In the modern world, the Water Navy Xuanwu, when encountering a Flame Ability User, or rather anyone who might be a Vermilion Bird Inheritor, would not hesitate to eliminate them. Even if the opponent were as formidable as Xuanming, an Impermanence, and they themselves were merely a Great Success Rank demon hunter, they would not rest until attempting an assassination at least once. This has led to rumors in the outside world of a deep-seated blood feud with Flame Ability Users.
Even after falling into a Great Demon in the Doomsday Era, becoming a mindless monster, was this obsession to attack any Vermilion Bird Inheritor on sight still somewhat inherited?
Previously, at the Abandoned Evangelical Hospital, Great Demon Xuanwu most likely was chasing a mysterious woman, yet upon appearing immediately switched its target to me. This reason might not only be because I was the most powerful among those present but also because I demonstrated my Flame Ability in its presence, making hunting me a higher priority than the mysterious woman.
What attracted my attention more was the latter half of Little Bowl’s words.
"Are you saying... although you can’t continue to delay Catastrophe Demon by chasing it into its own time, you can directly reset this time to zero?" I asked, "How is that achieved?"
"It relates to the power inherent in Catastrophe Demon itself..." Little Bowl looked at me, "I can now essentially confirm, Catastrophe Demon should be the future Brother Zhuang Cheng...
"To take a step back, considering the Doomsday Era might not exactly be the future of Brother Zhuang Cheng’s original timeline, Catastrophe Demon is at least a ’counterpart’ monster of Brother Zhuang Cheng. You share almost identical mana fluctuations, which I believe is irrefutable.
"On that basis, I want to ask a question... Brother Zhuang Cheng, do you possess the power of ’Fate Manipulation’?"
"Fate Manipulation?" I shook my head immediately, "To put it bluntly, if I had such power, my relationship with Mazao would never have started in the first place."
"Don’t just focus on the negative aspect." Little Bowl retorted.
"Listening to you, does it mean Catastrophe Demon can manipulate fate? And yet it’s my future self or my counterpart?" I asked.
Though there remains room for continued expansion in the application skills of my Flame Power, no matter how much I expand, I never feel like my flame could manifest powers related to fate.
Could it be connected to artifact refining abilities? Perhaps my future self finally mastered the Artifact Refining Power and crafted a Magic Treasure capable of fate manipulation, which Catastrophe Demon is currently using?
I proposed this hypothesis, but Little Bowl rejected it, "No... Catastrophe Demon does not possess the intellect to create or use artifacts. I can be sure that this fate manipulation power is a force it emits itself.
"And it is precisely through the manipulation of fate that it could step by step approach here without knowing my location."
If Catastrophe Demon targeted Little Bowl through a "Firefly" or thermal energy marker, then Little Bowl wouldn’t be able to stall for time by fleeing. Catastrophe Demon would teleport in an instant.
It is precisely because fate, this fickle and elusive force, was the means of pursuit that allowed Little Bowl to maintain a buffer distance.
"Just like Sister Mazao’s power of bad luck can intervene in fate, my power of good fortune can also intervene in fate to a certain extent. Right now, I am constantly avoiding Catastrophe Demon locking onto me through the power of fate." Little Bowl said, "For the Catastrophe Demon, the power of fate may be a secondary power of its own, even so, though I have power strengthened by Divine Seal Fragments, the ’distance’ between us is still continuously decreasing.
"And as long as I let my guard down, or actively withdraw the avoidance on a fate level, Catastrophe Demon will instantly appear in my area."
I understood her strategy, taking the lead from her statement: "However, if Great Demon Xuanwu is also in the same area, then Catastrophe Demon will have to face an enemy filled with hostility and possessing absolute restraint over its attributes immediately..."
"And from the perspective of the Tai Sui Army being hunted by Great Demon Xuanwu, they would not only not unwelcome us being hunted by Catastrophe Demon, but will also have to warmly welcome us." Little Bowl said, "Because we can provide the perfect target to divert attention when they are caught by Great Demon Xuanwu, sparing them from extermination... Of course, in the implementation of this strategy, Brother Zhuang Cheng must keep a low profile as much as possible, to prevent Great Demon Xuanwu from diverting its attention from Catastrophe Demon to you."
As she spoke, a pensive look appeared on her face, deliberating the details of her plan, "Although there is also a risk that Catastrophe Demon might visit before Great Demon Xuanwu, just a little packaging might make Tai Sui Army mistakenly believe it’s a mutually beneficial and great deal, then get them to help Brother Zhuang Cheng search the basement or assist in achieving other goals...
"The Tai Sui Army, as a force formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Institute, has some high-ranking cadre roles from the Institute within, and they surely hold countless critical secrets about the Doomsday Era... and more importantly, information about Sister Mazao from the Evangelical Institute period, which must also be inquired from them...