Chapter 194: Mission Complete, Return To The Present World
After A Miao left, Yuan Zhu successfully picked a lock using the [Shadow Uniform], bringing the four newcomers into an office on the fifth floor to take refuge.
At this time, Buddhist Pollution spread throughout the [Space Fault], but no more ‘Buddha Cocoon Parasites’ appeared to launch attacks.
Completely settled down, the two had nothing to do and could only silently wait for this ‘Time-Space Crisis’ to end soon, so they could return to reality on the normal timeline.
During the boring wait, since they were idle anyway. Now, they were the ‘strongest and greatest’, holding the discourse power, so they happily decided to extract intelligence from the four ‘Future People’, grasp future trends, and control the initiative.
But unfortunately, these four people were all controlled by ‘Vine Armor’, unable to speak or move their hands. Only their eyes could dart around, expressing anger and dissatisfaction.
In addition, their legs were not restricted and could move freely and escape.
So Yuan Zhu had a flash of inspiration and said to them: “Next, we will take turns asking questions. If the answer is ‘correct’, jump in place. If the answer is ‘wrong’, crouch slightly. If the answer is ‘don’t know’, twist and sway. Understand?”
Hearing this, two males immediately hopped slightly, expressing willingness to cooperate. Seeing the two females not cooperating, Meng Xiyue let out a eerie cackle and took out a lighter from her backpack…
After a bout of ‘modern and future’ friendly exchange, both sides reached a consensus. Unable to hold back, Meng Xiyue seized the lead and shouted: “Me!”
Then began a series of leading questions. The four newcomers, still shaken, just recovering from severe injuries, and greatly depleted in vitality, stood in place, jumping, crouching, and twisting seductively… Meanwhile, in the air, accompanied by the constantly spreading seductive Zen Sound, the walls began to writhe and distort, surfacing with one Maitreya Face after another.
…
Time continued to pass. Yuan Zhu, through the timing system built into the [Immortal Scripture] and combining it with the mission time revealed earlier by the mechanical helmet, could confirm that there were only thirty minutes left until the [Space Fault] returned to reality.
If things went smoothly, they only needed to withstand the next rounds of increasingly intense indiscriminate ‘Buddhist Pollution’ erosion to smoothly return with the [Space Fault].
As for the four newcomers who were nearly broken from the ordeal, they were also enduring increasingly severe ‘Buddhist Dharma Erosion’. Fortunately, Yuan Zhu periodically applied a round of ‘Holy Light’ to them for negative status dispel, allowing them to preserve their rationality and consciousness amid repeated torment.
Under the threat of life safety, they had to jump and twist vigorously, cooperating as much as possible to answer Meng Xiyue’s questions. But after standing by for a while, Yuan Zhu lost interest in the ‘future’.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t curious, but these four newcomers were too low-level, with limited valuable information, making it impossible to extract anything worthwhile through interrogation.
Because direct language communication was impossible, the other side could only answer yes or no unilaterally, making intelligence gathering inefficient.
The two could only initiate one-sided questions based on their own knowledge reserves, then judge the future world’s state through the answers. Since they didn’t know the ‘pivotal major events’ that could change the world’s course, they couldn’t pose relevant questions to judge right or wrong.
On the other hand, before being recruited by the [Time-Space Security Bureau], these four were just ordinary people who knew nothing. Their situation was very similar to Yuan Zhu, Lu Rang, and Mai Lili who were pulled into the [Happy Home]—pure passersby + civilians.
Therefore, their understanding of Du Ling’s future ‘Supernatural Powers’ was limited, confined to their own daily lives, and even their reading was very limited.
After Meng Xiyue’s relentless questioning, the two finally learned that on future Du Ling Star, overt ‘Supernatural Events’ were even rarer, the social environment more safe and stable, and the strong religious atmosphere had faded. The West Coast’s economy was extraordinarily developed, entering a new phase of coexistence between ‘super conglomerates’ and ‘religion’.
In addition, [Super Enterprises] were another new concept religion. In Yuan Zhu’s view, it seemed more like the [Capital Demon God] route under the [Anti-Law] system?
Could it be that after the [Space of Gods] was destroyed, a large number of Anti-Law Evil Gods began reverse infiltration into Du Ling, all whitewashing themselves ashore, following the [Mao Mao King. Luxury Children’s Wear God] route?
Additionally, the [Pale Great Law] continued to strengthen in the future, with its dominant [Security Bureau] indiscriminately slaying everywhere, abolishing various Forbidden Pollution systems and illegal Supernatural Systems…
Yuan Zhu guessed: Perhaps because the [Law] grew stronger, the [Anti-Law] dependent on it synchronously enhanced, allowing Anti-Law Demon Gods to optimize repeatedly, transitioning into the [Capital Demon God] form?
