That trace of remnant soul almost affected the completeness of my Dao Fruit image.

Although it was merely a concern at first, Shion had actually guessed it wouldn't be that simple.

It was a pity she hadn't refined the Human Emperor Banner yet; otherwise, she could have restrained and refined this remnant soul, possibly making her Time Dao Fruit even more stable.

Daoist Lu Ya had already returned to the past, so refining just this one remnant soul shouldn't affect her.

But now, saying anything was too late. Shion could only silently reflect that her preparations still weren't thorough enough.

If she ever encountered something like this again, she absolutely couldn't be caught helpless again...

She glanced once more at the heart and the Time Dao Fruit in her hand.

Who knew how many people's core blood had been stained on them, but the Dao Fruit itself was innocent.

And since so many people had already died because of it, even though it was burdened with grievous sins, if she didn't use it now, wouldn't she be betraying the sacrifices of the dead?

The true sinner, Lu Ya, had already been brought to justice. Using this Dao Fruit now was actually acting on behalf of heaven!

I will properly inherit the will of all the deceased and use the Time Dao Fruit on the righteous path!

This is using an evil tool for good purposes — the true Dao!

After comforting herself in this way, Shion finally tallied up all her gains.

Then she felt her own power.

The laws of Full Bloom were still raging madly, demanding that her essence, energy, and spirit be returned to the heavens.

Endless, ceaseless, and without rest.

Was this the noise one had to endure after activating Full Bloom?

Shion curled her lips into a cold smile. With her unmatched divine will, she slammed heavily against the power and laws of Full Bloom!

The Space Dao Seed within her surged, beginning to evolve into a subspace. The Emperor and the Little Black Dragon were both startled.

"What are you doing, Dad!"

"Creating a cave heaven, merging with the great fruit!"

Just as she was about to use the method of merging cave heaven with the Dao to solve the Full Bloom hidden danger once and for all, she suddenly looked up.

Her gaze fixed on the void that had previously rippled.

"Why hide and skulk?"

"When did I ever hide?"

The Prince, stroking the reassembled Void Mirror in her hand, sat within the mirror space, her tone laced with undisguised disgust and hatred. "I just wanted to see you die. I didn't expect that the legendary taboo demon of Chongxu would only be this much."

"Still a bit stronger than you."

The earlier arrogance on the other side vanished considerably.

Shion paused slightly, not expecting her to not retort.

Although she was telling the truth, given the Prince's nature, she would never admit it.

Shion wasn't one to be harsh either. She planned to give the other party a way out and ease the tension between them — after all, Nalan Yanran and the Flame Emperor hadn't ended up as mortal enemies either.

Naturally, Shion didn't think she had to fight the Nalan Prince to the death.

In fact, letting the other party off magnanimously and gracefully letting bygones be bygones would better show her broad-mindedness and character.

This was also where the Flame Emperor surpassed others.

Therefore, the broad-minded Shion naturally intended to give the other party a way out. After all, now that she had joined the Saint Hall, they would see each other often.

As someone skilled in interpersonal relationships, Shion didn't want to make the atmosphere too tense.

But unexpectedly, the other party remained silent for a long time, completely without intent to refute—

In truth, the Prince wanted to argue.

But after thinking for a long time, although she was unconvinced, she really couldn't find a reason to argue. She wasn't one to be stubborn, so she had to say, "You are indeed a bit stronger than me. But what's the point? In the end, you'll just become a departed soul in my hands. In life, what matters isn't height, but length..."

As she spoke, she heard a reply from the other side, "Not bad."

The Prince was momentarily at a loss for words again.

After thinking for a long time, she could only snort coldly and say, "Don't think that a few kind words will settle the score between us. What happened between us will never end."

"With such an invincible mindset, you have great potential to achieve the Dao."

Just as she was about to use the method of merging cave heaven with the Dao to solve the Full Bloom hidden danger once and for all, she suddenly looked up.

The person before her had the right to make such an assessment.

She kept shifting the coordinates of her mirror space, trying to prevent Shion from finding her — although it was a futile effort, like covering her ears while stealing a bell.

