Chapter 124 (Part 1) Starting from the Annihilation of the Universe

At this very moment.

Lin Qiye could not help but gaze at Zhu Yuheng in astonishment.

Zhu Yuheng met Lin Qiye's gaze, quietly looking back into his eyes.

She had changed. The heroic spirit between her brows was more intense, and her chin was slightly raised with a touch of unconscious arrogance. Yet, when facing Lin Qiye, that arrogance melted like ice water into a clear spring that seeped straight into the heart.

The Empress of the previous life in his memory gradually overlapped with the young girl before him.

Yet she also appeared entirely different.

The two of them simply looked at each other like this.

It felt as though a single glance spanned ten thousand years, crossing the boundaries of past and present lives.

"Has your memory returned?"

Zhu Yuheng was briefly stunned.

"Mm... a part of it."

"Do you remember me?"

"I don't."

Lin Qiye was somewhat taken aback.

"Then why are you suddenly so passionate?"

"Didn't you demand that I live happily?"

"I am fulfilling your request. Today we are going to the amusement park, we are going to see the sea of flowers, and we are going to drink fish soup at the center of the lake..."

Zhu Yuheng leaned close to Lin Qiye, counting them off on her slender fingers.

"Anything is fine."

Lin Qiye assumed it was just a sudden whim of the young girl and nodded in agreement.

……

The amusement park.

It was Zhu Yuheng's first time here.

To be honest, she was not particularly fond of such entertainment, but with Lin Qiye accompanying her by her side, she felt that every single facility was exceptionally novel.

"You should have screamed on the roller coaster."

Zhu Yuheng teased.

"But I can fly, and I've experienced maneuvers far more perilous than this."

Zhu Yuheng was speechless.

"You should at least act a little."

"However, don't scream on the carousel. Don't act on this one!"

Zhu Yuheng wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead.

"Racing, racing, let's play racing. This one is driven by two people. If we break the record, we can win the grand prize, you know."

Zhu Yuheng was eager to try.

Under the staff's arrangement, Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng put on helmets, arm guards, and leg guards, and fastened their seatbelts.

They sat inside the cockpit.

They drove around the track once to familiarize themselves.

Then they returned to the starting line.

Preparations for the main race began.

There were seven opposing pairs participating in this round.

The other seven pairs were all hand-in-hand, clinging to each other like gooey, overly affectionate lovers.

Zhu Yuheng turned her head and smiled at Lin Qiye.

"We are going to break the record, break the record! We will coordinate better than them, right?"

"Right."

"Bang!"

With the sound of a starting pistol, the racing carts darted forward.

Zhu Yuheng and Lin Qiye rushed out of the starting grid.

However.

Clearly, the other seven pairs were much more proficient, immediately pulling ahead by a car length.

Zhu Yuheng stared unblinkingly at the opponents ahead.

Her heart was filled with tension.

She tried her absolute best to coordinate with Lin Qiye.

Yet.

Things went contrary to expectations; not only did they fail to break the record, but they didn't even secure first place in their heat.

Zhu Yuheng took off her helmet.

Her expression was full of gloom.

"Sigh..." Lin Qiye asked, "Do you want to go again?"

"Let's not. It's not like it's a major prize anyway. Let's go to the botanical garden to see the sea of flowers. Most of the flowers are in full bloom this season."

Zhu Yuheng did not dwell on it for long.

In any case, being able to play with Lin Qiye by her side made her immensely satisfied.

And so.

The two of them arrived at the botanical garden.

Because the weather was clear today with a gentle breeze and soaring birds, there were quite a few visitors at the botanical garden.

Coming and going were families of three, couples walking in pairs, and groups of students...

Children were running along the edge of the sea of flowers, letting out cheerful laughter that blended with the sunlight, carrying a special fragrance.

The two of them walked forward along the paved concrete path.

In the sea of purple flowers ahead, several pairs of newlywed couples were taking photographs.

Perhaps Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng's striking appearances and temperaments were too conspicuous.

The several pairs of newlyweds all turned their gazes uniformly toward Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng.

"They're taking wedding photos..."

"Look, they're getting married..."

Zhu Yuheng's gaze skipped across the brides, some wearing pristine white wedding gowns, others dressed in traditional phoenix crowns and embroidered robes, standing gracefully in the sea of flowers and blooming to their fullest.

