Xing Tie: Wait a minute! How come Weng Xing has two saviors?

“The people of your hometown have been saved by us. No one has lost their life in this disaster,” Bai Mo explained first, reassuring Bai Er1.

"Who...who exactly are you?" Bai E's voice trembled slightly.

He gripped a mud-covered hoe tightly, holding it horizontally in front of him, and warily eyed the two people who had suddenly appeared before him.

Bai Er's gaze darted rapidly among the visitors, his heart pounding with a strange fear and an indescribable sense of familiarity.

One of the two men was carrying a grotesque, dark red greatsword, the blade radiating a chilling heat.

The other held a beautifully crafted, silver one-handed greatsword with a cold, gleaming sheen. His expression seemed calm, but his eyes were as deep as an ancient well.

No matter how you look at it, these two people who suddenly appeared at the entrance to the maze, and who bore a striking resemblance to him, were definitely not kind or good-natured individuals.

Bai E's knuckles turned white from exertion. Any normal person would be unable to lower their guard in the face of such a bizarre situation.

However, the two people in front of him seemed to ignore his guard.

Bai E, carrying a silver greatsword, did not look at Bai E1, but stared intently at something at the other's feet—a well-preserved "Savior" card that was different from the one he remembered.

After the boy saw them, he threw down the card that symbolized fate in his hand and picked up a hoe instead.

What was Bai E thinking at that moment? Probably no one could guess.

Bai Mo, who was wielding a dark red greatsword, seemed to be struck by an invisible lightning bolt after explaining to Bai E1.

His gaze passed over the tense Bai Er1 and landed not far behind him.

There, a pink-haired, blue-eyed girl stood gracefully, her hands behind her back, a gentle smile on her face that he knew all too well yet seemed like a distant memory, quietly watching him.

That is... the past ripples of this cycle.

Chapter 171 My child, Mom will always love you.

In the end... it was Bai E who made the first move.

He silently walked forward, ignoring Bai Er's tense body and slightly backward steps, bent down, and carefully picked up the "Savior" card that was covered in dirt.

He gently wiped the stains off the card with his fingertips, then handed it back to the bewildered and puzzled White 1.

“Keep it safe,” Bai Er’s voice was low and hoarse, yet carried an undeniable weight. “Never lose it. Never.”

Just then, the figure that had been standing behind Bai Er stepped forward gracefully.

She tilted her head, smiling as she looked at Bai Mo, whose expression was complicated and who was almost frozen in place, her tone light as if she were greeting a friend:

"I've been imagining our reunion for so long. And now, we've finally met again! Wait, why did I say 'again'? Well, this is probably our first official meeting, isn't it? It's been so long, Camerslana."

That call, that tone, instantly shattered all of Bai Mo's psychological defenses.

His throat felt like it was blocked by something, so dry that he couldn't utter a single clear syllable.

"You...you..." he managed to squeeze out two words, his eyes filled with immense shock, confusion, and a barely perceptible trace of pain.

"You are not her...you just...you just obtained some fragments of Xi Lian's remaining memories...you are not..."

Xi Lian—or rather, the being who possessed Xi Lian's appearance and some of his memories—was not angry at his words.

She gently reached out her hand, her warm fingers wanting to hold Bai Mo's hand, which was somewhat cold from gripping the sword hilt tightly.

But Bai Mo slapped her hand away.

Her smile remained gentle, but her tone betrayed her disappointment and sorrow: "Bai Mo, so this is how you see me? Am I just a stranger who merely possessed Xi Lian's memories?"

"But actually... is there another possibility... that you, the thief, secretly took away a large part of 'someone else's' memories?"

After all… our little Bai Mo’s abilities are sometimes really unreasonable; she can even quietly ‘take away’ and hide memories.”

Bai Mo was completely stunned. His pupils trembled slightly as he stared at the smiling woman in front of him, unable to utter a single word.

The sheer volume of information and the possibilities it contained left his mind in a state of chaos.

Looking at him like this, Xi Lian felt a pang of heartache in her eyes, and her tone became incredibly earnest and gentle:

"Bai Mo. Regardless of whether 'my' memories are complete, regardless of how many fragments are missing... 'My' true self—that heart that wants to stay by your side—has always remained the same, never changing!"

