prynovel Chapter 1727 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [72] "He lowers spider silk to hell."
Chapter 1727 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [72] "He lowers spider silk to hell."
Chapter 1727 Final Chapter - Crossing the Shore [72] - "He lowered spider silk to hell."
“The demise of consciousness is a process,” Lu Shen said. “The death of the physical body is the beginning, and the dissipation of consciousness is the end. And when memories are completely forgotten by the world… that is true death. Before that, they will all drift here.”
Su Ming'an sensed the surging joys and sorrows around him, as if he were tasting hundreds of completely different flavors of life.
Suddenly, two consciousnesses resonated with me, which meant that I knew them.
Su Ming'an paused, swam over, and saw two floating consciousness entities. Judging from their appearance, they should be the dying consciousnesses of Bai Chun and Nagasha. It turned out that they had failed to pass the final round of the game and were about to die.
"Do you want to save them?" Lu Shen asked.
"I won't save them," Su Ming'an said.
"Oh? I heard from Ming that you are a compassionate saint, but it seems you have your own considerations."
"When I saw Ming before, he shot me with the bow of the Radiant Mother Goddess. Was it a fake attack?"
“I don’t know either,” Lu Shen shrugged. “Maybe you can ask him yourself.”
As they prepared to pass through the consciousness of Nagasha and Shiratsubaki—
"Shh!"
Suddenly, a golden thread descended from the surface of the ocean of consciousness above! It probed precisely towards Bai Chun's dim halo of consciousness, as if it had eyes.
"These are threads from reality!" Lu Shen exclaimed, glancing sideways. "These are the guiding threads of the Radiant Mother Goddess. Is the Radiant Mother Goddess going to save Bai Chun?"
"Can this thread help her regain consciousness?"
"Yes. Those who return to the surface of the sea by following the silk thread will have their lingering consciousness return to their physical bodies and open their eyes again. Only a first-level god can do this, and such items are extremely rare..." Lu Shen said, "Strange... what is the connection between Bai Chun and Klitschko? Is it worth Him sending down 'spider silk'?"
"Casting spider silk into hell..." Su Ming'an inexplicably thought of this allusion. Legend has it that spider silk is the Buddha's final act of mercy and test for the most wicked.
"Is it possible that this wasn't abandoned by the Radiant Mother Goddess?" Su Ming'an speculated. Bai Chun's hopeless, love-struck mind was completely unworthy of the Radiant Mother Goddess's personal rescue.
“It’s also possible that His devout followers could also possess His golden thread,” said God Lu. “Let’s go, there’s no need to stay here.”
Just as Su Ming'an was about to leave, he suddenly noticed the golden thread sway and extend towards him...
……
Beyond the abyss.
Darkness surged, a hundred ghosts roamed the night, and demonic energy permeated the air, making it resemble a purgatory.
The abyss expanded along the area where the Gate of Origin opened, already conquering half the town, and the townspeople had long since fled. Beside the hillside where Chen Yuhang's escort team had been, a woman stepped over a campfire that had long since gone out.
She wore a simple and elegant light blue long gown with a diagonal opening, her black hair was neatly tied into a low bun at the back of her head and secured with a plum blossom hairpin. She had the gentle and graceful temperament unique to women from water towns, and a pair of clean black cloth shoes on her feet had stepped over the scarred ground.
She passed by the outer battlefield, where millions of players were fiercely battling the followers and fanatics under the command of the Radiant Mother Goddess. The light of spells exploded like fireworks, and the turbulent energy currents whipped up sand and gravel, blowing the stray hairs across her forehead.
A burly man, his face covered in blood, stared at her, stunned. He hadn't expected to see a woman who looked like she'd stepped out of an old painting in such a place. He instinctively shouted, "Hey! Madam! Don't go any further! That's the Gate to the Abyss, the demonic energy is terrifyingly thick. Going there is suicide! The Demon Mother Goddess could awaken at any moment!"
Upon hearing the voice, the woman nodded to him, her movements elegant yet distant, without pausing her steps.
Seeing that her figure had already disappeared into the demonic energy, the burly man spat out, "Another one who doesn't value her life..."
The woman traversed the chaotic battlefield like a wisp of cloud. The closer they got to the abyss, the more terrifying the corrosive power of the demonic energy became; even Wang Xingkong required thousands of support-type players to barely stand. But a faint golden light emanated from her body, blocking the pervasive demonic energy.
Lu Shu turned his head and saw the woman who had stepped onto the edge of the abyss.
His pupils suddenly contracted!
“…Lin Wang’an?” He almost lost his voice, his eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment.
He recognized the face immediately—Lin Wang'an. Intelligence indicated that she and her adopted daughter, Lin Chunchun (Bai Chun), lived a peaceful life in a nearby town. Just a few hours earlier, players scouting the perimeter had spotted the mother and daughter enjoying lunch in the small house.
How did she manage to venture into such a dangerous area?
Lu Shu instantly realized the answer—his adopted daughter, Bai Chun, was trapped in an abyss, her fate unknown, which was why Lin Wang'an, as her mother, was searching for her at all costs.