But for Itaen, it was very important.

It allowed her to comfort herself, telling herself that the reason they could talk now wasn't because Shion still cherished old feelings for her.

It was purely because the other party simply couldn't find her.

Thinking of this, a hint of bitterness surged in her heart again. She leaned against the plain wall of the mirror space, sitting on the ground with one leg curled up and the other stretched out. The delicate texture wrapped in black stockings gently rubbed against the mirror surface, leaving faint, barely visible traces.

Without any dignity, she still maintained her pride: "You really show no mercy. No matter how many times, no matter who it is, even a girl like Lu Ya, can't shake you even a little, can't make you hesitate or hold back?"

"Prince Little Friend, why are you talking like a sissy today?"

"I've always been a girl! And I'm no longer the Prince. How many times do I have to say it? I am the Mirror Queen, the ruler of the Mirror Kingdom!"

"Sorry."

Suddenly, she heard a reply from the other side: "Old habits. I'm more used to calling you Prince."

She opened her mouth, pressing her hand against her suddenly and irregularly pounding heart.

Biting her lip hard, she suppressed her reaction.

Don't act frivolous like a little pet.

I am the queen ruling the Mirror Kingdom!

So she turned her suppressed feelings into a cold sneer: "Fine. Expecting someone with your brain capacity to remember my title change is asking too much. Prince it is then. And I'm more used to the name Simo Tu too..."

"That's a fake name. Don't use it."

"You're a hypocrite too!"

"Prince Little Friend's temperament still needs some work."

Unable to hold back any longer, the Prince said in exasperation, "Better than you!"

After two rapid breaths, she felt she wasn't being dignified and quickly calmed down.

She looked around. Her mirror space was still near Chongxu, so she could naturally sense the changes in Chongxu. But she didn't care; she just stared at the Void Mirror.

Lu Ya's AI was imprisoned inside, squatting with her legs hugged.

Pursing her lips, the Prince gently reached out and stroked the girl within the mirror.

Like stroking her own past, downtrodden self.

"Killing Lu Ya like this, don't you feel anything?"

"Why should I feel anything?"

"She was your friend, right?"

"A fellow Daoist."

"Whether friend or fellow Daoist, can't you show mercy?"

She paused before continuing, "Like you did with me back then."

Why, only towards me, did you not strike the killing blow?

You are clearly a cruel and indifferent Magical Girl, a nightmare passed down through the old world, enough to make children stop crying. You've shown no mercy to any enemy, even the Disaster Beasts and old world remnants passing by were ruthlessly crushed by your killing intent.

Yet at that very moment, you spared my life.

Why? Why why why...

It tormented her, keeping her awake at night. Amidst hatred, resentment, and humiliation, it constantly hindered her progress and drove her to hysteria.

There was always a voice asking her this.

Why did you only deceive me, but not kill me?

Now, seeing Lu Ya, who seemed to have a closer relationship with her, being just as ruthlessly crushed by the other party...

This feeling became even more pronounced.

To the point where she couldn't help but draw closer, to speak.

Finally steering the conversation to this point, voicing the question that tormented her chest.

"What did you mean by sparing me?"

She didn't know what answer she wanted.

That day, as she drifted down from above the world, she watched Shion's lips move. Countless emotions were drowned out by those words, leaving only melancholy and self-loathing.

In truth, according to her past self, even if the torment and pain drove her to end her own life, she would never lower herself to come and ask such a question.

Admitting her failure, admitting she was humiliated, admitting that all the ugliness and misery back then belonged to her.

All just to get an answer.

Why didn't you kill me back then?

But when she saw Lu Ya, this person who seemed even more familiar with Shion, the admiration and worship in her eyes were so thick they seemed to stretch like threads, making the Prince's heart pound involuntarily.

She didn't know what that emotion was.

Having a girl so greedy for the affection of someone she hated actually lessened many of the painful and tormenting emotions in her heart.

But it wasn't the relief or comfort of seeing someone similarly afflicted.

It was an even more restless, more uneasy emotion, one that made her doubt herself.

Although she couldn't understand it, it finally forced her to abandon a bit of her dignity and pride.

