A beating "heart," as massive as a mountain, presented itself before Li Yue. It emitted a thunderous roar, and within those heavy echoes, she could faintly hear bursts of piercing, hysterical laughter—or perhaps voices calling out her old name.
Li Yue desperately wanted to ignore the cacophony, but she couldn't shift her focus. Even with the massive heart right before her, she was unable to fully concentrate on resisting the waves of intense erosion.
“Such overwhelming vitality... such a powerful aura of filth...” Li Yue frowned as she surveyed her surroundings. The space was hollow, with branches covered in blood-red eyes sprouting periodically, only to be instantly reduced to void and dust by her magic.
She did not lower her guard. She continued to use various methods to probe the residual auras left in this place. The traces of the King of Gods from thousands of years ago had completely vanished. Aside from the sharp, mocking laughter, there were countless incomprehensible things. Li Yue tried her best not to care, nor to subconsciously try to rationalize them; such efforts were futile, only adding to her sense of powerlessness and despair.
A normal person would likely have gone mad by now. These things could not be proven by any known theory. Attempting to use any established logic—whether scientific or magical—to rationalize what she was currently sensing was a fruitless endeavor. Anyone other than Li Yue would have transformed into a mass of chaotic flesh under such intense erosion.
“Can these things... truly be called theology or knowledge?” Li Yue’s lips trembled slightly. “What is meant by... the destiny and truth of the world?”
Li Yue pressed a hand to her forehead. she felt a powerful urge within her own flesh; it was as if every piece of her body had begun to develop its own unique will, wanting to detach itself from her.
“I can't delay any longer.” Li Yue tightened her mental focus. She had already employed every method at her disposal, and her only concrete conclusion was that the Sovereign of Madness had never actually descended here. As for what her other states of consciousness were thinking, Li Yue didn't even know how to put it into words.
Perhaps in the future, if she ever lost control of her mind, her incoherent ramblings alone would be enough to kill people?
That would be a ruthless trick, though not as fast as killing with blood crystals.
...
Why am I even thinking about this?
Li Yue extended a hand. Black patterns spread across her arm, taking shape until they gradually formed the silhouette of a small black snake. It materialized in her palm, becoming a physical entity. It slithered slowly toward the heart of the tree. The surrounding branches began to grow frantic, but under Li Yue’s suppression, they remained unable to offer any resistance.
The tiny black snake bit into the heart of the tree, diving into the murky, deep green environment tinged with streaks of crimson. The surrounding space shook violently. The vitality here began to drop at a steady pace. It might not take long—perhaps only a few weeks—before the vitality here was completely drained by the snake.
This was Li Yue’s external avatar. Though it looked small, when enlarged, it was still the giant snake that could separate the mortal world from Hell.
Next... there was nothing to do but wait.
Li Yue closed her eyes, trying her best to abandon thought. She avoided thinking about anything—even the people she knew best and loved most. In an environment like this, even their faces would be distorted into something loathsome. Memories would become a desolate grave where, under a silent, pale moon, the beautiful bodies buried deep in the soil were slowly corroded, eventually turning into gnawed skeletal remains, unrecognizable.
...
“Lord Clo, according to the investigations by the Shadow Seats, several high nobles are secretly supporting key figures in the conservative political parties. They are attempting to control the situation on both sides.” Several council members sat beside Clo, discussing the recent internal strife within the Royal Court. Some of them hailed from the high nobles, while others had been elevated to their positions under the new system.
“We need to...” Clo paused for a moment. She didn't know why she suddenly thought of Li Yue. She felt a strange sense of worry, but after the brief silence, she continued with her previous train of thought.
“We need to increase the intensity of the reforms...” Clo mused. “We should abolish the hereditary system for noble titles. Titles should be granted as honors to specific individuals, not to families.”
“Increase investment in the factory system, strengthen social mobility, and enhance the ability of individuals to survive after leaving their families.” Clo paused. “Use legislation to balance the inheritance of noble estates rather than relying on wills. Tax these estates to fragment and weaken the power of noble clans.”
“Tax all property obtained through illegal acts. The enforcement officers of the Tax Bureau should be equipped with the highest grade of armaments.” Clo recalled the heap of strange clauses Li Yue had written. “Also, regarding addictive herbs—” Clo pulled out a long list of medicinal ingredients “—they may only be sold by physicians holding official Royal Court certification. Private trafficking is to be punished by death.”
“Furthermore, the mining of minerals and major infrastructure projects must remain under the control of the state. Individuals cannot hold dominant power over them.”
“And this clause, also left by A Yue... I mean, the Divine Lord. It’s called... the Anti-Monopoly Law. It’s slated to be implemented in a few years...”
“There is also a Land Act, which aims to abolish the original lord system, nationalize the land, and then redistribute it... These are all measures that go against the conservative party, and they can only be implemented in a few years after the public’s awareness has improved...”
A silence fell over the people in the room. They couldn't quite grasp the full scope of these measures, assuming they were simply laws from that prosperous Mythological Era.
...
Within the dark space, the cross-legged Li Yue suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. She gently opened her eyes, only to find herself in another unknown place. Her connection with the little snake remained, though it had grown much thinner. She looked around, feeling an indescribable sense of familiar strangeness.
“Little Meng... Little Meng.”
Li Yue froze. She saw a group of silhouettes in the distance, calling her name and waving to her.
“Come... be with us...”
Li Yue’s body trembled. In a daze, she felt as if her heart and mind had returned to a thousand years ago.
“Everyone... I...” Li Yue reached out her hand toward them.
“Be with us... and sink into this.”
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