Chapter 367: Stepping Into the Endgame
"Is this written wrong?"
Just as Keke was sitting behind Sister Bingtang's car, flipping through a book in her hand, she pointed at a line on the page, puzzled. "Crumpling a paperweight into a ball... here, isn't that a mistake?"
"It's not a mistake, oh."
"But... a paperweight isn't made of paper, right?"
"Jiang Si personally demonstrated it for us. It can be done." Bingtang was driving, speaking with a smile. "So it's definitely not wrong."
"Alright..."
Keke immediately quieted down.
Originally, after finishing her conversation with the Incubator, she planned to head straight to the Magic Kingdom.
But Sister Bingtang had suddenly come looking for her, almost as if her big brother had called her over before leaving.
The Incubator had immediately scurried away, like a mouse in front of Sister Bingtang.
These Incubators all seemed to be afraid of the Azure Cloud Sect's people, for some unknown reason.
A plushie of Teacher Shion hung from the front of the car, swaying with the vehicle's movement, looking both cute and novel.
The air conditioner was running, and a faint, pleasant scent filled the car. Keke couldn't quite identify what it was. It smelled like flowers, but it was probably some kind of perfume, just one that felt very natural.
"So my big brother actually performed crumpling a paperweight into a ball for you guys..."
"Yeah."
Driving the car, Bingtang glanced at Shion's quiet and soft face in the rearview mirror, feeling a mix of novelty and affection in her heart.
Although Qinghua's puppets weren't bad either, they ultimately lacked a trace of living human presence.
But Keke's control of Shion's body wasn't just using the Sect Master's original form; that aura of a living person was very apparent.
"Hehe, Keke-chan's control of the Sect Master has a unique charm to it as well..."
"I told you, body swap was the right call," Qinghua muttered from the passenger seat. "Lady Bingtang, why don't we just take charge together? The siblings can work as a team for the assault. Body swap and gender bender, one husband, one wife..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
She pinched Qinghua's cheek with one hand, silencing her.
Meanwhile, Yumo, who was sitting next to Keke, kept swaying her petite form with the car's movement, bumping into Keke. Then, she simply lay down directly on Keke's thighs.
Of course, Keke knew Senior Dandelion. She had interacted with Senior Dandelion the most before, but ever since she went to the Central Bureau, she hadn't encountered her again.
Now, she felt a bit of distance between them—although, even during those training sessions back then, they hadn't really talked much.
As the bane of Silver Lotus's existence for most of her life, a true-transmission disciple of Azure Cloud who had never lost to Silver Lotus, she had a considerable reputation outside.
She might look very timid, always cowering and hesitant.
But when encountering Witches from the Witch Association, Disaster Beasts, or even Weave Realm Travelers, she wouldn't hold back at all when it came to fighting.
In reality, within the Azure Cloud Sect, most other Magical Girls would try not to kill people indiscriminately if they could help it.
Most Witches from the Witch Association were defeated and then thrown to the Disaster Control Bureau for magical girl trials. Especially now that the Bureau was considered an affiliated organization of the Azure Cloud Sect, the vast majority of Azure Cloud Sect's true-transmission disciples would hand over evildoers of uncertain guilt to the Bureau for processing.
After all, some crimes didn't warrant death, and letting the Bureau investigate thoroughly for judgment was the best course of action. The Azure Cloud Sect also encouraged this.
It spared the Azure Cloud disciples from bearing an extra burden.
Except for Senior Dandelion.
She had never sent a single criminal to the Disaster Control Bureau.
She killed them all.
Especially when the Weave Realm Travelers were causing chaos, Dandelion didn't just kill them all; she even used a gale to carry the many household bodies of the Weave Realm Travelers in a parade...
So, sitting next to Senior Dandelion still made Keke a bit scared.
In the Disaster Control Bureau, Dandelion's reputation wasn't exactly huge, but there were plenty of terrifying rumors about her.
