---o---
[To prevent [Lord Ravager Phantylia] from likewise detecting their trail, the moment they successfully glimpsed her whereabouts, Fuyan, after planning and guessing her hiding place for you, ceased to be the vanguard of the main force and instead fell back to hide in the rear of the army...]
[You have approved their actions, even granting them a certain degree of autonomy—if the veteran Cloud Knights at the front are unable to withstand the Antimatter Legion brought by [Lord Ravager Phantylia] and suffer heavy casualties at the hands of [The Destruction]'s minions, then they may possess the new Cloud Knight recruits at the rear, bringing the formidable power of the Heliobi to these new soldiers being protected by the veterans...]
[But the power of the Heliobi is not important. As the Master Diviner, countless archives on the Xianzhou [Luofu] are organized by you. You are aware of the vast majority of secrets hidden on the Luofu—]
[You are aware that although these Heliobi have been formed by the fusion of the fragmented soul pieces of the great Heliobus "Liaoyuan" of the past, they are missing a most crucial existence among them—the most combative and powerful soul fragment of the great Heliobus "Liaoyuan".]
[This soul fragment represents the "Heart of the Strong" of "Liaoyuan"—even with his presence, the Heliobi could not even come close to matching the great Heliobus "Liaoyuan" of the past, let alone now that he has departed, leaving only these remaining soul fragments.]
[These Heliobi are fundamentally incapable of helping you solve any problems... At most, they can be asked to temporarily possess the Cloud Knights and contribute their power to protect them.]
[To solve the trouble, what truly matters is whether the battle between Emanators can be won decisively...]
Looking at the text on the light screen, Fu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally... they had finally found Phantylia.
She looked at the screen before her, her eyes somewhat complex—she had never expected that [Lord Ravager Phantylia] would be hiding so openly in the Cloudford, waiting as nonchalantly as if she were waiting for a delivery from the Crane Express at her own front door...
How could Fu Xuan not understand what Phantylia was planning? It was obvious she was just like in the last simulation, wanting to wait in this place for her "Stellaron" to arrive...
However, the Xianzhou [Luofu] currently lacked the commercial port built by the Corporation with Ron's help in the last simulation, so she had no choice but to wait at the Cloudford. That was all.
But the Cloudford, as the most logistics-rich port on the Xianzhou [Luofu], was truly teeming with far too many Cloud Knight guards. Countless cycranes could be seen flying across the sky at any given moment. Although the entire Cloudford was covered in warehouses, with shipping containers stacked like mountains, it was also the most transparent place on the entire Luofu.
This place was actually very easy to search... yet Phantylia was hiding here, silent, without alerting a single guard on the Xianzhou [Luofu].
Fu Xuan's expression was complex. The thought that had crossed her mind countless times before rose once more—
"The defensive capabilities of the Xianzhou [Luofu] really need to be strengthened..."
However, though this thought crossed her mind, her hands moved without pause, not delaying her official duties in the slightest.
She tapped open the Jade Abacus phone in her hand and unhesitatingly sent a message to Ron and Herta:
[Fu Xuan: I have found Phantylia. The fiend is currently hiding in a corner of the Luofu's Cloudford... Lady Herta, I'll be counting on you next.]
[Fu Xuan: If the simulation is successful, I will immediately lead the Cloud Knights to surround the Cloudford in reality, and allow the General and you to slay Phantylia once more.]
But unfortunately, because Ron and Herta had personally entered the simulation, they were obviously unable to see messages from the real world...
Fu Xuan watched as several minutes passed with no reply on her Jade Abacus phone. Although she was puzzled, she didn't hesitate. She unhesitatingly controlled her simulated self to also send a message to Herta and Ron using her Jade Abacus.
No matter what problem had arisen on Ron's side, they were definitely paying close attention to the simulation right now—if they simply couldn't see the Jade Abacus messages, sending a message within the simulation would solve the problem.
And within the simulation, Ron felt the vibration of the Jade Abacus phone in his pocket. In the midst of his busy work, he fumbled to pull it out and glanced at the two messages that had popped up. His expression became somewhat helpless.
Everything was proceeding according to plan. Fu Xuan had successfully led the Cloud Knights to find [Lord Ravager Phantylia]. This should have been a cause for celebration.
