Chapter 435: Plan

“You won’t find a more suitable partner than me in all of Extreme Cold Heaven. Aside from the will of Extreme Cold itself, I am the strongest,” the monster said in a deep voice after a moment.

“Then I can just find other Calamity Fusionists. I don’t have to be in Extreme Cold Heaven. To be honest, I’m not familiar with this place; I just came to try my luck. If I don’t find anyone, it’s no big deal.” The more nonchalant Lin Hui appeared, the less likely his counterpart would believe it was a trap, and the more they would hesitate.

“Fine. First, tell me the details of this intelligence…” The monster finally relented.

‘Besides, a Calamity Fusionist can revive in their own Calamity’s domain even if they die. The cost of failure is low. Even if it’s a loss, it’s one I can afford.’

Lin Hui quickly exchanged relevant intelligence with it. He sent over information about the Endless Divine Domain, and the creature sent back its own details in return.

The monster was named Lady of Cold Night. She was the superior of the Ice Queen, who had led the Fog People World’s invasion force.

In all of Extreme Cold Heaven, there were many Ice Queens, but only three Ladies of Cold Night.

And she was one of them.

‘This one’s strength is quite impressive,’ Lin Hui thought, satisfied. After settling on a method of contact, he hurried off to his next destination.

Next, he sought out the Power of Ashes. He used a similar method to lure out a massive monster called the Ash Monarch. It was on the same power level as him, and they quickly agreed to cooperate.

Finally, there was Haiming.

Lin Hui had assumed Haiming would be like the previous two—that he would quickly find a simple collaborator on his level, and that would be the end of it. No surprises.

But…

Inside a dark green, deep-sea rift, Lin Hui stared in stunned disbelief at the powerful Haiming expert who had suddenly appeared before him.

He never imagined that the one who had contacted him, the one now standing before him, would be *him*.

“Bright Heart Association Leader!?” Lin Hui had watched him die with his own eyes, yet now…

The incredibly familiar humanoid figure, the signature aura, the Mental Power…

None of these things could be faked. They all proved that this was the very same person from his memories.

“You… you’re still alive!?” Lin Hui blurted out in the language of the Fog People World.

“Qingfei Mountain… Lin Hui?!” The Bright Heart Association Leader actually recognized Lin Hui, despite his changed appearance and body. He, too, spoke in the language of the Fog People World.

Surrounded by the dark green Sea Roar Power, the two men fell silent.

After a long moment, the Bright Heart Association Leader gave a bitter smile.

“I’m no longer the Bright Heart Association Leader. My name is Zhang Xin Fan now. You can just call me by my given name.”

“I’m no longer in the Fog People World, either…” Lin Hui sighed. “What happened to you?”

“The final gambit I left for you—you never used it. That gambit would have unleashed my strongest remaining attack at the cost of my soul. Because you didn’t use it, that portion of my soul’s power expired, was finally liberated, and was then pulled into the world of Haiming by a previous connection. From there, I rose through the ranks and became what you see today,” the Bright Heart Association Leader—no, Zhang Xin Fan, as he should be called now—explained carefully.

“I see…” Lin Hui then gave a brief, rough overview of his own situation, leaving out the fine details.

It was strange. They had been on bad terms before, even enemies, yet meeting again here and now, they felt an odd sense of mutual familiarity.

“A High Energy Level world… You must have some core objective you absolutely have to accomplish, don’t you?” Zhang Xin Fan immediately got to the heart of the matter.

“I do. But that won’t affect the resources we’ll get to divide up after we succeed,” Lin Hui answered.

“Ruthless. Just as I’d expect from the master of Qingfei Mountain. I remember you’re a man of your word, so I accept. But with just our power, we can maybe snatch a few scraps. If you’re talking about large-scale annihilation, we’ll need someone stronger,” Zhang Xin Fan said quickly.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of that,” Lin Hui nodded.

At this point, he had contacted allies in Purgatory, Extreme Cold Heaven, Ash, and Haiming. He had obtained contact sigils from all of them.

The next step was to determine the exact coordinates of the Endless Divine Domain and a method of entry. He already had a rough plan for that.

There were several ways to get in easily.

The safest method was to follow members of the Endless Divine Race from the Human Realm, shadowing them the entire way.

「Human Realm.」

His older brother, Ding Yiran, looking exhausted, walked slowly down the sidewalk as night fell.

He had already questioned several relevant organizations, and the answers were all more or less the same.

The Endless Divine Race had no known record of intimate relations with humans. It seemed a strict, cold set of rules, like an invisible net, prevented them from getting too close to humanity.

In other words, the conclusion was exactly what the fake Ding Luo had told him.

Watching the crowds flow past on the street, Ding Yiran had no heart to check out attractive women in business attire. Whenever he saw an outfit similar to his big sister’s, he couldn’t help but think of her.

But the Endless Divine Race… they were such a powerful people.

What could an ordinary person like him possibly do?

THWACK!

Ding Yiran slammed his fist into the head of a passing automated cleaning robot.

“Warning. Warning. Deliberate assault on the municipal cleaning system is a violation of Urban Management Ordinance, Article 134. An administrative penalty of a two-point deduction from your personal credit score will be recorded.” A clear, pleasant female voice chimed from the robot.

Ding Yiran sighed. Ignoring the warning, he quickened his pace and headed for home.

A short while later, he opened the door, changed his shoes, and stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him.

