CHAPTER 1183: CHAPTER 1180: TE: I SEAL IT MYSELF (FINAL)

["From this distant vantage point, the planet doesn’t seem particularly significant. But to us, it has become different."]

["Think of the rivers, forests, cities on this small dot, the countless lives fighting for love and hatred, the gods and demons pursuing the light.]

["On this small dot, it’s filled with all our hopes and dreams, challenges and fears, history of creation and exploration."]

[——Karl Sagan, "Pale Blue Dot"]

...

Su Ming’an remembers the end of this story.

...

The plan woven from words extends into reality, virtual castles in the air bloom into flowers.

The ending of myriad lifetimes and paths converges into one point, and the Lamp Keeper finishes his story.

At this moment, all they need to do is embrace the future.

Amidst the vast long wind, Chang Ge finally asked him:

"Su Ming’an. You are my short-lived admirer, a friend whose soul resonates with mine. If there is even a bit of possibility, may we meet again in some possibility. Could you be my good friend?"

"Of course. Death is not the end; forgetting is." Su Ming’an said with a smile: "You shielded the Deity from a sword, I’m sure the whole world remembers you."

He intentionally answered with a smile.

This makes the farewell less painful.

Chang Ge also smiled, seemingly recalling someone: "Really... if you haven’t forgotten me, that would be good."

Even just a little, please remember me.

Remember my name, remember my song, remember my deeds—if you can remember me, I would feel utmost honor.

Because I fulfilled the wish of a friend, I did not fail him during his final tears.

Among endless "possibilities", perhaps we may appear in the future, but that will no longer be me. Dust to dust, earth to earth, I am a grave dragged by the corpse of a true friend for a thousand years, yet created the "eternal" in front of the world.

I died for the brave salvation, not in silent closure.

I died for the end of a thousand years, not in humiliating survival.

I became the final "Savior" instead of falling in despair with closed eyes before dawn. People remembered our name—"Chang Ge".

They even used our name as a codename: Good Long Song, Evil Long Song. This will be written in the history textbooks, never to be forgotten again.

—So, would "I" be satisfied?

"My" true friend...

Chang Ge...?

...

"If I’m not careful, I suddenly leave you♪"

"Would you remember that someone sang for you night after night

"La, la, la, la..."

"Chang Ge" hummed softly, gently pushing Su Ming’an’s soul out of his body, and grasped the sword hilt.

My true friend.

If one day I shall leave, I would descend with you.

Attach wooden wings, fly high over the Tower of Babel, and then fall headfirst, just like you.

...Would you remember that someone sang for you?

"Swoosh—!"

The Sword of Destiny was lifted high.

Su Ming’an’s soul floated upward, overlooking the end of the story.

Thousands of timelines ran parallel at the same moment, with souls adorning the night sky like faint lights.

The ends of heaven and earth are endless twilight. The scorching sunlight burns like wildfire, yet shines in harmony with the merciful, cool Blue Moon.

It seems like stars falling on the sea, flowers blooming amid clouds, Cang Mountain collapsing into the abyss.

The river of time flows into silent moonlight, with every ripple being a possible world.

People saw countless versions of "me". Each lives in their reality, yet quietly influences each other. Seeds took root and sprouted on every timeline, blooming flowers of different colors.

The world trembled with a mighty shock, and all causality snapped together with a "click".

He lowered his eyelids.

It turns out, from the beginning, through the middle, all the way to the end... even the final strike, everything had been calculated by them.

This is not the most complex salvation pattern he has seen, but it is the grandest one he has seen—using every person, every resource worldwide, and every moment, to an astonishingly miserly degree.

Everyone was in the game, entering it with their own body, winning against fate.

—Because the most challenging issue from the start: how could a civilization at a mid-level of technology contend with those in high dimensions? The answer was to humbly surrender or assimilate into a plunderer.

But they managed to walk an entirely different path in the garden, achieving a romanticism unique to idealism.

—Making "me" come from the [future], but saving the [past] in the [present].

—Making "me" the future [me], the past [me], and the [me] unifying past, present, and future.

Endowed with the Eye of the Old Days, the Sword of Destiny, and the Immortal’s Talisman as gods, ultimately overturning the iceberg, fulfilling a millennium-old myth.

Ensuring "ten thousand" remains "ten thousand", turning virtual into reality.

No one in this salvation was without contribution.

Countless "we" were born into the world, countless "we" lived their lives...

Soul ferry, Life Hard Drive, dream tour game, time reflection.

Disbanded from one into a thousand, the world enclosed, good and evil slaying each other, all paths became one.

—To fulfill the wishes of a thousand years, to end a hundred reincarnations.

—To seal with [me].

...

[TE·"Sealed with Me" Perfect Completion Progress: -93%]

...

"Boom——!"

