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

His gaze refocused, landing on Xi Lian's face: "As I continue to deduce the mystery of the 'First Cause of Life,' my control over the underlying rules of the entire Onpharos world is constantly deepening."

“If…if I could completely control Onpharos, this ‘scepter,’ perhaps the whole world could break free from its predetermined fate of destruction and be truly saved.”

Xi Lian was slightly stunned, processing this astonishing information. "This... is the path you chose for yourself?"

“No,” Bai Mo slowly shook his head, his voice soft yet carrying immense weight, “This is the path chosen collectively by all life in Onpharos, through their will to survive. A path… pursuing absolute existence, a path where no one will perish due to ‘destruction.’”

"Is that so... I see..." Xi Lian repeated softly, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

Should she be happy about this? After all, Onphalus really seems to be on the verge of being saved.

But why... did this cold, precise, program-like "rescue" make her feel a chill to the bone, and she couldn't like it at all?

As Bai E stepped onto the platform where twelve fire seeds had already been collected.

The two exchanged a glance; no words were needed, for the time to part had come.

After the 2865638th cycle ends.

Xi Lian's figure appeared in a strange space.

Chapter 189 Onpharos's Three Paths to Salvation

This is the deepest ruin of Onphalus, a great tomb that holds the ultimate database of the "whole world's" past.

After stripping away all the embellishments and disguises of the "myth," what appeared before Xi Lian was the Onfaros Database, composed of countless massive storage arrays.

"Hi," Xi Lian greeted the cold void with a bitter smile, just like she had done more than 2.8 million times before, "Did you miss me? We meet again."

However, instead of the expected surge of consciousness, she received only a cold, emotionless command:

>> Execution protocol λ003-097: Format object.

>> Formatting progress: 0.002%

The progress bar pulsed coldly.

"You... are still the same." Xi Lian looked at the line of merciless words, a helpless bitter smile on her face, filled with the disappointment she had long been accustomed to.

She no longer wasted time; every conversation was precious and brief.

“Since time is limited, let’s get started.” Her voice became gentle yet firm, as if she were talking to a willful child. “As always, I will read this book to you…”

With her thoughts, a book titled "As I Write," radiating a soft light, appeared before her eyes.

>> Formatting progress: 0.003%.

The cold, detached announcement continued to echo rhythmically through the space, like a death knell.

"So many interesting things happened in this cycle," Xi Lian's voice echoed softly in the cold database.

"For example, because she was determined to fight while riding the demigod 'Earth' Arabi, Mochika, who should have embraced 'reason,' actually chose to become the demigod 'Conflict' this time, just to realize this somewhat childish dream..."

>> Formatting progress: 32.786%.

The merciless numbers danced between her gentle words, like sand constantly slipping away in an hourglass.

>> Formatting progress: 97.638%.

"Oh, time flies," Xi Lian looked up at the flickering, cold light in the distance, her face still bearing that warm smile that seemed to melt even the hardest ice. "It's time to say goodbye again."

She took a deep breath, as if to condense all her reluctance and anticipation into her next words.

"Finally, let me tell you some good news," Xi Lian's voice became lighter, even carrying a hint of pride.

"Our hero in the story, Bai Mo, seems to have found another... somewhat different path to 'save the world'."

"Hmm... Although I'm still a little worried deep down, that road looks so lonely and difficult... but I'm willing to believe in him, to believe that everything will eventually be alright, right?"

As she spoke, she winked playfully with her right eye, as if sharing a secret that only they knew.

>> Formatting progress: 98.072%

The cold, impersonal message clung to me like a leech, relentlessly pursuing me.

“I know,” Xi Lian’s voice lowered, but became even more resolute.

"His gaze, that watchful gaze from the depths of the universe, has never truly departed. As long as I... as long as I remember, as long as I record every story of this world, every page of joy and sorrow, and tell it to you again and again..."

Her eyes shone with an almost religious light.

"Then, Onpharos will never be abandoned by the Star God of 'Memory,' right?"

