First Meeting at Last, Ji Lin's Legacy

The ocean seemed to have its foundation shattered, with waves and whirlpools spreading endlessly to the horizon.

That vast Nine Nether and its meteorological sphere had already merged into the marine ecosystem. The tranquility that had lasted for thousands of years suddenly vanished, naturally causing a deep-seated pain and triggering a backlash from the disrupted ecosystem.

But the boy flipped his palm and slowly pressed it down, and the waves and roar were as if sealed off bit by bit by a thick membrane into Lightless sea.

The moon is bright, the stars are few, and the night is deep.

The entire sea area, viewed from the shore, appears as smooth as a mirror, calm and undisturbed even by a gentle breeze.

Su Qing'an's eyes were filled with a dazzling array of colors, and this intense appetite was only slightly weaker than when facing the Immortal Chi Yuan himself, but it was enough to make the barrier of reason be constantly washed away and worn down by the tide of desire.

After determining why he had no reason to be patient this time, he swallowed the illusory bead without hesitation.

At this point, the boundless Heaven and Earth Qi, like the sweet filling of a toffee after it has been chewed, obediently transformed into a gentle stream, returning to the void without causing the slightest disturbance.

The boy felt no joy or satisfaction from being filled with the Heaven and Earth Qi, but that was an insignificant bonus.

The concept formed by the countless demon corpses surged in like a galaxy, illuminating a point within the illusory dimension. This gradually calmed his molten desire and hunger, which were as intense as magma. A sporadic sense of satisfaction rose from his abdomen, as if the spasms in his stomach had finally subsided, and his anxiety had also largely disappeared.

Su Qing'an adjusted his breathing as he looked at the panel that Atropos had given him.

[Unknown Gene Awakening Degree: 5.68979%]

"Can a single trial and its associated retinue possibly yield less than one-fifteenth of the accumulated wealth?"

The boy murmured to himself, but deep in his mind, he recalled fragments of memories from the gene fusion experiment as if by divine inspiration.

The [Divine Kingdom] covers heaven and earth, forming its own world.

The throne is endlessly entangled with thorns, and the whispers of demons never leave.

The white-haired warrior gazed silently, while the young man with the Bodhi seed in his hand opened his eyes.

The transport planes in the sky resembled a dense flock of large birds, while the ships carrying containers in the distance looked like a well-organized fleet.

Countless Honkai Beast corpses piled up here, forming an endless mountain range. These demons, who had trampled too much beauty and hope on the battlefield of blood and fire, became the only help the world could offer to that person at that time.

The reason why the boy was able to stand here in a state of self-preservation is because...

The reason lies in that era of the most insane and terrifying Honkai, when organizations all over the world unanimously chose to place their complete trust and hopes on a human named Su Qing'an, piling up 90% of the demon corpses in their inventory outside the [Divine Kingdom] in the shortest possible time, thus... creating once again, with the will of humanity, an ascended life form that is the counterpart to Fuxi.

However, unlike Fuxi, Su Qing'an bears not only the legacy of the deceased, but also the future of the living.

The boy muttered to himself:

"Compared to the gifts of an entire world in that era, the accumulation that a single trial could bestow was already beyond expectation."

The reason why Chi You was able to grant him 5% progress is probably related to the original nature of his Planetary-class genes.

Assuming that Brahma, Mahakala, and Maheshvara are also consumed, this combination of Trimurti, should be able to fill most of the missing gaps.

However, the Honkai of this era has only just begun. Even the Judgment-class Chi You is considered an extraordinary existence after violating taboos. Expecting the continuous appearance of Honkai Beast at the End-of-Law class is wishful thinking.

But... that's enough.

Su Qing'an raised his palm, and the tranquil Heaven and Earth Qi transformed into threads that fell into the deep sea, pulling a giant rock sphere, about one kilometer in size, out of the water.

These were two objects that I had learned from Hua beforehand that I was to retrieve from the Nine Nether. Before compressing them into illusory conceptual matter, I pulled them to other areas to avoid damaging myself.

He gazed at the rough, weathered surface, and the Honkai Energy, under his mental control, swept across it, peeling away all the outer material that obscured his vision.

Then, a millennia-old, immortal soul steel sphere, and a Xuanyuan Sword that retained its original form and was embedded in an ancient pedestal, both appeared before our eyes.

The boy silently grasped the hilt of the sword, which was as cold as frost, and looked at the patterns and marks on it. He then pulled it out, ending the seal that had lasted for thousands of years. After the loneliness that should have lasted for even longer ended, he seemed to hear the still-developing spirituality within it dissipate its obsession, making the luster of the sword even darker and the battle-damaged scratches even more mottled.

