“I think I understand.”

Li Yao pondered for a moment and said, “It’s like a very precise but very ancient computer. If you need to, you can reboot it in a conventional way. The advantage is that the components of the computer are not damaged, and most of the data can be retained. The disadvantage is that the speed is too slow. Sometimes, there are faults, and the interface cannot respond. Then, there’s nothing you can do.

“Of course, you can also plug in the power supply and restart it by force. The advantage is that it is fast and can be restarted successfully no matter what. The disadvantage is that it may cause some damage to the machine and lose a lot of data that is not backed up.

“Therefore, generally speaking, the ‘will of the earth’ has chosen the regular, step-by-step approach. But this time, it must’ve run into some kind of problem and decided to restart it by force no matter the cost!

“Yes, your metaphor is very appropriate.”

The grey mist lady smiled and said, “I need to add one more thing. If this precise and ancient super computer is in the middle of an extremely large and complicated task where every computational unit is overloading and billions of data are quickly colliding and burning, if we plug in the power source and restart it by force, it might be even more seriously damaged.”

“Super large and complicated missions?”

Li Yao was dazed. “What is that?”

“Wars. Wars that are beyond our estimation and imagination in the universe.

The grey mist lady said, “Red Pole told us that the Earthlings trapped in the prison of reincarnation, or as they call us, the ‘Heroes of Earth’, are not alone and helpless. In the endless, brilliant universe beyond the prison of reincarnation, many comrades and comrades who share the same ideology as us are waging the last war against the ‘will of the earth’. The war consumed 99% of the will of the earth and gave us the best opportunity after the ‘Battle of the Vulture’. If we can wake up countless heroes and cooperate with them, we might be able to destroy the damn prison and get true freedom and rebirth!”

“Unimaginable wars in the universe?”

Li Yao was more shocked than ever.

Although his words were somewhat absurd and groundless, Li Yao somehow believed them and even pictured the magnificent scenes of the sea of stars.

He seemed to see that all the stars in the universe were releasing the fuel that would take billions of years to run out in one second. The raging flames illuminated the dark, boundless universe into a splendid temple and a battlefield where the heroes were enjoying themselves!

“Student Li Yao, what are your plans next?”

The grey mist lady looked at the ever-changing expression on Li Yao’s face. Her smile remained unchanged, but she extended her hand to him. “After everything you’ve experienced, you wouldn’t say that you want to go back to being an ordinary college student or office worker, would you?”

Li Yao grinned. He had to admit that everything that the Grey Mist Lady and the previous hunters had said had fascinated him. In his brain that was almost boiling, his destiny, which was tied up by flames and thorns, was beginning to reveal itself. He could not turn back and endure the mediocre and repetitive life anymore.

“I don’t know who I was in my previous life, but I have a feeling that my past must have something to do with ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivator’. If possible, I would like to stay with Master Niu and read the latest chapters of ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivator’. I have a feeling that the chapters will make me stronger and bring back more of my past.

Li Yao pondered for a moment and said, “Also, I’m very curious about ‘Red Pole’, your leader. What kind of person is he exactly? How does he know so many things? About Earth, the universe, and even the great war in the sea of stars? Can I see him?”

“Are you sure?”

The grey mist lady stared at Li Yao for a long time and said, “You should know that, to a certain extent, the Ark Foundation is indeed a ‘terrorist organization’ that targets the will of the planet. As the leader of such an organization, our whereabouts are of paramount importance. We can even determine the survival of the organization and the fate of the heroes of the planet. It’s fine if you want to meet the Red Pole, but you must pass a very rigorous test to make sure that you are not an agent sent by the Heaven’s Origin Sector or the will of the planet—the ‘target drug’. Once you see the Red Pole, you will never be able to turn back. We will not give you the opportunity to leak the secrets of the organization.”

Li Yao sensed the killing intent from the grey mist lady.

It did make sense. The Heaven’s Origin Sector was indeed a brutal organization. The Hell Breakers, the foundation of the Ark that could fight against them for countless reincarnations, were apparently not saints, either.

It was especially so when they were well aware that everyone would be reincarnated in the next reincarnation after they were killed. They would have no scruples when they fought.

Li Yao could understand their wariness. After all, their enemy was the ‘will of the earth’. As long as they could lock onto their target, there would be a million ways to kill them. If Li Yao were ‘Red Pole’, he would be even more vigilant than himself.

