Once Xiao Zi lost consciousness, her body went limp and she collapsed. Lin Luo stood beside her, catching her casually.

The seal on her memories also carried the function of inducing deep sleep. Lin Luo had applied it directly to Xiao Zi, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would sleep for at least three days. Now that he was about to depart, how to arrange for her during these three days became a problem. After all, he couldn't leave her in this house, and he certainly couldn't leave her lying in the wilderness.

The wilderness was teeming not only with monsters but also with countless stray cats and dogs.

However, Lin Luo had already made arrangements for this issue.

His right arm encircled Xiao Zi's body, while his left hand suddenly produced a sword from behind his back. This sword looked utterly unremarkable, even somewhat rusted—the kind of scrap metal one would instantly judge to be worthless. Yet, anything held by Lin Luo could hardly be considered useless junk.

This sword was none other than the Soul-Slaying Sword (Zhan Hun Jian) that had recently annihilated the West Wolf King. Incidentally, Lin Luo had named the sword himself; since it targeted souls, he casually chose that name, although he had considered calling it Zanpakutō.

This sword held no use for Lin Luo, and since he hadn't interacted with the Wolf Clan again after defeating the West Wolf King, the sword seemed to have genuinely become junk, remaining unseen until now. However, Xiao Zi still had to live on in this era, and given the Wolf Clan's global influence, she was bound to cross paths with them. Thus, Lin Luo decided to entrust this sword to Xiao Zi.

This would serve as a parting gift.

But the gift Lin Luo offered would not be limited to just this single sword. His second gift was the obsession with Gensokyo. Although the sealed memories covered everything that had transpired recently, Xiao Zi’s desire for Gensokyo remained unsealed, persisting in her mind.

Then there was the third gift, perhaps the most significant of all—Equivalent Exchange!

Could a conceptual thing like Equivalent Exchange be given as a gift?

Under normal circumstances, certainly not; even a Heaven-rank expert might fail at such a feat. But the Equivalent Exchange existing within Lin Luo’s body was somewhat different.

Initially, Lin Luo hadn't noticed, but as his power recovered more and more, he began to sense that this concept residing within him possessed a substantial nature.

It was akin to a master swordsman using the same blade for years, gradually absorbing the master’s aura, imbuing the sword with sentience and developing its own consciousness.

The Equivalent Exchange in Lin Luo’s body was similar. It was not merely an embodiment of a rule but an anomaly outside the rules. Although it hadn't developed its own consciousness, it allowed one to feel its "life."

This situation further solidified a previous suspicion Lin Luo held: that the Book of Contracts within his body also possessed consciousness. After all, making a conceptual existence substantial was not something just anyone could achieve; at the very least, he himself had no comprehension of how it worked.

Since Equivalent Exchange had become substantial, it presented him with two options. The first was, as previously judged, to absorb the Equivalent Exchange for his own use. The second was to separate it, allowing it to exist independently in the world.

Lin Luo considered this for a long time, ultimately abandoning the first option.

Although Equivalent Exchange was an incredibly powerful concept—he had felt it during the battle with the West Wolf King—it could almost be described as merging all the world's rules, turning a specialty into versatility, and versatility into omnipotence. He even had reason to believe that if he absorbed this concept, he could ascend instantly to the Heaven rank.

Such immense temptation was undeniable, but this was precisely the reason for Lin Luo's final choice. Equivalent Exchange was too versatile. While absorbing it wouldn't be difficult, what came next? Exchanging countless abilities one by one, even if he could use them immediately, would he truly grasp their essential spirit?

For instance, although he had used the ability of Chance and defeated the stronger West Wolf King with it, he still hadn't understood what Chance truly entailed.

In other words, once he absorbed Equivalent Exchange, he would have to spend countless years deciphering the myriad rules of the world. Otherwise, grasping the form without understanding the essence would ultimately be a lesser achievement. This task, just thinking about it, was an unimaginably massive undertaking.

Lin Luo did not doubt his capabilities, but he would not overestimate himself either. This kind of endeavor was truly not suited for him. Merely Creation and Destruction were already extremely taxing for him; contemplating an Equivalent Exchange containing thousands of rules made his scalp tingle.

To take a step back, even if he could fully master Equivalent Exchange, what about Creation and Destruction? When comprehending Equivalent Exchange, he would inevitably have to set those aside, meaning Creation and Destruction would stagnate for a long time, perhaps even regress.

Creation and Destruction were not weaker than Equivalent Exchange; Lin Luo was long aware of this. The reason they were ineffective against the West Wolf King was not their fault, but his own.

