Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 144

The earth was scarred, and dark clouds filled the sky.

The red lotus blossomed in midair, quickly enveloping Alayne, Bo Lu, and Vels. Bo Lu then uttered a few incantations, and immediately, curse texts appeared on the red petals, significantly amplifying the killing intent contained within the red lotus.

The platforms under the trio began to rotate in midair, and Vels opened his mouth to exhale a breath that directly collided with the red lotus, shaping it into the form of a sharp blade!

Even from a great distance, the players could feel the powerful killing intent wrapped around the blade, almost possessing the power to destroy heaven and earth.

The trio, having just merged, could coordinate to such a seamless extent, as if there was a natural understanding between them, fully comprehending each other’s thoughts.

They truly were the trinity of the supreme being chosen by the heavens.

[Damn, the weapon they conjured is terrifying, comparable to Pangu creating the world, right?!]

[Holy shit, the blade is moving! It’s spinning towards the other Supreme Trinity! This is an AOE move, right? Such a powerful area attack… Players can’t dodge this!]

Gamblers watched the screen with immense worry, witnessing the blade forged by the trio reach the length of a fifty-story building. It spun and unleashed a horizontal slash, sending three consecutive waves of light bursting forth from the blade!

A tower close to the trio disintegrated into dust even before the first wave of light could touch it, just as the gamblers had predicted.

As anticipated, the wave of light from the blade’s attack wasn’t directed at the other Supreme Being but resulted in an area effect attack, affecting not only the other Supreme Trinity but also placing the players within the attack range!

In such a scenario, players didn’t need to make any so-called directional choice; even if they remained neutral forever, they couldn’t hope to emerge unscathed from this duel.

Just as the blade was about to unleash the light wave, a long dragon with deep blue scales positioned itself in front of Zhou Qian and all the others.

The dragon spread its body wide, and each scale opened like it was breathing. Countless droplets emerged from beneath the scales and formed a massive barrier, shielding the dragon and everyone behind it.

On the other side, as the blade was forming, the triangular platform carrying the three individuals spun rapidly. During the spin, Liu Shui chanted an incantation, summoning a bizarre creature with negligible limbs but a massively disproportionate mouth, appearing as if a mouth was floating in midair.

The massive mouth creature hovered in the air, motionless for the moment.

As the platform rotated, Miwa passed by the creature, touching its head, causing the creature to suddenly enlarge twentyfold.

Lastly, as Amei passed by, she gently opened her lips, and a red ghostly mist emerged, accompanied by the peculiar scent of meat soup. Numerous satiated spirits flew out of her mouth and into the giant mouth in front of her. The creature immediately emitted a red light and then roared with enough force to intimidate heaven and earth, directing its murderous gaze and lips at Alayne, Bo Lu, and Vels, the other Trinity.

“Boom!” —

The first wave of light from the blade collided with the other Supreme.

The giant mouth creature stood in front of Amei and the others, seemingly ready to absorb the attack.

Its lips opened wide, as if to swallow the heavens and earth, intending to consume the light wave entirely.

However, as it caught the light wave, it was pushed back rapidly and smashed into the ground. A wall, half-destroyed from the previous war among humans, was now completely shattered by the creature, sending dust flying into the air!

The range of the first wave of light continued to expand, quickly approaching the players.

Seeing the situation of the giant mouth creature, in a critical moment, a long dragon tail swiftly swung.

Subsequently, Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing, He Xiaowei, Yin Jiujiu, and Yun Xiangrong were all forcibly propelled a kilometer away.

At the same time, the blue dragon raised its head high, its icy blue eyes slightly narrowing, confronting the incoming wave of killing intent with a look of disdain.

“Boom” —

Another loud noise marked the collision of the light wave against Bai Zhou’s water barrier.

The droplets formed a remarkably tough wall under the skill’s enhancement, but the blade’s might, worthy of a Supreme, caused the water wall to crack inch by inch, eventually dispersing into countless raindrops. The light wave continued forward almost undiminished, crashing directly onto the dragon’s body!

“Zhou Ge—!”

From afar, Zhou Qian had landed on the devastated earth via the Magic Carpet. His eyelids twitched violently at the sight. Suddenly, in midair, the entire deep blue dragon was enveloped by a new surge of water.

The water flowing from the dragon’s body reflected off its scales, creating a spectacle akin to a galaxy falling from the heavens.

The water was rapid and forceful, forming what seemed like a gigantic waterfall emerging from the void. This wasn’t a single stream but two, emanating from either side of the dragon’s body. As the light wave approached, the two rivers converged around it, compressing and entwining it until they twisted the direction of the light wave entirely.

Eventually, the two streams forcibly redirected the light wave elsewhere, and seconds later, a loud collapse was heard—a distant mountain was demolished by the combined force of the water and the light beam!

The air briefly calmed down.

The dragon hovered in midair, its long eyelashes shimmering with a silver-white radiance, and the two moon-like eyes below it exuded a cold, scornful demeanor.

[Fuck! 137 is so cool!]

[I think I can agree with him and Qian Ge now!]

[I’ve always said Qian Ge has good taste. You see, you guys were against him dating before!]

[Don’t celebrate too soon. This is just the beginning… How long can his health and mana last?]

[Right… and which side should they choose…]

The in-game players felt even more pressure than the gamblers.

As the second wave of the blade’s light was about to strike, the players, weapons in hand, seemed ready to aid Bai Zhou.

Qi Liuxing was the quickest to react.

His jaw clenched tightly, his expression was utterly cold, and his eyes were boiling with killing intent.

But his action to raise his sword was quickly halted by a gesture from Zhou Qian.

“Qian Ge?” Qi Liuxing was puzzled.

He Xiaowei also asked, “Qian’er? This… It’s very dangerous for him alone!”

They seemed to not understand, at least emotionally, why Zhou Qian, who was usually unshakeable, chose to remain still.

Zhou Qian didn’t move but instead sat down, appearing surprisingly relaxed despite his stern face.

“It’s right for Zhou Ge to keep us at a distance. We can’t withstand the attack of the Supreme, not even their minor moves,” Zhou Qian explained. “In places like Blue Harbor City, where Rank God and ordinary players can appear simultaneously and undergo matching trials, there’s a purpose. In such instances, everyone should have a clear role. Now, only Zhou Ge can withstand those two bosses.”

He Xiaowei couldn’t help but sigh. “Qian’er, you’re really… I don’t know if I should say you’re heartless or too rational…”

Yin Jiujiu gave He Xiaowei a cold glance. “It’s not easy for Zhou Qian. As our team leader, he can only make the best choices for us. Right now, he’s the one who’s most worried.”

“Yes, of course, I know that. I have nothing but admiration for Qian’er,” He Xiaowei said, then turned to Yin Jiujiu. “Wait, Qian’er is indeed the team leader for me and Xiao Qi since he led us into the match. But you’re not part of that, right?”

At this point, He Xiaowei’s gaze towards Yin Jiujiu inevitably became more cautious.

He had heard of her past actions.

She was willing to die for her friend to exact revenge, not minding if she also caused the deaths of other teammates.

In such a critical situation, if Yin Jiujiu suddenly betrayed everyone, it would be disastrous.

