Could the Doctor's experint be related to Ti's "last words"?
Cheng Shi found it impossible to judge.
At this point, everyone in the Fear Faction was doing their utmost to avoid contaminating Fixed Destiny's will. They seed intent on letting Cheng Shi walk the final stretch alone.
Cheng Shi, too, wanted to hold his fate in his own hands. The problem was that the myriad clues They'd left behind still shunted him onto a road he couldn't refuse. So much so that he had no way of telling whether everything that ca next was the inertia of the Fear Faction's residual will dragging him along — or genuine rebellion born from his own heart.
'Perhaps it doesn't matter. I'm still resisting, and that's enough.'
Even if the horror story proved true — even if so-called Origin was nothing more than another version of himself, backed into a corner — at least in this mont, Cheng Shi had figured out how to search for a future.
He had intended to discuss it with Ti. But Ti... had no more ti.
Seeing Cheng Shi sink into thought, the Doctor didn't disturb him. He simply stood there in silence, conflicted expressions chasing one another across his face.
The silence was shattered abruptly. Cheng Shi snapped his head up, startling the Doctor — but before the Doctor could decide whether to speak, Cheng Shi's expression shifted:
"Not good!"
He vanished in an instant, leaving the bewildered Doctor standing alone.
A second later, the Doctor stared at the spot where Cheng Shi's figure had disappeared. His face was a knot of complicated relief.
The good news: perhaps because his emotions had been too volatile, Yu Xi had failed to notice the anomaly in this stretch of Void.
The bad news: his devotion to Yu Xi had been desecrated. Even if there were reasons, it had shattered the equilibrium of faith in his heart, pushing the normally composed Yu Xi follower toward a feverish, almost warped zeal.
Wang Weijin's eyes were bloodshot. He watched the faintly stirring Void behind him, his expression in rapid flux.
He was struggling. He was asking himself whether he could be the one brave enough.
The direction the world was heading — new gods replacing old — was no longer a secret among the Jokers. Zhen Xin, the Dragon King, and others were already well down that path. By rights, as the number-one player on Truth's ladder, with Truth long since fallen, he was the overwhelming favorite to inherit Truth's Divine Throne. But now...
Two roads lay before him:
Either carry his devotion to Yu Xi and hurl this enormous problem outward, or find another "lucky soul" to handle it. But he couldn't decide on a candidate.
And compared to relying on others, he was far more inclined to handle it himself — because he feared soone else's cowardice might plunge Yu Xi and the world into crisis.
The trouble was, if he got tangled up in this, would anyone be left to inherit Truth's position?
Wei Zhi was one option. The question was whether his proximity to Fixed Destiny would earn Yu Xi's approval.
While he was mulling it over, another ripple spread through the Void. Thinking Cheng Shi had returned, the Doctor spun around, hastily acting as though nothing had happened.
But the figures who stepped out of the Void this ti weren't Cheng Shi. They were Zhen Xin and Hong Lin!
The two new gods appeared before him side by side. The Doctor's expression flickered; he forced himself to look composed:
"What brings you here... Praise be to Yu Xi."
"?" Hong Lin, who hadn't seen the Doctor in a while, eyed him quizzically. "What kind of quirk is this? Are you cosplaying a Cheng Shi cultist?"
"Pfft..."
Zhen Xin couldn't hold back a laugh and offered Hong Lin a brief explanation. Hong Lin was stunned: "You can actually do that?"
"Why not?
A perfect solution that integrates devout faith, focused efficiency, and emotional equilibrium all in one. You'd probably only see it in a Truth follower like the Doctor."
Zhen Xin smiled and turned to the Doctor. Noticing his evasive gaze, a glint of suspicion flickered in her eyes — but she didn't press him. Instead, she said lightly: "Enough about that. Let's talk about sothing else.
Doctor, we ca to give you a heads-up. A certain soone is too busy to cover every base. We can't have you going into your succession confused.
We've already reclaid Truth's voting rights — or rather, that hardly matters anymore. Cheng Shi has beco the Pact's new Proxy; everyone's Divine Throne successions are inevitable.
Truth's voting rights are currently in Hong Lin's hands. Out of respect for a comrade, she insisted on coming to tell you in person before you inherit the Throne.
We may not get many chances to attend future Assemblies, or to cast votes, but she still wants you to know — before she casts Truth's ballot, she'll consult your opinion. Though I suspect most of the ti it'll just follow Cheng Shi's lead anyway..."
Even Zhen Xin herself laughed at that.