As a mass-produced Divine Key, its lifespan has not yet come to an end, yet it still appears old and decayed under the influence of time. Perhaps only when a true successor inherits it will this collapsed glory of the past regain its former brilliance.

But now, it is merely a heavy sword blade, stripped of most of its former glory, resembling a mere piece of ordinary iron.

Aside from its resilience, which allows it to slay demons without being harmed, it has nothing else to boast about.

At least that quality of inheriting one-thousandth of the power of domination is difficult to demonstrate clearly in today's world.

Su Qing'an had lost most of his memories of the Nine Nether Netherworlds. The fragmented images he recalled were like spring rain, bathing his senses. They were like old photographs that had been corroded and weathered, with even the dates fading into darkness with the passage of time. He savored this inexplicable nostalgia, holding these two objects that were engraved with the marks of time, and walked step by step toward the shore.

Looking into the distance, one can see a stunningly beautiful woman holding a dark blue oil-paper umbrella. The hem of her clothes is slightly damp from the rising waves, and her winter gray hair is also damp, with a few strands clinging to her fair skin. Combined with her calm expression, yet with a smile gradually forming on her lips, she exudes a charming allure.

The girl's figure was outlined in a slender and graceful curve under the Hanfu-like clothing, and the wide sleeves swayed in the wind, as if she might ride the wind and drift away at any moment.

These are immortals of the Shenzhou, yet at this moment they are drawn back to the mortal realm by the mundane world.

On her fair wrist hung a red string with a brass key, which made a soft, delicate sound as it rustled in the breeze.

Should I have one too?

Someone asked, and the sound fell like a gentle arc of light rippling across a lake, illuminating the dark coastline.

Su Qing'an handed the Soul Steel sphere to Xiao Xuan, who was blinking his eyes. Holding the ancient sword, which was only slightly smaller than himself, his dark eyes reflected the red rope on Xiao Xuan's wrist, revealing pure curiosity.

This was the first time Fu Hua had met the other person while they were both conscious and acquainted with her.

She took a few steps closer, enveloping the person in the umbrella's glow. Ignoring the fact that her clothes brushed the ground, she half-squatted down in front of them, cupping their soft face in her hands, gently stroking their temples and facial contours. She parted her lips and whispered:

"I can buy it for you if you want."

The boy felt the softness and warmth of the other's fingertips, lowered his eyes, and whispered:

"This is Udu-dust, it's unavailable for purchase."

Su Qing'an thought for a moment, then pulled out the Little Feather that was sleeping soundly in her Sea of consciousness and made it start working. She replicated a similar red rope, threaded it onto her wrist, and it swayed gently.

Since there is Soul Link between the two, it's the same to let it sleep outside.

Therefore, he asked without any remorse:

"So?"

The girl tilted her head slightly and said softly:

"Add another brass lock."

The swaying red rope gained weight, and the copper lock was reflected in her captivating blue eyes, like a gentle breeze ruffling a spring pond, causing a faint smile to rise on her lips.

"Yes, very well-behaved."

"Won't you feel hungry when you see me now?"

Su Qing'an's honest answer:

"A little bit, but it won't make a difference."

"The closer the self-repair is to completeness, the less influence instinct can have on it."

"Chi You and his followers have made five percent progress; it's not much, but it's still quite good."

Fu Hua asked:

"What will happen if it accumulates to perfection? Is there any danger?"

Su Qing'an thought for a moment and said:

"It should be said that only at that time was there truly no danger."

"You've entered the Ascended State, right? Do you still remember the specific state?"

Recalling the scene and feelings from that time, the immortal was filled with indescribable emotion. She said:

"Yes, although the Void Sword Heart filtered out most of the anomalies, once I truly reached my consciousness, I understood that this was not a realm that humans could reach."

"Within a few breaths of entering the Ascended State, one can understand this fact; within tens of seconds, one can clearly perceive that the past is being stripped away to a different dimension than before. The self and cognition will gradually, like ice being melted in a furnace, return to the great rivers and lakes called heaven and earth, never to return."

"Later, I tried using Udu-dust to peel away most of my memories into Heart Seal and enter Ascended State, but I found that even if the memories did not fade much, my personality and thoughts would begin to fade."

Su Qing'an stated:

"For me, if there were no other force binding and sealing the Manas consciousness to death, it would automatically enter the Ascended State, enter an uninterrupted and unbreakable cycle of passing, and eventually become another unknown existence."

"The Manas consciousness is in a damaged state, but it is still constantly repairing itself. This is due to the sublimation of its level. Even if I am in a state of chaos, it will instinctively revert itself to the most perfect stage."

