Inside the hillside curtain palace, Xiaomeng watched Tamashi dance wildly against thin air.
In truth, this place had originally consisted of only a few pillars surrounding the Wishing Pool, far from anything that could be called a palace. But after seeing Tamashi and the others build houses, Xiaomeng suddenly felt she needed a house too. She tinkered around, summoned a large swarm of dream sorcery spirits, and draped pink curtains around the pool.
Of course, dream sorcery spirits only served Xiaomeng willingly. If anyone else tried to seize them, they would vanish with a snap.
Tamashi was the only person permitted to enter the curtain palace, taking daily meals and quarters here. Precisely because he lived here, he held absolute deterrence over the people of Senluo—in everyone's eyes, Crow Cull was a mortal capable of commanding a god at any moment.
In reality, that was indeed the case.
This was also why Tamashi was addressed as Your Highness, for he truly dwelt within a palace now.
Crack!
Accompanied by the sonic booms of limbs breaking the sound barrier, Tamashi's battle appeared fiercely intense, yet from beginning to end, he was alone. But as Xiaomeng watched, it felt as though Tamashi was sparring against another person. With every passing second, that "invisible person" grew increasingly vivid.
When Tamashi threw a fierce right strike, Xiaomeng seemed to see "that person's" sword hand caught in Tamashi's grip. Tamashi twisted hard, pressing the blade in his right hand against "that person's" neck, utterly subduing the opponent.
Holding this pose for ten seconds, Tamashi finally concluded the training. Xiaomeng immediately hopped to her feet and clapped. "Great fight! So amazing! Hyah! Hyah!"
Xiaomeng mimicked Tamashi's punches. Tamashi chuckled. "Keep your feet still when you punch. Move your waist first, then rotate your shoulders..."
"No, no, Xiaomeng is so tired! I need to rest!"
After throwing a single punch, Xiaomeng sank to her knees, panting in a pathetic display of exhaustion. Tamashi, unsure whether she was faking or not, crouched down and tapped her forehead. Xiaomeng suddenly leaped up, snatching the three-winged crow off Tamashi's shoulder and hugging it in her arms to pet it all over.
The three-winged crow struggled incessantly, cawing toward Tamashi, but Tamashi could only spread his hands, powerless to help.
Unlike everyone else, Tamashi harbored no reverence toward gods. Perhaps it was because he had orchestrated the fate of the Silver Lantern god, perhaps because Xiaomeng was extraordinarily fond of him, or perhaps because of the vast, undigested intellectual legacy of the Water Lord lingering in his mind.
While Xiaomeng fooled around with the crow, Tamashi walked over to the Wishing Pool. He lifted his hood, unfastened the black feather cloak, took off the armor, belt, and steel boots, shed the vest, shirt, over-pants, trousers, and undergarments, and finally unwound the chest-binding bandages strip by strip. Tightly compressed and trembling, the bountiful curves sprang out impatiently.
Undoing her low ponytail, she swept her hair up to expose a smooth nape. Clamping a hair tie between her lips, she tied her long hair into a high ponytail, coiled it into a bun, and secured the outside so her hair would not get wet while soaking in the Wishing Pool.
Indeed, while sorcerers could not soak in the Wishing Pool, mortals could. Bereft of sorcery power, the wish power within the pool produced no reaction at all.
Ever since Xiaomeng dragged Tamashi in for a soak the first time, she made it a daily habit to soak for a while after training.
Tonight, however, would be the last time.
She dipped her toes lightly into the milky-white pool water. The temperature and color of the Wishing Pool changed every evening; tonight it was chillingly cold. Relieved, she sat on the edge, dipping her calves to stir up ripples, then eased her hips forward until the waterline rose past her breasts and gently lapped against her collarbones.
