To the extent the second brain can deduce, it merely listed various possibilities and arranged them based on probability, from top to bottom.
Niu Chang, although unsure of what was impending, was an experienced reader who always prioritized preparing for the worst-case scenario. He didn't hold back.
"Hum hum hum," he happily hummed and playfully snapped his fingers to express his emotions.
Invisible waves of energy permeated from his body as different shapes of glass emanated.
Rectangular, circular, triangular, and many more shapes began constructing a massive formation.
It didn't take too much time for the formation to lay its foundation.
A massive wall of prismatic glass adorned with subtle colors covered its surface but remained pristine at its core. This extensive wall extended deep into the ocean below and pierced the black cloud above, connecting the world with a single construct that defied human expectations.
It resembled a masterpiece of art and construction, akin to the work of a god.
Subsequently, the second step commenced. The prismatic glass wall emitted a soft hum and began absorbing the materials around it.
At its summit, it greedily consumed the dark clouds; on its surface, the wind flowed into it like a swarm of locusts; and at its base, the roaring gigantic sea waves were disrupted, creating a substantial circular gap around the wall.
Niu Chang could transform his qi into material; naturally, the reverse process worked as well.
Transforming material into energy remained within his abilities, given that the focus of his qi cultivation involved the transformation of all things.
As he accumulated an extensive amount of energy from the free resources in his surroundings, he couldn't help but feel slightly lost.
'If possible, I'd prefer not to do this.' As an experienced reader, he naturally assumed that the world he currently inhabited, the continent, should merely be the setting for him to explore for about five to six hundred chapters before venturing into the broader world.
By consuming the materials in this boundless sea, there was a potential for this endless sea—capable of even confusing the senses of saints—to play a significant role in sealing the continent off from the rest of the world.
But he was currently facing something unknown. Even if he was just being too paranoid, he could still store this massive energy and use it later on.
All in all, he was preparing for the worst-case scenario.
If he found himself beaten up to a pulp because he was being careless, it would naturally leave a bad taste in his mouth.
The majestic prismatic wall of glass then moved to the third step. On its body, the prismatic glass began to extend outward to create a base for something large.
From that base, the prismatic glass kept moving outward before finally revealing its true form.
A massive cannon with a large base, but it becomes narrower at the end.
Learning from his mistake on how Da Jiu could survive one of his ultimate moves, Niu Chang made various adjustments on how to kill a saint with one hit.
'Although saints have a higher quality of energy, the holy power, that was not the main reason why Da Jiu could survive my energy detonation. It was mainly due to the nature of the saint realm; they had a small world inside their body.'
Niu Chang had a belief that everything was about energy. As long as he had enough energy and detonated it to cause an explosion, everything could be solved.
When facing Da Jiu for the first time, he was clueless about what realm Da Jiu was in and what characteristics he had.
It was like being given a task on how to solve mathematical problems but not having enough knowledge about the terms and symbols used in it.
So the only way to solve it was to kill the task giver – taking the problem right at its root.
But now that he had knowledge about the saint realm and more, he made adjustments to his method of killing saints.
'Targeting their physical body wouldn't be the most effective way, just like in many cultivation novels. As long as they are cultivators, they tend to create a core as their base of power and lifeline. As long as I destroy this core, even if they didn't die immediately, their threat would be neutralized.'
Thus, Niu Chang came up with the idea of this World End Fortress together with its Star Cannon.
The Star Cannon wouldn't create a spectacular view upon its usage, but it embodies Niu Chang's obsession with simplicity and efficiency.
It shoots out highly compressed energy that shouldn't be possible by the continent standards.
'How do you kill a whale with a needle?'
That was the question Niu Chang liked to ask himself when creating any destructive skill. The focus wasn't on the plain question, but rather the idea behind it: how to solve a significant problem with the least effort.
If Niu Chang were given the chance to destroy the entire continent, he would do so without hesitation—simply by creating a black hole.
There were over a hundred ways to destroy the continent without resorting to the barbaric methods of physical violence, which did not align with his artistic taste.
However, the system restrains his wild creativity, not fully utilized but not completely restricted either, since he still has many catastrophic methods in mind.
At this moment, Niu Chang received a notification from the system:
[Established karma with Lu Sang]
Yet, that wasn't his focus. When he formed karmic bonds with Lu Sang, he sensed an additional nine dots appearing on his radar.
Simultaneously, an invisible force attempting to influence his mind also strives to make him ignore these additional nine dots.
But how could that be?
How long had Niu Chang been experiencing short-term dementia-like episodes like this?
Naturally, he had already devised a tailored skill to counteract this phenomenon.
It was a derivative of his Authority skill, intertwined with another technique called the Blind Judge, producing a new skill.
Due to Niu Chang's lack of naming sensibility, he either opted for directness or played with words.
He named the new skill "Forget Me Not" without any specific reason; he just felt like it.
The Blind Judge provided protection for the innocent and upheld justice for any crime, while the Authority ensured sovereignty over himself.
Together, they formed a formidable defense against the unknown entity. No matter how high they were, as long as they chose to remain invisible from Niu Chang's perception, the Forget Me Not skill should be able to protect him.
The weightless gray light in his mind had also been deciphered. It contained limited but crucial information.
First and foremost, someone was intercepting Da Jiu's karma beyond predetermined limits.
Secondly, an attempt had been made to conceal the karmic bond with those staying on the continent.
Lastly, and most importantly, the world seemed to be undergoing various changes rapidly. This change was cleverly executed, working for everyone, but gradually narrowing its focus until it could specifically target Niu Chang without triggering the system.
However, when Niu Chang attempted to deduce the mastermind behind all of this, he was stunned.
He felt as though he was facing an impenetrable wall made of steel, stretching endlessly, leaving him no room to bypass this restriction.
'Any further attempts will be futile,' Niu Chang concluded. 'By trying to keep your identity shrouded in secrecy, you have only made it easier for me to discover your true identity – the Lord of the Continent.'
Someone capable of influencing the entire world without detection, specifically targeting Niu Chang – it could only mean one thing.
The enigmatic entity orchestrating these events was afraid of Niu Chang!
No matter who this entity was, as long as they possessed the intelligence of an average person, they wouldn't want someone to rule over their freedom.
As the Lord of the Continent, this mysterious entity naturally possessed the ability to track down anyone. After considering everything up to this point, it must have judged that Niu Chang would be of no use and only posed a threat.
Sensing its methods being countered, the invisible force attempting to manipulate Niu Chang's mind grew restless.
It desired to exert more power, but it was restrained, as doing so would trigger Niu Chang's system.
"Hehehe," Niu Chang laughed in a seemingly normal manner, then burst into louder laughter. "Hahahaha."
"Welcome, my dear friend. Henceforth, I solemnly declare my unwavering stance. In this domain, I shall confront all adversaries, sparing none of innocence's veil. This place is henceforth decreed a battleground; all who tread within my dominion shall be regarded as foes without exception. Any attempt to bend my course amidst these times of strife shall be deemed a transgression, subject to rightful retribution. Likewise, any endeavor to tamper with the very fabric of this environment shall be met with the stern hand of justice. This declaration of conflict shall endure as long as I deem it so, for I hold true to these guiding principles."