Chapter 114: Where Is the Loop

It is a terrifying thing when someone you are discussing suddenly appears out of nowhere.

Yes, it is truly terrifying.

But for the three individuals present, it was not terrifying at all. Whether it was Lan Yi or the other psionic cultivators, their sensory perception far exceeded that of any mortal. They could hear every movement of an ordinary person from over twenty meters away—even the slightest rustle inside the room—more clearly than a normal person could see. Ma Mei heard their conversation only because they allowed her to.

It was not just Juno who was curious. Lan Yi and the others were also eager to see how Ma Mei—the "Great Horror" who had annihilated the Demon City, though still technically human—would react once she learned the truth. Would she erupt into maniacal laughter, revealing a hidden, monstrous nature and baring her fangs at the people who had walked right into her trap? Or would she be like a bewildered commoner, oblivious to the truth, collapsing under the realization of her future as a spectral entity?

The result, however, was unexpected.

Ma Mei’s fingers dug fiercely into the doorframe. Her wrinkled, weather-beaten face began to contort, and in that moment, her mouth was stretched wide to a full one hundred and eighty degrees! Her gums protruded, and her molars were clearly visible. Her mouth gaped like that of a monster, ready to snap at Lan Yi and the others.

But just as something was about to burst forth from within her, she froze. Her expression shifted instantly; she returned to normal, seemingly forgetting everything that had just occurred. Like a mindless, drifting ash, she turned and retreated into her room.

They could not see her, but the psionic cultivators could sense that after she sat down on the chair in her bedroom, her breathing gradually became steady and deep. She had forgotten everything and fallen asleep.

"Oh, *omoshiroi*. To think such a thing could happen. She was almost fully transformed into an evil spirit, only to be dragged back at the last second. Does this backward 'Artificial Divine Realm' really possess such a level of power?" Wang Aojia felt a surge of curiosity.

The power of the paranormal system was interesting at first, but to them, it was little more than a parlor trick on a stage. If one had to describe the difference, it was like magic versus sorcery: both could achieve the same effect, but the principles and levels of difficulty were vastly different.

"It looks like some kind of protective measure," Li Yang hypothesized further. "The psychic energy in this world is so abundant, yet there are no ghosts running rampant. It is highly likely that the spirits are all locked within human bodies. This so-called 'liberation' might actually require the slaughter of every human in this Artificial Divine Realm."

Juno did not speak. She was merely a physical vessel for communication; with the naked eye alone, she could not discern any valuable information.

"In the future, did you find any traces of us?" Lan Yi suddenly asked Juno.

If this world operated on a logic of "effect preceding cause," then logically, there should be no traces of psionic cultivators in the future world, as they were the first batch of cultivators to enter for the trial. Yet, given the methods and power of any one of them, if they were to take action, they would inevitably leave an indelible mark on history.

"That task is not as easy as it seems... because we were just attacked again." Juno, sharing the same expression, rarely showed a hint of annoyance. To be a dignified psionic cultivator of the main world, only to be toyed with after being ambushed, was grating.

"It seems we are being treated as stowaways."

"Beyond the spectral entities, there are 'Obsessors' acting against us."

"We’ve returned to 2055... forget it. We'll talk more when we meet. Stay where you are; Lin Cheng and I are on our way. If we keep this up any longer, this communicator will be scrapped."

Juno’s [Starry Sky] could be used on ordinary people or willing psionic cultivators, but regardless of the target, there was a limit to the duration of use. Exceeding that limit took a toll not just on psychic energy, but on the subject's health and life expectancy.

"It seems this thing will come in handy soon," Li Yang said, tapping the statue of the Five-Way God of Wealth sitting on the table.

But then, Li Yang looked at Lan Yi with suspicion. This Old Demon Lan... he seemed unusually quiet. No, not just quiet. It seemed that since entering the Artificial Divine Realm of 2055, Lan Yi had barely spoken. His initiative was not particularly strong, and his methods had not been excessively violent. Everyone knew Old Demon Lan’s personality; if he could speed-run a mission, he wouldn't mind killing a few million people just to liven things up.

This didn't seem like Lan Yi at all.

The moment this thought took root, Li Yang’s pupils contracted sharply.

He aimed his gaze directly at Lan Yi. His eyes, once clearly black and white, transformed into burning golden pupils, like two high-purity golden gemstones. From these stones, laser beams with temperatures exceeding five thousand degrees Celsius instantly converged and erupted toward Lan Yi!

*Golden Luminary Art: Infrared Demon-Slaying Cannon!*

The moment the laser erupted, Lan Yi’s Divine Heaven Peak techniques were unleashed almost simultaneously.

*Divine Heaven Peak Art: Palm-Thunder!*

The terrifying power generated by the sudden clash of these two high-intensity techniques erupted within the cramped space. It wasn't just this residential building—an entire neighborhood could have been razed to the ground. Wang Aojia, standing nearby, looked stunned, unable to understand why the two had suddenly attacked each other. However, he decisively clenched his fists.

*Today, he, Wang Aojia, would save this neighborhood!*

*Killer Whale Tyrant Fist!!*

He gathered all his strength, aiming for the point where the two techniques met, intending to crush them both.

*Zip...*

The next moment, whether it was the terrifyingly hot laser or the high-temperature plasma bomb, the moment they touched, they vanished into thin air like illusions. The two cultivators' control over their power was so exquisite that what appeared to be a terrifying display was, in fact, nothing more than a facade.

Seeing this, Wang Aojia desperately tried to retract his Killer Whale Tyrant Fist, but he couldn't pull it all back. The punch landed solidly on the sofa, instantly reducing it to powder and ash. Wang Aojia himself plunged into the floor, leaving a massive hole. The entire residential building shuddered as if hit by a powerful earthquake.

"You are indeed Lan Yi, but why do you feel so wrong to me?" Li Yang extinguished the destructive psychic energy in his eyes; his sudden probe had yielded a result. The person before him was definitely Old Demon Lan. Neither his masterful control over electromagnetic techniques nor his insight into psychic energy could be faked by an impostor.

"I didn't just passively enter this Artificial Divine Realm through the Battlefield Space. I actively chose this type of world, so I have one more channel of information than you do." Lan Yi flicked his [Canghua] robes, blowing away the dust while pulling the grandstanding Wang Aojia—who was stuck in the floor with his feet dangling out—back to his feet.

"The future is here. Where is the cycle?"