The chill seeped through her limbs and bones into her soul, clearing her mind while banishing fatigue, delightfully refreshing enough to draw a lazy sigh from Tamashi's lips. She reclined inside, arched her arms back in a stretch, and extended her toes tautly until they lifted slightly above the surface. Watching her toes ripple the water, she found it amusing.
After resting a moment, she took the towel from the side. She wiped her face slowly, caught her ears to scrape both exterior and interior clean, slid down along her jaw over her neck, wiped the broader areas, and focused on sweat-prone spots: underarms, inner thighs, back of her knees, inner arms, beneath her breasts.
She always felt embarrassed at this point. After all, she came to bathe covered in sweat every day, worrying she might contaminate the Wishing Pool and displease the sorcery spirits and Xiaomeng. But the spirits in the pool raised no objections, and Xiaomeng had said the purifying power of the Wishing Pool could effortlessly dissolve a sorcerer, so taking a bath was entirely harmless.
"Caw!"
The three-winged crow finally escaped Xiaomeng's clutches, flapping its wings to land on Tamashi's shoulder. Seeing this, Xiaomeng did not pursue it. Stripping off all her clothes in a flash, she leaped into the Wishing Pool with a splash, swishing her five tails as she paddled toward Tamashi.
"Rub my head, rub my head!" Xiaomeng shouted, raising both hands.
Once, while washing Xiaomeng's hair, Tamashi had given her a scalp massage, and Xiaomeng had grown addicted to the irresistible sensation. Tamashi had never imagined that the habit of frequently washing Tanomu's hair would one day earn her the favor of a god.
Tamashi's slender, scallion-like fingers moved with measured rhythm and pressure. At the first touch, Xiaomeng shivered, the fur on her tails puffing out. As Tamashi massaged her scalp, Xiaomeng suddenly asked, "Were you imagining sparring with Master just now?"
"Yes." Tamashi naturally knew which master Xiaomeng meant. "Do you have news of him?"
"Nope. Xiaomeng can't establish a connection with Master. Master has to come to the Thousand Wishes Heaven for that." Xiaomeng grew somewhat despondent. "Xiaomeng misses the masters very much too, but you hold the Wish Hub, so Master can't come here."
"I will return it to him soon," Tamashi said calmly. "I promise."
"Mhm, I believe Tamashi!" Xiaomeng nodded earnestly, then added, "But toward the end of your training, why did your mood go thump-thump-thump?"
Tamashi countered, "You can tell my mood?"
"I am the Dream-Waking God and the interim archon of the Thousand Wishes Heaven!" Xiaomeng puffed up and placed her hands on her hips. "How could I not know your mental state? In the entire Thousand Wishes Heaven, I know everyone's mental state!"
Tamashi nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Then what kind of mood is 'thump-thump-thump'?"
"Huh?" Xiaomeng cocked her head. "It's just... thump-thump? Aiya, don't ask such hard questions, Xiaomeng doesn't know!"
"I don't understand it either." Tamashi shrugged. "Earlier, I heard people say that with one kind of love, you want to get very close to the other person. I thought back to when I trained with Yaxiu in the Dead City. Whenever we got too close, there would be this strange feeling. I wondered if that was another kind of affection, so I tested it earlier, imagining myself subduing him at close range."
"Was it?"
"Probably not."
"Probably?" Xiaomeng blinked.
"Because when I got close to him, my instinct was to push him away," Tamashi said. "Yet after pushing him away, I kind of wanted to get close again."
"So I think mine must be a third kind of love." Tamashi threw a punch forward, effortlessly triggering a supersonic cloud-burst that churned the entire Wishing Pool. "Loving someone so much that you want to beat him up. Yes, that must be it."
Xiaomeng stared blankly at Tamashi, feeling that Master was in grave danger.
"Speaking of which, since you can perceive everyone's mental state, could you do something like this?" Tamashi suddenly asked. "Awarding or deducting points based on each person's behavior."
