The Nation Nears Ruin; Monsters Are Bound to Appear

From an incomprehensible, majestic dimension, an inexplicable force forcibly traced back to a phantom and broken Abyss Flower, and to that slumbering, special soul.

This is a concept and record called Su Qing'an, as well as his id [thoughts] and soul, and even traced back to the moment before he was completely burned out [creation].

Because this definition of tracing back is too broad, a crimson feather also drifted down from a leaf on the Imaginary Tree.

As a special being capable of transforming records into conceptual ones, Little Feather was unable to reclaim the records and traces about herself due to Su Qing'an's deliberate avoidance of consolidating his parallel world self.

Thus, the Soul Link that should have been severed was rekindled.

The feather sank into the boy's sea of consciousness, and his spirituality and self fell into a long slumber.

Su Qing'an's consciousness, as if it had been restarted in the distant past, slowly rose and fell from the mysterious sea of darkness.

Even as he gradually regained full consciousness, his mind remained blank.

Without memory, without emotion, and even the original personality is in a delicate state that is difficult to activate.

The greatness and power of the gods truly surpassed Su Qing'an's imagination and understanding.

But just as he had considered before Soul Scale, restarting and resurrecting an ordinary human being within the world's mechanisms is a completely different level of difficulty and cost from restarting and resurrecting an ascended being who has all records and traces on their own body.

Even He, in His arbitrary actions, could only trace it back to this stage.

So the boy remained silent, like a newborn rock that knew neither joy nor sorrow, letting himself drift aimlessly within a constant timeline.

Until, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice entered my mind.

That was Atropos.

[Congratulations on surviving your fourth death. Your extraordinary achievement of reaching a higher dimension as a mortal has earned you the right to be reborn.]

[Would you like to continue with the fourth journey, player?]

[Clearance condition: Personally defeat the Honkai of Civilization Plus One.]

Who is this?

The blank memory cannot recall any fragments; the inexplicable sense of déjà vu is like a thin morning mist, which dissipates naturally as soon as one tries to think about it.

The boy could only barely recall his own name, which seemed to be the root and self-nature of the unique [thought] of Soul Lifeform, something he could not forget as long as he existed in the world.

But at that time, the so-called "nian" was just an empty shell that bore a name and a self-identity, covered with mottled cracks and broken traces.

Su Qing'an could understand her current state; she was like a skeleton devoid of personality, emotions, and memories, unable to be moved by anything, and naturally had no interest or reason to respond to anything else.

If no response is given, will this state of wandering and silence continue indefinitely?

However, the exhaustion of desires and emotions greatly interfered with and affected his current personality, so that even if he was aware of that outcome, he did not understand the consequences of continuing in this state.

Simply put, Su Qing'an's intelligence hasn't changed much, but the severe suppression of his behavioral logic makes him behave like a pure puppet and a fool.

For example, although his remaining common sense made him think Sea of consciousness, he still felt there was no need to investigate it further.

Atropos remained silent for a moment, understanding Su Qing'an's current situation.

Based on the lifespan of ascended beings and souls, it estimated that even until the end of time, it would still not be able to get the other party's voluntary consent.

What teenagers need now is external stimulation. In this pure, dark space where no information can be received, they will only be like a silent, stubborn rock, their core unable to change with the passage of time.

Then,

It decided to start the countdown:

[If the player does not respond, the game will automatically restart after ten seconds.]

The boy allowed himself to ascend into the Manas consciousness, drifting in this strange place. After pondering for a while, he still felt there was no need to respond deliberately.

As the ten-second countdown slowly reached zero in the deathly silence of darkness, its whisper echoed once more:

[Then, the journey will begin again.]

[May your wish come true this time, player.]

The boundless radiance filled the field of vision, and the entire timeline and recording mechanism randomly returned to a single node.

However, it is significantly different from previous reboots.

As Soul Lifeform, Su Qing'an's path of sublimation through the sword heart, leading to a temporary dimensional ascension, is different from that of the Manas consciousness. He has permanently and permanently settled in the state of Manas consciousness.

