Chapter 354: Falling Out, Domestic Violence
So he had been set up by the Upper Cultivators.
No wonder in Black Keke’s memories, their real parents had appeared.
Jiang Si had always been puzzled. Why would their parents suddenly show up in Black Keke’s memories?
After all, parents who had already passed away suddenly appearing at a time like this seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it.
He never expected the Magic Kingdom could go this far.
They had specifically bound their parents' souls, preparing for the possible arrival of Black Keke and himself.
Had they predicted the arrival of Black Keke and himself from the very beginning, or were all souls twisted into Incubators and integrated into the hive consciousness?
This wasn't particularly surprising, though.
Looking across all web novels, the most common trope was kidnapping the protagonist's parents to control the world.
For example, in Coiling Dragon, Lin Lei's mother was captured and refined into a Radiant Angel, becoming the driving force behind Lin Lei's advancement, and it wasn't until the very end that he managed to exchange her back.
Another example was later in Battle Through the Heavens, where the Flame Emperor's father was captured by the Hall of Souls. In the later stages, the Flame Emperor traveled to the Central Plains to save his father. Speaking of which, in Concealing the Heavens, after the Eternal Emperor cracked open the Undying Heaven Phoenix and traveled to the Central Plains, that was probably the same Central Plains from Battle Through the Heavens.
It was probably a crossover Easter egg. Unfortunately, most people didn't understand that the Eternal Emperor had traveled to Battle Through the Heavens' Central Plains before returning to Concealing the Heavens' Central Plains.
It was a pity that people only treated it as a mistake to make jokes about. How lamentable...
"Hateful Magic Kingdom!"
Watching their parents return to the Magic Kingdom, Black Keke gritted her teeth and stamped her foot. "They actually turned our parents into something like that. I'll never forgive them!"
Despite saying this, Black Keke quickly calmed down and looked at Jiang Si.
After all, she still had the opportunity to save their parents. Since this cycle had revealed their parents' fate after death and the Magic Kingdom's scheme,
Then in the next cycle, she could just save their parents early to avoid such a tragedy...
What mattered was this big brother of hers.
He didn't have cycles. He only had this one life. Which meant in his world, their parents were absolutely beyond saving. That was despair.
Just as she was thinking about how to comfort him so he wouldn't be too sad...
"This is a good thing."
Jiang Si's words left Black Keke, who had been feeling somewhat sad, completely at a loss. She turned to look at her big brother. "Huh?"
Jiang Si then explained, "Do you know the story of Lin Lei saving his mother and the Flame Emperor saving his father?"
"Don't talk about your web novel plot like it's common knowledge!"
"Whether it's Lin Lei's mother or the Flame Emperor's father, after being captured by the villains, their strength increased dramatically."
Jiang Si said solemnly, "Whether it was to target us or because of our parents' own value, since the Magic Kingdom was willing to keep them and even specially gave them Incubator bodies, that means our parents are temporarily safe. There's no danger. On the contrary, this is their opportunity."
"Whenever I train my body, I think about how parents don't need to go through cultivation to become parents. It really makes me feel the water is too cold and my scalp itches..."
"Um... does this statement require studying and exams..."
"What do you understand?" The Emperor shook her head. "As children, we should naturally consider our parents. Parents don't have the right to choose this starting line. It's up to the children to work hard and give their parents a good original family."
"Now that our parents have such a good opportunity, they should definitely strive for their children's sake."
Hadn't you seen that after Xiao Zhan was taken to the Hall of Souls, the Soul Clan, to ensure Xiao Zhan survived until the finale, force-fed a Great Dou Master all the way to Dou Huang!
Hadn't you seen that after Qingluo was captured in the Divine Realm, she was directly favored by the Divine Realm's original will, which pushed Yang Qi, this biological mother, all the way to the Half-Step Wu Wu Realm, just below Transcendence!
To be honest, sometimes in this regard, enemies are more reliable than allies.
The Xiao Family's ancestor entrusted the Xiao Clan to their ally, the Gu Clan, for care. In the end, all they got was a Great Dou Master.
According to unofficial history, later, when the Xiao Family's ancestor crawled out of his coffin, he asked everyone what realm a Great Dou Master was. Their Xiao Clan's Dou Emperor bloodline meant awakening as a Dou Saint. They had never heard of any Great Dou Master.
He thought it was a realm above Dou Emperor.
And as their enemy, the Soul Clan captured the current Xiao Family patriarch and force-fed him all the way to Dou Huang, making him jump to become the Xiao Family's second-strongest member of that generation.
It was said that when the Soul Clan caught the Flame Emperor's father, they first spent half a day thinking about what realm a Great Dou Master was, then immediately looked through books to find out how to refine second-grade pills, since elementary school content could sometimes be forgotten.
