Han Junqiao was not the only one to encounter this kind of crisis–everyone else on her team did as well. However, the vast majority of them had no defences against this sort of mind-altering method of attack. This couldn't be blamed on them, as to prevent being easily controlled by such influences, one could mainly rely upon a few methods, two of which being the most realistically accessible.

  First, quite a few of the more outstanding Talents could offer a person some protection against negative effects of this kind, or even total immunity. This was why Han Junqiao had managed to snap herself out of her almost-assimilated state: Her Rational Mind Talent endowed her with varying levels of resistance against mental attacks, interferences and illusions up to at most Mythical-grade. Fortunately for her, this foe's ability didn't surpass this grade, which allowed her to have the tiniest hint of a chance.

  The second method was a bit more straightforward to work with than to simply be born with the right Talent. Through extensive, painful and exhaustive training, it was possible to raise the mind's resilience against all outside influences.

  Still, that required a very long period of time, and plenty of rest. Not everybody could withstand the constant torment of getting one's mind battered by mental attacks of all kinds to slowly strengthen it. In the Heavenly Court, only forces on the level of Named Families commonly used this method to train their offspring.

  But most of Han Junqiao's team was not fortunate enough to have been blessed with either of these two protection methods. Amongst the thirteen of them, there were seven guards and three maids–all but one of which immediately lost contact with everyone else the moment that they stepped foot in their designated worlds, slowly losing themselves. The sole exception to this was Annis, the leader of the female guards.

  Having brought six of her squad mates along to provide support on this mission, she was lucky enough for her primary Talent to offer her some protection against threats of this insidious nature. She was a bit better off than Han Junqiao, still being able to keep up regular communication via the group chat, but she also had no way to break free from her predicament.

  Not all was lost, though. Both Navya and Xie Mei were entirely immune to the omnipresent ambient mind pollution of Krysmidonia's worlds! The latter of the two, however, still found herself in quite a pickle.

  Despite having experienced a lot over the past century and having participated in a huge number of world conquests, Xie Mei was entirely unfamiliar with dangers like the one that she would have to face today. Due to this, although she felt some slight discomfort the moment that she entered Krysmidonia's boundaries, she made the mistake of shrugging it off and proceeding further inward.

  She had intended to do her best to carry out her mission, but that was also what trapped her in a similar state to her sister–she just didn't realize it immediately. Had she attempted to flee the instant that she noticed something ever so slightly off, then she would have definitely succeeded.

  Making largely the same observations as Han Junqiao, she spent quite a while mapping the world and noting down the peculiar state of its beings.

  "What's wrong with this place? Why does it feel so remarkably disgusting?"

  Frowning as she muttered to herself under her breath, her Origin Lotus' Petal Talent automatically purified and destroyed the outside influence constantly attempting to sneakily affect her mind. It couldn't harm her, but it still felt as if she had stepped into a smelly, vile latrine, the air being suffused with accumulated filth.

  Finally noticing a notification in her team's group chat flashing at the corner of her field of vision, she had only just begun to take a glance at it when a voice sounded right next to her ear.

  "Now that's quite rude, isn't it?"

  It gave off an epicene impression, yet also appeared as if multiple people–both male and female, plus young and old–were speaking at the same time. Heck, there were even animalistic and inorganic-seeming aspects to it. Yet, in spite of the fact that it was dripping with reproach and annoyance, it simultaneously didn't feel too emotional or invested in the present situation. It was eerie and off-putting, causing a shiver to run down Xie Mei's spine.

  Instantly distancing herself from the voice's perceived origin, she turned around to face whoever it was that had approached her... only to stare into empty space. There was nobody behind or next to her, no matter how hard she strained her perception in search of any clue to the opposite.

  "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

  On high alert, she was prepared to defend herself at a moment's notice. Having weathered quite a few storms to date, there was no panic in her voice, mainly surprise and caution.

  "But I already have, dear cheeky guest."

  Regardless of how guarded she had been, yet again, the same entity spoke right into her ears, this time with a hint of amusement and disdain evident in their tone.

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  'What? But how!? Can I simply not perceive them because they're from some special race, or have a rare Talent? Are they messing with my mind somehow? Or... are they just lying?'

  Furrowing her brows, Xie Mei darted away once more, trying to figure out what was going on–yet, so far, she was still coming up empty. Attempting to stall for time whilst also gathering more intel, she chose to probe a little.

  "Then how come I can't see you?"

  This elicited a clearly perceivable chuckle from the entity, which caused her entire surroundings to tremble a little. No, it wasn't merely the area immediately around her–as far as her perception extended, everything shook a bit.

  "That's not quite correct. You've already seen me. I am everywhere. I am all around you. I am all that you perceive."

  Although the entity presented itself in a hospitable manner, those words nonetheless served to finally unsettle her. She wasn't a fool–with all of these clues and statements, it would be hard not to figure out what her conversation partner claimed to be.

