This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 469: The Next Childhood

Chapter 469: Chapter 469: The Next Childhood

"That’s exactly the problem. Each reset doesn’t completely erase the previous world; parts of them linger in the new world, and over time they accumulate in such a way that they entirely surpass the Foundation’s control. The first contact with the gods in the world after the reset might be far more intense than in our reality," the old man said.

"I think I grasp what you mean. It’s as if the world is a matryoshka that has been riddled with holes and piled up to the 999th layer," Chen Ke mused, stroking his chin.

"Exactly. Each layer faces more complexities than the one before, and this is where our disagreement with the Foundation lies. How can we expect worlds that can barely look after themselves to find the answers we seek?" the old man shook his head, looking towards the surging sea of clouds.

"You... Could you tell me what exactly is the difference between the two Foundations?" Chen Ke asked.

"In truth, there’s only one Foundation, the Human Cradle Plan Foundation. The division sprung from differing opinions on the application of divine power, leading some to depart and establish the Human Connection Plan Foundation. Of course, that’s not a widespread name; most people refer to us as the Divine Descent Sect," the old man said with a smile.

"What! The Human Connection Plan Foundation is the Divine Descent Sect?" Chen Ke exclaimed, standing up from the stone.

"You seem very surprised. Have you had contact with our people in your world?" the old man asked.

"It’s a long story," Chen Ke didn’t know what to say. In fact, he had little fondness for either the Foundation or the Divine Descent Sect.

"I hope you understand. The Divine Descent Sect in your world might be quite different from us," the old man said.

"Whether it’s us or the Foundation, the world has come to an end, and all disagreements and disputes have become meaningless. The one constant is our resolve to ensure the survival of humanity. The Foundation has always hoped that humanity might find a way back to reality, but we have to be more pragmatic," the old man added.

"What were you doing when the Foundation was resetting the world?" Chen Ke sat back down and asked.

"Before they first reset the world, we had already foreseen the end of humanity. The difference between the Divine Descent Sect and the Foundation is that we don’t solely rely on rationality to understand the power of the gods. Think about it, the universe is vast, and humankind is so insignificant. Not everything can be explained by our science. When the world shaped by Divine’s Dream is presented before us, how can we distinguish the difference between reality and illusion? When such magnificent power descends upon the earth, why must we question its existence? It’s there. It exists. All we need to do is discern its pros and cons and then utilize it," the old man said.

"That does sound very pragmatic..." Chen Ke had to admit.

"So, unlike the Foundation, we haven’t sought ways to slay the gods but have chosen an alternative path. That’s also why I am here," the old man said.

"They sent you here? So, the Divine Descent Sect knew all along that the Foundation was planning to transmit divine power back to the world after the reset?" Chen Ke asked.

"It was only our conjecture. The affairs of the world are unpredictable—we didn’t know when the Foundation would do it, and we weren’t even sure if the Foundation would last that long... It’s a gamble. They bet on you, and we bet on them," the old man replied.

"What if you lose?" Chen Ke shook his head.

"We never really thought we’d win," the old man said.

He laughed, then continued, "The Foundation holds an Outer God that can traverse time and space, possessing only its womb and half of its body, while the other half is in the hands of the Divine Descent Sect. That’s why your ability is incomplete, and if I’m not mistaken, your ability always seems to activate impulsively, doesn’t it?"

"That’s correct..." Chen Ke nodded.

"I am your other half, young man. My body is inside a large iron can, connected to the other half of the Outer God’s body with its severed umbilical cord. After sacrificing all my Life Force, I was able to come here with its power to the peripheral area of Divine’s Dream, a place that exists in a state between sleep and wakefulness. Therefore, the ability you have in the reset world is ineffective," the old man said.

"So... you have that kind of power now...?" Chen Ke asked.

"No, I don’t. I’m merely a vessel. I came here with two missions. The first is to return the missing part of your ability to you, and the second, to tell you a second method to save humanity. A better method," the old man said.