If Rule Power were compared to weapons, Creation and Destruction were the Tier-Ten divine artifacts he forged, while Equivalent Exchange was the Tier-Sixty divine artifact crafted by a master artisan. Even if their performance specifications were similar, the fundamental output power clearly revealed which was stronger.

This perfectly echoed a saying in games: there is no strongest character, only the strongest player.

The quality of the Rule Power’s wielder determined the strength of the two rules.

When he realized this, Lin Luo couldn't help but admire the true owner of Equivalent Exchange. Putting aside how incredibly difficult it must have been to fully comprehend Equivalent Exchange, the very act of separating it as a substantial concept was an unprecedented feat, one that might never be replicated.

Remember, this was a Rule—a Rule! Even using the weapon analogy, the technical skill required was exponentially greater than merely imbuing a weapon with sentience!

Lin Luo himself was absolutely incapable of such a feat and had never even contemplated it. He even suspected that perhaps even Youyou might not be able to accomplish it.

And such a heaven-defying powerhouse resided within the Book of Contracts... Every time he considered this, Lin Luo felt the pang of standing before a treasure trove yet being unable to grasp the jewels inside.

The topic had drifted. In short, after realizing all this, Lin Luo knew he was not suited to cultivate Equivalent Exchange. Since that was the case, it naturally had to be used where it was appropriate.

Before coming to this era, Lin Luo had observed five strands of reverse causal lines on Reimu. Four of them involved him, Kazami Yuuka, Yakumo Yukari, and Shikomi—all of which should have been resolved by now. The remaining one was the Dragon God, whom he had yet to encounter... Lin Luo didn't know if the Dragon God's reverse causal line was related to Equivalent Exchange, but based on past experience, he wouldn't rule out the possibility.

Regardless of the connection, separating Equivalent Exchange in this era would certainly not be a bad thing.

Lin Luo proceeded to do just that. His gaze sharpened slightly, then instantly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. In reality, Equivalent Exchange had completely separated from him.

Although this was intended as a gift for Xiao Zi, Lin Luo did not place Equivalent Exchange inside her body. Firstly, if this Equivalent Exchange truly manifested as the Dragon God, it wouldn't be Xiao Zi's power. Secondly, given Xiao Zi’s current abilities, if he truly gave her Equivalent Exchange, Lin Luo didn't know if she would become stronger, but he knew for certain that she would instantly turn from a sage into an imbecile.

Although intellectually disabled children often find joy, Lin Luo didn't wish that particular happiness upon her.

Subsequently, Lin Luo lifted Xiao Zi’s hand and made a gesture in the empty space ahead. Instantly, a black fissure shimmered into existence—Xiao Zi’s Gap (Sukima).

This ability was innate to Xiao Zi and required no special technique to invoke. While Lin Luo himself couldn't use it, he could borrow Xiao Zi’s hand to achieve it... This was similar to the inherent magic of Yūko Ichihara, the heroine in Junketsu no Maria (A Certain Magical Index), where even after her death, others could obtain her magic through her flesh and blood, making it highly coveted like Tang Monk’s flesh.

Of course, Xiao Zi’s ability differed somewhat from Yūko’s magic; even if someone controlled her body or obtained her flesh, they might not necessarily be able to utilize the Gap.//Fastest text update from Shumi Lou

Having completed this, Lin Luo tossed both Xiao Zi and the Soul-Slaying Sword into the Gap... Perhaps others losing consciousness within a Gap would lead to certain doom, but for Xiao Zi, being unconscious inside the Gap was safer than anywhere else. For Xiao Zi, the Gap was her true home. In the next moment, the Gap closed, leaving Lin Luo alone on the spot.

Lin Luo raised his head, gazing into the distance, as if fixated on something, murmuring to himself, "Yuuka, only you remain now. I can no longer offer you any assistance. While your decision to challenge Hōrai is indeed reckless, offering no hope of victory to anyone, I believe you can achieve it. Not just because you are Kazami Yuuka, but because you are a Flower Youkai! So, you absolutely must not lose!"

"And Shikomi, the most crucial element has been placed in your hands. Your decision now will dictate the future, but I, too, trust you will not disappoint me... Finally, we shall meet again in the future!"

As his words faded, Lin Luo’s figure vanished from the spot, taking the entire house with him. The area returned to its former tranquility, as if no one had ever been there.

However, traces of presence can be erased, but the memories held within the heart cannot truly be washed away. Even if forgotten for a time, one always awakens from the dream eventually.

Everyone is the same; even unknowingly, they anticipate.