But the problem had now appeared here... Fu Xuan had followed the plan perfectly, but he was facing no small amount of trouble...
Looking at the message on his phone, Ron couldn't help but sigh softly.
He certainly knew what Fu Xuan intended by sending these two messages. She simply wanted to borrow Herta, to have Herta go and assist in the battle, to take care of the [Lord Ravager Phantylia] currently hiding in a corner of the Cloudford...
But unfortunately, Ron couldn't spare Herta right now either.
The original plan was to have Herta shuttle back and forth between both sides to maximize her effectiveness, but now, let alone having her successfully forge that "Blade" with him and complete the "Sharpening the Blade" project, they hadn't even managed to finish the design blueprint!
The design of the Lantern of [Salvation] was far more difficult than they had imagined... Although Herta was indeed an Emanator of [The Erudition], even an Emanator would find it as difficult as ascending to the heavens to try and plan and design the Path of an Aeon with mortal wisdom.
In the simulation, Ron and Herta had already discussed and attempted numerous options, but the final results were all complete and utter failures...
It wasn't that there was a problem with Herta's designs. In fact, Herta had already completed quite a few blueprints, but these designs were utterly meaningless. Although they looked good and seemed to be able to perfectly achieve Ron's goal, none of them could be called a "miracle."
In fact, they weren't just not miracles; they were "trash"—true trash.
It might be hard to imagine an Emanator of [The Erudition] like Herta producing trash, but this was no exaggeration... Ron and Herta had tried to take the most promising design from their plans and attempt to change the form of the Lantern of [Salvation], but in the end, they achieved nothing.
Not only did they achieve nothing, but the two of them also discovered many troubles they had never considered before...
The Lantern of [Salvation], as the true manifestation of the Path of [Salvation], though it had no consciousness, possessed an unalterable will.
As the Path of [Salvation], before it could recover its "completeness" and become a true Path, Herta was able to use her familiarity with [Salvation] to manipulate the Lantern at will, allowing it to exert Emanator-level power in her hands...
But when the broken Lantern of [Salvation] once again returned to Ron's hands and was successfully restored to a state of wholeness by him, this was no longer possible.
...Herta was powerless to manipulate the Lantern of [Salvation]. This representative of the supreme crown of the Path of [Salvation] unhesitatingly rejected all of Herta's influence.
If it were just Herta alone right now, if she were holding the broken Lantern of [Salvation] and meticulously repairing it bit by bit, perhaps the Lantern would behave as it did in the previous simulation, constantly accepting Herta's ascent, and sooner or later allowing Herta to wear the crown and become the Aeon of [Salvation].
...But in this simulation, Ron was still alive.
While Ron was alive, the Lantern of [Salvation] would never fall under the control of another... Perhaps a broken Lantern would lose this power of rejection due to being too damaged, but once it was restored to wholeness—
Even if its power was extremely weak, merely having its concept restored to a fragile state of completeness, it would still react by vehemently rejecting the control of others, flickering only under Ron's manipulation.
But thankfully, since Ron himself was here, it didn't matter that the Lantern wouldn't allow Herta to operate it. Ron could do it himself, following Herta's ideas, temporarily acting as Herta's hands to manipulate the Lantern.
But even so, there was still a problem...
Although Ron, following Herta's instructions, placed the Lantern of [Salvation] into the Furnace of Creation before them and attempted to use its sacred fire to smelt and shape it into the form they desired... the Lantern of [Salvation] itself was rejecting this process.
It could indeed be forged by the sacred fire of [Salvation] under Ron's control, melting into droplets of brilliant gold, easily taking shape under Ron's will...
But just as Ron was about to forge a new creation according to Herta's design, the Lantern of [Salvation] would, at the last moment before taking shape, express immense rejection and then automatically reform itself into its original lantern appearance.
Although this matter was very abstract, Ron more or less understood why this was happening—
The Lantern of [Salvation] was, after all, the most direct manifestation of the Path of [Salvation], and the Path of [Salvation] was formed in response to the great wish of all the saviors in the entire universe. The Lantern's form was, in essence, a crude concept of [Salvation] in the hearts of all, and the expectation of how it should change...
