Already feeling irritated due to the incomplete mission, Hao Yun was further exasperated by Dream Jia's relentless scolding. His mood plummeted to an all-time low, prompting him to attempt a rebuttal. He wanted to point out that Dream Jia herself hadn't gained any advantage over Elina and to emphasize that it was his decisive action in the critical moment that ultimately repelled Elina.
However, despite pouting and brewing his emotions for a long time, Hao Yun couldn't bring himself to speak out in rebuttal. His reluctance wasn't due to fear of Dream Jia's high-tech long gun, nor because Dream Jia appeared to have a volatile temper and a tendency to resort to violence at the slightest provocation. If Hao Yun had to provide a reason, it would be because Dream Jia was a beautiful woman.
Yes, that's right! Never argue with a woman, especially a beautiful one! Just quietly accept the blame and move on. Otherwise, you will always be the loser! Hao Yun mentally justified his submissive behavior.
Meanwhile, Judge Yan calmly stroked his beard as Dream Jia fervently berated Hao Yun and the others. He never attempted to stop her or defend them. Worse still, Judge Yan frequently nodded during Dream Jia's scolding, agreeing with her points and suggesting that Hao Yun and the others should deeply reflect on her criticism. It was clear that Judge Yan was trying to shift all responsibility onto Hao Yun and his team to avoid being chastised by this irritable young woman himself.
Sigh! Since Judge Yan was the leader of the 13th District of the Nether Spirit Realm, it wouldn't be appropriate to let their leader be scolded for their work mistakes. Thus, despite his frustration, Master Gu had no choice but to shoulder all the blame at Judge Yan's persistent eye signals. He admitted that their underestimation of the enemy had led to the failure of the blockade around the Elf Planet, allowing Elina to escape.
Finally, to stop Dream Jia's increasingly intense tirade, Hao Yun decided to interrupt her. He deliberately raised his voice and asked Master Gu, "Master Gu, do you know the origins of the so-called Mold Spirit Mother she mentioned? Is she the leader of all Mold Spirit energy?"
Master Gu, grateful for Hao Yun's interruption, quickly turned away from Dream Jia's gaze and answered, "According to historical records, the Mold Spirit Mother is the progenitor of all Mold Spirit energy and its supreme commander. She is extremely mysterious and had never appeared in the Spiritual Realm before the Great War. So, we have reason to believe that the Mold Spirit Mother exists in another world or is deeply hidden in an unknown corner of the Spiritual Realm. However—"
"However what?" Hao Yun urged as he saw Master Gu's hesitation.
"However, according to historical records, the Mold Spirit Mother is an exceptionally powerful entity. If she did appear, Dream Jia's army would not stand a chance against her. They might not even withstand a single blow from the Mold Spirit Mother. So—" Master Gu trailed off, uncertain.
"So, are you suggesting that the Mold Spirit Mother Dream Jia mentioned might be an imposter? I also find it puzzling. With a name like the Mold Spirit Mother, she should be incredibly powerful. How else could she lead a legion of Mold Spirit energies and cause such devastation in the Spiritual Realm during the Great War?" Hao Yun speculated, picking up on Master Gu's uncertainty.
After speaking, Hao Yun quickly glanced at Dream Jia. He knew that his words might contradict her claims, and contradicting this fiery young woman was not wise. He subtly shifted closer to Master Gu, ready to let him take the brunt of Dream Jia's potential outburst.
Surprisingly, Dream Jia did not react aggressively to Hao Yun's words. Instead, she said hesitantly, "But, but that creature claimed to be the Mold Spirit Mother. And her displayed power was indeed formidable. Moreover, she could mobilize other Mold Spirit energy carriers to attack us. Her abilities matched the historical descriptions of the Mold Spirit Mother."
"If she isn't an imposter, could it be that she's just a fragment of the Mold Spirit Mother? That would explain why she could split into many Mold Spirit energies. Besides, I checked the Mold Spirit energy I captured earlier, and the system didn't label them as part of the Mold Spirit Mother," Dao Lao chimed in.
"Um, that's because I reported multiple times that the Mold Spirit energy was from the Mold Spirit Mother, but the higher-ups always rejected it, saying its power didn't match the recorded strength of the Mold Spirit Mother. They believed it to be an imposter," Dream Jia admitted, scratching her head awkwardly.
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"But that creature displayed incredible power during the Great War and consistently claimed to be the Mold Spirit Mother!" Dream Jia reiterated.
Seeing Dream Jia's persistence, Hao Yun couldn't help but shake his head. He thought, "This girl is too single-minded. Do you just believe everything you're told? You must have let your desire for revenge cloud your judgment."