The world trembles with a piercing sound of opening and closing.

Under the grand dusk, magnificent light falls into people’s eyes.

The Deity stands at the edge of the setting sun, aiming the Sword of Destiny at himself.

"Su Ming’an."

Chang Ge looks up and meets the gaze of Su Ming’an’s soul floating in the air.

Clearly, he shouldn’t be able to see the soul, yet at this moment, it feels like their eyes meet, seeing the similarity deep within each other’s hearts.

"[Each atom in our bodies can be traced back to the Big Bang and nuclear fusion in massive stars that exploded over 5 billion years ago. We are stars that gained life, then tasked by the universe with the mission of self-discovery.]" Chang Ge smiles slightly, his eyes bright and clear:

"I’ve completed this mission."

"I have no regrets becoming you."

"Thank you."

"Thank you for loving... this world."

Su Ming’an opens his mouth to say something.

But Chang Ge can no longer hear it.

He takes one last look at this world, waiting for the moment the Sword of Destiny finishes charging. Eyes shut, thrusts down—

The air retains his last words spoken with a smile.

...

"Come forth."

"This is [my] great final strike."

...

[TE·"Sealed by Myself" Perfect Completion Progress: -96%]

...

[Detected "Chang Ge" deceased, body dispersed, unable to return to the original body.]

[Detected possession of "Acto’s White Cat Doll", would you like to temporarily enter "Acto’s White Cat Doll"? (Please note, before instance settlement, if you do not return to player form in time, you will be assimilated as an NPC and taken back)]

...

"Yes."

...

In people’s eyes— a pure white deity falls downward.

On the day of deity’s demise in a new epoch— it is recorded as "Genesis".

Heaven and earth unite, sun and moon shine together.

A colorful era, as if a flock of free flying birds, crossing the waves into the distant trajectory— century, millennium... endlessly continuous.

The white tendrils sever, floating in the air, like the last heavy snow of the old century.

Washing away the dust, bringing forth new life.

Lv Shu extends his hand to catch a piece of white tendril.

He holds it solemnly, as if cradling a flake of fragile snow.

Beside him, people from the Ancient Martial Families have already thrown aside their weapons, crying with joy. A group of grown adults, yet crying like a bunch of children.

"... We did it, we did it."

Mo Yan sits down on the ground, tears involuntarily streaming from his eyes. He stares dumbfounded at the retreat of the black mist at the front lines, his arms and legs full of erosive wounds, painful enough to make him grimace, yet he bursts into laughter.

"—Brother is invincible! Brother is the strongest!!!"

On the distant seashore, upon learning of the victory, the soldiers who’ve fought against the black mist for a long time fall asleep with the sky as their cover and the ground as their shelter. Only Yamada Machiichi and Lu still gaze towards the "Piao Xue" on the horizon.

Behind them are Eli, Qiuqiu, and Rimu Sheng, players covered in blood.

The endless sunset casts on their faces, the vast white resembling the shattered wings of angels, they silently witness the moment of "Divine Fall," as if deprived of words, no one speaks until the pass notification sounds.

"Su Ming’an... he succeeded." Yamada Machiichi speaks up.

Lu pats his shoulder: "It should be said... we succeeded."

"Indeed."

"It was so difficult..." A group of people toss their weapons aside, sitting limply on the ground.

They have never so deeply understood this sentence.

—Human life in the universe is but a moment, yet how many coincidences and miracles are needed to compose this moment.

The people of The World of Old Days have created miracles.

They finally move towards a new future.

"Then..." Rimu Sheng wipes the blood off his face and looks up.

"Where is Su Ming’an?"

The deity is gone.

Their "Number One Player" has gone where?

...

In the old day 828, January 1st.

Renamed "New Century Year 1, January 1st".

From this day forth,

This world has gone through a long period of repressive winter... finally welcoming the rebirth of spring.

Nightingales are no longer trapped in the iron forest, and the sheep no longer perish in the rain.

The puppet threads binding the world are torn apart by the majestic long wind.

The old palace walls are gone, perhaps to behold the scene of kites swaying high in the heavens.

The Pioneer has fulfilled the millennium-long prayer, ending this endless cycle, crossing the shores of life — leading everyone towards tomorrow.

Looking at the broken white tendrils in the sky, people stood on the ground, as if still in a daze.

What can they do afterward?

They can laugh, they can cry, they can sing, they can paint. Whatever they like. The Ark has reached the other shore, accompanied by birds, they can seek the light.

Then, sporadic cheers gradually rose. It spread like a raging fire... dyeing the earth. They shouted the names of heroes, mostly different, some even jumbled.

"Can I paint now?"

"Really, really can look at the stars now..."

"I miss the songs of the old days, I want to piece together the xylophone once smashed by the Holy Alliance Army..."