Therefore, the manifestation of the Path of [Salvation] would not easily change its appearance. If they could not create a miracle design that the Path of [Salvation] itself would accept, then the Path would automatically revert to its original form because the new design was insufficient to carry the will of [Salvation].
And so, the problem returned to its starting point.
No matter what, they had to come up with a miracle design... Only a miracle design that the Lantern of [Salvation] would accept could solve the current embarrassing situation.
Thinking of this, Ron couldn't help but feel his temples throb, an immense headache washing over him.
He could only sigh, tap the screen of his Jade Abacus phone a few times, and send a message to Fu Xuan—
[Ron: Bivouac for now... It'll take at least half a day in here. The landlord doesn't have any spare Hertas to lend out.]
On the other side, Fu Xuan was momentarily speechless as she read the message on her screen.
What do you mean, the landlord doesn't have any spare Hertas to lend out? Haven't Herta and Ron finished that miracle design to break the veil of fate yet?
With their abilities... it shouldn't be dragging on this long...
Fu Xuan was a bit helpless, but she did not press them... She knew that since Herta and Ron hadn't completed their intended goal by now, that miracle design probably required a combination of opportune timing, favorable conditions, and the right people.
After all, if Ron hadn't solved a certain problem yet, it wasn't because he was unwilling, but because more effort was still needed.
Fu Xuan's side had already made preliminary preparations to deal with Phantylia, but she was in no hurry.
After all, Phantylia had no idea she was surrounded. It was unlikely she would run...
Even if she did run, Jing Yuan could definitely step in and hold her back...
When the time came, if the situation became truly urgent,催促 Herta to come and help wouldn't be out of the question.
For now, it was better to wait quietly... wait for some good news from Ron's side.
With this thought in mind, Fu Xuan clicked on the screen before her, advancing the simulation's progress. Following Ron's request, she ordered the Cloud Knights to lie in wait in the various corners of the Cloudford, completely surrounding the area where Phantylia was hiding, waiting only for Herta to become available to assist, for two Emanators to strike together and take down [Lord Ravager Phantylia].
And at that moment, Ron casually put his Jade Abacus phone back into his pocket. With great helplessness, he looked at the Lantern of [Salvation] inside the Furnace of Creation before him and sighed at Herta beside him:
"Sigh... that last method didn't work."
He pointed to the Lantern of [Salvation] in the furnace, which had just changed its shape and then changed back to its original lantern form.
"Herta, do you have any new design ideas for it?"
Hearing Ron's words, Herta shrugged.
"I've already tried... My specialty isn't mechanical design. The fact that I could produce over three hundred design blueprints is because I'm a genius."
"But a thing like a miracle obviously can't be obtained just by casually pursuing it... The Lantern of [Salvation] is completely unwilling to be molded by us into another form. Even if we come up with more designs, what's the point if it refuses to change?"
Herta was also getting a major headache... Although her puppet body didn't feel anything, she still rubbed her wrinkled brow and sighed:
"Why don't we just switch materials... The Lantern of [Salvation] isn't being very obedient. I'm sure we can find something that is."
But Ron shook his head resolutely:
"The veil of fate left by Terminus, the Finality, is incredibly strong. Not just anything can break it..."
"The reason I insist on using the Lantern of [Salvation] is because I saw the scene of its flames burning the Imaginary Tree. Only then could I be sure that the power of [Salvation] has the potential to break the veil of fate..."
"We can't give up trying... Let me think, is there a new way..."
Ron rubbed his chin and wrinkled his brow, thoughtfully looking at the Lantern of [Salvation] in the Furnace of Creation.
He had actually considered many operations, but none of them had any effect. He couldn't solve the problem of the Lantern constantly rejecting their designs and reverting to its original form...
He had to think of a new way—but then again, what way could he use?
Ron was at a loss, but after a moment of thought, he suddenly discovered an extremely special blind spot—
"Wait... why are we so fixated on changing the Lantern of [Salvation]'s original form?"
Ron murmured, his eyes suddenly shining with a brilliant light.
"Is it possible... that we don't change the Lantern's form, but still allow it to have the ability to pierce the veil of fate?"
Hearing Ron's words, Herta frowned.
