52: Reconstructing the World: Sorrow ends, wrath begins!

Gu Yanci's words.

Were like a giant stone thrown into a deep pool,

Stirring heavy ripples in everyone's hearts.

To impersonate the one they were waiting for... this was undoubtedly the only way to survive.

But at the same time,

This was also a gamble where one's life was completely staked.

Act it right, and ascend to heaven in one step.

Act it wrong, and be doomed forever.

Inside the alley,

A deathly silence fell.

This silence wasn't born of fear,

But from a swift deliberation, more perilous than any battle.

"To impersonate, one must first know who they are impersonating."

It was Cang Xuan who first broke the silence.

His eyes, seemingly capable of discerning heavenly secrets,

Swept over the rules on the ground.

"The 'Bride's Code' says they are mourning their lost lover..."

"The origin of this world was created by Su Ke Ke to protect Zhang Wei."

Ling Xi immediately picked up his words.

Her speech was rapid, sparks of thought bursting forth.

"Then, these brides, formed from Zhang Wei's 'sorrow,' could only be mourning one person—"

"Su Ke Ke."

Gu Yanci spoke the name in a deep voice.

With this name revealed,

The final puzzle was also unveiled.

"I remember, it was mentioned in the background information..."

Ye Qiong's ghostly voice rang out,

Delivering the most crucial blow, "Su Ke Ke, is a woman."

Boom!

These words,

Were like a bolt of lightning,

Piercing through the mental fog of everyone!

The answer,

At this moment,

Was already obvious.

To impersonate Su Ke Ke,

Then the executor,

Must also be a female.

In an instant,

Four gazes,

As if by prior agreement,

Simultaneously converged on one person.

—Shadow Empress Ye Liuli.

She had been quietly leaning against the cold wall, like an outsider.

But at this moment,

She became the center of the entire vortex.

In terms of identity,

She was the empress who commanded billions of shadows.

Compared to Su Ke Ke, who ascended to the divine throne,

She also possessed a spirit that looked down upon the world.

In terms of ability,

She was best at manipulating hearts and discerning emotions.

She was the best "actor" among the five.

In terms of gender,

She was undeniably one of only two candidates.

From the very beginning,

This task seemed tailor-made for her.

Facing the solemn gazes of the crowd,

Ye Liuli's face,

Showed no trace of nervousness or evasion.

She merely slowly raised her eyelids.

In her beautiful purple eyes,

There was even a hint of a playful smile.

She gently tucked a strand of falling hair behind her ear.

Her red lips parted slightly,

Her voice carrying a unique laziness and magnetism:

"To impersonate the beloved of a 'god'...heh, that is an interesting challenge."

Her calmness,

Soothed everyone's anxious hearts.

Then, she looked at Gu Yanci.

Her gaze sharpened:

"Tell me everything you know about Su Ke Ke, her personality, habits, tone of voice, everything."

"If I'm going to act, I'll act the whole part."

...Inside the alley.

Gu Yanci quickly narrated all the information he knew,

To Ye Liuli in the most concise language.

Domineering, gentle, protective.

And that weariness and deep affection that spanned countless reincarnations,

Already etched into her bones... Ye Liuli listened in silence, closing her eyes.

A few seconds later,

When she opened her eyes again,

Everyone in the alley,

Felt an indescribable sense of suffocation.

The woman before them was still Ye Liuli.

But the cold arrogance and charm of the Shadow Empress that was on her,

Seemed to recede like a tide.

Replaced instead,

Was a kind of innate dominance, as if looking down on all beings,

And deep within that dominance,

An endless tenderness that existed only for one person.

Her eyes became ancient and distant,

As if she had truly experienced billions of years of waiting.

She nodded gently to the crowd, as if saying goodbye.

Then,

She took a deep breath, resolute.

And took that fateful step.

Stepping out of the shadows.

Walking towards that pale and artificial sunlight.

The moment Ye Liuli walked out of the alley,

The entire world seemed to be muted.

The wind stopped.

The residents on the street, with their eternal smiles,

Their movements instantly froze,

Turning into lifelike wax figures.

The entire world,

Was a giant stage.

All the spotlights were on Ye Liuli, walking towards the center of the stage,

And on the bride standing silently across the street,

Dressed in her wedding gown.

