Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo

The Void is an absolute darkness where even the concept of "darkness" does not exist, and it lacks the simple spatial concepts of length, width, and height. It's as if one cannot find a single natural number among all negative numbers, and no material can find a place to rest in this zone. Yet in fact, I brought my own body into it, into this darkness.

If you asked me to describe what this scene is like, I wouldn't know how to explain it. First of all, the Void is a domain beyond description with words, so I can only barely say that my body is hanging in the darkness.

You can feel your body constantly tending towards extinction, as if telling me "I shouldn't be here." However, by relying on the power of the Third Door, I can unreasonably resist this tendency. I imagine that when Shan Liangyi first ventured into the Post-mortem World, it was by the same method that he maintained his presence in the Void Domain.

Even so, merely doing this can still be somewhat strenuous. Although I can maintain this state for as long as I wish, the Void Domain is ultimately not a place for the living. It is said that humans will go mad if they stay in a space without light and sound for too long — although this comparison might be inappropriate, as the Void is on a completely different level from such spaces, in any case, a life form's spirit probably cannot take root or continue in a realm where nothing exists.

By combining with the Power of Manifestation, that sense of effort vanishes. Presumably, when it comes to adaptability to the Void, most who push open the Third Door of Impermanence can't compare to me. Although, throughout history, the number of those who have opened the Third Door of Impermanence likely doesn't exceed one hand.

Even so, I probably have some temporary unknown limits too. The Manifestation Realm achieved with "adventure" as its guiding principle cannot truly transform into a perfect adaptability to "a place where nothing exists." I also cannot imagine what kind of guiding principle could match it. Fortunately, I can generally confirm that my limit should be very, very, very long, so long that even my present self cannot see the end.

I tried to move my body with my mind. It's the same as before; in the Void, there is no point of reference, and I don't know if I'm truly moving, as the concept of "movement" doesn't exist here. Looking forward, I can't see the real world; looking back, I can't see the Post-mortem World.

Aside from these two worlds, the Void Domain should also "connect" to other worlds, right? I wonder if I keep "moving" within the Void Domain, could I, like Shan Liangyi, traverse to the otherworldly realms?

I can't help but be tempted, but for now, I'd better focus on the real world.

Once again, I try to sense the connection between myself and the real world. Besides the "Fireflies" I set up in the real world in the past, I can also sense other things. The blessing of Little Bowl still resides on me, and using it as a medium, I'm able to sense another presence.

Little Bowl should still be alive. At least the blessing on me isn't of the "source died, blessing maintained by the force of death's obsession" model. Because I've also simulated the Divine Son, I can make this judgment.

If I'm worried that Shan Liangyi would kill Little Bowl out of revenge on me, then it's best to return to the real world using this blessing as the main medium, so I won't accidentally arrive at a future time where Little Bowl is already dead.

However, the future where Little Bowl is dead might also exist, and since for observers outside the world, all times are the same time, how is this reconciled? Or, as in the past in the Post-mortem World where I inevitably found Little Bowl, because of the Power of Fate, I'm more inclined to connect with the time when "Little Bowl is still alive"? Or are there some unknown rules hidden due to the natural will of planets connecting both worlds?

After reaching the Manifestation Realm, it seems that there are still more things I don't know and can't do. Someone once compared "known" to a circle, and "unknown" to everything outside the circle; the larger the circle, the more unknown it touches. Thus, the wise have more questions than the ignorant, making them sometimes seem stupider than the ignorant. The world, in my eyes, has become less clear, increasingly unknown.

Following this line of thought, a bizarre notion rose in my heart—if one truly becomes an omniscient and omnipotent being, would it also mean becoming an ignorant and powerless being?

"Great True Spirit" ... I've encountered this concept more than once in the past and have pondered over it earnestly, yet I've never heard of it having done anything. It seems to merely exist, sometimes even questionable whether it exists at all, with many regarding it as merely a hypothetical concept.

Anyway, there's one thing I'm certain of. Becoming a Manifestation and Enlightenment being doesn't mean I've reached some endpoint. Perhaps this is indeed a brand-new beginning. Within and outside the universe, countless mysteries await me to explore, like treasure.

Furthermore, I shouldn't become complacent just because I won't inadvertently travel to the time of Little Bowl's death. Since Shan Liangyi knows my power, he likely can predict my actions now. If I had to confront him again before fully assimilating the Vermilion Bird Seed, it would be troublesome — he might capture Little Bowl alive as a hostage thinking that way.