Hong Lin wasn't the least bit embarrassed. She grinned broadly: "That's exactly right."
But in truth, Hong Lin's actual thoughts weren't so simple.
She could see Cheng Shi's confusion and wanted desperately to help. She knew, however, that strategizing wasn't her strength. So she'd settled on a different idea: during the "downti" when Cheng Shi didn't need them, she would gather everyone together to brainstorm for the world's sake and lighten Fixed Destiny's burden.
The Jokers and the Destined Ones were all acquaintances. At this point there was no reason to deliberate separately. However those two organizations had been founded, ultimately they all stood together now.
And it wasn't just those two groups. Hong Lin's plan was to pull every sharp mind into one circle — including but not limited to the Doctor, Wei Mu, Sun Miao, and more. But since the Jokers were "closer," she'd asked Zhen Xin to forge the first connection.
What she hadn't expected was to stumble upon the Doctor's strange behavior the mont they arrived.
Zhen Xin — a trickster as sharp as they ca, now wielding Chaos's Authority — spotted the anomaly in this stretch of Void at a single glance. She waited with a knowing half-smile, expecting the Doctor to give her an explanation.
Wang Weijin, realizing he couldn't hide it from her, heaved a deep breath:
"I can tell you. But he must not hear it."
Who "he" referred to needed no guessing.
The instant the words left his mouth, both Zhen Xin's and Hong Lin's expressions changed. The three exchanged glances. Under the Doctor's solemn, confirming nod, a violent surge of Chaos power swept over the area, shrouding it completely.
Prosperity's power seized every gap, sealing this patch of Void off entirely.
"What happened?" Zhen Xin's eyes were grave.
The Doctor gritted his teeth and withdrew the Eye No One he had been projecting across the entire stretch of Void.
And as the vast black curtain was torn away, an indescribably brilliant, seven-hued divine radiance sat quietly, flooding into both won's eyes.
"!!!!"
"What is this?!"
Feeling the overwhelming power radiating from it, both Zhen Xin and Hong Lin turned pale with fright.
"Origin's power."
The Doctor's expression was complex. "The second thing Ti left behind before He departed.
He said it must never be touched by Cheng Shi. And it must never remain in this starry sky.
Cheng Shi had just left before you arrived. He didn't notice it. I was planning to embrace it with my own body and carry it away..."
Before he could finish, Zhen Xin cut him off: "Absolutely not. Truth's Divine Throne is vacant. No one can inherit it but you."
"Wei Zhi—"
"It's complicated..." Zhen Xin's face tightened. "There's a strong chance Wei Mu is Folly's Authority. He can't inherit Folly's Divine Throne. And after discussions between Qin Xin and , Vice President Sun has also disappeared. That ans Wei Zhi is most likely the candidate for Folly's Throne — because the true soul inside his skin is actually the Folly follower Galusha!"
The Doctor blinked, overwheld. There was too much shocking news at once; for a mont, he didn't know how to react.
'Wei Mu is Folly's Authority? Actually... that tracks.'
"But how did you learn that Wei Zhi is Galusha?"
"The Life Sage, Hu Xuan." Zhen Xin nodded with absolute certainty. "She told . Wei Zhi is Galusha."
The Truth-following Doctor would normally have dug deeper, but the instant he heard the na "Hu Xuan," he understood.
'A reward for helping with the child, presumably?'
"I see. But that ans—"
Their exchange continued, but Hong Lin suddenly stepped forward, raised a hand to cut them off, and declared with steely resolve: "I'll do it!"
"!!??"
"Absolutely not!" Zhen Xin refused without a heartbeat's hesitation.
But this ti, Hong Lin's reasoning was razor-sharp:
"There's nothing 'not' about it. I'm the most suited person.
Power this terrifying — even the slightest leak would be a world-ending catastrophe. We've fought too hard to get here. We can't afford another mistake.
If I hand it to soone else, I won't be able to rest easy."
Zhen Xin's face shifted: "But you're Prosperity—"
Hong Lin flashed a brilliant smile:
"Prosperity, so what? I am Prosperity — but I can also be an old god.
After all, I'm not the only Prosperity candidate drawing near Fixed Destiny.
Fate works in mysterious ways. I knew my choice was right. Having that little fox in the Destined Ones was my blessing — and my confidence.
No one is more suited to do this than !
And while I'm at it — with this power — I'd like to go ask that Creator a question. Ask Him what gives Him the right to be so heartless toward this world!"
...
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