Within a space shimmering with kaleidoscopic light, there stretched a perfectly white straight path, a hundred meters long, enveloped by countless waves of light that distinctly separated it from the surrounding, vibrant chaos.

Four figures stood upon this path: one sat cross-legged, while the other three young women stood nearby, occasionally glancing at the bizarre environment, their expressions shifting between confusion and sudden enlightenment. These four were none other than Lin Luo and his companions, traversing into a parallel world.

Crossing into a parallel world differs from crossing between planes; it doesn't necessitate the creation of deliberate pathways. In fact, with Lin Luo's current strength, if he so willed, a single step could bridge the gap between heaven and earth—the barrier between parallel worlds held no meaning for him.

However, this time he was not alone. At the very least, with Mei Meng’s current power level, she could not traverse parallel dimensions by herself. Furthermore, their destination was not merely a parallel world, but the very foundation of the timeline and world-lines—a place intangible to sight or touch, discoverable only through perception.

More crucially, to prevent any disturbance to the order of the world-lines and timeline, Lin Luo had to control his power with extreme caution. He couldn't allow even the tiniest ripple, the metaphorical flutter of a butterfly’s wing, to manifest. Achieving this level of subtlety was comparable to a ninety-year-old woman threading a hundred needles consecutively without missing a single eye. Thus, even Lin Luo dared not be careless for a moment.

“What are your next intentions? Shall I guide you directly to contact the two Great Consciousnesses?” Lin Luo asked as he guided them, “If so, I will begin expelling the factors of chance and opportunity right now, destroying anything that could possibly cause a butterfly effect. This task should take about a day to complete, and afterward, we can interface with the two Consciousnesses. What do you say?”

Hui Ye pondered for a moment. Mei Meng could only maintain her current state for seven days, meaning their entire journey was limited to that timeframe. Relying on their own power to reach the timeline would leave them with, at most, three days, followed by negotiations with the two Consciousnesses—who knew what might transpire then? Using such scant time to master the parallel worlds would be incredibly difficult. It seemed easier to follow Lin Luo’s suggestion, especially since their true cultivation would only formally begin once they reached the axis of time.

“Let’s do that,” Hui Ye stated after a brief pause. At the same time, Sakuya nodded in agreement with the decision.

Seeing their assent, Lin Luo immediately closed his eyes. Following this, specks of black sparks suddenly appeared on the pure white path. They seemed alive, hovering rapidly along the path without touching any of the four individuals. Then, as if detecting something, countless black sparks shot out in all directions.

Hui Ye and Sakuya showed no surprise at this display. Only Mei Meng watched the tiny black flames constantly flying away, vanishing, and then reappearing on the path to fly off again, a look of confusion clouding her face. She turned to Hui Ye and asked, “This is destruction, isn't it? You mentioned expelling factors of chance and opportunity—can things like that even be destroyed?”

Hui Ye smiled faintly. “Anything that exists can be destroyed.”

“That’s too vague, you should be more direct about matters like this,” Sakuya shook her head, then explained to Mei Meng in detail: “Everything in this world can broadly be divided into two types: tangible existence and conceptual existence. Things like factors of chance and opportunity are a form of conceptual existence. Though invisible and intangible, they are undeniably around us. For instance, the Lady’s power of destiny is essentially a type of chance or opportunity factor, and these things can indeed be destroyed, provided you possess the power to annihilate conceptual existence.”

“I see. As long as one is strong enough, even fate can be easily destroyed…” Mei Meng tilted her head, pondering the explanation before finally smiling, “As expected, the Lady is the most useless person in all of Gensokyo.”

“Huh?!” Sakuya was instantly tongue-tied.

The Lady, you’ve been mocked again… Wait! Why did I say ‘again’?

Mei Meng continued, “But then again, only a useless Lady is a qualified Lady. After all, the Lady is just a small child.”

“…” Sakuya was speechless with exasperation.

