Fortunately, the vitality of Qing Teng was practically limitless.
It was inexhaustible—endless vines continued bursting forth, constantly interfering with Polka Kakamu's movements.
It was also fortunate that the gift from Qlipoth had clearly not been anticipated by Polka Kakamu.
She had made no preparations against it beforehand.
And the quality of Preservation's gift required no explanation.
The shield of Preservation was reassuringly thick.
Lin Yi even briefly considered lying down on the floor and taking a nap—
Letting Polka Kakamu slowly chip away at it.
Of course, that was only a joke.
Lin Yi's movements and declaration caused Kakamu to pause for a moment.
But only for a moment.
Lin Yi said excitedly:
"I truly don't know how arrogant you must be to walk into a place a genius has spent years preparing specifically for you—and attempt to assassinate him here."
He pulled up a fresh result from Laplace's Demon.
According to the calculations—
The only remaining celestial structure in the observable universe was this star system.
Outside the system was nothing but void.
Threads of chaotic Imaginary energy stretched outward like roots into the unknown.
Lin Yi continued:
"Just now, I completely sealed the space centered around Shenxiao Space City."
"This entire star system has been detached from the outside universe."
"It is now an independent universe bubble."
He estimated calmly:
"With the outdated facilities inside Shenxiao Space City…"
"To accomplish this…"
"About one minute."
"And coincidentally, one minute is also my limit."
Kakamu sounded puzzled, though she never stopped moving.
"And so what?"
"A universe bubble without a stable foundation cannot sustain itself."
"Even without interference, it will collapse within one minute under accumulated stress."
"If someone applies even the slightest manipulation…"
"It would collapse instantly."
"An impressive-looking but meaningless performance."
She continued coolly:
"Besides, you cannot make it a truly independent entity."
"It still remains rooted in the greater universe."
"It cannot become truly separate."
A faint trace of disdain entered her voice.
"And because of that…"
"It cannot stop me."
"A pointless effort."
As she spoke—
Kakamu had already sliced through the chaotic vines.
She seemed to pour some kind of volatile liquid, creating a thin mist that seeped into the holes where the vines had pierced through.
No more vines emerged.
Lin Yi was not worried.
A Blessing of Yaoshi like Qing Teng could hardly be neutralized so easily.
At worst, it was only temporarily suppressed.
Using the time she had gained—
Polka Kakamu began rhythmically stabbing the shield at the exact same point.
A series of crisp metallic sounds echoed.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound carried a strange rhythm.
Her objective was obvious—
By striking the same point repeatedly, she meant to break through via a single surface point.
Even a barrier from Preservation—
If rootless—
Was not necessarily unbreakable.
And even if she could not pierce it—
The resonance vibrations alone might injure Lin Yi inside.
High-frequency oscillation could be fatal.
But unfortunately—
The vibrations spread outward only.
Inside the shield, everything remained perfectly still.
The shield of Preservation was simply too dependable.
Lin Yi said calmly:
"You're right."
"If that was all I prepared, then it would indeed be meaningless."
"But I've spent years preparing."
"You didn't think it would be this simple, did you?"
The more nervous Lin Yi became, the calmer and sharper his thoughts turned.
He smiled.
"Have you heard of the 'Herta Spinning Top' that's popular across the universe?"
"It isn't just a toy."
"When it became popular everywhere…"
"I realized there was an opportunity."
"I secretly took control of the manufacturer."
"Every Herta spinning top is actually a carrier for a memetic virus."
"Once the original memetic carrier in Shenxiao Space City's reception hall loses connection…"
"All sub-carriers will activate immediately."
"Technology from the Primitive Doctor."
"Very useful."
Through the glowing perspective of the Omniscient Lens, Lin Yi saw the spinning top in the reception hall.
The top—
Which should spin forever—
Stopped.
"Spin spin~ spin spin~ spin spin~"
Would a genius really spend several days dismantling over a dozen Herta puppets just to create an endlessly spinning toy?
Impossible.
Even the Intelligentsia Guild could replicate something like that easily.
No—
Even the notoriously lazy engineers of the IPC Technology Development Department could do it.
Those people who spent their days waiting for results from the Intelligentsia Guild—
Even they could produce multiple design versions in a single morning.
And immediately establish production lines.
Lin Yi looked at Kakamu.
"Now that the memetic virus has activated…"
"It will overwrite your portraits."
"Your name."
"And every record related to you."
For the first time—
Kakamu's movement hesitated slightly.
Clearly—
She had heard him.
And she was not as indifferent as she pretended.
Lin Yi noticed it.
"And that's not all."
"This operation used Herta's puppets, Herta's image, and Herta's name."
"So naturally, Herta has the right to know."
"And coincidentally…"
"The Herta Space Station also has your portrait."
"And coincidentally…"
"They also have Herta spinning tops."
"And coincidentally…"
"Herta has been at the station recently, handling Simulated Universe matters."
Lin Yi grinned.
"What a coincidence."
For the first time—
Polka Kakamu's composure cracked.
Her voice carried unmistakable frustration.
"Qlipoth…!"
"The protection of the Aeon of Preservation is truly troublesome!"
"I don't understand!"
"Why would He protect you?!"
"Yaoshi blocked me once."
"Aha blocked me once."
"And now Qlipoth too!"
Kakamu was no longer merely irritated.
She was genuinely losing control.
Lin Yi blinked.
Yaoshi?
When did that happen?
But clearly—
Kakamu had no intention of answering.
So Lin Yi did not ask further.
Kakamu had already confirmed something through her attacks.
The shield was not rootless.
Qlipoth was continuously supplying it with energy.
Reliable after-sales service included.
Finally—
Kakamu sighed softly.
"I lost."
"But I did not lose to you."
She stopped attacking.
Her scalpel lowered.
At that moment, she understood something.
What awaited her here was not one fragile trap—
But multiple overlapping nets.
Each net alone was sparse.
But layered together—
They formed a perfect enclosure.
It was time to retreat.
Before those nets fully closed.
Polka Kakamu might enjoy taking risks—
But she was not foolish.
Even if she believed she could survive the traps—
There was no point remaining.
Because the original objective—
Assassination—
Had already failed.