The light faded, and the sky returned to silence.
At the center of the outer perimeter of the Fate Que Divine Temple, high in the sky where the light had faded, a figure slowly descended, watched by everyone.
Che Ming.
He descended slowly from his revived Fate Soul, his steps steady, his expression serene as an ancient abyss. Though his aura was not fully released, he already possessed an absolute pressure that commanded the fate of the stars.
His eyes reflected the radiance of the temple's awakening, and also the pair of eyes below him, already reddened but still clear.
He fell ahead of the others.
Mingxi Xingheng finally lost all restraint, took a few steps forward, and hugged him tightly. Her usually cold and stern shoulders trembled slightly, and her voice was choked with emotion but extremely clear:
"My husband... you have finally been fully resurrected and awakened..."
At that moment, she was no longer the mistress of the Fate Hall, nor the ruler of the Star Chart; she was simply a woman who had finally found her beloved.
She buried her head in his chest, feeling his real, powerful heartbeat—a rhythm she had never dared to dream of in her countless years of dreams.
Che Ming didn't speak, but slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently embraced her.
His gaze passed over the top of her head and landed on the silent young man standing ahead.
Qin Yu.
After a few breaths, Xingheng finally realized her loss of composure. She gently opened her arms, wiped away her tears, her brows furrowed but her expression resolute.
She turned around, took Che Ming's hand, and looked ahead with deep respect and gratitude.
"My husband." This is... Qin Yu.
"The one who writes the Blade of Fate."
"If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be awake now, and I... would never see you again."
With a gentle gesture, Qin Yu and the others slowly stepped forward.
"These people around him—" Xingheng continued in a low voice, "Are his beloved and devoted followers."
"Yan Yue, the Dawn of Fate Soul; Zi Xue, the Guardian of the Stars; Yunyi, the Origin of the Illusory Dragon."
"Your return today, the restart of Fate Que, is all thanks to their arduous journey, their search for answers to fate, and their triumph over the Abyss of Annihilation Abyss, which enabled destiny to turn once more."
She paused, looked at Che Ming, her eyes softening. "The Fate Que you guarded has now been continued by their own hands."
As these words were spoken, several core destiny envoys and soul masters outside the Fate Que Divine Temple bowed in unison, facing Qin Yu and his companions, and offered their respects in solemn voices.
"Grateful thanks to the one who personally guided my destiny." "Thanks in gratitude to the one who wrote the account of my Fate Soul."
The wind has calmed, the clouds have stopped, the light flickers slightly, and the starlight falls gently and profoundly.
Che Ming finally took a slow step forward, his gaze fixed on Qin Yu. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, deep and ancient like the first tide of life:
I'll remember you.
His voice contained no exaggerated emotions, only a promise and acknowledgment that sank deep into the destiny chart.
Your pen broke through the last barrier in my life.
"You shielded me from the fate of death."
He slowly raised his right hand, gently touching Qin Yu's chest with a point of annihilation light from his palm. It was not an attack, but simply an extremely ancient "Seal of Fate".
"From this day forward," Che Ming said slowly, "You and Fate Que will no longer be bound by any debts."
Between you and me—it's an alliance.
Che Ming finished speaking, the Fate Soul Imprint had not yet dissipated.
At that moment, Qin Yu slowly reached out and took something out of his sleeve.
It was an ancient and solemn bone imprint, its surface without any patterns, yet upon contact with the annihilating light, rings of pale golden life chains appeared, as if it itself were a lifeline sealing time. Beneath that life imprint, the soul's breath was ancient and deep, the bones unmoving, it was an extremely pure remnant of the Fate Soul Nucleus.
--Life Fate Source Bone Seal.
The moment Che Ming caught sight of the mark, his expression shifted as if struck by lightning, his gaze suddenly shifting violently, and his previously solemn and composed aura instantly became unbalanced!
His body trembled for a moment, and he even took a slight step back, muttering softly:
"... Fate Source Bone Seal... how could this be...?"
That bone imprint—it was something he had sealed within the very source of his Fate Soul, something he would never give away lightly.
It symbolizes the only Fate Authority he personally bestowed in his life. Even Xingheng had never seen him actually take it out, because once this bone seal was given away, it was equivalent to transferring the entire Fate Soul control of the Fate Que Divine Temple to someone else.
