The process of searching for the Embers of Return to Quiescence was more difficult than Qing He had anticipated.
The elders of the Time Condensation Clan once said that these embers were hidden in the "folds of time"—the gaps in the laws left over from all the major "annihilation events" since the birth of the universe. Qing He, along with Xiao He and several Star Patrollers, piloted a small starship equipped with the Time Key, slowly searching along the line connecting the Chaos Anchor and the Remnant Area of Return to Silence.
On the starship's probes, the gray-black specks representing the Embers of Return to Quiescence are extremely faint, like candles flickering in the wind. They often cling to ancient stellar remains or hide in the cracks of nebulae, easily blending into the surrounding void if one is not careful.
"There's a reaction here!" Xiao He suddenly pointed to the screen, where a tiny gray-black dot, smaller than a pinhead, was flashing, its coordinates pointing to a long-extinguished supernova remnant. "The intensity is weak, but the characteristics of its laws perfectly match those of the Embers of Return to Quiescence!"
The starship docked beside the wreckage. The wreckage was an irregular sphere, covered with a thick layer of dust that absorbed even the light, making it appear eerily lifeless. Qing He led Xiao He out of the starship, Power of Chaos formed a gray-gold barrier around them, resisting the remaining aura of destruction within the wreckage.
"The embers should be at the center of the wreckage." Qing He's longsword lightly touched the ground, and silvery-white Power of Order spread along the ground, outlining a path leading to the core.
The closer they got to the center, the colder the air became, and even the flow of time seemed to slow down. Xiao He couldn't help but shiver. "The aura of annihilation here... is even purer than in the remnants of the Desolate Return to Silence, as if even the Power of Chaos has been frozen."
Qing He nodded, the flow of Power of Chaos at her fingertips becoming sluggish. "These are the marks left behind when a supernova 'collapses' itself. The fact that the Embers of Return to Quiescence can take root here indicates that they are related to the law of 'active annihilation'."
Finally, in a deep valley at the heart of the wreckage, they found their target—a small cluster of grayish-black flames, burning quietly on a charred rock. The flames had no temperature, no light, yet they exuded a peculiar rhythm of "the end is the beginning," subtly resonating with the Power of Balance of the Chaos Anchor.
"Is this the Embers of Return to Quiescence?" Xiao He cautiously reached out her hand, but Qing He stopped her.
"Be careful, its 'annihilation' law is very active." Qing He took out a jade bottle crafted from the remnants of the Chaos Anchor and gently inhaled the flame through its mouth. The gray-black flame, as if alive, slowly flowed into the bottle along the airflow, condensing into a sesame-sized particle at the bottom of the bottle. It stopped burning but still emitted a faint aftertaste.
"Success!" Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief. "With this, we can determine the frequency of the laws governing the Embers of Return to Quiescence, making the detector more accurate."
Just then, the starship's alarm suddenly sounded, its sharp siren piercing the deathly silence. "Warning! High-intensity 'void fluctuations' detected! Coordinates... just outside the wreckage!"
Qing He's heart tightened, and she quickly pulled Xiao He back to the starship. On the screen, the black area representing the Shadows of Nothingness was rapidly expanding, its edges blurred, like a spreading ink stain. Wherever it passed, the starship's detection signals instantly disappeared, and even the silver light of the Time Key dimmed.
"It's the Shadows of Nothingness!" the Star Patrollers's voice was filled with panic. "They're moving too fast, they're devouring all the surrounding law signals!"
Qing He immediately ordered, "Activate the highest level of defense! Use the Power of Chaos to protect the Time Key!"
The starship's energy shield deployed instantly, its grey-gold light colliding with the black area of Shadows of Nothingness, producing a hissing sound. Ripples spread across the shield's surface, as if corroded by strong acid, and the energy readings dropped at a visible rate.
"They have no physical form!" Xiao He stared at the screen. The black areas of the Shadows of Nothingness were seeping into the gaps in the shield, and the instruments inside the starship were beginning to malfunction. "The detectors can't lock on, and the attacks are ineffective!"
Qing He's expression was solemn. This was different from the "erasure" of the Those Who Return to Silence. The "devouring" of the Shadows of Nothingness was more thorough. They not only devoured the physical entities that existed, but also erased the "traces" of the laws, as if they had forcibly carved out a piece from the canvas of the universe.
"Release the Embers of Return to Quiescence!" Qing He made a decisive move, opening the jade bottle containing gray-black particles and gently pouring it out of the cabin.
