Cataclysm King

Chapter 559 The Reason Why the Emperor Went the Witch's Path

Does time flow in this relic space?

Ji Xun always thought that there was.

Because Reni told him that the elders of their God of Play family had given him the warning passed down orally that he could not stay in there for more than an hour.

After I went out, an hour had passed in the outside world.

So, time is flowing.

But now, the witch Lanlingster in front of him posed a difficult problem to him.

Since she asked this, there must be something else behind it.

Ji Xun looked at his pocket watch again. The hands were still moving slowly, and he still didn't find any problems.

The witch Lanlingster on the opposite side looked at him thinking hard, smiled and shook her head, interrupting his thoughts: "What you are thinking about is not the same question as what I am asking. In your logic, time is not a problem. But in my question, you don't even understand what time refers to."

"Ah."

It's rare to meet such a great man, Ji Xun won't pretend to know something.

He admitted his ignorance and humbly asked, "So what you mean is that time does not flow in this space?"

The witch Lanlingster did not answer, but asked: "Before answering this question, I want to hear what you think the nature of time is?"

Time is one of the supreme laws of the universe.

Even though Ji Xun had just touched a little bit of the fur, he couldn't tell clearly what it was.

Ji Xun thought for a while, then expressed his feelings in an uncertain tone, saying, "Is time an illusion of perception?"

"Hmm, that's interesting."

As the witch Lanlingster listened, a faint and charming smile appeared on her beautiful face.

She added, "Your current state should not be able to reach this level of understanding. Could it be that a god-level being has given you guidance?"

Ji Xun, of course, being an eighth-level card master is nothing.

The higher your rank, the more you know, and the stronger the feeling of knowing nothing about the universe.

He said truthfully: "I was once in the disaster area of ​​a Netherworld Train. A senior named Xu gave me guidance."

Once in the ruins of Xiamu City, he, Catalina, and Old Man Xu and his grandson had taken a train with the time domain.

Now that I think about it, it was thanks to Old Man Xu’s guidance that I was able to survive.

"Oh? You encountered [Bazix's Nether Train]?"

Hearing this, the witch Lanlingster seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly said: "It's a good opportunity. That's right. But before answering this question, you have to know what this relic is."

"Ah, isn't this the inherited treasure of the Drama God Clan?"

Ji Xun looked at that beautiful face with curiosity.

After drinking that glass of wine just now, he knew that this [Gray Mist Relic] was not as simple as he thought.

Its true value is not just those fragments of consciousness, nor is it the magical soul wine in this tavern, nor is it even the fragments of the emperor's consciousness in front of it.

At least not entirely.

"Yes. But they used it wrong."

Witch Lanlingster lazily shook the wine in the goblet and talked about the origin of the relic, saying: "This relic is indeed the inheritance secret treasure of the God of Play family. They originally had a way to get in. But the soul of the inheritor who came in before was too weak, and he dared not come in outside the fog. And you came to the Rose Tavern so recklessly. Thinking that the inheritance of the God of Play family was broken, no one told you some taboos."

"."

Hearing this, Ji Xun thought to himself, "As expected."

He was sure that Reni had nothing to hide from him, and the only explanation was that the inheritance of the God of Drama clan had once been interrupted.

Many things that have been passed down orally have been lost or are incomplete.

For example, the correct way to use this relic.

The most likely reason why I came to the Rose Tavern was because of the guidance of the person in front of me.

After a pause, the Witch Queen continued, "This relic cannot only be used to remove the distorted consciousness of the card master, nor can it be used as a carrier of inheritance. The current heir of the Xishen family is really putting the cart before the horse."

"."

Ji Xun heard a sigh about the decline of the Xishen clan's heritage in her tone.

She continued, "This relic is a treasure of the 'world'. It is also one of the few items that 'King JOKER' left for future generations, in addition to the fifty-four Demon God sequences."

"Emperor Ka?"

Ji Xun didn't understand what that "world" was.

But when he heard the word "Emperor Ka", he immediately realized that the origin of this [Gray Mist Relic] must be very extraordinary.