"Aren't you afraid I'll return in full force one day and fight you again?"

The Azure Cloud Sect was known for decisiveness and uprooting all threats — this was common knowledge in the old world.

If the Azure Cloud Sect targeted you, they would tear you out by the roots.

The Prince held her breath. She didn't know if she was hoping or fearing, waiting for the other's response.

The time was too long, so long that the Prince thought she would suffocate.

"Huang is inferior to Ye."

But Shion's opening words stunned her.

What did that mean?

Shion only said in a calm tone, "Enemies who have fallen by my hand are never considered my opponents. I give you time to catch up, until you can no longer even see me in the distance."

The Prince gripped the Void Mirror tightly, the smile on her lips growing increasingly cold and manic:

"Ha! Do you mean that Lu Ya was more dangerous than me, so you saw her as an opponent and had to kill her with all your strength? Or did all those old world enemies also make you think they were more dangerous than me?!"

"How would I know."

The Prince's surging emotions were cut off again.

She took a deep breath. "So for you, we're all just easy prey, is that it?"

"Not exactly."

With that, Shion slowly continued, "A fellow Daoist is slightly stronger than a little friend. I must go all out against a fellow Daoist to show respect; for a little friend, I naturally hold back."

"I'd rather you respected me more."

"A little friend has their own kind of respect."

"Am I really so inferior compared to Lu Ya?"

"Just in strength."

For a moment, the Prince wanted to unleash the Void Mirror's power, but she held back. "Just wait. One day, I'll make you kneel before me and take back those words!"

In the distance, Shion walked slowly with her hands behind her back, each step crossing several worlds as she headed towards Chongxu: "For the grudge of annulment and the resentment of defeat, if you hold any hatred, feel free to come and seek revenge."

"No need. I, Itaen, never look back."

The Prince's voice was exactly as it was when they first met.

The unyielding pride and that fierce self-respect were almost visible in her voice, shaping her expression and aura.

"Losing is losing. Even if you tricked me into marriage, it's no big deal. I, Itaen, don't care. Back then, I only wanted to use you. It was just that I was outplayed and lost to you. I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge. But since you look down on me, I'll make you know that I will win back eventually!"

She poured out many things in one breath, almost spilling her true heart.

Suddenly, she noticed the Magical Girl walking through the void stop.

The Prince was about to continue when she suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation.

Her gaze immediately passed through the Void Mirror to Shion.

Other things might not be able to track Shion, but the Void Mirror was different. This Supreme Emperor's Weapon could see every place where mirror space existed.

Because she had condensed almost all of her Mirror Kingdom's technology into it.

And then she realized that Shion was indeed somewhat off.

Her body, which had been able to shake the universe moments ago, suddenly seemed a bit smaller.

Even weaker.

Most importantly, even she could feel the other's mana leaking...

"No, you didn't use my Mirror Kingdom's Full Bloom method?"

After activating Full Bloom, Shion shouldn't have been leaking energy. That was why she was so strong, not harmed by Full Bloom.

Something in her heart suddenly shook, something she had never considered before.

Then, Shion suddenly started coughing violently.

Her voice grew weaker and weaker, filled with pain.

Mouthful after mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining a large area of the world red!

The Prince was stunned for a moment, taking a long, deep breath.

Then she said quietly, "What are you up to now? You don't think I'll be fooled again, do you?"

"It's nothing."

Shion only responded indifferently, wiping the blood from her lips. "Just the aftereffects of Full Bloom. The power of Full Bloom is truly overbearing; it's starting to backlash against me. The Heavenly Demon is constantly absorbing and stealing my life and strength."

"You are Shion." She murmured repeatedly, "You are Shion. How could you have problems because of something so trivial!"

The purple-haired Magical Girl nodded. "Of course. I won't be defeated so easily. As the Great Emperor of this era, even if my time is short, I can still suppress all ages! Come on, Prince Itaen."

"Even if you're dying, I won't help you. Don't call me—"

"Naturally, I won't trouble you."