  And before she could vocalize her thoughts, the uncanny voice confirmed her dreaded suspicions.

  "I am the world. Now, do you see why I called you rude before?"

  Filled with apprehension, Xie Mei finally found a moment to read the recent group chat history amidst this turmoil, a worried glimmer flickering in her gaze momentarily, before returning to a state of outward unease.

  "Sorry, I meant no offence! It's just... all of that pollution was so appalling..."

  Displaying a sheepish, somewhat ashamed demeanour, she bowed slightly in apology, before waving goodbye to... nowhere in particular.

  "I won't bother you any longer, then. Sorry again for the disturbance. Bye bye!"

  Rushing off towards the world's boundaries, she attempted to escape, yet as expected, she found herself back at her starting point before she even knew it. And evidently, her behaviour had annoyed the entity further.

  "Truly, I didn't misjudge you. What an insolent little thing you are! Courtesies are wasted on."

  All at once, everything in her perception turned to face her, speaking as one.

  "Open your mind, and stay. Else, I will make you."

  Falling momentarily silent at this threat, Xie Mei soon sighed in resignation and shrugged, her expression a helpless one.

  "Look, even if I wanted to allow you to influence my mind, I couldn't do it. I'm simply immune to your control. That fact cannot be changed. As they say: It is what it is."

  Taken somewhat aback by this, the entity did not react for a time, apparently contemplating whether or not she had spoken the truth. Considering the fact that there was currently one other young woman who was also entirely unsusceptible to its influence–exactly like the one who had just made that claim–it might genuinely not be a lie.

  "... well, that complicates things. It's a shame, but you'll have to be buried here, then."

  In an instant, the world shifted. A heavy killing intent shrouded it in its entirety suffusing the whole environment. Even the air that Xie Mei had breathed felt like it was out to get her, attempting to suffocate her from the inside.

  Having long since been prepared for this, she expelled it from her body and ensured her survival via utilizing her abundant Energy, staring defiantly at the world at large. There was even a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. Her gaze reflected a mixture of anger, excitement, and strong worry for her teammates.

  "Are you certain that's a good idea? If you do manage to harm or murder me or the others, Theodore Winter will know. And you can't exactly run away. If you have any idea what the Winter Family represents, then you'll be aware that crossing them will mark your definitive end."

  Just like she had anticipated from Navya's most recent updates, her warning was merely scoffed at.

  "Heh, the Winter Family? Your friend has already told me about them! They're but dogs of that so-called Heavenly Court, aren't they? Hmph, let them try! I want to see what they can do to me!"

  Refocusing its fierce malice on Xie Mei after a brief pause to make its decision, the world didn't waste any more words on her. And neither did its target–whose group chat had just seen the arrival of another message–do the same. This time, it was from Theodore.

  'Permission to obliterate granted. Don't worry about collateral damage. Everyone's safety is paramount. Get out of there, and if you can, give it hell.'

  A warm feeling spread in her chest at his apparent care. It was the first time since they had met that he had disregarded his own benefits entirely, allowing his Subordinates to annihilate a world and its people. Usually, he would have told them to capture as many foes alive as possible, but this situation showed her that when push came to shove, he would prioritize his people's survival over small gains.

  'Got it. I'll go and get Qiao'er!'

  Sending this message in response, she was about to direct her attention on the danger in front of her when Navya's reply arrived.

  'She and Annis will manage. Focus on the others.'

  Not doubting her friend's words in the slightest, a significant part of her mental burden disappeared. Her eyes now shimmering with primarily fury and an eagerness to let loose, she couldn't help but shout as she stirred her Energy into action.

  "Bring it on!"

  With her at the centre, a devastating amount of powerful moonlight ripped apart the local spacetime with incredible ease. In less than the blink of an eye, a twentieth of the world had been shattered, with an artificial moon hovering within the resulting void, constantly crushing its surroundings. Oceanic currents formed around it, circling it like planetary rings, rotating ever faster.

  "What!? How could you be this powerful?!"

  Astonished beyond belief, the entity cried out in fear, before doing its very utmost to stabilize this crumbling world. Unfortunately for it, the moon was constantly expanding, with its light and the watery bands around it demolishing everything that was too close in mere instants.

  Xie Mei's thinking was simple. If she couldn't leave this place by conventional means, then she would simply get rid of her imposed shackles and this whole world in its entirety. With so much Energy at her disposal, even a brute-force method like this could at the very least rip large enough of a hole into the nearby spacetime for her to escape, or to wipe out this part of Krysmidonia completely.

  Her method was fool-proof and simple. The moment that she had let her power erupt, her enemy had lost the ability to control her, barely able to try to restrict her with the rest of the world's might as well as local creatures.

  It was just a pity that neither of those could contend with the endless wellspring of Energy within her. By the time that the entire world burst like a bubble and was consequently erased by the Lesser True Void, the entity that had spoken to her finally began to suspect that it might have made a fatal mistake.

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