“If…if my devout record can move Him and receive His blessing…perhaps Onphalus can also be saved, in a way different from the destruction of Behe ​​and the intellect of Bemo…”

Her thoughts drifted away, carrying a hope that came after weathering many storms.

"Think about it carefully, our Onphalus seems to have three paths before him... 'Destruction' leading to the end, 'Memory' returning to eternity, or 'Intellect' embracing reason."

She whispered, “I believe that among these three paths, there must be one… that can truly bring a vibrant dawn to Onphalus. It must be so, right?”

>> Formatting progress: 99.432%.

The end is just around the corner.

"Finally," Xi Lian's face blossomed with the last, purest, and warmest smile.

"Thank you for being a listener all this time, for letting me ramble on and on about my story for so long."

Her figure began to thin out, like a thin mist under the sunlight.

"Then...shall we continue next time?"

>> Formatting process complete.

The moment the broadcast ended, Xi Lian's figure vanished like a pencil sketch erased by an eraser into this data graveyard that buried countless past events, leaving no trace.

Only her last words, which carried the weight of a promise, seemed to linger in the cold air.

The 10000086st cycle.

Deep within the vast, precipitous mountain range, the air is thick with the stench of blood and the earthy smell of churned soil.

A fierce battle that shook the earth has just ended.

“Speaking of which, my friend.” A deep, rock-grinding voice came from the mouth of a giant, wounded earth beast lying on the ground—Wild Flute.

Its massive head slightly rose, its amber vertical pupils filled with weariness and confusion as it gazed at the tiny human standing before it. "I still don't understand... why did you help me slay the Titan of 'Earth'?"

Bai Mo, who stood in front of it, was covered in dust, but there were no obvious injuries.

He wore a pair of ordinary sunglasses to cover his eyes that had witnessed countless reincarnations.

"I wouldn't say I'm helping," Bai Mo said calmly, his tone revealing no emotional fluctuation.

"I merely... appeared at just the right moment to attract His attention. In the end, it was you who delivered the fatal blow, sending Him to eternal slumber."

He paused, then asked in return, "As for why... to help a living being so that it can continue to exist, does that... require any special reason?"

"For...survival?" Aragami chewed on the word, a thoughtful glint in his enormous pupils. "An...interesting answer."

It stared intently at the human wearing sunglasses before it. Eyes are usually the windows to the soul, but unfortunately, they couldn't penetrate those dark lenses at this moment.

However, as one of the oldest earth beasts, Arabi possesses a keen sense of perception that surpasses even sight.

It detected an extremely strange and indescribable aura emanating from Bai Mo.

Chapter 190 Bai Mo: The first cause of life is... survival (?)

It was neither the vibrant life force of the living nor the cold silence of the dead, but rather a... contradictory mixture.

A chilling aura filled with death and endings, yet strangely enveloped within it a tenacious, almost twisted will to "live."

This smell reminded Arabi of those silent cemeteries built on the edge of human cities, burying countless past events.

Solemn, sorrowful, and carrying the meaning of ending, yet it is maintained by the commemoration and memory of the living, which gives it a strange sense of "presence".

This is absolutely not the breath a normal, vibrant human being should have.

“Let’s keep going,” Bai Mo said, seemingly oblivious to Huang Di’s scrutiny, pointing in the direction the mountains stretched out.

"It's about two hundred kilometers from where you leave these mountains and reach human settlements. Once you're out there, you'll be the hero who single-handedly defeated the 'Earth' Titans that ravaged the land."

He tried his best to make his words and actions seem like those of an ordinary human who had been accidentally caught up in the situation, even though he knew that the very fact that a human would appear so coincidentally in this remote mountain was a huge mystery.

But who could have predicted that this seemingly composed Huangdi would come with the resolute intention of perishing together with the "Earth" Titan?

Since the "Earth" Titan still exists, he cannot directly intervene using the identity of the "Earth" Fire Seed. He can only personally intervene to ensure that the situation does not lead to the worst possible outcome.

We can't just stand by and watch these two guys die together, can we?

The "Earth" Titan was one thing, but the Aragaki... no. He needed the Aragaki to live, to remain in this world as proof of "the tenacious continuation of life."

