Keeping the Ancient God Cult in mind, he didn't rush to return—as they say, since he was already there.
Adding limiting words, guided by the world's direction, Qi Yuan cautiously approached the direction of the invaders.
He wasn't sure if it was because the World Crevice had a decomposing effect, or if it was psychological. Truth be told, staying in this void-like environment for too long would make anyone uncomfortable.
Floating for what seemed like an eternity, as if he were the only person in existence, even describing his current mood as lonely would be an understatement—only tranquility could accurately describe it.
Until he saw a massive shadow in the distance, only then did Qi Yuan's heart stir slightly.
The owner of this giant shadow blocked out the sky, at least a thousand meters long, appearing misty and emanating a faint glow, looking exactly like the nebula images Qi Yuan had seen before.
But he had no doubt whether this "nebula" before him was alive or dead. Besides the world's guidance, Qi Yuan could sense consciousness from the mist.
His spirit trembled involuntarily.
In this environment where dissipation could easily lead to decomposition, it could still maintain such a massive form. Indeed, beings capable of invading worlds were not to be underestimated!
Out of caution, he could only observe from afar.
Fortunately, the entity was a light-emitting being; otherwise, when he explored with his consciousness, he might have died before accomplishing anything.
Upon careful observation, Qi Yuan discovered that this enormous being was surrounded by small "nebulae" and medium-sized "nebulae," with many more "nebulae" residing in nearby world fragments.
If there was only one habitat, the numbers weren't too great.
But judging strength by numbers alone would be unwise.
With his current power, destroying a small country would be effortless, and even a large country would just require a bit more effort.
Between the Ancient God Cult and this group of "nebulae," Qi Yuan chose the former without hesitation.
Why fight a group when you can pick them off one by one?
Therefore, to avoid alerting them, Qi Yuan left that area.
...
Shortly after he left, the giant "nebula" shifted slightly.
Two medium-sized "nebulae" nearby floated closer, circling around it several times.
"How are you feeling?"
"Let's beg the leader once more to let our child leave this place earlier!"
The nebula that first communicated through consciousness hesitated for a moment before transmitting its thoughts.
"But..."
"No buts! He's different from us. The chaos elements are interfering with his ability to control dissipating consciousness. If he doesn't enter the world soon, he'll become completely mindless."
"...Alright, I'll try."
A thought transmitted into the minds of the two "nebulae," their mist circulation accelerating, showing their unstable emotions.
"No need to try."
A more condensed small "nebula" approached them, its transmitted thoughts extinguishing their hope.
"His body is too massive, unsuitable for being a vanguard."
One of the "nebulae" stammered while communicating through consciousness. Though they wanted their child to enter immediately, ruining the entire tribe's plans for one person was ultimately something they couldn't bring themselves to do.
"Yes... sorry..."
The other had a different opinion, their mist circulation speed revealing their agitated emotions.
"Leader, this world has so many rules, meaning the natives' power will be greatly limited. Even if we're discovered, what could they do?"
"I'm willing to sacrifice my life to clear all obstacles."
The leader, displeased, had already explained this before, and their persistent questioning showed disregard for the bigger picture.
Noticing some tribe members being swayed, they had to explain again.
"If it were that simple, why would I still be here? Not to mention that finding loopholes for people to pass through is rare and unpredictable. For our tribe members to enter the world sooner, the vanguard members carry a heavy burden. Furthermore, to live in the world later and deceive it, we need native bodies for disguise."
After hearing the explanation, the tribe members looked at the three "nebulae" with hostility.
The one who wanted to say more could only give up.
...
Back in his body again, knowing time was of the essence, Qi Yuan sent a clone to investigate the Ancient God Cult.
This experience left him somewhat frustrated—what happened to being invincible?
He glanced at his phone screen; two or three hours had passed, and it was almost bedtime.
His mother should have calmed down by now.
Thinking of this, he took his cup to the living room for water and planned to cook some late-night snacks in the kitchen.
As soon as Qi Yuan stepped into the living room, his mother's intense gaze fell upon him.
This scene was all too familiar, making his scalp tingle unusually.
Only his mother was in the living room. Qi Yuan keenly noticed her poor mood and sighed, sitting down on the sofa beside her.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Qi's mother said frankly, "I realized I'm angry at myself, but I don't understand why."
This unexpected answer nearly made Qi Yuan spray his water.
"You're truly a genius!" he thought sarcastically.
But his mother's next words stunned him.
"But when I saw you just now, I knew. Has everything been resolved?"
At that moment, Qi Yuan's heart contracted sharply, almost thinking he had been exposed in front of his mother, but upon careful consideration and knowing her personality, it seemed unlikely.
He asked directly, "What things?"
His mother, over forty but still clear-eyed, looked at him with confusion: "How would I know about your affairs?"
"I just felt like you had completed something, and I realized I know nothing about your situation. Suddenly, I felt inadequate as a mother."
Even this natural pessimist had intuition, somehow sensing the subtle changes between his clone and himself.
His mother probably felt she had inadvertently caused him trouble and was angry at herself for not noticing this earlier.
Qi Yuan was deeply moved... as if!
He just wanted to say, don't speak with such dramatic pauses—you'll scare someone to death!
"Well, half the matter is resolved."
Since his mother usually didn't dig too deep, Qi Yuan answered her question straightforwardly.
"Then why were you so happy earlier?"
Because I thought I was invincible earlier, and dealing with a small invader would be piece of cake?
He could only say, "The other half will be done soon."
"Alright, next time if you have something to do, just tell me directly."
Qi Yuan didn't argue with her, simply responding, "Okay. Now I want a late-night snack. Would you like some?"
"I'll go cook for you."
Watching his mother's busy figure in the kitchen, Qi Yuan couldn't help but smile.
She was his family, and also a reason to protect this world.
Just as he was feeling sentimental, the cup in his hand cracked and shattered into pieces.
Thinking of his mother's dramatic pauses earlier, his sentimental mood instantly vanished.