Ending, Meeting.

The cherry blossoms have withered everything.

The tree branches droop to the high sky, dusk and sea of clouds engulf the lush green leaves, ancient creatures soar beside him, soft and long hair brushing against his cheeks.

Poets are singing, and children are crying.

The song sounded like a sacred hymn, and the weeping seemed to be a lament for the deceased.

Finally, the branches withered.

The fire burned silently on the enormous ancient tree, and the remains of the ancient creature, along with the remaining trunk, fell into the deep blue sea.

The singing disappeared, and so did the weeping.

These chaotic and confusing things are all illusions.

These bizarre illusions appeared before the boy's eyes, and he heard a continuous stream of broken sounds and whispers.

It seemed he was almost unable to see clearly, but the power controlled by his consciousness remained linked to himself, allowing Su Qing'an to understand that he had succeeded.

The Honkai Energy bridge within the Xuanyuan Sword was easily submerged by the corrosive power. Without the Honkai Energy to sustain its existence, Ji Xuanyuan dissipated and entered annihilation.

The Xuanyuan Sword fell to the ground, its dark color dissipating like peeling shell dust, revealing its original brass appearance.

But this is still not the end.

The boy still did his best.

Following the bridge of Honkai Energy, the power of the Herrscher of Corruption traced the origin and traces to the original Honkai Energy supply point.

The illusory cherry blossoms successfully extinguished Chi You's heart.

After its power was exhausted, the remaining petals that fell softly formed the shape of a sword blade.

[Calming the Tempest] returned to its original form and fell into Su Qing'an's empty hands, as if telling of its companionship.

Just as Rin said, it won't break.

The timer before him was telling him that time was running out, but the boy still showed no sign of resigning himself to waiting for death.

Su Qing'an still has things to finish.

So it couldn't end yet. Sensing the lingering aura within the ancient sword, he bit its hilt with his teeth, using [Calming the Tempest] as a support to prop himself up, and slowly walked towards the direction in his memory.

The young man will not give up on [Calming the Tempest], but he still needs the Xuanyuan Sword to save Himeko.

With his arm gone and his body practically paralyzed, he had no choice but to move in that direction in such an ugly, disheveled, and utterly ungraceful manner.

[I'm sorry, brave warrior from a thousand years later.]

With this opening remark, the young girl appeared before him dressed in a magnificent golden ancient robe.

Murata Himeko is having a dream.

Those rosy days seem like a beautiful dream even now.

But she always felt something was off, like she had forgotten something very, very important. But sometimes she would just attribute that feeling to a casual misconception, like she had forgotten to put in the seasoning packet for instant noodles.

Until one day, when she was playing with the little one, she looked at the boy's innocent yet cold face, and suddenly fell into a long period of confusion.

She was so stunned that the usually calm child tugged at her clothes in concern, and only then did she snap out of her Awakened.

She discovered the problem, but the dream had just ended.

Murata Himeko should have awakened, but fate always seemed to follow the script of reality in arranging her subsequent fate.

They've become Zombie.

Even without Ji Xuanyuan's control, Honkai Energy had almost completely eroded his will.

As she drifted into her dream, Honkai Energy silently shattered all obstacles, making the ending irreversible.

She "woke up".

At least physically, a blood-red greatsword appeared in the woman's hand. She indifferently cleaved through the greenhouse that Su Qing'an had built for her and stepped out of the cage.

The Seawater had already submerged her ankles, and it wouldn't be long before this lifeless land would completely collapse and be embraced by the ocean.

Himeko, who is constantly on the verge of Zombie, will also perish in the endless ocean currents and the ruins of the ancient site.

In a land devoid of humans, she would likely still wander silently like a puppet.

But a boy was walking towards her step by step. His scarred body looked no longer a threat, and each dragging step he took created blood-red ripples on the water's surface.

The boy was still bleeding, so much so that one wondered if he was about to lose all his blood.

That unwavering and profound will, coupled with a body as light as paper, seemed to be embodying some kind of fanatical ideal.

He should have died long ago.

Even the woman who was about to become Zombie instinctively wondered if it was an inanimate object rather than a living person.