Hmm, with this reference, he could boldly and confidently moonlight as [Anti-Law], developing it as the next focus!
The future is pretty amazing, right?!
Besides future major trends, the two couldn’t extract much more valuable information. This group of Future People’s common sense about ‘Supernatural Systems’ was even less than what Yuan Zhu, an Otherworlder, knew.
From this, it could be judged that future ‘Du Ling Star’ hid Supernatural Knowledge even deeper, with society more stable and mundane.
After several rounds of questioning with no expected results, Meng Xiyue also felt bored. Helplessly, she let go of the sweaty newcomers.
At this time, countdown to return: 23 minutes.
At the bottom (1st floor) of the [Star Realm Bank], intense vibrations, roars, explosions, and furious roars erupted…
That berserk roar and screech no longer relied on air transmission but erupted from the mental level, sweeping the entire ‘Space Fault’, ignoring all obstacles and barriers.
Like an outburst of Conqueror’s Haki, it instantly shocked and flipped the four newcomers. And in their unconscious state, it continuously eroded their bodies from afar, with skin exposed to the air rippling with writhing waves, forming one ‘eerie grinning Buddha Face’ after another, rolling eyeballs, staring fixedly at Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue, opening mouths to chant scriptures.
Buddhist Dharma Pollution directly erupted within the fifth-floor safe point!
At this moment, Yuan Zhu reacted swiftly, decisively pouncing forward, landing rounds of [Holy Cough Infectious Fist] on these newcomers’ bodies, then fully releasing [Holy Light Blessing] for forced purification.
Suppressing the ‘Buddhist Pollution’ appearing on their bodies, incinerating and destroying it with Holy Light. The Buddha Faces stopped chanting and began screaming, their features fusing together, becoming even more grotesque and bizarre.
Beside him, Meng Xiyue knelt on the floor, hands supporting her body, constantly dry-heaving.
Until warm Holy Light enveloped her, dispelling the ‘Buddha Rhyme’ in her body, did she relax, shouting: “Don’t stop, keep shining on me! Shine on my head! Quickly, increase the dosage!”
“This isn’t good, right? [Holy Light] isn’t some good thing; too much exposure leaves hidden dangers.”
Facing his teammate, he didn’t dare unleash [Holy Light] recklessly, fearing side effects. In his eyes, even the weakest [Holy Light] was more dangerous than an X-ray at the hospital.
Over these days, through various analysis and detection by the [Immortal Scripture], he confirmed that [Holy Light] at least possessed super-strong ‘radiation’ properties, manifesting as ‘burning, purification, destruction’.
[Holy Light] wasn’t fire, so it lacked traditional ‘combustion’ ability. But it could still produce destructive ‘high-temperature radiation burning’ effects like a ‘microwave oven or light-wave oven’, and quite strongly.
Using this to shine on Meng Xiyue’s head, he feared burning out her intelligence and hair follicle roots.
‘Your intelligence cap is -1, -1, -1… Your total hair volume is -1, -1, -1…’ Ultimately evolving from [Wisdom School Female Top Student] to [Retard School Female Bald Donkey].
Meng Xiyue understood Yuan Zhu’s concern, forcing a smile to reassure: “Don’t worry, shine away. Our school has a long history of cooperation with the [Holy Church]. Mere Holy Light won’t harm the brain!”
……
About 15 minutes into the countdown, accompanied by a burst of intense fluctuations, the Buddhist Pollution inside the [Star Realm Bank] reached a critical peak, then began plummeting…
When the countdown hit only 10 minutes, the door to the room where Yuan Zhu’s group was, was kicked open from outside.
Then, the robust man with pitch-black skin, covered in muscles and wounds, entered first. His gaze swept around, finally locking onto the four newcomers protected by the [Sanctuary].
Confirming no losses, he voluntarily stepped aside, pulled over a chair, squeezed in, and rested silently.
Following closely, the mechanical helmet and A Miao, who didn’t even have a speck of dirt on her clothes, entered in turn. Then the red-haired giant with severely damaged clothes and hair tied in a bun, and the Alien Pumpkin Head with a 1/5 missing chunk in its head.
All four veterans survived, but their auras were feeble and dispirited, all half-dead appearances.
At this time, the mechanical helmet acting as communication bridge said to A Miao: “Start quickly; we have little time left, less than 10 minutes. If we delay further, we can’t fulfill the contract upon return, and the responsibility is yours.”
A Miao nodded but didn’t rush to fulfill any agreement, instead looking at Yuan Zhu and the other: “You two, interested in contacting the [Star Core] for a stroke of fortune?”
Yuan Zhu tilted his head: “Huh?”
Meng Xiyue made the expression of Sun Wukong wanting to get rid of the Tang Monk team, pointing at herself: “Me?”