He Xiaowei knew Zhou Qian was right; they couldn’t help with the Supreme on the other side and had to leave it to Bai Zhou to handle.

But regarding watching out for those around him, He Xiaowei believed he could still make a difference.

He immediately signaled Qi Liuxing with his eyes, giving Yin Jiujiu a warning look before casting a similarly wary gaze towards Yun Xiangrong.

“Alright, no more talking. Let me think.”

Zhou Qian spoke up, lifting his gaze towards the sky.

The deadly battle continued in the air—

The giant mouth creature had demolished the wall and was quickly recalled by the Supreme.

In that moment, the second wave of light struck.

Once again, the giant mouth creature swallowed the light wave whole, creating a pit over fifty meters deep upon impact, with its health dropping to 30%!

Moreover, it wasn’t able to completely shield Amei and the others from all damage this time, as the Supreme’s health also dropped by 10%.

A second later, the second wave of light reached Bai Zhou.

He replicated his previous tactic. Unable to withstand the power of the light wave, he summoned water with his dragon body and used the momentum of the water to change the attack’s direction.

Subsequently, a loud crash was heard as a distant lake completely collapsed.

It seemed, without the need for time to pass, this land would experience drastic changes in an instant due to the battle.

As the third wave of light approached, not only did Bai Zhou handle it with ease, but the giant mouth creature also used its flesh to shield its summoners from the third hit. However, just as its health was about to run out, a whistle sounded.

This whistle came from Miwa.

Following the whistle, the golden bird that had dodged far away from the slashing blade quickly returned. Its vast wings gently brushed the body of the giant mouth creature, and with a flash of golden light, the creature’s health was instantly restored!

After the monster’s health was fully restored, it immediately launched a counterattack. Its mouth had stored the attacks of all three light waves, and now, with a leap and a burst, the combined massive light wave surged out.

This giant light wave created an invisible tsunami in the air, causing everything in the world to tremble!

The light wave, with the force of thunder, rushed in all directions, altering the colors of the heavens and earth.

From a distance, Zhou Qian, who rarely showed any change in expression, suddenly looked alarmed. But then, with a flick of the dragon’s tail, three waves of water surged forward, erecting three barriers in the nick of time to protect the players.

Zhou Qian and the others were absolutely safe, but Bai Zhou himself was about to face a light wave that had tripled in strength!

The light waves emitted by the blade three times were already astonishingly powerful.

Now, with the three light waves combined into one and in an AOE attack mode, Bai Zhou’s situation was extremely perilous.

But for a moment, Zhou Qian couldn’t clearly see Bai Zhou’s condition.

Their location was too far from Bai Zhou, and even the three layers of barriers obscured their view.

Soon, the powerful beam reached them. The successive loud noises were the barriers shattering, as if the world was fracturing into millions of pieces right before their eyes.

The water droplets fell like rain, inevitably drenching the players.

But the remnants of the light wave’s power still lingered, and everyone bore the brunt of this terrifying attack with their flesh. Thankfully, the three layers of barriers had absorbed most of the damage, and He Xiaowei played his qin just in time to stabilize everyone’s health.

The terrifying attack temporarily ceased, and Zhou Qian, wiping his face hastily, quickly looked towards the sky through his wet hair, just in time to see a mist of blood rising from the dragon’s body and falling back to the scarred earth like rainwater.

Bai Zhou was injured!

Even someone as powerful as him had his health drop to 40%!

Zhou Qian’s pupils contracted sharply as he looked towards the two Supremes.

The trio, including Alayne, who had initiated the attack, were countered by Amei’s group. Now, their health points had dropped to 70% and 90%, respectively.

Then, the golden bird flew over again.

Its wings tenderly caressed Alayne, Bo Lu, and Vels, restoring their health completely before moving to Amei, Liu Shui, and Miwa’s side, healing all their wounds as well.

So, the golden bird wasn’t purely following one side’s commands. It was aiding both.

If this continued, the battle would definitely not end within 30 minutes.

And if the winner wasn’t decided within 30 minutes, the world would be destroyed, and the players would die along with the two Supremes.

For a long time afterward, both groups of the Supremes stood still, as if pondering strategies on how to swiftly kill the other.

Taking this opportunity, Zhou Qian called the little dragon and flew quickly to Bai Zhou’s side, seeing many small wounds on the dragon’s body, with scales flipped, revealing the bloody flesh underneath.

Zhou Qian frowned, riding the little dragon, continuously taking out the golden feathers he had plucked earlier, attempting to heal Bai Zhou.

But the feathers were indeed ineffective now.

The golden bird belonged to the “false past” timeline.

Now that time had returned to normal, the “past” golden bird disappeared, and the golden bird that truly lived in the present had never been captured by the players.

While sprinkling countless small potions on Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian pondered—

The story’s Bo Lu and others must have had pasts unknown to the players.

It seemed like the two trios of the Supreme didn’t want to fight, hence the pause in time. The six fates entangled individuals were temporarily lost in the false past.

That period was a completely false world, like a film that could change plot details but not alter anyone’s ultimate fate.

Now, everyone had merely returned from that film to reality.

But there was a problem.

“Anyone’s fate cannot be changed” didn’t include the players.

If players were injured, they could actually be healed by the golden feathers from the false timeline; moreover, if players died, they would truly die in the “past”.

Why was that?

It could only be because the players didn’t belong to that past.

Furthermore, upon entering the instance, players didn’t receive any prior identity information. As characters in the instance, they indeed resembled amnesiacs.

All their identity information, including the so-called deserter status from the Land of Silence, was actually told to them by the innkeeper lady, who was Difu in disguise.

Difu’s real intention was to create conflict and absorb energy.

The Land of Silence and the Kingdom of Words were natural enemies.

The people of Nameless Village were once guards, and deserters from the Land of Silence could naturally form an opposition. They were destined to be wary of each other, and with a little manipulation from Difu, lies and betrayal would occur among them.

In summary, it was enough to judge that the players’ true identities in the instance weren’t deserters from the Land of Silence. They didn’t belong to this apocalyptic world at all!

Following this conclusion, what roles do Difu, Vels, and Miwa play in this story?

Amei and Aileen were lovers torn apart by fate.

Bo Lu and Liu Shui seemed to be old acquaintances, forced to serve enemy nations.

What about Vels and Miwa?

What were their statuses in the heavenly realm, and what had they done?

Could it really be a bloody love triangle with Difu?

No, it didn’t seem likely.

If that were the case, they wouldn’t be unwilling to participate in the final duel, pausing the course of history. They, like the other four, were clearly unwilling to harm each other.

Finally, Zhou Qian quickly reviewed the brief duel process.

Initially, Amei, Miwa, and Liu Shui’s group lost 5% of their health, and the golden bird quickly replenished it. At that time, it proactively healed them.

Later, when Amei summoned the giant mouth creature and it was injured and nearly dead, the golden bird didn’t proactively heal it.

Only after hearing Miwa’s whistle did it move forward to heal the giant mouth creature.

From these facts, a simple deduction could be made—

Amei and Liu Shui didn’t know how to command the golden bird. It was almost like Miwa’s personal pet, so it would only proactively heal its master, Miwa. It wouldn’t heal others on its own, unless commanded by Miwa.