Shion stood with her hands behind her back. "Since you want to surpass me, this is your best chance. Now that my power is draining and my life is in danger, this might be your only chance to defeat me. I'm giving you this opportunity, consider it settling our grudge..."

Initially, the Prince didn't really believe that this could actually affect Shion.

After all, she was too strong. So strong that even Full Bloom seemed unable to shake her.

Until the Prince felt the other's mana truly leaking.

Just like any other Magical Girl who had activated Full Bloom...

The aura of this era's strongest Full Bloom Magical Girl was constantly weakening.

A thought she had never had before gradually emerged in her mind.

Maybe she really could die...

"Idiot..."

The Prince shouted, her voice fierce but lacking real authority. "I am the Mirror Queen! What do you take me for? Some lowlife who would take advantage of someone in trouble?!"

She tried to raise her voice, making it high and angry.

"I'm just giving you an objective opportunity..."

She replied somewhat uncertainly, only to be met with even fiercer opposition.

"Don't underestimate me! I am Itaen, the Prince of the Mirror Kingdom! I don't need your charity or pity! One day, I will surpass you and defeat you. Then I'll make you my defeated opponent and return all the humiliation and insults you've given me!"

As she said this, the Prince couldn't help but stand up.

Not out of worry for her.

Not out of fear of her death.

Absolutely not.

It was just that if she died like this...

Then wouldn't she, who had lost to her so easily before, seem pathetic and incompetent?

This was about the face of the entire Mirror Kingdom!

So it wasn't some ridiculous worry, nor was it some shameless concern after having lost all face — it was purely for herself, for the pride of the Mirror Kingdom.

"Before I take my revenge, you are not allowed to die."

"Didn't you just say you don't hold grudges..."

"Shut up! Now is now, different from before. Of course, I care! You annulled the engagement in front of so many people, then defeated me in front of everyone. I became a king without a country, losing all my dignity and pride. How could I not care!"

She couldn't say anymore. She shouldn't have said this much. The more she said, the more mistakes she made, the more she revealed her ugliness.

She had to stay calm, be proud enough, have backbone, dignity, and that competitive spirit that would never bow!

But some words, uncontrollably, slipped out of her control, surging from her throat:

"So, no matter how severe or terrifying the backlash of Full Bloom is, I don't care. You cannot die. You are not allowed to die from something so worthless. Otherwise, won't I become a complete joke..."

"Don't worry, I won't die."

Watching Shion gradually move away towards Chongxu, "I promise you in the name of the Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect: Prince Itaen, I will not disgrace your reputation. Before you defeat me, I will not die."

The Prince fell silent.

"I'll wait for you in Chongxu. I look forward to your challenge."

Taking a deep breath, the Prince clutched her chest.

This was an even stronger obsession than when she persisted in restoring her kingdom and proving herself in the silent gap.

I can't lose to Lu Ya.

Become stronger, reclaim my dignity with my own hands, and make Shion, make Jiang Si, acknowledge me!

"System, help me check how long a Magical Girl can live after using the ancient method of Full Bloom."

...

Beihai, Suburban Mountain.

Bingtang accompanied the Sect Master, who stood proudly at the mountain's peak. After the battle above, it seemed other things had happened.

But as the Vice-Sect Master and Great Elder, Bingtang didn't ask questions. She just held an umbrella over the Sect Master and quietly waited for orders.

"Huang is inferior to Ye."

The Sect Master's sudden comment brought Bingtang back from her thoughts. Then she refuted the Sect Master a little, "In terms of setting and achievements, Huang is superior."

After a moment of silence, Dragon Lord Shion changed the subject anyway. "Since I have already activated Full Bloom and my time is short, the future of Azure Cloud will depend on your efforts. Don't let the sect stray from the righteous path."

This testament-like statement immediately darkened the atmosphere.

Bingtang's eyes seemed to show a hint of bitterness and sadness. "Sect Master..."

"Say no more. My mind is made up."

But then Bingtang quietly asked, "Is it that the Celestial Emperor of the Perfect World died in battle?"

Dragon Lord Shion paused, then shook her head.

Bingtang thought sadly for a moment. "Did Saint Hall's Wang Meng die in battle?"

