Zongman: The post-2D era

"We cannot control the Divine Pillar. The world is heading towards doomsday, but we can delay this process."

After saying that, Meteora led Feng Feng to the end of the Imperial God Pillar. In the colorful light flowing on the pillar, ancient runes could be vaguely seen leaping. They seemed to come alive, resonating with the golden flames, and releasing an ancient and powerful power.

As they approached, the space around them seemed to tremble, and an indescribable energy fluctuation filled the air.

The moment the golden flame touched the colorful ground, it turned into starlight and merged into the earth. The ground seemed to be given life, with hints of green showing through the tiny cracks, as if it was a sign of the revival of all things.

Feng Feng could feel a warm and vital force rising from the soles of his feet and flowing through his body, gradually dissipating the fear and uneasiness in his heart, and being replaced by an unprecedented warmth.

"This is different from the golden flames in Burning Autumn Moon Plain. Why?"

Meteora and Feng Feng stood at the edge of the colorful cliff, and the scene before them was breathtaking.

The red and black intertwined vision of the sun is like the casual brushstrokes of the wildest painter in the world. The fall of each tongue of flame is accompanied by a deafening roar, like a roar from the depths of the universe.

The moment the golden flame touched the divine pillar, it burst into dazzling light. The colorful halo and the golden flame intertwined and entangled to form gorgeous bands of light that danced slowly in the air, just like the gods in ancient legends weaving a web of fate.

Under the Imperial God Pillar, the golden flames gathered into trickles. They did not simply flow, but leaped with a strange rhythm. Every time they touched the ground, they stirred up circles of energy ripples visible to the naked eye, spreading in all directions. Wherever they reached, even the air seemed to be given life and trembled slightly.

The surrounding scene began to become blurred, as if the whole world was pulled by this force into a whole new dimension.

Feng Feng could clearly feel that this force contained endless hope and the power of rebirth. It was not only a weapon against doomsday, but also a beacon leading all things towards rebirth.

Meteora held the Sage's Book tightly, his fingertips touching every page of the ancient and yellowed paper, as if he was having a conversation with time.

As her mind moved, the magic runes dancing between the pages suddenly lit up and turned into starlight, surrounding her.

These starlights gradually gathered together, weaving into a pair of dazzling white angel wings, which flapped gently, releasing a soft and solemn guardian holy light, shrouding the entire Meteora in a holy glow.

"This is the consequence of my failed experiment. I should end it."

She took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with determination and hope, and she lightly tapped the ground with her feet. She then soared into the air as if lifted by an invisible force, flying towards the red and black, violent and unruly sun.

The white wings drew graceful arcs in the air, and every flap was accompanied by a surge of holy power, as if it could purify all the filth and despair in the world.

Meteora was speeding through the sky, and the red and black sun was like a huge mouth, wanting to swallow everything.

She turned her head and cast a firm glance at Feng Feng who was looking up below. Her voice pierced through the wind, clear and decisive:

"I will sacrifice myself and use the power of the Sage's Book to guide this out-of-control golden flame back on track, making it a force of protection rather than destruction."

After saying this, Meteora's eyes became more determined. She slowly spread her hands, and the Sage's Book automatically opened in the air. Every page was shining with bright light, which complemented the starlight surrounding her.

As her body accelerated, she rushed straight to the most violent core of the sun - the sunspot area. The surrounding space seemed to be torn apart, and the boundary between light and darkness became blurred.

Feng Feng stood where he was, his eyes fixed on the raging red and black vortex. His heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, and every beat was accompanied by severe pain.

Sunspots are like the most greedy beasts in the universe, ruthlessly devouring all the light and hope around them.

His eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the raging sea of ​​fire. He tried to find Meteora in the chaos, but he could see nothing except the dazzling light and endless darkness.

The wind whistled past his ears, carrying with it a feeling of heat and uneasiness, but it could not blow away the persistence and worry in his heart.

Feng Feng's fingers clenched into fists unconsciously, his nails digging deeply into his palms, but he felt no pain at all.

He looked up at the sky. At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Everything around him became unimportant. Only the safety of Meteora became his only concern.

"You want to be the sun god? God is tied to the cross, and the sun god throws himself into the sun, burning himself to illuminate the century?"

