Chapter 422: Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Ticket on the Sea, End of the World

The arrow pierced through the iris, reaching the brain, and melted into the sea of divine sense, breaking down into a strange writing like gibberish, and then there was no more movement.

Xu Ling suddenly came to her senses and no longer had the ability to see through walls. She hurried back to her room and looked at the figurine of the magical girl Madoka. The arrow resting on the bowstring had really disappeared.

—It wasn’t an illusion.

So, was it because of the [Wish Spell]? But even if she wanted to fulfill the dozens of wishes she made in the bathroom, it shouldn’t cause the figurine of Madoka to come to life and shoot an arrow at her, right?

Xu Ling felt something was wrong. She tried to make a wish again, but unlike before, she could no longer sense the blessing mark implanted deep in her soul.

In its place was a vague message that helped her understand the function and mechanism of the [Wish Spell].

This was not a superpower, but a mysterious gift called a blessing.

The [Wish Spell] could listen to the deepest desires of the holder’s heart and make them come true.

But it was not all-powerful and had many limits.

First, the [Wish Spell] could only grant the holder one wish; after that, it would remain silent forever, making it a one-time blessing.

Second, the [Wish Spell] had a limit. For example, if your deepest desire was to eliminate hunger for the whole world, it might only provide a truck full of bread to all the poor areas, and not truly solve the problem.

Finally, the way the [Wish Spell] fulfilled the holder’s wish could not go beyond what the holder understood.

So…

“The wish deep in my heart is so difficult to achieve that it can only be realized using a power like the ‘Ring Principle,’ a kind of bug-class ability that only exists in otaku culture?”

“And then, because the ‘Ring Principle’ went beyond the limits of the [Wish Spell], it simply activated a figurine to let Madoka shoot an arrow, treating it as if the wish was granted?”

Xu Ling pondered the situation, unsure whether to criticize how useless the [Wish Spell] was or to be amazed at her own grand aspirations.

The girl mulled over the jumbled thoughts in her head, feeling both amused and frustrated by this blessing and her own wish.

Alright, I want to see what this thing can do.

Xu Ling angrily pulled out a chair, sat down at the table, and copied it down with paper and pen.

But just as the pen tip finished writing, the whole paper seemed to twist and crumble, a roaring sound exploded in her ears, and the reality before her vanished.

The notebook, which had just lost a page, suddenly became whole again, but the handwriting that she had just written disappeared without a trace.

“…What is this?”

Xu Ling’s eyes widened in shock; she felt like she had become the main character in a horror movie and had done something foolish. Panicking, she dropped the pen and quickly stood up to move away from the table.

However, an unspeakable fear washed over her heart.

That indescribable mist wrapped around her soul, cleansing her memories and sense of self, taking away the information of the [Wish Spell] in an instant.

Xu Ling slid to the ground, struggling to breathe for a long time, until she finally came up for air like a drowning person, gasping uncontrollably, coughing and shedding tears. After a while, she finally came to her senses, looking utterly confused.

Oh, what’s going on? What happened?

Just as her thoughts were about to wander to a strange place, wondering if she was being hypnotized, the door opened, and the confused question from her little cousin came to her ears.

“Honey Ling, what are you searching for on the floor?”

Xu Ling climbed up, feeling a bit lost. She shook her head and replied in a daze,

“I don’t know, maybe I’m looking for my lost youth from the past.”

Pei Xiaotong chewed on some crushed ice, thought for a moment, and declared,

“Stop daydreaming. You won’t find it. Even if your skin looks a bit better and you’re a little prettier, you’re still stuck; there’s no chance to date a boy from high school.”

The girl murmured softly, ‘Actually, I prefer JK,’ while wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. Confused, she went back to the living room to continue watching the show.

At that moment, deep within her soul, a tangled web of jumbled letters, dark borders, and mysterious symbols twisted and twined. Sometimes it formed arrows, sometimes it transformed into flowing light, before finally settling down silently, lurking at the bottom of the sea of divine sense, without any movement.

…

…

Daxia, Shunchang County.

Below Spirit Peak, Fulong Town.

This ancient and charming town outside the city is filled with a long history and culture. In the area leading to the mountain, there are many shrines, altars, and temples everywhere.

In the afternoon, on the rugged mountain path, a tall figure walked through the shifting shadows and light. Her black hair was tied back into a low ponytail with a red ribbon. A simple white shirt fit her mature shape well, and her sleek black pants hugged her long legs.