Of course, Hao Yun didn't say this out loud. But seeing Dream Jia gradually realize the possibility of having been too gullible, feeling a bit embarrassed, he softened and helped her out. "If it's indeed a fragment created by the Mold Spirit Mother, it would explain how Elina managed to break through the Nether Spirit Realm's blockade and escape from the Elf Planet. The teleportation array Elina used might have been made by the Mold Spirit Mother herself."
Hao Yun's words immediately gained everyone's approval. Judge Yan then said solemnly, "If Brother Hao is correct, and the Mold Spirit Mother has been hiding this fragment in the Spiritual Realm while seeking a more suitable host for itself, then it definitely means she's plotting something."
"Could it be that the Mold Spirit Mother is preparing for another Great War?" Hao Yun speculated wildly.
However, as soon as he voiced this guess, a chill ran down his spine. The thought of the Mold Spirit Mother planning another Great War was terrifying. Although Hao Yun had not participated in the previous war, the data provided by the system and the accounts from Dao Lao and others gave him a profound understanding of its scale and bloodshed.
Hao Yun couldn't help but wonder if he would have to fight if another war broke out in the Spiritual Realm. Given his current strength, how long could he last in such a battle? Moreover, he thought about his homeworld, Earth, which had been fortunate enough to escape the last war. But what about this time? If Earth were unlucky enough to be drawn into the next Great War, what kind of disaster would it face? These thoughts made Hao Yun shiver again.
"If the Mold Spirit energy that merged with Elina is indeed a fragment of the Mold Spirit Mother, then Elina is essentially a part of the Mold Spirit Mother in the Spiritual Realm. Therefore, we need to find her quickly and bring her back for interrogation to determine if the Mold Spirit Mother is behind the recent events," Dao Lao said.
At this point, Judge Yan, realizing the gravity of the situation, no longer felt regret over Elina's betrayal. Instead, he regained his authoritative demeanor as the Chief Judge and sternly supported Dao Lao, saying, "Dao Lao is right. This matter could be very significant. We must do everything in our power to find Elina and capture her as soon as possible! Dao Lao, I'll leave the task of capturing Elina to you. The 13th District of the Nether Spirit Realm will unconditionally support your efforts!"
Dao Lao and Judge Yan then firmly patted each other on the shoulder, expressing their mutual commitment to cooperate fully and capture Elina. To Hao Yun, this interaction not only signaled their trust but also seemed like a reconciliation for their previous disagreements over Elina.
Dao Lao had regretted Elina's betrayal of the Spiritual Realm, feeling sorry for Judge Yan. On the other hand, Judge Yan was apologizing to Dao Lao for not heeding his warnings and always defending Elina. Regardless, their silent understanding and mutual forgiveness paved the way for them to work together and resolve the crisis Elina had caused.
Whether the Mold Spirit energy that merged with Elina was the Mold Spirit Mother or not, and whether she was planning a new crisis in the Spiritual Realm, everyone's current priority was to find Elina. Dream Jia, whose anger had subsided, took the lead by sharing the coordinates she had recorded while tracking Elina's whereabouts.
"These are the data points I gathered with the help of your district's time-space patrols, tracking the energy Elina left behind as she fled. It’s clear that your attack, Hao Yun, severely injured Elina, forcing her to leave numerous energy traces along her escape route. However, despite this, she managed to jump across various timelines and eventually completely evaded our pursuit," Dream Jia said, pointing to the dots of abnormal energy marked on the screen.
Master Gu, examining the screen, said, "From Elina's escape path, it's evident she used her familiarity with the lower universe of the 13th District, choosing secluded areas to flee. She might have done this to avoid further battles due to her severe injuries or to find an opportunity to escape into a black hole."
"Escape into a black hole? Do you mean the black holes in the universe?" Hao Yun asked, uncertain.
"Yes, I'm referring to the black holes in the lower universe. Based on our analysis, Dao Lao and I believe that the 'Dark Chaotic Realm' mentioned in Xiao Serwen's testimony likely refers to the black holes in the lower universe. And from Elina's escape route, it appears she has been circling around these black holes," Master Gu explained.
Master Gu then quickly organized the tracking data displayed on the central screen, creating a flat star map of the traces Elina left in each timeline. The group could clearly see that Elina had been fleeing around various black holes and eventually disappeared at a node she passed repeatedly.
"If Elina disappeared at this node, then she must have entered the nearby black hole! In that case, we just need to enter the black hole and capture her, right?" Hao Yun said, pointing to the node Master Gu indicated.
"In theory, yes, but the actual situation is not as simple as Brother Hao imagines," Judge Yan said helplessly, seeing Hao Yun eager to start the capture mission.