"...What are you planning to do?"
"A very simple method... The only reason we can't complete the blueprint for this miracle design right now is because our thinking has been influenced by the content of the 'Sharpening the Blade' project. We have subconsciously focused our thoughts on forging the Lantern of [Salvation] into a blade, a new tool capable of breaking the veil of fate..."
Ron said, looking at the Lantern of [Salvation] in the Furnace of Creation, which was constantly fluctuating with his thoughts. The brilliant golden sacred fire within it was burning fiercely, continuously rising and falling according to Ron's will, emitting wave after wave of scorching heat. The surrounding space seemed to warp from this heat...
This was Ron's preparation to "melt" the Lantern of [Salvation], to allow it to be successfully molded into the designed form. The sacred fire of [Salvation] emitted a searing radiance, entangling within the Furnace of Creation, acting upon the Lantern to melt it.
The Furnace of Creation was already starting to crack from this radiance and the rising golden sacred fire. Signs of melting were beginning to appear on its walls. It was clearly reaching its limit.
With a thought, Ron commanded the Lantern of [Salvation]. The flame in the lamp instantly flowed back like a dry river, returning to the lantern's interior. It once again became a tiny candle flame, burning steadily within the Lantern of [Salvation], no longer emitting even a hint of heat.
Seeing Ron retract the radiance and flames into the Lantern, Herta's attention was naturally drawn to the entangled radiance and the golden sacred fire...
In the next moment, she was startled, suddenly understanding what Ron meant with his headless words—
"...You mean, we don't need to care what the Lantern itself looks like, right?"
"Exactly. Why should we care if this lantern is a blade that pierces the veil of fate, or a device that pierces through reality?"
Ron's gaze was fixed on the burning flame within the Lantern of [Salvation], on the specks of gold within—
"The Lantern of [Salvation] is just the Lantern of [Salvation]. We don't need to change it... because it doesn't need to be changed."
"We don't need to be constrained by the design's form. All we need to consider is the result—the Lantern of [Salvation] has enough power. That's all that matters."
"The light of [Salvation] is still there. The scorching golden sacred fire has the power to burn the Imaginary Tree... What the lantern itself looks like is irrelevant. What's truly important, what we actually need, is the fire and light emitted by the lantern—that is the power we need!"
Having figured it all out, Ron instantly felt as if all obstacles had vanished. Herta, beside him, was lost in thought. She casually snapped her fingers, and a huge light screen appeared before them—
This was a simple projection outlined by her Imaginary Energy of [The Erudition]. Its only function was to serve as a blackboard for sketching designs. The hundreds of designs she and Ron had attempted before were basically drawn on this thing.
And now, on the light screen, dark black lines were being sketched according to Herta's will, gradually forming the shape of a lantern.
This was a detailed analysis diagram of the Lantern of [Salvation]. Herta held her chin in thought, looking at the detailed analysis of the Lantern on the screen, a new idea taking shape in her mind.
"Since you think that just using the Lantern's fire and light is enough to burn through the veil of fate, then don't we just need a simple design, to add a lens to the Lantern?"
Herta pointed at the screen before her. New lines were sketched on it according to her thoughts, simply adding a thick lens in front of the Lantern of [Salvation].
Although this lens looked very abstract and crude, and was just casually placed in front of the Lantern, it could achieve a great effect—
The detailed diagram of the Lantern of [Salvation] on the screen began to move like an animation. The lantern began to emit a radiance represented by black lines, which was then focused into a single point as it passed through the lens. The originally scattered light was strictly confined to a single point, allowing the Lantern's flame to accurately focus all its power to burn a specific area.
But in the next moment, the lens used to focus the radiance began to melt. In an instant, it was burned and vaporized by the light Herta herself had simulated, turning into an ethereal wisp of nothingness and disappearing.
Herta turned her head to look at Ron and shrugged. "See? It's completely useless."
She snapped her fingers, resetting everything on the screen before her back to its original state.
"Although adding a lens or any other device that can focus light and fire can indeed amplify the Lantern's existing power countless times, allowing it to do things it could never have done on its own... we don't have such a means."
Herta spread her hands. "The power of the Lantern of [Salvation] right now can only be considered an incredibly weak Path, but it has already approached completeness—we can't find any means to focus the light of [Salvation]."