The woman’s brown-red eyes gazed into the afternoon sun, her beautiful face outlined by a warm glow, reflecting a calmness and weariness of someone from society.

Mizunoe Shini stepped over the tangled grass, using her shiny silver lighter to light three incense sticks in her hand. She quietly walked along the mountain path, her brows sometimes lowering as she nostalgically looked at the nearby graves that were cleaned every year, still pristine, with devotion and sadness.

Mizunoe Shini, 28 years old, a retired witch, formerly known by the code name Red Lotus.

Six years ago, she participated in the suppression battle against the Sanqing uprising with 17 other witches.

As a result, 10 people died, 3 were left disabled, 1’s lantern degraded, and 4 were seriously injured. As one of the injured, she was left with a dusty lantern, her magic energy faded, and the magic armor she created became unstable, making the Blooming Flowers unusable.

Because of this, she had to put away her Artificial Lantern and was asked by the Countermeasures Bureau to retire.

After that, at her request, she was assigned to Fulong Town, which is not far from the Sanqing forbidden area, working in the department promoting local culture, holding a nominal managerial position.

There was no other reason; it was simply because those people were buried on Spirit Peak Mountain.

The disaster aura of the Calamity God is like a virus, carrying the meditative tendrils of its kind. The bodies of the fallen have become excellent nourishment, and even when turned to ashes, they leave hidden dangers that cannot fade away.

Buried too close is too near the forbidden area.

Buried too far may harm the people.

Therefore, these comrades from all over the world can only be buried on Spirit Peak, which was affected by that war and is a distance from the town.

Mizunoe Shini is in charge of placing and monitoring the Light Stone Pedestal in Fulong Town. She should have been watching the live stream to know more about the “Dazzling Stage.”

But it is a coincidence that September 21st, six years ago, was the day her comrade sacrificed their life.

Today is the anniversary of their passing. They were children who loved to smile, and she naturally wanted to visit on a brighter day.

The mountain path is rough and steep, but climbing it feels like a cleansing experience.

Mizunoe Shini’s memories swirl as she remembers her grandfather, who was a keeper of the traditional mask-making art. She once thought that after finishing college, she might return to that ancient town to pass on this craft.

Looking back, as she stumbled along the way, all that filled her memories were images of cruelty, blood, and pain. The joyful, shining, and precious moments were out of reach. Once opened, they felt like hot coals in her chest, overwhelming her lungs and making her weep.

The mask her grandfather gave her when she was young has lost its color and shape in the chaos of memories after the war’s trauma.

Thinking closely, the latest memory of the mask stays at her grandfather’s funeral.

As she reaches the end of the mountain path, the incense in her hand is now just a handful of ash. She takes a Marlboro cigarette from the metal box, dips it in the ash, lights it, puts it in her mouth, and stands in front of the Great Sage Temple, inhaling deeply, her eyes misty.

The woman stood at the end of the steps, looking back at the rugged mountain path, as if chatting with an old friend, she whispered to herself:

“I’m almost 30 years old, and like you silly people, I’m still not married.”

“Grandpa would yell at me if he knew.”

Mizunoe Shini took a movie ticket from her pocket, placed it on the steps, and quietly watched it get carried away by the wind, then said:

“Did you know? That battle was made into a movie, and they used your faces. I saw the movie, and just as you guessed, many people cried in the theater.”

“I didn’t cry; I was just thinking that it’s only been 6 years, and I’m starting to forget what you all look like. Time is really scary.”

Her words were lost in the wind, with no one to hear them.

But if there are mountain spirits, perhaps these words could reach them.

Mizunoe Shini talked a lot about little things, and when she finished her last cigarette, she finally stopped talking, fell silent for a long time, then started to go down the steps, ready to return to the office to watch the Donghong tournament live stream.

Soon, a familiar scent filled the air.

It was like burnt feathers and burning sulfur, sending a wave of disgust through her nerves and making her brain alert.

“Disaster aura.”

Mizunoe Shini quickly unfastened the tight collar button. With a calm expression, she turned back, stepped over the stairs, folded her sleeves, and used her phone to send a warning. Holding onto a calm, icy emotion, she walked towards the Great Sage Temple.

Deep in the temple, the colorful and ancient Great Sage statue, worshipped at the incense altar, seemed to be slowly cracking. The monkey’s expression grew more lively, its carved eyes shattered, replaced by fierce and angry beast-like eyes burning with fire.

