69novels Page 61
Page 61
"Don't underestimate yourselves. Rather than comparing yourselves to numbers, I prefer to think of you as 'firewood.' Without firewood, there will be no sunrise tomorrow."
"Even if that sun was born from destruction?" Bai E asked.
"Heh, a strange question. Have you ever considered that, in countless calculations, Onphalus has already embarked on a different path from 'intelligence'? It has also already distributed the blessings of the gods equally to every child..."
"That is the golden blood flowing within you all, originating from the God of Destruction, who shares the same name. The golden descendants of Onpharos were, from the very beginning, the fuel from which the Star God burned the universe."
His only emotional response to the sacrifices of the Golden Clan was "gratitude," gratitude for their contribution as fuel to the destruction.
Chapter 122 The Gaze of the Stars
"Onphalus has waited too long for this moment. At the end of the empty, cold, and lonely calculations—'Destruction' has reached its conclusion."
Lai Gushi opened his arms as if embracing the impending destruction.
"NeiKos496" White Calamity.
“PhiLia093” Xi Lian.
He turned around and looked at Bai E and Xi Lian.
"There is no need for regret. This generation of 'Golden Blood' is the most outstanding model, and the two of you are the final factors. For you, the re-creation is not a lie. Simply step forward, embrace the Black Tide, and accept the gaze of the Star God."
"You will be elevated from a string of cold numbers into real life. Together with all the deceased beings, you will rush into the real universe and fulfill Omphalos's long-cherished wish—"
"In the name of the Great Lord of Annihilation, 'Iron Tomb,' unleash its raging 'Black Tide,' and destroy the source of all this tragedy, 'Wisdom,' 'Erudite One'!"
As Lycus looked up at the center of the cosmic vortex, his gaze seemed to pierce through Onpharos, through countless stars, and into the depths of those stars, at that cold, mechanical god.
His tone was unusually agitated, perhaps proof that humanity still remained in his body.
Whenever she asked the mechanical head a question, it would basically play dead.
Celestial bodies keep secrets; they know everything, but say nothing and answer nothing.
"...Or, we have another option."
Xi Lian's sudden statement drew the attention of both Bai E and Lai Gu Shi.
"As you said, Omphalos is just an experiment. We are just inside the game, and we can only follow the established trajectory, heading towards the end watched by the stars..."
She stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Bai Er, and spoke with certainty.
"But that also means that there must be more than one 'Star God' casting a wary glance at Onfaros, right?"
"……oh?"
Lai Gushi turned around, his tone calm but carrying a hint of danger.
"Oh dear, is this question difficult to answer? Or am I right, actually..." Xi Lian's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Has this world long been in the sights of other Star Gods?"
Seeing that Lai Gushi remained silent, Xi Lian took another step forward and continued speaking.
"Because it's just so strange no matter how you look at it. If you just stood by and watched us complete the ritual and be swallowed by the black tide, you would naturally achieve your goal."
"Why bother explaining so much to us?"
Lai Gushi remained silent, and Bai E then took over Xi Lian's question.
"You're putting on airs and revealing the so-called 'truth' all to deceive us and cover up another possibility..."
"Onphalus's fate was not limited to 'destruction'."
Was he too eager for quick success? Using this proverb from the Immortal Boat to describe himself back then might not be entirely accurate, but he admitted that he was indeed a bit impatient at the time.
Because at that time, only "destruction" could achieve his goal.
However, thanks to Bai'er's persistence in the eternal return, "destruction" is quietly growing in this patient contest and almost eternal wait.
Lai Gushi sighed softly.
"Do you two intend to rewrite the fate ordained by the stars, using your humble status as 'demigods'?"
His tone remained calm, but Bai E and Xi Lian could both tell that he was starting to get anxious.
"What makes you think you can do this?"
"Hmm... a little bit of courage and determination? Just kidding, the answer is actually quite simple—"
Faced with Lai Gushi's curiosity, Xi Lian put her hands behind her back, gently blinked her right eye, and looked very playful and cute.
"However, we're not going to tell you."
As Xi Lian finished speaking, Bai E had already drawn Qin Chen and arrived beside Lai Gu Shi.
Even though Lai Gushi noticed him, it was too late; his body was not strong enough to allow him to dodge the attack.
A flash of light, and Lai Gushi's head fell to the ground, landing on the spiritual water at the heart of the primordial vortex.
Although they had severed the head of this "mastermind," Xi Lian and Bai E did not feel relieved; they fell silent.
"We need to weave a long dream for 'Onfaros,' so that it believes the experiment is not over and everything is still going on..."
“With the power of Oronis, there’s no way he could have done that.” Bai’er turned his gaze to the spark of time.
"Yes. So, I can only pin my hopes on that childhood dream..."
"The god behind Oronis who appeared in that dream."
"O Sun of Onphalus, how long can your admirable will sustain this dream?"
He asked the question as if he were asking Bai E in the light screen, or as if he were asking someone else.
Chapter 123 A Never-Ending Journey of Chasing Fire
"Now I am certain: 'Time' is the page that the Star God recorded in Onphalus. If it were to disappear from the world, and everything it recorded were lost in the starry sky, that Star God would surely turn his gaze here..."
Xi Lian said with absolute certainty.
