Xilian, I've come...

Just a moment ago, besides the memories concerning Omphalos, there were also quite a few recollections of his trailblazing aboard the Astral Express. These memories were incredibly vivid, for he remembered every single detail with absolute clarity. It was precisely because of this that he finally recalled one particular thing.

"Why did I come to the Douluo world?"

The final segment of his memory took place on the train. At that time, he was holding As I Wrote while sitting by the window of the observation car, staring blankly at the massive Pink Nebula outside. Although Omphalos had welcomed a brand-new future, those Flame-Chasers had not, as he had hoped, been reborn into reality.

Xilian had used her own existence to bridge the causality and walked into the past.

But what could he do?

Wait? Wait for Omphalos to become a truly real world, and then have them descend into it in reality? Not to mention that this would take who knows how many Amber Eras, he couldn't afford to wait. Even if he could, Xilian would never return.

This was the eternal pain in the depths of his heart.

He was not resigned to this at all. He was not resigned to her remaining in the past like that, nor was he resigned to their ending being nothing more than that. They deserved a more perfect conclusion...

"Do you wish to change all of this?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out in his mind. Ye Qiong jerked his head up, his face immediately showing a look of vigilance: "Who is it?"

"I can give you a chance."

Ye Qiong frowned: "What do you mean?"

"You can head to a brand-new world. That world exists on a newborn branch of the Imaginary Tree. There, you can start over, and in the end, bring them all back."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qiong pondered for a moment, his gaze then sharpening: "What is the price?"

Hearing this, the voice let out a soft chuckle: "The price? Wait until you succeed before talking about that. When that time comes, I will come to collect it myself."

This time, Ye Qiong frowned and pondered for quite a while. When he finally regained his senses, he spoke slowly: "Then how am I supposed to go to that world?"

"I will give you a system. It will guide you at critical moments and assist you in completing your reincarnation. But remember, the system is merely a tool; do not expect it to walk the path for you."

Ye Qiong asked again: "What about Xilian? Can she come back too?"

"Yes. As long as you find the method, you can free her from that causal line."

Ye Qiong then nodded: "Fine, I agree."

The moment he agreed, a beam of light drilled into the center of his brow.

"This is your system. After arriving in that world, it may take some time before it can be activated. When that time comes, you will be able to fulfill your wish."

After saying this, the voice finally vanished.

Confirming that the owner of that voice was gone, Ye Qiong wrote a letter to the members of the Astral Express. He left the letter on the table, then resolutely stepped into that beam of light.

And then, when he opened his eyes, he had become the child brought home by the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.

The memories came to an abrupt end here.

Ye Qiong looked up at the sky. "System."

There was no response.

He called out again: "System."

This time, a cold, mechanical prompt sounded in his mind.

[Host, I am here.]

Ye Qiong twitched the corner of his mouth, then stood up and brushed off his clothes.

"I have a question, Xilian... where is she now?"

After the words fell, the system remained silent for a full two seconds.

Immediately, that cold, electronic voice was replaced by a clear, distinct tone.

The voice was identical to that of the mysterious person who had made a deal with him back then.

"When you ask this, it means you have touched the core and awakened all your memories. I have left a message here; whatever questions you might raise, I can answer them for you."

Hearing this, Ye Qiong's heart jolted.

So, this was just a recording he had stored in the system in advance.

But who exactly was this person?

Why could they so precisely predict every one of his critical turning points?

Was it an old acquaintance from the train, or an existence from a higher dimension?

Or even...

But the voice clearly did not give him much room for thought, continuing to play.

[Xilian is currently within this secret realm, looping on the causal line of the Iron Curtain. Although you could take her away right now, you need to consider the consequences of doing so.]

The consequences of doing so?

Ye Qiong fell into hesitation.

To do this would be nothing less than the return of the Iron Curtain, bringing the tragedy of destruction to this world.

However...

Her smile surfaced in Ye Qiong's mind once again.

Please forgive me, Xilian, I am just such a selfish person.

"Then what must I do to help her break free from this causality?"

Ye Qiong's gaze became resolute.

The mysterious person was silent for a moment before continuing:

[There is one method and one method only: you must use supreme power to personally strip her from the causal line.]

Ye Qiong: "How exactly do I do that?"

[When you reach the Imaginary Tree, I will grant you the ability to briefly rewrite causality. At that time, you can sever her from the entanglement of the Iron Tomb on a causal level.]

Ye Qiong was silent for a moment, as if recalling something.

After a long while, he slowly asked: "The Imaginary Tree? Can the world of Douluo Continent really reach such a thing?"

[This world was born on a new branch of the Imaginary Tree because of you. And you, as its cause, provided your power is strong enough, can find the path leading to the tree.]

Ye Qiong was shocked upon hearing this.

This world was actually born because of him, a transmigrator?

"Then how do I take her away?"

[She has transformed into a seed of memory, hidden within this secret realm. If you find her, she will become your second martial soul, Mimi.]

"A martial soul... let her become Mimi once again?"

Ye Qiong was startled.

If that were truly the case, Ye Qiong took a deep breath:

"Then what is the price?"

Although he knew what the price was, he still wanted to ask clearly.

The mysterious person paused, and then their voice deepened.

[As written in As I Wrote, the consequence of you doing this is that the Iron Tomb will emerge from As I Wrote and track down the world where you and Xilian reside. But it cannot enter Douluo Continent for the time being; it will be held outside the Tidal Rift of this world.]

Ye Qiong frowned: "Tidal Rift?"

Hearing this term, Ye Qiong recalled the tidal zone mentioned by the two Dragon Kings earlier.

Could the two be the same thing?

Could the other side of that sealed rift really be the Honkai Star Rail world?

As he thought this, the mysterious person quickly provided the answer.

[That is the buffer zone between the Douluo world and the Honkai Star Rail world. There is no Path of Destruction there, and the Iron Tomb's programming cannot function normally. But it will also rely on instinct to constantly search for ways to invade this world.]

Ye Qiong drew a sharp breath, struggling to calm himself down.

"So, how will the Iron Curtain invade?"

[It will attempt to erode the key nodes of this world, transforming a portion of this world's entities into Black Tide Creations to serve as its vanguard on Douluo Continent.]

Ye Qiong's brow furrowed even deeper.

"Black Tide Creations?!"

Damn it, I've already hidden away in the Douluo Continent, and the Black Tide is still chasing me?

[Yes. This world has its own "protagonists" and "fates." The Iron Tomb will attempt to tamper with them, and at the same time, the Black Tide will infiltrate this continent, eroding all living beings.]

Hearing this, countless faces immediately flashed through Ye Qiong's mind.

Once the Iron Tomb succeeded, this world on the newly sprouted branch would likely be completely devoured by the Black Tide and head toward destruction.

Ye Qiong gritted his teeth.

"Since I've made up my mind, I must get ahead of it and prevent every tragic future."

[Precisely. You need to gather enough strength before the Iron Tomb does, including assembling all the Golden Descendants and having them grow alongside you, until you finally ascend the Imaginary Tree to rewrite everything.]

Ye Qiong clenched his fists. "I understand."

He raised his head, gazing toward the distant wheat fields dyed golden by the sunlight.

"Xilian, I'm coming..."

"This time, no one will ever be able to take her away from me again."