PSW - Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Informing that distinctly different "Zheng Yi" about Yu Yinan taking a solo mission and leaving… didn't put too much pressure on Zhao Haiyue. Of course, if this had been the real Zheng Yi, Zhao Haiyue probably would have found it difficult to even speak. She suspected that no matter how she phrased it, the real Zheng Yi would easily see through her thoughts.

To Zhao Haiyue's surprise, this "Zheng Yi" showed no major emotional fluctuation upon hearing that Yu Yinan had left on a solo mission. She just nodded thoughtfully and said with a smile, "I understand~ Thank you for telling me, Chu Yi Jiejie. By the way, is the solo mission dangerous?"

"It's a standard exploration mission. There's no danger."

"That's good~ Then I'll just wait obediently at home for Jiejie to come back. Oh, right, is there anything you all need recently? Do you still have enough of the meteor fragment powder?" "Zheng Yi" seemed to believe her words without a doubt, revealing an innocent smile before asking about their needs with concern.

This made Zhao Haiyue feel a little embarrassed, but thinking of Yu Yinan's state, she didn't let it show. "No, the materials you provided before are sufficient. We shouldn't need anything for a while. Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're Jiejie's friends, after all~ And Jiejie really likes Humanity's Light, so I really like it here, too~"

After leaving "Zheng Yi," Zhao Haiyue held the glass of ice water "Zheng Yi" had given her, feeling a brief sense of disorientation. This "Zheng Yi" was just so incredibly sweet.

She wondered what Yu Yinan would do after she calmed down… Even if she remained firm in choosing the real Zheng Yi, she probably had no way of contacting her, did she? But if Zheng Yi truly didn't intend to give Yu Yinan a chance and didn't care about her at all, she probably wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to create such a similar stand-in.

What a difficult situation… Thankfully, she hadn't encountered such a problem herself. Zhao Haiyue sighed inwardly. She went to the cafeteria to get a bowl of congee and a steamed bun, left them at Yu Yinan's door, and then headed to the research institute to see how Yun Lingjian's work was going for the day.

During this period of extreme heat, the ability users of Humanity's Light weren't fond of running around, so her job as the person in charge of them had become much more relaxed.

Still, it was so hot today! As expected, no matter how many times she experienced the periods of extreme cold and heat, she couldn't help but envy the water- and fire-type ability users.

---

Zheng Yi had now rapidly toured every city in Ling Country. It seemed she no longer needed the faith of those bases, so if a base was developing well and wasn't engaging in excessive exploitation… as long as it wasn't like Si Haotian's, Zheng Yi wouldn't proactively contact them.

By now, she had already collected two meteor fragments. One was hidden in a forest that had become a paradise for mutated plants, with nearly eighty percent of its flora being mutated. But those plants couldn't stop Zheng Yi for even a moment. With just a display of her aura, Zheng Yi easily took the meteor fragment from the forest's interior, while the mutated plants could only tremble in fear, unable to muster any will to resist.

The location of the other fragment was home to a large number of mutated zombies. Because it was currently the high-heat period, even the enhanced zombies had little desire to move. They gathered in massive clumps in shady areas, entering a state similar to "standby" to conserve energy or preserve their dead bodies.

The strength of these mutated zombies was far inferior to Xia Sheng's, though some among them were similar to the blue lightbulb-headed one she had first encountered, and even stronger. What was more terrifying was the enormous zombie horde gathered here. A simple glance from above revealed a seemingly endless sea of them. Zero One gave it a cursory look and estimated that there were at least tens of thousands of zombies gathered there.

And then, Zheng Yi wiped them all out in one fell swoop.

The severed limbs and corpses of the zombies piled up high, the shattered ice that encased them not yet melted. Against a backdrop that looked like a painting of the apocalypse, Zheng Yi walked between two walls of frozen zombies, placed her hand on the meteor fragment, and easily took it into her possession.

As she rode the wind and ascended once more, the endless walls of ice below exploded in an instant, turning the tens of thousands of frozen zombies into dust along with them.

It would not be an exaggeration to call this a divine miracle.

[Are you going to cross the sea next? To other countries… Ah, but since you're only taking the meteor fragments and not interacting with anyone, it should be fine.] In just a few short days, Zheng Yi's efficiency in collecting the fragments had left Zero One speechless. It even occasionally reflected on whether it, a Saint Growth System, was too focused on romance…

Seeing that Zheng Yi wasn't paying it any mind, Zero One had long grown accustomed to it. It habitually switched to the puppet's perspective for a look, and the entire system was shocked!

[Hey, Yu Yinan left the puppet. Zhao Haiyue said she took a solo mission and has already left the shelter. The mission isn't dangerous, but she'll be gone for a while.] Zero One reported the latest development from the puppet's perspective, unable to resist speaking to Zheng Yi again. [This is really unusual! Yu Yinan must have realized something is wrong.]

