The "World Branch Severance"
The domain of the "New Era" was like alum thrown into an ink vat—carving a clear, unyielding boundary of order into the deathly chaos of the Demon Realm. That grayish purification field, propped up by the "Xu" (序) thread, did not merely fend off the chaotic erosion from the outside; it was like a declaration, announcing the birth of an anomaly to all beings capable of perceiving it.
The celebration within the Collective had barely subsided when the "gaze" Lin Mo had anticipated arrived, right on schedule.
It did not come from the ancient, slumbering demon gods in the depths of the Demon Realm. Their reaction was more like that of startled beasts—letting out low, wary roars from their lairs, choosing to watch for the time being. This forcefully defined "order" filled them with unfamiliarity and dread.
The true gaze came from a higher, colder, more inhuman dimension.
In that "height" where information and rules flowed, the light band representing "Demon Realm - Sector 73"—its garbled region caused by the failed "Zeroing"—was now being covered and analyzed by a far larger, more complex logical structure. Countless cold consciousnesses converged here.
"Variable 'Lin Mo' not eliminated. Confirm he exploited a protocol logic loophole to obtain an 'exception' state."
"Target has successfully constructed a 'definition-level order domain'; tentatively named 'Pure Land'."
"This 'Pure Land' is engaging in low-level energy and information exchange with the 'Chaos Origin' via an unknown method, with potential for continuous evolution."
"Threat level elevated to: 'civilization-level pathogen'."
"Request activation of 'Final Arbitration'."
The proposal for "Final Arbitration" circulated and was evaluated among the cold consciousnesses.
"Rationale?"
"Variable 'Lin Mo' and the 'Pure Land' he created have gained the ability to contaminate and rewrite the fundamental rules of the sector. Its existence model is unpredictable, and its development trajectory cannot be modeled. If left unchecked, it risks spreading to other observation sectors and triggering an ecological-level rule collapse. Meets the criteria for 'pathogen' classification."
"Arbitration Tribunal deliberating..."
"Deliberation approved."
"Authorization granted for execution: 'World Branch Severance' Protocol."
...
Collective territory, core of the "New Era" domain.
Lin Mo hovered at the top of the Administrative Center. The pedestal in his hands, which housed the "Xu" thread, continued to emit a steady gray glow, sustaining the operation of the entire domain. Through the subtle connection between "Xu" and chaos, and his own unique "exception" state, his perception reached the world's fundamentals more acutely than any detection spell.
He "heard" it.
It was not a sound, but a whimper of the rules—a soundless, shattering roar as the fabric of space was violently torn apart.
It came from the edge of the domain, from the junction between the Demon Realm and the outer void.
It was not an attack, not an energy bombardment, but... "severance."
It was as if an invisible giant hand had grasped the entire world branch representing "Demon Realm - Sector 73," then used a pair of scissors that transcended cause, effect, and logic to precisely, coldly... snip it along the edge of the "Pure Land" domain!
No explosion, no radiance, not even a physical collision.
But in Lin Mo's perception, all connections between this section of the Demon Realm (where the Collective resided) and the external universe, other dimensions, and even the flow of time itself were being forcibly severed! The scene of the Demon Realm beyond the domain grew blurry and distorted, like a faded oil painting, then slowly... peeled away and receded!
This was not spatial exile, but a far more fundamental "existential isolation"—cutting them off from the world's "tree diagram" along with this land, and casting them into absolute "nothingness"!
"World Branch Severance..." Lin Mo whispered the term he had deciphered from the whimper of the rules. The Arbitration Tribunal behind the Observers had finally deployed their ultimate measure. No longer attempting purification or correction, they had directly defined this place as a "lesion" that needed to be excised!
Inside the Administrative Center, demons like Grak and Mo Shi were horrified to find that all connections between the Demon Network and the outside world had been severed in an instant! The energy towers still operated, but their output turned sluggish, as if robbed of their foundation. The sky was no longer dim yellow, but a terrifying, colorless gray-white. Beyond the domain lay endless, churning "nothingness" that devoured everything!
They had been cut off from the "world"—turned into an isolated island adrift in absolute void!
Panic spread like a plague. Even the most resolute demons felt their souls tremble in the face of this ultimate despair that defied comprehension.
Lin Mo lowered his head, staring at the slightly trembling pedestal in his hands. The glow of the "Xu" thread flickered on and off under the erosion of "nothingness." At the edge of the domain, the grayish purification field, squeezed relentlessly by the "nothingness," let out a groan of strain.
Passive defense was useless. "Nothingness" devoured everything—energy, matter, even time. No matter how sturdy the domain, it would eventually be worn away by absolute "nothingness."
His gaze returned to the "Xu" thread in his hand, which was linked to the Chaos Origin.
Chaos was the enemy of order, but it was also the enemy of "nothingness." For chaos, in itself, was a form of "existence."
He needed power—power strong enough, fundamental enough—to resist the "nothingness" after the "severance," to... redefine their "existence"!
He closed his eyes.
With unprecedented intensity, his spiritual sense traveled backward along the connection between the "Xu" thread and the Chaos Origin. No longer cautiously drawing and guiding, but... surging like a breached flood, madly rushing toward the depths of the World Wound, toward the endless,狂暴 chaotic origin!
He was actively drawing chaos into himself! No—drawing chaos into "Xu," into the "Pure Land"!
"Lord! No!" Grak, sensing the chaotic torrent powerful enough to annihilate everything being channeled in, was scared out of his wits.
But Lin Mo paid him no heed.
A surging tide of chaotic energy—its color beyond description—rushed along the "Xu" thread, pouring into the core of the "Pure Land" domain in an instant! The pure order field was dyed with the hue of chaos; the fresh green shoots that had just sprouted withered rapidly, only to be replaced by new, twisted forms; the energy towers let out a shrill screech of overload!
The "Pure Land" trembled violently, as if on the verge of falling apart under this combined internal and external assault.
Lin Mo's body endured the冲刷 of chaos. His "exception" state, battered by both chaos and "nothingness," became extremely unstable—his form flickering wildly between solidity and insubstantiality.
He was gambling.
Gambling that the essence of the "Chaos Purification Sequence" was not to repel chaos, but to... command it!
Gambling that the "Xu" he had stolen could act as a converter between chaos and order!
Gambling that this severed "isolated island" could find a... new path of its own amid this extreme chaos and nothingness!
He猛地 opened his eyes—their pupils now swirled with the colors of chaos, yet his consciousness was clearer and more resolute than ever before.
He raised his hands. Instead of maintaining the domain's stability, he... took the initiative to detonate it!
With "Xu" as the core, the surging chaos as fuel, and the entire "Pure Land" domain as a sacrifice—
"With this as the foundation, I redefine earth, water, fire, wind!"
"With this as the cause, I reestablish heaven, earth, profundity, brilliance!"
"I declare: this place shall exist!"
Boom——!!!
An explosion beyond all description ignited the only light in the absolute "nothingness"!