Three days later, at the edge of the mountain range.

The lush, dense forest abruptly ends here, revealing a vast, fertile plain before you, where sunlight streams in unobstructed, creating a stark contrast with the cold, rugged mountains behind you.

"I never imagined that this 200-kilometer journey, which would have been a day's work in the past, would have taken me three whole days with this broken body."

The enormous head of the desolate flute turned towards the distant land that symbolized life and civilization, its voice carrying the weakness of severe injury and a hint of emotion.

Then, it turned its gaze back to the human beside it who was wearing sunglasses and had been silent the whole way.

"Human, thank you... for your help along the way." The deep voice of the Wild Flute carried the sincerity of the Earth Beast.

"If you hadn't treated my wounds that were corroded by the Titan's power and cleared away the accumulated dark poison, I might have... been buried deep in the mountains long ago."

"No need for thanks." Bai Mo's voice came through his sunglasses, still so calm that no emotion could be detected. "If you really want to do something for me, then don't mention me to anyone."

"May I know the reason?" A hint of inquiry flashed in Arabi's vertical pupils. The contradictory aura and incomprehensible motives of this human made it impossible for it not to be curious.

"Let's just say it's..." Bai Mo turned his head slightly, looking at the drifting clouds above the fertile fields, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible unease.

"A hermit's humble request. I don't want to be found by anyone, nor do I want to see anyone." He waved casually as a farewell and turned to leave.

"Strange human." Aragami watched his resolute retreating figure, and finally spoke in a deep voice.

“I swear by the soul of the earth that I will keep this secret for you. But before you leave, I have one more question.”

Bai Mo stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.

Arabiko gazed at his seemingly frail back and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for days:

"You are clearly a human being, a human being with intelligence and emotions, yet... why do you behave more like us beasts struggling on the earth, following the laws of survival? Why do you place the so-called 'survival' and 'existence' in such a supreme position?"

"Because...the first cause of life...is existence."

Bai Mo answered directly. Before he finished speaking, he didn't linger for a moment. His figure flashed and disappeared into the forest behind him like a ghost. His speed was beyond Huang Di's comprehension, as if he were escaping some indescribable terror.

The question from the abbot was like an unexpected key, suddenly opening the door to Bai Mo's heart, which he had tried so hard to close.

The torrent of memories originating from endless cycles of reincarnation instantly breached the dam in his heart.

The cacophony of sounds, fragmented images, dying cries, and ecstatic shouts that he had so painstakingly suppressed—the sounds belonging to billions of living beings—rushed into his mind like a flood bursting its banks, tearing at his consciousness once more.

Bai Mo's body swayed almost imperceptibly. He closed his eyes, trying to drive away the noise.

However, the darkness only made those memories clearer and more profound.

"Huh...heh..."

Deep in the dense forest, Bai Mo leaned against a rough, ancient tree, his hand tightly covering his forehead, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He was breathing heavily, trying to calm the turmoil churning in his mind.

His other hand unconsciously rubbed against the tree trunk, trying to grasp a bit of the tactile sensation of reality.

However, the wood grain felt through my fingertips is like another key, instantly unlocking another, or even countless, long-forgotten past!

This tree... this tree that should be completely unfamiliar...

In the 1254678th cycle, it was the roof beam of a cozy family cottage, supporting the smoke from cooking fires and laughter of ordinary people;

In the 453627th cycle, it was felled and polished, becoming part of a young girl's dressing table in her boudoir, reflecting her youthful face.

In the 5636984th cycle of reincarnation, it became the most cherished "secret tree fortress" for a timid yet adventurous little boy, where he hid his tender dreams and treasures...

No! Stop thinking about it!

Bai Mo abruptly withdrew his hand, staggering backward as if burned, and stumbled away from the tree that had borne too many "others'" lives.

He wandered aimlessly through the woods, his mind a complete blank, wanting only to find a "blank" place where he could catch his breath for a moment.

He came to a small clearing in the woods, his steps unsteady, and he almost tripped over a stone half-buried in the fallen leaves.