After a moment, she spoke seriously to Mei Meng: “While the Lady is indeed quite useless, she is still a vampire over five hundred years old. Even if she’s useless, you, a two-year-old girl, calling her a child is quite contradictory… Though I must admit, besides acting cute, the Lady truly serves no practical purpose.”

Hui Ye, overhearing this, felt that the assistant manager’s counter-attack was devastatingly sharp. She thought to herself: Thank goodness Remilia, back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, doesn’t know about this conversation, or she’d likely fight you to the death.

Facing Sakuya’s serious expression, Mei Meng responded with equal gravity: “But don’t you think the Lady is small and doesn’t look like an adult at all? Plus, she’s so arrogant and willful, spending all day just playing.”

“Come to think of it…” Sakuya tapped her chin and tilted her head in contemplation: It was true; if one disregarded the Lady’s actual age, both her physical and mental maturity levels placed her as a child under twelve. Moreover, just last year, she had fought with the one-year-old Mei Meng over a toy… Ah!

Realizing this, Sakuya finally understood, instinctively hitting her own hand and laughing: “No wonder I always thought the Lady was so cute—I’ve been looking after a child all this time!”

While the two debated whether Remilia truly qualified as a child, Lin Luo poured his entire focus into eliminating the factors of chance. Countless accidents could coalesce into absolute necessity; countless opportunity factors could trigger further unforeseen events. These events might be beneficial or detrimental, but under the threat of inverted causality, Lin Luo could not permit even the slightest anomaly to occur. Therefore, in handling this matter, Lin Luo dared not be distracted in the slightest.

Thus, maintaining the same seated posture for a full day and night, Lin Luo finally opened his eyes.

“Finished?” Hui Ye asked upon seeing this.

Lin Luo nodded. “From the moment we entered this space until the seventh day in the future, our actions within this area will be absolutely deterministic. No factors of chance or opportunity will exist; every potential butterfly effect has been annihilated by me. Therefore… we will proceed down a single, unalterable path.”

Sakuya frowned slightly, then nodded. “Without chance, our cultivation will depend entirely on our own capabilities—we will master only as much as our power allows. While the lack of opportunity is regrettable, conversely, as long as we avoid grand actions, we won’t trigger inverted causality… Well, safety first.”

“Then, a day has passed. Where are the two Great Consciousnesses?” Hui Ye inquired.

Lin Luo smiled calmly. “They are right beside us.”

“Eh!” The three girls felt a stir in their hearts and quickly looked around. However, the environment remained exactly as before, unchanged. There was no discernible location for the two Great Consciousnesses.

“No need to search. The two Great Consciousnesses are fundamentally entities without physical form; they permeate the world while existing outside of it—they are truly conceptual entities. Manifesting physically is only an extremely rare exception for them,” Lin Luo explained, suddenly recalling Gaia and Alaya from the Nasuverse—they were probably the most peculiar examples among the Great Consciousnesses.

“I see. But how do we communicate with them?” Hui Ye asked.

“Just call out to them mentally; they will hear you. Furthermore, once they appear, the negotiation will be up to you all; I am not skilled at that sort of thing.” Lin Luo stated. It wasn't that he was truly incompetent at negotiation, but rather, since the training in question wasn't for him, there was no need for him to interfere.

Hui Ye and the others had no objection to this. They seriously began to mentally summon the two Great Consciousnesses.

After a moment of silence, the multicolored space suddenly began to shift. Most of the light converged into two focal points, quickly forming two luminous orbs, one half-real and one ethereal. One solidified, standing still as if frozen, exuding immense vitality—this was the Will of the Earth. The other flickered like sparks, teeming with vitality and thought—this was the collective consciousness of humanity.

“Humans, why do you call upon us?” A voice that sounded far too ancient to belong to a human echoed in the void, deep and distant.

Lin Luo recognized this as the voice of the Will of the Earth.

