Fate Trace Echo · The temple master returns

Deep within the Purple Bamboo Grove, a cascade of starlight falls like a waterfall.

The teleportation star array, sealed at the end of the life source meridian, was fully activated in an instant. The sky above the entire bamboo forest suddenly reversed, the Milky Way poured down like a waterfall, and starlight illuminated thousands of miles, making the whole world seem like a dream.

And right at the heart of this dazzling starlight, familiar figures slowly emerged amidst the endless stream of light.

Qin Yu, Yan Yue, Yunyi, Zi Xue, Extinguished Light —all five arrived!

Their robes fluttered in the wind, carrying the lingering scents of war and the ripples of karma, yet their souls remained clear and pure. They stepped out of the heavy locks of time and space, returning to this familiar Purple Bamboo Grove.

Inside the Purple Bamboo Grove Forest, Mingxi Xingheng stood quietly before the divine throne, having already sensed the return of the teleportation aura.

Her gaze was fixed on the gate of light. In that instant, the star souls resonated, and the life contract roared.

When she finally saw the five figures slowly emerge from the star array, she could no longer suppress her emotions; her eyes trembled, and tears streamed down her face.

"You... you really... came back..."

His voice trembled slightly, choked with emotion, carrying the unresolved questions of a hundred eras and the reunion of unwavering faith—a tremor deep within his Fate Soul.

She could no longer contain her emotions. Her figure trembled, and she knelt down with a thud, slowly kneeling before the five people!

At this moment, under the starlight, the incomparably noble Xingheng, the master of destiny, surrendered herself to the five people with the utmost piety.

She did not kneel in submission, but in response to the "heavy responsibility entrusted to her"—this kneeling was a silent expression of gratitude, the highest respect for those who reversed her fate!

Qin Yu and his companions were all taken aback.

Qin Yu flashed forward, instantly appearing before her. He supported Xingheng's arms with one hand, gently helping her up, his voice low and gentle:

"Senior... you mustn't do that. We're not here to ask for thanks, but to fulfill the future you've entrusted to us."

Xingheng looked up, her eyes filled with gratitude through her tears, her voice like a whisper from heaven:

"You... not only completed the Battle of the Fate Abyss... but also returned unscathed..."

At this moment, heaven and earth finally returned to peace; the bamboo forest was still, and the Milky Way was silent.

Only the light of a destined encounter illuminates the closed loop of each other's destinies.

While everyone was still immersed in the heartwarming moment of reunion-

Boom--!! Boom--!! Boom--!!

The ground surrounding the entire Purple Bamboo Grove suddenly trembled violently!

In the distance, deep beneath the Milky Way's ocean, from the location of the Fate Que Divine Temple, an echo reverberated throughout the entire Sub-Era Seal Domain. Qin Yu and the others' expressions shifted slightly, and they all turned to look.

All I saw was --

The Fate Que Divine Temple, buried in history, seems to be undergoing an unprecedented "reverse reconstruction"!

The originally dilapidated temple walls began to be rebuilt brick by brick, not by human intervention, but as if by the very logic of fate itself—spontaneously returning to their original state!

Ancient life steps were built up layer by layer, and starlight swirled up from the rubble, dazzlingly bright; the broken palace dome was covered with starlight, instantly regaining its former glory; in the void, fragmented protective array patterns automatically pieced together as if time were flowing backward, forming a complete life trajectory array network.

This is not a restoration; this is a rewriting of fate.

The glorious logic of the Fate Que Divine Temple is taking effect again; it seems to be truly being awakened from the "obliterated past."

Outside the main hall of the Fate Que Palace, the commander of Yao Ge of this era, along with more than thirty other powerful figures who were still holding out, were utterly shocked by what they saw!

Yao Ge's mind trembled, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and he whispered:

"What... what's going on... the logic of the Fate Que Divine Temple... is actually reshaping itself!?"

An old man, his face filled with disbelief, muttered to himself:

"This is... a reversal of Fate-Cause? Who, who is rewriting the Book of Fate?!"

Qin Yu gazed at the vast expanse of the Milky Way's ocean floor, his eyes calm and collected.