But now, it's in Qin Yu's hands.
At that moment, Che Ming had no more hesitation. His body sank, and he suddenly knelt down, his annihilation light surging!
"From this day forward, all components of the Fate Que Divine Temple —including Destiny Structures, Divine Chains, Battle Maps, and Destiny Domains—are at your disposal!"
"Qin Yu, you have obtained the Seal of the Fate Source. All those above and below the Fate Que listen to your word!"
These words fell like a heavy hammer crashing down on the top of the starry palace, shocking everyone present.
Xingheng suddenly turned her gaze to the bone imprint, her breath catching in her throat.
This wasn't the first time she'd heard of the "Fate Source Bone Seal," but this was the first time she'd truly seen it—it was the Fate Soul essence that her husband had sealed for a million epochs, the most secret existence besides his Fate Soul imprint!
What does it mean that Che Ming gave this seal to Qin Yu?
This means that at the most critical moment for the Fate Que Divine Temple, it was Qin Yu who went against fate and upheld the Fate Soul logic of the entire temple!
Xingheng's eyes widened in shock. After a moment of stunned silence, she finally knelt down slowly, facing Qin Yu, her voice slightly hoarse:
"On behalf of the Fate Que Divine Temple, I, Mingxi Xingheng, wife of Che Ming, express my gratitude for all your contributions."
"This seal is not a reward for merit," but rather because you saved the entire Fate Que.
As Che Ming and Xingheng knelt down, hundreds of people from the Fate Que Divine Temple, including Soul Envoys of all ranks, remnant generals, and Destiny Array Masters, also knelt down, tears welling in their eyes, and shouted in unison:
"The one who personally inherits the essence of destiny!" "The one who holds the Seal of the Fate Source!"
At that moment, their vows and reverence echoed throughout the entire Fate Que Divine Domain, as if the heavens and earth themselves had submitted to the stroke of destiny that Qin Yu had once reversed.
Faced with all this, Qin Yu was moved. He quickly stepped forward and personally helped Che Ming and Xingheng. His tone was low, but it carried his usual determination:
"Senior, this life seal was entrusted to me by you in the past, when I didn't even know if I could return."
"Now that you have returned, I... no longer need to hold this seal."
He slowly returned the Fate Source Bone Seal to Che Ming's palm, and the annihilating light swirled around it, causing the world to fall silent.
Che Ming gripped the bone imprint tightly, gazing intently at Qin Yu for a long time before finally nodding slightly.
"You do not hold the seal, yet you are already the master of Fate Que."
With the Fate Source Bone Seal returned, Che Ming and Xingheng were helped up by Qin Yu himself.
The magnificent spectacle of the Fate Que Divine Temple continues.
The life foundation array beneath the main hall slowly closed, and the four floating Annihilation Radiance pillars began to rebuild. Rivers of divine souls converged, piecing together the broken life chains inch by inch.
However, although Che Ming's aura was stable, the restoration of his Fate Hall would still take time. He had not yet fully returned to his place, and the cycle of his Fate Soul was still slowly reconnecting.
At this point, the temple was not a place to linger.
Xingheng glanced around, her expression softening, and finally turned to Che Ming and whispered:
"My lord." "The temple has not yet fully recovered; it is not advisable to linger."
She turned to look at Qin Yu and the others, her eyes filled with gratitude and genuine respect, setting aside any air of superiority.
"Qin Yu and his close friends have made invaluable contributions; they should not be forgotten so easily."
"Why don't we return to the Purple Bamboo Grove for a while, so our benefactor can rest and we can discuss our next steps?"
Her tone was calm and her words gentle, yet they carried the affability and dignity befitting the Star Lord.
Upon hearing this, Che Ming nodded slowly, looked at Qin Yu, and spoke with a tone that, though brief, carried the composure of someone returning to their destiny:
"Very well, then please come with me to the Purple Bamboo Grove to rest."
Yan Yue chuckled softly, tilting her head slightly as she said, "This is the first time I've seen Senior Che Ming speak in this tone."
Zi Xue smiled but didn't speak. She gently tugged at Qin Yu's sleeve and whispered, "We really... need to take a break."