Finally, they carefully refined a few second-grade pills using Nothingness Devouring Flame and medicine dregs. They had to be careful the entire time they were feeding them, afraid they might blow him up.
They didn't even dare get angry, afraid their anger alone might crush this Great Dou Master. Torture was out of the question. They served him good food and drink, worried they might accidentally break him.
A parents' crash course with such good treatment, how was that not a good thing?
Jiang Si truly hoped for his mother to become a phoenix and his father to become a dragon. For them to study abroad in the Magic Kingdom and come back having rocketed up to the right level was better than anything.
After all, Magical Girls had no bloodline factors. Even if he became an emperor, he couldn't let his family rise with him.
His parents would still have to start from scratch. Having the Magic Kingdom help lay the foundation saved a lot of trouble.
Under Keke's somewhat shocked gaze, Jiang Si slowly said, "I've always had a little dissatisfaction with my parents' growth and power..."
"But fortunately, we children can't let our parents win at the starting line, but we can let them cross the finish line early."
"This is the most critical, most important moment in life. The saying 'the finish line determines your life' is no joke."
"Well said, Dad!" Little Black Dragon, whose soul body was too unstable, spat out a burst of fire, then fiercely criticized Black Keke. "You don't appreciate it. You don't know how lucky you are. Those of us daughters born in this era suffer so much. We really need to let Grandma and Grandpa learn from Dad."
Jiang Si continued earnestly:
"From what we just saw of our parents' situation, their memories aren't damaged, their souls aren't broken. And because they've been twisted into Incubator shapes, they have physical bodies now and won't dissipate. No need to worry in the short term. It's perfect for our parents to take the curve and overtake..."
Black Keke was stunned for a long time.
A moment ago, she thought her big brother would be in despair.
Now she realized the one in despair was actually herself.
Feeling a little exhausted, Black Keke slowly explained:
"Don't think so highly of the Magic Kingdom. Now that our parents are in the Incubators' hands, their consciousness is connected to the hive, they've lost their freedom, even their will can be twisted! Their current state is worse than death. The Incubators' hive consciousness has kept their memories so they can continue being our parents, but it can also make them go against their will and kill us..."
"And what about it?"
Jiang Si looked utterly baffled. "Training camps cost tuition too. This price is still acceptable, isn't it? They can break free on their own once they're strong enough, right?"
Black Keke realized she had a huge misunderstanding about Jiang Si.
Because in the previous illusion, their family life had been so warm that she thought their thoughts on the matter of their parents would be roughly the same.
But in reality, that wasn't the case.
Their thoughts weren't exactly in harmony. You could even say they were worlds apart.
After all, in just a few short days, how much could she really know about this so-called big brother in front of her?
Even Keke, this version, who had grown up with him from childhood, how much did she really understand about Jiang Si?
It didn't matter anyway. She would get to know him gradually in future cycles.
She was already starting to lose interest in this cycle.
Seeing Black Keke remain silent, Jiang Si reached out and patted her head.
Black Keke, who had been feeling somewhat cold, looked up. Her big brother's gaze was still somewhat worried, which warmed her heart a little.
Regardless, her big brother could still understand her feelings, even if their understanding of their parents' current situation differed...
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Si asked with concern as he patted her head. "Facing this long-dreamt-of reunion, you're so moved you can't even speak?"
"Are you even human?!"
The Emperor tried to smooth things over a little. "Master means he'll definitely save our parents later, so there's no need to be sad."
Little Black Dragon glanced at her Emperor mother from the side.
They had actually discussed the matter of titles before.
Although she had never shown it, the Emperor still had her own pride and dignity. As the Emperor of the Curse Realm, she had been somewhat uncertain about what to call Jiang Si.
'Boss' was too vulgar, not suitable for an Emperor with noble upbringing. She found it hard to say things like 'big brother' or 'dad.' Calling him directly by name seemed arrogant.
Actually, 'Master' was Little Black Dragon's suggestion. She felt that since her boss had saved the Emperor mother and taken in her remnant soul, it was only natural for the Emperor mother to call him Master. And being able to be the master of an Emperor...
It sounded impressive and carried a lot of face. Her boss would definitely love it.
But the Emperor found this title a little hard to say.
After all, having a true ruler of an entire world call a younger man of the opposite sex 'Master' or something...
That was indeed a bit difficult.
Little Black Dragon was still thinking about how to give the Emperor mother desensitization training so she would call the boss 'Master' more often and warm up their relationship quickly...
But then, when she turned around, the Emperor said it so naturally.
Little Black Dragon stared for a long time.
All that hesitation and awkward shyness from their discussion earlier seemed like an act.
There was no awkwardness at all. She called him 'Master' generously and openly, holding nothing back. "As long as people are still alive, their souls and memories undamaged, there won't be a problem. That's probably what my master thinks."