Lin Qiye nodded faintly.

"Yes."

Zhu Yuheng suddenly choked up.

She simply watched from the side.

Seeing this, a female photographer walked up to the two of them.

"Want to take some photos? Handsome guy, look—your girlfriend is prettier than the flowers. You must take a few pictures to keep as a memento!"

"The photos can be printed out in ten minutes!"

"Our studio has suits, wedding gowns, and other outfits as well. Would you like to try them?"

Zhu Yuheng was startled, her cheeks flushing slightly as she tentatively caught Lin Qiye's gaze.

"How about... we take a few photos? Not wedding photos, though..."

Lin Qiye thought for a moment.

"Very well."

And so.

Zhu Yuheng happily headed toward the photography studio and changed into brand-new attire.

The two of them stood before the sea of flowers.

Shoulder to shoulder.

Even the matrimonial aura of the several newlywed couples failed to overshadow their dazzling radiance.

"Click!"

The photographer pressed the shutter button.

Her expression was rather excited.

"Art, this is truly art, simply too beautiful. If we post this outside our studio, it will definitely make our business soar!"

The photographer muttered to herself.

Next.

Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng continuously changed costumes.

The photographer clicked away, capturing dozens more photos.

"Handsome and pretty, why don't you try wedding photos for the last set? The two of you are such a perfect match, why not give it a try?"

The photographer could not help but offer the suggestion.

If she couldn't take wedding photos of these two, she would truly feel a sense of regret.

However.

This sentence.

Caused Zhu Yuheng's cheeks to flush crimson abruptly, and the light in her eyes seemed on the verge of melting.

"No... no... thank you..."

Zhu Yuheng bit her red lips, shook her head, and took the photo album.

She flipped through the album over and over again, finally clutching it tightly to her chest.

She beamed a radiant smile at Lin Qiye.

Only after leaving the sea of flowers did she look back with lingering reluctance, casting a glance at the studio, a deep sense of regret hidden within the depths of her eyes.

……

After playing continuously for five days.

Lin Qiye finally grew weary.

"I think I need to cultivate diligently."

Lin Qiye proposed.

For his [Immortal Consciousness and Divine Soul] to reach absolute perfection, he still needed two or three months of arduous cultivation.

He had to seize the time and cultivate to the peak.

Only then would he be able to understand why he felt this world was wrong.

And only then would he possess overwhelming combat power when facing the Skin-Painted Fiend.

"You must also cultivate diligently; both of your innate talents must reach 100% absolute perfection for you to protect yourself!"

Lin Qiye said with utmost solemnity.

He constantly kept the reminder of the World-Creation Deduction in mind.

Until Zhu Yuheng reached 100% absolute perfection, he must absolutely not kill the Skin-Painted Fiend, otherwise Zhu Yuheng would die.

This point was extremely bizarre.

Lin Qiye could not figure it out, but he had no other choice.

He chose to believe in the World-Creation Deduction.

Zhu Yuheng brushed a stray lock of hair from her ear and smiled softly.

"I will do my best..."

Lin Qiye nodded slightly.

And over the next three months.

The Skin-Painted Fiend continuously devoured nourishment from the Winged Wolf Royal Family and the Fiend Clan.

As for Lin Qiye, Zhu Yuheng, and Jiang Lianyi, they engaged in relentless, arduous cultivation.

Three months' time.

Lin Qiye's [Immortal Consciousness and Divine Soul] finally reached 100% absolute perfection.

Zhu Yuheng's two SSS-grade innate talents likewise stepped into perfection.

The two of them broke through simultaneously.

Their profound auras shook the firmament.

Yet.

When Zhu Yuheng's [Thousand-Face Reincarnation] was tempered to its peak.

An anomaly suddenly occurred across the entire Empress Universe.

Phantasms of universe after universe surged in from all directions, overlapping together.

First Universe: A supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend launched a ferocious invasion, devouring more than half of the Empress Universe in the blink of an eye. Human powerhouses resisted for half a year before turning into dust.

Zhu Yuheng was the last one to fall in battle.

Before her death.

She mobilized [Thousand-Face Reincarnation], pulling the entire universe into reincarnation, forcing time within the Empress Universe to reverse...

