Although I still cannot determine the true identity of the Seal Master, since they share the same wishes as I do, and Tai Sui knows this very well, it is somewhat difficult to explain Tai Sui's sincerity towards me.

After being betrayed by a student I considered as my own child, and then encountering another person with a remarkably similar character, how is it that I exhibit no anger or hatred, but rather wish to gain the other person's trust at all costs? What kind of mindset is this?

Upon reflection, when Tai Sui spoke about his student, he didn't seem to display much anger or hatred either. Not that there was none at all, but more of it was directed inward, with a regret that he could have made a different choice at the time.

Does he really think that the situation reached this point entirely because it is his fault?

Tai Sui sighed long and deeply.

"...Fine," he said.

"Giving up so quickly?" I thought he would try another persuasive tactic.

"No, I haven't given up," Tai Sui said. "As you said, I have known from the very beginning what kind of nature, what hidden desires you have. So, I didn't expect that by just being open and honest, you would willingly hand over all your Divine Seal Fragments to me.

"I just laid out an option before you and am waiting for you to make your choice. Even if you deny it to my face right now, this option won't vanish today.

"Tomorrow, or the day after, or even much later... When you have a change of heart and want to save this world from Doomsday, you will naturally choose me."

"Do you think I will change my mind?" I asked.

"I don't know if you will, but at least it's a possibility," Tai Sui said. "Although Xuanming has caused me some trouble, it's because he doesn't know the whole truth. Essentially, he, like me, wishes to save the world, and I respect his will.

"Since he believes you are not entirely evil and has entrusted you with everything, I too believe that there resides in you a seed of goodwill. Partly because of this, I chose to be frank this time."

I asked rhetorically, "I could also find the Current World Divine Seal beneath the Arctic Ocean on my own and push Doomsday further... Didn't you consider that possibility when you told me about the Current World Divine Seal?"

"Even if you find the Current World Divine Seal, you won't be able to control it. Just like without the qualification of a Void Envoy, you can't bind with their Seal Fragments and use their power directly. Only I and the Seal Master can control the Current World Divine Seal, the Doomsday Divine Seal, and the Complete Divine Seal," Tai Sui said.

No wonder he could generously reveal clues about the Current World Divine Seal to me; now it makes sense.

"However, I still suggest you cooperate with me right now. Without me, you won't be able to deal with Shan Liangyi," Tai Sui said.

"If I'm defeated by Shan Liangyi, it would be quite a headache for you, wouldn't it? There's even a possibility that Shan Liangyi might take all the Divine Seal Fragments in my possession," I attempted to regain initiative.

Before I could continue, Tai Sui seemed to understand my intentions, "You wish to gain from me a method to battle Shan Liangyi? Unfortunately, I don't have any method to teach you here."

"You have a method for Weichi to defeat Old Fist God, but not for me to defeat Shan Liangyi?" I questioned. "Or are you saying you will only tell me if I trade a Divine Seal Fragment with you?"

"Weichi's method doesn't suit you. Moreover, I'm not without an answer; I just don't plan to give you a repeated answer. Let alone a trade for Divine Seal Fragments, doing so would only make you think I lack credibility," Tai Sui said.

"You mean..." I grasped his implication.

"That's right, you know better than anyone else how to battle Shan Liangyi," Tai Sui said. "You just have to push open the third gate and you have a clear direction within you. That's to show your Great Renunciation, break through the limits of your soul, and truly master your Power of Manifestation."

I said, "But 'giving up what's most important for a certain goal' is fundamentally a contradictory behavior; I can't figure out how to truly practice this..."

"I said, you know how, just that you refuse to face it," Tai Sui said.

If I really knew, then I wouldn't be so troubled. Maybe Tai Sui merely wants to keep using Shan Liangyi's threat to compel me, which is why he refuses to give his answer. But that's fine too; even if not through a Divine Seal Fragment trade, obtaining an answer that may change my life or death fate from him will deepen my connections with him, the Void Realm, and the Divine Seal Fragments, allowing his power to directly influence me.