A nameless anger rose in Lu Shu's heart. How could someone be so biased? He didn't care about Su Ming'an when he was in danger, but he immediately rushed to his adopted daughter's aid when she was in danger.
The next moment, Lin Wang'an took out a golden thread from his pocket and slowly lowered it into the abyss.
To Lu Shu's surprise, no one could step into the abyss at this moment, and Wang Xingkong could only cling to the door, but this golden thread actually went in!
"Sizzle—" Like a golden thread, it seeped into the abyss, cascading down into the unfathomable depths, like a spider's thread of salvation lowered into hell. Lin Wang'an knelt at the edge of the abyss, like a fisherman on a hanging thread, his eyes closed, his palms rubbing together.
Lu Shu realized that this was likely a treasure of the Radiant Mother Goddess, enabling her to penetrate the abyss. Lin Wang'an possessed such a treasure, making her a likely follower of the Radiant Mother Goddess; this explained why she had been able to live in Rovasa for so long, even starting a new life and family…
What about the families from before? What about the harm done before?
In the suffocating family dynamics of the Dragon Kingdom, love is always mixed with hate and pain, as if love cannot be called love without hurting each other. Whether the distance is close or far, whether the feelings are warm or cold... it is all too easy to cause irreparable damage.
Lin Wang'an closed his eyes and manipulated the silk thread.
She "saw" a dim halo about to dissipate in her sea of consciousness... it was Bai Chun. She had indeed come to save Bai Chun. Although she sensed that Bai Chun's identity was unusual, she didn't care. She just needed love, and Bai Chun could give her that love.
Although Bai Chun acted recklessly, her longing for her mother was genuine; she had lost her mother at a young age and thus suffered from a profound lack of love. The time they spent together in the small villa, sharing everyday joys and laughter, had led Lin Wang'an to truly regard Bai Chun as her daughter. After arriving here, Lin Wang'an couldn't tell if her mental illness had worsened or improved. She couldn't bear to see anything happen to Su Ming'an; she watched with a mixture of concern and pain, hoping for Su Ming'an's return, but closeness only brought hatred and trauma. The whole world resented her approaching Su Ming'an, and she herself chose to let go of the past and start a new life…
She came to save Bai Chun today out of genuine motherly love.
However, the moment she found Shiratsubaki's consciousness, something terrifying happened.
—She actually sensed Su Ming'an's consciousness at the same time, right near Bai Chun's consciousness!
A chill ran down her spine, and she trembled all over, as if struck by lightning... How could this be? How could Ming'an be here? Only a fading consciousness would be in this area!
Suddenly, she heard a burst of discussion from the players not far away:
"Have you heard? Something terrible has happened inside!"
"What is it? Speak quickly!"
"Su Ming'an... Su Ming'an was stabbed in the back by Lu Bei!"
"What?! Isn't Lu his ally?"
"You can know a person's face but not their heart! It's all about monopolizing the benefits! I heard Su Ming'an was stabbed through, his body turned into a puddle of sauce! He's completely gone!"
"Holy crap! Really?! Does that mean the number one player is..."
"It's absolutely true! The people still alive inside are completely bewildered. The chessboard is in complete chaos, and the paths seem to have gone wrong; they're trapped by the backlash of the rules..."
"It's over...it's all over...with Su Ming'an dead, what are we still struggling for? Our way home is cut off..."
"Damn it! That traitor Lu! He deserves to die a horrible death!"
"Sigh, I never expected it to end like this..."
The blank stare lasted for several seconds, as if Lin Wang'an's soul had been ripped away.
Ming'an... is dead?
She stared blankly at the drooping silk thread, sensing Su Ming'an's consciousness... indeed hazy and about to dissipate.
Stubborn, lonely, with a complicated relationship to her, yet also her bloodline...
A jumble of chaotic thoughts clashed wildly within her, leaving her bewildered for a long while, her face turning deathly pale.
—But I only have one thread.
—I can only pull one person.
……
"The badge is engraved with the burning flames of the Eye of the Sun... This is the badge of the Radiant Mother Goddess. It seems she worships the Radiant Mother Goddess. In Rovasa, most people need a faith; it's a way of fitting in." Su Ming'an put down the badge and picked up the gold thread.
He examined it closely, sensing that this golden thread was no ordinary object. The dense aura emanating from it told him that it might involve angels. Angels were an extremely high level, far beyond the reach of ordinary people, and even royalty would have to pay homage to them. Why would Lin Wang'an possess an angel-level golden thread?
……
The golden silk was indeed "given" to her by the Radiant Mother, but she did not worship the Radiant Mother; rather, the Radiant Mother invited her. The reason she was able to stay in the instance for so long, and even start a new life, was because the Radiant Mother helped her change her identity.
—But she was never willing to become the angel of the Radiant Mother, because that would mean being completely bound to the Radiant Mother, so she always maintained a state of being neither close nor distant.
She knew that the Radiant Mother Goddess had invited her because she was Su Ming'an's mother, and could use that to blackmail him. However, Su Ming'an no longer cared about her, so the Radiant Mother Goddess's plan was destined to fail. Lin Wang'an herself also preferred to remain free and did not want to become a follower of the Radiant Mother Goddess.
