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

"Aren't you the same?" Xi Lian's lips curled into a faint, resonant smile. "Walking the path of 'memory,' yet wielding the power of 'forgetting.'"

“That’s true… it’s just the pot calling the kettle black.” Chang Yeyue readily admitted, then changed the subject, her curiosity growing, “However… I still can’t figure out your other purpose in making deals with those memory-makers. Was it merely to lure them to me and have me eliminate them? That doesn’t seem to be the whole story.”

Xi Lian sighed deeply, as if pouring out the weariness accumulated over thirty million lifetimes. "I don't know where my final fate will lead, but I must ensure that after I'm gone, there will still be someone willing and able to protect Onpharos on the path of 'Memory,' preventing it from being maliciously spied upon and tampered with by the outside world."

Her voice carried a deep weariness, yet also a sense of relief and acceptance.

"I have guarded this world for over thirty million lifetimes on the path of 'memory.' No matter how deeply I love this land and its inhabitants, I am ultimately... just a human being."

"I also feel tired, I also have selfish desires that I can't let go of, and there are times when I do everything I can... just to protect that one and only person."

“Now, I have arranged future guardians for Onfaros. This land will still be loved and remembered in the future. So… I should also be selfish for myself this once.”

"Your Excellency Xilian... are you alright?" Xia Die looked at the girl who slowly walked out from the depths of the temple, her voice filled with worry.

“I’m fine now.” Xi Lian shook her head gently, her gaze becoming firm again. “There are more important things to do now, aren’t there? We must find out the truth behind the Nicardoli anomaly.”

Her gaze suddenly shifted to Xing, "Wait, where's your companion Dan Heng?"

“Lord Danheng has already gone ahead to Xuanfeng City to support the battle,” Xia Die quickly explained. “He said that Lord Bai’e and Mr. Walter are both fighting on the front lines, and as a member of the fighting force, it is only right that he go to help them.”

"I see." Xi Lian nodded thoughtfully, then turned her gaze to the pink-furred creature floating beside Xing. "Little one, are you ready to use that power belonging to 'Time'?"

"Mimi?" Mimi tilted her head, then seemed to understand her meaning, her small body radiating a soft light.

A spark containing the secrets of time appeared in its palm. The next moment, as if an invisible key had unlocked the lock hidden deep in time and space, an ancient book emitting a pale blue halo appeared in its hand according to the summoning conditions set by Xi Lian.

Chapter 214 Amber

"Yes, that's it." Xi Lian's voice was full of approval as she patiently guided the little life whose color scheme was similar to her own.

"As I wrote, only the flame of 'time' can summon this classic."

"The so-called 'power of time' is essentially about salvaging the sunken past and bringing the truth buried by time back to the world..."

As Xing watched this scene, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt—she, the nominal demigod of "Time," actually had to rely on a pet to exercise her powers, and even needed someone else to teach her; it was truly a dereliction of duty.

“Mi! The past... entrance... open!” Under Xi Lian’s guidance, Mimi quickly grasped the key points, and a door constructed from the flowing years slowly unfolded before the three of them.

It learns at an astonishing speed, as if the knowledge was already deeply ingrained in its memory and was merely being reawakened.

“You learn so quickly.” Xi Lian stared at the Gate of Past Lives before her, a complex expression flashing in her eyes. “Now, we can finally find out why Nicardoli has become what it is today.”

"Is this the gate to the past?" Xia Die looked at the gate, which emanated the vibrations of time, with curiosity. "Let's go, Lord Xing, and uncover the secrets of Nicardoli together."

As the three stepped through the Gate of Past Lives, they were instantly swept into a dazzling river composed of countless fragments of memories.

They traveled upstream along the trajectory of time, eventually settling on a moment shortly after the Suspended Peak Clan abandoned their ritual.

"This is... the Nicardoli of the past?" Xia Die and the others stood on the banks of the "River of Time," watching the figure who fought a bloody battle against countless Black Tide Creatures in the center of Suspended Edge City through the floating fragments of memory before them.