"For me, the act of devouring demons is not merely to satisfy my instinctive appetite. From a rational perspective, it's like a wild beast locked in a cage growing stronger day by day. Naturally, the prison guards observing the prison will try their best to make the cage even stronger."

Therefore, perfection is not necessarily a bad thing.

"That would be equivalent to a stage where the beast and the cage are in a permanent balance, which is much safer than the current instability."

"And assuming it really comes to that point, according to common understanding, it would probably involve reaching the human definition of [god] through two completely different paths."

The immortal frowned slightly and said softly:

"Then I'll accompany you to slay demons and monsters in the future. The Honkai in this era has only just begun to emerge. Most Honkai Beast' body tissues are infected and twisted based on animals. Pure silicon-based life forms also have a much slower rate of environmental cycling due to the antiquity of their civilization. It may not be completely corroded even after thousands of years."

"I vaguely remember that there are still some places that, for various reasons, have not been dealt with, and thus still contain a large number of demon corpses."

"After I return to the mountain, I will extract the memories related to this from the buried Heart Seal, and then we will go down the mountain."

The girl held the boy's frail and thin body in her arms, letting the dark blue oil-paper umbrella fall to the ground.

She felt the warmth and texture of the other person still in her arms, and her feelings were complicated and indescribable.

The Nine Nether Netherworlds was where Su Qing'an was buried. The reason he was chosen to arrive there first was to allow him to personally kill his enemies and settle Karma karmic debt.

Upon returning to this place, memories from thousands of years later flood back with each new encounter.

Fu Hua's life was clearly filled with constant farewells to people, yet she would still be so heartbroken by his departure.

Therefore, she was terrified that the other person would no longer be themselves because of this. It was precisely because she had personally experienced the terror of the Ascended State that she was qualified to say that she felt the same way.

That's why we can better understand just how pure death it truly represents when eternity falls into an uncontrolled Ascended State.

Assuming that souls truly exist in this world, perhaps by using the powers of the Eighth Herrscher to exhaustively study the methods of Honkai and the mechanisms of the world, it would still be possible to reach an outcome that reverses or changes the result of death.

But if one truly falls into an endless Ascended State, losing oneself and the boundary between life and death, yet still belonging to such a high-dimensional life form and level, then one will face an even more desperate and helpless situation.

The Immortal Chi Yuan was fully aware of his own limitations, yet in that fleeting moment of seizing this possibility, he made contact with the Archbishop.

Otto Apocalypse.

The Lord Bishop whom I thought I would never be able to empathize with, much less understand.

That madman whose soul had long been twisted and whose evil deeds were beyond measure.

If.

She meant "if".

If that day were to come, could I guarantee I wouldn't walk the same path?

But I didn't get an answer right away; even in the next few breaths, I could only hear a silent echo.

She hesitated, and in doing so, she realized her true intentions.

The inability to obtain an answer is itself the clearest answer.

This is because it means that the relative importance of the two has reached a point where it is impossible to determine which is superior in a short period of time.

Even though reason prevailed a moment later, leading to the choice that should have been made, the path that all those who were pioneers from the previous era, immortals Shenzhou, and warriors fighting against the Honkai would have chosen without prior agreement was taken.

But this hesitation also represents another possibility.

--A path that even if Fu Hua believes she won't take, it will still leave her feeling bewildered.

She asked in a low voice:

"Su Qing'an, how long will it take for your Manas consciousness to recover to the point where you can break through the stagnation?"

The boy was taken aback, then replied:

"For a long time, this is the price of Soul Scale."

"It will be difficult for it to break free from this persistent shackle for at least several decades."

"And after swallowing Chi You, five percent of the progress is enough to delay the passage of time for hundreds of years."

Su Qing'an asked:

Is Hua worried that I will die?

She answered:

"Um."

He reassured me with certainty:

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

Even if the heavens are overturned, even if the seas dry up and the rocks crumble.

Even if this Leaf World comes to a true end, even if the laws governing the Sea of Nothingness change several times.

"As long as I don't want to, the concept of [Su Qing'an] will still exist in this world."

"Death is the greatest freedom and confinement that the living possess, but for me, it is merely the gateway to freedom, and cannot impose any restraint upon me."

"Hua, I used to not care about myself. I was someone who respected everything but never valued my own life."

"But after being given a second chance at life, and gradually feeling myself return from the blank slate of my origin, it seems that for the first time in my life I want to truly live for myself."

The young man held the Xuanyuan Sword in one arm and stroked her silky hair with the other, his eyes lowered, and whispered:

"So there's no need to be afraid. I've learned from the gradually retrieving fragments of memory that this time is different, this is the only time we've restarted..."

Restart.