But they were still human.

It's an instinct... that compels me to kill these humans.

"Himeko?"

It was a boy's hoarse, unpleasant whisper, so faint that it was almost lost in the breeze and couldn't reach the woman's ears.

But Murata Himeko still heard it.

She did not respond; her Amber eyes were lifeless and utterly devoid of emotion.

The woman silently raised her blood-red greatsword.

Without hesitation, without surprise.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

That was the sound of liquid dripping.

A blood-red greatsword pierced through the boy's chest, its crimson hue, even more vibrant than the blade itself, meandering silently down the edge.

Strings of blood droplets fell into the Seawater at their feet, creating a poignant and beautiful scene.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

That was the sound of blood dripping.

Su Qing'an embraced Himeko, in this posture as if pierced by a sword blade.

He was almost unable to speak; the pain had actually subsided.

Even with his chest pierced and blood flowing out, Su Qing'an could only sense the fact that he was being injured.

It doesn't feel real.

All that remains is the emptiness of the world, where self-existence has been further stripped away.

Su Qing'an simply held the woman tightly, regardless of the consequences. The [Stigmata] on his back had become increasingly dim, but at this moment it suddenly shone with a different kind of brilliance.

Murata Himeko's movements came to an abrupt halt; the Honkai Energy within her body was being pulled together at an extremely rapid pace, all surging in one direction.

It surged into the boy's [Stigmata].

In almost just three seconds, the rampant Honkai Energy within the woman's body was completely drained.

Su Qing'an murmured:

"Please, Miss Ji Lin."

The girl in yellow appeared before the world, looking at the boy with a complex expression, and responded:

"As you wish, Mr. Su Qing'an."

From the ancient brass sword floating on the water, countless mysterious particles of light surged forth, disappearing into the woman's back and winding out beautiful vermilion patterns.

That was the natural Stigmata possessed by the Yellow Emperor, Ji Xuanyuan, a thousand years ago.

The irreversible process of becoming Zombie was completely broken by the effects of the [Stigmata] and the loading of natural Stigmata.

Murata Himeko's consciousness was successfully freed, and she should have fully awakened, but Ji Lin complied with the boy's previous request and allowed her to remain asleep.

This was a choice that Su Qing'an and Ji Lin had agreed upon long ago.

In fact, the Yellow Emperor from a thousand years ago did not leave behind any remnant soul. The previous Ji Xuanyuan was merely a product of the personification of the natural Stigmata and the distortion of emotions.

After the Natural Stigmata was reactivated and returned to the personality requested by its original owner, Ji Lin appeared.

She asked Su Qing'an if he wanted to undergo the transplantation of the natural Stigmata.

Because of Ji Lin's special abilities, even if the boy's natural talents were extremely poor, she could control all the rejection reactions and give Su Qing'an a natural Stigmata, thus achieving the ultimate goal of potentially saving the boy's life.

But Su Qing'an refused.

He chose to let Murata Himeko live, even if the price was death.

Theoretically, the requirement of selecting a host based on the natural Stigmata is not in accordance with the procedure.

But after being personified, whether it's for atonement or for Su Qing'an's words, "This is my last request...", it's all good.

She agreed.

The blood-red blade dissipated after the Honkai energy Honkai Energy absorbed by Su Qing'an's security department. The wound, which was not blocked by a sharp weapon, quietly flowed out bewitching blood, like a dried-up spring that could no longer gush out any more blood.

The boy seemed to have all his strength drained away, and could only lean on the woman's arms as he said:

"Miss Ji Lin... could you please ask Himeko to stay away from me?"

"And... protect her."

Ji Lin understood the meaning behind Su Qing'an's words, but it was precisely because of this that she felt even more complicated.

She, residing within Himeko's body, can still retain her own consciousness, but perhaps only after Himeko's body gradually adapts to the presence of the natural Stigmata will she completely disappear, as if her duty has been fulfilled.

Prior to this, she did possess the ability to protect her host to a certain extent.

She responded seriously:

"As you wish, Mr. Su Qing'an."

Murata Himeko briefly relinquished control of her body to Ji Lin, holding Su Qing'an and placing his frighteningly light body in the center of the altar at the highest point of this place.