"That's not who—that's the answer we left behind."

At this moment, Qin Yu and his companions, along with Mingxi Yuanming Xi Xingheng, also stepped out of the Purple Bamboo Grove, gazing at the Fate Que Divine Temple that was being reconstructed, and all fell silent.

Yan Yue slowly said, "Is this... history's self-correction?"

Zi Xue's eyes gleamed. "We returned just in time... That war completely changed the 'future'."

Yunyi crossed her arms, her voice trembling slightly, "I... I feel like the entire galaxy is kneeling in gratitude towards us..."

Extinguished Light then added softly, "No, it's Fate-Cause returning the favor to its master."

At that moment of silence, Xingheng seemed to be deeply shocked by the scene.

She slowly looked up at the Fate Que Divine Temple, which was repairing itself, her heart surging with emotion. As the master of destiny, even though she had a premonition, she never imagined that a real change in destiny would trigger such a violent, world-class response.

She murmured to herself, her eyes reddening, "It actually... was rewritten."

At this moment, a spiritual energy suddenly stirred outside the hall, and a figure rushed over as light pierced the wind.

Yao Ge, clad in battle robes, his forehead still glistening with sweat, stepped into the star formation, immediately kneeling and bowing, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement:

"Lord Star, the Fate Que Divine Temple... has begun its self-repair!"

Upon hearing this, Xingheng slowly closed the Book of Fate in her hand, remaining silent but glancing at Yao Ge.

Yao Ge immediately activated the Destiny Diagram in his palm, and a distant view of the Fate Que Divine Temple appeared in the void. That ancient temple, which had been torn apart by the annihilation of time and space, was now reconstructing its structure at an extremely slow but steady pace. The Divine Rank fragments were now entangled with chains of light, new Fate-Cause patterns were growing beneath the broken main pillar, and most importantly, the "Destiny Foundation Seal" faintly showed traces of the restoration of the main soul's imprint.

"Since Qin Yu's return, the dormant foundation stone within the temple has begun to vibrate again. The divine diagram has returned, and the components are reassembling. Although incomplete, it can be restored to 60% within a few months if not deliberately interrupted."

Xingheng slowly rose, standing at the heart of the star chart, gazing at the faint glow at the end of the destiny chart. After a moment, he whispered:

"The Fate Que is not an inanimate object; it carries the echo of the Lord's command."

"Qin Yu has returned, and the Fate Que responds accordingly."

"This restoration... is a response to destiny, not a miracle."

Yao Ge solemnly replied, "Should I summon the cultivators specializing in destiny charts to assist in the reconstruction?"

Xingheng shook her head, her gaze sweeping beyond the forest towards the sky:

"This restructuring is not to be interfered with by outsiders."

"The Fate Que Divine Temple should only be decided by the Lord of Destiny himself after he returns to his position."

Before the words were finished, a familiar aura quietly stepped into the boundary of the star map from the depths of the Purple Bamboo Grove.

Xingheng's eyes flickered slightly, the three rings in her sleeve trembled slightly, and as the star map swirled, the palace doors quietly opened.

A morning breeze blew through the depths of the bamboo forest, and a familiar set of footsteps entered the hall.

Qin Yu outside the star array, his clothes spotless and his expression calm as ever. His gaze swept over Yao Ge and then landed on Xingheng, his serene eyes seemingly already aware of the impending change in his Fate Que.

Xingheng looked at him and nodded. "The Fate Que has moved."

Qin Yu calmly replied, "I felt it."

A moment later, Yan Yue, Zi Xue, and Yunyi also entered the hall one after another, their auras all Return to One and composed. At this moment, having experienced the backlash of time and fate, they appeared even more reserved and solemn.

Xingheng didn't say much, but simply waved her sleeve and said, "Please follow me."

The group followed him through the depths of the Purple Bamboo Grove. A star map unfolded beneath their feet, revealing numerous star imprints. They stepped into a ray of light. In an instant, they were transported from the Forest Heart Palace to the border of the Fate Que Divine Domain.