This is an answer pieced together from fragmented clues and conflicting memories, as well as historical events and figures from different times and numerous details.

"This reboot is different."

"Although I don't remember you yet, in my past memories, no one has ever been able to access memories from outside this timeline. But you have defied this law that should be eternal, and you still haven't forgotten me."

"If this doesn't mean that my own memories are incomplete or that something has been omitted, then it means... that the end I've reached this time is causing my very existence to interfere with the world's records, and even with the memories you retain."

"This is the only explanation for the Tome of Cangxuan Profound's sudden restoration of power, and it also explains why those connected to me have regained their corresponding memories."

"Therefore, assuming that forces originating from higher dimensions cannot interfere with my erosion of world records."

"Since things have come to this, there's no need to worry unnecessarily."

Su Qing'an's lips parted slightly, her eyes gentle, as she uttered a soft murmur that would determine the future paths they would take:

Even in the worst of times, Hua only needs to wait.

"Just believe I'll come back."

The girl rested her chin on the man's shoulder, her face slightly turned away, her eyes lowered, and she remained silent.

As she processed the memories of other timelines combined with the information fermenting from the meaning of the word "reboot," she also felt somewhat ashamed that she had been comforted by such a small person as Su Qing'an. This was completely contrary to her original plan and was not like her at all.

The immortal remained silent for a long time, only uttering a soft "good" in response.

At this moment, the difference between meeting in person and meeting through an illusion becomes apparent.

In other words, there is absolutely no way to simply walk away by shattering illusions.

Cang Xiaoxuan placed the Soul Steel Sphere on the scroll, then lay down and hugged the quantum computer, which contained many technologies from Previous Civilization. He blinked his large blue eyes, looked at the two embracing each other, and smiled.

Although it's unclear when Chi Yuan met Su Su, and there seems to be a lot of entanglement and past between them, for her, as long as she witnesses the other person finding happiness and being able to retain their emotions and self in the rest of their life, that would be a very happy thing.

The immortal picked up the fallen oil-paper umbrella, bound it back to its original shape, and gazed at the ancient sword in the man's arms, a look of nostalgia on her face. She whispered:

"Her belongings are inside this Xuanyuan Sword."

"If you still have a memory, you will probably have some impression."

Su Qing'an sensed the chaotic state of his mind, sifted through scattered pieces of information, and then asked, guessingly:

"It's... Ji Lin's Stigmata, isn't it?"

Fu Hua replied:

"Yes, I sensed it when you returned with her belongings; they contain the Stigmata that once belonged to her."

The boy fell silent.

Because this is an incredible thing.

Throughout history, there have been many who have awakened the Stigmata, but not a single human has been able to pass it on through their own will.

Jiang Rongyue also possesses a natural Stigmata, and judging from her ultimate combat power, one can vaguely glimpse the extremely special abilities of this Stigmata.

Even she could not, by her own will, separate it from her body before her death, thus leaving a legacy for future generations.

Fu Hua had previously taught the Yue maidens, the red-clad beauties, and many other prodigies throughout the thousands of years of Shenzhou.

No matter how one uses this gift from the previous era during their lifetime, none can extend their own Stigmata onto an object in this way, or even have the possibility of passing it down.

Chi Yuan's gaze was distant, as if tracing back to ancient times. She parted her lips slightly and said softly:

"Is it strange? I didn't expect it either, but it's not surprising either."

"Because Ji Lin is the Yellow Emperor."

"Until the very end, all she thought about was the safety of her people, and she prayed that in the distant future, that the clan that had initially been battered and ravaged would be able to pass on its torch."

"If such a person exists, it's not surprising that the Stigmata would be passed down in this form during the years when they were confined to their own bodies, feeding on their physical forms, alongside Chi You."

"Ji Lin probably really wanted to help future generations. If she could do that, she wouldn't care even if she had to step over her own corpses and remains. That's the kind of person she was."

"And this will resonated to its limit with the Xuanyuan Sword, which was like half of his body, resulting in this outcome."

"You should be able to perceive it more clearly than I am. This Xuanyuan Sword... contains more than just the Stigmata."

Su Qing'an answered softly:

"Her soul has dissipated and entered the cycle of reincarnation."

"But the Stigmata inside has been infused with a trace of the inscription that has not completely dissipated. It retains a fervent and immortal will, which is probably a miracle created by the ultimate unity of emotion and will before death, and may have been mixed with some Stigmata power."

"If a few thousand years pass, it wouldn't be surprising if a counterfeit claiming to be the Yellow Emperor were to emerge."

"But after Chi You's death, the spiritual energy within dissipated, leaving only this imprint."

Ji Lin?

This tradition, originating from thousands of years ago, has been received by later generations.