“You’re back. Did you bring me anything to eat?” the fake Ding Luo asked, emerging from her bedroom.

Ding Yiran froze. Normally, when Ding Luo was around, she was the one who would quickly cook for them.

But now…

Seeing the impatient, ‘waiting-to-be-fed’ look on the fake Ding Luo’s face, a pang of sorrow shot through his heart.

“I didn’t… Let’s just order takeout…” he said quietly.

“Fine. Have you made up your mind? Are you going or not? It won’t make a difference either way, you know,” the fake Ding Luo asked again.

“I’m going! Why wouldn’t I? I’d even be willing to die there for our sister!” Ding Yiran’s blood boiled. His voice suddenly rose as he stood agitatedly by the door.

“Fine, then. Both of you will go. I’ll need to prepare disguises in advance to make it easier to move around.” The fake Ding Luo sighed. “But let’s get one thing straight. You can go, but don’t cause any trouble, or else…”

“Sorry, but I’m not going.” Suddenly, Lin Hui’s voice came from outside the door, behind Ding Yiran.

To avoid any problems or suspicions that could endanger Ding Luo, he planned to completely distance himself from the situation and remain hidden.

He could enter the Endless Divine Domain by following other members of the Divine Race. As for his second brother, he would just leave a sliver of his Heart and Spirit to ensure his basic safety. It could also serve as a way to double-check the accuracy of the entry method and coordinates.

“Not going?!” Hearing this, Ding Yiran’s eyes flew open, his breathing growing ragged.

“Our sister doted on you so much! Her life is on the line, and you’re saying you won’t go!?”

“That’s right. I’m not going,” Lin Hui said coolly. “We’re just ordinary people. Even if we go, what could we do? Watch her get executed? Is there any point to that?”

“Ding Lin! You bastard!” Ding Yiran exploded with rage. He lunged like a wild animal, grabbed Lin Hui by the collar, and practically hoisted him into the air.

He was already over six feet tall, slightly taller than Lin Hui’s current body. With the effort, he actually managed to lift Lin Hui’s feet slightly off the ground.

“How the hell did I never realize you were so cold-blooded!?” Ding Yiran snarled, grinding his teeth.

He raised his fist, aimed it at his brother’s face, and looked ready to strike.

“He’s right. It’s pointless for you to go. You won’t be able to do anything but watch,” the fake Ding Luo said coldly from the side.

“I don’t care! I’m going! I’d rather goddamn die there trying to save her! Ordinary people? So what if we’re ordinary people?! If you don’t even try, there’s a zero percent chance of success. But if you try, even if it’s a one-in-a-million chance, if that chance appears, it becomes one hundred percent!!”

Ding Yiran’s words left the fake Ding Luo speechless.

But Lin Hui remained unmoved.

“That’s foolish. Ordinary people like us would just be throwing our lives away. If our sister knew, she would never want us to do this. What will you accomplish besides breaking her heart?”

“Yeah, yeah, right! I’ll just upset our sister, just break her heart! Not like you! You always make the most ‘rational’ choice, just like right now! Giving up! You think giving up is the best decision, but I guess I’m dumber than you! I don’t want to be so cold-blooded, so selfish! I want our sister back! Back!!”

As Ding Yiran’s hoarse shouts filled the room, tears began to stream down his face uncontrollably.

He couldn’t remember how many times he had cried over the past few days.

In truth, ever since they were little, their parents had often been away on business trips. The one who had really raised the two brothers was Ding Luo.

To him, Ding Luo was more than just a big sister; she was an anchor for a lifetime of complex emotions.

“Say whatever you want. If you want to go get yourself killed, be my guest.” Lin Hui’s eyes narrowed. He broke free from his brother’s grip and turned to leave.

Watching this from the side, the fake Ding Luo, to be honest, understood that Ding Lin’s approach was the most logical and rational one. And yet… deep down, she found herself preferring Ding Yiran, who would risk everything, even his life, to save someone.

She felt a visceral disgust for Ding Lin’s coldness.

“All right. He’s right not to go. You really are an idiot,” the fake Ding Luo said bluntly. “You know you’d just be throwing your life away. I really don’t know how people like you even exist.”

She tried her best to make her voice sound indifferent, but a faint, almost imperceptible trace of concern crept into her tone.

“Is there… Is there any way for me to get stronger??” Ding Yiran, his eyes blurry with tears, suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed deeply to the fake Ding Luo.

“Please. I… I want to increase my chances of success. Even just a little bit… I have to try!”

“You’re… just an ordinary person…” The fake Ding Luo’s expression was complicated.

“I’m not afraid of dying! I’ll do anything!” Ding Yiran declared.

“…..” Staring at his flushed, determined face, the fake Ding Luo paused. “There is one way… I acquired it in a trade with a member of a Mixed Race… It’s a special Cultivation Technique that rapidly strengthens the user, but at the cost of their life potential, burning their lifespan as fuel…”

“Please, teach me!” Ding Yiran’s eyes lit up, and he kowtowed deeply again.

In his bedroom, Lin Hui overheard the exchange, his expression complex.

He hadn’t expected that this second brother, whom both he and his sister had always looked down on, could erupt with such powerful determination and willpower.

His original plan had been to crush his brother’s false hopes, to make him stay safely in the Human Realm instead of going off to get himself killed.

But now, it seemed…

‘Once I’m inside, I guess I’ll help draw some of the trouble away from him… He’s such a handful.’ Lin Hui roughly settled on the idea.