It previously healed Amei and Liu Shui only because Miwa was merged with them.

But what happened later clearly overturned Zhou Qian’s deduction—when the other side, where Vels was, got injured, the golden bird also proactively healed them.

Thus, considering the rumors about Difu, Vels, and Miwa, the golden bird might proactively heal these two gods.

It was not just Miwa’s pet; it seemed to also obey Vels.

It must have a deep connection with Miwa and Vels.

At this point, the solution to the puzzle was almost revealed.

Zhou Qian’s gaze became profound and resolute.

Now, having sprinkled numerous potions over Bai Zhou, he then approached Bai Zhou’s ear.

Raising his hand, he gently touched the long, sharp ears on the dragon’s head, looking into Bai Zhou’s eyes, now unfamiliar yet familiar, and asked, “Does it hurt?”

The dragon’s head shook, and Zhou Qian heard him say, “They’re about to start the next round. Move back.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian looked towards the distance.

The two Supremes indeed began to move again in the air.

This time, each of the six held a magical instrument in their hands, seemingly planning to no longer summon blades or giant mouths but to engage in a direct and bloody battle with each other.

“I have an idea. In a moment…”

Zhou Qian whispered his plan and arrangements into Bai Zhou’s ear.

Moments later, Bai Zhou nodded. “I understand.”

Zhou Qian didn’t speak immediately but kept his gaze on Bai Zhou’s eyes.

After a long while, he finally said, “This is very dangerous. Be careful.”

“I will.”

Bai Zhou lowered his head, rubbing Zhou Qian’s cheek with the cold horn on his forehead, then, with a flick of his tail, the dragon moved forward rapidly.

This journey was indeed fraught with danger.

But Bai Zhou didn’t ask Zhou Qian why he chose to do this.

Similarly, Zhou Qian didn’t question whether he was confident in his plan.

As if no words were needed, they had absolute trust in each other.

Watching the deep blue dragon gradually disappear into the sky, Zhou Qian knew he would always trust himself.

And he… could also always trust him.

Bai Zhou was always breaking his preconceptions of the world.

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The author has something to say:

Qian Ge, your husband is so handsome~

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 143

Over a hundred years ago. Human world.

Bo Lu and Liu Shui listened to their teacher’s lecture together.

The teacher was a once popular magician Yun Yao, who retired after his invented magic was misused to harm many people.

Yun Yao had sworn never to touch magic again in his lifetime, until he met Bo Lu and Liu Shui.

Their talent was so exceptional that not passing on his knowledge to them would have been a waste.

Moreover, he saw something extraordinary in them—a powerful energy capable of connecting heaven and earth.

Yun Yao had always felt that the world was enveloped by negative energy, which might lead to its destruction soon.

However, the appearance of Bo Lu and Liu Shui might offer a chance to save the world from complete ruin.

At the end of a lesson, Liu Shui asked Yun Yao, “Teacher, what would be the most powerful god?”

Beside him, Bo Lu added, “Among the three realms, gods are the strongest… and magical texts mention the magical power of the number ‘3’. So, would three gods together be the most powerful?”

Facing his young students, Yun Yao smiled and said, “Gods are indeed much more powerful than humans, but just three gods together aren’t the strongest.”

“The world consists of three realms: heaven, humanity, and earth. Selecting the strongest from each realm and bringing them together, their powers complementing each other, would form the most powerful triad.”

“However, this is just a theory. In my extensive studies of history, I’ve never heard of such a supreme being actually descending to our world. Unless…”

“Unless what?” both Liu Shui and Bo Lu asked eagerly.

Yun Yao, with his hands behind his back, looked out the window at the blue sky. “Unless it’s the end times. When the world is about to be destroyed, to save the three realms… such a supreme being might emerge.”

“It’s the way this world saves itself. Or rather…

“It’s the way permitted by the heavens for a savior to come.”

At the age of five, Bo Lu and Liu Shui became Yun Yao’s students. By the age of eighteen, however, they were forced to part ways.

One day, while studying a difficult spell with Yun Yao, the door opened, and a serious man with a stern face walked in. The students recognized him as Yun Yao’s senior, Feng Yang.

Liu Shui and Bo Lu would forever remember the look Feng Yang gave them when he entered—a look of regret, sadness, and anger, which then turned into a kind of ruthlessness.

Feng Yang didn’t speak to them but called Yun Yao out for a long, secret talk.

After that, Feng Yang took Liu Shui away, leaving Bo Lu to continue studying magic with Yun Yao. The two children, who grew up together, thus went their separate ways.

From then on, Bo Lu’s teacher remained Yun Yao, but Liu Shui’s became Feng Yang.

One stayed in the Kingdom of Words, and the other went to the Land of Silence.

Bo Lu, deeply missing Liu Shui, would seize any opportunity to ask Yun Yao what he and Feng Yang had discussed and why he had to be separated from Liu Shui.

Yun Yao never gave him any answers.

It wasn’t until he was close to death that he decided to tell Bo Lu the truth.

One day, Yun Yao sighed deeply, took Bo Lu’s hand, and said, “You and Liu Shui were both my students, and I didn’t know how to tell you this…”

“Now, having not seen Liu Shui for many years and considering you as my only student… I had to make a choice between you two.”

“Bo Lu, I must tell you now. You must find a way to kill Liu Shui. You must try to kill him, or else you will die.”

Bo Lu was stunned and could hardly believe what he heard. “Teacher, what are you saying?”

Yun Yao then handed him a key. “This is the key to the top floor of the library, which I’ve kept locked and never allowed you to enter before. It contains books on dark magic.”

“I had sworn never to let this magic spread among humans again, but now…”

“I have no choice.”

After another deep sigh, Yun Yao’s gaze deepened as he gripped Bo Lu’s hand tighter, his eyes wide and intense.

“When I first took you and Liu Shui as students, I couldn’t fully see your fate. It was only later, after my senior’s divination skills advanced, that he saw…”

“Anyway, we’ve both confirmed that you and Liu Shui are destined to be each other’s enemies in this lifetime.”

“Either you die by his hand, or he dies by yours. Only one of you can survive!”

“The battle between you and Liu Shui is inevitable for your entire life.”

“You cannot escape it.”

……

Similarly, around the same time, Liu Shui heard his new teacher Feng Yang telling him the same thing.

The King of Words and the Land of Silence were destined for a battle that couldn’t be avoided.

The inevitable clash between Liu Shui and Bo Lu was something they could not escape throughout their lives. This prediction was initially conveyed by their respective teachers.

As their powers grew, they began to see for themselves that their teachers’ words held truth. They sadly realized that what had been foretold wasn’t false.

Over the years, the Kingdom of Speech and the Land of Silence would engage in conflict for various reasons. Liu Shui and Bo Lu, understanding each other’s positions, made a mutual decision never to harbor the intent to kill the other.

Stationed at the royal courts of their respective countries, they did everything in their power to appease their kings and quell each dispute to prevent it from escalating into a full-blown war that could threaten the existence of both lands.

Every few years, they would meet. During these meetings, they would share their most formidable techniques without reservation, even teaching each other.

This was their way of showing sincerity—that in their lifetimes, they would never turn their weapons against each other.

However, as time went on, even as they both reached positions of great power, the overwhelming tide of events was beyond their control.

