Chapter 368: National Fortune Unmatched, Jiang Si Charges the Tree!
"The National Fortune Arena Match has ended."
"Bear Nation wins, Wolf Nation's territory is forfeited."
When Keke, An Shiyu, and Silver Lotus stepped into the center of the Magic Kingdom, the massive mechanical broadcast echoed throughout the entire square.
In the central plaza, astonishing cries and wails erupted.
"Another loss, this is already the eight hundredth defeat! At this rate, all of Wolf Nation's territory will be swallowed up by Bear Nation!"
"Dog Nation can't wait to start the next round of arena matches. They're just kicking us while we're down!"
"Who said we're down? They're the dogs! We're Wolf Nation!"
"Kill them all, push us too far! Who, who can save us, Wolf Nation!"
"Never expected that among Bear, Wolf, and Dog Nations, we'd be the first to be eliminated..."
Listening to the city-wide lamentation, the blue-and-white Incubator leading them sighed, "Wolf Nation only has this last city left. If we lose again, Wolf Nation will cease to exist..."
Jiang Si just asked, "What about my Dragon Nation?"
"What Dragon Nation?"
Jiang Si's face remained expressionless, perfectly holding his composure.
Classic national fortune arena stream, classic early losing streak to build up interest.
He knew exactly how this would play out with his eyes closed.
This was the tidal wave he'd been waiting for.
Sure enough, not long after, a group of Incubators that looked like little dogs entered from afar.
After arrogantly looking around, they sneered mockingly, "Wolf Nation, look at you all like a pack of stray dogs, groveling and eating filth. So pathetic."
The Incubator beside him tugged at the black Incubator who had spoken, "We're the dogs."
So the black Incubator coughed, "You kept calling us stray dogs before, now look at you—cornered with no way out. But really, wolves and dogs are the same family. Now we're just reuniting..."
That taunt wasn't strong enough.
If you can't stoke enough hatred, how can you play? The Wolf Nation Incubators below won't get fired up.
Jiang Si thought for a moment and directly used Perception Obstruction to interfere with the black Incubator.
The black Dog Nation Incubator, who had been gently coaxing Wolf Nation just moments before, suddenly twisted into a ferocious grin. His tongue flopped out, barking loudly, looking lecherous and greedy: "Hehehe, Wolf Nation trash, surrender now! Hand over your land and resources. Once we win the arena, we won't just rule Wolf Nation—we'll enslave all you Incubator mongrels and slaughter every last one of you!"
Even Dog Nation's own Incubators stared at their representative in shock.
What the hell is wrong with you? Did you suddenly lose your mind?
Was it necessary to push them this hard? Aren't you just making it harder for yourselves?
Sure enough, Wolf Nation's Incubators instantly erupted in fury.
"Too arrogant! We'll never surrender!"
"We have to win this time! Or else Wolf Nation is finished, left to their mercy!"
"Everyone, don't give up! As long as we work together, we can get through this!"
That last part was An Shiyu and Silver Lotus encouraging everyone.
Reviving the previously dead atmosphere.
Then the black Dog Nation Incubator, still grinning viciously, transformed into a Magical Girl and casually threw a red-and-white ball. A Holy Beast appeared on the arena stage.
"Then come on, who dares challenge me! I'll crush every single one of you!"
Faced with the arrogant Dog Nation representative, Wolf Nation's Incubator group fell completely silent, shrinking backward.
Until Jiang Keke stepped onto the arena stage.
Wolf Nation's Incubators all looked at Keke with hopeful expressions.
But soon, discordant voices rang through Wolf Nation:
"Wait, didn't she just arrive? She hasn't even raised her Holy Beast yet!"
"We're doomed! She doesn't know how to fight in the arena at all!"
"Why are they sending out a complete amateur!"
"Our Dragon... I mean, Wolf Nation is finished!"
The ones chiming in were none other than An Shiyu and Silver Lotus.
Once the two set the rhythm, the other Incubators nodded along in agreement.
There was no helping it—these Incubators were like mindless puppets, showing no reaction at all.
Jiang Si had to have Silver Lotus and An Shiyu lead the charge and stir up the atmosphere.
Although these two weren't as well-versed as the Azure Cloud Sect disciples, at least they knew what to do when told.