At the same time.

She split off an external avatar to seek out solutions to save the world.

Second Universe: The supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend swept through once more, and humanity suffered a crushing defeat.

The Empress utilized [Thousand-Face Reincarnation] to reverse time and restart the world once again...

……

Two Hundredth Universe: Having undergone cycle after cycle of reincarnation, the Skin-Painted Fiend's memory became disordered. A piece of flesh was stripped away from it, transforming into the Fiend Emperor and a horde of fiends. In this era, the Empress Universe still suffered a crushing defeat. The supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend re-fused and successfully ascended dimensions.

To suppress the supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend, Zhu Yuheng severed her own arm and cast it into reincarnation...

Four Hundredth Universe: The Skin-Painted Fiend's memory was once again disrupted, and the second piece of flesh within its body was stripped away, transforming into the Wind Emperor and the Winged Wolf Royal Family.

The Wind Emperor and the Fiend Emperor joined forces, with the Skin-Painted Fiend manipulating things from the shadows, encircling Zhu Yuheng's external avatar. The Empress suffered a crushing defeat, and the supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend re-fused and successfully ascended dimensions.

To further suppress the supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend, Zhu Yuheng burned half her body to reinforce reincarnation.

Six Hundredth Time.

The memories of the Skin-Painted Fiend, the Wind Emperor, and the Fiend Emperor fell into mutual disorder, and the Fiend Clan and the Winged Wolf Royal Family went to war! Humanity was destroyed, and the supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend re-fused and successfully ascended dimensions.

Zhu Yuheng was reduced to such a tragic state that only a single head remained.

Hovering above reincarnation.

Eighth Hundredth Time... Humanity vanished under the iron hooves of alien races. The supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend re-fused and successfully ascended dimensions.

Ninth Hundredth Time...

Nine Hundred and Ninety-Ninth Time... The Skin-Painted Fiend's memory was disrupted once more, and a piece of flesh was stripped away, transforming into the Underworld Son of Heaven. A five-way melee ensued, leaving the Empress Universe utterly dilapidated.

Zhu Yuheng was left with only her final soul. She stripped away the Skin-Painted Fiend's soul and imprisoned it within her own body.

Once again weakening the Skin-Painted Fiend.

One Thousandth Time...

Phantasms of universe after universe overlapped within the Empress Universe as if they were real, only to rapidly shatter.

Humanity's despair repeated over and over again.

Zhu Yuheng initiated reincarnation again and again, attempting to strip away the Skin-Painted Fiend's power through repeated cycles, weaken it, and find a sliver of survival for humanity.

Ultimately.

Her physical body turned to ashes, and her soul lingered on the brink of death, reduced to merely a half.

Information from universe after universe flashed rapidly before Lin Qiye's eyes.

Immediately following.

The Empress Universe shattered.

The powerhouses who died repeatedly throughout the cycles of reincarnation turned into specks of light all over the sky, ascending into the high heavens...

Lofty buildings, mountains, and lakes split open with scars—those were the traces left by the invasion of the Skin-Painted Fiend.

The world was marching step by step toward its end.

Of course, new buildings still stood amidst the ruins.

Zhu Yuheng's reincarnation gradually collapsed.

Her physical body vanished into smoke, leaving only a faint wisp of a soul quietly looking at Lin Qiye.

"Ye..."

She threw herself into Lin Qiye's embrace.

Yet she could not grasp Lin Qiye at all.

Zhu Yuheng grew panicked, yet felt utterly helpless.

Lin Qiye knitted his brows tightly.

He raised his head to gaze at the firmament.

In the distance.

Within the endless void.

The supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend abruptly opened its eyes.

"Your reincarnation has already shattered. Everything ends here!"

Across the firmament of the entire Empress Universe.

Countless densely packed red eyes grew outward, their pupils rolling as they cast eerie gazes.

The world plunged into the uncanny.

Before long.

The power of protection gradually extinguished, and the power of reincarnation completely dissipated.

Among numerous human cities, countless beams of brilliant light soared into the sky.

"Father!"

"Lord Military Commander!"

"Dad, Mom, what on earth is happening?"

"We died long ago."

"It was Lord Empress who has been saving us all along..."

The people raised their heads to look at the firmament.