"Ah."

Witch Lanlings took another sip of wine and said, "The great being who created the card master system. To be honest, this relic is just a photo that he took when he was bored."

"."

Ji Xun's eyes twitched inexplicably when he heard this.

How powerful must one be that a casual selfie is a treasure?

He then asked: "What do you mean by 'world'?"

The witch Lanlingster did not explain: "When you can see the pattern on the photo, you will understand what it is."

"."

Ji Xun was thoughtful.

This [Gray Fog Relic] is just like its name, a gray photo with no visible pattern on it.

Now after hearing this I understand that it’s not that it doesn’t exist, but that I just can’t see it.

"The time in this relic space is different from the time you know. If you haven't reached that level, you may not understand it even if I tell you."

The witch Lanlingster crossed her legs elegantly, and the tight black gauze skirt made her figure look even more graceful.

She looked at Ji Xun and changed the subject: "But since you invited me to drink, I can chat for a while. How much you can understand is up to you."

Ji Xun looked straight ahead and said, "I'd like to hear the details."

“To understand time, you have to understand a lot of other related things.”

Witch Lanlingster paused when she got to this point, "How should I put it? Let's start with life and death."

As if she was trying to describe a very complicated thing in simple language, a hint of laziness flashed across those extremely charming eyes.

She asked, "When you first entered this space, did you feel as if your soul was immersed in another world and experienced a feeling similar to death?"

"Ah."

Ji Xun nodded.

Witch Lanlingster asked again: "How does it feel to experience death?"

Ji Xun recalled the feeling when he came in, the out-of-body experience was still clear: "Yeah. Very good."

The witch Lanlingster smiled and suddenly changed the subject: "So, why do you think you are still alive?"

"???"

As soon as these words came out, Ji Xun's eyes widened instantly.

He vaguely realized what the other party was going to say.

Witch Lanlingster smiled gently, showing good understanding, and continued, "Or to be more precise, what makes you believe that you are living in the real world, and not in another dimension, in a novel, or in a dream of a higher-dimensional consciousness?"

"."

Ji Xun fell into silence.

Because someone once asked him the same question.

That time, in the alien space of "The Siege", I met Faro, the last "Light Chaser" of Taren.

At that time, the other party asked a similar question: How can you be sure that you are alive? Or, how can you be sure that the world you are in is the real world?

This is a question that has troubled Ji Xun for a long time and still cannot be answered.

Looking at Ji Xun lost in long thought.

The witch Lanlingster raised her eyebrows and felt that the question could be answered in a few words.

She asked again from another perspective: "Everything in the universe will eventually die due to the flow of time. Do you think this is right?"

Ji Xun affirmed: "Yes."

This is the law of the universe he observed.

If you are not sure about this, then everything you have constructed about your understanding of the universe will collapse.

However, just as he said this, Ji Xun heard a question that made him frown again: "So, do you think I am alive or dead now?"

Turning around, I saw a smile on that extremely perfect face, patient and gentle.

Ji Xun felt a headache again.

Thoughts were tangled together like a tangled mess.

He knew very well that the person in front of him was a fragment of consciousness that had been stripped away from Emperor Lanlingster.

Then the problem is coming.

Since she is conscious and can talk to herself, is "she" alive or dead?

Ji Xun couldn't describe this cognitive gap.

He turned his eyes to the person sitting opposite him and said, "Can I hear the answer first?"

The witch Lanlingster's long eyelashes flickered a little as she smiled at the tricky question, but she did not refuse to answer and gave a direct answer: "I am alive, but also not alive. Because you are aware of my existence, so, I exist."

I think, therefore you are?

Ji Xun showed a hint of self-mockery when he heard this.

Didn't understand.

"Well, how should I put it?"

Witch Lanlingster pondered for a moment, gave an analogy, and said, "Oh, yes. Someone once told me that it's like a storybook. When you read it, the characters in it will come alive with the reader's thoughts, be born, grow up, go on adventures, get married and have children. Then they will live a wonderful life and eventually die. The timeline in the book is the time of that low-dimensional world. So, do you think the 'time' in the book really exists? Are the characters in the book really alive?"

