All Previous Work Will Be Undone

Qian Renxue urged, "We need to help you hunt a spirit beast and absorb a spirit ring as soon as possible. There is a spirit beast forest near the Heaven Dou Empire."

Lin Yu said, "Time is too tight, there's no time to go there. Do you remember seeing me in the Star Dou Great Forest more than ten years later?"

Qian Renxue came to her senses, realizing Lin Yu's intention. "So you were already preparing to absorb your second spirit ring back then."

Lin Yu said, "Yes, Qian Renxue. Remember this now—my life is in your hands. Please be sure to help me catch a thousand-year spirit beast with the ice attribute more than ten years from now."

Qian Renxue said, "A thousand-year spirit beast? But this is only your second spirit ring! Absorbing a spirit ring of a higher level will pose a huge danger to you."

Lin Yu laughed out loud, revealing his Ice Snow Empress Martial Soul, while a purple thousand-year spirit ring appeared beneath him.

Such danger is something I have long since grown accustomed to.

Only then did Qian Renxue remember that when she first saw Lin Yu in the dungeon, he already had a thousand-year spirit ring, though she hadn't known why at the time.

Yet now she understood that Lin Yu had taken that risk due to the extraction of his vitality.

A long sigh came, belonging to the Snow Empress from within the spiritual sea of consciousness. She revealed her existence to Qian Renxue, saying, "I am the one whose life is linked to his. Because I was on the verge of death from severe injuries, after binding in a contract with him, my existence continuously drains his vitality."

"During the very first time, he took the risk to absorb his first thousand-year spirit ring."

"And now he is preparing to do it again. This is extremely dangerous for him, and I truly cannot bear to make him endure it anymore. Perhaps this time we should absorb a hundred-year spirit ring."

"But I know I cannot stop him. Please, I beg of you, help him hunt only a hundred-year spirit beast more than ten years from now, leaving him no other choice but to submit."

It was only a pity that the Snow Empress's voice grew fainter and fainter, as Lin Yu had resolutely triggered the jump of the Starry Express at that sight, beginning his journey through time and space.

Her final words ultimately failed to cross the barrier of time to reach Qian Renxue's ears.

In the end, the Snow Empress could only dissolve into a long sigh.

Time flashed forward by more than ten years.

The Star Dou Great Forest.

The phantom of the Starry Express blew its whistle and shuttled out from the air.

When it landed on the ground, the figure of Lin Yu appeared.

Qian Renxue, whose divine seat had shattered, had already been waiting here, accompanied by a dying, unconscious thousand-year spirit beast beside her.

Lin Yu smiled and said, "Qian Renxue, more than ten years apart once again, yet it feels as though it was just a moment ago."

Qian Renxue sighed and said, "You only traveled through time for a moment, but you don't know that I've waited for you for over a decade. Perhaps I should have boarded the Starry Express and traveled alongside you back then."

Lin Yu smiled. "That would have been quite fun too. If you came along with me, would you see two Qian Renxsues?"

Qian Renxue said, "That is utterly impossible. If I had boarded the Starry Express to travel to the present, the Qian Renxue from that period in the Moon Xuan Pavilion would disappear. All of the future would change, and a Qian Renxue with a shattered divine seat would not appear here in the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Then there would be no one to help you hunt a spirit ring, and you would be in danger."

Only then did Lin Yu realize that Qian Renxue had already considered everything thoroughly. Qian Renxue was a different person from the Snow Empress; she was mature and steady, taking everything into account before you even realized it.

Even that thousand-year spirit beast had already been prepared in advance, left on the verge of death and unconscious so that he only needed to deliver the final kill.

Qian Renxue said, "Your martial soul has the ice attribute, but ice-type spirit beasts on the Douluo Continent are far too rare. The Star Dou Great Forest only has hundred-year ice-type spirit beasts; I had to bring this thousand-year ice-type spirit beast here from elsewhere."

Lin Yu smiled. "That's wonderful, Qian Renxue. I knew that choosing you to be my contract companion was the most correct decision. You can help me handle so many things."