They had some exposure to web novels. After the Disaster Control Bureau merged with the Azure Cloud Sect, web novel common sense education became a mandatory course for Magical Girls.
The quiet murmurs of doubt and pessimistic groans continued until Keke released her Holy Beast—and then fell into silence.
Followed by an even louder uproar!
"It doesn't even have one evolution yet!"
"You want to fight in the arena? Go evolve it once first, then come back!"
"Your top priority right now is to find a Candy of Evolution and level it up!"
Meanwhile, Blueberry and Milkshake had already reached the opposing side, both letting out mocking laughs: "Haha, Dog Nation has this in the bag! Wolf Nation's land and resources—we'll gladly take them!"
"Crush them!"
Just as the gunpowder on both sides was being stoked by the four Magical Girls Jiang Si had dispatched, the opposing black Magical Girl kindly said, "That little cat of yours is going to get eaten alive."
Keke revealed a faint smile. "It's not the one entering the stage."
With that, the little cat Holy Beast suddenly picked up the red-and-white ball, recalled Keke, and threw it into the center of the arena.
It sent Keke directly onto the stage, where only Holy Beasts were allowed to enter!
When Keke slowly stood up on the stage, facing the massive bear Holy Beast opposite her, the crowd below fell into a brief, deathly silence before erupting into an even greater uproar!
"What the hell! She's lost her mind! She threw herself onto the stage as if she were a Holy Beast!"
"Does she think she's clever? No matter how strong a Magical Girl is, they can't beat a Holy Beast! A Holy Beast's power level is far above a Magical Girl's!"
"A clueless newcomer, relying on cheap tricks—is she going to doom Wolf Nation? I demand a replacement!"
"Idiot, the Holy Beast is already on stage. There's no replacement!"
"Oh, cruel heavens, why have you forsaken me..."
This time, it had nothing to do with Silver Lotus and An Shiyu. Wolf Nation's Incubators were already wailing on their own.
The gap in status between a Holy Beast and a Magical Girl was undeniable, and anyone with rational analysis could see the match was already over.
As the bear Holy Beast charged forward, many Incubators covered their eyes with their little paws, unable to watch.
The bear Holy Beast's body was several times larger than Keke's. Rushing at her like that, it was like a mountain bearing down.
The massive bear claw coming down felt inescapably terrifying!
Yet just as the claw was about to crush Keke's skull, the girl simply tilted her body slightly. The sharp claw grazed past her head, brushing along her hair.
Keke's delicate hands grabbed the bear's forearm, which was thicker than her entire body. She yanked hard, and a crisp cracking sound came from the arm bone!
The searing pain from the dislocation made the bear let out a ghastly roar. It turned its head and spat a cloud of poison at Keke.
Who would have thought that something so massive would resort to such dirty tricks?
Although Keke held her breath in time, she couldn't avoid being affected. This time, the bear claw landed solidly on her body!
Amid the tremendous vibrations, the Wolf Nation Incubators below gasped and cried out in shock.
"It's over for sure."
"I told you not to let her go."
"What do we do now..."
Silver Lotus and An Shiyu naturally had no mood left for stirring things up. They could only watch the stage nervously.
When the smoke cleared,
Everyone saw Keke's tiny figure clutching the bear's massive forearm tightly, seemingly unharmed.
Before the two could breathe a sigh of relief, the bear Holy Beast slammed its claw down at Keke again and again!
But Keke, clinging to the forearm, twisted her body sharply.
The bear's right forearm was completely wrenched off!
Blood sprayed wildly as the bear staggered and collapsed with an involuntary roar!
Just as the bear was struggling to get up, Keke casually pulled a claw from the severed arm, then stomped down on the bear's hind leg, crushing it. As the bear roared in agony, the claw in her hand was wielded like a sharp dagger.
She drove it viciously into the bear's chest. As the bear tried to rise, the claw dagger sliced downward from its chest.
The thick, terrifying hide was as flimsy as paper beneath Keke's dagger.
As the dagger cut all the way down, various filthy internal organs spilled out in a gush. Some blood and bile splashed onto Keke's face.
She casually wiped it away.
When the bear finally crashed to the ground, the opposing black Magical Girl let out a scream.
Keke pulled out her bear-claw dagger and turned to wave at the silent crowd below.