Theoretically, the gods can restore the [Divine Kingdom] containing the boy's true self and the Planetary-class embryo to its original state, but they cannot create a perfect physical body for it.

The higher-dimensional being could hardly squeeze into a frail body of flesh and blood.

However, due to the price of Soul Scale, [Nian] was nearly destroyed, and the Manas consciousness was severed to the point of being like a candle in the wind. Even though the special nature of the soul was expanding and strengthening wildly due to the richness of this experience, it still could not change the fact that the personality was incomplete and the lack of records caused him to fall into the realm of ascending dimensions.

Therefore, the revival process involved in this reboot appears quite subtle.

An inexplicable force shattered the outer shell called [Divine Kingdom] and directly fused this Planetary-class embryo into the flesh and blood body that had been traced back, barely reaching the same level as its broken Manas consciousness, thus preventing it from being forcibly assimilated.

Thus, within this twisted and fragile balance, he regained a human body.

Late Northern Song Dynasty.

This is an era on its deathbed.

Under such dark and corrupt rule, society became extremely decadent, and an increasing number of farmers went bankrupt due to declining productivity.

Unable to bear their fate, people turned to theft, which gradually became a common phenomenon.

The chaos and turmoil outside, and even the suffering of the people, are of no concern to the current ruling class.

The powerful and wealthy are busy vying for power and profit, while the people below are engaged in petty and despicable schemes.

The emperor at the very top was engrossed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and loved poetry, but did not concern himself with state affairs.

Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the roads, the bones of those frozen to death lie.

This still prosperous and glamorous Capital City, possessing vast tributes and wealth from all over the world, presents a scene of peace and prosperity, captivating all visitors and enchanting them. But what it devours... is the blood of countless ordinary people.

The central axis of the entire city is known as the Imperial Street.

This road is incredibly wide, stretching continuously from Xuande Gate to the north of Zhouqiao Bridge inside Zhuque Gate. From a distance, it looks just like a north-south square in front of the palace. If you move your gaze along the ever-rising buildings, you can see the magnificent and bustling palace city, with many central government offices located on both sides.

At this moment, a young girl was holding an oil-paper umbrella and walking in the lightly falling snow. She was wearing a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with Phoebe and auspicious cloud pattern, with a matching snow fox cotton coat over it, and a light-colored shirt draped over her body. Her slender figure could be vaguely seen from behind, with a waist that seemed so thin that it could not be grasped in one hand.

Her face was beautiful, her skin like jade, and she was past the age of marriage. She had a slightly cold temperament like plum blossoms mixed with a touch of scholarly air, and her delicate eyebrows and eyes were also wrapped with the charm of the world, making it difficult for people to discern her specific background at first glance.

Behind the girl were two guards carrying swords. Judging from their attire and the weapons they were issued, they were probably related to the imperial city in the distance.

The street was flanked by imperial corridors, while in the center, two rows of vermilion-lacquered railings served as barriers to separate the flow of people.

The fact that he did not travel through the central imperial road reveals some clues about his identity.

Her eyes were lowered as she glanced at the two imperial moats built of brick and stone beside the horse-drawn carriage, which were filled with lotus flowers, while the nearby banks were full of peach, plum, pear and apricot trees.

Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right; in the usual spring and summer, this place would have looked like a tapestry.

And this is right now, as winter is drawing to a close and spring is beginning.

Although the afternoon sun was bright, an untimely light snow began to fall.

The girl walked towards the Grand Temple of Merit on the east side. She looked up and looked through the umbrella with a few lines of poetry drawn on it. The dim light seemed to make the words drawn by the person's brush even clearer.

A faint, enigmatic smile played on her lips, but her expression remained indifferent.

Grand Temple of Merit.

That place where I once gave myself a name.

"Li Huakui, we've arrived at Grand Temple of Merit."

"Do you need me to take you inside?"

Li Shishi silently faced the wind and snow. Her surname was changed because of the person who adopted her, but her given name, which had a connection with the Buddhist temple, was retained.