Qian Renxue possessed a wisdom that ordinary people found difficult to match. Having her as an enemy would be a tremendous headache, but having her as a companion was undoubtedly the greatest assistance.

At this moment, Lin Yu rejoiced all the more that he had chosen Qian Renxue as his second companion. Back then, aside from taking a fancy to the fact that Qian Renxue could grow into a god, another reason was his appreciation for her cleverness.

Qian Renxue had even prepared the blade. "Lin Yu, kill this spirit beast and absorb its thousand-year spirit ring, before the divine prohibition appears on our contract."

Hearing the urgency in Qian Renxue's tone, Lin Yu asked in surprise, "Didn't I make a contract with the past you? How could a divine prohibition still appear on the contract?"

Qian Renxue explained, "Lin Yu, because you haven't reached Level 100 Godhood yet, you don't know that your contract merely exploited a loophole in the past."

"Before you appeared here, the contents of the contract remained those of the past."

"However, once you appear here, the contents of the contract will begin to update."

"In other words, the me who possesses the divine prohibition will soon appear on the golden contract. By then, everything you have done before will be undone, and the Starry Express will soon be discovered by the Sea God and the Shura God."

Lin Yu never imagined that everything he had done would still be overturned in the end.

This was not easily discovered because Qian Renxue had only realized this flaw after ascending to become a Level-100 God.

Yet her discovery was not too late. As long as Lin Yu stayed for a short enough time, the golden contract would remain as it was in the past.

"If that's the case, I must hurry."

Realizing there was still a turning point, Lin Yu immediately ceased hesitating, took the blade from Qian Renxue, and killed the unconscious thousand-year spirit beast.

The purple thousand-year spirit ring appeared.

At that moment, Qian Renxue arranged an immensely complex ritual around the area and said to Lin Yu, "You don't have much time left. This ritual can act upon your spirit and accelerate your absorption speed of the spirit ring."

"However, its burden is not small, and it may bring you greater pressure. You must be prepared."

Yet Lin Yu gave a light laugh. "Pioneering itself fears no pressure; one must forge bravely ahead."

He sat down to absorb the thousand-year spirit ring.

This absorption of the spirit ring was, as Qian Renxue had said, extremely rapid. Lin Yu spent only half an hour to complete the absorption, the entire process appearing completely without ripples—unlike his first absorption, which had taken two days and two nights.

Yet Lin Yu had suddenly aged quite a bit. He looked as though he had suffered through endless torment, and when he opened his eyes, it felt as though a lifetime had passed.

The Snow Empress smiled bitterly. "You survived once again."

The Snow Empress in his spiritual sea of consciousness had accompanied Lin Yu through the entire duration of absorbing that thousand-year spirit ring.

To outsiders, only half an hour had passed, but only the Snow Empress knew that Lin Yu had been tormented for a full ten days and ten nights before successfully absorbing that thousand-year spirit ring.

Lin Yu lacked spirit master talent, and his spiritual power was also very weak; forcing himself to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring was merely struggling between life and death.

Yet he possessed an unknown tenacity of will, ultimately surviving.

When Lin Yu recovered after a long spell of daze, he left only a gentle smile on his face for the Snow Empress. "Didn't I tell you from the very beginning that I would survive? You only needed to seal your perception and sleep until you woke up."

The Snow Empress could not help but manifest her form. Her hand gently caressed Lin Yu's face, tears flashing in her eyes. "Do you know that you're an idiot? Who wouldn't worry about someone who is surviving for my sake?"

Lin Yu sighed. "To think you saw right through me. I'm far too embarrassing like this; I was never someone with a strong inner heart to begin with, and I can only keep living for the sake of others."

The Snow Empress chided him, "Stop talking. Don't do this anymore in the future—live more for yourself."

At that moment, Qian Renxue's wry voice came through. "You two, it's not that I want to disturb you, but you need to leave. The golden contract is starting to react."

At this time, the divine prohibition was already beginning to appear faintly upon the golden contract.

Simultaneously, a divine gaze cast its perception downward, peering over the Star Dou Great Forest from above.