Chapter 612 - 371: Cloud Palace Sea of Consciousness

Chapter 612: Chapter 371: Cloud Palace Sea of Consciousness

’From this moment on, reality might undergo minuscule changes, all based on my perception of this world.’

’However, the extent of these changes won’t be too drastic.’

Luoti told herself.

The changes of things in the world are, to a certain extent, based on the observation of the mind.

’This theory is a bit like Schrödinger’s cat, which I heard about on Earth.’

’But it’s more complex than the theory from Earth.’

This theory even applied to the Deep Land, serving as a kind of explanation for it... Luoti’s theory also symbolized a kind of spiritual answer.

That is, regardless of truth or falsehood, reality or Illusion Realm.

As long as the falsehood isn’t exposed, as long as the Illusion Realm isn’t shattered.

Whatever you believe to be real, is real.

And if you believe it all to be fake, then even if it’s real... it’s fake.

If an ordinary person had said such a thing to him,

Lu Cang would have dismissed it as nonsense.

But the one who said it was Luoti, a being known in this world as a god.

So he had no choice but to believe her.

...

A night had passed, and dawn was breaking.

Lu Cang sat by Lu Luwei’s bedside.

Lu Cang hadn’t slept all night, but Lu Luwei was lost in a deep slumber.

It wasn’t that she was in any mood to sleep after everything that had happened. Rather, Lu Cang had given her a sleeping potion to ensure she did.

’Lifeforms sufficiently close to me will also be affected by the Deep Land.’

’Their fantasies will also have a subtle influence on themselves and on reality...’

’The influence of the Deep Land radiates outward from me.’

’The closer something is to me, the more easily reality can be altered by my perceptions and fantasies.’

’I myself am a manifestation of the Deep Land...’

An apple materialized in Lu Cang’s hand. He didn’t use his Perception to probe it; instead, a thought simply occurred to him.

’This apple is probably worm-eaten on the inside.’

’After all, the vendor who sold it to me was a sharp, shrewd-looking old woman. She seemed like the type to palm off rotten fruit on her customers.’

Lu Cang thought to himself.

Then, he broke the apple in half.

He saw that the inside of the apple was, indeed, worm-eaten.

’Hm...’

’So that’s how it works.’

Lu Cang then took out a piece of Fire-Written Paper. On it was written, "The apple is undamaged."

Memories flooded back into his mind like a tidal wave.

’Oh...’

’So I already ran a Future Preview, I just forgot about it.’

Seeing the message recorded on the Fire-Written Paper,

Lu Cang recalled the events of the previous preview.

In that new preview, he had broken the apple open directly, and it had been perfectly fine.

But after the preview ended...

...his impression of the apple had soured. When he broke it open for real, it was rotten.

But now that his memory had returned, the apple in Lu Cang’s hand didn’t revert to its undamaged state.

This was proof that his imagination could influence reality.

Lu Cang rose from the bedside.

In his hand, he held a book with a black cover.

*Black Secret*

’This book... it actually exists...’

’It wasn’t just hidden in my imagination.’

’But now, my imagination is starting to influence reality.’

Lu Cang couldn’t even tell if the book existed because of his imagination, or if it had been there all along.

"Sigh, I don’t know if getting a power like this is a blessing or a curse."

’Being able to make imagination a reality seems like a good thing.’

’But if it makes you unable to tell the difference between imagination and reality, can you still call it a good thing?’

Lu Cang had no desire to end up like Li Huowang.

Getting stronger was fine, but going insane was not.

The information he obtained from *Black Secret* via his Hidden Origin was identical to the information he’d gotten in his illusion within the Deep Land.

It was still related to Eliya Yumi.

The Secret Keeper, the Level 9 Illusionist.

As for Lu Luwei, there were plenty of suspicious things about her.

But the most bizarre point for Lu Cang was that when he had touched the version of Lu Luwei inside the Sea of Consciousness, the feedback he received had still identified her as Lu Luwei.

This was the feedback from his Divine Talent.

But the final result had been wrong.

Only after learning the truth from Luoti did he realize that the Lu Luwei on the outside was a fake, a transformation of a Filthy Worm.

It was a world apart from the information his Hidden Origin had provided.

Then he thought of the title—Secret Keeper.

That moniker.

Lu Cang suspected that Lu Luwei’s true information had been hidden by this Level 9 Illusionist.

If he was dealing with a being of that caliber, Lu Cang felt it was understandable that his Divine Talent might fail under certain conditions.