A Miao nodded: “Yes! Time is limited, so I’ll make it short. I don’t trust them, worried there’s a trick inside. So I’m giving you a fortune to test for me, make first contact with the ‘Star Core’. If no issues, I’ll contact it then. If no problems, the greatest opportunity in this unexpected experience will be shared among us, not in vain for our life-and-death struggles.”
A Miao made it very clear: this [Star Core] was something she fought hard for, and now willing to share it was extremely generous.
For this group of veterans, ‘mechanical helmet’ had shared the [Side Mission] with them. Since they couldn’t return the [Yellow Springs Witch]’s fate to the original path, might as well interfere heavily and forcibly deviate it.
In his view, making the other deviate from the set trajectory and prematurely contact the [Star Core] they shouldn’t intersect with; was equivalent to reverse-replicating the ‘Buddhism meddling in Star Constellation Plan’ they were supposed to prevent, similarly causing timeline changes and disrupting future fate.
But the issue was, preventing Buddhism earned benefits, while allowing A Miao contact earned extra income. Yes, we righteous warriors safeguarding the [Sacred Timeline] are that double-standard!
If at this moment, allowing A Miao to share the [Star Core], it would further amplify, deepening the other’s fate fluctuations.
Seemingly having Yuan Zhu and the other test the waters for her, but actually increasing the karma she bore. From one person tainting ‘Star Constellation Plan’, to her involving more people in premature ‘Star Constellation Plan contact’… triggering more complex future interference.
Yuan Zhu and the other, unaware of this, only knew opportunity had arrived!
This wave had both opportunity and danger. As for what exactly the [Star Constellation Plan] was? Mechanical helmet had introduced it early, but more details were unknown even to A Miao.
Now, the young lady just met not long ago fought tooth and nail for them, securing this fortune and willing to share. The risk they bore was merely testing the waters and poison first—what was there to nitpick?
Thus, Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue said in unison: “You do it!” ×2
Mechanical helmet couldn’t help urging: “Hey! Time is short; only last 8 minutes to countdown return!” With that, he raised his hand, releasing a ball of compressed profound dark universe starry sky light.
A Miao also nodded: “Hurry! Don’t waste time, lest we end up delighted for nothing.”
Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue exchanged tacit glances again: “Together!” ×2
So the two simultaneously reached out, pressing onto the black light orb floating mid-air. The next moment, the [Great Desolation Immortal Scripture] emitted a shrill blare, a series of alarm and warning sounds exploding in his mind, massive information flooding into his soul, blanking his consciousness.
Simultaneously, [Little Spicy Stick] stepped forward, having obtained Yuan Zhu’s prior authorization, and began receiving external unfamiliar and extremely dangerous garbled files.
Compared to Yuan Zhu, whose eyes turned into high-beam flashlights emitting blinding Holy Light outward (self-protection mode) with briefly lost consciousness; opposite Meng Xiyue fared even worse, eyes rolled back white, half-kneeling on the ground, right hand stuck fast to the black light orb unable to shake off.
She too lost consciousness, body shuddering and convulsing violently, brain flooded with chunks of ‘unknown knowledge’. No, accurately, what flowed from the [Star Core] wasn’t pure knowledge, but carried more unknown things via ‘information’ as carrier.
“Pfft!”
In less than 30 seconds, Meng Xiyue couldn’t hold out first, bleeding from all orifices and collapsing, but no life threat.
Mechanical helmet shrugged: “Her physique is too weak, soul strength even lower, unable to support such massive information injection, overload coma. You can check her; absolutely no hidden dangers.”
A Miao ignored him, took out a flashlight, turned it on emitting green light, scanned Meng Xiyue thoroughly, then shone at Yuan Zhu, but was dispelled and bounced by the ‘Holy Light’ erupting from his body.
After several detection rounds, with countdown under 5 minutes, A Miao hesitated no more, reached out and pressed on. Veins bulged at her forehead and temple junction, but she gritted teeth and endured, maintaining conscious consciousness, perceiving the [Star Core]’s leaked information and extracting unknown benefits from it.
“Pfft!”
Soon, Yuan Zhu was released by the black light orb, body scalding hot and red, half-dead appearance of brain burned from high-temperature overload, lying peacefully on the ground. Eyes still emitting white light outward, but brightness gradually weakened and cooled… breathing steadied.
When he awoke again, regaining consciousness, his ears filled with noisy chatter, footsteps, and business hall speakers playing number calls and service prompts.
“I… ? What happened to me? Where am I?”
He opened his eyes, finding himself sitting in a chair in the Star Realm Bank business hall, waiting for service. Beside him were still-low-headed comatose Meng Xiyue, and A Miao engrossed in a fashion magazine.