The girl gazed into the distance and could vaguely see the buildings inside, with double-eaved hip roofs, layers of brackets, and covered with yellow and green glazed tiles. The hall and the platform were surrounded by white stone railings, and the octagonal glazed tile hall rose high in the center, surrounded by corridors, with glazed tile roofs and bells hanging from the corners.

All of this is exactly the same as it was thirteen years ago.

Grand Temple of Merit.

Sunshine and snow.

I vaguely remember the same scene: the day my father went to prison, the day I was left on the streets but my fate was changed.

A surge of emotion welled up within her, but as the guard inquired, she offered a natural smile and politely replied in a soft voice:

"No need, I'm just passing by and will only take a look for a while."

Just as she was about to leave, Li Shishi, for some reason, suddenly had a sudden whim. She looked back at the snow that had not yet melted at the feet of the stone lions at both ends of the gate, and her eyes blinked as she noticed a whiteness that was different from the snow.

The young girl, holding an oil-paper umbrella, walked step by step to the back of the stone lion. Looking at what appeared to be a wrist, she discarded the priceless treasure the man had given her. Ignoring the guards' suspicions, she stretched out her slender, delicate fingers and brushed away the rapidly accumulating snow...

A long time.

She stared blankly at the figure that seemed to emerge from the snow, falling into silence.

She was a girl of about thirteen years old, in the prime of her youth.

Her face was beautiful and pure, her long, black hair, like raven feathers, was scattered among the pure white snow, like soft and precious silk. Her eyes were closed and she was silent, yet she naturally exuded a pure and otherworldly aura, as if she were detached from the world.

Li Shishi was already a famous courtesan known throughout the land.

Even she had to admit that the girl before her possessed an extraordinary and otherworldly quality that transcended mere appearance, and who knew what kind of storms she might stir up in the future.

When a nation is about to perish, monstrous evils will surely appear.

The words suddenly popped into the girl's mind, but she thought about them silently in her heart.

If a country is like this, regardless of any external factors, it will inevitably meet its end sooner or later.

As for demons, what do they have to do with a mere actor?

She extended her fingertips and gently brushed them across the man's brows and eyes, sensing the slight warmth amidst the coolness, then parted her lips and whispered:

"Same place, same season, inexplicable coincidence, is this fate?"

Li Shishi covered the girl's thin white dress with the robe she was wearing, then lifted her up in her arms, wrapping her arms around her soft legs. She gestured to the guards to help her pick up the oil-paper umbrella, and said with a smile:

"Take me back to Zhen'an Ward."

At this very moment.

Suzhou is located in the territory of the Liao Dynasty.

The Immortal Chi Yuan, who had emerged from Mount Taixu and was slaying demons and monsters in the land of cholera, encountered a strange and perplexing situation.

The young woman sat quietly in an inn, lost in thought. Her serene expression and the tranquil state of mind that had remained unchanged for nearly hundreds of years were suddenly stirred by a turbulence that was difficult to quell.

Her eyes, though weathered by time, remained as clear as a lake. At that moment, they lowered slightly as she gazed at the scroll in her hand. The blank squares displaying electricity were strangely glowing in reverse. She wondered if the container holding the Tome of Cangxuan had fallen into disrepair over the years, causing it to start misrepresenting information.

Upon careful consideration, Fu Hua realized that he shouldn't have carried the scroll with him on this trip down the mountain. He had kept it in Fuyun Temple for nearly three hundred years, but only when he sensed the intense Honkai Energy reaction in the Liao Kingdom and prepared to go down the mountain to exorcise the demon did he inexplicably take the scroll with him.

As they traveled to Suzhou, preparing to continue towards their destination, the scroll inexplicably began displaying a charging notification.

But this makes no sense at all.

Given the current level of civilization, it wouldn't be surprising if the technology to replenish the Tome of Cangxuan Profound energy were to be advanced by at least several hundred or even a thousand years, or even longer.

