In the third year that the gray-gold primordial anchor point has been steadily rotating in the void, All Heavens and Myriad Realms have welcomed a long-awaited rain.
At the summit of Mount Ling in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Realm, the long-dried-up pond has been refilled with clear water, reflecting the sky that has returned to its azure hue; in the training grounds of the Sword Domain, when the young sword cultivators wield their swords, the sound of their swords carries a softer rhythm, no longer purely sharp; in the factories of the Mechanical Clan, the energy cores flow with a faint gray-gold halo as they operate, more efficient than before, yet no longer consuming excessive amounts of stellar energy.
All these changes stem from that Chaos Anchor suspended in the center of an absolutely blank area. Like a silent heart, it subtly permeates every corner of the universe with the Power of Balance of "existence" and " Return to Silence."
Beneath the Balance Tower, Qing He stroked the newly grown layer of crystals on its surface. Three years ago, Xiao Yan's figure dissipated in the chaotic light, and it remained an indelible mark in her heart. But whenever she saw the gray-gold light flowing across the tower—the traces of the resonance between the Power of Chaos and the Memory Core —she knew that he had never truly left.
" Qing He, news from the Star Patrollers indicates that the Samsara Flower of the Shattered Galaxy has spread to a third planet." A young sword cultivator respectfully handed over a jade slip.
Qing He took the jade slip. The image on it showed a dark red earth where red and white Samsara Flower spread out like a carpet. The Power of Destruction that had once raged had now become nourishment for the flowers. A faint smile appeared on her lips, "Tell them to release the second batch of Memory Seed as planned, and expand the flower field another ten miles."
"Yes!"
After the sword cultivator withdrew, Qing He looked up at the void. The Chaos Anchor was too far away to be seen with the naked eye, but she could feel the peaceful yet powerful force through the lingering chaotic aura on the sword. She knew that Xiao Yan had used "dissipation" to restore the balance of the universe, and that they, the living, must safeguard this balance.
Inside the control room of the Memory Core, A Yao was carefully adjusting the energy parameters. Over the past three years, a few more strands of silver had appeared in her hair, but her eyes were calmer than ever. The Memory Core was larger than before, its surface inlaid with countless transparent crystals, each crystal containing a precious memory—the image of Xiao Yan wielding his sword, the flames of the blazing Blazing Sun, and the light of the Memory Star People before it dissipated.
"Sister A Yao, the energy fluctuations at the Chaos Anchor are a bit abnormal," a Star Patrollers in charge of monitoring pointed out, noticing subtle fluctuations in the curve on the screen.
A Yao leaned closer to the screen, tapping the control panel lightly to bring up a more detailed data stream. "It's normal 'breathing.' The forces of existence and Return to Silence are alternately dominating, just like a person inhaling and exhaling, with fluctuations within a safe range."
She paused, looking at a small dot of light in the corner of the screen—a "mark" condensed from a wisp of chaotic remnant energy left by Xiao Yan. For three years, this dot of light had never gone out, like the eye he left behind, silently watching over everything.
"However, we still need to strengthen monitoring," A Yao added. "Balance is not something that can be achieved once and for all; we must take care of it like we would Samsara Flower, constantly paying attention to its changes."
The Star Patrollers, its blue light flashing, replied, "Understood."
That afternoon, a strong resonance suddenly came from the Chaos Anchor. Qing He, A Yao, and cultivators from all over the world who had connected with the Power of Chaos, who were busy with their own tasks, all felt that familiar throbbing at the same time.
They all looked up at the void in unison, and saw a gray-gold pillar of light shooting into the sky from the direction of the Chaos Anchor. Within the pillar of light, a blurry figure vaguely appeared—the figure held a long sword, was covered in stardust, and was surrounded by silver-white and ink-black auras. It was Xiao Yan's outline.
" Brother Xiao Yan?" A Yao covered her mouth, tears instantly blurring her vision.
Qing He gripped her longsword tightly, the chaotic afterglow on the blade pulsating violently, as if responding to the figure.
The figure remained silent, only slowly raising his hand towards the heavens. A gray-gold seed flew from his palm, traversing the endless starry sky, and landed at the top of the Balance Tower. The moment the seed touched the ground, it took root, sprouted, and grew into a towering ancient tree—its trunk a silvery-white order, its leaves a jet-black Return to Silence, and its branches blooming with gray-gold flowers, each flower containing a flowing memory.
"It is... the Tree of Chaos." The Grand Elder stepped forward tremblingly, his eyes filled with shock. "It is the 'extension' of the Chaos Anchor across the heavens, capable of directly harmonizing unbalanced laws."
The figure looked at the Tree of Chaos, then at the creatures below, a slight smile appearing on his lips. Then, his figure gradually faded, merging back into the gray-gold pillar of light, and finally disappearing into the Chaos Anchor.
After the pillar of light dissipated, the light from the Chaos Anchor became softer, echoing the Tree of Chaos and forming a line of balance that runs through the universe.
"He really... came back in another way," Qing He said softly, her eyes slightly red, but with a relieved smile.
A Yao stroked the trunk of the Tree of Chaos. The bark was warm to the touch, the scent of Xiao Yan, the scent of the Power of Chaos, and the scent of the harmonious coexistence of "existence" and " Return to Silence ".
As the days passed, the roots of the Tree of Chaos continued to extend, bringing the Power of Balance to every corner of the heavens. Occasionally, when someone meditated under the tree, they would faintly hear a gentle voice speaking of the way of balance in the universe; when someone encountered irreconcilable conflicts of laws, a gray-gold leaf would fall from a branch, helping them find the point of balance.
People gradually realized that Xiao Yan had not truly "dissipated." He had become part of the Chaos Anchor, the "will" of the universe's balance, continuing to protect everything he cherished in another way.
On this day, Qing He led a group of novice sword cultivators to the Tree of Chaos. The children curiously touched the silvery-white trunk and exclaimed in amazement at the inky-black leaves.
"Lord Qing He, is this tree really transformed from Senior Xiao Yan?" A little girl with pigtails asked, looking up at her.
Qing He knelt down and gently stroked her head. "He didn't turn into a tree; he became the sunlight, rain, and soil that make trees grow. He's right beside us, in the moment every flower blooms, in the moment every star shines."
The little girl nodded as if she understood, and reached out to catch a falling gray-gold leaf. The leaf transformed into a warm current in her palm, merging into her body and leaving a faint mark of chaos.
Qing He watched this scene and looked up into the void. In the direction of the Chaos Anchor, a gray-gold light flickered silently like a distant lighthouse.
She knew that the story of protection was far from over. The balance of the universe needed to be maintained by generations, and memories needed to be passed down by generations. The Power of Chaos left behind by Xiao Yan would take root and sprout in the hearts of every living being, like a seed.
Perhaps one day, new challenges and new imbalances will emerge, but as long as the Tree of Chaos continues to grow, as long as the Memory Core continues to operate, and as long as there are still people who remember the balance between "existence" and " Return to Silence," the steps of protection will never cease.
As the sun set, the shadow of the Tree of Chaos stretched long, covering the Balance Tower, the Memory Core, and every inch of the All-Heavens Hub. Within the shadow, countless points of memory flowed slowly, like a long river connecting the past and the future, ever-flowing and never drying up.
And this is the most perfect ending that Xiao Yan protected with his entire life.