Things like "limb enthusiast," "murderer," "blood-stained dandelion," "a Disaster Beast disguised as a Magical Girl," "a terrorist who wouldn't be judged even for mistaken killings."
Keke was always thinking, wouldn't she suddenly attack me?
After all, she had taken over Teacher Shion's body, and the people Dandelion respected most were Sister Bingtang and Teacher Shion.
Someone like her, an ordinary Magical Girl, stealing Teacher Shion's body—Dandelion might be very angry...
So when Dandelion directly flopped down onto her thigh, Keke was startled, not daring to move an inch.
Naturally, Bingtang noticed Keke's nervousness and comforted her, "Don't worry. We're all controlling puppets. Our true bodies are still in the Azure Cloud Sect. After all, in this operation, we can't let anyone know that even the Azure Cloud Sect is powerless against the Magic Kingdom's soul swapping."
Yumo curled up like a kitten, rubbing against Keke's thighs. Qinghua turned around, leaning on the passenger seat back, looking at Yumo. "Hey hey hey, that's enough! Don't drool all over the Sect Master's thighs!"
"I-I won't!"
"Damn it, I want in too! I want in too! Lady Bingtang, I want to go to the back and lie on the Sect Master's thighs too..."
"You sit still and behave."
"Favoritism..."
"I'll let the Sect Master personally compensate you next time."
"Awesome!"
This time, it was Dandelion's turn to be unhappy. She muttered something about just being tired and accidentally lying down.
Amidst the bickering and noise, Keke gradually relaxed.
Actually, Senior Dandelion was pretty much the same as when she was at the Central Bureau.
As long as she wasn't facing an enemy, she was still very cute, her size just as small and compact as Teacher Shion's.
"Squeak... so everyone in the Azure Cloud Sect has also had their bodies swapped?"
"Regrettably, yes." Bingtang said this as she shifted gears and slowed down. The conference building ahead was now right before them. "Everyone has been swapped. But if we were to announce it, it would probably cause chaos. It's a major problem that even the Azure Cloud Sect can't handle. It would weaken everyone's confidence in and dependence on us and the Bureau, affecting the Sect's future work. So we need to keep it hidden."
Keke could more or less understand this.
After all, even within the Disaster Control Bureau itself, there were some whispers of doubt about the Azure Cloud Sect.
It hadn't been that long since the Azure Cloud Sect stepped into the limelight and started managing the Bureau. There had been plenty of conflicts and misunderstandings before. People's distrust and suspicion weren't going to disappear completely in such a short time.
It was only thanks to Shion that the Azure Cloud Sect's strength and achievements could suppress the vast majority of doubts.
If everyone found out that the Azure Cloud Sect actually couldn't handle the Magic Kingdom's soul swapping, and many learned that the Magic Kingdom might be superior to the Azure Cloud Sect...
Chaos and infighting within the Disaster Control Bureau would probably be unavoidable.
The car quietly rolled over a speed bump and entered the gate.
"So for this meeting, Keke-chan needs to impersonate her a bit more. Of course, that's not difficult, because Sect Master Shion doesn't usually show much expression. Just keep a straight face, sit there without moving, and follow my cues. You don't need to answer any questions either. Just glance at me when someone asks you something, and I'll answer everything for you."
It really is that simple!
Keke was still half-convinced about what her big brother had said.
After all, her big brother might have some misunderstandings about Teacher Shion and the Azure Cloud Sect. It wasn't like he spent every day there, right?
But it seemed he was right.
For a moment, she felt relieved.
Dandelion, lying on her thighs, covered her face with her hood. Keke couldn't actually see her expression, but she vaguely sensed the girl's heartbeat was very fast, and she felt a bit hot.
Was she running a fever?
Just as Keke was wondering, Dandelion suddenly grabbed her hand, startling her.
But she didn't do anything dangerous. Instead, she took Keke's hand and placed it on her own head.
It was like she was urging Keke to pat her head.
