Outside the Dungeon, at the Official Observation Center.
The massive screen displayed nothing but an all-consuming expanse of pure white.
The jarring static of a lost signal had led everyone to believe the Monitoring Array had burned out under the intense energy surge.
However, when the screen flickered back to life, transmitting a real-time feed from inside the Dungeon...
The entire Observation Center fell into a silence even deeper and more suffocating than when the signal had been lost.
Everyone instinctively held their breath, their chests constricted as if gripped by an invisible hand.
If the previous Pillar of Purification had been a miracle...
Then the Dungeon now was a "Divine Realm on Earth," utterly reshaped in the aftermath of that miracle.
The lingering, chilling death energy that had once shrouded the Gloomwood Forest and the Shattered Canyon had been completely purged. Even the light seemed brighter and softer.
On the withered branches of dead trees, visible sprouts of green were budding.
And the core areas, once deeply corrupted by undead energy, had undergone a world-altering transformation!
The former "Burial Ground"—a black swamp bubbling with toxic miasma and reeking of rot—had completely dried up.
Beneath it lay rich, fertile black soil, so loamy it looked as if one could squeeze oil from it.
Several strange, faintly glowing seedlings were bursting through the soil at an unbelievable speed, unfurling vibrant leaves.
But the most terrifying transformation was that of the Dark Church.
Through the Observation Array, the Church remained grand, but its sinister, dilapidated aura had vanished without a trace.
Soft white light permeated the mottled walls, as if time had rewound billions of years, washing away all decay and sin.
Through the gaping hole in the dome, warm beams of light cast sacred, halo-like patterns on the floor.
Inside the Church, the jet-black stone coffin that had once radiated endless malevolence and terror was now pure white, its texture as smooth and warm as fine jade.
On the lid, where blasphemous runes should have been inscribed, a small cluster of vibrant green vines now grew.
The entire area, once the epitome of "deathly stillness," had been forcibly twisted into the epitome of "vibrant life" by an absurdly powerful force!
In the Observation Center, the dead silence was shattered by a furious roar.
"What kind of cosmic joke is this?!"
Professor Li from the Northern War Academy slammed his hand on the table. His teacup flew into the air, splashing scalding tea all over him, but he didn't even notice.
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his neck as he glared fixedly at the small pink flower on the screen—a flower that had bloomed from the Purification.
"A Healing Spell?! A basic skill for an Apprentice Priest... just purified a Lord-level, possibly even Monarch-level potential Necromancer?!"
"Not even a fucking speck of ash left?! Someone explain this to me!!"
His roar was filled with the humiliation of having his academic beliefs utterly trampled.
"Does this conform to the Law of Conservation of Energy?! Does this conform to the Laws of Necromantic and Holy Confrontation we've studied for thirty years?!"
"This is an insult to our entire Professional Theory System! It's murder!"
"Professor Li, calm down."
Beside him, the professor from Jingcheng University with gold-rimmed glasses adjusted his spectacles.
His voice was placating, but behind the lenses, his eyes burned with an academic fire called "fanaticism."
"This is no longer within the realm of skills."
He pointed at the screen, his finger trembling with excitement as he indicated the vibrant, thriving landscape around the Church.
"This is a 'Concept' Overwrite."
"It ignores levels, ignores tiers, ignores all energy resistances..."
"It directly rewrote the concept of 'Death' into 'Life' at the very root of the rules!"
"This young girl, Lin Qingyue... what on earth did she use to accomplish such a Genesis-like feat?!"
A female professor frowned deeply. "Some unknown God-tier Talent? Or is she hiding a Rule-level Item?"
"Impossible!" someone immediately retorted. "All candidates' equipment and statuses were strictly inspected before the exam. No items exceeding regulations could be brought in! As for Talents and Bloodlines... there's no known Talent in the archives that would allow an Apprentice Priest to casually cast a 'Concept Rewriting'-level Purification!"
Doubts, arguments, and fanatical discussions turned the entire Observation Center into a chaotic marketplace.
Lin Qingyue's seemingly effortless Healing Spell had a hundred times more impact than all her previous socially awkward moments combined!
This was no longer a question of being strong or strange.
This was shaking the very foundation of their world.
Just then, a voice as steady as a mountain, yet tinged with the iron scent of battle, cut through the clamor.
"Silence."
Everyone turned toward the sound.
