Chapter 253
Lilith, who had suddenly sprang up, quickly lost her strength and fell back down, her vision going completely black.
But then a golden light shone brightly from the hazy darkness, rushing into her sea of consciousness and finding the mental anchor point that she had finally managed to build, erecting a solid barrier in the blink of an eye!
As the anchor point became more stable and secure, Lilith's consciousness became clearer and her vision returned to normal.
She was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked at Xie Xubai in astonishment.
The boy collapsed to the ground, just in time to withdraw his hand that had been using divine power.
To establish his authority, Xie Xubai mostly appeared calm and composed, and even when he smiled, one could sense his imposing aura, like a sword drawn from its sheath.
Only at that moment did he breathe a huge sigh of relief, grinning broadly and saying happily, "Great, I made it in time."
That smile carried no bias or hostility, and even had a touch of naivety.
Lilith stared blankly at her soul, which had stopped its mutation, before snapping back to reality.
—She was saved.
.
By then, Xie Xubai had grown to the point where even geniuses couldn't help but be wary, and he had also proven with his strength and achievements that he was indeed worthy of the responsibility of being the First Apostle.
During that long and arduous process of adjustment, almost all the apostle members had a very high positive opinion of Xie Xubai.
Except for Lilith.
Her hostility towards Xie Xubai even began as early as upon hearing his title.
The reason is probably that the other party is not only the person she hates the most, but also someone whose factional stance is different from hers.
For the common goal of victory, she can temporarily put aside her prejudices and work together, but there is no possibility of peaceful coexistence.
After the incident involving the spatial beasts, the relationship between the two sides was greatly improved. Xie Yuchun valued her character and asked her if she would like to become his student, giving her a reason that Lilith could not refuse.
—There are traitors among the hawkish leaders of the Federation.
This was not Xie Yuchun's mere conjecture; she had already found substantial evidence, but she was holding back for the time being to avoid alerting the enemy.
Lilith fell silent after hearing this, not doubting Xie Yuchun's statement, because she herself had a vague premonition about it.
Lilith's strong support for the hawks' decision to wage war, and all her power struggles within the Federation, were all aimed at restoring peace to the world, so that even timid ostriches like her mother could have a safe environment to live in.
This is why she has the ability to revive her mother and godfather, but has hesitated to take action.
But now the situation seems to have reversed. The side that insists on resolving the infinite game through war has become the doves, while strange voices have emerged from the hawks, talking about other things, shirking responsibility, and even turning against the system, claiming it is "following the Lord's arrangement."
This is something Lilith absolutely cannot tolerate.
After several days of careful consideration, she secretly formed an alliance with Xie Xubai and others, using the excuse that her legs had been crippled and her strength had been greatly reduced, and gradually retreated to the background.
.
During the period when the two sides were working to reconcile and make peace, another incident occurred.
The seeds of this incident can be traced back to when Xie Yuchun formally handed over the first artifact of destiny he had successfully crafted, the "Eye for the Future," to her.
Xie Xubai was also present.
Lilith was quite surprised that the task was given to her instead of White.
The moment Xie Yuchun took out the Eye of the Future, she keenly noticed that Xie Xubai was not very interested, and even somewhat depressed. Out of consideration for self-respect and rationality, she asked Xie Yuchun directly why.
Unexpectedly, Xie Xubai answered her: "I have already made a contract with Yan Shuo and have the ability to manipulate the past. If I also control the future... it may cause some irreversible consequences."
Lilith: "What impact?"
Xie Xubai remained silent, but Xie Yuchun smiled and continued, "For example, a surge in divine power can lead to a sublimation of one's personality, breaking through to a higher dimension and becoming a time traveler like me. Not only is my lifespan infinite, but I can also take in the countless possibilities of this vast world and appreciate the beauty of the sun, moon, and scenery. This is a privilege that most people may not be able to enjoy in their lifetime."
As she spoke, she reached out and vigorously rubbed Xie Xubai's head, saying with a smile, "It's a pity that our White still has a sacred and arduous mission on his shoulders, so he can't be as carefree and happy as his mother!"
The young man did not resist until Xie Yuchun relentlessly ruffled his hair into a bird's nest, and finally he couldn't help but give her a helpless look.