The war between the Kingdom of Words and the Land of Silence was just the beginning.

Betrayal, lies, hatred… Negative emotions swept across the world, plunging it into chaos and leading it towards destruction.

When the world was engulfed in war, Bo Lu and Liu Shui fought alongside their respective armies but never against each other.

In the end, as a great snow covered the royal capital, they fell beside a partially collapsed wall—one with an arrow in his chest, bleeding out, and the other with a large gash across his throat.

Their blood flowed out, staining the snow red, merging on the ground. They exchanged a final look in the snow before closing their eyes.

In their moment of death, smiles graced the lips of both Bo Lu and Liu Shui. The Kingdom of Words and the Land of Silence, along with the world, were ultimately destroyed, but at least they did not meet their ends as enemies, as their teachers or fate had predicted.

However, at that moment, neither of them had considered that what they thought was death was not the end.

After lying on the cold ground for an unknown time, they suddenly woke up and uncontrollably flew into the air. Once they reached a certain height, they stopped mid-air.

Then they realized they were not the only ones drawn to this place by an invisible force. Besides them, four others were also floating in the air.

The six people floating in the air were pulled into a circular formation in groups of three, as if some force was trying to forcefully bring them together.

However, it was as if the progress of the world had suddenly been paused, and the motion of each group of three moving closer to each other stopped, no longer being pulled together.

Suddenly, the words of their teacher from their youth echoed in the ears of Bo Lu and Liu Shui—

The most powerful being in the world would be formed by combining the strongest from the three realms of heaven, humanity, and earth into a trinity.

Such a supreme being would only truly descend at the apocalypse. Before this, there had never been any record of it in the world.

Now, the world had faced its apocalypse.

To save the world, the supreme trinity indeed appeared.

However, what Bo Lu and Liu Shui both thought was: why were there two “beings” for the role of the strongest?

Then an answer appeared directly in their minds.

No one could explain who sent this answer. They could only attribute everything to the will of heaven.

The will of heaven said, “This world has already been destroyed. Its next step is rebirth. The restart of the world requires a supreme being.”

“But even I do not know who the real supreme being of this world is. You need to duel each other. This duel is inevitable… Otherwise, heaven, humanity, and earth will all completely perish.”

At that moment, Liu Shui and Bo Lu understood that even death couldn’t let them escape the fate of being enemies.

Bo Lu looked up at the two people beside him, and strangely, he immediately knew their identities.

One of them was called Vels, from the realm of heaven, and the other was Alayne, from the realm of earth.

At the same time, he could directly hear their thoughts—they all did not wish to duel.

On the other side, Liu Shui’s situation was similar.

He learned that the two people beside him were Miwa from the realm of heaven and Amei from the realm of earth.

Amei and Miwa, likewise, didn’t wish to duel with Alayne and Vels.

Although the six of them in groups of three hadn’t yet truly formed the strongest trinity, it was strange that they could hear each other’s thoughts as if they had already achieved a sort of symbiosis in some sense.

Thus, besides learning each other’s identities, Bo Lu and Liu Shui also learned many other pieces of information—

Just like the realm of humanity, the realm of heaven had fallen into a great war. After the chaos, all gods perished, leaving only Miwa and Vels alive.

The same was true for the realm of earth, with only Alayne and Amei surviving.

The six of them were the only living beings left from the three realms.

Additionally, the reason the historical progress of this world was paused, and the six people hadn’t yet truly formed two “groups of three” as the supreme being was because Vels had forcibly stopped everything using a magical artifact.

At this moment, that artifact was in Vels’ hand. It was a peculiar artifact with three heads but no body.

On the artifact, the three heads faced three directions, all with blue eyes, enveloping the whole world in blue light.

At that instant, Bo Lu and Liu Shui felt a glimmer of hope.

The artifact in Vels’ hand was exactly like the one in legends said to be able to change time.

Then, perhaps they could use this artifact to return to the past and find a way to change history.

As long as they found a method and made a change to prevent the world’s destruction and the apocalypse from coming, they wouldn’t end up becoming the supreme being, leading to their destined mutual slaughter!

Vels could directly hear Bo Lu’s thoughts and immediately said, “The human legends about this artifact are mistaken. This artifact can only reveal the past and replay scenes. When you enter it, the people inside can interact with you and even respond, giving you the feeling of being truly in the past.”

“But you have never truly returned to the past. The artifact only plays a segment that can adjust in real-time based on your reactions. It has the function of allowing us to review history and deduce details, but it does not have the ability to change history.”

“Having said that, the greatest function of this artifact is actually just to pause the historical process, fixing us in ‘the present’.”

Hearing this, Bo Lu immediately asked, “Is there really no way to change history?”

The other god named Miwa answered, “History is not unchangeable, but the cost is too great. Using all our power, we have one chance to return to the past. However, we cannot guarantee that after we use all our power to reverse time and return to the past, we will definitely find a way to change the future. After all…”

“After all, ‘the future’ is the collective effect of countless past events. Concerning the future of the realm of heaven, Vels and I cannot directly calculate or foresee. We cannot guarantee success in one try.”

After a moment of silence, Liu Shui seemed to have an idea and said, “I understand. We use the artifact to return to the past to seek possibilities. It doesn’t matter if the artifact cannot change history, as long as we use its projected images to seek methods. Once we find a definitive way to save the world, we can then truly travel through time and space, ensuring success!”

Thus, the progress of history was paused.

The future that was to come never arrived.

Two gods, two humans, and two ghosts chose to return to the “false past” shown by the artifact, seeking a “possibility” to save the world.

As long as they found this “possibility”, they could use all their power to return to the real past, make a real change, and then welcome the future they hoped for.

The eyes of the heads on the artifact emitted red light.

All six people, with their memories temporarily erased, returned to the past.

Of course, before the official “time travel”, they faced a problem—when all six were in the “past” with their memories temporarily erased, no one would be able to operate the artifact.

Vels’ solution was to place a curse on the artifact, such that if anyone among the six died, the artifact would automatically activate and bring them all back to the paused present.

With the minor issue resolved, the six people officially began their journey in the “past” to find answers.

In the time that followed, the six of them were like returning to a movie that could automatically interact with the audience in real-time, observing every detail that led the world to destruction, then calculating and deducing to find the answer they sought.

The six people experienced death over and over again, witnessing loved ones leave time and again.

The countries they defended fell repeatedly.

The people they protected died and came back to life over and over…

Yet they still didn’t find the answer.

All were caught in an endless cycle.

As long as their obsessions weren’t eliminated, they would be trapped in this cycle forever.

In such a situation, whose will could remain as firm as at the beginning?

For example, Bo Lu and Liu Shui eventually decided to kill each other as soon as possible, to trigger the curse that could activate the head artifact and then return to the real “present.”

They finally decided to face the fate that had long been determined.

Perhaps among the countless possible histories, there always exists an optimal solution for saving the world.

But they all couldn’t wait for it.

This life, Bo Lu remembered everything when he met Liu Shui at the city gate.

The crowd slowly approached the east gate. Bo Lu leaned over and saw Liu Shui, who was beside the king of the Land of Silence.