"."

Ji Xun inexplicably felt that this example was very familiar.

Almost the same example.

In the other dimension, the "Light Chaser" Faro also gave a similar example.

This made Ji Xun see the shadow of inheritance.

The inheritance of the Light Seekers of the Illuminati Hermitage is most likely from the same source as that of Emperor Lanlingster!
The witch Lanlings saw through Ji Xun's expression and continued, "Because of the reader's consciousness, the time of the story in the book has meaning and flows. It is also because of the reader's consciousness that the characters in the book come alive. You can understand my current state as this. Although this relic space is a little special, it is essentially the same as the 'storybook' I mentioned."

As she spoke, she summarized the awkward metaphor and said, "That's why I asked you just now, is time really flowing in space? You came, and I am 'alive'. You didn't come, but I didn't die. I have always been here."

"."

Ji Xun felt like he understood a little bit.

Schrodinger's Witch?

During the observation, her condition was confirmed.

The witch Lanlingsdong looked at Ji Xun's frowning expression, and seemed to find it rare to find some fun, so she asked, "Is it hard to understand?"

Ji Xun nodded: "Yeah."

His mind rejects things that he cannot understand.

It's like seeing the language of a high-level demon. There's no correspondence between what you perceive and what you see. It's a very torturous feeling.

Obviously, there is a deep meaning behind what Witch Lanlingster said.

She then asked another question: "Well, let me ask you another question. Do you think time has a beginning and an end?"

"." Ji Xun didn't know.

He read so many books, but none of them gave an accurate answer to this question.

Before he could answer, the emperor muttered to himself: "It's really troublesome to explain this problem with words that humans can understand. Let me put it this way."

He pondered for a moment, and seemed to have organized his words.

She continued: "If I say that the author has finished writing the story, and only the author knows that the protagonist in the story has actually died in the end, and the timeline has reached the end. Then, is the protagonist in the book alive or dead?"

With this guidance, Ji Xun gradually understood some of what was said.

He expressed his own opinion: "When the reader reads the middle of the story, the protagonist is alive, and when he reads the end, he is dead. When reading the book again, he comes alive again. When the book is opened, it is the starting point of time, and the last page is the end of time. But this is not real time, but the time in the book."

As soon as these words came out, the witch Lanlingster nodded in approval and said, "Yes. Time is relative. This is a very important rule in the universe."

Ji Xun said: "You mean, the time in this space is a perceptual illusion?"

As he spoke, his brows furrowed.

After hearing these words, some of my doubts were indeed explained, but more and more questions arose.

The witch Lanlingster saw through his thoughts and asked directly: "Are you doubting the real world?"

Ji Xunru said: "Yes."

The witch Lanlingster smiled and said, "The frog in the well cannot correctly understand the world at the wellhead. Similarly, the humans in the storybook will never be able to understand the world outside the story."

Ji Xun: "."

“Don’t worry about whether you are in the real world. Otherwise, even if you are sure that you are not in ‘this book’, how can you be sure that you are not in another larger book world?”

Witch Lanlingster: "If you can't figure it out, then just do it, and do it according to the experience of your predecessors. Just like if you can't imagine the scenery from a high place, then go climb a mountain, and when you reach the top, all your doubts will suddenly become clear. This is the meaning of inheritance. The fifty-four paths to the gods have already paved the way. When the card master walks up the steps step by step, he will naturally see the scenery on the top of the mountain."

"."

This time Ji Xun understood.

The Witch Queen did not explain to him clearly what "time" was, but she talked about something at a higher level that Ji Xun himself could not describe for the time being.

As long as I can understand those, everything seems to be confusing.

At the same time, as he was thinking, inspiration kept coming to him unconsciously.