But whether Wolf Nation or Dog Nation Incubators, or even Silver Lotus, An Shiyu, Blueberry, and Milkshake—all of them had their eyes wide open.
The bear, which had been disemboweled, actually stood back up in a twisted, unnatural posture.
It opened its massive maw, and terrifying pale blue mana frantically gathered, almost rivaling one of Shion's roars. It aimed at the back of Keke's head!
Before An Shiyu and Silver Lotus could even call out a warning,
Keke, as if she had seen it coming, swung her bear-claw dagger in a reverse grip and stabbed backward!
The dagger pierced straight through the bear's neck.
The gathered mana exploded inside the bear's mouth before it could even be released!
The massive shockwave scattered across the arena floor. Silver Lotus and An Shiyu leaned over the edge of the stage, peering through the smoke.
When the smoke cleared, Keke had already let go of the dagger, still facing away from the bear.
The great black bear staggered and wobbled but still hadn't fallen. It kept gathering mana as it walked toward Keke.
Keke, already heading off the stage, finally grew impatient. She twisted her waist, spun around, and delivered a flying kick, slamming her foot into the dagger embedded in the bear's neck!
The dagger severed the bear's head in an instant. As the head hit the ground, the dagger flew forward and embedded itself in the ground right at the black Magical Girl's feet.
The Incubator-turned-Magical Girl from Dog Nation was so frightened she plopped down on the ground.
"Wolf Nation wins! Territory to be returned immediately!"
A moment later, the referee's declaration came. Below, Wolf Nation's Incubators finally began to offer some dry, hesitant cheers.
"She actually won..."
"Why did her attacks work on the Holy Beast?"
"Is a Magical Girl actually stronger than a Holy Beast?"
"Whatever the case, it was a close call. We're saved..."
Listening to the discussion below, Jiang Si rubbed his chin.
Still didn't feel quite right.
Where was the part where they chanted Keke's name crying?
They barely showed any excitement after winning a hard-fought match...
Before he could think too much, Blueberry, Milkshake, An Shiyu, and Silver Lotus had already joined together in cheers: "Ooh-ooh-ooh, we finally won! Finally won!"
"Wolf Nation is saved! Keke! Keke!"
With the four leading the charge, all of Wolf Nation's Incubators were finally roused. Together, they shouted Keke's name.
Jiang Si nodded in satisfaction.
That's more like it.
It wasn't easy. He'd always thought national fortune storylines were pretty brain-dead—the easiest type of plot to pull off.
But actually implementing it and making the audience stupid enough to go along with it? That was no small feat.
Quite challenging. Fun... No, wait. It was more like he had gained more insight into his Acting Method.
Just as Jiang Si was thinking about how to proceed next, the black Magical Girl opposite him suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Don't think you've won!"
Everyone was startled and looked at the Dog Nation representatives. The Incubators all let out sneers.
"Don't forget, besides land, whoever wins a National War also collects resources."
Jiang Si tilted his head, not understanding what they were talking about.
The black Magical Girl saw his clueless expression and burst into laughter. "Idiot, just as I thought—a complete newbie who knows nothing. You didn't just beat the bear; you killed it outright. That means your victory is a perfect victory! Not only that, but it's a perfect victory of a weak nation defeating a strong one! Resource multiplier: ten thousand!"
The Wolf Nation Incubators were stunned.
"And the resource we're handing over this time? Polluted Magic!"
"Ten thousand times the Polluted Magic of the entire Wolf Nation!"
Wolf Nation's Incubators immediately began wailing.
"We're doomed!"
"So that was their plan all along!"
"She lost on purpose! Just to completely destroy Wolf Nation!"
"You bastards from Dog Nation! You're despicable!"
But the Dog Nation Incubators just laughed loudly as they rose into the sky.
"Then, let us congratulate Wolf Nation on their victory!"
"Ten thousand times the Polluted Magic. Ready for deployment!"
The entire sky darkened. A vast mass of Polluted Magic loomed like it would crush the entire Wolf Nation.
The black Magical Girl looked calmly at Keke. "In my last life, after I won the arena match, ten thousand times the water resources flooded Dog Nation. In this life, I will definitely save Dog Nation and annihilate you Bear-Wolves!"
The Polluted Magic cascaded down from the sky like a waterfall, about to swallow the entire Wolf Nation!