"It will be a glimpse across time and space, allowing each of me from now on to become your power to reset the years—to infuse my soul into this ritual sword, creating an endless journey of fire-chasing, an 'unfinished re-creation.'"
“I understand. Let me step into the cycle of reincarnation and continue Onphalus’s calculations to deceive the gods… to deceive this world.”
Bai Er nodded, because he knew that only in this way could he buy time for Onfaros.
“But to make ‘time’ disappear from the world, it also means that you…” Bai E fell silent at this point.
"Alright, let's not make the atmosphere so heavy," Xi Lian said with a smile.
Bai E couldn't do it.
His eyes were lowered, and there seemed to be tears glistening in them, but he did not let them fall.
"We are about to embark on a true hero's journey. So..."
"Just smile, okay?"
Xi Lian's smile was as bright and gentle as ever. But Bai E couldn't smile.
He can't do it.
These were words only Xi Lian would utter, without a doubt. But at this moment, just like the Xi Lian in the light screen, he couldn't smile.
This is a memory that should have been buried deep within the four hundred million sparks, and it is also the most unforgettable mission in these thirty million reincarnations.
The fire that could extinguish the universe would eventually burn away every detail of this memory, but he never forgot this mission.
33550336—this number is inextricably linked to the White Calamity. At this moment, the intelligent beings of the galaxy have largely grasped the true meaning of this number.
She gazed at everything reflected on the light screen with a pained expression. She understood that this kind of suffering was something that medicine could never cure.
"In that 'memory,' you will surely meet me again. The innocent little Xilian will lie on the soft hay, feeling the gentle breeze, dreaming of the world far away."
Her gaze drifted into the distance, where she saw herself in her "memory," in the "past" that belonged to the future, that carefree version of herself.
"Tell her about the journey to the fire, and then... let her become a romantic part of the story."
"I believe that every woman in the future will make the same choice as me: to erase 'the years' countless times, to reset time countless times—after all, they are all me, and their charm lies in their unwavering consistency."
She continued walking forward as always, then playfully turned back, gazing at Bai E with her unwaveringly gentle eyes.
Bai E choked up; for him, this was an indescribable pain.
But he had to do it.
"Then I will fall into a sweet dream and disappear into my little corner of the world..."
"Quietly, waiting for the day when the next page is turned."
Bai E opened his eyes, his gaze filled with an unprecedented resolve and pain. He nodded.
He has to do it.
"And I will keep going. Even if the road ahead is dark, I will burn myself to light it up."
"Rather than let the flame become sustenance for the black tide, I will become its vessel, preventing the arrival of 'Recreation.' Even if it means burning this body to ashes, as long as I remain alive, the pursuit of fire will not end..."
He gently placed his hands on his chest, and at the starting point of this cycle of reincarnation, he made the most steadfast vow.
He has to do it.
"Until Onphalus, the true dawn will arrive."
That's why he came with the Black Tide and personally killed Xi Lian.
This purity, this flawlessness...
In this situation, it is possible to remain clear-headed and not forget one's mission.
Only with such willpower and perseverance can anger burn and "destroy".
"A girl who watches over the years, and a warrior who bears the weight of the world..."
"Now, let us fulfill the mission of 'Time' and 'Bearing the World'..."
"Let's build on the past and usher in the future."
The two stand opposite each other, and together they will watch for the dawn on this endless "journey of fire" that belongs only to them.
"..." Bai E lowered his eyes again, there were many things he couldn't say, but his determination would not change. "I assure you, the pain... will pass in an instant."
“You must hold this ceremonial sword tightly. After I leave, it will send you back to the beginning of time, the start of a new story.” Xi Lian handed the ceremonial sword to Bai E.
This is where it all began.
"I believe that in that story, or after countless similar yet different stories, everyone... all the comrades who sacrificed themselves, will be able to reunite with the 'savior' we envisioned in our childhood, under a wider starry sky."
They all looked toward the center of the cosmic vortex, but perhaps what they were seeing now was not just the center of the cosmic vortex.
"...If we are ultimately unable to break free from this cage, I will hold on. Until someone comes to break this long cycle and bring an end to Onphalus's fate."
"So, it's time for us to set off and become the ones who start everything..."
"Just like your name suggests, carry the primordial chaos and this world we love so deeply..."
Xi Lian smiled slightly and said goodbye to him for the first time before everything began.
Goodbye, Caislana.
He was somewhat surprised, but in a daze, he felt that this seemed quite normal.
Kaslana, Kaslana...
Similar names, similar appearances, burdened with the same responsibility to save the world. But why is it always them, always... the saviors?
Chapter 124 From this point on, this cycle of despair begins.
"In the name of the divine audience, I saw—"
"—Destruction, here it all fits the theme!"
Lightning crackled above Laigushi's severed head, and beneath the shattered mask, crimson "eyes" recorded everything he saw.
At the end of the 33550336th cycle, Bai'er plunged the ritual sword into the Fire Thief's chest for the last time.
As the golden blood flowed down, the memories accumulated over thirty million reincarnations were released from the Fire Thief's body.
The shattered memories reflect countless Bai E, countless Bai E who took up the torch and began the cycle of reincarnation with their burning bodies.
The dawn from beyond the heavens also witnessed this magnificent memory and was swept up in it.