A strange blue light suddenly burst out from the palm of Feng Feng's hand. It was the unique energy fluctuation of the two-dimensional foil. At this critical moment, he activated it without hesitation.

"How long can you delay? You are just a plum tree, you will be burned to charcoal and ashes! And I am a diamond, I can withstand burning!!"

At this moment, the space seemed to be kneaded by invisible hands, and the distorted ripples spread rapidly with him as the center.

He closed his eyes lightly, silently repeating "exchange" in his heart. It was a contract beyond common sense that closely linked the fate of the two people at this moment.

As a feeling of dizziness came over him, Feng Feng felt that everything around him was spinning and collapsing, followed by indescribable heat and light, as if the power of the entire universe was gathering on him at this moment.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the violent red and black vortex. The sunspots were like ferocious beasts, opening their bloody mouths in an attempt to devour him.

The flames and darkness intertwined into an impenetrable net that bound him tightly.

“Is this what the sun looks like?”

Feng Feng could feel the stinging pain on his skin, which was the fire of the sun burning every inch of his skin. However, there was no retreat in his eyes, only a firm protection for the safety of Meteora.

On the edge of chaos and destruction, he seemed to have transformed into a guardian messenger, ready to face the battle of his own destiny.

"Meteora..."

After experiencing the heroic battle with sunspots, Meteora seemed to have traveled through the cracks of time and space and quietly returned to the familiar and peaceful Wanli Library.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines through the stained glass windows and onto the dusty bookshelves, covering this ancient palace of knowledge with a layer of warm golden gauze.

She was alone, moving lightly among the sea of ​​books, and every step seemed to be searching for some lost peace.

Time passed, the golden flame of the sun gradually disappeared, and one day it no longer fell on the earth.

When Meteora turned to the last page of the 8,000th book, an ancient book with a slightly mottled cover but still exuding a faint scent of ink, an indescribable sense of relief surged in her heart.

"You succeeded. God was resurrected after carrying the cross. You plunged into the sun on my behalf, mastered the golden flame, and became the sun god."

She slowly closed the book, stood up, and her eyes passed through the layers of bookshelves, finally stopping at the small door leading to the outside world.

"I am alone at the sacred pillar at the end of time and space. It's so lonely."

A ray of light from the outside world shone through the crack in the door, interweaving with the dim light in the library to create a quiet picture.

At the door, Chikushiin Shinken, with wounds all over his body and blood on his clothes, pushed open the door.

Chapter 786: The Golden Flame Era of the Creator

Wednesday, August 31

"Makan, are you the only one here? Where's Bonnie?"

Meteora walked lightly towards the door through which the faint light shone. Each step seemed to be on the vein of time, light yet heavy.

She stretched out her hand and gently touched the cold door handle with her fingertips, as if she could feel the pulse and hustle and bustle of the world outside the door, which formed a sharp contrast with the tranquility of the library.

The door slowly opened, and a fresh and slightly cool air blew over my face, mixed with the fragrance of flowers and plants outside and the whispers of the city in the distance.

She stood at the door, and did not take a step immediately, but let her eyes pass through the door first to capture the long-lost scenery——

The streets under the setting sun, the people hurrying home, and the faint sunset glow in the distant sky, like gentle hands, gently smoothed the waves in her heart.

Finally, Meteora took a deep breath, stepped out of the door resolutely, and embarked on a new journey that belonged to her.

Zhenjian followed closely behind Meteora, and the two of them stretched out in the afterglow of the setting sun, interweaving a warm picture. Zhenjian's tone was a bit mysterious and emotional:

"Look, Meteora, this is the world of the 700th year of the Golden Flame Calendar. Time here seems to have been given form, and every ray of light is a witness to history."

"We encountered a time turbulence at the Imperial God Pillar, which brought us to the end of this era, a point of intersection that is both familiar and unfamiliar."

She pointed to a pedestrian holding a retro camera not far away. The person was concentrating on capturing the silhouette of the city under the sunset. Fragments of the old times seemed to be glimpsed in the lens.

"You see, people still retain their love and records of life. Although times change, the pursuit of beauty remains unchanged."

Zhenjian's words contain nostalgia for the past and expectations for the future. The two continued to stroll, and the hustle and bustle around them gradually faded away, leaving only the unique tranquility and harmony between them and the city.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, an old bus slowly drove into the station. The body of the bus was mottled, but it revealed the calmness of time.