The Sect Master shook her head again.

She made several more guesses in her heart about ancestors dying midway and then resurrecting. Chen Nan resurrecting from the Divine Tomb? That was the beginning, equivalent to reincarnation, so it didn't count. Ancestor Luo Feng from Swallowed Star completely died in his human form and resurrected as a beast form; that didn't match either. Klein from Lord of the Mysteries... no.

After deliberating for a long time, Bingtang finally found a more fitting one. "Did Daoist Bei Ming from the Chronicles of the Desolate fail his Dao integration?"

Finally, Dragon Lord Shion's expression softened, and she slowly nodded.

Bingtang smiled slightly. "Please rest assured, Sect Master. Regarding the matter of entertaining guests after failing Dao integration, Bingtang will certainly prepare everything thoroughly."

Only then did Shion nod in satisfaction.

As she went down the mountain, she suddenly added another sentence.

"Remember, Huang is inferior to Ye."

...

Huang is inferior to Ye.

Only the line "Enemies who have fallen by my hand are never considered my opponents. I give you time to catch up, until you can no longer even see me in the distance" could rival Ye, giving the Huang vs. Ye debate a bit of suspense.

But ultimately, Huang is inferior to Ye.

But when she said that, she only thought the situation was very fitting.

She hadn't really thought much about the gap between Daoist Lu Ya and Prince Little Friend.

Now, thinking about it carefully, the gap between those two was indeed quite large.

But Daoist Lu Ya had, after all, borrowed some Mirror Kingdom technology, so it wasn't like she had completely surpassed the Prince.

As she thought, Shion fell into contemplation.

This power ranking was really hard to figure out.

Among the opponents she had faced, Daoist Lu Ya was undoubtedly at the top of the T0 list. But whether the Prince was T0.5 or T1 was still debatable.

Power rankings couldn't be sloppy. She'd have to go back and discuss it thoroughly with Bai Mei and the others to give an absolutely official and accurate answer.

Just in terms of destructive power, Lu Ya, who had already reached the Cosmic Immortal level, was undoubtedly crushing all previous enemies...

Lost in thought, Shion took a deep breath and looked down again.

Countless gazes fell upon her.

Full Bloom is like a Great Emperor.

When a Great Emperor achieves the Dao, it's equivalent to a server-wide announcement. They must withstand the Great Tribulation and the siege of countless quasi-emperors to forcefully ascend to the imperial throne.

Without an invincible mindset, any cautious cultivation style or dark style would be nothing but roadside weeds before this exclusive, domineering path to the throne!

And the process of Full Bloom is like a Four-Step Daoist integrating the Dao.

Once it fails, the eternal flower of the Daoist who has stepped into the realm of life and death withers, and their life enters a countdown.

In truth, all Full Blooms fail. But unlike Ancestor Ji Ning's side, where a Life-and-Death Daoist would go mad and start slaughtering once they failed the Dao integration and their time was short, Magical Girls seemed to have a slightly better temperament.

When their time was short, they wanted to save more people.

After parting from the Prince, she walked all the way back to Chongxu.

She didn't hide the fact that her aura was weakening. When she stepped into Chongxu, she found that things were different here now.

From the first layer to the second layer, all the Chongxu residents were resisting.

The Saint Hall had even been forced to shrink its scale. The second layer was completely destroyed.

The entire Chongxu was in chaos.

She was a bit surprised.

The tallest tower in Chongxu had been blown to pieces by the residents themselves. All the Chongxu residents stood on a pile of rubble.

Shouting for freedom and declaring they would build their own castle.

She watched quietly. These Chongxu residents weren't very strong; they couldn't sense her Full Bloom or understand what it meant.

But the Personal Realities of these people gathered together had an extraordinary influence.

"So, this is a free Chongxu?"

Shion, floating in midair, looked down. She saw that Su, who should have disappeared, was actually sitting leisurely on a rock below.

"Isn't it even more spectacular and beautiful than before? Right! You must understand too!"

Her tone was filled with unrestrained revelry and excitement.

Shion wasn't too surprised by Su La's rebirth.