For the first time, Lilith realized that the dignified and solemn Goddess of Fate and the steady and mature Commander-in-Chief of the Apostle Guild, who appeared dignified and solemn to outsiders, actually had such a way of getting along in private.
While feeling dazed and shocked, I also felt a little envious.
She thought to herself, "These two are willing to reveal their true selves to me, so they must consider me one of their own, right?"
While being recognized and trusted made Lilith happy, she was also well aware of the great responsibility she bore and dared not be careless in the slightest.
Unless required by the war situation, she locked herself in her room almost day and night, diligently studying the laws of time.
It was in this state that she suddenly received a mental message from Xie Xubai.
The latter's thoughts were filled with barely concealed anxiety, stating directly that Xie Yuchun was in trouble and needed her help.
Lilith responded instinctively, but before she could ask for details, Xie Xubai used his divine power to drag her into the spacetime rift without explanation.
In the vast universe where galaxies flow, besides Xie Xubai, there was another person: Pei Yuheng. The latter was wearing a white lab coat and experimental goggles, and hadn't even had time to take off his sterile protective suit, clearly having been hastily pulled over by Xie Xubai.
Xie Xubai implored Lilith to lock Xie Yuchun's spatial coordinates. Yes, not a request, but a plea.
In an instant, Lilith realized the seriousness of the situation. Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately summoned the spatial beast to teleport them to Xie Yuchun's location.
A cluster of meteorites orbits the star overhead, while a bright, milky-white band of the Milky Way stretches across the dark sky from one side to the other.
The river of time materialized into a rushing golden river, splashing against them and creating starlight-like waves.
Apart from that, there wasn't a single person in sight.
Looking around but finding no trace of Xie Yuchun, Lilith suddenly felt a strong, ominous premonition.
She repeatedly asked the space beast if it had teleported to the correct location and requested to be teleported again, but no matter how many times they teleported, they still couldn't see Xie Yuchun.
Xie Xubai disregarded everything else, his voice crackling with surging divine power as he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Mom—! Xie Yuchun! Mom! Where are you! Answer me! Please! Mom—!"
Countless stars looked down from above, silently gazing down at the heartbroken young man, blinking with pity.
Lilith was stunned.
But as Xie Xubai cried out in a frantic plea, Xie Yuchun's mental energy actually emanated from a place that had been completely empty!
She looked at the formless spatial beast, and in an instant recalled Xie Yuchun's mention of "higher-dimensional forms." As if lightning had cleaved through the fog, she murmured in disbelief, "Could it be that Teacher has become a higher-dimensional life form?"
Higher-dimensional beings are not without specific forms; it's just that lower-dimensional beings cannot perceive the dimensional barriers and observe their entirety, just as ants cannot see the entire human body.
Therefore, in the eyes of lower-dimensional beings, higher-dimensional beings are either distorted or invisible.
However, Xie Yuchun has not yet fully become a higher-dimensional life form, because she responds to Xie Xubai's call.
Lilith suddenly remembered that not long ago, Xie Yuchun had given the second artifact of destiny, the Vast Revelation, to Peak.
Based on Xie Xubai's depressed and repressed reaction, she finally understood in astonishment.
—When Xie Yuchun completely sacrificed herself and handed over all the divine artifacts, it was also the moment when she became a higher-dimensional life form, discarded all worldly desires, severed all kinship ties, and completely isolated herself from the human world.
Pei Yuheng had already chased after them and joined Xie Xubai in calling out Xie Yuchun's name, each cry filled with heart-wrenching anguish.
Lilith didn't dare to delay. She anxiously called out to her teacher while unleashing her divine power and spreading her spiritual energy.
Amidst their repeated calls, Xie Yuchun finally revealed himself.
Lilith's pupils suddenly contracted.
That can no longer be called a human form.
She appeared enormous, like a mountain peak. Below her waist, she was a vast, translucent, gelatinous phantom, and the skeletal veins of her bones were clearly visible on her chest as they began to fade. Her head had flattened out, like an exquisitely painted human face mask, with a time wheel-like emblem suspended above it.
As she lowered her head, the afterglow of her divine power spread out, and the flow of time in the surrounding matter accelerated and reversed to varying degrees.
For example, the meteorite not far from Xie Yuchun had a layered structure that was broken up, with rocks, iron, and a mixture of stony and iron mixed together. It was actually receding into nebular material at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Even if Xie Yuchun does nothing, her mere existence will have a terrifying impact on the present world.