Tamashi had just remembered a night in Black Robe Town when everyone had engaged in late-night political theorizing. Because Yaxiu casually criticized all the systems of Blood Moon, Gospel, and Senluo, Igola had asked him, 'Since you look down on every system, surely you have a brilliant concept of your own?' Yaxiu had then proposed a very peculiar system: Moral Points.
He said it was a widely used fictional trope he had read about in other books. Simply put, many actions in the world were not illegal, or illegal but with minimal harm. Even if law enforcement caught them every time, ordinary penalties were inconsequential, while harsh punishments were unreasonable.
To the societal machine, heinous crimes like murder were shrill noises that could be plucked out, whereas petty conflicts and minor misdeeds were like fishbones lodged in the throat, creating the friction and corrosion that ultimately tore the societal machine apart. Blood Moon, Gospel, and Senluo had their respective solutions, but all relied on external force to mitigate corrosion. The Moral Points mechanism was designed to make people voluntarily reduce that wear and tear.
"Just like a game, do well and gain points; do poorly and lose points. Grinding points is fine too. As long as it benefits society, the system encourages point-farming, upholding the principle that good deeds bring good rewards. This score must be visible to everyone. High scores earn privileges, and low scores don't even need punishment, because a low score is itself the best punishment."
Tamashi had no other options available. She was unwilling to adopt the Blood Moon system; the Gospel system was impossible to implement even with the aid of the Dream-Waking God; and she had no interest in the Faith system for now. The only governance framework left was the moral system Yaxiu had brought up during idle chatter after dinner.
She was prepared for failure, but a blunderer who took action was still better than an idle fool who did nothing.
Xiaomeng thought it over carefully. "I should be able to do it, but I'll need some time to design it. The only issue is that it consumes source stones. I have source stones left by Master, but I won't spend them on you."
Tamashi asked, "What if I provide the source stones?"
"Then it's fine," Xiaomeng said. "But I have to take a commission for Master—around ten percent."
"Deal!"
Tamashi climbed out of the Wishing Pool. She took one last look at the pool water, thinking that from now on, she would never experience such a bath again.
Dressing herself, she sat cross-legged and extended her arm. The three-winged crow immediately perched upon it.
"Death Informant," Tamashi said earnestly to the crow. "I'm counting on you."
The three-winged crow gave a caw and transformed into a stream of light that merged into Tamashi's soul. Tamashi located it within her soul, and soon discovered the door inside its body that was about to alter her entire life—
The Gate of Truth.
In that instant, unspeakable emotions flooded Tamashi's heart: grievance, sorrow, and joy. Back then, it had taken her only a single day to accept the verdict that she could never become a sorcerer, and she had fought until today, successfully astonishing everyone who once doubted her... She thought she had long made peace with fate, but looking upon this Gate of Truth that belonged to her, she realized she had not.
The four-year-old girl who could not recognize a single character, who dared to weep only at night after her little sister fell asleep, had never truly left.
Yet once she departed Senluo and escaped the shroud of the Heavenly Cycle Scale Powder, she had completely recovered. It took her merely seven days to master two thousand common words, and on the tenth day, she summoned her very first sorcery spirit.
Three-Wing sorcery spirit: Death Informant.
Since it was a Three-Wing sorcery spirit, Tamashi naturally had to ascend directly to the Distant Sky Realm, skipping the Knowledge Sea and the Time Continent entirely. Skipping the lower levels of the Void Realm was already extraordinarily rare, but Tamashi possessed even rarer knowledge: how to replenish her missing void wings.
Among the vast reservoir of knowledge in her mind were instructions on "how the Water Lord should rapidly reclaim His power after resurrection." An entity like the Water Lord might not be able to summon gods directly, but summoning Four-Wing sorcery spirits was effortless.
Of course, He could also start by summoning a one-winged sorcery spirit and slowly climb up from the Knowledge Sea. But at normal advancement speed—one year in the Knowledge Sea, one year on the Time Continent, one year in the Distant Sky Realm—how could He squander precious time leveling up after resurrecting? Naturally, He had devised ways to fill in the preceding void wings.