This place is a desolate and dark wasteland, once the outer ruins of the Fate Que Divine Temple. The air still retains the remnants of time's fracture, yet among the broken rocks and pillars, one can see soft rays of life light rising from the ground, slowly wrapping around the remaining temple components above.

The entire Fate Que Divine Temple is now like a sleeping behemoth, awakening.

On the broken platform of the main staircase, the already shattered Life Foundation Seal Platform miraculously pieced together the first complete wheel pattern.

At the four corners of the temple, pale golden life chains appeared, extending at an extremely restrained pace, each inch of extension seemingly exhausting the will of heaven.

Extremely low-frequency "life sounds" echoed in the air, like an ancient resonance from the depths of the Star Abyss.

Yan Yue said softly, "It is... responding to Qin Yu's return."

Zi Xue's expression was solemn as she gazed at the gradually recovering structure. "This is the manifestation of the immortality of Fate-Cause."

Yunyi gazed at the flowing chain of fate and spoke calmly, "... It remembers you."

Qin Yu stood at the edge of the Fate Que Divine Domain, his gaze fixed on the gradually piecing together diagram of the temple, remaining silent for a long time.

Xingheng walked to his side and whispered, "The Fate Que is neither a tool nor a relic."

"It carries your destiny, the original cause of your existence—when you return to this world, stepping back to the origin, it will know that your destiny has been fulfilled."

And you, are you ready?

Qin Yu's gaze remained fixed, and he replied in a deep voice, "I'm back."

As soon as the words fell, a very thin crack in the life rune above the Fate Que Divine Temple quietly healed. Everyone felt that the temple's "breath" was slowly returning to normal.

And this is just the beginning.

Just as everyone was silently watching the restoration of the Fate Que Divine Temple, a vortex of annihilation light, never before seen, suddenly appeared at the core of the temple high in the sky.

In the deepest part of the Fate Que Divine Temple —the Heart of Destiny, which was originally buried at the bottom of the soul and untouchable by anyone—a strange change slowly unfolded.

A complete corpse slowly rose from the center of the main hall, from the deepest abyss of life patterns.

He wore a tattered black and silver battle robe, the tear in his chest still unhealed, his skin pale beyond the paleness of the living, yet without the slightest trace of decay; and between his brows, an extremely ancient "Soul Seal of Fate" still remained, his body surrounded by layers of annihilating light, as if even the dead silence of time could not completely obliterate his existence.

It was indeed -- the Lord of Fate-Traces, Che Ming.

The corpse rose slowly, yet with unparalleled solemnity, as if unfolding a destiny that was destined to be witnessed.

The annihilating light flowed out of his body like a river, and like a galaxy looping around him, it swirled into divine chains that pointed directly to the orbit of destiny in the high sky.

At this very moment--

The entire ocean floor of the Milky Way, all the soul components and ancient lifelines submerged beneath the galaxy, suddenly trembled.

"Thump--"

A heartbeat, seemingly emanating from the very heart of the universe, traveled through the temple's ley lines and reverberated throughout the dark abyss beneath the entire starry sea.

Immediately afterwards,

"Thump--"

The second heartbeat was heavier, as if an ancient destiny master was awakening, causing the stars to shift and the chains of fate to resonate.

Every cultivator in the Life Domain was shaken to their core in that instant, as if their souls had been awakened by some power that transcended life and death.

Qin Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, and a shattered echo appeared in the starlight of the Destiny Domain beneath his feet.

Yan Yue immediately looked up at the sky, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes. "This is... Che Ming's heartbeat."

"He is recovering."

The third heartbeat resounded at the bottom of the Milky Way:

"Thump--"

After that sound, the previously stable annihilation light structure on Che Ming's corpse suddenly fluctuated violently!

It was as if his existence was detaching from the proposition of "death" and returning to [the logic of destiny].

Several breaths later -- Boom!

All the annihilation light around Che Ming erupted into a blazing core of light in an instant, like an annihilating star burning atop the temple, illuminating the entire Fate Que!

A dark vortex slowly unfolded behind him, its spiritual energy piercing the heavens. At that moment, all the components of the Fate Que that were undergoing restoration simultaneously paused for a split second—

Then, continue refactoring at an even faster pace!