Just as all the Wolf Nation Incubators closed their eyes in despair, waiting for death,
An Shiyu let out a small "Huh?" and then said, "Looks like there's no danger?"
Only then did Wolf Nation's Incubators dare to look up.
All the Polluted Magic wasn't falling to the ground. Instead, it flowed like a funnel, pouring bit by bit into the girl on the stage.
"What are you doing!"
"You can't do this! You'll disappear!"
"A Magical Girl can't absorb Polluted Magic! You'll die!"
The Incubators cried out in shock, actually expressing concern for Keke.
The opposing black Magical Girl just watched Keke with a mocking, icy stare. "So you're trying to save Wolf Nation by destroying yourself. I acknowledge you, Jiang Keke. But it's useless. Ten thousand times the Polluted Magic—you can't withstand it alone!"
With that, she put on a relaxed expression. At first, she looked impressed when Keke had absorbed nearly a tenth. Then, it turned into concern when she reached nearly a third. When only half remained, it became disbelief.
And when it was all completely absorbed, she was left in utter silence.
Both nations' Incubators were frozen in shock.
And the little cat, which had been in its initial form, began to grow and evolve. It went through three consecutive evolutions.
It turned into a massive white tiger that could almost cover the entire arena stage, complete with a pair of wings.
The most ferocious animal in the world, without a doubt, was the tiger.
Among the Four Great Malevolent Beasts, all your Tiger Brother needed was a pair of wings to ascend.
Among the Four Divine Beasts, just dye its fur white, and it was up there too.
Now this Holy Beast, carefully chosen by Jiang Si, had both white fur and wings—it was the ultimate fusion of White Tiger and Taotie!
He'd name it... Qi Hu Bai Qiong (Strange Tiger White Poverty).
This ten-thousand-fold Polluted Magic didn't just help Jiang Si's Strange Tiger White Poverty evolve to its final stage.
It also helped Keke's Witch state ascend to a whole new level!
Jiang Si immediately took the opportunity to help Keke contain and control this terrifying power, then merge it with her Magical Girl power.
A constant Full Bloom state was no longer out of reach!
Though he wanted to help Keke go even further, he knew that too much was as bad as too little.
Raising her one level was enough. Forcing another breakthrough would only destabilize her foundation.
In the end, he could only suppress the surging power and look down at the silent Wolf Nation Incubators.
"Keke! Keke!"
Before Blueberry, Milkshake, Silver Lotus, and An Shiyu could even speak, the Incubators themselves began chanting Keke's name. Wave after wave!
The Dog Nation representatives slunk away, not daring to linger.
Just as Jiang Si was enjoying the cheers and the beauty of national fortune storyline,
Several Incubators flew over, riding Holy Beasts.
"By order of the Queen! Jiang Keke is to report to the palace immediately! A great reward awaits!"
As all the Incubators looked at Keke with envy, Keke simply patted Strange Tiger White Poverty.
The massive Holy Beast opened its mouth and swallowed the Holy Beasts ridden by the Incubators in one gulp!
"Go back and tell the Queen."
Keke sat atop the white tiger's head, her tone indifferent yet chilling.
"Have her come to the square to pay homage to me. A great reward awaits her. In my Wolf Nation, she's done her part without credit these past years."
The Incubators below were dumbfounded!
Total insubordination!
An Shiyu suddenly clapped her hands and pulled out a large gold-and-silver cloak from somewhere, flying toward Keke. Silver Lotus quickly caught on and followed.
An Shiyu half-kept behind Keke, carefully draped the cloak over her shoulders, then reached around Keke's neck from behind, wrapping her arms in a half-hug while cheerfully tying the cloak.
"It's getting cold. Let me add a layer for you."
At the same time, Silver Lotus flew in front of her, holding a crown headpiece, and placed it on Keke's head. "Keke, this looks good."
Jiang Si shook his head and sighed, "You two have really set me up."
Then he looked down again.
This time, he made no effort to conceal his kingly aura!
"From now on, I am the ruler of Wolf Nation. The title 'Queen' is abolished. From today, address me as Wolf Lord."
...
Jiang Si didn't take the National War within the Magic Kingdom too seriously.
Just play around a bit. After all, the Magic Kingdom seemed very well domesticated internally.