As the vehicle came to a steady stop, a wisp of golden flame gently spit out from the exhaust pipe at the rear of the vehicle. The flame was not as turbid as ordinary exhaust gas. Instead, it appeared particularly dazzling under the reflection of the setting sun, as if it contained some kind of mysterious power.

The golden exhaust slowly dispersed in the air, forming a sharp contrast with the gradually darkening sky around it, adding an incredible touch of color to this ordinary scene.

Meteora was deeply attracted by this strange sight. She gently tugged at Zhenjian's sleeve and pointed at the golden tail flame, her eyes flashing with curiosity and confusion:

"Zhenjian, look at the exhaust gas from that bus, why is it golden? In this era, has even technology been tainted with the magic of golden flames?"

Although her voice was soft, it was particularly clear in this quiet evening, carrying a hint of desire to explore the unknown.

A sly smile flashed across Zhenjian's eyes, and then she looked solemn again. She looked at the gradually dissipating golden flames and said slowly:

"In this era of the Golden Flame Calendar, gold is not only a mark of time, but also the crystallization of nature and human wisdom."

"The golden exhaust you see is actually the light released after the residue of the burning golden flame reacts with a special catalyst. People call it the gift left by the sun god in the world, symbolizing energy and prosperity. But..."

Having said this, she sighed softly, her eyes penetrating the hustle and bustle in front of her, as if she saw a more distant future.

"Since last month, the golden flames that once lit up the night sky have disappeared. Under the city's skyline, there are no more golden tails cutting through the twilight. Instead, there is a quieter and colder night."

"People began to discuss, saying that this was a warning from the sun god to human greed, or that this was another change in the laws of nature. But I had a vague feeling that behind all this, perhaps you and Feng Feng were hiding."

"What did you do with him back then?"

Meteora's gaze gradually became deeper and deeper, as if penetrating the scenery before him and reaching the depths of the unreachable universe.

The last rays of the setting sun shone on her face, casting a golden glow on her resolute features.

"Did he really become the sun god? That's great!"

The corners of her mouth curled up into a faint smile, which showed both relief for past failures and longing for future possibilities.

"Sun God, maybe you are really tired,"

She whispered softly, and although her voice was light, it seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and space, resonating with some ancient and mysterious power in the universe.

"Your light was once a testament to our efforts to save the world, but it also witnessed the rise and fall of civilization after the apocalypse."

“Now, although your light is dim, it reminds us in another way that it is time to let nature and technology coexist harmoniously instead of blindly controlling them.”

Meteora's thoughts were gently blown away by a gentle breeze, and she seemed to be on the edge of a crack in another time and space.

Before our eyes, the neon lights of the city and the afterglow of the setting sun interweave into a dreamy background painting, and in the intersection of light and shadow, a huge holographic screen suddenly lights up, attracting everyone's attention.

On the screen, the light gathered into a dazzling sea of ​​stars, and then slowly unfolded a series of familiar pictures -

That is the fantasy world of "Sword Art Online: Occurrence", with towering castles, winding rivers, and those brave adventurers fighting side by side.

As the images flowed, a warm and firm voice sounded. It was Asuna. She stood at the boundary where virtuality and reality intertwined, with a gleam of gratitude in her eyes, and announced to the world:

“Thank you to every player. It is your courage and persistence that have allowed this world to be reborn. Every challenge has witnessed the indomitable spirit of mankind and the power of love.”

Meteora's mind was gently drawn back to reality by Asuna's words, but in a moment, the scene before his eyes subtly changed again.

In the interweaving of the afterglow of the setting sun and the brilliance of the holographic screen, a blurry figure gradually became clear, as if slowly walking towards us from another dimension.

That was Feng Feng. He was wearing the academy’s unique uniform, his collar fluttering gently in the wind, with a familiar and warm smile on his face.

He stood in front of Meteora, and everything around him seemed to be still, even the air was filled with a faint sense of parting.

Feng Feng's eyes were filled with reluctance, but also with expectations for the future. "Meteora, I should go back to the academy."

His voice was low and gentle, like a wind chime coming from afar, gently tapping on the lake of the heart, causing ripples.