All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

In the endless void, the deathly silence was completely shattered by a fierce argument.

Several blurry figures hovered in the darkness, the gray mist around them surging wildly due to the intense fluctuations in their emotions. The originally concealed aura became chaotic, and even tiny fragments of energy spilled out of the gray mist and dissipated into nothingness.

The invisible light screen in front of them clearly reflected the scene of the Star Sea World—beside the recovery warehouse, Ye Fan and the others looked solemn, and the sacrificial aura around Ning Shuang gradually intensified; everything was at the most critical moment.

A hesitant and worried voice rang out first, its tone full of uncertainty, even trembling slightly:

"Will this really work?"

Before he could finish speaking, another cold and impatient voice interrupted him, filled with undisguised impatience. Amidst the swirling gray mist, a tense figure could be vaguely seen:

"What else can we do? Wei Yu's cultivation level is improving too slowly. He's been stuck at the peak of the Shattered Star Realm for so long, he simply can't keep up with the schedule!"

"But..." the hesitant voice rang out again, this time with even greater hesitation, "But wouldn't doing this be too risky? And, Xueyang, he..."

"What's there to 'but' about!" The icy voice suddenly rose in pitch, carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Some rules cannot be crossed, and Xueyang's death is irreversible! This is the bottom line, and the prerequisite for our plan to continue. No one can break it!"

"But it's true..."

"Truth what?" The icy voice interrupted again, the anger in its tone almost bursting through the gray mist's restraints.

"Tell them the truth: Xueyang is dead? Tell them the truth: all their memories of Xia Gui are fabricated by us? Are they illusions forcibly pieced together using fragments of Xueyang's soul?"

His voice carried a chilling sarcasm, along with a barely perceptible hint of heaviness:

"And then what? Let that girl—Ning Shuang—know that the 'Xia Gui' she tried so hard to save was actually another being that didn't need saving? Let her willingly sacrifice herself just so Wei Yu could break through to the Shattered Realm? Let her sacrifice her soul and life in vain for the sake of so-called 'all transmigrators'?"

A brief silence fell over the void, with only the heavy breathing of a few figures echoing slowly in the darkness.

Beneath the gray fog, everyone's eyes held a complex mix of emotions: guilt, resolve, resentment, and a hint of unspeakable helplessness.

A moment later, a slightly impatient voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of suggestion:

"We can do it ourselves! There's no need to sacrifice that girl. We can join forces and forcefully help Wei Yu break through to the Shattered Realm. Even if it comes at a price, it's better than sacrificing an innocent girl!"

"Do it yourself?" A cold voice scoffed, its tone full of mockery and helplessness.

"Look at Ye Fan! He's dead! He only gambled on a tiny possibility, moving that insignificant node in the river of time, trying to salvage something, but he still touched Wei Yu's karma, ending up with his soul scattered!"

These words struck the hearts of every figure like a heavy hammer, plunging the void into deathly silence once more, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Another gentle yet slightly melancholic voice slowly rang out, its tone filled with both感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing regret, sorrow, and apprehension):

"Yes, it's not always that lucky. Ye Fan was too impatient and too naive. He thought he could control cause and effect, but he didn't know that once the power of cause and effect is touched, there is no going back."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly serious:

"He merely made a minor adjustment to a tiny node related to Wei Yu in the river of time and space, without touching the core rules, yet he was still devoured by cause and effect, his soul scattered, leaving not even a trace of his soul behind."

"If we forcefully intervene and help Wei Yu break through, we will only touch upon deeper rules. At that time, not only us, but the entire plan, and even all the transmigrators, may be devoured by the power of cause and effect and completely destroyed!"

"We must be cautious whenever sentries are involved!" The icy voice rang out again, its resolve unwavering.

"Wei Yu is the only sentinel we've chosen, the only hope for the time travelers to return home. We can't take the risk, we can't afford to gamble!"

"Sacrificing Ning Shuang in exchange for Wei Yu's breakthrough to the Shattered Realm, and for a glimmer of hope for all the transmigrators—it's a worthwhile sacrifice!"

"I said..." A voice that had been suppressed for a long time finally rang out, carrying a hint of impatience, wanting to explain something.

"Don't say it!" A cold voice immediately interrupted him, its tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation.

"Me!" The voice was completely enraged, its anger almost bursting forth. The gray mist surged violently, and its form became somewhat unstable.

"Don't leave me!"

"Damn it! Can't a person even speak?!" The interrupted figure finally couldn't hold back any longer and roared, his tone full of frustration and anger.

"Do you think I'd willingly sacrifice that girl? I just feel there are other ways; there's no need to go this far! You keep interrupting me, never giving me a chance to speak!"

"Don't lean on me!" The cold voice remained firm, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Now is not the time for arguments. The plan has reached its most critical moment. We cannot afford any mistakes, nor can we afford any hesitation!"

"Damn it!" The interrupted figure trembled with rage, unable to hold back his curses, his voice brimming with suppressed frustration and anger.