When the light core dissipates

Che Ming stood in the air.

He was no longer a corpse, nor had he fully resurrected. His eyes were still closed, but his Fate Soul was once again entwined by the annihilation light, like the remains of a demigod, standing atop the sky of the Fate Hall, as if it were a new anchor point for destiny.

"He..." Yao Ge murmured, "He is the core of this reconstruction of the Fate Que?"

Xingheng spoke slowly, her expression slightly serious. "No, he is 'Fate Mark' itself."

"The Fate Que Divine Temple is using him as its axis to reclaim the lost course of fate."

Qin Yu and the others looked at him. "Finally, he's awake."

High in the sky, the fading light had not yet completely dissipated.

Che Ming stood silently atop the sky of the Fate Que Divine Temple, clad in the Annihilation Radiance Battle Robe, his star-studded hair cascading down his back, with a massive soul ring formed from the Annihilation Abyss of Fate Soul swirling behind him. Within the ring, countless afterimages of destiny orbits returned to their original positions, and starlight and soul light intertwined endlessly around him.

He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but at that moment—

Everyone knows that he has really returned.

"Finally..."

Yan Yue softly, her eyes shining, her voice seemingly filled with the obsession and hope of an entire era.

Qin Yu gazed at that familiar yet unfamiliar figure, his throat tightening slightly. After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Finally... he woke up."

And in various corners of the Fate Que Divine Temple—

Those remnants of the Fate Que generals, soul servants, and disciples who had long retreated to the edge of the temple to maintain and reconstruct the barrier all felt the original resonance of the complete return of the Fate Master's aura at that moment.

Some were immediately moved to tears, some trembled with fear, and the next moment—

"Lord of the Palace!!!"

The entire Fate Que Divine Domain echoed with hoarse cries!

Countless figures knelt on the shattered and reassembled Divine Rank, their foreheads pressed to the ground, their souls radiating light, choking back sobs, like subjects who had waited for millennia to finally see their king return to the throne in their dreams.

"Lord of the Palace!! You're really back!!!"

"We... have waited so long for you!!!"

"The Fate Que... the Fate Que has finally... found its master again!!"

It was a sense of reverence and sorrow welling up from the depths of one's bones and blood, as if the will of all those who died in battle was also echoing in the temple at this moment.

As the light shifted and shimmered, a slender yet resolute figure slowly stepped into the forefront of the Divine Rank.

She wore Star Abyss Robe and a Destiny Mingxi Sash, her eyes reflecting the radiance of all things in life.

It was indeed -- Cheyuan Mingxi · Xingheng.

She looked up silently at the figure high in the sky, his silhouette gradually becoming clearer, more real, and no longer out of reach.

She stood before all the Soul Fate Que, slowly kneeling down, her shoulders trembling slightly, tears silently streaming down her cheeks and falling onto the temple's star staircase.

She choked back tears and whispered:

"... My husband... you're finally back..."

Once that call was uttered, she could no longer suppress the surging emotions in her heart, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

She was once the calm and Stainless Xingheng, the master of destiny and the arbiter of the calendar.

But at this moment, she was merely the wife of the Lord of Fate-Traces.

For countless years, she guarded an unawakened corpse.

But today, before he even opened his eyes—she was already completely broken down.

Qin Yu gazed at Xingheng's weeping figure, his heart trembling slightly.

Yan Yue silent, her palms clenched tightly; Zi Xue took a soft breath, trying to calm the joy and sorrow that arose from the resonance of souls; Yunyi tilted her head slightly, her eyes flashing with a dim light for a moment, but she only smiled gently.

They knew that all their efforts had not been in vain.

Using destiny as their axis, they traced back through time, rewrote fate's trajectory, and destroyed countless enemies, all for this one outcome—

Let the Lord of Fate Que open his eyes once more.

In everyone's eyes,

High in the sky, Che Ming finally slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes held neither anger nor sorrow; in a mere instant, he saw the reconstruction of the temple, the return of the stars, and the world where, after the flames of war, the Fate Soul still burned.

He remained silent, yet within that gaze, it seemed as if a whisper from a thousand ages could be heard:

"I'm still here."