The Emperor's comfort was clearly very effective. Black Keke, who had been somewhat agitated, quieted down a little.
"Although I want to acknowledge your way of thinking, big brother,"
Black Keke took a breath. "But whether it's the materialization of souls or the spiritualization of matter, both are difficult to reverse. Especially after they've been shaped and fixed.
"Mom and Dad can't come back. They can't be saved. Next life, in the next life, I will definitely save them early, big brother, don't worry..."
"I already told you."
After they emerged from the Magic Kingdom's passage, their bodies, which had begun to dissolve and spiritualize, returned. They even gradually covered the dragon scales, reforming into the three-headed Golden Calamity Dragon King.
The Emperor and Little Black Dragon, who had been stripped away, were immediately summoned back, re-forming the three heads.
The central dragon head spoke with majestic coldness:
"There is no next life, no reincarnation. There is only this life. I will bring them back in this life."
Black Keke, who had been about to explain something, fell silent.
The place they emerged from was exactly where the entrance to the new world had been.
Below them were the Azure Cloud Sect disciples who had suppressed the Dark Calamity. When the Golden Calamity Dragon King appeared, all the Azure Cloud Sect disciples immediately raised their voices in celebration.
He really was popular, wasn't he, big brother.
Black Keke thought this, but her gaze ultimately fell on the other Keke.
Surrounded by Azure Cloud Sect high-ranking members like Bai Mei and Bingtang, reconnecting with Li Yi, An Shiyu, and many others.
Even though she had taken her identity, the other self was completely unaffected.
Nothing seemed to have changed. The new world still operated perfectly, even with a missing part.
Camellia, Qingluan, Hongmian, Hyacinth, Ruo Yun...
Many, many Magical Girls who had died early in previous cycles, their twisted faces that should have been drowned in horrific scars and vivid blood, were now brimming with relaxed, happy smiles.
Everything was so natural, as if it should be this way.
No regrets needed to be made up for.
"Are you going to abandon this world?"
Black Keke gradually came back to her senses and looked at Jiang Si, who had asked in a low voice.
"It's not abandonment."
She denied it, but in the end, she couldn't say anything more.
The Golden Calamity Dragon King circled the new world once, suppressing all the remaining Dark Supremes.
They would serve again as consumables to bind the world together.
Actually, midway through, Black Keke jumped off the Golden Calamity Dragon King and went to the End Land.
She stood amidst her own corpses, but her mind was filled with the image of Keke surrounded by everyone in the new world.
She thought about the time she had spent in the illusion of the Magic Kingdom. Her parents' forms as Incubators.
She sat there and thought for a long time. She didn't know how long it had been.
Maybe a few days, but the End Land had no distinction between day and night. She could only roughly gauge the time by feeling.
Finally, she laughed and took out her Miracle Seed.
She had long stopped believing in things like miracles or love. In fact, she only relied on the same Personal Reality as this world's Keke to transform.
She was no longer a Magical Girl.
But sometimes, looking at her Magical Girl self, she still felt a little emotional. A small hint of envy.
This life might be the one she envied Keke the most.
So much so that when she should have started the next cycle, she felt a little reluctance in her heart.
Thinking this, Black Keke still pressed down on her Miracle Seed.
"Reincarnation..."
"In the end, you're still going to abandon this world."
Black Keke looked up to see Jiang Si, who had appeared without her noticing.
"We're both just moving forward in the direction we think is right, aren't we, big brother."
"I said, there's no need for the next cycle. Only this life."
Jiang Si's dragon head said coldly, "I won't let you restart."
Black Keke's expression also gradually hardened. She looked up at Jiang Si, her face expressionless.
"Then what about our parents, big brother? What do you take our parents' lives for?"
"I said I would save them."
"And if you fail?"
"There is no possibility of failure."
"Self-deception."
"Your reincarnation is the self-deception. What does the next cycle's people have to do with us?" Jiang Si's voice turned icy. "There are no two identical flowers in this world."
"Same time, same space, same world. Everything identical. That makes them the same people!"
"What a fool."
"You're the idiot."
"I won't let you reincarnate."
"Then try it."
The atmosphere instantly turned icy. It was sharp and heavy, suffocating.
Black Keke was, after all, not this world's Keke. She wasn't really a little sister who had grown up relying on Jiang Si since childhood.
She had overcome many, many difficulties through her own efforts. In fact, Black Keke had once believed in others. She had believed in miracles.
But in the end, she had failed every time.
She had failed so much that she could only believe in herself.
A person's character and behavior style are closely related to their experiences. For Black Keke,
No one in all the cycles was trustworthy.
Because they didn't know what she would ultimately have to face.
Of course, she had actually thought about sharing some of her feelings with Jiang Si. She had wanted to truly treat him like a brother, to rely on him a little, to get his promise and permission.