Without hesitation, Ji Lin placed the ancient brass sword beside the boy as his burial offering.

Immediately, she turned and stepped into the unknown distance.

She needs to get this body to a safe place.

Ji Lin whispered to himself:

"This is all I can do for you. I'm so sorry."

The boy is dead.

His heart stopped completely the moment she placed Su Qing'an on the altar.

Later than Ji Lin had expected, his consciousness gradually faded into darkness as the violent roar shook the entire ruins.

Su Qing'an heard a faint vibration beside her ear; the timer on the smart module had already reset to zero.

Is that you?

A slight smile played on his lips.

Immediately, darkness embraced consciousness, granting it the gentleness of eternal slumber.

You see...

In the end, no one had enough time.

The mobility of the Moon Wheel Armor surpasses that of most vehicles in the world; even Rita's private jet wouldn't be faster than it under full-speed conditions.

Fu Hua wasn't slow enough.

The entire journey, from receiving the information, engaging in dialogue, making a decision, and the three seconds spent on the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, took less than forty minutes in total.

The Eclipse mode is a burst-type output mode, but in the girl's hands, it has become a pure means of transportation, with the high-concentration compressed particles inside the power reactor already operating at an overload rate.

Not fast enough.

Following the AI's guidance, she plunged into the deep sea without any diving equipment.

Not fast enough.

The lunar eclipse pattern was once again forced to exceed its limits, and she fell like a shooting star.

Unlike Satou Yunona and the others who used their powers to smash in.

After encountering the entrance that was buried by a landslide, the girl's gauntlets have turned into golden handguards.

[Grip of the Void]

Finding Su Qing'an is simple; just locate the Xuanyuan Sword.

Therefore, the other Key of Domination is the best guide, and it will also become Fu Hua's weapon to clear obstacles.

Deathly Strength • Mad Dragon

The powerful offensive that originally required accumulating Honkai Energy was shortened to an instantaneous attack by the Honkai Energy stored within the Grip of the Void.

With a single punch, the immortal obliterated the obstacle before her and charged into the ruins, heading straight in the direction she sensed.

A winding maze, a complex and intricate trap.

These tedious obstacles were things she couldn't allow to exist at this moment. With strange anxiety and eerie sorrow in her heart, Fu Hua almost exhausted all her martial arts skills.

One punch after another.

Even when the Honkai Energy stored within the Key of Domination is completely exhausted, it's still a long way off.

Even with this shortcut and all our efforts, it's still a long way off.

She was trying to single-handedly crush the achievements of Kiana's squad over several hours in a very short time, and the difficulty she encountered was naturally different.

Having shattered his sword heart and lost his status as a sword god, the immortal had nearly reached his limit.

In the brief moment she stopped, the illusory hand grasped her heart, causing her pupils to shrink.

What's going on? This feeling is inexplicable and has no origin.

I'm panicking... I'm so scared.

It's strange, but I'm so panicked and scared.

The girl was at a loss, bewildered and disoriented.

She stared at the obstacle in front of her, her eyes already bloodshot.

Crimson like blood.

In that instant, the immortal abandoned his duty without hesitation, or rather, without thought.

[Udu-dust]

Crimson feathers fluttered and landed on the Mind Lake.

With the sword's heart restored, all Honkai Energy returned to a submissive posture.

The intuitive feeling from the Realm of Emptiness made the girl even more anxious.

She whispered:

"Celestial Techniques."

In an instant, a clear blur of white and black enveloped the world, accompanied by the whispers of immortals, as if in the beginning of chaos, a magnificent light annihilated everything before our eyes.

[Immortal Technique: The Unity of All Things]

This is the pinnacle of martial arts during the prime of an immortal, or rather, an existence beyond that.

Immortal techniques, which transcend immortal styles, are also a system that gradually departs from the path of martial arts.

With Fu Hua's current physique, this move is an overpowered, banned technique.

In fact, she hasn't used any techniques related to the "immortal" system since almost that time.

But she used it now.

She's so irrational, it's completely unlike her.

With just one magical technique, all the obstacles in front of them vanished.