“Because this investigation needs to cover such a long period of time, we need to observe the entire years that Nicardoli has spent defending Suspended Peak,” Xi Lian explained. “So we chose this method—observing this history from a safe distance in the river of time.”

As Xi Lian waved her hand, the scenes within the fragments began to rapidly shift. The crowd watched as if witnessing an epic film playing at an accelerated pace, observing Nicardoli's relentless struggle against the Black Tide over countless years.

“Nikadori…it really fought the Black Tide until the very last moment.” Xia Die’s tone was filled with sincere admiration.

“Be careful,” Xi Lian suddenly warned, “if I’m not mistaken, that anomaly is about to appear.”

"Mimi...Mimi!" Mimi waved her little hand, causing the playback speed of the video to slow down abruptly.

At that very moment, a man with white hair tinged with amber and orange suddenly appeared in the scene.

He appeared abruptly before the exhausted and dying Nicardo, as if he had been there from the very beginning. The man looked down at the Titan of "Discontention," clinging to life under the onslaught of the black tide, and spoke in a cold, emotionless tone:

"Tell me, Titan, do you still want to continue the fight? If so, then persevere... for only by ensuring your survival can you continue to choose to fight."

The man's voice was slightly distorted by the barrier of "time," but the power in his words remained undiminished.

As he finished speaking, a light that Xing found incredibly familiar shone on Nicardoli—it was the same strange regenerative ability they had witnessed on the battlefield.

"Is this the source of Nicardo's abnormal state? It's too far away to see clearly, can you zoom in a bit?"

Xia Die squinted, trying hard to make out the man's appearance. She noticed that his clothing was very peculiar; rather than clothes, it was more like a large number of strips of cloth wrapped around his body. At most... she could compliment him on how neatly they were wrapped.

With a flick of her tiny hand, Mimi's vision in the "River of Time" rapidly zoomed in. Just as they were about to clearly see the man's face, the man, who should have been completely unaware of their presence, suddenly let out a soft exclamation—

He actually turned around!

"Mi!" Mimi cried out in surprise as the fragments of memory in front of them suddenly began to shatter from the edges.

Even more shockingly, dark green "0"s and "1"s emerged from those cracks, spreading rapidly like some kind of digital virus!

The power of men is now invading the long river of time!

As the man turned completely around, the remaining fragments could barely reflect a pair of deep amber eyes, a deep blue tinged with a hint of dark blue. The instant their eyes met, Xi Lian froze in shock—

She had only seen those eyes, yet it was as if a dull hammer blow rang in her ears, shaking the depths of her soul!

With its little hands waving frantically, it quickly mobilized the "Time" power it had just mastered, and like a fisherman pulling in his net, it swiftly "fished" Xing, Xilian, and Xiadie out of the surging river of time.

The moment they broke away, the invading force originating from the mysterious man seemed to sense their retreat and unexpectedly stopped its pursuit.

The dark green data stream dissipated from the cracks in time like the receding tide, no longer eroding or interfering with the long river of "time," as if its only purpose was to expel these "watchers."

Having safely landed back on the ground, Xing's gaze remained fixed on the now-closed time tunnel, the image of that final moment replaying repeatedly in her mind—the single eye remaining among the fragments, its azure background tinged with a deep amber hue. A strong sense of déjà vu lingered in her heart.

"I feel like I've seen these eyes somewhere before..." she murmured to herself, trying to search her memory for a matching image, but the answer was as vague and hard to grasp as if through a thin veil.

Only after confirming that they had completely returned to their own timeline did Mimi finally breathe a long sigh of relief, her small body relaxing as she softly nestled on Xing's shoulder.

"Phew... buddy, that was really dangerous." It said, still shaken, its voice trembling slightly.

After this sudden fright, it seems to have unleashed some potential, even making a small step forward in its language ability; it can now express simple phrases. "Luckily, Mimi reacted quickly..."

Xing gently stroked Mimi to comfort her, while also looking at Xilian and Xiadie with a hint of helplessness:

"What was that just now? I always thought that as observers in the long river of 'time,' we should be absolutely safe. Is it normal to be directly discovered in reverse, even tracked by forces?"