In this endless cycle of reincarnation, he had been entangled with Liu Shui for too long, their years together stretching back to ancient times.

Therefore, this glance was truly a glance of a thousand years.

Liu Shui’s appearance hadn’t changed much; he looked so young, barely in his twenties.

Looking at him like this, Bo Lu tried to recall the time when they first met.

But suddenly, he could neither remember what Liu Shui looked like as a child nor their real first meeting.

Indeed, his teacher was right—the most powerful magic in this world is time.

Even if they could use the artifact to return to the “past” over and over again, seemingly controlling time and space, they could never truly fight against time.

As if sensing something, Liu Shui also looked up at Bo Lu.

One stood on the city gate, and the other stood below it, gazing at each other in this manner.

A cloud slowly passed over the city wall from outside, and its shadow moved from Liu Shui’s face to the depths of Bo Lu’s eyes.

“Liu Shui, I’ve come for you.”

“I’m sorry. All my obsessions and perseverance have ultimately been defeated by time.”

……

At this moment.

Bo Lu, Liu Shui, Miwa, Vels, Amei, and Alayne, for countless times, returned to the real “present”.

This world, forcibly kept in a “paused” state for a long time, finally took a step forward—each group of three moved forward, completely forming two “trinities” of the supreme being.

After a long journey, the faces of the six people showed some weariness, but unlike when they first gathered here, their gazes had now all become very calm.

At this moment, they had made a unified decision—

They would not use all their power to return to the past. They would preserve their power and then make a complete, real conclusion.

The duel between the two supreme beings was about to begin.

As the duel commenced, players hovering in mid-air were urged by the system to make a decision.

[After the two supreme beings begin their duel, players must take action.]

[They must decide the winner within 30 minutes.]

[If both supreme beings are still alive after 30 minutes, the heavens will decree the end of the world, and the finale will be irreversible.]

Upon seeing this message, players within the game wore grim expressions.

Outside the game, the gamblers couldn’t hide their excitement.

[What’s the meaning of this setting? If the two supreme beings survive simultaneously, are they too powerful, possibly defying the heavens, so the heavenly will only allow one to exist?]

[Damn, this is cheating. So, the system means if players don’t help, they’ll also die from the apocalypse in 30 minutes!]

[Players can’t afford not to help, but helping is problematic too. Once they decide to assist one side, the other will surely attack them! That 137, although powerful, has had all his attributes significantly reduced, right?]

[Agree. Look at the panels of those two supreme beings… Their attributes are insanely high, not to mention non-humans like Alayne and Vels. Just Bo Lu alone has ten times the HP of 137! How can we fight?]

[This is ridiculous, the bosses this time are the “supreme beings” who can save the world. What’s even the point of playing?]

What the gamblers pondered over was also what the in-game players considered.

He Xiaowei, usually the most jovial, had a serious look and remained silent for a long time, hurriedly grabbing another Magic Carpet as its power began to wane.

Gao Shan had already returned to Zhou Qian’s Rib of God while Yun Xiangrong glared at the white bone in Zhou Qian’s hand, clutching her flute tightly, and focused on the two strongest.

Yin Jiujiu was pulling out all the mana and health potions from her pack to ensure they were ready for immediate use during the battle.

As for Zhou Qian, he could feel Qi Liuxing’s chest beginning to heave again.

Apparently unable to hold back any longer, Qi Liuxing coughed violently but then suppressed it, covering his mouth to muffle the coughs.

After recovering a bit, Zhou Qian retracted his hand, quickly found clothes from his pack for Qi Liuxing, and then took out another Magic Carpet.

Just as he was about to assist Qi Liuxing onto the nearby carpet, Zhou Qian noticed something odd.

Qi Liuxing was missing two toes on his right foot, probably because the golden feathers hadn’t managed to repair everything in time. After Qi Liuxing tried walking a few steps, Zhou Qian noticed he was limping slightly, probably because his right foot was a bit shorter.

Holding his arm, Zhou Qian said, “Wait, the instance isn’t over yet. Maybe the feathers will still work. Let me get another one to treat you.”

Qi Liuxing shook his head in response.

“Xiao Qi?” Zhou Qian frowned.

“This small issue won’t affect my moves,” Qi Liuxing said.

Zhou Qian looked at him sternly. “So?”

Qi Liuxing replied, “So, I want to keep this imperfection. Lest one day… I forget this lesson.”

After saying this, Qi Liuxing stepped onto the nearby Magic Carpet.

Zhou Qian turned his head to look at him, about to say something, but ultimately noticed Qi Liuxing’s reddened eyes.

However, he quickly lowered his head, and his bangs covered his eyes, making it hard for Zhou Qian to discern.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Liuxing gripped his long sword tightly.

“Qian Ge, thank you for saving me. From now on, I trust no one but you.” Qi Liuxing’s tone was definitive and deeper than ever before.

Looking up at Zhou Qian, the redness in his eyes had faded, and his pupils became deep and unfathomable. “Just this matter of my foot; don’t persuade me anymore. Let’s fight.”

Not far away, the battle between the two Supremes had indeed started!

Alayne’s red lotus was the first to strike the opposition.

The other trio instantly disappeared from their spot, reappearing a hundred meters away.

Even so, Amei’s side lost 5% of their health.

Then, with a screech, a golden bird circled and flapped its wings, and Amei’s side’s health was instantly restored!

Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when he felt the dragon beneath him stir.

The next moment, Zhou Qian was thrown onto the nearby Magic Carpet.

“Zhou Ge?” Zhou Qian clenched the Rib of God and called out to Bai Zhou.

The deep blue dragon slid forward, then positioned itself in front of all players.

Bai Zhou’s cold and unquestionable voice directly resonated in all players’ minds—

“Everyone, retreat behind me.”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 142

On the racetrack, anomalies were everywhere.

He Xiaowei’s pupils dilated, and what was reflected in his eyes was the crack in the sky expanding further. At the same time, several clouds suddenly flew down in reverse, all entering Bo Lu’s eyes!

Additionally, although Liu Shui was facing away from him, preventing He Xiaowei from seeing his front clearly, he could see the grass and even corpses with soil being hurled towards Liu Shui’s face. However, Liu Shui wasn’t hit. Moments later, those things vanished into thin air, presumably absorbed by his eyes.

In a daze, He Xiaowei’s wrist was fiercely grabbed.

Turning around, he met Yin Jiujiu’s serious gaze. “Don’t worry about what’s happening for now. Before the king of the Land of Silence’s corpse is sucked in, find his body and the ‘Key of Freedom’!”

Simultaneously, a melodious yet solemn flute sound began to play.

Turning his head, He Xiaowei saw Yun Xiangrong playing a short flute against the wind.

Countless willow catkins floated over, gradually forming a barrier that enclosed Bo Lu and Liu Shui within, temporarily separating the rest of the corpses and the ground from them.

During a pause in her playing, Yun Xiangrong looked over and said, “Hurry and find the key! I’ll see if I can delay them with this method!”

……

Elsewhere, Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou arrived at the outskirts of the Kingdom of Words.

Zhou Qian, lying down on Bai Zhou’s back, said, “Got it!”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou slowed down slightly. Zhou Qian straightened up, drew his bow, and aimed at the golden form getting closer.