She really is like a kitten, so cute...
Keke did as she wished, stroking Dandelion's head, listening to her purr with contentment. A strange sense of achievement and conquest welled up in her heart.
That Senior Dandelion, who made everyone afraid, who Captain Silver Lotus couldn't stop obsessing over, whom she had never beaten even once.
That killer of villains, who would make any enemy weep tears of blood.
Was being so obedient and well-behaved in her hands.
Teacher Shion really had too many cute and powerful girls around her.
She had been feeling a bit happy, but when Keke remembered this, she felt a twinge of melancholy.
She probably wasn't special at all.
"Sister Bingtang."
Remembering her big brother's request, Keke couldn't help but speak up.
And being addressed as "Sister Bingtang" by Keke made Bingtang smile warmly and gently, as soft as melting ice. It wasn't just Keke's address; hearing it from Keke using Shion's body had a uniquely delightful flavor.
"Hmm, I'm here. Keke-chan, go ahead and say it."
"My big brother said he hopes I can kill Teacher Shion. If I can't kill Teacher Shion, he'll never come home again."
Keke was very nervous as she said this.
She thought everyone would suddenly get agitated, or at least react somehow.
But in the end... nothing happened.
Senior Dandelion was still lying on her thighs, rubbing against them, her face almost pressed against Keke's lower abdomen. Her breathing made Keke involuntarily ticklish, causing her to keep sucking in her stomach.
Qinghua was still over there, biting the leather of the passenger seat in envy and jealousy, mumbling something Keke couldn't understand, like "The one who sneaks ahead is the loser dog, just you wait..."
Sister Bingtang's expression still held that faint smile, as if she had just heard something perfectly ordinary.
This completely ruined the mental preparation Keke had done.
"Doesn't anyone care?"
"Of course, we care." Bingtang refuted her before asking, "But what does Keke-chan herself think?"
"Me? I, of course, wouldn't want to kill Teacher Shion."
"See? We all thought Keke-chan would feel that way, oh. And besides." Bingtang smiled. "The Sect Master herself would probably agree with him. Otherwise, there's no way Jiang Si would go against Sect Master Shion and say something like that."
Keke was stunned. She really hadn't thought that this might be something Teacher Shion had agreed to.
That made sense. For Teacher Shion, there was no need to worry about the possibility of Keke actually killing her, so there was no reason to object...
Dandelion suddenly bumped her forehead against Keke's lower abdomen, then quickly curled up and pulled her head back. "Sorry, that was an accident..."
Keke was sure she had done it on purpose.
In the end, she just pressed her hand against Senior Dandelion's forehead. "But... but I don't want to be separated from my big brother either."
It seemed like this was always the case lately.
Her big brother was always using this method to force her to move forward.
Keke was actually a bit annoyed.
Always using separation as a way to pressure her.
That time a few days ago with Black Keke, that time a few days before that when they went to Chongxu, that time a few days before that when she married the Prince, and that time a few days before that when he sneaked off to the Heart Image Remnant with Teacher Shion behind her back, and those days a few years ago after Dad and Mom were buried...
Although she really did rely on her big brother and really didn't want to be separated from him, using this method every time, like grabbing a soft spot to threaten her...
It seemed like her big brother didn't care at all about living together with her and just used it as a tool.
There was inevitably some bitterness in her heart.
If this kept up, she would really hold a grudge.
Fun fact: Keke's heart wasn't that forgiving!
"Hmm. Although Jiang Si said it very harshly, he probably just hopes you can surpass Sect Master Shion?"
"I can't do that..."
"That's a big taboo, oh. You can't say that."
Qinghua immediately warned. "Jiang Si would probably hate hearing that the most."
Dandelion nodded again. "Y-you have to always hold onto a heart that can surpass everything, believing that you alone are invincible."
"Whether you can surpass someone or not, you can't force it. Everyone has their limits, just like affection points. Some people just can't max them out."