After all, he wasn’t the only person in the world with a Divine Talent.

They were few and far between, but they did exist.

He flipped through the book again.

This time, looking through it in the real world, he felt a thick, foul aura wash over him the moment he opened it.

Outside his Sea of Consciousness, a black mist swirled.

It was trying to force its way into his Sea of Consciousness.

However, Lu Cang’s Sea of Consciousness was no longer what it once was.

His Sea of Consciousness was no longer a calm ocean with islands, upon which were scattered various palaces, arenas, and altars...

...it had been completely rebuilt by Lu Cang.

The sea of his Sea of Consciousness was no longer seawater, but had become a sea of clouds born from consciousness.

This sea of clouds was no longer empty.

Instead, it was filled with countless golden pavilions and jade towers, a dazzling array of palaces, and lifelike figures that appeared and disappeared within the mists.

A closer look would reveal that every one of these figures was someone Lu Cang had encountered before.

They weren’t necessarily people he knew well, like Izparut or Kumironi.

There were also passersby he had only glanced at once.

And there were figures Lu Cang found disagreeable, people he disliked and wanted nothing to do with.

These figures were incredibly lifelike, appearing and disappearing within the sea of clouds.

The entire sky had also become magnificent and bright. Within it, the phantoms of eight different Sources were projected onto the firmament.

Each phantom represented the Source corresponding to one of Lu Cang’s Professions.

And above the sea of clouds hung a limitless starscape, just like the cosmic expanse one would see from Earth.

Vast and boundless.

This was Lu Cang’s Sea of Consciousness now.

A brand new Sea of Consciousness, constructed according to the dharma gate Luoti had provided for building one.

Meanwhile, An Su was seated within a black hall.

He looked out at the vastly changed Sea of Consciousness, unable to help but marvel at the sight.

Lu Cang’s Sea of Consciousness was finally no longer so fragile... Though Lu Cang had been powerful before, his Sea of Consciousness had been no different from that of an ordinary Reincarnator of the same Level.

Even with dedicated cultivation and construction,

it had only been slightly stronger than an ordinary person’s.

But now, Lu Cang’s Sea of Consciousness could only be described as impregnable.

Even if An Su were to construct his own Sea of Consciousness, it wouldn’t necessarily be any better than what Lu Cang had built.

It wasn’t that An Su’s understanding of the Sea of Consciousness and the soul was weaker than Lu Cang’s.

Rather, the blueprint for the Sea of Consciousness that Lu Cang had obtained was truly perfect...

Therefore, no matter how *Black Secret* tried to corrupt it...

...the corruption seemed to be held at bay beyond the starry expanse above his Sea of Consciousness, forever unable to reach his true inner world.

Besides, his Divine Level·Complete Method already protected Lu Cang from being corrupted by knowledge in the first place.

He flipped through it a couple more times.

The book’s contents were somewhat different from what he’d seen in his illusion.

What he was seeing now was even more vile and deeply cruel than what he had witnessed in the illusion.

’After some thought...’

Lu Cang decided it would be best to seal *Black Secret* away. He didn’t dare carry it with him, fearing that prolonged contact might have some insidious, negative influence on him.

’Coincidentally... there’s a Dark Church nearby.’

With a single thought, Lu Cang acted.

In the span of a single thought, he arrived at the edge of the Dark Church’s perimeter Restriction.

WHOOSH!

In the next instant,

he was inside the Dark Church’s Forbidden Hall.

With a casual flick of his hand, he tossed the copy of *Black Secret* onto an empty space on a bookshelf.

After doing so,

Lu Cang paused for a moment.

’Will something go wrong? What if the book disappears now that it’s out of my control... or what if someone from the Dark Church stumbles upon it by chance and takes it?’

’Maybe it’s better to keep it with me after all?’

’Or should I just destroy the book? But if I do that, I might never uncover the secrets it holds.’

’Honestly, there’s a reason for any choice to be the wrong one.’

’Forget it. I’ll just leave it here for now.’

...

After stashing the book, Lu Cang reappeared on the streets of Moonfall Island.

The morning sun of May 1st.

The arrival of Purity Moon was so silent and unnoticed.

Every other month was marked by the influence of its respective Moon, which seemed to announce its arrival to the entire world.

Only May was so peaceful.

The sun rose as it always did, with no surprises or changes.

He felt only a pleasant warmth.

Lu Cang couldn’t help but think... ’If only every day could be as peaceful as this.’