------

I added a bonus chapter later, which supplemented the story of Bai Mo and Xi Lian's childhood. You can check it out if you're interested.

Chapter 215 Extra: Souls from Another World and People Who Love the World.

P.S.: This is a side story. You can read it if you like, or skip it if you don't. It won't affect the later plot.

In the afternoon at Elegant Secret Pavilion, the sunlight, like molten gold, spilled across the boundless, undulating wheat fields. The air was filled with the warm fragrance of ripe grain and the scent of earth.

Bai Mo and Xi Lian sat side by side on the edge of the field, watching the small, white figure in the distance—Bai E—tirelessly chasing a phosphorescent butterfly, its clear laughter carried on the wind.

"Little Bai Mo, why are you always so gloomy? Look, how happy Little Bai is playing in the wheat field!" Xi Lian looked at Bai Mo sitting on the edge of the field with a puzzled expression.

"Hmph, what's so fun about running together in the fields? We can do that anytime we want, right?" Bai Mo snorted. "I really don't know why Mom and Dad made Bai E the older brother. They're twins, and they were born around the same time."

"How childish." He hugged his knees, his small face showing a maturity beyond his years, and softly commented on his older brother.

Beside her, Xi Lian's pink hair swayed gently in the breeze. She propped herself up with her hands behind her back, tilted her head back, squinted her eyes, and enjoyed the caress of the sunlight, a lazy and satisfied smile playing on her lips.

“That’s good,” her voice was sweet and cheerful, “Little Whitey plays so carefree, this wheat field grows so quietly, even the wind blowing past your ears is so gentle… That’s why I love the concept of ‘the world’.”

"Like the world?" Bai Mo turned his head to look at her perfect profile, his brows furrowing slightly. The soul from the modern world made him unable to help but retort, "Not every world is worth liking."

"A world where the poor are enslaved for generations, with no hope of ever rising above their circumstances, and where nobles act with impunity and treat human life as worthless."

"A world ravaged by war, where villages that exist today could be reduced to ashes tomorrow, and children may never even see the sun rise again."

"A world where most people can only wallow in mud and despair from birth to death, unable to see the future or feel any warmth or light... If such a world were placed before you, Sister Xilian, would you still like it and love it without hesitation?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bai Mo regretted them. He felt like a cruel executioner, brutally tearing apart a young girl's beautiful illusions with his words.

He abruptly fell silent, pursed his lips tightly, and stared down at his toes, unable to look at her any longer.

Xi Lian's smile froze. She fell silent, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes. The sound of wheat swaying seemed amplified at that moment, rustling and filling the silence between them.

A long time, a long time.

Just when Bai Mo thought she would no longer answer, her soft yet firm voice rang out, like a pebble thrown into a tranquil lake, the ripples spreading out so heavy they could bear the weight of an entire world:

“That’s precisely why,” she turned her head, her deep blue eyes looking directly at Bai Mo, there was no blame in them, only a clear understanding that was almost compassionate, “that kind of world needs someone to love it even more.”

Bai Mo was suddenly stunned. He looked up and met her eyes, which seemed to hold everything, and was speechless for a moment.

A few hours later, the setting sun painted the sky a warm orange-red.

Beneath that familiar old tree, Bai Mo stood behind Xi Lian, gently pushing the simple wooden swing. The swing creaked softly, carrying the pink-haired girl up and down, blending into the twilight.

“Xiao Bai Mo,” Xi Lian suddenly spoke, her voice drifting with the rise and fall of the swing, “You said this morning that no one would love such a dark world. So tell me, what kind of world do you think is worthy of your love?”

Bai Mo didn't stop pushing the swing. Perhaps out of spite from their conversation that morning, or perhaps to prove something to her and to himself, he took a deep breath and began to speak.

He spoke of the ideal vision imprinted deep within his soul.

He described a world where everyone could have enough to eat and didn't have to fear for survival.

He described a world where everyone is free to choose how to live and has a destiny not imposed upon them.

He described a world where there is no inherent nobility or lowliness, and where hard work will be recognized.