At such high speeds, shooting accurately was extremely difficult.

Wind force, speed, and power all had to be calculated precisely, and one needed to ensure they could execute these calculations flawlessly.

But Bai Zhou didn’t ask if Zhou Qian had any issues; only whether the current speed was appropriate.

“It’s fine. Let’s approach it this way.”

Zhou Qian said, standing tall, his upper body immediately straightened. Squinting with one eye, he aimed at the golden bird for a while, then drew the bowstring and aimed at the bird.

By then, they were above the clouds.

The sunlight cast deep and shallow golden hues on the clouds, making the bird’s golden wings look translucent, almost merging with the clouds. In such high-speed pursuit, it was difficult to distinguish which golden patches were clouds and which were the bird’s wings with just the naked eye.

Suddenly, the golden bird flapped its wings and changed direction. Zhou Qian gently nudged Bai Zhou’s body with his left leg, and Bai Zhou immediately understood his intention, shifting slightly to the left.

“Now!” Zhou Qian closed one eye and squinted the other.

The moment the bowstring was fully drawn, coinciding with the golden bird spreading its wings, a loud whooshing sound followed by the bird’s cry of distress was heard.

Zhou Qian smiled softly—bullseye!

As Zhou Qian exhaled, due to the recoil, his upper body leaned back slightly, but the dragon’s tail timely hooked around, securely supporting his waist.

After Zhou Qian gripped Bai Zhou’s body again to stabilize himself, Bai Zhou accelerated suddenly, diving down to catch the golden bird that could no longer fly due to injury.

The arrow tip was coated with anesthetic, so the golden bird had passed out by this time.

With this method, Zhou Qian ensured it wouldn’t escape to another time-space for the time being.

After successfully capturing the golden bird, Bai Zhou quickly returned with Zhou Qian to the Royal City.

Upon entering the city, before reaching the racetrack, they noticed many unusual anomalies.

Both the sky and the ground had large holes, as if space itself were torn apart.

More eerily, the racetrack and even the entire palace were almost devoid of any living beings or corpses.

Were they sucked away by the holes in the sky or the ground?

Just as they wondered, Zhou Qian saw a building flying upwards, spinning and shrinking, before ultimately falling into Liu Shui’s eyes!

At that moment, He Xiaowei, Yin Jiujiu, and Yun Xiangrong arrived on a [Magic Carpet].

Seeing Zhou Qian and the golden bird on Bai Zhou’s back, He Xiaowei handed over the key they found. “This is it!”

“Well done.”

Zhou Qian momentarily averted his gaze, taking the key from He Xiaowei and the chains from Yun Xiangrong and thoroughly locking the golden bird’s feet, finally feeling relieved.

Zhou Qian had been concerned that plucking the feathers would wake the golden bird, allowing it to escape the current time-space, so he had refrained from acting.

Now that it was chained, Zhou Qian had no more reservations. He swiftly grabbed the bird’s wings and plucked a golden feather.

Just as Zhou Qian was about to try using the feather, suddenly, a loud boom sounded. The crack in the sky and the ground widened, and the entire space seemed to be vanishing.

Standing on the Magic Carpet and looking down, He Xiaowei’s legs couldn’t help but tremble. “What the hell is going on? Is it the end of the world?”

“I’m not sure. ‘What has happened cannot be changed.’ There must be some aspect of this world we’re not yet aware of. But Xiaowei Ge, you might be right. This world might be ‘vanishing’. So, just in case something unexpected happens—”

Zhou Qian said, “Keep an eye on our surroundings. I’ll bring Xiao Qi back first. In case the world collapses and the golden feather’s setting no longer works.”

After speaking, Zhou Qian, still seated on Bai Zhou, took out a small cooler from his bag.

Opening the cooler revealed Qi Liuxing’s pale head. His eyes were tightly shut, and his eyebrows and eyelashes were covered in frost.

Zhou Qian’s expression remained unchanged. He took out the head, placed it in front of him on Bai Zhou, and covered it with the golden feather, attempting to use it to heal Qi Liuxing’s body.

While waiting for the feather to take effect, Zhou Qian took out another object from his bag—the [Tick Tock Clock].

Placing the item on Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian didn’t immediately use it, obviously waiting for the golden feather to show its effect first—at least until Qi Liuxing’s heart regrew, then the clock might work.

At that moment, he felt a gaze and turned his head to see Yun Xiangrong standing behind He Xiaowei.

Yun Xiangrong stared unblinkingly at the Tick Tock Clock, her expression somewhat stunned.

Her reaction reminded Zhou Qian of a scene from “Last Wish”—

In the continuously fading circular corridor with 12 rooms full of murderous intent, the space was twisting and about to disappear. At that time, Yun Xiangrong was frantically adjusting the clock, trying to awaken Gao Shan’s heart. But she ultimately failed. She watched helplessly as Gao Shan’s body vanished.

This situation seemed like history repeating itself.

The difference was that Zhou Qian was the one using the item, and he only had a head in front of him.

Soon, Zhou Qian felt the Rib of God slightly move, took it out from his bag, and placed it beside him, but didn’t interfere further, instead focusing intently on Qi Liuxing’s head.

The golden feather on Qi Liuxing’s forehead began to emit a faint golden light, seemingly starting to work.

But Zhou Qian was still uncertain if it could fully heal Qi Liuxing.

Simultaneously, Zhou Qian felt a slight drain of his life force. Then, a human form materialized from the Rib of God—it was Gao Shan.

With a translucent body, Gao Shan’s soul floated beside Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou. His fists clenched and he was trembling slightly. He looked at Yun Xiangrong from a distance.

Yun Xiangrong’s eyes reddened immediately, and she stepped forward, only to be promptly held back by Yin Jiujiu.

Ahead was the edge of the Magic Carpet. If she continued forward carelessly, she would fall.

Gao Shan also involuntarily stepped forward, reaching out as if to catch her, but Zhou Qian timely restrained his wrist with the Rib of God.

With one hand holding the Rib of God to stop Gao Shan and the other grasping the golden feather, suddenly, the golden feather burst into bright, dazzling light, a golden radiance transferring from the feather to Zhou Qian’s body, then to Gao Shan’s soul.

Gao Shan instinctively spoke, and to Zhou Qian’s surprise, he could actually hear his voice.

Gao Shan’s inability to speak was cured by the feather!

The brightness of the golden feather continued to intensify, and after a moment, Zhou Qian felt a refreshing sensation. Checking the system panel, he found his health had significantly recovered.

However, soon the golden light began to dim, but He Xiaowei, Yun Xiangrong, and the others’ health had all recovered to over 60%!

After a while, the golden light faded, and the feather turned a dull gray before disintegrating into ash that vanished with a gust of wind.

Glancing at his empty palm, Zhou Qian immediately looked forward to Qi Liuxing, only to see a neck and shoulders growing beneath his head—the golden feather was effective!

It seemed the golden feather’s healing power on players was limited; its healing power could be depleted.

After curing Gao Shan’s muteness, restoring health to everyone, and partially repairing Qi Liuxing’s torso, the feather turned to nothing. Fortunately, Zhou Qian had captured the entire bird.

To ensure the golden bird wouldn’t fly away, Zhou Qian immediately used a [Heavenly Net] to firmly wrap it, and then began to pluck feathers through the gaps in the net.