At least for now, he couldn't tell how much this group knew about the World Tree and the truth behind the Incubator collective.
After all, although the Magic Kingdom rarely opened its doors, it still allowed Magical Girls to visit. In essence, it was a form of camouflage—probably hard to find any issues.
Once he flattened Bear, Dog, and Wolf Nations, he could take his time probing deeper.
"Of course, if you have requirements regarding the terms, we can renegotiate."
The Incubator was still patiently persuading him to cooperate, but Jiang Si wasn't very interested.
If he cooperated with Incubators to become the sole hegemon across the ages, could he even call it sole hegemony?
Still, Jiang Si wasn't in a hurry to refuse or fall out with them.
Ever since he saw the Beast of Eternity, he had set aside his arrogance.
These Incubators could stand against the Beast of Eternity, even make it hard for the beast to clean them up. They naturally had trump cards not to be underestimated.
Jiang Si didn't think they posed any threat to him.
But they might be useful.
At the very least, the abilities of Material Ghostification and Ghostly Materialization would be absolutely useful for his path to sole hegemony across the ages.
"Mm, we can also compromise. How about cooperating as your assistant or subordinate? You just need to maintain the World Tree's operation. After all, the World Tree is our common interest. Only by keeping it running can we continue to exist, right?"
Jiang Si climbed higher and higher up the World Tree, sensing something abnormal.
The higher he went, the more his mana, his miracles, even the power born from negative emotions—all of it disappeared.
In the end, he could only rely on his physical body.
Fortunately, his body was strong enough to climb even higher.
But the higher he climbed, the more he understood just how massive this World Tree was.
No end in sight.
No end in any direction.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"Just seeing how big it is."
"You can't. How can you see the full picture of the World Tree while standing on it?"
Jiang Si ignored it. He climbed until he didn't know where he was, when he finally saw a massive branch.
That branch itself contained endless cosmos. When he set foot on it, countless worlds around him were destroyed and reborn.
But this branch also bore signs of rot.
Withering and decay were so obvious that the World Tree, as far as he could see, looked decrepit and old.
After resting for a moment, Jiang Si saw a figure.
A Magical Girl falling from above.
She was pale blue, and her Magical Outfit had a faded, bleached quality. She kept charging upward at something—stubborn, reckless—but could never break through the branch's limit, always falling back down.
Jiang Si approached and watched quietly.
When the Magical Girl hit the bottom and lay there for a while,
Jiang Si crouched beside her.
"What's your name?"
The Magical Girl got up, ready to fly again, trying futilely to break through the barrier above. Only then did she answer.
"Shixin."
Jiang Si felt like he'd heard that name somewhere, but he couldn't remember at the moment.
He just watched the Magical Girl repeatedly attempt the pointless action.
"You're already dead."
The Magical Girl named Shixin paused briefly, then charged again at the cosmic barrier above.
Then, like a feather, she fell back down.
Jiang Si casually grabbed her by the back of her collar and looked at the battered Magical Girl. "Your Heart Image Remnant is here. Your Remnant Soul can only exist by relying on it. No matter how many times you try, you can't leave."
Shixin looked up with a slightly dazed expression, glanced at the sky, then at her feet.
"I'm... already dead?"
"That's right. Just a Remnant Soul now."
"I can't."
Shixin struggled desperately to charge upward again. "I can't die here! I still have a mission! It's not finished!"
"What mission?"
"The branch. I have to get the time branch. Only I can do it. Only me!"
The Incubator beside them laughed. "Oh, it's you guys?"
Jiang Si glanced at it. "You know them?"
"Whether it's the new world or other worlds, there are always some Magical Girls who vanish right under the Magic Kingdom's nose. These Full Bloom Magical Girls, by all rights, should return to the Magic Kingdom and nourish the World Tree. But they disappear without a trace, and the fragmented world's essence can never be recovered. You could say these vanished Full Bloom Magical Girls are one of the root causes of the new world's collapse."
"Because we have to break this cycle of the world being squeezed dry!"
Shixin glared furiously at the Incubator. "To constantly force newborn worlds to create Magical Girls, steal the world's essence through Full Bloom, and then use that absorbed essence to nourish the World Tree, destroying the worlds we protect... This cycle must be stopped! No matter the cost! No matter how long it takes!"
