141. Cocoon of the Finality, Are You Afraid?
In the endless red sand, a figure walked slowly, each step leaving a deep imprint on the sea of sand, proceeding towards the sole existence at the edge of his vision.
That thing at the end… indescribable.
It was not a tree in the traditional sense.
When you looked at it, it might appear as the most magnificent ancient tree in your mind, its roots intertwined, its branches piercing the void; the next moment, it might transform into a flowing galaxy, a silhouette of existence itself, a conceptual anchor—the Tree of Imaginary Numbers.
No… to be precise, the tip of the Tree of Imaginary Numbers.
Xiling stopped, his gaze piercing through the endless red sand, fixed on the ever-changing core of existence.
"Not easy…" A soft sigh echoed in the void, then was swallowed by the vastness of the sea of sand. This was his will, guided by the Second Divine Key, piercing through layers of dimensional barriers, finally reaching its destination.
"The tip of the Tree of Imaginary Number…" Xiling murmured, "Though not the foundation of its true form, as long as I touch it, the path to the true Tree of Imaginary Numbers will be within my grasp."
Xiling took another step forward, leaving an even deeper footprint.
"But…" He frowned slightly, feeling the suddenly intensified invisible pressure around him, as if the entire space was rejecting his touch, "Why did it resist me so much? Shouldn't the Tree of Imaginary Numbers be indifferent to everything?"
A terrifying, repulsive force pressed down like a mountain, attempting to push him away from this core area, preventing him from approaching the shifting shadows of the tree.
However, Xiling did not hesitate for a moment; instead, under the immense pressure, he straightened his body even more, and his steps became even more resolute.
"I've gone to great lengths to reach this place, and you haven't even given me a chance to see you, let alone shake your hand? That's incredibly rude—" Xiling's voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing, echoing throughout the deathly silent red sand world.
"The Cocoon of the Finality!"
As this name was proclaimed, the entire sea of red sand instantly boiled!
Countless figures emerged from the scorching sand! They were rudimentary humanoid forms, their outlines blurred, like rough replicas of Xiling made by the sand itself, densely packed, filling every inch of sand within sight. They stood silently, their empty faces all turned towards Xiling, forming a chillingly silent army.
Seeing this, Xiling's lips slowly curved into a smile.
Just as I thought!
The Tree of Imaginary Numbers itself shouldn't harbor such targeted malice towards him.
The source of this repulsion could only be the one controlling the very tip of this Tree of Imaginary Numbers—the Cocoon of the Finality!
The examiner, who should have been aloof, cold, and programmed, now… felt an unprecedented emotion: a fear rooted in its very essence! It was no longer merely executing a selection process; it sensed true danger! A terrifying conclusion exploded within its logical core: this person who came before it hadn't come to pass its test. He had come to annihilate! It, the Cocoon of the Finality, the "god" who had destroyed countless civilizations across eras, had tasted the threat of death! Xiling's gaze pierced through layers of sand shadows, as if locking onto the invisible manipulator. He had never intended to let this Cocoon of the Finality go.
Xiling's hand reached into the void beside him, fingers spread.
"Holy Sword!"
In the real world, the Holy Sword carried by Xiling's true form vanished!
Simultaneously, on the Sea of Red Sand, the army of imaginary creations, like a tsunami, moved! Endless sand shadows roared silently, transforming into a destructive torrent, surging towards Xiling at its center!
Just moments before, the destructive tide was about to engulf him!
*Clang—!*
A clear, resonant sword cry, sharp enough to cleave a soul, rang out!
The Holy Sword had already appeared in his hand to answer Xiling's will!
Facing the overwhelming, sky-covering sandstorm, Xiling swung his sword—
"Holy Sword—Unsheat!"
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a pure, condensed light! A massive sword mark that traversed the entire red sand's horizon!
Wherever the sword light passed, the surging sandstorm, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser, silently disintegrated, crumbled, and transformed into primordial imaginary particles, re-merging into this desolate sand sea.
Xiling, who had wielded this sword that severed the sea and divided the tide, pointed the tip of his sword diagonally at the shifting shadows of the trees ahead.
