: Is there more to it than meets the eye?

Chapter 76: Is there more to it than meets the eye?

After Jiang Lan plunged into the halo of light, he actually engaged in an earth-shattering duel with the Black God inside the halo.

If this battle were to take place outside, the terrifying combat power of Jiang Lan and the Black God would be enough to raze the surrounding cities to the ground.

That's why Jiang Lan resolutely stepped into that halo of light, completely isolating the battlefield.

In the end, Jiang Lan unleashed the Shining Knight Kick, successfully defeating the Black God. But this was merely a "defeat"; completely annihilating the Black God was impossible, as he was a deity who wielded the power of creation. The Black God finally realized that Jiang Lan, as the White God Prometheus had said, had evolved a power capable of contending with and even defeating him.

The battle ended with Jiang Lan and Black God both surviving, but no one knew the truth. This crucial moment of combat was never shown in the live broadcast. To all the viewers, after Jiang Lan plunged into the light, there were no further images; they could only assume that Jiang Lan and Black God had perished together.

A moment later, Jiang Lan's memory livestream gradually dimmed, eventually turning completely dark. The viewers understood that this exploration of Jiang Lan's past life memories had officially ended. Even though the livestream was now completely dark, a large number of viewers lingered, unable to leave—no one could be sure whether Jiang Lan would suddenly begin exploring her third life's memories.

Judging from the fleeting glimpses of Jiang Lan's memories, he had more than two past lives. More importantly, the truth behind the long-standing mystery of the civilizational gap remains shrouded in mist, showing no sign of being revealed.

"I thought the Black God was the instigator of the civilizational break, but I never expected that Jiang Lan had really evolved to the point where she could stop him, and she actually did it."

"After Jiang Lan rushed into the halo, I seemed to hear the Black God's screams. Did they have a big battle in the halo?"

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"Is that even a question? If war broke out in the outside world, the combined power of these two would be enough to turn the world upside down!"

"I don't understand the ending at all. Did they die together, or is there something else going on?"

"Who knows? Jiang Lan's memory ends here, without a single clue."

"Jiang Lan stopped the Black God, but what exactly caused such a huge gap between us and ancient civilizations?"

"The only way to find out the answer is to wait for Jiang Lan's third life memories to be explored. There is no other way."

The live stream chattered, but inside the Blue Star Federation council hall, all was deathly silent. The Federation's head of state and other high-ranking officials remained silent, their expressions grave. They had thought the secret of the breakdown in human civilization was within reach, but they never expected that Jiang Lan would actually be able to fight the Black God, a creator god, to the point of mutual destruction.

"It seems the secret of this civilizational divide is buried far deeper than we imagined." The Federal Head of State tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "Who was behind this astonishing feat of separating two eras?"

The experts standing nearby all wore expressions of undisguised disappointment. They had devoted their entire lives to this research, hoping to finally unravel this mystery that had puzzled humanity for so long, only to find it was all for naught.

Fortunately, disappointment did not break their faith. Everyone knew that the truth was most likely still hidden deep in Jiang Lan's memory, and perhaps it wouldn't be long before they would be able to glimpse the real answer.

"It seems we can only wait for Jiang Lan's next life memories to be unlocked," Zhang Qian said slowly, his tone filled with certainty. The unfamiliar scenes that flashed through Jiang Lan's memories earlier had already convinced everyone that Jiang Lan's past lives were more than just two.

Upon hearing this, the experts and high-ranking officials present all nodded slowly, agreeing with his statement.

"Your Majesty," a high-ranking official stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Now that Jiang Lan's memory exploration has temporarily ended, the major clans and conglomerates within the Federation will undoubtedly try every means to find out Jiang Lan's whereabouts and take the opportunity to win him over. Should we intervene and help Jiang Lan fend off these disturbances?"

The federal head of state waved his hand slowly, his tone indifferent: "Let that little guy handle these matters himself. Those people who want to win over Jiang Lan will probably be wasting their time."