So I changed my approach, "Okay, assuming I really can push open the third gate... Wouldn't that give you greater headaches? Just Shan Liangyi and Old Fist God, two people who pushed open the third gate of Impermanence, are obstructing the world's Reboot. If you add me to the mix, won't it get even more serious?"

"Manifestation Users can transform into any element and exist naturally in any domain. They can rise to fly among the cosmos, and hide within waves and eddies..." Tai Sui said, "so as long as you comprehend the true essence of Manifestation, you won't distort the worldview like others who pushed open the third gate..."

That passage about the Manifestation Realm aligns with the information I've obtained before, but I still retain my skepticism. After all, it could also be Tai Sui's convenient pretext to show he's not adversarial toward me.

It seems I won't get more useful information from him.

"Are you leaving?" Tai Sui asked.

"There's no need for us to continue the conversation, right?" I said.

Tai Sui pondered for a moment and nodded.

"If you change your mind, just call my name," he said. "With so many Divine Seal Fragments in your possession, even if you enter the Post-mortem World again, I can hear your call.

"Then I'll await your return."

Once he finished speaking, the surrounding mist thickened, consuming everything.

-

When I opened my eyes again, the scene around me had reverted to the reception room of my own home, and I sat on the sofa.

Little Bowl sat next to me, watching me intently.

"Brother Zhuang Cheng, you're awake?" she let out a breath gently.

No. 7 sat on the sofa opposite the coffee table, observing my expression, and said, "It seems... your conversation didn't go well?"

"At least it didn't develop the way you both hoped. You can ask Tai Sui about the specifics later," I said.

Hearing me call him by "Tai Sui" instead of "Master of Divine Seal", Little Bowl showed an expected expression.

"I'll do that," No. 7 sighed gently, "then I'm done here..."

Although she said this, she showed no intention of leaving yet.

"Is there something else?" I asked.

"This..." No. 7 looked a bit embarrassed.

"It's about returning to the Post-mortem World, right?" Little Bowl said.

Her reminder brought it back to my memory.

No. 7 came to the real world likely by blending in with the rescued soul-loss patients. According to Lu Chan's report, not only Fa Zheng, Jian Feixian, Zhu Shi, but also some Luoshan Demon Hunters entered the Post-mortem World. Part of the rescued soul-loss patients was arranged by the demon hunters to be sent back to the real world; otherwise, No. 7 would find it hard to sneak in past Impermanence's watchful eyes.

But it's a one-way trip. Without the cover of a crowd, she can't use Luo Mountain's Du Shuo Mountain Teleportation Array again. Now, those qualified to enter the Post-mortem World via teleportation array are quite rare, and blending in is extremely difficult.

Incidentally, I'm not sure No. 7's last successful entry was flawless. As a passageway between the Post-mortem World, even Gua Tianshi pays close attention to the Du Shuo Mountain Teleportation Array. Given that she could get in this way, the Evangelical Institute's human gods might use the same to create trouble in the real world, possibly even demolishing the opened array.

From this angle, Fa Zheng and others' effort to rescue soul-loss patients in the Post-mortem World might partly involve some baiting. Zhu Shi probably didn't think too much, but Fa Zheng would secretly support the Human Bureau to pursue his goal, not hesitating to play the black-hearted role. Many monitoring methods might operate subtilely there, checking everyone entering and leaving the array.

"Then, let's set off together afterwards," I said.

"Today?" No. 7 asked.

"Of course, the sooner the better," I replied.

But before setting out officially, there's preparation to do.

To prevent being caught in combat, Little Bowl certainly can't go with us; Mazao will accompany me to the front lines. Both of us entering the Post-mortem World will bring drastic changes to the frontline events. This can't be avoided, so we'll have to notify Weichi, who will inform the likes of Fa Zheng on the frontline, to prepare.

During this interlude, I didn't plan to sit idly at home but first visited the North Pole.

Under a clear, cloudless sky, an endless sea of white ice floes and glaciers stretches before me, a solitary, ice-cold wind howling.