A Magical Girl's Personal Reality was inherently extremely important.

And this Magical Girl, born in Chongxu,

could be said to be the embodiment of Personal Reality.

As long as her Personal Reality didn't disappear, it meant that in this place called Chongxu, she could start over an unlimited number of times.

No matter how many times, she could reappear until her wish was fulfilled.

Or rather, until Chongxu's wish was fulfilled.

"Is the current you still you?"

Shion asked.

A Magical Girl born from the core desire for freedom of the Chongxu residents.

Who knew how many times she had died and been reborn, continuously being reborn? How could she be sure that she was still her original self?

But Su grinned brilliantly. "It's precisely because I am still me that I am here. As long as there is one Chongxu resident yearning for freedom in their heart, Su will definitely answer them and return from hell. That's what a Magical Girl is. Damn it... ah, don't face me with that expression; I can't even swear. Sigh, I'm not free anymore either..."

Shion nodded slightly.

An unwavering answer, and those eyes were beyond doubt.

Chongxu's strongest, once buried by her own hands, was now not a ghost but a living person truly existing before her eyes.

A Magical Girl so pure that no falsehood could contaminate her, pointing directly to the core needs of all Chongxu residents.

Returning again, appreciating the free Chongxu at this moment.

The former madness, anxiety, and disorientation had all disappeared from her.

The deep-seated wishes of the Chongxu residents were completely opposite to what they outwardly expressed and what the entire Chongxu represented.

In this powerful sense of tearing, as a Magical Girl who accepted the wishes of the masses,

it was not surprising that she would suffer from a splitting sensation leading to mental instability.

"How beautiful. I wish I could let them see it too..."

Hearing Su's murmur, Shion just glanced at the surrounding Chongxu residents.

She could clearly see that on all the residents' accounts, there were countless super loans.

Their mana had even been deducted to negative numbers. This meant that from now on, whether in the Saint Hall or the second layer of Chongxu, as long as they were in this place, they would never be able to earn money. All their work and efforts would only be to repay their debts.

Of course, for Chongxu, this wasn't a big problem. The residents were born accustomed to oppression.

The real problem was that under Chongxu's big system, constant debt would lead to brain death.

Because the loss of credit would make Chongxu think you had no ability to repay, mark you as waste, and then max out your productivity, forcing your brain to generate massive negative emotions to fill the debt, quickly rendering your brain useless.

This meant that all Chongxu residents had been forced into a dead end.

Such a revolt was no surprise.

Since the result was the same anyway, why not go crazy...

"If I remember correctly," Shion thought for a moment before saying, "the AI was leveraging past and future taxes to operate. Why did it make the taxpayers carry even more debt? And by a million times?"

"Oh, come on. Why do you think I gave my body to the AI? It wasn't just to fight you." Su boasted smugly. "It was so that when she was deducting taxes, I could manipulate things from within and lead Chongxu towards a free destruction!"

"You're absolutely crazy."

"Right back at you."

In the end, whether it was the second layer of Chongxu or the first layer of the Saint Hall, they all needed the cooperation of the Chongxu residents to obtain mana resources.

If all the Chongxu residents resisted together, even if the Saint Hall could suppress and massacre them all, it would be meaningless.

Because an empty Chongxu had no value.

And amidst such crazy turmoil, there were actually some residents of weak will who were eventually persuaded by the Saint Hall to stay.

These residents, who honestly continued to work, believed in the Saint Hall's promise to relieve their debt and kept working like oxen and horses.

Even if they were cursed as weak scabs, they still refused to resist.

After all, others had created negotiation value, so someone would always want to use that value to benefit themselves.

It was safer and more profitable than fighting and killing.

Shion wasn't in a hurry to leave. She just accompanied Su La, watching Su's changes. They were currently outside Chongxu, where time flowed differently. They had only stood there for a short while, but several days had passed inside Chongxu.

Many Chongxu residents had run out of their pods, but many had also stayed. The dazzling developments had completely transformed Chongxu.

After a long time, when the situation had more or less stabilized, Su finally stood up and patted her knees. "Alright, alright. Time to take everyone out to explore. The free world is waiting for us. Want to stop by your new world first..."