"B-but to say it's absolutely impossible just because of that... that's absolutely not allowed!"
"Is it the thinking of a loser to give up on the assault just because affection points have a limit?"
"If you don't even dare to think about it, then it's even more impossible."
Listening to Qinghua and Dandelion speak one after the other, Keke was lost in thought for a long time. Finally, she muttered softly, "These two really get along well."
But she more or less understood.
She took a deep breath, and her expression finally became serious and earnest.
"Alright. I'll work hard to believe that I can surpass Teacher Shion."
Actually, Keke sometimes had a vague thought deep down.
Maybe she could catch up to Teacher Shion. Maybe she could surpass Teacher Shion and make her surprised, or something like that.
But she always felt it was unrealistic and never dared to say it out loud.
Now, encouraged by the Azure Cloud true-transmissions, she bravely brought out that thought, no longer feeling embarrassed about it.
Because this was probably what her big brother hoped for, right?
Bingtang nodded approvingly. "That expression is very good, oh. It looks just like the Sect Master."
Dandelion and Qinghua both looked at Keke's face. "It really does."
"Th-then there's no need to worry about messing up the impersonation..."
Keke touched her own face, looking at the reflection in the rearview mirror, feeling relieved.
Then she heard Bingtang ask, "But if you don't kill Sect Master Shion, Jiang Si won't come back to see you. What are you going to do? Do you have any ideas?"
The car stopped in the parking lot. Outside the spacious courtyard, they could see some reporters crowding around Jincha from the Disaster Control Bureau as she headed into the building.
Keke was pulled out of the car by Senior Dandelion. She looked at the building, felt the wind, and took a deep breath.
"I won't kill Teacher Shion. But I will defeat Teacher Shion. I'll defeat Teacher Shion, and then... I'll bring my big brother back. If he doesn't want to come, I'll beat him until he does."
As she said this, Keke even broke into a relaxed smile.
"Then that's settled!"
After all, this was how her big brother had always taught her.
If she did this, he would definitely be happy too.
Completely letting go of her worries, Keke was heading toward the conference building with the Azure Cloud Sect members when a crowd of reporters quickly swarmed them.
"May I ask what the Azure Cloud Sect thinks about the recent Magical Girl predicament..."
"Please wait for a moment."
"Has the Azure Cloud Sect found a way to deal with the soul swapping?"
"Please be patient for the press conference..."
"May I ask if the recent rumors about Jiang Si's romantic entanglements with every girl in the Azure Cloud Sect are true?"
Bingtang was politely turning down all the questions when a question from a gossip reporter made her stop in her tracks.
Keke just tried her best to keep a straight face, not daring to speak for fear of messing up.
Bingtang, however, brushed aside a strand of hair by her temple and revealed a gentle smile.
"Completely true. The Azure Cloud Sect is currently having a huge internal fight over who gets the priority to date Jiang Si."
...
Jiang Si stood before the World Tree, looking at its withered leaves.
It was just as Black Keke had said.
At this rate, not just Beihai, but probably the entire world would face an inevitable End.
Keke was the World Tree's specially chosen savior.
The moment he thought of this, Jiang Si naturally thought of Black Keke.
A Reincarnator who constantly restarts.
From the very beginning, Jiang Si had doubted where Black Keke's ability came from.
To be able to continuously reincarnate in this world—it obviously couldn't be an ability Black Keke had awakened on her own.
After all, if that were possible, wouldn't it mean his Keke not having such an ability was a failure of his teaching? That was absolutely impossible. He had already developed Keke to her utmost limit.
If she had had such potential, he, Jiang Si, would never have missed it.
The fact that he hadn't noticed proved that Keke herself didn't possess such an ability; it was something she had obtained later.
And the ability to reincarnate within a world...
Aside from the World Tree, it obviously couldn't have come from anywhere else.
The Beast of Eternity had One Proof Eternal Proof, existing simultaneously in the past, present, and future, making it impossible for it to undergo any reincarnation, because it existed and was unique in every moment.
