Infinity: Our Zhongzhou team is really amazing!

Chapter 704 Every wanderer will return home

Five days remain until the final battle.

Ming Yanwei, Haotian, and Zhan Lan successfully entered the fourth stage.

The Zhongzhou team now has three more mid-level fourth-tier Reincarnation experts.

After listening to Zheng Zha's account, Zhuang Boshi understood what was going on with Zhan Lan's inner demons.

Zhan Lan overcame her inner demons by establishing a stronger connection with Zheng Zha.

Ming Yanwei, however, overcame her inner demons through perseverance and rebuilding her self-confidence.

Despite taking different paths, they can ultimately achieve the same result.

To advance beyond the intermediate stage of the fourth tier, one must not only overcome one's inner demons, but also forcefully prove one's Dao by overcoming the intermediate stage of the fourth tier where inner demons are born.

But regardless of which path you choose, you must first break through to the fourth tier.

Unfortunately, under Chu Xuan's extreme pressure, Zhu Wen, Saito Ichi, and Wang Xia never managed to enter the fourth tier, but they made considerable progress in cultivation.

Compared to the genetically locked path that relies heavily on talent, the infinitely diverse path of cultivation is much more accessible to the general public.

Saito Hajime may lack combat talent, but he is quite intelligent. As one of the few highly educated scholars in the Central Continent Team, he is proficient in runes, magic runes, cultivation, and alchemy.

He only just advanced to the Golden Core stage; it can only be said that his logistical work delayed his cultivation.

Wang Xia has a pure bloodline. Although he is not highly educated, he is a sharp-witted scout. With Chu Xuan's hard work, it is only natural that he advanced to the Golden Core stage.

The most surprising thing was Zhu Wen. She broke through the barrier quickly and was close to the limit of the third level. In fact, she even formed her core before Wang Xia and Saito.

He is very likely to be the next seed player for the Zhongzhou team to break through to the fourth level and the Nascent Soul stage.

As for Zero, he was tricked by Zhan Lan and prematurely developed a demon in his heart, but his gene lock has been stuck at the third-tier limit. Perhaps he can enter the fourth tier with just one opportunity.

Unfortunately, there's no time left.

It has to be said that Zhan Lan's Light of the Soul is too sinister. Forcibly excavating the darkness and giving humans inner demons is a fatal blow to most reincarnators who are stuck at the beginning of the fourth stage.

Although no more fourth-tier talents were born, Zhuang Boshi was generally satisfied, after all, everyone's talent is different and the timing is different.

Compared to Lin Huang and Liu Huang, who are still locked at the second stage of genetic lock after three generations, his teammates are much more reliable.

Now, the Zhongzhou team has entered the final stage of their offensive.

Second-generation flying sword, third-generation wind and fire wheel, third-generation golden shield, basic pills...

And, the ultimate super battleship.

Wang Xia lifted a thirteen-ton alloy steel plate and fitted it into the ground.

Saito Hajime manipulated magic to inscribe runes and magic circles on it.

This is an enchantment for the vehicles of the Central Continent team.

In the God's Space, super alloys were so cheap that Chu Xuan didn't even want to make them himself.

It's better to buy than to make.

So we simply processed it in the God Space, placed it in the demiplane, brought it back, and then installed it.

The super alloy reinforced with numerous runes possesses unimaginable defensive capabilities.

"Once we've done this job, we can finally rest," Saito Hajime remarked.

In the last period, including the time spent back in the cycle of reincarnation, more than half a year has passed. During these six months, the Zhongzhou team, especially Saito Hajime, has hardly had any rest, and their total sleep time is no more than one hundred hours.

It could be said that it burned out completely.

Of course, Chu Xuan is an exception, as he never closes his eyes for even a second; he is the champion of staying up all night.

"After this battle is over, I can go home—" Wang Xia said with longing.

"Wait, don't make a promise too big," Zhuang Boshi quickly advised.

"Don't say things like 'I'll go back to my hometown to get married after this battle.'"

"Unlucky."

"Ah, hahaha." Wang Xia scratched the back of his head.

"How about this?" Zhuang Boshi looked at everyone and said, "Let's go back to reality together."

"Everyone."

"Huh?!?!" Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why?" Zheng Zha asked, both excited and hesitant.

How could he not miss home?

However, after returning last time, he was besieged by the state, which left him with a great psychological scar.

Zhuang Boshi said, "The final battle is coming soon, and no one can guarantee that all of us will survive."