Fu Hua wiped the crimson from the corner of her lips and stepped into the deserted square a few minutes later.

The scene was utterly devastating. The earth had been ravaged and kneaded into an uneven, cratered shape. Apart from the hole she had forcibly carved into the surrounding walls, they were riddled with wounds, and intense Honkai Energy surged like a tide, spreading across the land.

She looked towards the center of the altar.

I saw the Xuanyuan Sword lying on the ground.

I saw it too, Su Qing'an.

Even though they had arrived, the girl's steps became unusually hesitant, and she called out softly and cautiously:

"Su Qing'an?"

There was no response.

"Xiao Su?"

There has still been no response.

"Qing'an?"

Still, there was no response.

She walked step by step, stepping through the Seawater that had already reached her calves. The armor that had been covering her eyes automatically retracted, and the boy, who was getting closer and closer, was reflected in her clear, glass-like blue eyes.

It reflected the piercing wound in the center of his chest, his shoulder where he had lost his arm, his blood-soaked body, and... his gray eyes where the light had died.

Fu Hua stopped speaking. She squatted down as if touching a fragile piece of porcelain. She removed the face armor with the intelligent module and used her fingertips to wipe away the dust and bloodstains from the boy's handsome face.

She had already removed the hand armor before touching it, and now her fair hands were covered in a poignant crimson.

So much blood! How can there be so much blood?

It's so red! How can it be so red?

[Armor belonging to the same Schicksal faction detected... docking successful.]

[Data restart. Twenty-three minutes and forty-five seconds have passed since Mr. Su's vital signs disappeared.]

[Mr. Su did not choose to leave a will; he fought to the very last moment.]

The feathers left behind by Udu-dust vanished without a trace; she actually... already knew the answer all along.

But she still used the Grip of the Void, the Udu-dust, and other immortal techniques.

It's like trying to run through time, to grab onto that fleeting, illusory thought.

Twenty-three minutes.

So... it's been so long since I arrived.

Finally, she embraced the boy's corpse, covered his eyes, and whispered:

"What were you trying to say back then? Didn't you say it?"

A long silence followed, the cold, dripping blood seeping into her palms and piercing her heart.

The agonizing pain and the chilling sense of despair overwhelmed his resilient will, crushing the loneliness accumulated over millennia.

Immediately following was unparalleled regret.

If... he hadn't left then, would he have been alright?

If we could stay a few more minutes, wouldn't that lessen his regret?

So many "what ifs," far too many "what ifs."

But... there are no "what ifs".

As the immortals swayed and wisps of mist rose from Qinghai Lake, she whispered:

"You didn't keep your promise, Su Qing'an."

"But so was I. I told you I wouldn't let you end up like this, but I failed."

"... I failed."

"Sorry."

The boy's corpse began to tremble; his fingertips started to shake, and purple Honkai Energy patterns spread from his fingertips to his half-severed chest. The Honkai Energy fluctuations seeped into his body from the center of the altar...

Chi You is attempting to transform Su Qing'an's corpse into Zombie. In fact, if it weren't for the residual corrosive power, the boy would have already become a demon before Fu Hua arrived.

Now that the corrosive power has completely dissipated, the immortals instantly noticed Chi You's actions.

For a fleeting moment, her mind went blank.

How dare you?

She gritted her teeth.

How dare you?!

Within her Sea of consciousness, Udu-dust burned with magnificent flames, her light gray hair melting into white like snow, and as she looked up, it was as if a blazing red lotus had burned away the blue ocean.

Fu Hua couldn't remember the last time she had been this angry; pure killing intent swept over everything.

She picked up the boy and stood up; the [Sword God] engulfed everything.

With his white hair and red eyes, he made no attempt to conceal his identity whatsoever.

She was a swordswoman who could cleave mountains and seas with a mere glance, and should have been so domineering that she inspired fear. Yet, the way she held the boy in her arms made her look so lost and forlorn, like a girl picking up the carcass of a stray cat on the roadside.

This day.

The immortal shattered all of Chi You's hearts.

She successfully avenged both old and new grudges, but lost... and much more.

You see...

In the end, no one had enough time.