After plucking three feathers, Zhou Qian placed them on Qi Liuxing’s severed neck and both shoulders.

Moments later, the three feathers restored Qi Liuxing’s upper body.

After the effect of these three feathers was exhausted, Zhou Qian quickly added four more feathers to the still-incomplete parts of his body.

With Qi Liuxing’s heart area fully restored, Zhou Qian took out the Tick Tock Clock, starting to adjust the needle’s rotation frequency, attempting to resonate with Qi Liuxing’s heart.

He Xiaowei watched Zhou Qian’s operation with trepidation. “Qian’er, Xiao Qi’s body isn’t fully repaired yet. If you awaken his consciousness now… it’s going to be painfully deadly for him!”

“There’s no time. Let’s revive him first.” Zhou Qian glanced towards the sky—half of the heavens had turned into a black hole. The entire world seemed on the brink of collapse.

Turning his gaze back, Zhou Qian reached through the Heavenly Net to grab the golden bird’s neck and tossed it to He Xiaowei, saying, “Pluck the feathers, as many as you can.”

Items or props that exist based on the instance setting wouldn’t work outside of it. Therefore, Zhou Qian didn’t need to take the golden feathers out.

But in this instance, knowing the story hadn’t truly ended, the feathers might still be useful.

The system wouldn’t generously heal all players and restore their full health. The fact that players’ statuses had been restored likely meant a major battle was upcoming.

At this point, everything in the world was being devoured by the eyes of Bo Lu and Liu Shui; perhaps soon, even the golden bird would vanish.

When that time comes, the healing power of its feathers might also fade. But regardless, it’s always beneficial to keep as many feathers as possible in advance.

After delegating the task of plucking to He Xiaowei, Zhou Qian refocused on Qi Liuxing in front of him.

While waiting for the golden feathers to repair the damaged body, Zhou Qian adjusted the Tick Tock Clock with one hand and pressed on Qi Liuxing’s heart area with the other, trying to quickly restore its beating.

…..

In mid-air, Zhou Qian was continuously attempting to save Qi Liuxing. On the racetrack below, a rare and fierce duel had reached a critical stage—both Bo Lu and Liu Shui had eaten each other’s hearts and suffered severe bodily damage.

Liu Shui had lost both legs, and only his torso and above remained. Black poison dripped from his severed waist, containing small black insects that struggled to burrow back into his body after being washed out, only to be forced out again and absorbed into the ground.

Bo Lu was no better off. His limbs were relatively intact, but his internal organs, like his stomach, lungs, and heart, had been hollowed out, as if someone had scooped out his insides.

Yet, they continued to fight, and unexpectedly, Liu Shui’s index and middle fingers pierced Bo Lu’s left eye, pulling out bloody remains when withdrawn.

Despite such severe mutilation, neither of them had died, raising the question of whether it was magic at work or if there was an untold story behind them.

Just as Zhou Qian pondered this, another anomaly struck—

From the giant tear in the sky, a human form suddenly appeared.

Similarly, from the hole in the ground, as if the gates from hell to the human world were opened and someone came from hell to earth.

Two figures, one descending from the sky and the other rising from the ground, hung in the air, facing each other. Their bodies were large enough that every person in the Royal City on the ground could see their features clearly—both bore some resemblance to Bo Lu and Liu Shui.

At this critical juncture, the Royal City of the Kingdom of Words found itself in a perilous situation. Centered around the royal racetrack, nearly half of the city had been absorbed into the eyes of Bo Lu and Liu Shui, leaving only a small part of the city relatively safe.

The citizens panicked and flooded the streets, unsure of where to flee. It was only upon the arrival of these two titans in the sky that they fell to their knees, weeping and bowing continuously—

“Save us!”

“God Vels, save us!”

“M-God Miwa, please save us!”

Vels and Miwa weren’t unfamiliar names to Zhou Qian. Velis was said to be the God of Imprisonment, who loved Difu and therefore bound her with chains. Information about him was found by the players in the Temple of Prayers.

As for Miwa, he was known as a malevolent god.

His story was heard by Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou from Alayne’s own words. Alayne mentioned Difu absorbing malice to gain power, all to aid the Malevolent God Miwa in winning a battle in the divine realm, as part of her effort to persuade Amei to collaborate.

According to the storyline, Zhou Qian speculated that there might not have been an actual battle in the divine realm.

The specific information in Alayne’s mind was likely just a concoction—a result of the curse cast by Amei, the mandate from the Red God queen, and the hatred accumulated by Alayne from her past life. Under these influences, she developed an obsession with killing Difu.

Upon hearing about the existence of the Malevolent God Miwa, she likely imagined a divine battle under the influence of the curse and suggestion, along with a narrative where Difu was in love with Miwa and wanted to assist him.

Various subconscious thoughts related to killing Difu might have prompted Alayne’s brain to fabricate a story, simply to smooth the path for her murderous intent.

However, Zhou Qian hadn’t anticipated that Miwa wouldn’t only truly exist but also come to the human world.

Miwa had arrived, and so had Vels.

This story seemed to feature a clichéd love triangle—Difu loved Miwa, and Vels loved Difu.

What could the actual situation be?

What purpose did the appearance of these two “gods” serve now?

Another thunderous noise resounded without lightning or thunder, but the sky further cracked.

The blue sky, white clouds, and sunlight were gradually swallowed by darkness, and the sky was slowly disappearing. As for the ground, the constant bowing of the citizens to the two gods brought no salvation. They turned into skeletons in an instant, some flying into the boundless black hole above, others falling as the ground hole expanded infinitely.

The two black holes in the sky and the ground weren’t endlessly devouring the world. Occasionally, something would float out from them.

When Zhou Qian looked up into the sky, he spotted a cloud drifting out, displaying strange images—clearly, scenes of war, with corpses for miles and rivers running red.

However, this cloud was fleeting, quickly reabsorbed into the sky.

Without a doubt, everything here was heading towards an apocalypse. Centered on the royal racetrack, the entire world was succumbing.

Yet, this apocalypse was peculiar, with all things disintegrating in a strange manner before being consumed by either the eyes of Bo Lu and Liu Shui or the black holes in the sky and the ground. It was a bizarre end of days, so unusual that it bore a surreal sense of unreality.

Thinking of something, Zhou Qian looked back at Qi Liuxing.

Now, only the area around Qi Liuxing’s ankles remained unrepaired. Seeing another golden feather on him turning gray, Zhou Qian reached out to He Xiaowei, intending to take another golden feather from him.

It was at this moment that Zhou Qian sensed something was wrong.

Turning his head, he saw, at a speed visible to the naked eye, Yun Xiangrong and Yin Jiujiu’s hands had turned into skeletons. However, they were both intently observing the apocalyptic scene and hadn’t noticed the strange condition of their bodies.

“He Xiaowei, give a feather to Yun Xiangrong and Yin Jiujiu each, quickly!”

After saying this, Zhou Qian swiftly took three more feathers from him—one he placed on Bai Zhou’s back, another he applied to Qi Liuxing’s ankle, and he kept the last one for himself. In the final moment, he saw his own hand turn into a skeleton, but as soon as he grasped the golden feather, it quickly returned to normal.