Yunyi stood at the back, gazing at the still-unrepaired Destiny Diagram Central Hub deep within the Fate Que Divine Temple, and added softly:
"There are still unknowns here, and the chain of events remains unbroken; we will eventually have to return."
Qin Yu nodded slightly, looked at Che Ming and Xingheng, and said earnestly, "Since you invited me, I will accompany you on your journey."
That's all--
Under the watchful eyes of all the souls of the Fate Que, Che Ming and Xingheng stood at the front, leading the way, with Qin Yu, Yan Yue, Zi Xue, and Yunyi walking alongside them.
The five of them set off together onto the star map orbit.
Starlight surges, bamboo groves draw the eye. The master returns to the forest. Fate-Cause rests.
This was a brief period of calm at the Fate Que Divine Temple, and also the first glimmer of peace before the next restart of the Destiny Chart.
In the Purple Bamboo Grove, the morning light is warm and thin, and the sky is as clear as if it had been washed.
Starlight falls, ten thousand purple bamboos sway gently in the breeze, and stars slowly drift in the shadows, as if echoes of time are overflowing from the forest.
Inside the Purple Bamboo Grove's inner hall, the once silent star array is now gently enveloped by a warm glow. The hall is covered with soft cloud mats, surrounded by star-patterned seating arrays, and in the center is a semi-circular destiny plate, lightly reflecting the souls of the six people.
Seven people sat quietly in the hall, not to strategize or discuss the war, but simply to enjoy a peaceful gathering that they hadn't had in a long time.
Yan Yue leaned against the cloud-shaped railing, holding a cup of pale golden spirit tea in her hands. Her eyelashes were slightly lowered, revealing a rare expression of ease. "Finally, I don't have to risk my life fighting against any life chain components anymore..."
"Don't you also like challenging those 'the more you break, the more excited you get' components?" Zi Xue smiled as she took the teacup, sat down beside Qin Yu, poured the tea slowly and calmly.
Yan Yue pouted and leaned lazily against Yunyi's shoulder. "That's when you're not around."
Yunyi smiled calmly, not pushing her away, but softly replied, "You're not well-behaved when I'm not around either."
Xingheng sat to Che Ming's right, listening to their conversation, a gentle smile from the bottom of her heart appearing on her face. She had once guarded the Fate Que, and now that her husband had returned, a great weight had been lifted from her heart, and the coldness and oppression of the past were gone.
Extinguished Light calmly sipped his immortal tea to the side.
Che Ming remained silent, simply sitting and listening. His soul was still slightly trembling, but the aloofness he had shown upon waking was gone from his eyes.
He looked at Qin Yu and finally spoke:
"I've noted down all five of you."
"You called me after my death, and saved me before my Fate Que."
"I once severed the boundary with Fate Book; if you ever need me again, a single stroke will summon me to fight once more."
Qin Yu shook his head slightly, sipped his tea, and smiled, "Senior, you flatter me."
"We are simply repaying a debt you entrusted to me in the past."
"This life isn't about saving it, it's about taking it on."
Zi Xue added softly, "Like an unfinished crack in a destiny chart... we're just piecing it back together to its original state."
Yan Yue raised her hand and held up her glass. "If we don't fight back, you'll still be fast asleep."
Xingheng laughed, "Then let's just consider it paying off a debt—the debt Fate Que owes you can never be repaid in a lifetime."
Che Ming at Xingheng's smile, Cheming's eyes softened, and he gently took her hand. "If you're still here, it's never too late."
Yunyi lowered her head to sip her tea, and said calmly, "Remember these words."
Qin Yu smiled too, a rare tenderness appearing in his eyes.
In this hall, there was no struggle, no pressure of assigned tasks, only a rare moment of tranquility and genuine emotion after the return of Fate-Cause.
Purple bamboo swayed, starlight flowed outside the hall, and the soft cries of small beasts swept across the treetops, carrying a few familiar wisps of tea and spiritual fruit fragrance on the wind.
That night, there was no battle in the forest.
Beyond the charts of destiny, some people laugh and chat softly, while others gaze quietly at the starlight.
They all knew that such moments didn't happen often.
But that is precisely why it is so precious.