"Then, come on!"
His pace suddenly quickened! No longer a steady trek, but a swift dash! Sand and gravel shot out behind him, each step carving deep furrows in the sea of sand!
The closer he got to the edge of Tree of Imaginary Numbers, the more terrifying the spatial repulsion became, as if he were encased in viscous amber! However, this resistance not only failed to stop Xiling, but the stronger its resistance to him, the greater its fear of him! And he insisted on advancing! From the depths of the sand sea, more and more monsters surged forth, attempting to block this straight path.
Xiling no longer needed wide-ranging slashes; the holy sword in his hand transformed into a flowing stream of light, precisely annihilating the obstacles in his path. He was like a drill, forcefully chiseling through the endless sand and gravel barrier, unstoppable!
Suddenly!
Three terrifying auras descended ahead!
Existentialism, Mysticism, Nihilism—the three imaginary tree remnants descended once more!
Nihilism struck first, its invisible domain unfolding, instantly turning space into a viscous, glue-like substance, attempting to forcibly drag and reverse Xiling's swift movement!
Xiling charged forward expressionlessly! That viscous sensation, powerful enough to slow down time, was torn apart by him, his speed almost unaffected! Simultaneously, the colossal Imaginary Bull roared, carrying the power to shatter space, slamming into Xiling from the side!
A flash of sword light appeared!
There was no earth-shattering collision.
Xiling's figure passed the charging Imaginary Bull, without even glancing back. The massive bull's body began to disintegrate and disintegrate completely the instant it brushed past him, transforming into pure energy specks, forcibly absorbed and devoured by an invisible force, completely dissipating into this space, with no possibility of resurrection.
Existentialism's invisible tentacles began to weave, attempting to modify the underlying rules of this space, defining, solidifying, and even erasing Xiling's very existence!
"Stop." Xiling, focusing his consciousness on the core of existentialism, issued an absolute, unquestionable command!
A domineering binding force descended instantly! Existentialism's body, attempting to alter reality, stiffened abruptly, its thoughts frozen in place!
The next instant!
The light of the holy sword, like the scythe of death, swept past elegantly and fatally!
Existentialism's frozen body, along with nihilism that hadn't even had time to react a second time, was mercilessly cleaved by the sword light, vanishing completely from this battlefield of imaginary numbers like a stain wiped away! Space fell into a brief, deathly silence once more, broken only by the sharp, piercing sound of Xiling's high-speed advance.
"Something's wrong!" Xiling suddenly sensed something amiss. At his current speed, the seemingly close tree shadow showed no sign of decreasing distance! It was as if he were running in place, chasing an unattainable phantom! Just then, his speeding figure abruptly stopped!
Amidst the red sand ahead, a staggering figure appeared. The person's blond hair was disheveled, their once magnificent clothes tattered, and their steps, though faltering, were unusually determined as they moved towards the shadows of the trees.
"...Otto?" Xiling's voice held a hint of uncertainty.
The other person showed no reaction to his rapid approach, as if he didn't exist. Xiling also noticed that as he rounded the figure, more familiar figures appeared ahead!
Some were Kevin.
Some were Welt.
Even Theresa and Fu Hua…
And there were those he had never met, those who had fought tooth and nail for their world.
Countless silhouettes from parallel worlds, countless pioneers attempting to touch the Tree of Imaginary Number, appeared like a silent film on the path ahead of Xiling! Their goals were the same, their steps heavy, forming a tragic backdrop to this path leading to its end.
"So that's how it is." Xiling understood.
Even at the edge of the imaginary number, countless parallel worlds still exist. He was currently crisscrossing among these parallel worlds, which was why, no matter how far he advanced, he couldn't reach the tree.
Knowing everything, Xiling simply smiled, indifferent.
"No need for skill, no need for tricks! I believe I will arrive—and I will!"
The space in front of Xiling began to distort, his consciousness engaging in a struggle with the imaginary space, but clearly, he had the upper hand.
"Just you wait!" Xiling roared, pushing his speed to the limit along the straight passage forcibly torn and opened by his own will!