So she had told Jiang Si in advance that she would reincarnate.
But she never expected Jiang Si to resist so strongly.
The fact that their parents had been twisted into Incubators had still made her thoughts somewhat chaotic. She had thought a lot here. She thought about all the Incubators she had killed in the past.
Many Incubators that had acted abnormally.
Now that she thought about it, maybe some of them were their parents, maybe some were Yiyi...
Too many things couldn't be undone.
In fact, she had already given up on many things in this life from the start. It was just a cycle to collect information. She didn't want to care too much about the fate of her acquaintances.
But seeing her parents turned into Incubators, so many disgusting things rushed to her mind, making her want to end it early.
After a moment of silence, Black Keke finally gave up on any illusions. She straightened her hair and said faintly:
"I once thought about finding a way to bring you along for the cycle too, big brother."
"No need."
"Heh, yeah." Black Keke took a deep breath. "Anyway, we'll always meet in the next cycle."
"That meaningless thing." Jiang Si looked at her coldly. "You really are enthusiastic about giving up on your acquaintances to save a bunch of strangers."
"Listening to you say that, you really are annoying."
Black Keke actually relaxed instead. There was even a faint smile on her face, but her expression grew colder:
"I apologize for rashly treating you as a brother before. We could never be siblings. We could only be enemies from the start, Simo Tu."
Their worldviews and philosophies were completely incompatible.
In fact, Jiang Si's existence had been constantly denying her efforts.
Denying the meaning of her reincarnation.
Only this one thing, for Black Keke, was absolutely unacceptable.
For now, in this world, she would give up on the sibling relationship with Jiang Si.
She hated Jiang Si.
Jiang Si didn't care at all. He just raised his head. "Then come and fight."
Black Keke stepped back step by step, but her aura pressed forward bit by bit.
She held down the three-headed Golden Calamity Dragon King tightly.
"You only borrowed the power of the Beast of Eternity and the curse, and you want to fight me."
Black Keke shouted sternly:
"Let Shion come!"
To her surprise, the Golden Calamity Dragon King actually slowly retreated, moving away from Black Keke.
His gaze, however, was fixed on a spot behind Black Keke. He replied calmly.
"Sure."
Stunned for a moment, Black Keke turned her head.
Shion had somehow appeared, standing right behind her.
Her fierce expression instantly calmed down.
She looked at Shion, then turned to look at Jiang Si.
It was indeed a bit abrupt. She hadn't expected such a quick arrival.
Jiang Si and Shion, their relationship was still very close...
Although somewhat surprised, Black Keke didn't have much time to waste. She just quietly stared at that exquisitely beautiful, almost dreamlike face, and laughed.
"You've really caused me a lot of trouble. All my plans went down the drain because of you, and you still dare to show your face in front of me."
"Hand over the power of reincarnation."
"Indeed, just as rumored. Overbearing to the extreme."
Black Keke then seemed to think of something. Her smile gradually faded, turning cold. "Jiang Si contacted me. Wasn't this for the sake of this? To carry out your plan to steal my reincarnation power."
Seeing the other party remain silent, Black Keke understood what was going on and couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
"Well played. I didn't expect I could be so thoroughly played."
Her tone, however, grew more and more desolate.
"Fine. Either kill me and take it yourself, or I'll kill you!"
She had already pulled out her fiery red Miracle Seed. Mana surged, burning across the entire End Land!
"Gray Embers Rekindled!"
But Shion didn't retreat a single step. She forced her way right in front of her,
And drove her hand straight into the transformation invincibility frame!
"By my remaining—"
Before she could finish, Shion's hand had already grabbed hold of her fiery red Miracle Seed.
Then the Miracle Seed began to melt!
And then re-condensed in Shion's left hand.
The Magical Outfit that had been half-formed instantly collapsed!
Magical Girl Ruri's power was forcibly stripped away by Shion. Stolen.
Black Keke silently stared at the purple Magical Girl who made her feel like she couldn't breathe, like the Beast of Eternity.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, that exquisitely beautiful, almost oppressive face suddenly closing in still made her movements falter.
So this was the kind of monster the Captain and the others had faced...
She had been wrong about them. She had been cursing them all this time. She would apologize in the next cycle.
But Shion wasn't in a hurry to kill her. She just asked:
"Is there more?"
Faced with the other's question, Black Keke tilted her head.
"Of course."
With that, she drove her hand straight into her own chest. In her untransformed state, she condensed intense Personal Reality, expanding it endlessly.
Shion's pupils shrank slightly. The heterogeneous time, the aura of countless deaths.
It spread from Black Keke's body, extending beneath her feet. All of Keke's corpses opened their eyes.
All of them looked at Shion!
"Mental Landscape Expansion."
An enormous pitch-black domain instantly engulfed them both!
"Eternal Reincarnation."