Xie Yuchun seemed to know their purpose. Her beautiful, pristine eyes looked at the three of them, ethereal yet cold, conveying her thoughts bluntly: "I will entrust the final divine artifact to the destined one."
After saying that, he turned around without any hesitation.
Its enormous body moved gracefully like a light, flowing skirt, and the afterglow of its divine power surged like waves, spreading into the boundless universe.
She raised her head as she was about to leave, her body gradually becoming transparent and invisible, as if she were about to merge with the universe and become invisible again, just like before.
Seeing that Xie Yuchun didn't care about anything else and didn't even glance at Xie Xubai and Pei Yuheng, Lilith's heart sank instantly.
Human scientific research into higher-dimensional life has never ceased, and one of the more famous and widely debated hypotheses is:
After a low-dimensional being ascends to a high-dimensional being, will it retain the consciousness it had in the low-dimensional stage?
Some researchers say no, just like how ants, after evolving into humans, would no longer think about building nests and mating with other ants, but would only seek partners who are also human, and their behavior would escalate to building houses and getting married.
— All of this was corroborated by Xie Yuchun.
Given Xie Yuchun's current state, even if they mentioned the disasters that the Infinite Game would bring and her responsibilities as the Goddess of Fate, she might not pay any attention.
Just as Lilith was in a state of utter distress, Pei Yuheng suddenly shouted anxiously, "Ah Bai!"
Xie Xubai rushed forward.
He didn't charge forward recklessly; he had the little black octopus set up a defensive barrier for him beforehand to block Xie Yuchun's divine power.
But compared to the higher-dimensional Xie Yuchun, he was far too small, probably only half the size of the other's current finger, and would not be noticeable if he rushed up.
So Xie Xubai exerted all his divine power, letting the golden light illuminate Xie Yuchun's face and block her path.
"...The Infinite Game has not yet been cracked. As the Supreme Chief Executive Officer of the Federation, you still have unfinished missions. You cannot leave. We need you."
The golden light split into countless spiritual entities, lined up from Xie Xubai's infancy to adulthood.
The baby Xie Xubai cried loudly and reached out his longing little hand to Xie Yuchun.
As a toddler, Xiao Xubai burst into tears, pleading repeatedly, "Stay, Mom! Please, stay! Don't abandon me! Please!"
The middle school boy clung to Xie Yuchun's body, refusing to let go, his head bowed, lips pursed, his fingertips turning white from the force: "Stay."
The calls echoed like a resounding bugle call. Xie Yuchun's face, which had been expressionless, suddenly furrowed, revealing extreme pain and unease, and her lips trembled slightly.
Xie Xubai saw it.
At that moment, his expression also became extremely painful, and he opened his mouth like a dying fish struggling to breathe.
He pinched his fingers together and insisted in a hoarse voice, "Executive Xie, your duties are not yet complete, you cannot leave."
Perhaps it was because Xie Yuchun realized that the effects of childhood and infancy were most pronounced, that his spiritual body transformed into these two forms.
The baby and Xiao Xubai's cries grew louder and more unrestrained, forming a stark contrast with the heavy and repressed youth.
Finally, human emotions reappeared in Xie Yuchun's empty eyes.
Her body then shrank dramatically, returning to a normal human form. After regaining her balance, she stared blankly at her forehead, only having a vague recollection of what had just happened: "What did I just...?"
The next second, all the scattered spiritual entities condensed into a small Xu Bai, who rushed into her arms and wailed loudly.
Xie Yuchun was startled and quickly picked up the child, patting and comforting him: "Baby? What's wrong? Be good, don't cry, don't cry."
She immediately looked up and met Xie Xubai's bloodshot eyes.
The afterglow of the stars shone on Xie Xubai's face from the side, highlighting the lines of his taut, trembling jaw.
His voice was hoarse: "I'm sorry, I've forced you to stay again."
In an instant, Xie Yuchun understood everything that had just happened.
She glanced at Pei Yuheng, whose eyes were also wet with tears, and at Lilith, who looked nervous and helpless. After a moment of silence, she stepped forward and hugged Xie Xubai tightly, gently stroking the young man's hair: "How could that be? Thank you for calling me again."
"Don't be afraid, bye-bye, Mommy's here."
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