In addition, the Water Lord had stashed treasures across each level of the Void Realm. Though not numerous, they included source crystals and vital sorcery spirits! As long as Tamashi retrieved the Water Lord's legacy, she would not only be able to sustain Xiaomeng, but among the spirits held by the Water Lord, one could directly connect to the world's most mysterious trading platform—
The No-Hunting Zone!
The clients in the No-Hunting Zone were all demigods and even God Lords!
There, Tamashi could purchase high-level resources to develop the Thousand Wishes Heaven and perhaps even alleviate the Heaven's curse, transforming it into a true paradise!
Now, Tamashi was about to become a Sanctuary sorcerer, which meant she could encounter Yaxiu and the others in the Void Realm and return the Wish Hub to him.
Once she found them, she would show Igola and Harvey that she had guarded Yaxiu's heaven well!
Carrying such hopes, Tamashi sank her consciousness into the Gate of Truth.
Consciousness linked to the Void Realm; her soul descended into a bubble.
When Tamashi slowly opened her eyes, the brilliant neon lights filling her sight and the familiar clamor soaking into her ears made her momentarily wonder if she was dreaming.
Under the cover of night, pedestrians swarmed the town's pedestrian street. Countless beauties brushed shoulders, snack stalls on both sides overflowed with patrons, and drunken women lay sprawled by the roadside, snoring soundly.
Turning her head, she spotted Fox Lamp Icehouse nearby.
She recognized this place.
This was the dream bubble of Black Robe Town.
This was the dream of a Senluo Sanctuary.
Yet all the Senluo Sanctuaries were dead. The only Sanctuary sorcerers who still remembered Black Robe Town were Yaxiu and his companions—
'No, wait...'
Suddenly, Tamashi heard the faint, ghostly murmur of the Water Lord again. A strand of esoteric knowledge flowed into her mind, revealing that the dream bubbles of the Distant Sky Realm were not exclusively the dreams of the living.
When Sanctuary sorcerers died, their dreams continued to appear intermittently across the Sky Realm, though the refresh intervals lengthened until, after ten years, they completely vanished.
Therefore, this Black Robe Town bubble was likely the remnant dream of some deceased Senluo Sanctuary.
She stood dazed in the street for a long time, watching every passing face, knowing in her heart that every person here was already dead. After a while, she sighed softly. Taking a step forward into a puddle on the street, she caught her reflection in the water.
No cloak, no mask, no hood. She saw only a spirited young woman dressed in a halter tube-top with semi-sheer arm sleeves, athletic ultra-short shorts beneath a sheer miniskirt, over-the-knee socks, and ankle boots.
Why am I wearing this outfit?
Tamashi searched her mind for a while before finally uncovering the source. One evening, while she and Yaxiu were strolling down the street in Black Robe Town, Yaxiu had suddenly pointed at a passerby, remarking on how great the outfit looked. She had looked closely and realized the combination was indeed striking, completely distinct from the rest, clearly coordinated with great care. Such attention to detail was exceedingly rare in Senluo, where few would squander time on clothing.
That outfit was the exact ensemble she was wearing now, a meticulously styled design crafted by a deceased Senluo native.
She did not know who that person was, but both she and Yaxiu had remembered the creation.
Tamashi looked down to examine herself. Stretching slightly, she discovered that exerting force was easier than in her real-world gear, though her defense was lower and her tools fewer. But in the future, she would possess a Sanctuary, rendering armor unnecessary for defense, and with sorcery spirits, tools were obsolete—so she had no complaints.
It was just quite a departure from her real-world image, which felt unfamiliar...
Just as Tamashi prepared to explore the bubble, she overheard a sensitive phrase nearby: "...Don't tell me Yaxiu hasn't realized that's a woman?"