Chen Ke was speechless.

"The Foundation hopes you would act as the Guardian, who would restart the world before time stagnates if a method to slay the gods is not found by a certain stage in the cycle. They must have informed you of the consequences. You are the last chance, and after the restart, you will become echoes of the 999th cycle, just like the past. But I will offer you a better choice," the old man said.

"Go ahead and speak," Chen Ke said.

"We do not wish for you to reboot the world, but instead, we hope you will fall into a deep slumber here, dreaming a dream within a dream, allowing humanity to exist and thrive securely within your dreams, forever. This option is more realistic for humankind, but you will never be able to awaken. You will become the foundation of the world, forever sleeping in this place," the old man said.

"Wouldn’t that mean living in a dream forever? Besides, the dream belongs to a deity, not to me. How could I...?" Chen Ke sighed deeply.

"You still don’t understand. The deity we hold is an offspring born of an Outer God. It is still young, which is why we can control it and transfer abilities into its dream. You are now, in a sense, half an Outer God. And once I return the abilities to you, you will possess all of its power. At that point, you can overlay a new layer of dream onto the existing dreamscape. However, this layer of the dream will not interfere with reality, so it will not cause a stalling of time," the old man explained.

"It sounds like no matter what I choose, I’m the one who suffers most," Chen Ke said helplessly.

"Such a gift of immense power comes at a cost. Fate has chosen you, young man. You have no choice but to bear it," the old man said.

"Why can’t you transfer this power to one of your own people?" Chen Ke asked.

"How could we transfer the power of a god in reality? If there were such a method, do you think the Foundation and humanity would be extinct? We have tried and contemplated approaches you’ve never heard of, even those that break the boundaries of ethics. Do not doubt our determination to preserve human civilization," the old man said.

"What if I refuse?" Chen Ke inquired.

"We have certainly considered that too. See that apartment over there?" the old man pointed toward a distant apartment.

"Of course I see it," Chen Ke replied.

"I don’t intend to deceive you. This is your turf, the edge of the dream. That apartment is your self-protection mechanism, a shelter automatically formed based on your memories and life. There, you can not only use your powers but also approach the apartment’s door and shuttle back to the world. But here, you cannot. This is a Zero Boundary Point. There’s a reason I’m waiting for you here," the old man explained.

"Do you mean, if I refuse, you won’t give me the abilities?" Chen Ke asked.

"No, I’m not an unreasonable old man. I just do not wish for you to follow the Foundation’s instructions, leading to the complete extinction of humanity after the 1000th reboot. We hope that you will guide humanity into a new childhood as we desire. If you refuse, then you must show determination, prove that you have the ability to make choices for humanity," the old man said.

"What do you mean?" Chen Ke asked.

"Either you go to sleep, or, in your mortal form, you defeat the guardian we’ve left here. Otherwise, you will be trapped here forever," the old man said.

He snapped his fingers, and with a flash of black light in the center of the circular platform, a Black Knight wearing An Helei armor, carrying a moonlight greatsword, knelt on the ground.

"That is..." Chen Ke said in surprise.

"That is your Phantom. Power is not given unconditionally. You have reached this point by our gifts. Now, if you want to follow your own path, prove to us that without these abilities, you can also defeat him," the old man said.

"I do not have time to play games," Chen Ke said, his anger directed at the old man.

"This isn’t a game, and there is no time here. You do not even have the right to die. We have chosen you, and you must obey. This is both the first and the last collaboration between the Foundation and the Divine Descent Sect. Young man, either you dream, or you overcome him—make your decision wisely," the old man said with a smile.

Chen Ke clenched his fists tightly, his body shaking with rage.

The old man paid Chen Ke no further attention, stood up, and slowly walked towards the edge of the cliff, looking out over the rolling sea of clouds.

"Truly... spectacular," the old man said lightly, looking back at Chen Ke before resolutely and determinedly jumping down.