When did she realize something was wrong? Could it be that she knew from her very first contact with the puppet? Although the persona Zheng Yi had set up was indeed a stark contrast to her true self, wasn't that what had made Yu Yinan's heart flutter? Perhaps Yu Yinan had initially just thought it was a role-playing game between them. Zero One couldn't figure it out and was too lazy to try. It just watched as Zheng Yi, showing no intention of resting, teleported directly to the coast of Chuanyang… but the small fishing village from before was now deserted. The women were no longer there. Perhaps they had gone to another base? After all, Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan had left them a map. Zheng Yi only glanced at the village, and seeing it empty, went straight to the seaside. She swallowed a Stamina Recovery Pill and used her ability again. A large, translucent ice ship began to form, rising inch by inch from the surface of the sea.

[Aren't you going to rest for a bit? You're rushing too much…] Zero One said with some concern. This was far too urgent. Was it because there wasn't much time left? It was slightly worried, but then it remembered that Zheng Yi was a god; a mere tribulation of lightning should be no problem for her.

If only Zheng Yi were willing to rest for a moment, she might have time to talk to it and discuss Yu Yinan's situation. As long as Zheng Yi was willing to speak, Zero One could sense her attitude toward Yu Yinan.

[After you pass your tribulation- I mean, after you regain your divine power, will you leave this world immediately? I think, since you're helping the world incubate, the world consciousness wouldn't mind you staying a bit longer. Ah, when the time comes, I should have a way or a channel to communicate with this world's consciousness… or can you communicate with it yourself?] Zero One tried to ask tactfully, but after saying so much, it seemed too roundabout. Seeing Zheng Yi closing her eyes to rest on the ice ship, it gritted its teeth and continued, [A human lifespan is a mere hundred years, and even an ability user won't exceed two hundred. What are your plans for… after that?]

A long silence followed. Just as Zero One was dejectedly thinking that Zheng Yi wouldn't talk to it today either, she spoke. She didn't answer any of Zero One's questions, but instead addressed its earlier point about Yu Yinan leaving the puppet. "Only when she is alone can she see her own heart and understand what she truly wants."

[Will you give her whatever she wants?] The moment Zero One asked, it realized the question was inappropriate. It quickly added, [I mean, give her a chance.]

Zheng Yi seemed to let out a soft laugh. "What do you think a god is?"

[…To be honest, you're the first god I've ever met. But my impression of gods… is probably that of powerful beings who cannot be looked upon directly, cannot be spied upon, and cannot be offended. They possess eternal, infinite lifespans and are utterly mysterious.] As Zero One spoke, it couldn't help but add in a small voice, [They can even easily destroy some lower-level worlds.] Among the countless worlds, not every world could give birth to a god, nor was every world limited to producing only one.

Zero One fell silent again. Its thought just now had actually been… Yu Yinan's lifespan is limited, so why isn't Zheng Yi willing to accompany her during that finite life? A hundred years is nothing, after all; for some gods, it's just the time it takes to take a nap or attain enlightenment. But after spending so much time together, Zero One felt that Zheng Yi wasn't a truly heartless person. Perhaps this was related to the fact that Zheng Yi hadn't successfully passed her tribulation yet. In any case… the moment Zheng Yi asked it that question and it gave its answer, Zero One had a strange thought: perhaps Zheng Yi would also feel sad about this.

Make Yu Yinan a god, too? But even the weakest god is still a god! It couldn't be that easy.

If- if what made Yu Yinan's heart flutter was just the warmth of that period, the companionship and care of traveling and living together, then perhaps the puppet Zheng Yi could create even more beautiful memories with her. After all, her time with the real Zheng Yi was mixed with a great deal of sadness and despair. And from the very beginning, what had given Yu Yinan warmth and moved her heart was only Zheng Yi's initial Saint persona.

From the puppet's perspective, Zero One knew clearly that this puppet Zheng Yi would put Yu Yinan first, liking what she liked and loving what she loved, giving herself to Yu Yinan without reservation. This was something the real Zheng Yi couldn't do. Or rather, it was something the god Zheng Yi wouldn't do.

Zero One had to admit that, rationally speaking, the puppet Zheng Yi left behind was perhaps the most suitable lover for Yu Yinan. But when it came to matters of the heart, Zero One couldn't be entirely rational.

"For some, eternity is not a gift, but a curse," Zheng Yi said calmly with her eyes closed while Zero One was brainstorming.

"It's too boring."

[…I see.]

Looking at Zheng Yi, Zero One suddenly had a thought. It wondered, could Zheng Yi be very lonely?

It really wanted to know about Zheng Yi's past. Such a genius, cultivating from a mortal to an immortal, and then breaking through the realms to become a god… such a past must have been spectacular, right?

"Not at all," Zheng Yi scoffed. "It's just that in that world, comprehension and talent were held in the highest esteem. Attaining the Dao was all that mattered; becoming an immortal didn't have a very high threshold."

She had never truly integrated into that world, nor did she feel any deep connection to it. In that world, there was no one with whom she had a profound relationship. And the days after becoming a god were even more uninteresting, just coldly watching the changes across the myriad realms.

Perhaps in the beginning, she might have had some interest in managing the affairs of her former world? Zheng Yi couldn't remember clearly. To a god, a hundred years was too short. In the blink of an eye, the world had already changed beyond recognition.

…As expected, this thousand-year tribulation was the only thing in a god's existence that could be called interesting.

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