But now...
This thread, used to negotiate with the gods, determines which of our closest relatives will survive.
On one end is Bai Chun, her adopted daughter who provides her with peace and the warmth of family. Bai Chun truly treats her like a mother, and they depend on each other for survival, playing an important role in her new life.
On the other end was Su Ming'an... He was powerful, burdened with everything, didn't need her, and resented her.
Time seemed to stretch out.
Lin Wang'an slowly manipulated the silk threads, causing them to drift in one of the directions...
……
Su Ming'an watched the golden threads drift away.
The golden thread landed in Bai Chun's consciousness, like a fishing line, pulling Bai Chun's consciousness up and floating towards the surface of the sea.
Faced with a choice between saving his son and his adopted daughter, Lin Wang'an ultimately chose to save Bai Chun.
Seeing this, Lu Shen raised an eyebrow and let out a muffled groan of unknown meaning. He turned and swam away, and Su Ming'an did not stop at all and continued forward.
He had no expectations whatsoever; Lin Wang'an's choice was exactly what he had anticipated… a fake daughter, a real son… Yes, she had started a new family, she had abandoned him, and he didn't care about her at all. This was the correct, reasonable, and rational choice. Even if she had chosen him, it wouldn't have mattered; he would still have gone with Lü Shen, and the golden thread would have been wasted…
That's right. He had no expectations at all; he never thought... he would be the one chosen, the one loved... and he disdained... disdained that kind of love.
He wouldn't call her mother either.
Now that she has taken the initiative to distance herself and is no longer clinging to him like before, he is happy. She has finally understood... From now on, they will have no further contact or ties, which is a dignified ending for them.
Su Ming'an pursed his lips and swam deeper into the water.
……
Source point.
The source gradually sensed that someone had violated the rules, and like a machine that had been turned on, it automatically began to investigate. It quickly discovered a suspicious "curtain" floating above it and began to clear it away.
Just then, Lu Shen pulled Su Ming'an away, and the curtain lost its protagonist, becoming extremely unstable inside. With a "whoosh," under the combined attack from both inside and outside, the curtain dissolved like a bubble, and the remaining people lost their footing, returning to their original positions and stepping into the solid black water.
"I'm back...!" Xiao Xiao fell into the black water, still in shock. She quickly looked around to make sure she was back at the origin before she felt relieved. The scene of the world chessboard had disappeared.
"Damn it, that guy! Lu!" Yang Changxu roared angrily, immediately looking at everyone and finding that two people were missing, Lu and Evelyn were gone. "Did he run away? Damn it."
"The last thing I saw was that he seemed to be trapped by something invisible, and he didn't fall out with us," Higurashi Osamu said immediately, his eyes sharp.
“He deserves it!” Yang Changxu said coldly.
"We've won, and we've collected all the rewards. Those who want to go back can go back now," Agnes waved her hand. For them, this trip to the Source Point was over, and they had to go back. This wasn't a place for normal life forms; staying here too long would be very uncomfortable.
"Wait, wait, masters, are you going back?" Suddenly, a boy's voice rang out, and a long-absent figure strode over. It was Chen Yuhang, who stared at Agnes in disbelief. "The reason we came in was to help Master Su Ming'an awaken the Demon Mother Goddess, right? Now that he's gone, we have to take responsibility for awakening the Demon Mother Goddess! You've all completed thirteen rounds of the game."
Agnes scoffed, narrowing her deep blue eyeliner: "Little brother, do you know how you've survived this long? It's because of the key in your hand that Su Ming'an escorted you here. Otherwise, do you think you could have gotten this far with your ordinary strength, your inability to even hold a knife, your childlike perseverance and petty cleverness? If you want to live, go back. You have absolutely no chance of finding the Demon Mother Goddess. You don't have a single silver star, you haven't exchanged anything, and you'll be torn apart by the turbulent currents on the way... Except for Su Ming'an, the Demon Mother Goddess won't allow us to leave the mountain."
Her words were true, even well-intentioned, but they sounded harsh to Chen Yuhang. He bit his lip, knowing she was right.
But... the key is in my hands, and I can't hand it over to anyone else... I have to go to the Demon Mother Goddess! Otherwise, what if... the Great God Su Ming'an is still alive and has arrived there, but he doesn't have my key?
“I’m going back. I’ve stayed too long. I feel like I’m getting thinner and thinner… The game is over. The game’s mechanics won’t protect us for long. If you don’t want to die, come with me,” Agnes said frankly.
She wasn't being mean or selfish when she said this, but rather it stemmed from the overall perspective of the top players. After all, with Su Ming'an gone, their chances of successfully negotiating with the Demon Mother Goddess were extremely slim, so it was better to preserve their strength and return. They had each exchanged for quite a few good items, and Evelyn had even exchanged for the "Dimensional Folding Engine Blueprint" that Su Ming'an had requested, which at least guaranteed a safe escape with humanity, preventing total annihilation.
The perfect golden path has come to an end. They are no longer able to continue their challenge. It would be better to conserve their strength and aim for a decent ending.