They seemed to understand everything.

"We died fourteen years ago... It was Lord Empress who used her own ability to sustain our lives and souls."

"Allowing us to linger on for a period amidst turning to ashes, and to nurture brand-new life."

"Humanity was originally extinct; it was Lord Empress who brought so many new lives to this world."

"Humanity shall endure endlessly!"

"Child, you must remember humanity's past suffering, remember all of this..."

"Kill the aliens! Kill the aliens! Kill the aliens! On the day of the aliens' extermination, fail not to inform your ancestors!"

Children watched their gradually dissolving parents, grandparents, and elderly relatives, weeping with heartbreak.

"Fiends are the irreconcilable enemies of humanity!"

In mere dozens of seconds.

Hundreds of millions of humans turned into specks of light and vanished into smoke.

Lin Qiye turned his head to glance at the villa.

The souls of Gu's father and mother lingered around Lin Qiye.

"Child, take good care of your older sister."

"We are leaving..."

"Live well. Once you exterminate the aliens, remember to send us word. We love you, we love little Yuheng, we love little He..."

Gu's father and mother smiled at Lin Qiye.

Like a single drop of water merging into the ocean, not a trace of them remained.

Lin Qiye knitted his brows.

He looked back at Zhu Yuheng's soul.

"So when I felt this world was wrong, it was because of this..."

"So it was you who used the Thousand-Face Reincarnation to save the world all this time. You've saved it until only half your soul remains."

"So Elder Chen couldn't use his 'Word Follows Law' against you because... you were already dead..."

"You are saving the world, but with what can I save you?"

Lin Qiye wanted to retain Zhu Yuheng's soul, but discovered that Zhu Yuheng's soul could not be touched at all.

Even when Lin Qiye mobilized his [Immortal Consciousness and Divine Soul], he could not support that fragile soul.

Suddenly.

Lin Qiye thought of a certain treasure.

He hurriedly took it out.

"Why didn't the Yin-Yang Pendant take effect? Didn't it say that as long as one of us lives, the other won't die?"

"Then why is it that now, only your soul remains?"

Zhu Yuheng shook her head.

"I've only had a soul left for a long time. This thing was created by me... I only wanted to protect you."

Hearing this.

Lin Qiye utilized his flawless [Immortal Consciousness and Divine Soul] to inspect it.

Only then did he abruptly discover.

The jade pendant truly was only meant to protect Lin Qiye.

Lin Qiye was speechless.

"Half of my soul has already been infected by the fiends... I... cannot implicate you... I am already dead, but..."

"I held on until you came to save me..."

"I am happy..."

"It's just that... I couldn't wear a wedding gown on the day we took those photos..."

Zhu Yuheng's soul grew increasingly thin.

Lin Qiye opened the World-Creation Deduction.

Just as he was about to deduce.

Above the firmament.

The supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend was frantically devouring the soul power and vitality of the Empress Universe.

Pitch-black demonic rain fell in torrents.

Its aura climbed unceasingly.

A burst of sinister, rampant laughter echoed through the entire universe.

"Hahahaha—"

"Crawling bugs are just crawling bugs. So what if you repeatedly disrupt my plans? I am supreme. Empress, oh Empress, I still drool over your residual soul."

"And you, Traveler is it? Once I undergo my transformation, I will have the clansmen in the prime world trace your people, and uproot your people and the city you reside in, eradicating them completely and cleanly!"

As it spoke.

The eerie eyes upon the firmament grew even brighter.

Resembling evil stars.

Shedding starlight that made one's scalp tingle and drove one close to madness.

"Quickly kill the Skin-Painted Fiend and save the children."

Zhu Yuheng's soul suddenly solidified a fraction.

Lin Qiye nodded slightly.

At this moment.

Lin Qiye faintly sensed it.

The supreme-grade Skin-Painted Fiend was hiding within the dark nothingness, rapidly approaching him.

Attempting to launch a sneak attack.

Its concealment ability was indeed bizarre to the extreme.

Lin Qiye was completely unable to perceive it, as if it did not exist at all!

Even his flawless [Immortal Consciousness and Divine Soul] could not perceive it!

"Truly uncanny. No wonder the powerhouses of the prime world could not detect your existence..."

Lin Qiye's facial features were solemn and stern.