When Dan Zhu and Cang Xuan entrusted it to him, they did not mention that the Tome of Cangxuan had the ability to accumulate energy autonomously.

In the immortal's opinion, based on the stage of development of this civilization and past experience, the only conclusion that could be drawn is that the Tome of Cangxuan has been neglected for many years and is probably about to be completely scrapped.

After all, this is the only explanation for the current situation.

To this end.

Only the Immortal Chi Yuan, Shenzhou for centuries, would pause his steps to witness the end of the life of the child who had accompanied him for a time.

The girl had considered the possibility of reuniting with the child, but life is full of disappointments, and separation by death was something she was used to.

Whatever unexpected events may occur, they are not surprising in the long journey of life.

But for some reason, my emotions are more volatile today than usual.

Although it was difficult to discern any wavering or change from that beautiful face, Taixu's mind was able to clearly grasp this strange transformation.

For a long, long time.

The blank spaces on the scroll were eventually filled with illusory light.

Just as the immortal was preparing to witness the end of the gift from his friend and the child who had been with him for so long.

The characters on the scroll surged and twisted, but were peeled away into nanomaterials as fine as light particles, which rapidly constructed a petite and adorable figure resembling a doll.

Tome of Cangxuan was sitting on the girl's lap in a duck-like position. She was wiping her sleepy eyes with her delicate little hands. There seemed to be watery ripples in her blue pupils, indicating that she had just woken up.

She gazed dazedly at the immortal's appearance and said:

"Immortal, it's been a long time."

"It's been over three hundred years since we last met."

Fu Hua was stunned for a moment.

The Tome of Cangxuan was not damaged, and it did indeed awaken directly as shown.

She found this strange situation hard to understand, but still nodded and said:

"Long time no see, Xiao Xuan."

How did you wake up?

Xiao Xuan leaned against the scroll that had floated up naturally. She tilted her head and asked:

"Wasn't it an immortal who awakened me?"

Fu Hua said calmly:

"No, you Awakened on your own, Xiao Xuan."

"Given the Previous Civilization level of technological development in our civilization, if I wanted to replenish your energy, it would be in the far future, not just three hundred years from now."

"Did Cang Xuan install a device for you to regenerate your own energy before?"

Tome of Cangxuan tapped his fingers on the board, thought for a moment, and then calculated seriously:

"My master only gave me the Honkai Detector, GPS, firepower system, 'King of Jokes,' 'Story Collection,' and a bunch of other software, but none of them had similar functions installed."

Upon hearing this, the immortal hesitated for a moment, then reached out and patted her head, whispering:

"Never mind, now that you're Awakened, let's investigate the reason later."

The Armed Puppet was somewhat surprised by the girl's actions, but still obediently nuzzled against the hand she was stroking. Upon hearing this, the girl used the scroll to spin around a few times in the semi-space of the room, revealing an innocent smile:

"Hmm, I can travel with the immortal for a long time again."

"Where are we going to slay demons this time? Is it that place with crystal dragon and phoenix cakes and mutton soup?"

"Let's go to the Great Wall again. If it's the right season, we can see the lanterns after defeating the Honkai Beast."

Fu Hua said softly:

"Xiao Xuan, the Tang Dynasty was destroyed a few years ago."

"We live in an era of fragmented power; what you're talking about can only be found in prosperous areas."

"This journey to the Liao Kingdom is solely to cleanse it of its Honkai."

"As for the rest, we'll talk about it after this is over."

The Tome of Cangxuan Mystery swayed and circled the girl once. She gazed at his unchanging face and his calm, sea-like eyes, and said with a happy smile:

"Immortal, you've become quite talkative lately."

She frowned slightly, using the Void Sword Heart to examine herself. Aside from understanding the fluctuations of emotions, she still couldn't grasp the reason, so she gave up and replied:

"Yeah?"

Xiao Xuan said seriously:

"Yeah, all you used to say was 'um'."

"This is wonderful news! Immortal, keep up the good work!"

The girl was about to answer when a scene and information surfacing from the Sea of consciousness stopped her lips from moving...