"At the moment you urge the Lantern's flame to burn with greater force, that searing light will melt anything that stands before it... unless there is another Curio that is not affected by this searing radiance."
"But the difference between that which is above an Aeon and that which is below is immense... The current Lantern of [Salvation], no matter how weak, has just approached completeness. It can be considered a truly complete Path. It is a power that only an Aeon can manipulate."
As she spoke, Herta's expression became somewhat helpless:
"The Lantern of [Salvation] is a legacy you left behind from a previous simulation. It just can no longer be molded into a new form, let alone turning another Aeon's creation into a lens to focus light..."
"Even disregarding all that, just finding an object that is compatible with the Lantern is impossible... Why don't you die one more time? Drop some legacy loot?"
Hearing Herta's teasing, Ron just chuckled lightly, full of confidence.
"Although that's one solution, we obviously don't need to do that..."
"The problems that can be solved in this simulation don't need to be dragged out until the next one."
Herta raised an eyebrow slightly. "Then how do you plan to solve it?"
"The Lantern of [Salvation] itself will give us the answer to this problem."
Ron said, casually sketching on the light screen before him, simply redrawing the Lantern of [Salvation] on the screen—
"No matter how fiercely the flame in the lamp burns, no matter how scorching the light it emits... it will ultimately not harm the lantern's walls. Only the lantern itself remains unharmed."
As Ron spoke, the diagram of the Lantern of [Salvation] that Herta had created on the screen was slightly modified by him, becoming similar to before, yet not identical.
A series of perfectly fitted concentric circles appeared on the wall of the lamp. The continuous surface of the lens collapsed into a single plane. The light passed through the lantern wall, focused by each lens, forming a converging focal point...
And besides the one lantern wall that was turned into a lens, the other three were blackened out by Ron—
"By modifying one wall of the lantern into the shape of a lens, and having the other three reflect the light, the requirement of focusing all the light into a single point can be achieved..."
Herta's brow twitched. She wanted to say something, but before she could, Ron cut her off.
"I know what you want to say... You want to ask how exactly to modify the lantern wall so that the light doesn't scatter, but is obediently reflected to a specific point to be focused, right?"
Herta nodded lightly, then heard Ron's answer:
"The fundamental properties of a material affect its function, but we shouldn't be constrained by them... This is the Lantern of [Salvation], a mystical material of the Aeon level."
"For a Path... 'concept' is the most important thing."
"Are Aeons so inconvenient? This simple distinction is a problem that can be solved just by changing its concept..."
Hearing Ron's answer, Herta couldn't help but be stunned.
Although it sounded very abstract, Ron's idea was actually the one with the smallest cost and the highest chance of success at the moment...
Because Herta had never ascended to the "throne" of an Aeon, had never had the perspective of one, she could never have imagined the "concepts," "ideals," and "essences" that Aeons loved to play with, things that sounded so abstract.
After all, although an Emanator carries the will of an Aeon, they are ultimately grounded in reality. They are on a completely different level from the Aeons who have worn the crown of a Path and truly become conceptual beings...
But a genius is a genius... Although Herta had not ascended to the position of an Aeon, had not worn the crown of one, after being prompted by Ron, she was quickly able to adapt and think under the new conditions...
She pondered for a moment, then said no more. She erased the rough design Ron had just drawn and began to try again according to his idea...
After a high-precision optical calculation, she drew the final stroke, sketching dense optical patterns on the lantern wall, trying to theoretically focus all the light without wasting a single bit of power...
With Herta's additions, a brand new Lantern of [Salvation] finally appeared on the light screen before them... This design of the Lantern was almost identical to the previous one, but upon closer inspection, one could see numerous subtle differences.
These subtle differences, when added together, finally broke through that subtle boundary, allowing this design to take on a new form...
Suddenly, a very subtle feeling arose in the hearts of both Ron and Herta—
They vaguely discovered that they were no longer able to lift their fingers, as if time itself had been forcibly halted at this moment.
Wisps of colorless radiance descended from the sky, landing before Ron and Herta...
