Legend of the chosen ones: Beyond Destiny

In the afternoon, the distant wind blew in rolling dark clouds under a gloomy sky.

The stench from the ditch spread through the muggy air, behind the iron wire mesh crisscrossed with patches, the empty lot was full of weeds and thick pipes with peeling paint.

The water pump and purification equipment in the huge pool continued to emit sharp noise.

And between the equipment and the pump, on the giant iron bridge, there was only one staggering figure left, akin to the living dead.

"Finally found it..."

With a blank face, Wen Wen pulled out the key from the motorcycle, and looked up at the sign of the water plant: "Source of infection."

Now the Northern Mountain District, no, throughout Cliff City, the source of all spiritual plagues...

It seemed to guard against the tracing by the Ether Chosen One, the master behind the scenes had laid many deceptive clues, scattering many leads that directed them to different places, yet repeatedly they came up empty, until Tong Hua endured a week and pieced together the final direction from countless threads.

Who would have thought that the source of pollution would be a water plant long since scrapped, vanished from everyone's sight?

Moreover, it was conveniently located at the edge of the Northern Mountain District.

Songxiang Water Company, a tap water company that had gone bankrupt decades ago due to scarce municipal budget and delays, losing support from the city hall, eventually losing its solvency. But without a tap water company, people still needed to drink water, especially the numerous black households and immigrants in the various shantytowns of the Northern Mountain District...

Naturally, societies took over the abandoned water plant, after a chaotic assembly, conducted lucrative business through privately drawn pipes and long-abandoned old water networks. It may not be sweet and delicious, but after filtering a few times, boiling it at least doesn't kill.

Someday becoming the source of an epidemic seemed logical too.

But who could have thought?

Or to put it strangely, who didn't think, didn't remember, was overlooked... so much that until the patchwork of fragmented leads and intelligence was complete and pointed to this sole possibility, the darkness hidden under the light appeared before everyone's eyes.

Heart Core or Mirror?

Perhaps both... perhaps...

Her mood grew heavier, her expression gloomy.

"Don't need me?" little An hesitated in the channel.

"You protect Tong Hua, wait for my signal."

"But..." little An hesitated, glancing at the old man nodding off in the car, wasn't Uncle Zhang also around?

"No, I need a nap."

Old Zhang yawned, tapped his head, without further explanation: "You better protect us."

"Ah?"

Little An didn't understand, but nodded as if he did: "Oh, okay."

Old Zhang lowered his eyelids, seeming asleep.

Only in his breathing, silently, a long sigh.

Boom!

Casually pushing, the rusty iron door flew out, like a projectile it whipped up a gust of wind, spiraling as it embedded into the cement ground.

The footsteps were deep but thunderous, waves visible to the naked eye spread from Wen Wen's feet, engulfing the whole plant, the other thick pipes swayed violently, rusted screws crumbled, pipes detached, the stinking sewage spewed out, worms that hadn't fully hatched wriggled in the mud, wings flapping in vain.

Next, crushed to powder in the trampled waves!

Unconcealed in her actions and intent to kill.

Wen Wen, barreled straight in!

The rustling sounds emerged from corners, darkness, crevices of the rundown buildings, masses of mutated spiritual moths and decayed mutant corpses surged densely like tides, wailing and encircling!

Above, below, all covered in shadows.

Wen Wen moved onward, unwavering, even contemptuous...

Merely, in her progression, she coldly raised her hand, clenched, the Crystal Spear appeared between her fingers, grew out, splendid yet chilling.

Casually, she thrust into the ground beneath her!

Pierced like iron stone.

Next, an innumerable head-tingling shattering sound echoed throughout the entire plant area, as the Crystal Spear pierced the ground, a ten thousand times multiplied sharp radiance burst from the deepest part of the earth, countless sharp crystals pierced upward from the surface, spread across the ground, penetrated the sky, whether long or short, transforming the entire plant area into a fierce and grim crystal forest.

Even the building at the front cracked with countless fissures, sharp-edged crystals wildly protruded!

Not out of disdain or arrogance, but in furious full exertion!

—Circle Realm, unfold!

Minerva's power permeated everything, transforming everything into indestructible crystals, freezing all development, halting all change, henceforth, under the luminous yet eerie crystal lights, true eternity was achieved!

It wasn't even a strike, just natural transformation, annihilated the countless swarming minnows and odds and ends.

Then, in front of Wen Wen, the building cracked from the middle.

With her wave, the wall peeled away, rolled up, matter moved autonomously, a path unfolded, revealing the entrance leading to the You Sui underground.

In the darkness, spots of dreamlike bright starlight.

A vast abundance of mutated spirituality overflowed...