"Perfect timing, you should have some loose side quests left."

"Let's return to reality."

"Meet your parents." Zhuang Boshi looked at Saito Hajime and Wang Xia.

"Let's meet some friends." He looked at Zhan Lan and Zheng Zha.

"To accomplish something you've always wanted to do but haven't yet."

"Leave no regrets."

"This expense will be paid by Chu Xuan and me!!"

"That's great!!" Everyone cheered enthusiastically.

The preparations for the competition were incredibly tough; everyone was on edge, and going home was everyone's dream.

Chu Xuan sneered and turned to go back to his room.

“By the way, Chu Xuan, why don’t you come back to the real world with me?” Zhuang Boshi said.

Chu Xuan paused, looked at Zhuang Boshi, and asked, "Why?"

"You left yourself a backup plan?"

Zhuang Boshi said helplessly, "Can't I just let you go back to Longyin for a visit?"

Chu Xuan remained expressionless.

"You can't hide it from me," Zhuang Boshi sighed. "Adam can orchestrate things in reality."

"We also need countermeasures."

"I happened to save a few seeds."

“I think you might be interested in one of them.”

"Genetically modified humans from the Zhao family?" A glint of light flashed in Chu Xuan's glasses.

"understood."

"It's better to choose a day than to hit it."

Bosch looked at everyone.

"Bring some local specialties."

"Leave no regrets."

"lets go."
-
The autumn sun in Hangzhou carried a touch of warmth, filtering through the pine and cypress branches of Qingshan Lake Cemetery and casting glimpses of gold onto Zhan Lan.

Zhan Lan stood in front of her grandmother's grave, holding a pot of evergreen plants.

She knelt down and gently placed the evergreen plant on the base of the tombstone, her fingertips brushing across the cold stone surface before landing on her grandmother's portrait.

The old woman in the photo has a kind face, exactly like the way she used to peek out from the kitchen every time she came home from school.

"Grandma, I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you for so long." Her voice was very soft.

"Because, I went to a very strange place."

"We're temporarily stuck there."

The wind rustled through the pine needles.

Zhan Lan smiled, her eyes shimmering with a gentle light: "But don't worry, I've met a group of wonderful friends..."

"Although Zheng Zha is not romantic, he is a very reliable man."

"Although Bosch is very strict, I am able to get to where I am today because of him."

"Zhang Jie has a dark side, but at least he didn't do much harm to me."

"Chu Xuan is very capable and intelligent."

"Oh right, and Sister Ming too..."

She talked on and on, just like when she was a child and would sit on her grandmother's lap telling her funny stories from school.

It wasn't until the sun was directly overhead that Zhan Lan sighed softly, "I really hope I can come to see you again this time next year."

I'll be going now.

She walked down a dozen or so stone steps and stopped in front of a newer tombstone.

The Tomb of Zheng Wei.

Zhan Lan squatted down and gently touched the name on the tombstone with her fingertips: "Avi, this should be the first time I've come to see you."

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't accept it at all in the period right after you passed away."

"Later, we entered a strange place."

She smiled, a hint of relieved melancholy in her expression: "I'm afraid I can't make it onto the path of a writer."

"Thank you very much though."

She recalled when she first met Zheng Wei.

He said, "There is light in your words, please don't be disappointed in the world."

But Zheng Wei's later experiences made her completely disillusioned with reality.

Good people don't always get rewarded.

She took a neatly folded newspaper out of her bag and gently placed it in front of the tombstone.

The newspaper's edges were slightly curled, but the headline on the front page remained eye-catching.

[Case of Good Samaritan Who Was Falsely Accused After Saving Lives Overturned; All Those Involved Apprehended]

Next to it is Zheng Wei's stubborn smile from back then.

"You don't need to worry," Zhan Lan said gently.

"All those who framed you have been caught."

Although, they achieved a just result through unjust means.

But having been in the God's Space for so long, she also understands that sometimes the result is the most important thing.

She took a soft breath, smoothed out the newspaper, and positioned Zheng Wei's photo facing the sunlight.

"You're right, you must believe in the light."

"Now, Ultraman has arrived."

An unnamed island in the South Pacific Ocean.

Daisakura Kong erected a blank monument in the same spot.

Sakura Sora stood to the side with a strange expression.

Strictly speaking, this is where she was born.

Zhao Ruikong sat on the tree trunk, swinging her legs listlessly.

She is the culprit.

"Why not write your name?" Zhuang Boshi asked.