In the next moment, endless fine hairs burst out of the shell, fresh blood and flesh swelled, and black fur wildly expanded.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven came back to life!!!

The iron cauldron filled with incense was suddenly overturned, and the little stone monkeys on either side fell to the ground, taking down with them the two stone tablets marked “Great Sage of the Heavens” and “Great Sage Equal to Heaven,” which shattered.

The black monkey swelled in size, like the Modeling Heaven and Earth from fairy tales, ripping apart its purple-gold crown, golden armor, and cloud-walking footwear, as if shedding its shell, bursting through the roof, roaring in fury.

Countless flying incense, broken stones, wood, and thick smoke whirled in the fierce wind. The flames pouring from the fiery eyes gathered and melted the wreckage of the temple, forming a large and mottled Needle of Stability.

Mizunoe Shini angrily threw away the cigarette pack. She took out her pocket watch, stared at the scene, and whispered:

“Has the power of the Three Pure Ones overflowed the defense again?”

The Three Pure Ones, a great terror rooted in Daxia Country, possessed many incredible and incomprehensible powers. The one that caused them the most trouble was the ability to turn illusion into reality.

The Countermeasures Bureau speculated that the reason the Calamity God could arrive in a form familiar to them was likely due to the power of the Three Pure Ones disguising it.

The Three Pure Ones themselves could use local culture to steal hearts and the essence of civilization, practicing their powers from the void and creating followers.

In the last incident in the forbidden zone, the Three Pure Ones nearly revived half of the Heavenly Court. If not for the 18 magical girls who fought to the death and, before their end, [Scatterflowers] to push Patronus Magic to its limits, blocking this large-scale turning illusion into reality, they would have pushed the forbidden zone back to its original place. Daxia’s hundred billion population might not have survived.

— “We must not let it escape.”

— “Otherwise, the Three Pure Ones will activate more mythological beings.”

The pocket watch opened, and the dusty Lantern Gem floated up.

Mizunoe Shini crushed it in her hand, and a bright red flame burst forth, rising with the wind to form a longbow in her hands.

The unstable magic energy could at most create part of the Magic Armor.

This longbow, which had once pierced the sky and torn apart the heavenly palace, was her last possible spell.

Even if it was damaged, it could still be useful.

Mizunoe Shini breathed gently, staring into the fierce golden eyes, her reddish-brown gaze burning brightly. She ignored the pain of the chaotic magic energy within her body and forced herself to control this fleeting power. With a slight smile, she whispered each word:

“You are not the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

The dark Great Sage looked down at this little ant. The golden staff in his hand was like a colossal pillar, violently breaking through the heat barrier. With pure power and speed, he unleashed a shockwave that shattered eardrums, aiming the staff directly at the foolish one who pulled back the bowstring and refused to flee.

…

…

At the same time, just like the Three Pure Ones, the other Calamity God forbidden zones also had their seals weakening, gradually awakening, and at this moment of increased freedom, they each used their own means to tear apart this fragile peace.

The pure white walls became even more illusory, like a mirage slowly fading away, overlooking the movements of the world, unable to speak.

And at this moment, on the border of the Donghong Federation, there was an island isolated deep within a glacier, almost cut off from the world.

This place was made entirely of black lava, with only a layer of ice covering its shell. The coastline was steep, and there were many glaciers to the east. There were no permanent residents, just a lonely whaling station and an automatic weather station.

By the coast,

A shrine maiden crouched by the rocks counting the little crabs. She tilted her head to look at a penguin that had come over, as if joining her in counting, and exclaimed:

“Little Qing, these penguins are cuter than the ones on the other side of Sada!”

The Pure White Witch sat nearby, dressed in heavy winter clothes, with her face surrounded by white fluff, making her look even smaller and cuter. Her golden eyes were unfocused, and upon hearing this, she slowly returned to her senses and said earnestly:

“What we are waiting for is not a penguin, but a whale, or a shark would work too.”

“In any case, we need a fish to take us to the Crimson Polar Realm.”

Although they spent their last remaining money to join the research team’s journey, they followed their own way to reach the place on the world map that is closest to the Crimson Polar Realm.

But the remaining journey still had to be taken slowly.

For Honey Qing, who had once held concerts for a bunch of sea animals, using her singing to exchange for a ticket was the smartest solution!