Beside him, the two girls held the golden feathers, their bodies restored to their original state, both looking pale and somewhat shaken by the experience.

Seeing this, He Xiaowei couldn’t help feeling a chill. “Man… If we hadn’t held onto the feathers, we would’ve turned to bones like those people… What the hell…”

“Is this what they meant by a 2% success rate? Without enough golden feathers, players wouldn’t even have the chance to make it to the end!”

Across from He Xiaowei, on Bai Zhou’s back, Zhou Qian lifted his head and looked again at the ravaged world, saying, “Right, the golden feathers are the medium connecting different worlds. As players, without them, we would die in the past, along with these citizens and both kingdoms. But now… I think we can finally head towards the true future.”

As soon as Zhou Qian finished speaking, something caught his eye. Looking down at the racetrack, he noticed the two figures, mangled from their fight, had finally stilled—

Liu Shui was left with little more than a half-head connected to some collarbone; the other half of his head had been cleaved off by a sword, its whereabouts unknown.

Next to him, Bo Lu’s body appeared intact at a glance, but that was merely superficial; not only were all his internal organs gone, but his blood had been drained as well.

A strange, elongated snake had burrowed into his body from his spine, slowly consuming his blood and growing numerous tentacles to replace his blood vessels throughout his body…

The duel between the two, aiming to kill, subjected each other to endless torment until this moment, when they finally perished.

As both ceased to breathe, the situation between heaven and earth shifted further.

The black holes above and below began to spread, instantly enveloping the world in darkness, as if the sun had abandoned humanity, leaving this place forever.

Silence pervaded between heaven and earth, so quiet that players could hear each other’s breathing.

“Everyone, hold onto the golden feathers tightly. Don’t let go,” Zhou Qian reminded everyone, then reached down to touch the cold dragon scales, wrapping his legs tighter around Bai Zhou.

For a long time in the darkness, there was no sound but the ticking of the [Tick Tock Clock] Zhou Qian was adjusting.

“Tick-tock…”

“Tick-tock, tick-tock…”

After an indeterminate amount of time, suddenly, two “thump-thump” sounds echoed, matching the Tick Tock Clock’s rhythm—heartbeats!

Had the clock’s needle frequency finally resonated with the heart?

Zhou Qian leaned forward immediately, his palm on Qi Liuxing’s chest area, indeed feeling a strong heartbeat.

Then he felt the Tick Tock Clock leave his palm, flying forward and sinking into Qi Liuxing’s chest.

Several loud coughs followed, and Zhou Qian felt intense vibrations under his palm.

Qi Liuxing was revived!

Patting Qi Liuxing’s chest, Zhou Qian helped him catch his breath and whispered, “Xiao Qi, bear with any discomfort for now. Shh.”

Afterward, Zhou Qian felt in the darkness that the body under his hand had completely calmed down.

The pace of breathing was still a bit fast and rushed, probably because he had just been revived and was still adjusting, so he couldn’t help but breathe rapidly.

Regardless, he was alive and breathing!

Without knowing what situation they were facing, Zhou Qian didn’t bother to use a flashlight to check Qi Liuxing’s complexion, simply moving his hand to his neck artery to confirm his pulse had indeed resumed.

In the pitch darkness, players couldn’t see each other’s faces but could feel the relaxation in each other’s breathing.

It was a collective sigh of relief—regardless of what came next, at least Qi Liuxing was alive, and everything seemed to be proceeding more smoothly than expected.

After a moment, Zhou Qian sensed something was amiss—he could no longer feel the pulse under his fingertips, and at the same time, he couldn’t hear Qi Liuxing’s hurried breathing anymore!

Just as he was about to call out to Qi Liuxing, Zhou Qian noticed other anomalies—not only Qi Liuxing, but he also couldn’t hear the breathing of anyone else.

Bai Zhou, hovering in mid-air, wasn’t entirely still. His long tail would occasionally sway, and leaning against him, Zhou Qian could even feel the breathing causing the dragon’s body to rise and fall.

But now, all these movements had vanished, as if Bai Zhou had become stationary…

Wait. This all happened because… time had stopped.

Zhou Qian discovered that he, too, was unable to move. He couldn’t speak or breathe, trapped in a frozen moment of time, just like everyone else.

This feeling was rather unfamiliar to Zhou Qian.

Although his skills were closely related to time, he had previously stopped time for others while standing outside of its influence, never affected by the cessation himself.

This was Zhou Qian’s first experience of being completely bound by a stoppage of time.

However, Zhou Qian quickly realized that this instance of time stopping was different from his skill. When he used his ability, the stoppage of time was more akin to a true halt—those immobilized by him couldn’t even think, and when time resumed its normal flow, they were utterly unaware of any interruption.

But it was different now. Zhou Qian could still think.

Moreover, Zhou Qian discovered he could move his eyeballs.

Catching something in the corner of his eye, he looked over to see light descending from the sky bit by bit, gradually restoring brightness to the land. However, the scene between heaven and earth had completely changed from what Zhou Qian and his companions had previously witnessed—

The land had almost entirely turned into a desolate wasteland.

Not a trace remained of the racetrack, the palace, or even the Royal City.

It seemed as if nothingness was all that remained between heaven and earth.

So this wasn’t truly a stoppage of time in the full sense. It was more as if God was playing a puzzle, merely pausing the players’ movements to avoid interference.

In doing so, undisturbed, he reassembled the shattered history, waiting for it to proceed towards its destined future.

Above the ruins, the sky was dim. Suspended in mid-air were two individuals, none other than Miwa and Vels, the gods rumored to have ties with Difu.

Following this, a red shadow flew up from the ground to Miwa’s side and sat down with him. It was Amei.

In a rush, countless red dots lit up the earth, suddenly forming numerous beams of light that converged mid-air into a human form—it was Alayne.

Alayne flew towards the two gods in the sky, but she went to Vels’ side. Like Amei, she sat down, her expression showing a hint of exhaustion.

Finally, after a series of rustling sounds, the sound of limbs, blood, and organs being pieced back together followed, and Bo Lu and Liu Shui, who had fought each other to death, were also revived. Bo Lu flew towards Vels and took a seat, with Alayne on his left and Vels on his right, forming a circular arrangement in mid-air.

Then, a circular platform formed from the void beneath them, securing them in place. A similar situation unfolded on the other side with Amei, Liu Shui, and Miwa, except their platform was triangular.

Humans, gods, ghosts.

It turns out this was the real existence of a Trinity.

Only now, two such “Trinities” had appeared.

On these two entities, the “past” and “present” seemed already determined. So, where was their “future”?

As Zhou Qian pondered this, he suddenly heard a bird’s cry.

The golden bird previously contained within He Xiaowei’s Heavenly Net had vanished without a trace, and another stunningly bright golden bird appeared from the void. Its wings shimmered beautifully as it flew, and its tail trailed a long golden light under the sun, akin to the most sacred spirit.

It circled around the two “Trinities”, seemingly uncertain where to settle.

At that moment, players received a system notification—

[This world allows only the emergence of one supreme being. Please choose whom you wish to aid. Your choice will determine the real “future”. Choose wisely.]

[Heading towards the “future” will bring players to true completion.]

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