Just during this unstoppable sprint, the appearance of a figure caused Xiling's rapid pace to involuntarily slow down for a moment.
That was… Kiana.
The girl was covered in blood, her silver hair stained with dark red sand and congealed blood. Her left leg was visibly deformed; every movement aggravated the wound, bringing excruciating pain that contorted her delicate face. She bit her lower lip so hard that blood seeped from it. But her eyes burned with an inextinguishable flame, and she stubbornly, step by step, stumbled forward. For the world she had promised—a world where everyone could be happy.
Just as Kiana was about to collapse from the pain and weakness—
A hand not belonging to this world patted her shoulder.
Then a refreshing yet strong wind brushed her cheek, ruffling her hair.
Kiana jolted, stopping in a daze, looking around. The suffocating pain and overwhelming weakness she had felt earlier seemed to have vanished almost entirely, like an illusion? A new strength seemed to surge within her. She saw nothing, only felt a sudden gust of wind.
"How shameless…" Xiling's whisper echoed in the void.
"You even used the child in my care as a shield?"
The Cocoon of the Finality seemed to have truly run out of tricks; the massive tree shadow rapidly magnified in Xiling's eyes!
However, just as Xiling was about to reach it!
A sudden change occurred!
The space ahead shattered like a broken mirror! Two figures descended without warning!
Xiling's high-speed dash came to a halt as if he had crashed into an invisible yet absolutely insurmountable wall of sighs!
His pupils narrowed.
Because standing before him, blocking the final step to the tip of the Tree of Imaginary Numbers' end, were—
Two Herrschers!
On the left was the Fifth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Ice, who stood silently, surrounded by white mist, the sea of sand beneath her feet transformed into an icy plain.
On the right, the Seventh Herrscher, the Herrscher of Fire, gripped a cracked, broken greatsword. Her body was enveloped in raging flames, her face barely discernible… It was Murata Himeko! The warrior who burned herself out to ignite hope and guide lost students, ultimately falling into the Imaginary Number space, is eternally doomed!
"…What an unexpected delight." With these words, Xiling charged forward without hesitation.
The Herrscher of Fire let out a superhuman roar, raising her broken greatsword high, unleashing a torrent of flames capable of scorching the heavens and boiling the seas! It seemed poised to drag the entire world into its molten core! Space groaned and distorted under the intense heat! Facing this flame capable of evaporating everything, Xiling's holy sword merely trembled slightly—
A pure, exquisitely sharp sword light, like a blade cleaving the heavens, instantly pierced through the surging torrent of flames! Xiling's figure flashed through the gaps in the splitting flames, faster than the limits of the senses!
He appeared before the Herrscher ofFire, inches away!
Himeko's face, still cold and numb amidst the flames, seemed completely unable to react.
The next instant, a hand covered in the glow of will gripped her head tightly!
"Ugh!" A short, suppressed hum escaped from the depths of the flames.
Immediately afterward, the Herrscher of Fire vanished like a punctured balloon, her entire body losing all strength as she slumped forward. The broken greatsword slipped from her limp fingers, crashing heavily into the scorching red sand.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiling's wrist, gripping the Herrscher's head, yanked upward with tremendous force!
Almost simultaneously with the Herrscher of Fire's body leaving the ground—
A series of ear-piercing sounds erupted! Countless icy shards, radiating chilling energy, burst forth without warning from the ground where Xiling had just stood and from the surrounding space! The sharp ice blades instantly transformed that area into a dangerous thicket of thorny ice! However, Xiling's figure had already appeared several feet away, carrying the limp Herrscher of Fire in her arms, as if by teleportation.
"It's not Anna..." Xiling thought silently, glancing at the Herrscher.
The Herrscher of Ice clearly wouldn't give up after a failed attack. She slowly raised her arms, and a deep blue ice core, brimming with destructive power, visibly cracked under the weight of the surrounding air, as if the very space itself was about to shatter! It was a far more terrifying and widespread icy wave than the previous ice spikes!
The attack was about to strike!
At the same time, Xiling's right hand, gripping his sword, moved!
The sword light slashed down!
Target—The Herrscher!
