Zhou Tian was never a madman. Every step up to this point was within his expectations.

The birth of Bai Yanren could be said to be solely facilitated by him.

Why?

Because he discovered that the world of the Fog Realm was a world without "consciousness."

Therefore, the first Fog Realm being born with self-awareness was naturally able to harness all the bizarre abilities of the Fog Realm.

And this is also why Bai Yanren could gather the Fog Gathering and command the residue.

However, Zhou Tian created Bai Yanren through Meng Zhen's hand, not to create a god of the Fog Realm, but to conduct an experiment.

An experiment about the direction of life's evolution.

Unfortunately, Bai Yanren was a failed experiment.

The beings of the Fog Realm originally had no concept of lifespan. So-called fleeting existences are merely the transformation from one form to another; they do not vanish. But... just as Bai Yanren himself said, residue without self-awareness, even with immortal life, is not truly alive.

A stone that remains dormant for tens of thousands of years is indeed more remarkable than a human's brief decades, but the stone itself has no perception ability of that magnificence.

It simply exists.

Residue is the same; though they cycle through life and death, never dissipating, they fundamentally lack any self-awareness. They are not alive.

Zhou Tian originally thought that residue awakened to self-awareness could achieve "having self-awareness, with an imperishable body," a true eternal longevity.

He even thought about how to transfer his own consciousness to the residue.

However, Bai Yanren's failure struck him like a blow to the head.

The residue named Bai Yanren did indeed successfully appear, but from the moment self-awareness emerged, his nature of life had already completely changed.

Self-awareness and his original existence are completely contradictory and cannot coexist.

The only way is to ceaselessly replenish the residue, treating the remaining residue as expendables, living day by day.

This path is not viable.

Because Zhou Tian himself is not a native being of the Fog Realm, nor was he the first to awaken self-awareness in the Fog Realm.

Everything in the Fog Realm had long since been imprinted with Bai Yanren's mark from the moment the first awareness was born; he was one step late.

This also led to Bai Yanren being able to make residue actively approach to "sacrifice," absorb residue, but Zhou Tian, who created him, was unable to do so.

However, Bai Yanren still had other roles.

For instance, he was the first true being of the Fog Realm, and the fundamental rule of the Fog Realm is that consciousness changes matter. All the power of the fierce ghosts originates from the Fog Realm rules, so, as long as Bai Yanren wishes, he can use his will to mobilize everything in the Fog Realm, even... the Fog Realm itself.

A plan quickly formed in Zhou Tian's mind.

The nature of the residue is as good as a devastating blow to the material world.

But the immense energy produced in the collision of the two worlds is also unimaginably terrifying.

Sufficient to allow his body to become energy, truly achieving immortality.

These plans, Bai Yanliang gradually figured out.

But there was still one point he couldn't understand no matter what.

That is how Zhou Tian, clearly just a human, managed to control these residues to gather into a giant insect?

And how did he convert the energy accumulated by the residual shed giant insect after devouring the human world into a force to elevate his own body?

He really shouldn't be able to bear it...

No.

There must be some critical information missing...

Bai Yanliang stared intently at the sky above, not pausing his actions due to Bai Yanren's disappearance.

The world was collapsing, but his heart was more steadfast than ever before.

This world had many bad aspects, but...

He had met many people... many good people.

Nothing tests human nature more than the brink between life and death.

It was precisely the shared experiences of life and death in the Fog Gathering.

That slowly colored his once blank canvas, not knowing sorrow or laughter, joy or anger.

From the Jiang girl willing to risk her life to confront the ghost and warn others, to the policeman willing to sacrifice for everyone, and to people like Qi Nian, increasingly familiar companions with whom farewells grew more painful.

They taught him what... truly living is.

That's also why he had asked his brother earlier if "self-awareness is the most important."

Clearly possessing self-awareness, clearly knowing life is singular.

Clearly knowing what is most precious.

Yet among humans, there always exists such a portion.

They are willing to abandon life, consciousness, and existence for the emotions and beliefs stirring in their hearts, completely disappearing.

Realizing this point, he finally dispelled the confusion in his heart, understanding what he truly had to do.

I.

Bai Yanliang.

At this moment, I am the first being of the Fog Realm, controlled by my will.

The next moment.

The gigantic Fog Realm Mother Tree in the sky suddenly stopped descending.

No... it didn't stop descending; it changed direction!

The roots of the Fog Realm Mother Tree swiftly extended, covering the sky and earth, wrapping towards the residual shed giant insect crazily devouring the real world at the horizon!

At the moment the roots enveloped the giant insect, Zhou Tian's face reappeared on the back of the insect, staring intently at Bai Yanliang.

"Do you know what you're doing? This insect is in complete chaos inside; the devoured remnants of reality mixed with the Fog Realm's Origin power are mixed together, and the Mother Tree cannot absorb it. It'll wither!"

As if responding to his words.

Under Bai Yanliang's conscious control, the Mother Tree, though using its roots to wrap the residual shed giant insect and frantically sucking its energy, was itself withering rapidly, its huge leaves visibly wilting and falling, and its branches gradually shrinking, drying up.

Continuing this way, the Fog Realm Mother Tree supporting the Fog Realm would indeed wither to death.

However, Bai Yanliang appeared unconcerned, instead saying to Zhou Tian:

"If you can absorb it, why can't I?"

After that, Bai Yanliang closed his eyes, his body soaring into the air like a deity, unshaken by the wild wind howling and lightning spreading in the sky.

Bai Yanliang felt it... every inch of the Mother Tree's roots, trunk, branches, and leaves conveying messages of pain to him.

Yet, Bai Yanliang remained indifferent, using his own consciousness to accelerate the absorption of energy from the residual shed giant insect's body.

This reckless stance finally caused Zhou Tian to panic as well.

"You're crazy! The Mother Tree props up the Fog Realm! If it withers, the Fog Realm will collapse directly, smashing this world to pieces!"

Bai Yanliang looked at the human face behind the giant insect: "You say, the Mother Tree withers, the Fog Realm loses support, it collapses onto the Mortal World, destroying it. Compared to the Fog Realm being manipulated by you, gradually devouring the Mortal World, destroying it. In terms of the result, what's the difference?"

"None, right?"

Bai Yanliang showed the most genuine, effortless smile since realizing he was truly alive: "So why should I let you succeed?"

"Let's die together, Dr. Zhou."

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