“We never expected a human to find us, nor to know the method of summoning us.” This voice sounded more human, yet it shifted unpredictably—sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes deep, sometimes childish, creating an exceptionally strange sensation.

Not just Lin Luo, but even Mei Meng could discern that this voice emanated from the collective human consciousness.

Hui Ye stepped forward. Though unsure if they could perceive her, she offered a friendly, calm, and respectful smile. “Greetings, we apologize for the intrusion, please forgive us. We have come mainly to ask for a small favor from both of you…”

Despite Hui Ye being a scheming schemer in daily life, she was, after all, the former Princess of the Moon. Having navigated the complex political circles of the Moon for countless years, her etiquette and social skills remained sharp, even after a millennium spent in seclusion. Within a few sentences, she had laid out her intentions with perfect clarity, exhibiting no disrespect and consistently showing reverence toward the two Great Consciousnesses.

However, in Lin Luo’s view, she was likely feigning most of it.

Given the conceptual nature of the Great Consciousnesses’ existence, human respect or any other emotion held no meaning for them—at least, not for ordinary humans. But these four, having found them, clearly could not be treated as ordinary. They did not immediately issue an eviction notice, but they did reject Hui Ye’s request.

This outcome was not unexpected for Lin Luo. After all, Hui Ye and the others aiming to reach the timeline and master all parallel worlds, even if it only took six days, was an act of usurpation—it was as absurd as walking up to President Obama and asking him to give you the presidency for a week. It was impossible that the two Great Consciousnesses would agree to such a nonsensical demand!

More importantly, allowing Hui Ye’s group access to the timeline carried the high risk of timeline chaos or the collapse of world-lines, a threat that could endanger the very survival of the two Great Consciousnesses. The fact that they only refused and did not resort to force already indicated remarkable restraint.

Of course, Hui Ye was determined to succeed and would not compromise just because the two Great Consciousnesses initially refused. Pretending to consider the situation, she quietly moved next to Lin Luo, abruptly pinching the soft flesh near his waist, giving him a sharp look.

Lin Luo understood the meaning in her eyes. With a sigh of resignation, he adopted an expression of mild anger and let out a cold shout. Instantly, a powerful aura—the ‘King’s Qi’—erupted from him.

Under the pressure of this King’s Qi, even the spherical forms of the two Great Consciousnesses shuddered involuntarily.

Hui Ye’s expression instantly shifted to horror. She quickly placed her hands on Lin Luo’s shoulders, adopting a look of terror as she exclaimed, “Ultimate Weapon, please calm down! Our negotiations have not broken down yet, please, do not get angry!”

After Hui Ye spent a considerable moment soothing him, Lin Luo finally withdrew his King’s Qi. She breathed a massive sigh of relief, then turned back to the two Great Consciousnesses with an apologetic face. “We are sorry; actually, my friend here is not human…”

Hey, watch what you’re saying!

As Hui Ye began to speak, Lin Luo’s face darkened, and the spheres of the two Great Consciousnesses shook even more violently upon seeing his change in expression.

Hui Ye acted as if she saw nothing and continued weaving her fiction: “He is an ultimate combat weapon against the universe. He goes berserk whenever he encounters anything displeasing. Just last time, two young aliens offended me, and he immediately launched to their galaxy, annihilating their entire race along with their planet and all subordinate parallel worlds, nearly affecting the entire universe. And the time before that… Sigh, it’s quite troublesome.”

Hui Ye sighed deeply, then forced a smile. “But you don’t need to worry too much. He doesn't actually mean harm; he’s just a little mentally unbalanced. As long as I am happy, nothing will happen… Although, I’m not feeling very happy right now.”

Hui Ye, you are incredible!

Listening to this monologue, Lin Luo could only feel admiration for Hui Ye. She had skillfully utilized his power, casting herself as the 'Good Cop' while forcing him into the role of the 'Bad Cop.' She simultaneously detailed the consequences of offending her while subtly implying that the Great Consciousnesses should do something to make her happy. Hui Ye, the Oscar for Best Actress this year goes to you!