Furthermore, for such frequent reincarnations, it probably couldn't be achieved without the World Tree's consent.
Although Jiang Si could still only see a corner of the World Tree—a corner of the withering World Tree here—he could still feel its immense and majestic power.
The root of this world, the starting point of everything, and also the end of all.
Even Jiang Si, standing before this corner of the World Tree, felt his own insignificance.
This was probably what was called the Heavenly Dao in the world of cultivating immortality.
Jiang Si didn't feel fear; he just felt his blood boil.
To unite the many Witches and Magical Girls, those Remnant Souls, to defeat the Heavenly Dao together, to destroy this World Tree—that was his mission...
Striding forward, Jiang Si intended to get closer to the World Tree and see what lay deeper inside.
"Jiang Si."
But a call made him stop in his tracks.
Jiang Si turned his head to look. An Incubator was wagging its tail, staring at him seriously. "Or, bro, you can't go any further, you know."
Silent for a moment, the passion on his face faded considerably. Jiang Si stared at it coldly for a long time.
This voice, this mannerism, including the way it addressed him.
There was no doubt about it.
Even this appearance—he had seen it before together with Black Keke.
"You're the one. Why are you here?"
"Of course, I'm worried about my son, ah."
The Incubator wobbled as it blocked his path. The ancient World Tree trembled slightly, and some branches continuously wrapped around the Incubator's body.
Then, the Incubator gradually transformed into his father's appearance.
"If you go any further, it won't just be dangerous for you, son, but your sister and everyone else will suffer too, brother. What exactly are you trying to do?"
It switched between several different addresses, just like in the old days.
Jiang Si looked at the father before him.
Whether the World Tree had predicted this long ago and prepared this father in advance, or if it was just pure luck.
It was impossible to know.
But there was one thing. The person before him wasn't just his father.
More importantly, he wasn't being controlled.
Jiang Si could naturally tell this. The person he was talking to was his old man himself. He wasn't brainwashed, wasn't controlled, and wasn't the Incubator's hive mind.
Jiang Si didn't rush to answer his father's question. He just asked, "Where's Mom?"
"Your mom is in the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom has started a national war recently, so she has to go help out."
The young man simply sat down on a thick old tree root. "National war?"
"There are three countries within the Magic Kingdom, and they regularly start a national war. The winner seizes the loser's national fortune. Anyway, our country has lost many times, and our country is about to be taken away..."
What kind of national fortune plot was this.
"So when the Magic Kingdom opened its doors to recruit new Magical Girls, a bunch of people went to snatch them up, hoping to get suitable new blood to take our place in the war and win the national war..."
Jiang Si shifted his gaze to Keke on the other side. Sure enough, the Incubators were indeed trying to take them to some national arena.
"Anyway, your mom is still busy over there, so she can't come. I had to come chat with you myself. It's easier for us father and son to talk anyway. Jiang Si... you want to become stronger, to achieve that 'dominate the ages' thing you've always talked about, right?"
Ever since he was a child, he had told his father what he was striving for.
To constantly get stronger, to constantly work hard, to constantly move forward.
For that single goal.
"But I've always been curious, son. You want to dominate the ages. What about after you dominate the ages? Do you have any other purpose?"
"Why would I need another purpose?"
His father was momentarily speechless. "Aiya, you little brat. And here I thought you'd say it was to resurrect us, to give your old man a better life!"
"We're already dead."
"Tch." His father couldn't help but roll his eyes, but in the end, he smiled. "I knew you little brat would say that. The reason for dominating the ages is just to dominate the ages. You don't give a damn about anything else, do you?"
"After I dominate the ages, there won't be any regrets."
"Have you never thought about failing?"
"Failing?" Jiang Si said indifferently. "Of course, I haven't."
"Then why don't you think about it? If you fail, wouldn't all those regrets be impossible to make up for?"