Qin Zhang stroked his beard and chimed in, "That kid Jiang Lan even refused to meet with our Federation's high-ranking officials. Even if those aristocratic families and conglomerates find out his address, they will most likely be turned away when they come to visit."

Just then, an expert suddenly spoke up, his tone tinged with urgency and realization: "Gentlemen, Jiang Lan must have already begun to inherit the power of the second incarnation of Agito, right?"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly bringing everyone in the council hall back to their senses, their faces filled with astonishment. They had completely forgotten this crucial point: Jiang Lan had already inherited the power of Kuuga, and now, with the addition of Agito's terrifying combat strength, the fusion of these two powers meant that his strength had likely reached a point where he could single-handedly contend with the entire Federation.

If the Federation hadn't deployed devastating weapons, it would have been utterly unable to subdue Jiang Lan. Fortunately, Jiang Lan harbored no hostility towards the Federation; otherwise, the Federation would have been plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

Not long after, the Federation officially released an announcement that instantly caused a huge uproar throughout the Federation—[Federal Announcement: Jiang Lan's Second Life Memory Exploration Officially Concluded, Overall Rating: SSSS!] The four "S" ratings were enough to demonstrate the value of Jiang Lan's memories in this life, and also made more people more wary and curious about Jiang Lan.

Meanwhile, inside the Kurama Group's mansion, Kurama Irumi was personally dressing her daughter, Kurama Nene. Gazing at her beautiful daughter in the mirror, she spoke with anticipation and a touch of apology: "Nene, this time, you'll definitely bring good news back for the Kurama family, won't you?"

A blush crept across Kurama Mie's pretty face, and she nodded shyly. She had dressed so carefully today in preparation for her visit to Jiang Lan later. Kurama Mitsuo, standing to the side, stepped forward and gently patted his daughter's shoulder, his tone solemn: "Mie, regarding Jiang Lan's address, currently only our Kurama family in the entire Federation knows. I asked a close friend in the Federation's intelligence department to make an exception and inform me. You mustn't disappoint your father."

He paused, his eyes full of expectation: "Whether our Kurama family can rise to become the largest conglomerate in the Federation depends entirely on you."

Kurama Irumi smiled kindly and said softly, "Nene, you've reached the age where you should be thinking about marriage. You didn't like any of the blind dates we introduced you to before. This time, we won't force you; let you choose your own Mr. Right."

Upon hearing this, Kurama Mina's already flushed cheeks burned even hotter, as if they were about to drip water. She naturally understood the deeper meaning behind her mother's words—her parents wanted her to bring Jiang Lan back to the Kurama family and make him their son-in-law. Kurama Mina gripped her skirt tightly with both hands, her voice barely audible: "I—I understand."

Satisfied with their daughter's reply, Kurama Mitsusei and his wife left the room. Inside, Kurama Mieko cupped her burning cheeks in her hands, gazing at her meticulously made-up reflection in the mirror, her thoughts already drifting to Jiang Lan. She couldn't help but wonder what Jiang Lan was like in reality? Would he be like him in her past life, a responsible and courageous hero?

Kurama Mina was filled with anticipation for the upcoming meeting, but also a touch of trepidation. Would her abrupt arrival offend Jiang Lan? What should she say as her first words? Should she politely greet him, "Hello, are you Jiang Lan?", or directly mention cooperation, or perhaps—boldly express her feelings?

"Hello, are you Jiang Lan? Do you have time to consider cooperating with our Kurama family?" "Jiang Lan, I want to have a romance with you?" These thoughts flashed through her mind, and Kurama Mie's lips unconsciously curled up slightly. Ever since Jiang Lan's memory live stream started, she had been silently watching him, witnessing his passion and responsibility in two lifetimes.

What young girl doesn't yearn for love? It's only natural that Anma Niyin would admire such a hero.

After calming her chaotic thoughts, Anma Miyin resolutely declined the bodyguards her parents had arranged for her. She only wanted to go to see Jiang Lan alone; bringing bodyguards would only make her seem distant and might even displease Jiang Lan.

In the end, Kurama Mitsusei and his wife could not persuade their daughter otherwise and had to agree to let her go out alone.

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