Daisakura Sora said in a complicated tone, "They are all rootless duckweed."

"The name is just a code name given to them by the Zhao family."

"We are not in control of our birth, nor can we control our death."

"As long as I remember them, that's enough."

“That makes sense.” Zhuang Boshi looked around.

It's very quiet here. It's hard to believe that the Zhao family once nurtured several fourth-tier powerhouses here who were capable of overturning the world.

Let them fish here.

What a waste!

"Let's go! Let's go!" Zhao Ruikong shouted loudly.

The longer she stayed, the more awkward she felt.

Especially as a spiritual being, she could also sense the resentment and killing intent from the great battle.

"You brat!" Daisakura glared at her.

"Okay, let's go."

..............................

Hundreds of miles away in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, Zhu Wen looked at the tomb that the county government had built like a palace and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Those Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, the Three Powers and Four Symbols, were thrown up on top of everything for free.

The mountain of offerings was too much to bear to look at.

“Grandma, before you died you were just a fortune teller,” Zhu Wen said helplessly.

"How did he become a famous folklorist after his death?"

"I never imagined that you would become rich and powerful after my death."

She turned her head and saw the villagers with fawning expressions.

Once upon a time, they regarded Zhu Wen as a jinx; now, they regard her as a celestial star of literature.

He is a vice dean of a prestigious 985 humanities college, a folklore scholar who has published numerous papers without ever writing a book, an honorary academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and an international expert on traditional culture.

One person single-handedly brought in tens of millions of yuan, a veritable treasure trove for the village.

Zhu Wen.

There are now countless people claiming to be her maternal grandmother's disciples.

Many children even wear white contact lenses, which is said to be an ominous sign from heaven.

"uncle and auntie."

The penthouse suite at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Zheng Zha gave Luo Li's parents a very warm hug.

Although they have been living well recently, entering such a high-end place is a bit stressful for both Zheng Zha's parents and Luo Li's parents.

Lori snuggled up to her mother, talking about some private things.

Although they had seen their daughter.

However, it had been more than a year since their last meeting, and afterwards, there was an incident where relevant departments invited them for tea.

The four elderly people were constantly anxious and almost fell ill, but fortunately, Zhuang Boshi came back last time and relieved their pressure.

However, Zheng Zha's changes drew the attention of the four people on several occasions.

There's no other reason than that Zheng Zha has already entered the demigod enhancement stage, and has also fused with a large number of high-level vampire genes. In particular, he has also achieved the Golden Core, and he has undergone earth-shattering changes.

The change in appearance is a minor matter; he simply went from a handsome guy to a super handsome guy. But the fundamental improvement created a chasm between him and ordinary people.

The four elders looked at him as if he were a god.

The mountains stand tall.

If Zheng Zha hadn't tried his best to suppress his genes, the mere leakage of pheromones would probably have made people unable to control themselves and kneel down.

"Xiao Zheng, what exactly are you doing?" Luo Li's father asked cautiously. "Can you bring Li'er back to life?"

Zheng Zha's father also said, "Could we submit a report to the leadership first?"

"Let Lily come back first. She's only a teenager. What help can she possibly be?"

"Your mother and I are really not at ease at all."

“This won’t do.” Zheng Zha scratched the back of his head.

He also wanted to free Lori as soon as possible.

However, the life of the one who creates humans is bound to the one who reincarnates, and there is no way to redeem oneself and create humans independently.

“Yes, yes,” Lori immediately replied.

"I don't want to be separated from Da... Zheng Zha!"

Now that her home has been raided, if she really goes back to her hometown to take care of her parents, she will become a wife who has shared hardship and poverty.

Mr. Zheng said in a low voice, "Son, give your dad a heads-up."

"What dangerous things are you doing?"

"Lily is so young, yet she is already a deputy general manager on secondment at a state-owned enterprise."

“Those government officials come to our house every few days.”

“Even national-level scientists don’t receive this treatment.”

The parents looked worried; they couldn't sleep every night because they were so anxious about the income on their bank card.

Rich, high status, ordinary person.

It is impossible for all three conditions to be met at the same time.

Zheng Zha didn't know how to explain it either.

"Alright, Uncle and Aunt, let's eat." Luo Li immediately came to the rescue.

Just then, there was a knock.

There was a knock on the door.

Zheng Zha was puzzled; who would come over at a time like this?

"Please come in."

next moment.

His pupils shrank suddenly.

Wearing a haute couture gown, Zhan Lan, exuding a goddess-like aura, swayed gracefully as she entered.