"You're a madman, you're completely unreasonable!"

"No way! That's against the rules!" a cold voice immediately retorted, its tone stern.

"Our plan allows no deviations or emotional reactions! Either we follow the plan, or we all join the transmigrators in their demise!"

The dispute reached a stalemate again, with several blurry figures facing each other, their gray mists intertwined, and the smell of gunpowder in the air growing stronger.

They all understood that their goal was to ensure the success of the plan and to help the transmigrators find their way home. However, they had completely different opinions on whether or not to sacrifice Ning Shuang.

But no one noticed that on the light screen, the situation in the Star Sea World had entered its most critical moment, and the rescue operation of Ye Fan and others was about to reach its final result.

Their argument and hesitation have already wasted some time, and if the stalemate continues, an irreversible situation may arise.

Finally, that cold voice rang out again, its tone carrying a hint of compromise, yet still resolute:

"Alright, stop arguing! We're running out of time. The Star Sea World is already at the final stage."

"According to plan, we will intervene to stop their rescue efforts, force Ning Shuang to sacrifice herself, and help Wei Yu break through to the Shattered Realm! This is the only way, and our only choice!"

The other figures remained silent for a moment, and finally, they slowly nodded.

They knew the cold voice was right; they had no way out and couldn't afford to gamble. They could only continue according to the plan, even if they felt guilty and resentful.

"Okay, let's proceed according to plan."

"Hopefully... we did the right thing."

Several voices slowly rose, their tones filled with helplessness and guilt.

Immediately, several figures raised their hands at the same time. As the gray mist surged, an invisible force quietly condensed and rapidly spread towards the starry world within the light screen—they were going to intervene, disrupt Ye Fan and the others' rescue plan, and force Ning Shuang to sacrifice herself.

The void returned to deathly silence, with only the heavy breathing of a few figures and the faint sound of that invisible force spreading.

They stared intently at the light screen, their eyes filled with complex emotions, awaiting the outcome of the intervention and the next step in the plan.

Meanwhile, inside the secret base in the Star Sea World, the atmosphere was extremely tense, with every second filled with torment and anticipation.

Inside the base, everything remained pristine white, and the subtle sounds of the instruments operating were exceptionally clear in the silent space.

The air was filled with the rich scent of energy liquid, along with a faint, lingering aroma of sacrifice, all intertwined to create a sense of unease.

In the central transparent recovery chamber, pale blue energy liquid surged violently, rippling out in dense waves, and a soft blue light enveloped almost the entire recovery chamber.

Xia Gui floated in the energy liquid. His originally pale face gradually regained some color. His tightly closed eyes trembled slightly, and his fingertips were slowly moving. The aura of his soul was becoming more and more intense.

Clearly, Ye Fan and the others' treatment has been effective, and Xia Gui is about to wake up.

Wei Yu stood beside the recovery chamber, his hands pressed tightly against its surface, his spiritual energy flowing into it continuously.

His face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked, and his breath was extremely weak, but his eyes were unusually firm as he stared intently at Xia Gui in the recovery chamber, his eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.

His hands trembled slightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, drawing tiny beads of blood. The blood dripped onto the surface of the recovery chamber and was absorbed by the blue light, but he didn't notice it at all.

He had only one thought in his mind: Xia Gui, wake up quickly, you must wake up, we can't let Ning Shuang's sacrifice be in vain, we can't let Ye Fan and the others' efforts go to waste.

Ye Fan, Yue Gui, and Jing Ming remained in the posture of injecting spiritual energy. Their faces were also pale, and most of their spiritual energy had been consumed, causing their auras to become disordered.

But they still didn't give up, and continued to do their best, continuously pouring the last of their spiritual energy into the recovery chamber.

Ye Fan's forehead was covered in cold sweat, which slowly slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground with a soft sound.

His body trembled slightly. Each time he injected spiritual energy, his blood surged, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but he swallowed it back, clenching his teeth tightly, his eyes resolute.

He thought of Xueyang, of the time they fought side by side, of Xueyang's sacrifice, and his conviction grew ever stronger.

"Xueyang, don't worry, I will definitely rescue Xia Gui, I will definitely finish what we didn't finish, I will definitely protect all the transmigrators, and find the way home!"

Yue Gui and Jing Ming were also exhausted, their clothes soaked with sweat, but their eyes remained unwavering as they continued to pour their spiritual energy into their bodies.

They knew that if they could hold on for just one more second, if Xia Gui could wake up, all their efforts would be worthwhile.

He sat blankly at the control panel, his hands rapidly typing on the keyboard, his eyes extremely focused, his brows tightly furrowed, and his forehead covered in cold sweat.

His eyes were fixed on the data on the screen, his tone grave, and he occasionally offered reminders:

"Hold on! Xia Gui's soul has stabilized, and his body is rapidly repairing itself. Just one last infusion of spiritual energy, and he'll wake up!"