From my understanding of his character, and from hearsay from others, he might not plan some "If you want her to live, stand there and take a hit from me" scheme… He's more likely inclined to defeat me honorably with his own strength. But he could also use a hostage to force me not to make a move for a certain period, and cheerfully execute her after.

It's not just Shan Liangyi who needs time; I need time to continue evolving and iterating my soul structure too. My soul hasn't stopped growing yet. I should push my power to the limit that I can currently achieve before meeting Shan Liangyi again. Unfortunately, time doesn't exist in the Void, and although it seems like some time has passed now, on second thoughts, it feels like only a moment, and all of this feels like my own delusion.

Time, time...

Oh, right, do I have a solution to this?

My power can simulate and reproduce All Things... unbound by any material or energy, as long as I intend it, I should also be able to create time and space. At the very least, I can indeed simulate mana that possesses the properties of time and space.

I begin to wield mana within the Void Domain.

In the Void, even the concept of "mana" does not exist, yet even in a realm without the concept of mana, it is possible to forcibly employ it. This is one of the essences of the Third Door.

Orange-red flames ignite on my body, then gradually flicker out. However, the power does not truly vanish but transforms into something formless and intangible.

I sensed the flow of time.

"Time," created by me out of the Void.

What about space? I try again. Soon, although invisible to the naked eye, the concepts of length, width, and height appear around my body, and a vacuum of space is generated in the void. Then I continue to make changes, and the color of concrete appears around.

Before long, a space identical to the old fifteenth floor basement is simulated and created by me in the Void Domain using mana.

One second later, the basement space violently shakes and collapses. The void obviously does not welcome this space, does not allow such things to exist. Even Impermanence cannot survive in this realm, let alone a mere basement room.

Stopping the collapse and destruction is quite easy. Since it is created with my mana, I can just increase the strength, using the power of the Third Door to forcibly resist, or engage the Power of Manifestation to 'get along' harmoniously with the void, or incorporate some True Spirit Power... The original fifteenth-floor basement likely temporarily existed due to the fate of the Divine Seal Fragment, I can do the same thing.

Following this path, maybe I can even create a "universe" in the Void Domain? Although compared to the real universe, with a diameter of 93 billion light-years in the observable range alone, the scale I can create is so minuscule it doesn't even compare to a microorganism, but it's still a grand feat of cosmic creation.

The fifteenth-floor basement before me can be considered a room-sized universe.

However, unlike Meng Zhang's "Paradise," what I have here is essentially just an accumulation of mana creations; it can't be considered as independently establishing a Great True Spirit, nor does it have the protection of the "Outer World Wall," offering no enhancement in the improvement of my own strength...

So is it possible that I just need to create a considerable number of lives to populate it? I continue to ponder. For instance, creating a large number of humans and linking their consciousness together to form a Dream Network? But currently, I can only create paradoxical life, and such a universe will quickly fall into a doomsday process, won't it?

I allow the void to swallow up the counterfeit fifteenth-floor basement, retaining only the element of time upon myself. Just like that, a universe is destroyed—whether such a statement is an exaggeration, I do not know.

As my power gradually grows, I ponder over the issues discovered just now, simulating various material and soul structures from time to time.

After a long while, I finally come to some conclusions.

Although I understand the principle behind Meng Zhang creating "Paradise," it is only a theory heard by hearsay. "Paradise" is a remarkable miracle, even Lianshan Liangyi admits can't replicate regardless of effort, held aloft possibly not by some simple technique anyone could comprehend upon hearing, but rather by Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang's unparalleled talent.

The principles of an atomic bomb can be found on the internet, but that doesn't mean anyone can turn raw materials into an atomic bomb just by having them in front of them.

It likely incorporates the special nature of "Meng Zhang's Seed," a creation of the Legendary Realm, particularly the power of cultivation… Because it involves the parts related to True Spirit Power, trying to replicate it using the Power of Manifestation isn't very realistic.

Unlike my ever-growing power, in such a place where there is nothing at all, I cannot expect to achieve meaningful intellectual evolution; I can only shelve this topic for now and focus on enhancing my strength.

I continue to drift in the void, unaware of how much time has passed, when suddenly, a grey mist appears from the front.