"Whatever."

After watching for a while, Shion pointed at those Chongxu residents who were unwilling to leave.

"Aren't you going to do something about them?"

Su said cheerfully, "Choosing to stay and be a dog is also a form of freedom. How can forced freedom be considered freedom? Let them choose for themselves. The sky won't fall."

"Not coming back?"

"Oh, are you going to miss me?"

"I just think you'd be a good fit for Azure Cloud."

"You know, sweetheart, the Azure Cloud Sect has too many rules. How could it possibly suit me?"

"I can make an exception for you."

"I'm flattered~" Su stretched lazily. "But if I agreed, I'd lose my value to you, sweetheart. Because then I wouldn't be Su, the Goddess of Freedom. What could Su of the Azure Cloud Sect do? Maybe not even compare to an ordinary Magical Girl. But..."

As she spoke, Su La suddenly came to a spot below Shion.

Because Shion had been floating above, when Su came below, she could look up and see under her skirt.

Then she showed a disappointed expression. "What's this? Safety shorts? You've let me down, Shion!"

Shion thought she really wasn't suitable for Azure Cloud Sect.

Then, Su suddenly opened her mouth. A drop of water condensed from mana fell from Shion's fingertip.

Su La caught it, smacked her lips, tasted it, and showed an intoxicated expression.

"Tsk, tsk. Fragrant, sweet, smooth, a lingering aftertaste, rich, mouthwatering, top-grade. The flavor is really strong!"

She was able to get so excited even drinking hand-washing water.

Shion didn't intend to waste any more time with her. Since the other party wanted to leave, there was no point in continuing to recruit her.

It was just a pity. She would have been a good seedling to replace Tiyana.

"Be careful."

Su laughed and waved from behind. "Leaking that much energy, some people are probably getting restless."

Shion didn't pay attention to Su La's departure.

After all, someone like this would come back on her own eventually.

Shion strode into Chongxu.

In fact, just as she had said, ever since she stopped hiding the power of Full Bloom, there had been quite a few gazes on her this whole way.

Some were worried, some were greedy, some carried dangerous hostility.

But so far, no one had actually dared to come into direct conflict with her.

Those people were just watching. Especially the people in Chongxu; most of them had seen her strength.

So naturally, they didn't dare act rashly.

Although many Chongxu residents had run away, many had stayed in the Saint Hall. And the Saints of the Hall themselves were mostly from the old world.

To be honest, this wave of Chongxu residents running away had basically benefited a lot of people from the old world.

The old world folks didn't care about living in a dream or not being free. No matter what, Chongxu was still a world far from death, a place with infinite possibilities and a future, just like the new world. It wasn't like their Dregs, who were already dead, collapsed into a tiny area with no resources at all.

Their dream was just to have a place to live in peace.

However, these people could only extract polluted dregs' mana, so their actual value was very low...

Looking at the departing free Chongxu residents and the old world people who had gained a place to live, she couldn't help but sigh.

Everyone had a bright future.

And in the rebuilt Chongxu, the second layer was particularly special.

Because almost no Chongxu residents were willing to stay there.

Even those who wanted to be scabs would go down to work for the Saint Hall, since there was at least a way out there.

But in the second layer, now that the bottom-level permissions of Chongxu had been destroyed, a bunch of leaders with no subordinates wanting to use privilege to control the residents had become a joke.

Many of those formerly chaotic high-level officials had run out with the ordinary residents.

Those who remained, if they wanted to survive in the second layer of Chongxu, had to work themselves.

The moment Shion stepped into the second layer, countless gazes immediately converged on her.

She swept her gaze around.

There were many new Incubators entering Chongxu. Of course, the most important was the Witch Association.

She didn't go on a killing spree. Shion still intended to preserve the original appearance of the second layer of Chongxu.

That way, everyone would remember why they had originally used Gangster-Style Cultivation to replace Capitalist Cultivation.

No one dared to come and greet Shion. Everyone kept their distance, afraid of running into her.

Only one person was an exception.

