"Three methods, one is to break free from mental control and wait for the story to end; the second is for the anomaly to be killed, causing a rollback; the third..." Hao Yunyi looked at Lu Zhi, "mental power is stronger than the anomaly, allowing you to break free and reverse the situation."
Lu Zhi clicked his tongue, "Your small eyes tell me I can achieve this last possibility."
Hao Yunyi: ...Why focus on the small eyes?
Lu Zhi was unaware of Hao Yunyi's internal struggle, as the story had already reached its most thrilling part.
Huang Li, with Chen Yu's hand around her neck, struggled fiercely. The physical disparity and strength difference between women and men meant Huang Li was bound to be beaten. However, due to Huang Li being in a 'faceless' state, her expression at this moment was impossible to discern. All that could be heard was Huang Li's pained gasps and her declaration: "If I die, Su Huan Yi will also die."
Chen Yu and Su Huan Yi were a loving couple, a well-matched pair. The last vestiges of his reason, consumed by hatred, loosened for a moment at Huang Li's words. Huang Li pulled open a drawer, took out scissors, and plunged them fiercely into Chen Yu's neck.
Lu Zhi estimated Huang Li's affection for Chen Yu. When Chen Yu, for Su Huan Yi, threatened to kill her, her fond feelings twisted into resentful jealousy. The force and decisiveness with which she stabbed him showed no hesitation.
Chen Yu naturally sensed Huang Li's deception, but it was too late. In his final struggle, he used all his strength to slam Huang Li's head against the mirror of the vanity table. The piercing scream drew everyone in the mansion.
Chen Yu collapsed, clutching his profusely bleeding wound, his eyes wide open in death.
Huang Li, however, had her face marred by the shattered mirror fragments. Screaming, she cried out that Chen Yu dared to hurt her face. In a fit of rage, she grabbed the comb Chen Yu had once gifted her and furiously jabbed it at his face, leaving it bloody and mangled, her flesh torn. She appeared deranged, muttering maniacally, "Why did you hurt my face?"
Before the house servants arrived, Huang Li, having vented her fury, fled the town. Walls have no ears, and secrets are never absolute. Huang Li was eventually burned to death. During this time, Huang Li showed no regret or remorse. She hated everyone, hated the injustice of heaven, and hated why she wasn't blessed with beauty and a proper family background...
During her thirty years of wandering, Huang Li caused the deaths of nearly a hundred women. The resentment of these deceased women was all carried within Huang Li's karma.
There is no underworld in the world, nor any judges. Those who chanted scriptures for the deceased women, praying for divine judgment on Huang Li's sins.
But people do not understand that victory and defeat, love and hate, are not within the purview of the gods.
Karma determines guilt, and heaven decides.
Lu Zhi watched quietly as Huang Li died. She was then banished by the black resentment and the laws of this world. In a space of chaotic void, Huang Li's resentment and the resentment of the dead women ultimately coalesced into the Anomaly of the Comb Woman...
Lu Zhi never expected to witness the origin of an anomaly during a rollback.
Seeing Lu Zhi so quiet, Hao Yunyi couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
All the images in front of him scattered and disappeared like scraps of paper. Lu Zhi calmly said, "I'm thinking about what Huang Li ultimately gained..."
Huang Li gained nothing in the end.
Lu Zhi's expression remained exceptionally calm throughout. He watched everything conclude with composure, awakening from the rollback with a hint of bewilderment and doubt deep within his eyes.
What exactly had he overlooked?
Suddenly, Jiang Yue cried out, "Fire rain—"
Meteor-like fireballs rained down, burning the black hair and causing sparks to fly.
"Senior Jiang, don't unleash area-of-effect fire! What if you burn down the forest?" Gu Weiyu tore away a clump of black hair that had entangled her wrist, hastily reminding her.
Jiang Yue exploded in anger, "Argh, this is so annoying! One fire can burn all this hair away."
Luo Shiyu sent a blast of ice mist that froze the black hair advancing towards Lu Zhi, saying, "Take it easy."
Jiang Yue replied, "Got it, got it. Are you guys annoying or what? As long as it doesn't burn you, it's fine."
Lu Zhi then realized the current situation: he was protected at the center, while the black hair formed a massive black wall around them. The group dared not leave their position to protect him and the still-unconscious Lan Yushan.
"How long have I been in rollback?" Lu Zhi's vine-like net spread out, shielding Gu Weiyu from an attack.
"You're awake!" Gu Weiyu and the others rejoiced.
Luo Shiyu answered, "Five minutes."
Lu Zhi pondered, "Only five minutes? The domain has been broken, and that anomaly has likely awakened. I'll protect Yushan, you guys deal with the Comb Woman as quickly as possible."
Before the others could react to what the Comb Woman was, Lu Zhi had already scooped up Lan Yushan and retreated.
CRASH—
The previously tightly shut wooden cabin door was blown open by a powerful gust of wind. The moment a female anomaly with long, trailing black hair appeared, the writhing black hair around them became violent, and their already fierce attacks intensified. The Comb Woman also exuded a powerful, terrifying aura that swept over them.
This was the first time the group had faced a level four anomaly. Based on their individual strengths, they could contend with a level five without being at a disadvantage, but they lacked practical combat experience. Their struggle with the Comb Woman left them feeling restrained and unable to perform at their best.
"They should be grateful you woke up from the rollback and broke the domain," Hao Yunyi's bird claws fiddled with the top of Lan Yushan's head, as if searching for a comfortable nest. "The difficulty with level four anomalies lies in their rollback ability. Once that's broken, they can only be annihilated. But anomalies above level five do not have rollback domains. Do you know why?"
Lu Zhi's eyes remained fixed on the battle, but he asked distractedly, "Why?"
Hao Yunyi stroked his pale yellow beak with his claws and replied, "Level five anomalies possess 'human rationality.' Level four anomalies are in a 'semi-chaotic' state, constantly immersed in the past. If they cannot overcome that hurdle, they will remain stagnant."
Lu Zhi suddenly turned to look at him, his expression calm. "Are you implying that anomalies are a necessary path to becoming a god?" Lu Zhi scoffed, "One thought leads to becoming a demon, another to becoming a Buddha; a moment of enlightenment for a sinner can be more conducive to becoming a god than a bodhisattva's countless trials to save all beings."
Hao Yunyi fell silent.
Lu Zhi sighed softly and murmured, "What is the reason for the existence of gods?"
This murmur was clearly transmitted through the live broadcast to Shen Qi's ears.
Shen Qi scoffed, "The world should not have gods to begin with."