CSMCDB - Chapter 164
Chapter 164
After a chaotic flurry, the Plane Consciousness finally managed to stop crying. 1947 also quickly contacted the Main System, reporting that this plane had another victim and applying for compensation. Ah, this Plane Consciousness is so weak. I hope the compensation is some kind of strengthening essence, 1947 thought. Otherwise, it suspected this Baby Voice would be continuously weakened by the consciousness from the Huanling Continent.
If a Plane Consciousness was weakened, it would have negative effects on the living beings within the plane, and even the entire plane's development would be suppressed. Of course, if it were devoured, the devoured plane would become a subsidiary of the plane that devoured its consciousness. Its energy, resources, and even unique energies like "Star Power" would become the spoils of the devouring plane.
The Dragon Race, Fu, and even the Demonic Beast Sovereigns of the Starry Sky Plane, as well as those within the Empire who yearned for a new life in a stronger plane, could not possibly know about the existence of a Plane Consciousness. They didn't even have a clear concept of what a "plane" was, let alone understand the importance of a "Plane Consciousness."
But even if they did know, perhaps some would still pin their hopes on the idea that "the Huanling Continent will take us all in." Humans always yearn for powerful, unknown worlds.
Getting back to the topic, after calming down the Plane Consciousness, 1947 seriously explained the whole situation to Wen Yuncheng. It and the Plane Consciousness simply set up a communication circle, enveloping Wen Yuncheng and Lin Jinyu within it to communicate telepathically—just like being pulled into a premium group chat.
The Starry Sky Plane's Consciousness was a little awkward facing Wen Yuncheng, even though Wen Yuncheng had never known of its existence. When a Plane Consciousness selected a Child of the Plane, it wouldn't actively intervene in "their" growth. It would only, after the selection, unconsciously tilt opportunities in the plane toward the "Child of the Plane." Simply put, it was like having a halo of luck. A Child of the Plane with this halo wouldn't die so easily, which could be considered the Plane Consciousness's early-stage growth guarantee for them.
As for the selection of the Child of the Plane, it was essentially choosing the being within the plane whose nature was most compatible with it and who possessed the highest potential. In 1947's words, it was a "Long Aotian aptitude," an "aptitude for godhood." The growth of a Child of the Plane was a long process for "them" personally, but for a Plane Consciousness, it was but the snap of a finger... Most low-level Plane Consciousnesses spent their entire existence, from birth to maturity, waiting for their plane to nurture that one "Child of the Plane."
It wasn't the strongest person in the plane at the current moment, nor the strongest in its history. Rather, it was the first promising candidate with the aptitude for godhood to appear from its birth to countless years into the future. Of course, if the first promising candidate unfortunately died (or encountered 1947), it could only continue to wait for the second one.
A Plane Consciousness would immediately detect a naturally born promising candidate. However, Lin Jinyu was an exception. The Plane Consciousness only later sensed that another person with the aptitude for godhood had appeared in the plane, and it didn't understand how. That was why it used the world reward to scan the entire continent, thereby discovering Lin Jinyu. Of course, now it knew what had happened...
It was because the inherent good fortune of its first Child of the Plane had imperceptibly raised Lin Jinyu's aptitude, allowing her to break through her upper limit.
Without Wen Yuncheng, with Lin Jinyu's aptitude, she could only have reached the level of Star Saint. Just like that Star Saint who was captured to be a forced laborer.
[It was all a misunderstanding, and you're not at a loss now!~ Look, you have two people helping you through this crisis. It's a huge profit!] 1947 comforted.
The Plane Consciousness thought about it and, for a moment, didn't feel there was anything wrong with that logic.
【But, they're both still in their growth period...】 And it might not be able to wait that long.
[They grow very quickly, so don't you worry!] 1947 comforted. [Besides, the Huanling Plane Consciousness can't devour you that easily.] The plane and its consciousness were one and the same. If the beings from the Huanling Continent invaded the Starry Sky Plane on a large scale, then the Huanling Plane Consciousness could rapidly devour the Starry Sky Consciousness. The war between the beings on the planes and the conflict between the consciousnesses were mutually reinforcing. 1947 carefully inspected the state of the Starry Sky Consciousness and found that a large part of this poor thing's consciousness territory had been snatched away by the Huanling Consciousness, but the key areas were fine. This was also the result of that "tool-man" Star Saint's strenuous resistance.
Afraid the Baby Voice would start crying again, 1947 quickly added a note to the application it had sent, detailing the current state of this unlucky Plane Consciousness and hoping the compensation would be issued quickly. Otherwise, this consciousness might just end up in another's stomach.
Lin Jinyu listened quietly as 1947 and the Plane Consciousness explained the whole story. She still hadn't quite processed it all. Although neither the Plane Consciousness nor 1947 had said that her previous maximum potential was only Star Saint, Lin Jinyu had come to this realization on her own. That said... Star Saint, she was already very satisfied with that.
Lin Jinyu looked at Wen Yuncheng. Before, Wen Yuncheng could have become a god? Could have become the Child of the Plane?