The radiance of the holy sword roared and surged like a raging torrent, carrying an overwhelming force that instantly engulfed the Herrscher of Ice, her impending cataclysmic icy wave, and herself!
Just as the Herrscher of Ice's vision faded and her senses blurred!
A hand, imbued with an irresistible will, gently covered the Herrscher of Ice's cold face.
The next second, an overwhelming, unstoppable surge of will, like an invisible tsunami, crashed into that hand!
The Ice Herrscher's raised arms froze abruptly, her body collapsing backward like a puppet with its strings cut, gently caught by the rolling sand.
Both Herrschers were defeated by Xiling in less than a minute.
Xiling's gaze swept over the two silent Herrschers, his deep, clear voice piercing through space, "Now you should be out of options, right?"
The only response was an even stronger repulsive force from the space itself!
Xiling ignored him. He strode forward with steady steps, his holy sword lowered, its tip dragging a straight silver line across the red sand. With each step, a silver ripple spread beneath his feet, silently shattering the encroaching repulsive force field.
He drew ever closer to the colossal, sky-obscuring shadow at the edge of the Imaginary Number. The ever-changing canopy resembled a frozen galaxy, its flowing roots like the back of a giant whale.
Finally, he stood at the foot of the tree. A tiny figure, gazing up at the colossal behemoth.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiling reached out his hand.
His fingertips touched—
*Buzz!*
All was silent! Then, a torrent of consciousness burst forth! Xiling's will, like a raging dragon breaking free of all shackles, stretched and expanded wildly along the veins at the tip of the imaginary number, towards infinite possibilities!
Countless images exploded in his mind: burning cities turned to dust under the trampling of Honkai beasts, desperate cries drowned out by the explosions… Beneath the tranquil fields, the abyss's fissures silently opened, devouring unsuspecting creatures.
Suffering! Destruction! Struggle! End!
The lamentations of countless worlds converged into a raging torrent, crashing against the core of Xiling's will. It was a searing pain that felt as if it were his own! He saw life crushed like weeds, civilization extinguished like candlelight, hope flickering futilely in the abyss of despair… This heavy reality ignited the most primal flame deep within Xiling! Rage!
Xiling abruptly opened his eyes! Before him was no longer the shifting shadows of trees at the edge of the Imaginary Number, but a… indescribable core!
Following the torrent of his will, he pierced through the veins of the Imaginary Number, arriving at the source of tragedy—the location of the Cocoon of the Finality!
Here, there was no space, no time, only a chaotic, undefined singularity. An invisible cocoon enveloped everything, emanating an aura of nothingness that froze the soul.
Holding the Holy Sword, Xiling, like a giant creating the world, treaded the invisible steps, moving forward step by step. With each step, ripples of resistance spread through the chaos beneath his feet.
A wave of will, transcending language, surged into Xiling's mind like a chilling tide:
"Why...do you...resist...its embrace?"
Faced with this question, Xiling's lips slowly curved into a cold, emotionless smile.
He stopped, his holy sword pointing diagonally at the invisible cocoon!
"I'm not here to reason with you, not to preach righteousness, but to execute—my wrath!"
"Cocoon of the Finality! Tell me—" Xiling took one final step forward, his holy sword raised high, its tip aimed directly at the core of the cocoon, his voice like a death knell announcing the end: "—Are you afraid?"
The invisible cocoon seemed to contract violently! For the first time, it felt...shaking! A ripple of resistance and fear, originating from an instinct of existence, spread like a runaway virus, instantly creeping along the roots of the imaginary number, reaching every world it connected to! A heart-wrenching scream, transcending countless dimensions, resounded simultaneously deep within the souls of all living beings: "...Stop...it!!!"
At that very moment—Xiling's eyes, burning with boundless rage, remained unwavering! He ignored the scream, ignored the resistance!
"Sever it!"
The raised holy sword, imbued with the fury of all the suffering he had witnessed, and the will burning to its limit within him, like a scythe of judgment, crashed down as the Cocoon of the Finality contracted in terror! At that moment, the Cocoon of the Finality's control over destiny was utterly severed…