"Mother, let’s fly a kite and eat candied haws..."

Outside the palace walls, a young lord about thirteen or fourteen years old held his mother’s hand, curiously looking at the palace walls.

"Mother, what’s inside the palace walls?" he asked.

"Shaoqing, inside there are very tall towers, an empty National Preceptor Pavilion, and the majestic Empress..." the mother answered softly, leading him to fly a kite.

Orange-red sunlight filled the mountains and rivers. The world is so vast — just like their future. Stride forward, running with all their might... eventually, they’ll reach the end.

The young lord ran and ran, rolling on the grass, laughing under the sunlight. For some reason, passing by the pond, he plucked a white lotus, stared at it in a daze for a long time, and gently held it to his chest.

For some reason, his nose felt sore, and his eyes turned red.

"Why are you crying, you’re a big boy now, let’s go, mother will take you to eat tangyuan..." The two figures, one large and one small, stretched long under the sunlight.

Past events are unreachable, the road ahead is bright.

The Black Mist has been dispelled.

The light has finally shone in.

...

In the "World of Old Days · Genesis," on the day when the Deity fell, the last record was written:

[On the day the Republic ascended, the Deity fell.]

[The Deity completed the final step.]

[The essence of the Republic is not just laying down a barrier, this cannot dispel the original pollution. Its essence is to "layer" a pollution-free world on top of the original world.]

[As the Deity raised their hands, people felt a faint sense of elevation.]

[They knew — they were about to venture towards — a brand new epoch.]

[After everything ended, people boarded the world of the Republic, a world layered above the sky, no longer having to worry about invasions from High Dimensions.]

[The name "World of Old Days" is no longer applicable, as they have ascended, they gave their civilization a brand new name — "Sky World," or "Celestial Sphere."]

[As for the part left on the ground. Due to the barrier of the Republic, people couldn’t return, nor did they want to, leaving it desolate. With no humans residing, the ground gradually returned to its original planetary state.]

[They named it — "World of the Ground," or ...]

...

[Earth.]

...

[Ten thousand years later, "Earth" evolved a new human civilization.]

[Since Dieying had long left and the Black Mist had disappeared. Under the barrier of the Republic, "Earthlings" were unaware of the "Sky World" above them.]

[In long evolution, the "Yate Empire" and "Pulaya" appeared in "Earth" civilization, people gradually discovered a city in the sky — "Yun Shang City."]

[They could not have imagined that "Yun Shang City" became a ghost town because everyone from the "Holy City" had ascended to the "Sky World," leaving only pollution.]

[Once, the Judgment Angel Chao Yan slept in the sea, her strong life force mutated sea creatures, causing some to undergo metamorphosis...]

[The Sea Monsters of Immortality were born.]

[Once, the Goddess Alice was tethered with a crimson serpent in the Nine Serenities. When "Earthlings" accidentally discovered the abandoned Nine Serenities during navigation...]

[Some returning from Nine Serenities exhibited symptoms of bloodthirsty frenzy similar to Alice’s madness. Unable to be accommodated by humans, they formed their own clan, named the "Soul Clan."]

[The only quick way to differentiate between "humans" and the "Soul Clan" is something called the "Yate Stone." According to archaeological texts unearthed, it’s said that the "Yate Stone" was a divine relic named the "Prophecy Stone Wall" from ancient times, able to divine all things ten thousand years ago. However, this is unverifiable folklore.]

[Strangely, some dream of "Braves," "Demon Kings," "Slimes," and other foreign imagery. Even though these images are unfamiliar.]

[Some speculate that these are the dreams bestowed by the deities of Yun Shang City. But others say they also dream of a girl who calls herself "Miss Demon King," claiming to be the ghost of the internet from thousands of years ago, having imprinted herself online before death to create an internet world without cyberbullying, striving for everyone’s happiness.]

[But people just chuckle it off. How could the internet exist for thousands of years?]

[Occasionally, they unearth remnants from ten thousand years ago, as time has weathered most books and buildings, leaving only some buried data vaguely recording stories from ten thousand years ago.]

[Through archaeologists’ research, some stories from ten thousand years ago were discovered, and people began to yearn for the legends of ten thousand years ago —]

[Legend has it, ten thousand years ago, there was a Deity, and all humans were His angels.]

[The Deity and the angels together built an Ark, crossed a millennium, reached the other shore, allowing the entire civilization to soar into the sky —]

[On that day, the epoch ended, the Deity fell, all beings.]

[All beings ascended to the Republic, heading towards the unknown world.]

[That was the scene of a miracle that shook the entire civilization.]

[It is because these ancestors drove off the High Dimensions that the world is so peaceful, not perishing ten thousand years ago, fulfilling their contemporary happy lives and continuing endlessly —]

[Spring has arrived, and children frolic under the sunlight, singing, holding paints, and depicting the imagining of ten thousand years ago —]

[Deities, angels, Nine Serenities, papyrus.]