Tamashi whipped her head around and saw three women walking past her.
Among the trio, the one in the middle was a Veela with pale pink hair and a light coating of alluring fluff on her forearms. To her left was a black-haired, red-eyed girl, and to her right was a mature woman radiating an aura of purple sophistication.
"How do you know she's a woman?" the red-eyed girl asked. "Face hidden, figure concealed, no feminine traits whatsoever!"
"The fact that she refuses to show her face or eat together is the biggest proof!" the Veela declared confidently, clutching a diary.
"Wasn't that said to be for religious reasons?" the purple-clad lady noted.
"Yet she insisted on being recorded in Yaxiu's sorcerer manual! Listen to that—how scheming!" the Veela lamented bitterly. "I'm not even sure if Yaxiu's sorcerer manual recorded me!"
"Wasn't that just to spread the Crow Cull faith...?" The red-eyed girl sighed helplessly. "Never mind Yaxiu remembering her; even I remember her. Tamashi Crow Cull is certainly an intriguing person. I wonder if her vengeance succeeded in the end. I hope Yaxiu writes faster."
The purple-clad lady nodded in agreement. "If Yaxiu hadn't written it, I certainly wouldn't have believed an ordinary mortal could attain Sanctuary-level combat prowess... I truly want to see what kind of person that is."
"Just you wait. In a few chapters, Yaxiu will discover she's a girl," the Veela scoffed. "From the moment she appeared, my radar picked up that she was definitely a woman, and that she'd end up entangled with Yaxiu in the future!"
The red-eyed girl asked, "What kind of radar is that..."
"An affair radar!" the Veela declared.
The purple-clad lady remarked, "Aren't you Yaxiu's affair yourself...?"
"I was the first, so of course it's different!"
There was a pecking order for this too?!
Just then, the red-eyed girl suddenly turned her head. "Why are you following us?"
The Veela and the purple-clad lady looked back, only to realize that a stunningly attractive and alluring black-haired girl with a high ponytail had been trailing behind them at some point. Clearly startled, the girl took a step back and stammered, "I mean no harm. I... I just..."
"You saw we're sorcerers and want to join us?" the purple-clad lady guessed.
"Yes!" Tamashi nodded vigorously. They clearly possessed a wealth of intelligence regarding Yaxiu; following them might allow her to locate him sooner.
The red-eyed girl and the purple-clad lady looked visibly troubled. Their party was not one that admitted members lightly—
"Sure!"
The Veela leaped forward and hugged Tamashi, rubbing her cheek against Tamashi's with a giggle. "Yay! Another pretty girl joined us!"
"What's with that middle-aged uncle tone of yours?!" The red-eyed girl smacked the Veela's rear hard. "It's not your harem—what good is a pretty girl to you?!"
"Can't I enjoy the eye candy?" The Veela held Tamashi tightly, refusing to let go. "She's the first person to take the initiative to join us! And she's gorgeous! And sexy! And she feels so nice to hug! Let's say yes, please, pretty please~"
The red-eyed girl and the purple-clad lady exchanged a glance. The purple-clad lady said, "We can agree, but whether you can actually join us remains to be seen—you might not run into us tomorrow. We log into the Void Realm every night at eleven o'clock. If you still encounter us when you log in tomorrow, then you'll officially be one of us."
In truth, if they bumped into each other two nights in a row, they would have no choice but to let her join, whether they wanted to or not.
Tamashi nodded to show she understood. The Veela cheered, "Hooray!"
Watching the Veela rejoice, Tamashi felt dazed. This was the first time she had ever received such a warm welcome. Was it because of her looks, because she was a sorcerer, or perhaps fate?
Regardless, Senluo was gone, and everything she had once fought for had scattered like smoke. The Thousand Wishes Heaven and the Void Realm were her brand-new starting line.
It was time to begin anew.
Just then, she heard the Veela ask, "By the way, what's your name?"
Chapter 751