"If I fail, I'll die along with my Dao." Jiang Si interrupted his father. "I'll just be a handful of dust. There won't be any regrets to speak of."
His father was rendered speechless.
He had originally wanted to say that after he and his mother died, Jiang Si hadn't attended the funeral and had been so ruthless to Keke. They knew all about that.
He was just waiting to dominate the ages in the future to make up for everything.
But what if he didn't succeed? Wouldn't it all be for nothing?
He hadn't expected that, to his son, failing just meant he would be a handful of dust.
He also understood Jiang Si's thinking.
If he failed, Jiang Si would just be dying a little later. There was no difference, and nothing to regret.
His reputation, both in life and after death, probably didn't matter to Jiang Si anyway.
After all, if he failed, Jiang Si would deny everything about himself.
For him, there was no room for retreat, and he wouldn't even think about what would happen after failure.
Facing a son like this, his father felt a mix of emotion and heartache. "Is it our parenting that's to blame?"
"Of course not."
His father looked at him expectantly, thinking his son had finally grown up.
He had learned to comfort people.
"Parenting would imply that I was actually raised. " Jiang Si said matter-of-factly. "When did you ever raise me?"
"Damn. I should never have expected anything from you from the start." He was furious, but couldn't refute it.
"Rather, you guys are my parenting issue."
His father immediately slapped the tree root he was sitting on. "You little brat, you want to piss off your old man!"
"Is there a problem?"
After sulking for a long time, his father finally sighed. "No problem. You're my dad."
"In the past, I just listened to it as a joke. I thought having a big dream wasn't a bad thing, but I never thought that one day you might actually be able to do it."
His father looked up at the enormous World Tree.
"Jiang Si, more often than not, I think of you as my good buddy, my good brother. Sometimes, you're more like my elder. But at the end of the day, you're still my son. So this time, I want to give you an order as your father."
Jiang Si didn't speak, just looked at him coldly.
"Give it up, son. Don't try to dominate the ages. This is for your own good."
The withered leaves fell, and thousands of worlds turned into ashen Dregs.
"We're already dead."
"You'll regret it."
"A Celestial Venerable may regret, but I..."
"Can you stop talking like that?!"
His father's tone suddenly became somewhat angry, cutting Jiang Si off. "Can you stop talking like that?! Why do you always have to imitate others? Imitating web novels, imitating Mom and Dad? Where's the fun in that? If you don't know how to communicate, then start learning from scratch! Learn to interact with people in your own way!"
"Don't always mimic others and use their words to answer questions! If you can't, I'll teach you! No matter how ugly, how foolish, how laughable it is, everyone wants to see your own way of expressing yourself! As long as it's your own way of expressing yourself!"
Jiang Si listened quietly as his father finished, waiting until he had calmed down. "Why isn't imitating others my own way of expressing myself?"
He looked at him. "Isn't what you taught me just imitating? Isn't your way of communicating just something you imitated? Did you spring out of a rock and teach yourself how to communicate?"
After rendering the other party completely speechless, Jiang Si finally said slowly, "And also. Don't lecture me using my father's body, you mongrel."
The father figure gradually transformed back into the Incubator's form and shrugged. "Alright, alright. It really doesn't work. Even switching bodies mid-conversation gets seen through in a second. It's too difficult. Hello, Jiang Si. I'm Alpha from the cluster consciousness. You can call me Alpha."
Jiang Si grabbed the Incubator's head, his expressionless face slowly crushing its skull.
"Your father has just returned to the cluster consciousness. Don't worry. He won't be in any danger. He won't disappear. We don't want to be your enemy. We're just here to negotiate with you."
The consciousness entity named Alpha said with difficulty, "We can help you achieve your goal of dominating the ages. You just need to help us retrieve the world's essence to keep the World Tree running. How about it?"
Jiang Si let go.
The Incubator tilted its head and smiled.
"Sign a contract with us, and achieve the goal of dominating the ages!"