"Don't overthink things!" Wen Yuncheng immediately noticed that Lin Jinyu's expression was off. The Little Ice Mountain was quite sensitive in this regard. Perhaps it was her childhood experiences or her later upbringing, but although Lin Jinyu had her unique cold arrogance, contradictory traits like sensitivity, a lack of confidence, and extreme insecurity were also clearly visible in her. When she saw the guilt and sadness in Lin Jinyu's eyes as she looked at her, Wen Yuncheng felt terrible. She began to silently curse 1947 for spouting such nonsense. "Predictions, assumptions, expectations... those things aren't guaranteed to come true in the end. Even with a prophecy of the future, the moment it's spoken, the true future becomes uncertain!"
"No one knows the true world line, what will really happen in the future. Instead of thinking about all the 'what ifs' of the past, about supposing things that never happened, it's better to focus on the present. 'What ifs,' 'supposes,' 'should have beens,' and 'could have beens' are all meaningless!" Wen Yuncheng's words were a bit convoluted; after all, when she got anxious, her own thoughts became jumbled. Speaking somewhat incoherently, Wen Yuncheng stumbled through her thoughts. Of course, she could have just said she didn't care about those things, but her not caring wouldn't affect how much Lin Jinyu cared, especially since Lin Jinyu seemed to care a great deal right now.
Damn 1947, always making the Little Ice Mountain sad! Wen Yuncheng cursed inwardly. The "dad" who sensed this didn't dare make a peep and just continued to console the sobbing Starry Sky Consciousness.
"But, all of this should have been yours."
"Why? You know how reckless I am. If I didn't have the Mechanical Master's abilities to disguise myself and swap positions, I would have died eight hundred times over by now."
"But if you didn't have your current abilities, you wouldn't have taken those risks."
"..." Wen Yuncheng was at a loss for words. It seemed Lin Jinyu had a point. If she wasn't confident in her own abilities, she wouldn't have dared to take such risks. No! That's not right! Wen Yuncheng shook her head forcefully. How could she let the Little Ice Mountain lead her in circles? "Why focus on what I've lost? I've already gained more than enough—Lin Jinyu!" Wen Yuncheng suddenly called out Lin Jinyu's name. It was the first time she had ever said it so seriously and solemnly.
"Don't think about stories that never happened. What didn't happen, didn't happen. What's impossible is impossible. If you're going to make assumptions, a person's life has countless 'what ifs.' It's like when I left the Wen Family; correspondingly, there's a world line where I didn't leave. Do you understand world lines? They're a possibility for the future. There are countless such possibilities. Agonizing over the futures of choices you didn't make is meaningless. There is nothing that 'should have' been mine."
"I am a Mechanical Master, a Mechanical Overlord, and in the future, I will become a Mechanical Spirit. I have already forged my own path. On this path, I met you, and I can continue walking it with you forever—you can become the Child of the Plane, the god of this plane. You are eternal, and I will be granted eternity by you." Wen Yuncheng gently took Lin Jinyu's hand. The Little Ice Mountain's hand was as cool as ever. Lin Jinyu flinched slightly, but Wen Yuncheng didn't let go, instead gripping her hand even tighter. "...In this world, before I entered Star Academy, I was very lonely."
"I once shot to fame, and later I plummeted from grace. But whether I was at my peak or in the gutter, I was very lonely back then. At first, I cared. I cared about my family's opinions, about everyone's praise, about so many things. After becoming a 'waste,' I gradually stopped caring. I didn't care about being bullied, about what I ate, wore, or where I lived. I didn't care how others saw me. I really... didn't care about much." At first, she found the Long Aotian lines cringeworthy, but she still said them. She thought the face-slapping, show-off lines were childish, but she could say them anyway. Those things might have embarrassed her at the moment, but they didn't leave much of a mark on her heart. She didn't care what she looked like while struggling on stage; it didn't matter how others judged her.
Lin Jinyu tried to pull her hand back, but Wen Yuncheng stubbornly held on. The Little Ice Mountain's eyes gradually reddened. She wanted to turn her head away, but Wen Yuncheng gave her no chance to escape. Lin Jinyu looked at Wen Yuncheng, unsure of the emotion in her heart. All she knew was that it was a sour, sorrowful feeling, but it was no longer guilt. Perhaps even she didn't know why.
"I've said it before, Lin Jinyu. I don't have a star; you are my star." Many fragments flashed through Wen Yuncheng's mind, all of them about Lin Jinyu. Lin Jinyu wasn't like her; she had been reborn. Although she hadn't been old in either of her two lives, still... she had watched Lin Jinyu grow up. She remembered when Lin Jinyu first came to break off the engagement; Wen Yuncheng had thought she looked like an adorable ice doll. She remembered how that ice doll had frowned after noticing her gaze and even glared at her. Then there was the Lin Jinyu at Star Academy, the Lin Jinyu in the trial battle, the Lin Jinyu during the Beast Tide training, the Lin Jinyu who had fled with her in a sorry state, the Lin Jinyu who had never eaten barbecue or any delicacies, the Lin Jinyu who expressed kindness with a cold face, the Lin Jinyu who cultivated in silence.
Countless times, she had gazed at Lin Jinyu's profile through the flickering campfire as the firewood crackled. She would rub her sore neck, look up, and see Lin Jinyu cultivating with her eyes closed, and above her, the starry sky.
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