Her art style is completely different from that of the other people dressed in casual clothes.

"Huh?" Zheng Zha was dumbfounded.

"Ah!?" Mr. and Mrs. Zheng were also surprised.

"You!!" Lori was fired up; admitting defeat in the God Space wasn't enough.

You actually chased us into the real world.

Is the next step going to make me humble and subservient?!

"Uncle and Aunt, I am Zhan Lan," Zhan Lan said with a smile.

His enhanced aura, top-tier spirit race appearance, and the approachable aura inherent in spiritual beings left Zheng's parents speechless.

Zheng Zha was stunned. He looked around and felt like the sky had fallen.

........................

The tall Wang Xia stood on the hillside, watching his parents tending their small plot of land in the fields.

"What, aren't you going down?" His comrade patted his waist.

"No, thank you," Wang Xia sighed.

"I've changed so much."

“My parents are honest farmers, and this change in me would terrify them.”

Wang Xia was over three meters tall, with arms as thick as other people's waists. Apart from his face, which still retained some of his original features, he was completely unrecognizable.

His comrade said with some envy, "I really envy you, being able to obtain extraordinary power."

Wang Xia smiled wryly: "Everything comes at a price."

"I was just very lucky."

"I met a group of kind-hearted friends."

"Most people are stuck in that place and never have the chance to come back."

Jiaodian Town, Shandong Province.

No, the former Jiaodian Town has now been renamed Qijia Town.

Saito stood at the door, gazing at the old house, his steps feeling like lead.

The white walls were freshly painted and gleamed, the windows were replaced with brand-new aluminum alloy ones, and even the dirt path at the entrance of the courtyard was replaced with a stone slab path.

The whole house exudes a fresh and vibrant energy, completely different from the dilapidated old house I remembered.

But he recognized it at a glance.

Because above the door, the gilded plaque commemorating the top scorer in the college entrance examination still hangs there, its edges stained black by wind and rain, yet it remains upright, like a silent landmark, just as it was on the day he left home.

That day, he was arrested and imprisoned, his reputation and job ruined.

Now, he has achieved a level of fame and status that he never dared to dream of before.

But none of that mattered to him.

More than a year.

He had struggled through countless reincarnations, witnessing blood and fire, and had never been so panicked, not even when facing demons or gods.

But as I gaze at that door, my heart pounds like a war drum.

How are your parents' health?
What would they think if they saw their son who had been missing for more than a year?
How should I explain this to myself?

For the first time, he experienced the weight of the phrase "feeling timid as he nears home."

My chest felt tight and suffocated; I felt as if all the strength to lift my hand and push the door had been drained away.

Just then, with a creak, the wooden door was pulled open from the inside.

Qi Enze was wearing a faded white shirt with his trousers rolled up to his knees, and he was holding a rake in his hand. It looked like he was going to the backyard to tend to the vegetable patch.

He was in good spirits; his once gray hair was now almost completely black, and he even looked full of energy, like a young man in his twenties.

The moment their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

Qi Enze's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils initially filled with confusion, then bursting with disbelief.

The rake in his hand fell onto the bluestone slab with a clang.

He stood there inside the door, his lips moved as if a thousand words were about to flow out, but he didn't utter a single word. Only the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes twitched slightly.

Saito Hajime felt a sudden pang of sadness as he looked at his father, who was frozen in place.

He twitched his lips, trying to laugh, but found his cheek muscles stiff, and in the end, he could only manage to squeeze out a sentence from his throat:
"Dad, I'm back."

.....................

In the Southeast Asian afternoon, the scorching sun makes the air tremble.

The burned-down villa is now nothing but charred broken beams and overgrown weeds. This place, once a symbol of death, has now become a paradise for birds and animals.

At midnight, standing at the edge of the villa, he used his crimson flames to dissolve the ruins and carefully carried out the three skeletons.

The skeletons of two adults were so badly damaged that they were unrecognizable.

The skeleton of the twelve or thirteen-year-old boy was even more slender and scattered, clearly indicating that it had been damaged by the explosion.

After piecing the remains together, he placed them side by side next to the pit he had dug earlier.

At midnight, he filled the hole with soil shovel by shovel, dust settling on his eyelashes, yet he rarely even blinked.

When the pit was filled in, a small mound rose slightly from the ground.

He took out the tombstone; there were no words carved on the bluish-gray stone surface, only three simple symbols that he had drawn with his dagger.

The silhouette of a woman, the smiling face of a boy, and a crooked shadow.