[Kind Deity, wise angels, countless flying figures, romantic and colorful ideal city.]

[It truly is,]

[a myth worth yearning for...]

...

[Later, a lady with long red hair accidentally heard these stories from ten thousand years ago. She was filled with curiosity about Yun Shang City, where deities might exist. So, when faced with her family’s task, she resolutely agreed. ]

[After boarding the "Yate Vessel," she appeared in festive attire, showing a smile to the black-haired, gold-eyed youth at the dining table.]

["Rin, have you heard about the stories from ten thousand years ago? They are archaeological findings from a distant land, not many people know them, shall I tell you?" she said expectantly.]

["Not interested, no need to tell me." The youth responded indifferently.]

["You, why do you always act so cold? Aren’t we friends?" She pouted.]

["You’d better leave this ship immediately." The young man said.]

["You’re kicking me out!?" She widened her eyes.]

["Yes, stay away from me." The young man’s tone was calm and unruffled.]

[Anger surged within her, and thinking of the lovesick character she had crafted, she shouted with a flushed face:]

["Fine! Fine! Su Rin—I’ll tell you, I won’t act foolish anymore, I won’t love you anymore—In this world, there won’t be a woman who loves you so passionately it tears her heart apart!"]

[For a second, she felt the other person’s gaze seemed unfamiliar, but she didn’t pay attention.]

[...Hmph, wasn’t it just discussing what the "Deity" was like ten thousand years ago, so cold.]

[The red-haired young lady thought, lifting her bag and leaving.]

[What she didn’t expect was that the "Deity from ten thousand years ago" she had long been curious about... had already become the black-haired, gold-eyed young man sitting behind her.]

[However, to the Deity, this "future" ten thousand years later was instead his personal "past". Even if the red-haired young lady asked him, he would be clueless.]

[The "future" him, had saved the "present" in the "past".]

[If he had known about the matters of the World of Old Days then, known much about the future,]

[maybe her tragedy, many people’s tragedies, wouldn’t have happened...]

[Earth continues to rotate normally.]

[No one can see the "Sky World" in the sky, like a companion guardian god, silently protecting their civilization, until...]

[One day, the world game descends on Earth.]

[The historical record ends here.]

...

...

[TE·"With My Seal" Perfect Completion Progress: -100%]

...

"Ding!"

[Congratulations on achieving a perfect pass!]

[Achieved Perfect Pass Line·(TE) With My Seal]

[Line Evaluation: SSS (Perfect!)]

[(TE·With My Seal):]

[’I shall die again and again to know that life is inexhaustible.’ I will die again and again to be sure that life is infinite.]

[I shall be reborn again and again to be sure the cycle of years never ceases.]

[—If not for the death rebound, then how to explain, that thousands of "me" can always awaken from my remains again and again?]

[You say they are not "me", but why do they share the same ideals, nobility and innocence as me?]

[You say they are "me", but why do they have different voices, appearances, and identities?]

[Billions of times, "I" awaken from cold remnants, and ten thousand lights ignite.]

[Ten thousand centuries succeed the holy, reaching generations unapproachable.]

["Observation" peers into causality, "Time" sets millennia. Authority as the eye enables the construction of worlds; time as the rope makes life a game; Soul Ferry as the soul, slumbers in Nine Serenities awaiting dawn.]

["I" thought it was already enough.]

[—But why do all living beings drift, ideals fade, and bones pile up unspeakably?]

[—Why can’t the green history be seen, the ark can’t reach, and weakness is habitually exchanged for peace?]

[—Why can’t the Nightingale sing, the painting can’t be drawn, and a thousand ships compete in the Dead Sea?]

[—Why do fireflies rush to the fire, butterflies break their wings, and the Tower of Babel remain unlevel for millennia?]

[Ten thousand ways build "me", then use bones as fuel, flesh as ink, to sketch the epic of years over ten thousand millennia, named "Idealism".]

[No need to be a bearer of kindling, no need to be a pathfinder. Ignite "my" flesh as fuel, take down "my" bones to become thorns.]

[—Grant ideals to all living beings, grant souls to bones.]

[—Grant years to green history, grant the ark the far shore, grant the Nightingale a singing throat, grant Babel humility.]

[Until dying again and again,]

[—to be sure "my" billions of billions, forge ahead without end.]

[If asked my name?]

[Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li...]

[No need.]

[Maybe,]

[...]

[—"Dawn", is enough.]

...

[The ending has been recorded, and will be included in the final evaluation.]

...

...

[Su Ming’an.]

[As a true friend, I am really curious,]

[—If you appeared earlier in my timeline, what would it be like?]

[Come and converse with me.]

[Coordinates have been given to you.]

...