Bai Mo did not respond immediately. He did not know how to answer, so... he chose to temporarily escape.

“Child, you, what are you doing…” Hilonimos looked at Bai E, who was silently helping him tidy up the scattered ancient books, his voice filled with confusion and a hint of barely perceptible unease.

In the room, the once warm air seemed to be slightly distorted by the invisible high temperature emanating from Bai E.

Bai E paused for a moment. He didn't look up, but explained softly, as if afraid of disturbing the last vestiges of tranquility in the house:

"The Secret Pavilion of Elegance has been locked down by the Black Tide. Even the divine power of 'Time' cannot stop it forever. The erosion is happening slowly but surely. We have come... to take you away."

Hilonimos instinctively wanted to step forward and pat him on the shoulder as he would a tired child returning home, but the wave of heat that hit him was like an invisible wall, forcing his gentle concern to retreat.

He could only look at Bai Er—this familiar yet unfamiliar "son"—and open his mouth in vain.

On the other side, Odatta's gaze was as gentle as the moonlight in early summer, firmly enveloping Bai Mo, who was trying to hide himself in the shadows.

That gaze was so clear and so inclusive that it almost melted away all the defenses he had built up.

“Child,” her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable warmth, “can you tell me your name?”

Bai Mo's lips trembled slightly, and his throat tightened.

The truth felt like a boulder lodged in my chest, while the lie seemed so pale and insignificant.

Bai Mo finally took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and uttered a name: "Kammers...Lana..."

Then, he explained the reason to Odatta—Bai'er's mother in this world—as simply as possible.

Concealment is futile; when they arrive in Ohmma, everything will become clear.

He admitted that they came from another Onpharos.

But he still carefully wrapped up the cruelest part, weaving a comforting tale that was almost like a fairy tale:

"There are many Onpharos in this world... We are travelers from the previous one. Our mission is to find a warmer ending for this story, if possible."

Odatta listened quietly, without saying a word for a long time.

Her gaze never left Bai Mo's face; it seemed to pierce through the fog of words and reach the trembling core of his soul.

When she finally spoke, she shattered Bai Mo's feigned composure with just one sentence.

“Then, child,” her voice was still so gentle, yet like the most precise needle, “where has your mother gone now?”

Bai Mo's gaze plummeted to the ground like a kite with a broken string.

“She…” he heard his own voice dry and trembling, “She… has always been in my heart.”

He dared not look up, dared not confirm Odatta's expression at that moment—was it pity, sorrow, or a knowing understanding that he had already seen through everything?

Bai Mo was afraid to see anything like this.

However, what he received was not any questioning, but a very soft sigh, a sigh filled with endless love and pity.

“Oh, I see…” Odatta’s voice seemed to be smiling, yet also brimming with tears. “Then she must be very happy. After all, what mother in the world doesn’t dream of living forever in her child’s heart?”

"..." Bai Mo felt a suffocating silence gripping his throat.

Then he heard a softer, yet deeply imprinted, voice that struck his cold heart directly:

"My child, Mom will always love you."

In an instant, Bai Mo felt his heart being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, the pain almost causing him to spasm.

A surge of intense sorrow rushed to Bai Mo's nose and eyes, almost bursting forth.

But the next moment, the power belonging to the "ocean" began to operate within him, forcibly freezing the tears that were about to fall beneath the invisible depths of the sea, leaving only a cold void.

Chapter 172 Xi Lian, she waited for you for a full eighteen years.

Odatta slowly stood up. She felt she should leave and give this child from afar, who carried a heavy story, some space.

Her gaze finally landed on Xi Lian, who was watching Bai Mo from a few meters away. A glimmer of understanding flashed in her eyes.

She leaned down and, in a voice only Bai Mo could hear, left behind the gentlest of wishes:

"No matter what, child, find some time to have a good talk with Xilian."

"During her years in the Eri's Secret Pavilion, her favorite thing to do was to sit alone on the windowsill of that little attic, quietly gazing at the winding path that led to the outside world."

"She gazed at it for a full eighteen years."