"You have a sudden realization. My heart is the universe. Proficiency +22"

"You have some understanding of the Law of Time. Affinity with the Law of Time +1"

"You have gained some understanding of the laws of space, and the number of space spells in all series has increased."

"You have touched a faint breath of the 'world'."

While Ji Xun was thinking, he was completely unaware that time in the entire tavern seemed to have slowed down.

Five times, ten times. It was like a slow-motion movie, with the images all around playing slowly.

In Ji Xun's eyes, the drinkers' movements became extremely slow. They raised their glasses but could not touch them for a long time. Several seconds passed in a blink of an eye. Even the foam splashed from the glasses floated in the air for a long time without falling to the ground.
Ji Xun's sense of time remained normal, but everything around him slowed down.

I don’t know how long it took.

It seemed like just a moment.

Suddenly, I heard a reminder next to my ear: "But that's someone else. You are different. You are taking the [JOKER] path, which is worth a word from me."

Ji Xun came out of the state where he felt that time was slowing down. He was still wondering if it was just an illusion, and he couldn't accurately describe his state just now.

That wonderful feeling was like quicksand passing through fingers in an instant, and at this moment, I heard the voice next to my ear giving a precise explanation.

"The speed of time in this relic space is directly related to your perception of the laws of time. This means that if you master the secrets of time, you can artificially control the speed of time. The higher your understanding of the laws of time, the higher the time multiplier. One hour in the outside world is several hours or even dozens of hours here. If you reach a high enough level, you will have almost endless time. This is also one of the most practical uses of this relic - [Time Distortion]."

From the simple to the complex, you will understand it all at once.

"I see."

After hearing this, Ji Xun finally understood why the Witch Queen had said that the Drama God Family's use of the relics was putting the cart before the horse.

In the eyes of Rennie and others, this relic is a storage warehouse for soul fragments.

However, we now know that the true purpose of this relic is so outrageous.

Distorting time?

It’s definitely a magical skill!
In space, we have ten or a hundred times more time to comprehend knowledge and principles. How can others compare with us?

After confirming that this relic had such magical uses, Ji Xun finally understood why there were so many god-level powerful people in the Talen Empire.

It turns out that this is the meaning of heritage and inheritance.

This is just the heirloom of one of the King’s four knights’ families.

It is hard to imagine how powerful the empire must have been and how many top-notch warriors it had when the great emperor established the Taren Dynasty.

"call"

Ji Xun let out a long breath.

The chaotic thoughts seemed to be sorted out a lot.

Looking over, the gorgeous woman opposite still had the most gentle and elegant demeanor in the world, and her dark crow eyes were flickering with a faint charming hue under the light.

Ji Xun stood up, bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

The witch Lanlingster didn't care.

Ji Xun saw that the wine in her glass was almost empty and was about to ask the bartender for another drink.

After all, such a great opportunity is definitely worth a gamble.

However, the witch Lanlingster waved her hand, as if she was losing interest: "Forget it, let's stop drinking here today."

As she spoke, she motioned for Ji Xun to sit down, as if she didn't like being so polite.

Ji Xun also noticed the casualness of this strongest man who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago, and sat on the stool.

After a moment of silence, the witch Lanlingster suddenly asked: "Do you know why you came to the Rose Tavern?"

Ji Xun said: "Because of the mysterious magic of 'My Heart is the Universe'."

The witch Lanlingster smiled and praised: "That's quite clever. This is the exclusive secret method left by King JOKER. This relic has a lot to do with that secret method."

"Ah."

Ji Xun actually had this feeling a long time ago.

This relic space is like a man-made "small world", which is the top-level ability of "my mind is the universe".

By this time, the last sip of wine in the goblet was finished.

Ji Xun looked at his pocket watch and the time was up.

He now understood that the "one hour" mentioned by Rennie was actually just a psychological suggestion. It was a trick to deliberately anchor the consciousness in time to prevent it from being contaminated by other fragments of consciousness. After all, the soul was not strong enough.

Next time he comes, Ji Xun feels that he should be able to stay longer.

But at this moment he really didn't want to leave.