As if departing from the realm of matter, entering a dreamlike, wondrous world, like stars in a night sky that shouldn't exist, countless fleeting glimmers appeared and vanished from the rainbow light, shattered dreams were messily pieced together, piled in chaos, changing beyond recognition.

And in this underground purification plant area, the machines still buzzed in operation, sending spiritual plague to the neglected sludge above.

Those mutated and bizarre figures, some had completely merged with the machines, grown together, chuckling madly, mumbling to themselves.

Mutated figures soaring ambitiously in midair like swimming fish emitted cheers and laughter.

As if a coral reef, its body full of holes, the dense withered outline appeared like a fossil, fruitlessly emitting choking echoes. Each spiritualized tentacle extended and retracted like sea anemones from the void...

A dense crowd gathered together, yet unbelievably, not a single one was alike!

The only similarity was that they were all immersed in their own dreams, completely unaware of the outsiders' arrival, cheering, wailing, cursing, or muttering incoherently about something.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... It's all Dad's fault... It's all me..."

"Kill kill kill! All dead! They all must... die!!!"

"You adulterer and whore, I knew it, I knew it, I, I... why!!!"

"Mom, don't be afraid, we're going to see the doctor now... Don't worry about the money, there's still plenty on the card..."

"Hehehehahaha, I just knew it, it's all fake, fake!!!"

In mid-air, the writhing figures gestured wildly, with tears streaming down: "It's okay, even if it's fake, it's okay, just let me see... please, let me see again..."

Wen Wen remained silent.

The raised palm froze in place.

If what she saw before were wild weeds growing profusely, then now before her eyes were bonsais meticulously built and deliberately decorated.

All transformed into nurseries for dream disease...

Amidst endless spiritual entanglements, in the deepest part of the pool, rotting, swollen corpses had completed their fusion, and on the water's surface and within the eye sockets of the decayed bodies, moth wings silently opened and closed like scales.

This massive field of converging mixed spiritual elements had already completed its internalization, forming a large-scale mutation. If left unchecked, even more terrifying disasters might erupt from here in some time!

Such craftsmanship...

In the deathly stillness, she looked up towards the stinking pool and finally saw that drifting shadow like a mirage, standing on the water, a girl in a white dress.

So unfamiliar, yet her eyes and brows seemed so familiar.

"Sister, long time no see."

The girl tilted her head, smiling joyfully, playfully winking: "Did you miss me?"

"...It really is you, Wen Su."

With a blank expression, Wen Wen stepped forward, one step, another, crushing all meticulously crafted specimens, and reached the phantom's presence, staring into the face that shouldn't exist here: "You people are really... haunting."

"Really annoying, sister."

Wen Su pursed her lips, eyes misting with grievance, "Ever since you left home, I've cried for so long, worrying ceaselessly.

Afraid you weren't eating well, sleeping well, living in hardship...

But also hoping you were not doing well outside, so maybe you'd come back."

Just like long-separated sisters meeting again, holding hands and looking at each other, the illusory shadow reached out, wanting to touch her cheek but couldn't penetrate the static field, untouchable.

"Look at you now, sister, how can they treat you like this?"

Wen Su compassionately examined those eyes and brows, wanting to touch her cheek: "Chained up, locked in a cage, breaking the spine...

Just like a dog."

She said, "Truly pitiful."

"The same old routine?"

Wen Wen was indifferent, showing no response, no emotional fluctuation, only cold, iron-like indifference.

The disturbances to the Heart Core could not sway the rock.

Just coldly watching.

Thus, the youthful face filled with hopeful anticipation gradually stiffened, unable to hide the disappointment.

"Don't be like that, sister, we are sisters after all, at least give some reaction, okay?" Wen Su pouted. "I went through so much trouble, preparing such a big surprise for you.

Unfortunately, those White Country useless folk couldn't be of any help, instead, these little things secretly brought over were very effective. How about it, they're all for you!"

She spread her arms wide, proudly displaying the Hell she created: "Do you like it?"

Boom!!!

At that moment, Hell collapsed.

Everything in sight turned to ash, disappearing without a trace, laughter, cries, whispers, and accusations all vanished. Desires and despair completely obliterated, leaving no trace.

Like waking from a dream.

Mercilessly, she smashed the gift from her sister into smithereens!

Even reaching out once again.

Breaking through the distortion of illusions, breaking the boundary between matter and spiritual, grasped that vague illusionary figure, choking her neck.

Bit by bit tightening!

"Yes, just like that, that's the real you!"

Wen Su's eyes lit up, not caring at all that she seemed to be choked, joyfully: "Cry when you want to cry, laugh when you want to laugh, if you want to lose your temper, just vent it out, no hiding, no pretending, just like the sun!"

The illusion in Wen Wen's hand shattered!

Wen Su reappeared, reaching out, intimately holding her close to her chest:

"I just like you this way!"