and knowledge of his kind. With his striking appearance, he quickly engaged with some rational abyss creatures.
However, the levels of these creatures were too high. By the time he reached silver, he was still slain by a formidable vassal due to his rapid growth.
Yet, he gained all the memories and knowledge twice, causing his thinking to evolve rapidly, allowing him to connect with intelligent races within the abyss.
In a continuous quest for knowledge, half a year ago, during his seventh host, Mark reached level 46, coinciding with Bai Yi's ascent.
At this point, even as an energy entity, he began to exhibit combat effectiveness.
It was also then that Mark recognized his shortcomings. Growing too quickly had prompted other abyss creatures, including abyss lords, to suspect he had acquired some treasure, leading them to attempt to seize it.
Consequently, he decided to conceal himself during his eighth host.
He refrained from activating the specialty of [Silkworm Life · Parasitism].
In other words, he remained symbiotic with the body but didn't affect the host's consciousness.
The eighth host perished swiftly, yet Mark discovered he had reached level 48 without exerting effort.
It felt as if he had uncovered a new continent. After leaving the eighth host, he began to devise detailed strategies.
He controlled the ninth host's body, inheriting a significant portion of its energy. Mark then showcased his extraordinary talents.
The ninth host rapidly gained notoriety in the abyss, achieving golden level status.
At this stage, he could command a place within the abyss.
He began to circulate rumors about having acquired some treasure that facilitated his rapid growth. Though he had once been a slave to a golden lord, he had killed the original master in just half a month.
These rumors spread swiftly throughout the abyss. As they intensified, Mark abruptly vacated his territory, fleeing to another abyss.
However, during his escape, a legendary abyss lord intercepted him.
But clever maneuvers awaited him.
[Salkworm Life · Parasitism: Perfectly inherits all memories and knowledge of the host. Upon host death, enters a non-selectable state for ten seconds.]
Mark capitalized on the non-selectable state of parasitism, transforming into a ball and evading the legendary pursuit.
He seized control of the tenth host, a bronze-level entity, and utilized his golden-level energy and the ability to absorb abyssal power to propel the tenth host's rapid ascension, all while drawing the legendary lord's attention.
Employing skills of split-body and picture backtracking, he spread rumors about himself, ultimately achieving a new goal.
The [black ball] that escaped from the legendary grasp was the artifact of a fallen top abyss lord, containing some of that lord's consciousness. Acquiring it could rapidly elevate a creature to legendary status or even make them the lord of a new abyss plane.
Once this news spread, and after the tenth host's demise, it coincided with the legendary abyss lord's chaotic turmoil.
The entire abyss, even the bottomless depths, erupted in chaos.
All conscious races capable of establishing order—demons, flame demons, spiders, dark demons, and numerous abyss lords—began searching for this treasure.
From that point on, Mark transitioned from a front-line figure to a behind-the-scenes player.
The strong no longer sought to eliminate him but aimed to obtain him and integrate him into their ranks.
Thus, the eleventh host embodied the upper echelon of golden beings.
Mark remained with the eleventh host for a month. As the host ascended to legend, he too reached the rank of golden mid-tier.
However, he refrained from absorbing the legend, quietly observing as the new legend fell to other abyss lords, carefully positioning himself to compete for the [artifact].
And many observers noted this. The twelfth host, a third-order legend, coexisted with him, quickly evolving into a regional power.
But the weight of the [artifact] title was overwhelming, igniting an instant legendary conflict that spiraled into chaos.
Seventh-order legends, even those capable of projecting Shia, were slain, and the turmoil escalated rapidly.
Meanwhile, Mark grew swiftly into a legendary energy entity.
Moreover, the name of the artifact, [Pandora], began to resonate throughout the abyss.
End of Chapter