Being able to see the fragments of the legendary emperor's consciousness is such a great opportunity that no one would want to miss it.

But Ji Xun didn't seem anxious and just sat there quietly.

I thought that even if it doesn’t work this time, I can still come next time.

However, the Witch Queen seemed to want to say something else.

She suddenly turned around and looked at Ji Xun, smiling: "Are you curious about why I chose the Witch Path?"

"."

Ji Xun said nothing.

Of course he was curious.

Why would a great god-level emperor transform into a witch and even peel off his clothes? It feels weird and contradictory.

But this is someone else's private matter, it's not right to ask.

But the person in front of me obviously doesn't mind.

She took the initiative to give the answer: "It was accidental, but also an attempt."

Ji Xun: “Try?”

Witch Lanlings propped her left elbow on the bar, looking slightly drunk and charming. She nodded, "I said before that time is relative. In the universe, no law exists in isolation. Even if there is a single element, there must be other elements with opposite properties nearby to maintain stability. In the ancient civilization of card masters, talented people have long observed this law. They called this law 'supernatural opposition'. This is one of the supreme rules of the universe, and it is also the only way for card masters to improve their status after condensing their godhood."

"."

Ji Xun vaguely realized that he had come into contact with some of the ultimate secrets of becoming a god.

The beautiful woman in front of him smiled and said, "So, now you know why I want to take the Witch Path, right?"

Ji Xun confirmed: "Because of the opposite nature?"

He'd heard this before.

But hearing it from the mouth of this great emperor, I was inexplicably shocked.

Before, it was just a hazy light in the fog, but now I can clearly see a lighthouse pointing the way forward.

Some people have successfully walked this path.

"Yes."

Witch Lanlingster said: "I have tried many methods to achieve that kind of absolute opposite balance, but ultimately failed. It was not until I was contaminated by some accidental events that I discovered the secret of the witch's distortion process. The witch's path can stably achieve the balance of the extraordinary characteristics in the body."

Hearing this, Ji Xun fell into deep thought.

What exactly is the conflict that made the emperor choose the Deformed Witch to balance things out?
Also, is there no other way?

"Forget it. There are many things I tell you that you won't understand now."

The witch Lanlingster had no intention of going any deeper.

But she suddenly changed the subject and looked at Ji Xun with a smile on her face: "However, I think it's actually quite good for you to be a witch."

"."

Ji Xun frowned, looking a little strange.

It's not that he questioned this statement, but when an authority said this, he really had a thought in his mind to seriously consider this matter.

However, before he could think about it, the witch Lanlingster denied it first, "Hahaha, I'm just kidding. I think you are more suitable to go the gentleman route."

Then she continued, "There are many ways to balance opposites in the universe. The witch is just one path I tried. It may not be suitable for others. After I broke through the status, I found some other methods."

"Oh?"

Ji Xun instantly perked up.

He knew that it was time for the great emperor to teach him the real thing.

But after saying this, the Witch Queen showed a hint of joking on her face and asked, "Guess why I left behind two inherited demon marks of [King of Spades - Tyrant] and [Queen of Diamonds - White Queen] for future generations?"

"."

Ji Xun vaguely guessed something.

These two sequences are opposites?
The witch Lanlingster didn't seem to mind saying a few more words, but time didn't allow it, so she said: "Well, your partner is calling you. If you don't go out, she will come in to find you. And your soul has begun to be polluted by the tavern. It will be no good for you to stay here any longer."

Ji Xun knew she was talking about Nan Jing outside.

Because they had agreed before that if anything unexpected happened, Miss Bun Hair would force herself to come back when the time came.

Ji Xun stood up and saluted as a gentleman: "Thank you for your advice."

The witch Lanlingster smiled and waved her hands, not caring.

Just when Ji Xun felt that his consciousness was beginning to blur, he suddenly heard a few whispers in his ears.

"Do you know why I told you so much?"

"Some things have to be said to others."

"Nothing lasts forever. This wisp of my consciousness is going to fade away."

(End of this chapter)