"I once dreamed that everyone was dead, and only you survived till the end, standing by a door, beyond which lay mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

Xu Zhifei's words reverberated in Bai Yanliang's mind.

Bai Yanliang never believed in things like glimpsing the future.

The fundamental law of the material world is that the past cannot be changed, and the future cannot be foreseen.

But… if one could surpass the speed of light, perhaps it would indeed be possible to return to the past and change the present.

Similarly, is the future truly unpredictable?

Seeing the last trembling dry leaf on a tree branch in autumn, anyone can foresee it being blown away by a gust of wind.

Seeing an elder lying on a hospital bed at death's door, anyone can foresee his imminent death.

A bottle lying on the ground surely has been touched by something.

Words on a piece of paper must have been written by someone with a pen.

These phenomena, too simple to be called reasoning, are actually reasonable interpretations humans make of images they have "not seen."

So, as long as the collected information is sufficient, and the calculation capability strong enough, the future can be foreseen.

Does Xu Zhifei possess such an ability?

No…

She does not.

According to her, she was the second test subject of Meng Zhen and Zhou Tian, used to store Meng Zhen's memories.

Therefore, Xu Zhifei also awakened Self-awareness, and those images she saw were not her deductions.

But rather the content the owner of the memories, Meng Zhen, showed her.

Meng Zhen… that woman is already dead.

But why did she leave those images in Xu Zhifei's memory?

The answer may not be complicated.

Xu Zhifei stood there, watching the confrontation between Bai Yanliang and Bai Yanren, watching Zhou Tian merge with the residue, constantly devouring the Fog Realm and the Mortal World.

In front of her eyes, she saw the final scene…

In the scene, the human-shaped residual shed giant insect Zhou Tian merged into had grown "toweringly tall," countless mouthparts waving in all directions, continually consuming the two worlds.

Meanwhile, the vast energy was continuously transforming into tools Zhou Tian needed.

He wanted to transform himself into a complete energy body.

In the scene, the human-shaped giant insect ceaselessly devoured mountains, lands, and all living beings. Humans began to resist but were utterly powerless. The residual shed giant insect, clearly visible, was impervious to touch.

It seemed to be devouring everything in another dimension, with all weapons passing through it as if it did not exist.

The world, shrouded in overwhelming despair, was pushed to the brink of destruction.

At this moment in the scene, Bai Yanliang stood expressionless on the ground, while the giant insect wreaked havoc beside him. He opened the door, and behind it lay mountains of corpses and seas of blood…

The scene returned to reality.

Xu Zhifei looked ahead.

Bai Yanliang's expression was continually changing.

And Xu Zhifei seemingly was also noticed, with the human face on the back of the residual shed giant insect speaking:

"It's you… What you see is the fate of these two future worlds. You can see those images because I once told Meng Zhen all the plans, and that is the scene she deduced countless times. Whatever changes may occur, in the end… I will succeed."

Zhou Tian's voice echoed across the land:

"I, Zhou Tian, have never believed in a preordained future."

"But I… can make the most favorable future become predestined."

Xu Zhifei did not speak, the fierce wind howled incessantly, and both the earth and the void were shattering.

Everything seemed to be as Zhou Tian said, with no more variables.

Within Bai Yanliang's body, the consciousness of Bai Yanren and Bai Yanliang was at war.

The battlefield was not a magnificent place, but a place Bai Yanliang had never been to… the Fog Realm.

In their Conscious Sea, the Fog Realm remained as it was.

Gray-white grass extended to the horizon in this silent world, and in view, there was only one colossal, nearly incomprehensible tree present.

Bai Yanren and Bai Yanliang stood facing each other.

Bai Yanren remained silent for a long time, then looked at Bai Yanliang and said, "Why do you want to stop me?"

Bai Yanliang smiled and replied, "It was not until just now, after the residual shed turned into a giant insect, that I realized one thing."

"What?" Bai Yanren was puzzled, unable to accept that his many years of planning had become Zhou Tian's wedding clothes.

Moreover, unlike Zhou Tian, he did not merely wish to benefit himself and become an immortal existence.

What he wanted to do was truly a good deed that could persuade his own heart.

He indeed believed that the residue from the Fog Realm and the living beings from the Mortal World could perfectly integrate, and the union of the Fog Realm and the Human World was truly the greatest creation.

This would benefit everyone without any harm.

Then why does Bai Yanliang still want to stop me… Why hasn't he become me…

"In your view, what is Self-awareness?"

Bai Yanliang did not answer but asked a question in return.

Without hesitation, Bai Yanren replied, "It's the only standard to judge whether a living being is truly alive."

After speaking, he stared at Bai Yanliang, only to see Bai Yanliang nodding.

"Correct, only with Self-awareness can one truly feel this world. So you also believe that Self-awareness is the most important and indispensable existence for life, right?"

Bai Yanren nodded silently.

In the Conscious Sea, specks of gray-white light floated up from the grass, looking stunningly beautiful.

"I'll tell you a secret."

In Bai Yanren's eyes, there was a trace of bewilderment. "Actually, the life of the residue is infinite. On the surface, they seem to live and die in a day, but Zhou Tian researched that they just disperse into invisible energy, are absorbed again by the Mother Tree, and in almost a blink, will reconvene in a corner of the Mother Tree."

"They… although they have no Self-awareness, do not die. Instead…"

Bai Yanliang suddenly realized something, with disbelief: "Could it be…"

Bai Yanren sneered, nodding: "You guessed correctly, the moment the residue truly dies is the moment it births Self-awareness."

"The residue itself is like a hazy fog, seeming to disperse, but actually becoming water droplets clinging to all things in the world. Once heated, it will appear again."

"However… the residue that births Self-awareness is like having a fire ignite within the fog, a blazing flame!"

Bai Yanren suddenly grew excited.

"Self-awareness and the essence of the residue's life are completely in conflict. While it gives the residue the ability to perceive the world and its own existence, it also rapidly consumes the residue's life force."

"So… do you want to live eternally asleep, or have a moment of brief clarity?"

Bai Yanren spread his arms, closed his eyes, and let the surrounding gray-white specks of light fly around.

"I chose the latter."

"I endure the burning of consciousness every moment, devouring other residues to prolong my life."

"What did I do wrong?"

His gaze fell on Bai Yanliang, questioning softly.

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