Zhao Yingkong stood suspended in a pitch-black void, unable to discern any cardinal directions—no up or down, left or right. Even time and space felt vague; in fact, she couldn't see herself at all, as if adrift in a dream, where one cannot perceive their own form...

This was the "Mind," the unique Sea of Consciousness inherent to every being. Ordinary people's consciousness usually rested on the surface layer of this Sea. During sleep, consciousness descended to the middle and inner layers. Those under deep hypnosis reached the middle layer, and only in extremely rare circumstances did a life form's consciousness penetrate to the deepest reaches, where the most marvelous power of that being lay hidden...

Naturally, at this moment, Zhao Yingkong had only reached the middle layer of the Sea of Consciousness. The glasses created by Chu Xuan served similar basic functions, differing only in the direction of the hypnosis. For instance, the glasses he wore hypnotized him into becoming a passionate youth, while the ones given to Zhao Yingkong induced deep hypnosis.

Though Zhao Yingkong was unaware that she had been deeply hypnotized into the middle layer of the Sea of Consciousness, in this timeless, spaceless realm, the only clarity belonged to her consciousness and memories. Even the most obscure recollections from the past manifested now, flowing forth like water, solidifying in this space until they seemed to span over a decade. Only after Zhao Yingkong had thoroughly sorted through her memories did this visualized recollection finally dissipate completely. Then, a mirror, utterly black, appeared, against which Zhao Yingkong now floated, back resting upon it in the dark void.

"This memory... you fabricated it, didn't you?" Zhao Yingkong’s consciousness voiced the question.

Behind the mirror she leaned against, another Zhao Yingkong stood there, mirroring her posture and expression exactly. It looked precisely like a reflection in glass. The Zhao Yingkong within the mirror replied, "Yes, I fabricated it..."

"......So, the companions I grew up with from childhood—are they also fake?" Zhao Yingkong sighed, continuing to ask in a low tone.

The Zhao Yingkong in the mirror also sighed, murmuring, "The companions weren't fabricated... but I did conceal some from you. Some companions who grew up alongside you... I truly erased them directly from your memories."

At this, Zhao Yingkong said nothing more. Both the girl inside and the girl outside the mirror instantly calmed. The two young girls stood in silence for a long time. Finally, the one in the mirror broke the quiet. "This place is within our shared Sea of Consciousness. I don't know why that detestable Little Dīngdāng hypnotized you here, but since you are here, you can access the memories I erased anytime you wish. You can share all my memories... If you desire, you can know everything in an instant..."

Zhao Yingkong nodded. Upon entering this Sea of Consciousness, she had instinctively sensed this possibility. The consciousnesses of the two had merged within this realm, which is why the other 'her' possessed all the memories since Zhao Yingkong entered the Reincarnation World. Likewise, while examining her memories, this other Zhao Yingkong’s own consciousness was left completely unguarded. Here, both of them could see through the other with ease.

The Zhao Yingkong outside the mirror nodded silently, whispering, "Perhaps it was fear... Since very, very long ago, I've had doubts about my memories, my past, everything I knew... In my recollections, certain fragments felt stiff when recalled, like deliberately constructed scenes in a movie. That wasn't the most suspect part. What truly bothered me was this: why, despite being called a genius my entire life, did I often feel powerless?"

"In my memory, everyone called me a genius since childhood. I mastered every assassination technique better than anyone, and no one was my match in combat. Even opening the Genetic Lock... I opened the Genetic Lock far earlier than others. But for some inexplicable reason, as I grew older, especially after entering this Reincarnation World, the assassination skills supposedly imprinted deeply on my soul began to fade from my mind..."

The Zhao Yingkong outside the mirror lifted her hands, examining them as she spoke, "So, I could only keep striving and practicing, trying to recapture that effortless feeling from before. But I couldn't; I had forgotten... I forgot the memory of fighting Zhao Zhuikong. When I realized how powerful he was, I tried desperately to recall the moments we fought normally, but I couldn't remember anything at all..."

The Zhao Yingkong inside the mirror also lifted her hands, mimicking the exact movements of her counterpart, as if they were two sides reflected in glass. Then, both young girls sighed softly. The one in the mirror spoke, "That's right. Back then, Ruidong used mental skills on me, but she forgot that I had also unlocked the fourth stage, Intermediate, of the Genetic Lock. Though I hadn't passed the Heart Tribulation, I had developed a preliminary defense against her mental energy. So, at that time, I used her mental energy to construct you, while I myself didn't completely forget those memories... Now, do you want to know everything that has passed?"

"Everything that has passed is in the past, and the one who experienced it was you, not me... What truly concerns me is that if the past is fabricated, then what am I? A puppet? Or a tool for you to escape suffering? Everything I cherish—my companions, my memories, their laughter and sorrow, their childhood games... Are these all just illusions you created for me?"

The little girl outside the mirror hung her head, her voice growing softer and lower. Suddenly, several clear teardrops rolled down her cheek. This usually indomitable little girl was weeping here and now...

"I apologize... This wasn't my original intent. Because I bore too much, carried too much, and suffered too much pain, I wished for my own heart to fall asleep, to never feel sadness again, and to find happiness and become stronger. That is why you exist. My original intention was for you to find happiness in the future, not to treat you as a mere doll... I understand now. Accept the same past as me. Our shared memories, our shared history—the sorrow and the joy, the despair and the grief..."

After speaking these words, the Zhao Yingkong inside the mirror slowly turned around and pressed both her small hands firmly against the mirror. The Zhao Yingkong outside the mirror performed the identical action. The two little girls pressed their hands together across the barrier of the glass.

"Shared memories, shared sorrow, shared companions. Zhao Yingkong, you are also me..."

The two little girls spoke the same words simultaneously, and the entire Sea of Consciousness began to emanate light, enveloping both girls and the mirror, everything absorbed into that luminescence...

"Though it's unbelievable... I didn't expect Chu Xuan to be such a lecherous old man? Using such despicable methods to lure an adorable little loli to his house, then engaging in intercourse—that delicate