The moment the tombstone was firmly erected, his shoulder trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Mother……"

The sigh was so soft it was carried away by the sea breeze, leaving only a bitter taste on the lips.

He recalled the pain of his father being killed by his enemies when he was a child, and the hatred he felt when he first discovered that his mother had been taken by his father's killer.

The smile she gave her enemy deeply pierced Lingdian's heart at that moment.

How can she be so happy?!
How can she be so at ease!

That's the culprit who destroyed their family!

But at this moment, that hatred is like ashes buried in the soil, scattered by the wind.

"I don't hate you anymore."

He crouched down, his fingertips tracing the boy's symbol on the tombstone.

"younger brother."

"sorry."

"I'm the one who's disturbed your life."

He raised his hand, and the essential enhancement brought by his vampire marquis bloodline made his hand appear very delicate and translucent, unlike that of an assassin who had been handling guns for many years.

These hands, steady as a rock when pulling the trigger, have sniped countless targets, but have also been stained with the blood of loved ones.

The dazzling light representing the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception in his eyes appeared uncontrollably.

He kind of understood.

This is the essence of death.

A final farewell.

.....................

Extraordinary Archery School.

This is an archery hall managed by the local government under the management of Ming Bufan, which aims to train new archers and form a national archery talent pool, hoping to shake South Korea's dominance in archery within five years.

Although to a large extent this was a helpless move by the local government to appease this powerful figure, Ming Bufan still really enjoyed the job.

He devoted all his energy to raising his children, and even gave up his drinking and rage, becoming much kinder and gentler.

He came to the archery range because someone informed him that a high-ranking leader from the capital was coming to conduct research.

He rushed over immediately, willing to do many things he previously disdained, as long as it could elevate the status of archery in the sports world.

once Upon a time.

He lost his reputation.

They lost their family.

They lost their daughter.

I've lost everything.

Things are different now. His daughter is the deputy director of the National Archery Center, and many old friends he hadn't contacted for over a decade have come to visit him, almost in an endless stream.

However, the moment he stepped into the archery range, he froze on the spot.

He opened his mouth for a long time before finally muttering two words in a low voice.

"Xiaowei..."

Whoosh whoosh—

Ming Yanwei closed her eyes and fired twenty arrows in succession.

The arrows hit the twenty targets that were irregularly placed in the shooting range almost simultaneously.

She turned around and looked calmly at Ming Bufan.

"Coach Ming, this archery school is quite well done."

Ming Bufan stood still, his back suddenly hunching over.

He ran up to her quickly, but slowed down when he was only five steps away.

"You...you're back?"

He looked at his daughter, his lips trembling, his throat feeling like it was filled with burning coals.

The words that had been building up for countless days and nights—about longing, about regret, about pain—were all stuck on the tip of his tongue, making his eyes sting with tears.

In the end, he could only manage a choked sob: "Are you... alright?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his knees suddenly buckled, and if he hadn't grabbed the wall for support, he probably would have fallen.

Ming Yanwei looked at her father, and a smile slowly bloomed on her face.

The smile was gentle, unlike the sharp edge it displayed in the cycle of reincarnation.

The hard shell of that female warrior finally cracked open at this moment.

"Fortunately."

These two words, like a key, unlocked Ming Bufan's taut string.

puff-

He could no longer hold on and collapsed heavily onto the cold floor, clutching his hair tightly with both hands. Tears streamed down his face without warning, splashing onto the ground and leaving a small, dark, wet stain.

"I'm sorry, Xiaowei!!" His voice was mixed with suppressed sobs.

"Sorry……"

"It's my fault for not protecting you! It's all my fault for being a useless father!"

He suddenly looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on his daughter, filled with a surging guilt that seemed to drown him.

"I shouldn't have forced you to learn archery, and I shouldn't have abandoned you!"

"I should protect you!!"

"How much suffering you've endured..."

His voice grew softer and softer until it finally broke into a desperate wail.

"sorry--!!"

Ming Yanwei watched her father cry like a child. The wound that had scabbed over in the cycle of reincarnation seemed to be gently touched at this moment, but it no longer hurt.

She finally let go of everything.

Regarding the past, and regarding oneself.

For Zhang Heng, and for his father.

For everything.

She bent down, half-knelt on the ground, reached out, and gently put her arm around her father's trembling shoulders.

"It's fine."

Her voice was soft, with a soothing quality.

"dad."

"It's passed."

(End of this chapter)