However, that ‘mentally unbalanced’ part, she would need to clarify later. Lin Luo admired her scheme even as he felt inwardly frustrated; Hui Ye’s performance had effectively painted him as a lunatic.

Nearby, Sakuya and Mei Meng were struggling, their shoulders twitching. Though they desperately wanted to laugh, they forced themselves not to in order to maintain the solemn atmosphere.

In stark contrast to the comedy unfolding on their side, the two Great Consciousnesses felt only impending tragedy. As conceptual entities of consciousness, setting aside their immense power, their most crucial asset was their keen intuition. Although Lin Luo had concealed himself well initially, and the focus seemed to be on Hui Ye, they hadn’t detected the true danger. But the moment Lin Luo’s King’s Qi erupted, they immediately sensed what a terrifyingly powerful boss this man was. They could accurately gauge that even if the two of them combined forces, they would stand no chance against him.

Thus, after a moment of tense silence, the two Great Consciousnesses immediately chose to concede. “Um… It is not impossible for us to agree to your request…”

This retreat by the two Great Consciousnesses was also within Lin Luo’s expectations. After all, whether they were physical or conceptual entities, the supreme instinct of the two consciousnesses of any planet was identical: survival! Gaia and Alaya of the Nasuverse would resort to any means necessary for their own existence; these two were no different. Since Lin Luo was clearly stronger, and he was a maniac who would unleash planetary destruction if Hui Ye was displeased, concession was inevitable for their own preservation—otherwise, if this madman truly raged, who would they appeal to?

Upon hearing their words, Hui Ye’s eyes lit up, and she seized the opportunity: “You agree? That is truly wonderful of you. Thank you so much.”

Hey, they haven't agreed yet!

Faced with such a cunning personality, Lin Luo could only silently offer his condolences to the two Great Consciousnesses.

Hui Ye’s pronouncement made it difficult for the Great Consciousnesses to back out now. “N-No need for thanks, but we must declare beforehand: we are not agreeing because of your friend. It is mainly because we see your sincerity… Also, please try your best not to cause us trouble during the process.”

Is this Tsundere behavior? Lin Luo found their words confusing.

Hui Ye, however, was delighted and smiled: “Of course, we will endeavor not to cause trouble. However, there are times when trouble finds us even if we don't seek it out. At those times, we will need your assistance.”

In other words, you are fully committed to making trouble for them, aren’t you?

Lin Luo was speechless.

The two Great Consciousnesses were likely at their wits' end by this point and finally stated: “No problem. We will personally oversee your safety during this period.”

Even Lin Luo could detect the overwhelming helplessness in their tone. But the carefree Hui Ye completely ignored their plight.

After some deliberation, the matter was settled. With the ‘active’ assistance of the two Great Consciousnesses, Lin Luo no longer needed to remain there. His original purpose was to deal with them, but now that they were 'allies,' his presence was superfluous. As for correcting the world-lines, this was something the two Great Consciousnesses were clearly more adept at than he was.

Thus, after a few closing remarks, Lin Luo bid farewell to the group and departed the space… Though Mei Meng was quite displeased about this, Lin Luo selectively ignored her mournful gaze.

In an instant, Lin Luo returned to Gensokyo. Recalling the look of intense desire to cause mischief on Hui Ye’s face just before he left, he offered a three-second moment of silent mourning for the two Great Consciousnesses once more.

Sigh, it’s not easy for them managing the Earth and all the parallel worlds diligently, and now they have to endure bullying from Hui Ye. Truly pitiful… even though I played the role of an accomplice.

PS: A relative’s elder passed away, so I’ve been quite busy these last couple of days, and updates will be slow. I have to attend the funeral tomorrow morning, followed by some other errands. I will try my best to maintain the update schedule… Try my best. After all, honoring the deceased comes first; I hope everyone understands.