The moment the particles came into contact with the Shadows of Nothingness, they suddenly burst forth with a dazzling gray-black light. Within the light, countless fragments of the law of "rebirth after annihilation" surged out—withered flowers and plants bloomed again, shattered stars condensed into form, and the timeline of the end flowed again... These scenes surged into the black area like a tide, instantly halting the Shadows of Nothingness's devouring momentum.
"It works!" Xiao He exclaimed in surprise, "The 'Annihilation is the Beginning' law of the Embers of Return to Quiescence can counter the 'Absolute Devouring' of the Shadows of Nothingness!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qing He maneuvered the starship, turning it around and speeding towards the Co-Prosperity Zone. The Shadows of Nothingness seemed to be enraged by the Embers of Return to Quiescence, and the black area accelerated its pursuit, with the law fluctuations at its edge becoming even more violent, even slowly devouring the supernova remnants, turning them into absolute nothingness.
"Are they holding grudges?" the Star Patrollers analyzed the data. "The fluctuations show emotional characteristics similar to 'anger,' which is completely different from previous observations!"
"It was the Embers of Return to Quiescence that provoked them." Qing He gripped the steering wheel tightly, pushing the starship to its maximum speed. "These embers contain the 'rebirth' law they fear. We must bring this discovery back to the Co-Prosperity Zone as soon as possible!"
The light of the Embers of Return to Quiescence formed a barrier behind the starship, temporarily blocking the pursuit of the Shadows of Nothingness. But Qing He knew that this was only a temporary measure; the power of the embers was limited, and once it was exhausted, they would eventually be devoured.
Just as the starship was about to enter the Co-Prosperity Zone's defensive range, the Shadows of Nothingness suddenly accelerated. A black "tentacle" pierced through the barrier of the Embers of Return to Quiescence, grazing the starship's flank. The alloy armor on the flank vanished instantly, leaving no trace, as if it had never existed. Even more terrifying, the record of "flank armor" also disappeared from the starship's energy readings, and no related information could be found in the Star Patrollers's database.
"They can devour 'existence in memories'!" Xiao He's face turned pale. This was even more terrifying than the "erasure" of the Those Who Return to Silence, as even the Memory Core could be infiltrated.
At the critical moment, the defensive array of the Co-Prosperity Zone suddenly lit up. Gray-gold, dark red, rainbow, and pale silver light intertwined to form a huge Web of Laws, enveloping both the starship and the pursuing Shadows of Nothingness. In the mesh of the net, the gray-black light of the Embers of Return to Quiescence resonated with the four-colored laws, forming an indestructible barrier.
"We've got them!" Meng Ke's voice came through the communicator, slightly breathless. " The Flowing Colors Clan's Law of Possibility has trapped their movements, and the Time Condensation Clan's Time Key has locked their fluctuations!"
The Shadows of Nothingness struggled frantically within the Web of Laws, its black area constantly expanding and contracting, yet it remained unable to break free from the constraints of the four-colored light. The gray-black light of the Embers of Return to Quiescence acted as a catalyst, making the laws within the web more active and slowly "purifying" the Shadows of Nothingness's devouring power.
The starship docked at the airport in the Co-Prosperity Zone. Qing He helped the almost exhausted Xiao He off the starship. Looking at the gradually shrinking black area in the Web of Laws, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The elder of the Time Condensation Clan slowly stepped forward, his silver armor gleaming in the sunlight. " The Shadows of Nothingness... are merely... vanguards. Their 'mother nest' is hidden... at the... end of time."
Qing He gripped the jade bottle containing the Embers of Return to Quiescence tightly. The particles inside emitted a soft, grayish-black light under the illumination of the four-colored rays.
She knew that this victory against the Shadows of Nothingness was only a small-scale triumph. The real threat awaited at the end of time.
But at this moment, gazing at the Web of Laws interwoven with four colors and gray-black above the Co-Prosperity Zone, and seeing the resolute eyes of her companions, she felt no fear, only an increasingly clear belief—
As long as the Web of Symbiosis of multiple laws is strong enough, any threat, no matter where it comes from, will eventually be gently but firmly incorporated into the balanced order by this network.
The journey to find the Embers of Return to Quiescence has only just begun. They need more of the power of "annihilation is rebirth" to weave a Web of Laws strong enough to trap the Void Mother Nest at the end of time.