“Is Red Pole really willing to meet me?”

Li Yao was even somewhat surprised. After all, the guy was the leader of the resistance organization of the Reincarnation Prison, and he was just an unknown Cultivator. The target of the Red Pole Planet was Zhang Daniu. The guy might not take him seriously.

“Yes. We came to Jiangnan City on a mission to bring back the author of 40,000 Years of Cultivation. We didn’t expect to run into you.”

The grey mist lady smiled and said, “We have sent back your files and combat videos, including Zhang Daniu’s description of you when he was hypnotized. The Red Pole Star is very interested in you and wants us to send you to the ‘Ark’ to meet him as soon as possible. Of course, it is to ensure your safety. Is there a problem?”

“…No.”

Li Yao hesitated for a moment, but he soon got rid of the irrelevant thoughts in his head.

At this point, he had no other options.

As wonderful as the real world seemed to be, the feeling of being imprisoned and bound was definitely not pleasant.

No matter how big the prison was, it was still a prison. No matter how many times life was repeated, it was meaningless.

He had to rush out and see the real world, the real universe!

Right then, Li Yao felt that the wheels below him had stopped. Uncle Hui knocked on the door and said, “Ms. Gray Mist, we’re here.”

“Please, Student Li Yao.”

The grey mist lady said courteously, “Judging from the indicators of your body, you should be recovering well. If there are no problems, we will start the first test right now and make sure that you are the one that Red Pole wants.”

Li Yao nodded and stepped on the solid ground.

“Lady Gray Mist…”

Before the door was opened, he asked one last question hesitantly, “There’s one thing that I’m not sure about. Are we… real?”

“Huh?”

The grey mist lady raised her eyebrow. Colorful brilliance beamed out of her grey eyes. “Tell me your question.”

“I mean…”

Li Yao gestured and tried to organize his thoughts. “We mentioned ‘supercomputers’ just now, and we also mentioned ‘rebooting’. The features of the reincarnation prison itself are hard to ignore. It is hard not to wonder whether or not we are living in a virtual world built by computers. We are just irrelevant data, just like what is described in the movie. What is it called again? Right. ‘Twenty-Second Century Killer Network’. That movie can’t be a reflection of reality, can it? So, are we real or are we fake?”

“You should ask yourself that question.

The grey mist lady said, “You don’t even know whether you are telling the truth or not, and you want other people to tell you or even decide for you?”

Li Yao was dazed, not knowing what to say. He felt that he was suddenly enlightened.

“If I tell you that it is not, that we are not living in a virtual world built by computers—what is the significance of such an answer? It is impossible for you to verify it. How do you know whether or not I am right?

The grey mist lady continued, “On the other hand, if I tell you that, yes, we are indeed living in a virtual world built by computers, just like ‘Twenty-Second Century Murderer’s Nexus’, how do you know that I’m not lying? You know that a brilliant hypnotist or even an illusionist can make a real person who is not determined believe that they are living in a virtual world and that they are virtual or even false.

Li Yao opened his mouth but failed to come up with anything.

“Even if the Earth is real, and the cells and genes that make up our body of flesh and blood are real, how do you know that the cells and genes are not the ‘computers’ that a higher-dimensional life form uses? Maybe, what is ‘real’ for the three-dimensional carbon-based life forms is ‘virtual’ for the higher-dimensional life forms, which are data that can be erased and modified at will. Who knows?

The grey mist lady shrugged and said, “Do you think that you are a piece of information carved in flesh, blood, and genes, which makes you more noble, and that the information carved in silicon chips is more lowly?”

“Of course not.”

Li Yao frowned and sorted through his thoughts. “You have a point. Truth and falsehood are defined by myself. I exist. In whatever form, carrier, and method, I am here! I just—I just don’t like the existence of a higher dimension that can erase and modify me at will. Damn things like that happen.”

“Oh.”

“Then let’s fight,” the grey mist lady said. “Just like us, we will fight with the Red Pole until the end. Whatever it is, it will either be destroyed or free!”

Li Yao was dazed again. “That simple?”

“What else could it be?”

The grey mist lady smiled. “It’s as simple as that.”

“True.”

Li Yao tilted his head and thought for a long time. Then he smiled, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. “I was wrong. There is nothing in the world. If the mediocre people bother themselves, they will find their own way out. I only need to follow the steps of my heart and march forward to the bloody end!”

He opened the door and returned to the world that was on the verge of collapse.