He described a world where even if doors were left unlocked at night, there would be no need to worry about theft or harm.

He described a world where no one would become a robber because they were desperate.

He described a world where ordinary people would not be tortured for offending the powerful.

He described a world where those in high positions are no longer aloof and superior, but genuinely serve their people.

But he was describing a world that is almost impossible in reality...

His words were not impassioned, even childlike in their naivety, but his concrete and real vision, originating from another time and space, was like a star thrown into a deep pool, its light growing brighter and more detailed.

Xi Lian listened quietly, without interrupting or commenting. But... her eyes grew brighter and brighter as Bai Mo spoke, as if filled with the entire galaxy.

She had never heard such a specific and detailed description of "beauty." It didn't sound like a fantasy; it was more like a... clear blueprint.

That day, the girl who had been thinking about how to love this vast world since birth, saw for the first time a concrete, vivid, warm and hopeful new world through the words of the boy beside her.

She fell in love with the world he described.

His words contained a profound respect for the equality of all beings, a deep compassion for suffering, and an unwavering belief in a better future... all of which together depicted the kindest, purest, and gentlest soul she could imagine.

When Bai Mo finally stopped and was slightly out of breath, Xi Lian turned around on the swing to face him. The afterglow of the setting sun enveloped her in a warm halo.

She looked at him, and a smile slowly bloomed on her face, brighter than the sunset.

“Look, Xiaobai Mo,” her voice was filled with the joy and tenderness of discovering a treasure, “you listed so many of the darkness, despair, and injustice of the world to me this morning. But actually, you see, you know in your heart what kind of world is beautiful and what kind of world is bright.”

"You know so much about it, it's as if... you've seen that world with your own eyes." She tilted her head slightly, a sly and intelligent glint in her eyes. "This means that deep down, you've always longed for such a world, haven't you?"

She leaned forward, her gaze meeting Bai Mo's somewhat bewildered eyes, and said clearly and firmly, word by word:

"Your heart has always been gentle, kind, righteous, and bright, hasn't it?"

At that moment, the wind stopped. The rustling of the wheat fields and the creaking of the swings seemed to fade into the distance.

In Xi Lian's bright eyes, Bai Mo clearly saw his own reflection.

And in Bai Mo's pupils, which trembled slightly from being fully understood and affirmed, Xi Lian's figure was also deeply imprinted.

She fell in love with the detailed ideal world he described.

In her unwavering trust, he also found the initial anchor point for his soul in this unfamiliar world.

Perhaps it was at that moment that they began to see each other in their eyes.

P.S.: We all know the light is there, we know what a beautiful world is, but why aren't we basking in its sunlight? I think maybe it's just bad luck. But if we really want to get to the bottom of it and find out the reason... only heaven knows.

Chapter 216 Killing Nicardoli

Xi Lian remained silent for a moment, a barely perceptible ripple flashing deep in her eyes. "I don't know either."

She answered softly, avoiding Xing's gaze, "After all, I am only a demigod of 'Years,' how could I possibly know all the secrets and potential risks of the 'River of Years'?" She chose to conceal some information, and the impact of those eyes on her was far stronger than on others.

At this moment, Xia Die spoke up, drawing everyone's attention back to the original goal. "Lord Xing, in any case, at least our main objective has been achieved. I now understand the source and nature of Nicardoli's strange regenerative power."

She analyzed with a solemn tone: "That mysterious man, in an extremely brutal way, completely fused together the most core qualities of Nicardi's soul—'courage,' 'honor,' 'tenacity,' 'sacrifice,' and 'reason'—forcibly creating an inseparable, indivisible, chaotic whole."

“A soul so mixed up and devoid of its pure essence cannot be accepted by the Styx, nor can it find peace. This is not a blessing, but the most thorough blasphemy and eternal curse upon a Titan.”

"Huh? Then... what should we do now?" Xing scratched his head, feeling that things had become even more complicated.

"Do you remember the unfinished ritual Wan Di mentioned in his hometown?" Xi Lian suddenly raised her head, a resolute glint in her eyes.