The President of the Witch Association, a figure draped in a black robe, completely concealed, so much so that it was impossible to tell if they were even alive, casually approached Shion.

"If you're going to die, do you want to try charging into the tree like other Magical Girls?"

Shion turned her head to look at the President of the Witch Association.

It was exactly the same as before, in that frozen river of time, the Pseudo-History, without any difference.

"Uh, or do you prefer me talking to you while lying on the ground?"

The President of the Witch Association immediately lay down on the ground without any concern for dignity. "To be honest, I've seen quite a few Magical Girls activate Full Bloom, but someone like you, who wasn't leaking energy and then suddenly started... it's a first. It looks like you can still live for a long time. You don't really have to fight as hard as other Magical Girls."

"Do you remember the meeting in the Pseudo-History?"

"Oh, you mean that. Of course, I do."

The President of the Witch Association laughed nonchalantly. "After all, I was the one who helped Lu Ya complete the witch experiments and helped her use the Time Dao Fruit. So I can observe what happened over there too. Surprised?"

Shion just slowly walked towards her.

Although she had already entered the Imperial Realm and her life was counting down, each step she took still carried an oppressive aura that bore down on the President of the Witch Association.

"You'd better tell me everything you know."

"An oppressive district?"

The President of the Witch Association self-deprecated carelessly. "Putting this much pressure on me, to be honest, it's really hard for me to speak."

Shion stopped.

The new Incubators had brought new combat power, and they didn't seem weak. But for now, they weren't paying attention to this side.

Instead, they were clashing with the people from the Witch Association.

There was a lot of impatience and annoyance in the Incubators' expressions.

That was really rare.

The usually rational and calm Incubators showing expressions like that.

The President of the Witch Association sat up before continuing. "After all, for them, it's been a really long time since any powerful Magical Girl activated Full Bloom. If they don't replenish the World Tree's fertilizer soon, there might be problems. Naturally, they can't hide it anymore."

"Is the World Tree about to wither?"

"I wouldn't say it's withering."

The President of the Witch Association thought for a moment, as if choosing her words. "But anyway, they do need more Magical Girls to fill the gaps. And for them, there's another, more important point: a very important branch of the World Tree has been lost, and they're searching everywhere for it. That branch."

Shion fell silent.

The Dao Fruit that could control time was now in her chest cavity.

"That's right, it's the branch you got from Lu Ya."

The President of the Witch Association stood up and reached out a hand towards Jiang Si. "Since you've already been to the time sealed by Lu Ya, you should also know that Lu Ya and I were comrades. We were comrades who lived and died together! So, you, who inherited Lu Ya's will, should cooperate with me too, right? Let's complete the final experiment. First, drive out the Incubators..."

"A comrade who betrayed Lu Ya?" Shion glanced at her. "You were the one who exposed that Lu Ya was conducting experiments to the Magical Girls, weren't you?"

"Because she was getting crazier and crazier back then. I didn't want the whole experiment to fail in the end..."

"Betrayers are not to be trusted."

Shion simply reached out and grabbed the President of the Witch Association.

The other party didn't even try to dodge.

What was even more unbelievable to Shion from the start was that the other party had come to see her in person.

Not a projection, not an illusion. It was a real person. Now that she had grabbed her,

she could crush her at any time.

"So confident I won't kill you?"

"Actually, I'm not that confident either."

The President of the Witch Association sighed. "But it can't be helped."

The black robe, which could conceal her form and was unseeable even to Shion, gradually dissipated.

Directly revealing her face.

Shion tilted her head slightly, surprised.

What the President had just said about "an oppressive district" wasn't a metaphor.

It was a literal description.

"Anyway, since I want to cooperate with you, I had no choice. I wanted to leave it until the end, but if I didn't say it now, I might never get the chance..."

"Uh, what's with that expression?"

The President of the Witch Association tilted her head, revealing a brilliant smile with a hint of smugness. "You should recognize me, right? It's me, it's me. Jiang Keke. Teacher Shion, didn't expect that, did you?"

Shion's expression suddenly changed.

Instinctively, she slapped her.

Like a conditioned reflex, she said coldly, "Call me Dad."