"Flowers bloom and wither, the strong eat the weak—these are natural laws. Why do you always want to change them? Are you the kind of person who would steal a deer from a tiger's mouth to satisfy your own compassion? Magical Girls are always like this."
The Incubator spoke as if troubled. "Worlds are born from the World Tree and die to nourish it. This is normal causality, a natural law. It's precisely because you all keep trying to change the natural order that disasters occur and the World Tree's withering accelerates. Have you ever considered that you might be the villains?"
"To let countless worlds head toward destruction, to bring despair to countless people—if that's what you call a natural law, then of course we must overthrow it!"
"Ah, I really can't stand it. Look at them, Jiang Si, sir. They only think about protecting something. They only see the dying people in front of them. They can never use a higher perspective to observe the entire world, the universe. They only care about temporary gains and losses. How could these emotional, shortsighted girls possibly save the world? How could they ever compare to you?"
Jiang Si ignored the Incubator's flattery. He just looked at the red-eyed, agitated Shixin and asked, "How many of you are there?"
"Eight."
"Eight people charging the World Tree?"
"..." Shixin seemed to finally calm down a little, then sniffled. "We had no choice. We had to do this. No one else knows. No one can know. The secret of the World Tree... As long as we can get the time branch, we can change the past. Save the worlds that remain. Save more people..."
"We tried many methods. The time branch has a different flow rate. No one else could touch it except me. My Mental Landscape is related to time. Everyone died—torn apart by the World Tree's rules. They carried me all the way to the time branch. I have to get it. Only I can get it!"
Her voice was tinged with a mad obsession. The pure mana within her even began to seep with Polluted Magic.
The Magical Girl, tortured by pain and suffering, was showing signs of falling into becoming a Disaster Beast.
She raised her head, mana surging around her. "No one can stop me! I... I'm going to get the time branch..."
"The time branch has already been taken."
With Jiang Si's casual remark, Shixin suddenly fell silent. Then she shook her head. "Impossible. No one else but me..."
"It was probably you who took it down." Jiang Si guessed. "But by the time you got the time branch, you were probably about to die. So you threw it away."
Magical Girl Shixin stared blankly, then looked at the Incubator. "I... I took the time branch?"
"Of course."
The Incubator didn't mind answering. "No one else but you could touch it. And it's precisely because you stubbornly stole the time branch that the World Tree's cycle went wrong and rapidly headed toward withering. That further accelerated the destruction of more worlds. You didn't save any world. You only destroyed more."
"I see..."
With Shixin's subdued reply, Jiang Si asked again, "Do you regret it?"
Shixin bared a slight grin. "No. I'm relieved that I could complete the task my companions gave me. I didn't let them down. That's... really great."
The Incubator tilted its head. "Hmm? Not sad about the worlds' destruction now?"
"Of course I'm sad. It's just—"
Shixin's body began to fade as her Mental Landscape dispersed.
"I believe there will always be Magical Girls who can move forward and change all of this. Absolutely."
When Shixin disappeared, Jiang Si glanced at the Incubator. "Is that time branch very important?"
"Of course."
The Incubator sounded a bit excited. "It's an extremely important branch! It's the only branch that can go back in time, change the past, and help the World Tree exist forever. After losing that branch, the World Tree can only continue toward its withering future... Have you seen it?"
"No." Jiang Si asked again, "Doesn't it matter if it's gone? Not afraid someone else will get it?"
Then the Incubator laughed again. "Of course it matters. But since we can't find it, there's nothing we can do. Besides, if the World Tree withers, all branches that fall from it will wither and disappear too. So it doesn't matter."
Jiang Si stood on the branch. Higher up, the World Tree's hanging branches swayed constantly.
Each branch contained a vast amount of rule-based power.
But the most important Dao Fruit was missing. This caused the rules of these branches to weaken continuously.
"When the World Tree is destroyed, no one can survive. No world can continue to exist. Everything will sink into a chaotic void. Only the Beast of Eternity will clean everything up. Is that the ending you want?"
Jiang Si gave a faint smile. Then, massive dragon wings unfurled from his back.
Soon after, dragon horns, dragon claws, and a dragon tail gradually covered his entire body.
The Golden Calamity Dragon King let out a roar and, aiming at the root of the World Tree, bit down!
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