The speaker was the Chief Supervisor of this Points Match, Major Zhou Zhenyun.
"Everyone."
He spoke, his voice quiet, yet every word hammered into their minds with undeniable clarity.
"I have only one question."
"Are Dungeons real, or are they illusory?"
The crowd froze, confused by his question.
"Of course they're real!" a professor from the Imperial War Academy immediately answered. "Every Dungeon is a fragment of another dimension, from another real world!"
"Very good."
Zhou Zhenyun nodded, his gaze sweeping over each professor and expert like a searchlight.
"Since it's a real world, then whatever happens in a real world is fact, regardless of whether we understand it or not."
"Facts do not change because of our ignorance or arrogance."
"A Healing Spell purifying an Undead Overlord sounds absurd, but it happened!"
"The Elite Purification Squad on standby at the Dungeon entrance just sent a message confirming it."
Zhou Zhenyun's voice suddenly rose, carrying the chilling aura of clashing steel and charging cavalry.
"What does this mean?"
"It means our understanding is wrong! It means the theoretical framework we've built with blood and fire over the past thirty years has a massive blind spot we have yet to discover!"
"It's been barely thirty years since the game descended upon reality! Our understanding of this new world probably doesn't even amount to the tip of the iceberg!"
"Who gave you the audacity to deny a fact that has already occurred?"
"Less office arrogance, more humility in the face of the unknown!"
His words struck like daggers, piercing every heart.
The entire hall fell silent.
Professor Li, who had been seething with righteous indignation just moments ago, now collapsed into his chair. He stared blankly at his sweat-soaked collar, muttering, "Wrong... all wrong..."
The other professors and experts hung their heads in shame, wishing the ground would swallow them whole.
He's right. They were used to being authorities, accustomed to explaining everything with established knowledge.
When faced with an inexplicable phenomenon, their first instinct wasn't to investigate, but to deny.
Zhou Zhenyun's gaze lingered for a moment on the admissions officers who had been the most agitated.
"The realm of the unknown is far vaster than we imagine."
"And an 'anomaly' like Lin Qingyue..."
A rare curve appeared on his lips—a mix of amusement and admiration.
"Her existence might just be pushing open a door to a new realm for all of us."
"Even if... the way she's pushing that door is a little... unconventional."
Inside the Observation Center, the frenzy and doubt on everyone's faces gradually subsided, replaced by a complex expression of awe and deep contemplation.
Denying facts was the most foolish act a scholar could commit.
The professor from Jingcheng University with the gold-rimmed glasses was the first to break the silence. He adjusted his spectacles, his tone bordering on fanatical madness.
"Major Zhou is right! Student Lin Qingyue... she's not just a candidate; she's a walking treasure! A living specimen of rules, shrouded in mystery! We must understand the essence of her abilities! This could redefine our understanding of energy, rules, and even the very origin of the world!"
The other admissions officers also calmed down.
The doubt in their eyes was replaced by a graver, more curious, and even fiery glint of something called "greed."
A peerless, uncut gem capable of shattering conventions and creating miracles—her value and potential were utterly beyond measure by any existing evaluation system!
Snatch her!
We must get her at any cost!
-
Meanwhile, inside the Dungeon.
[Ding! Host's actions have caused widespread cognitive dissonance and deep contemplation among high-level Professionals, aligning with the philosophy of "Elation." Elation Value +648!]
[+648]
[+648]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for unlocking the hidden achievement: My Healing Spell Comes with a Touch of Nuclear Purification. Reward: Zhongli Trial Card (24 hours)!]
"So they're coming in order? The Mondstadt drunkard, the Liyue street-loiterer... does that mean the Inazuma country bumpkin is next?"
Just as Lin Qingyue was coming to terms with the harsh reality that "I guess I really did do that," she suddenly sneezed for no reason.
A chill ran up the back of her neck.
"My clothes aren't on backward... I have a feeling... I've been targeted by something terrifying again, haven't I?"
She muttered to herself, staring at the newly acquired "Purified Miniature Church" model in her hand, which glowed with a soft Holy Light. She sank into even deeper confusion.
Meanwhile, on the screens in the Observation Center, rumors of the "Pink Healing Spell Purifying the Final BOSS" were spreading like wildfire through the preparation areas of every exam site.
Lin Qingyue didn't know it yet.
This time, avoiding fame would be impossible.