Bai Mo remained silent for a long time before a soft "hmm" sound came from behind.

Only then did this insightful mother smile.

When Bai Mo finally composed himself and raised his head again...

Most of the residents of Ai Li Mi Xie had already packed up and were quietly gathered to one side, waiting for Bai Mo and the others to take them away.

Before leaving, Hilonimos found him. The old father's eyes held a complex expression. It was clear that Odatta had spoken to him.

“Child,” he began carefully, speaking on behalf of all the rescued villagers, “we…don’t know how to thank you and…him.”

“If it weren’t for you, Ai Li Mi Xie and all of us would probably have become food for the Black Tide.”

"Please tell us what you want? As long as Ariel Misha is presentable..."

Bai Mo remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the earnest and sincere expressions on everyone's faces, before finally speaking slowly:

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. We'd like half a bag of flour milled by Aili Mishe, and... a bag of plump wheat seeds. That should be enough."

Hilonimos was stunned, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief.

He didn't think the request was unreasonable; on the contrary, he felt the reward was too meager, so meager that it made him uneasy.

"This...this won't do!" He took a step forward urgently, his voice pleading.

“You saved everything for us! At least, let us prepare honey pancakes, smoked venison, and cellared olive juice for your journey… all of these belong to Ariel Michèle…”

“Really, it’s not necessary.” Bai Mo interrupted him gently but firmly, repeating, “Half a bag of flour and a bag of wheat seeds. That’s enough to remind the children who have left home of the taste of home.”

Looking into Bai Mo's eyes, which seemed to hold countless stories, Hilonimos swallowed back all his words of advice, letting out a long sigh and nodding solemnly.

Before heading to Ohma, Bai Mo took the half-bag of packaged wheat seeds and walked to Bai E, who was standing alone in the distance.

Bai E was quietly watching the center of the crowd—this reincarnated "Bai E" was surrounded by the children of Ai Li Mi Xie, their laughter as clear and melodious as a stream under the sunlight.

Every now and then, childish voices could be heard:

"Brother Bai'e, you look just like those two heroes who saved our village!"

Will Brother Bai'e become a great hero like them in the future?

"Nonsense! Brother Bai'er will definitely be greater than them! He will become a great hero who saves the whole world!"

The children's adoration was pure and fervent, unreservedly placing their best hopes on their familiar playmates.

“He’s really popular, isn’t he? Just like we were back then.” Bai Mo said softly, handing the heavy bag of wheat seeds, which represented life and continuation, to Bai E.

Bai E didn't turn around, nor did he reach out to take it. He simply watched silently as another version of himself was surrounded by sunlight and laughter, the invisible heat emanating from him causing the air to distort slightly.

"I can't answer, Bai Mo." His voice was low.

“My body temperature is too high. This seed that is meant to nurture life will only be slowly dried out and burned in my hands, eventually turning into a handful of lifeless ashes.”

He slowly turned his head, his blue-gold eyes looking at Bai Mo. There was no emotion in them, yet they were heavier than any sorrow.

"Only in your hands can they have the chance to fall into the soil, sprout anew, and grow into new hope."

After Bai Mo and his group stepped out of the Hundred Realms Gate, the scene before them was breathtaking.

Hundreds of years have passed, and Ohma is no longer what it used to be.

Under the eternal light of the Dawn Machine, this holy city has developed into the undisputed heart and jewel of Onphalus—a truly eternal holy city.

The first thing that catches the eye is the towering, almost impossible-to-reach giant city wall.

The outermost defensive fortifications of the city alone are thirty or forty meters high. Standing at their foot and looking up, humans appear like ants, and even the earth beasts seem insignificant in the face of this crystallization of human power.

"This...this is Ohmma?" Bai Er 1 stared wide-eyed, his mouth unconsciously agape.

His gaze passed over the massive city walls and was firmly drawn to the most dazzling spectacle in the city center—a colossal stone statue, as large as a mountain, standing as if supporting the heavens.

On its back lies a light source, as bright as the sun.

The light of dawn machines spread throughout the city, bathing everything in a sacred and warm glow.

However, after the initial shock, his attention was quickly drawn to the clothing of the pedestrians on the street.