This colorless radiance was woven by an invisible force into interlocking threads of fate. The threads then wove themselves into a nearly colorless yet tangible piece of cloth, which unfurled before Ron and Herta—
Upon it, specks of seven-colored light, as if engraved, slowly emerged, gradually outlining a script that was extremely familiar to both Ron and Herta—
[In endless failure, you have successfully passed through the narrow crevice that belongs solely to success. You have passed through the mountain that covers all, and have seen the vast world and the radiance falling from the sky... That is the proof of success.]
[You have successfully triggered a miracle event. Due to the "Sharpening the Blade" project, this miracle event has a fixed effect. The resulting miracle design, upon completion, will inevitably trigger the "Piercing the Veil" miracle.]
[You have obtained a miracle design blueprint based on the Lantern of [Salvation]—"Reality-Piercing Aperture, Guiding Spirit Lantern" Miracle Design Blueprint.]
["Reality-Piercing Aperture, Guiding Spirit Lantern" Miracle Design Blueprint:
"It gathers countless lights into one, forging a path of brightness, leading into a brilliant hall—that single point of light is so dazzling that it burns through the veil, glimpsing the truth."
The light that pierces reality will finally shine upon the darkness behind the world... The geniuses have completed a miracle of design, but whether this miracle can be fully realized is yet to be known.
But now, we can imagine to the best of our ability everything this miracle brings, imagine the Aeon of [Salvation] holding the lantern, the spirits of all celebrating and following, striding towards that celestial dome...
The lantern is eternal and ever-bright... The light leaps, restless, now flowing in the palm.]
[Because you have completed a miracle event, you have received the rewards that should be obtained after forging a miracle.]
[Project: "Sharpening the Blade" completion progress has been pushed forward. The project's current completion is at 50%—]
[Your planned project has made new progress.]
The seven-colored engraved text on the cloth woven from transparent threads of fate gradually faded. New lines of text, like ink dyeing colored paper, once again stained the cloth woven from threads of fate:
[Project: "Sharpening the Blade" - 50%: You have written your own design in the blank space that fate had not anticipated... The blade to pierce the veil of fate now has a blueprint for its forging. All that's left is to follow the plan.]
[Go and complete this miracle... A brilliant miracle will bring a light that illuminates the darkness. And what you lack now is precisely this light that can illuminate the darkness behind the veil of fate.]
[Now, you can use the "Reality-Piercing Aperture, Guiding Spirit Lantern" miracle design blueprint to complete a cosmic miracle... According to the strength of the materials you invest and the precision of your forging, the strength of this cosmic miracle will also be enhanced to a certain degree.]
[Miracles are not divided by size, but power always has its distinctions—what kind of radiance can ultimately be guided is a choice you must make yourself.]
[After advancing the project "Sharpening the Blade" to 50%, when you forge according to the miracle blueprint, your forging speed will be increased by 50%.]
Looking at the cloth outlined by the transparent threads of fate, although the text it displayed was cause for celebration, Ron felt a trace of confusion in his heart.
He looked at the cloth before him. Although he was completely bound by the halt in time, unable to move a muscle, if he weren't bound, Ron would probably be pale, beads of cold sweat dripping down his forehead...
The text prompts of the Life Simulation Game appearing in the simulation was not something Ron couldn't understand—
After all, this was within the simulation. The Life Simulation Game was the most powerful force in the simulation. For it to casually manifest this text certainly didn't require much effort... It was as normal as could be.
After all, even after personally entering the simulation and feeling how real the world within was, in the end, it was still a life simulation, a falsehood completely under the control of the Life Simulation Game.
But... if it were only that simple, it would be fine.
But now, there was a huge problem that Ron simply could not ignore...
His eyes were fixed on the cloth outlined by the transparent threads... Upon those transparent threads, a very familiar radiance was reflected.
Ron would never forget the appearance of these threads... because the hand that reached out from the river of time against the current, and the veil of fate that covered the Imaginary Tree, were woven from threads just like these.
Although that pure black and white color was not identical to these transparent threads, it didn't affect their almost identical form in the slightest, nor did it affect the identical "flavor" of "fate" that they both carried...
Why was this happening...
Why was the power of the Life Simulation Game a power that controlled fate, a power from the same source as Terminus, the Finality?!
What... was going on?!