Ye Liuli did not say a word.

She just walked forward.

Her steps were neither fast nor slow.

Her high heels clacked on the silent street,

Making a crisp and powerful echo.

Every step,

Made the four people in the alley gasp with tension.

Those were not the steps of the Shadow Empress.

Those were the steps of Su Ke Ke.

Full of undeniable dominance,

As if all things in heaven and earth should make way for her.

The bride across the street,

Her eyes, which had been hollow for billions of years,

For the first time, rippled.

A hint of confusion, a hint of bewilderment,

Emerged from the depths of that dead silence.

Ye Liuli stopped in front of her.

Only three steps away.

She slowly raised her hand,

Seemingly wanting to caress that pale cheek.

But her hand stopped in mid-air,

With a barely perceptible tremble.

Then, she raised her eyes.

It was that gaze!

In her eyes,

There was no longer the charm and cold arrogance of the Shadow Empress.

Only the bottomless weariness that spanned countless reincarnations,

And beneath that weariness,

Enough to melt ancient profound ice,

An endless tenderness and apology that existed only for the one before her.

'I'm sorry... I'm late.'

She did not speak these words aloud.

But her eyes,

Had clearly conveyed everything.

The bride's body trembled violently.

That perfect and sorrowful mask, worn for billions of years,

At this moment, cracked with a "click."

A crystal-clear tear,

Without warning, slipped from the corner of her eye.

Plop.

It fell to the ground.

This was the first... real thing,

Born in this false world.

This tear,

Was an unstoppable signal.

It was a breach in the dam.

The bride stretched out her hands and suddenly covered her face.

The "sorrow" that had been suppressed for countless years, banished by the entire world,

At this moment, erupted like a volcano!

She did not cry out, nor did she make any sound.

But her violently trembling shoulders,

And the scalding tears pouring madly through her fingers,

Were more heartbreaking than any soul-wrenching wail.

She could finally cry.

And in front of "her," she was finally allowed to grieve.

With this silent weeping,

The bride's body began to turn transparent,

Transforming into billions of soft white shimmering lights,

Like a brilliant swarm of fireflies, scattering into the sky.

A soul that had been imprisoned for too long finally found release... In the Sea of Concepts.

Gu Jianghan "watched" this scene and gently applauded.

A perfect performance.

Deceiving the will of a god.

Igniting the sorrow of a god.

He "watched" in the image,

The Ye Liuli, whose demeanor had returned to that of the Shadow Empress,

Silently watching the light particles dissipate.

Genuine admiration showed in his eyes.

The MVP of this round, without a doubt, is you.

And at this moment,

A cold system prompt,

Simultaneously sounded in the minds of the five survivors:

【Ding! Phase One Mission: Retrieve the Grief — Completed!】

【Calculating rewards based on mission contribution...】

【Participant 'Shadow Empress Ye Liuli', core contributor, rating SSS+.

Reward 'Tear of God (Fragment)' x1, reward points 50000, unlock rare title: 'Divine Actor'!】

【Participant 'Star Gazing Goddess Lingxi', key decision-maker, rating S.

Reward 'Dao Heart Comprehension Pill' x1, reward points 20000!】

【Participant 'Seer - Cang Xuan', key decision-maker, rating S.

Reward 'Dao Heart Comprehension Pill' x1, reward points 20000!】

【Participant 'Chain Breaker Gu Yanci', team leader, rating S.

Reward 'Human Emperor's Fortune (Minor)' x1, reward points 20000!】

【Participant 'Shadowless Ghost - Ye Qiong', intelligence provider, rating A.

Reward points 10000.】

The moment the rewards were distributed,

The dissipating light particles converged in the air,

Forming a tear-shaped crystal,

Shimmering with the light of pure sorrow.

The crystal hung silently in mid-air.

Immediately after,

The entire world began to shake violently!

The sky cracked like a broken mirror, the ground turned into quicksand.

All the "smiling" residents, along with the buildings, dissipated into data streams!

【Warning! 'Sorrow' emotion has been recovered! The world is restructuring!】

【Proceeding to Act Two — The World of 'Rage'!】

【Teleport countdown: 10, 9, 8...】