Chapter 96 Looking back
There was no earth-shattering roar, nor any shaking of the sky collapsing and the earth breaking apart.

Everything is so silent.

It was like the humid wind blowing from the distant seashore, swaying the branches of the trees, the dust rising and falling from the sun, and the coat with wet marks gradually emerging from the rain.

Everything, as it were, was changing.

In other words, there is no possibility of change anymore...

The earth, the sky, the ruins, the scarlet sea of ​​​​spirituality, and even the remains of the saints shackled above the sky, everything lost its color under the reflection of the flames.

After being stripped of all colors, only a pale void remained.

Under the slash of the sword, the burning wings turned into nothingness, thousands of open hands were wiped out inch by inch, and the falling tears and empty pupils gradually blurred.

The first to dissipate was the terrifying shadow coming from the distant vortex.

When the countless connections were completely severed in an instant, the projection of the vortex could no longer be maintained, and it was not even able to interfere with what was happening here.

The flame in the stagnant furnace core was dissipating and dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye. Finally, it was blown out like a candle in the wind.

Never again.

Then, the remains of the sage fell apart in silence.

Like a sand fortress washed by the sea tide, countless pale ashes rose up, spread across the sky, and then slowly fell down, like the rain that ended everything.

Ji Jue saw it all from beginning to end.

But everything feels so far away, and it is difficult to understand the realm and changes that are so high that even my imagination cannot reach them, even if all of this is manifested and completed through my own body and the changes of non-attack.

But the most important thing is not himself.

He made the decision, he launched the call, he lowered his eyes and crowned the change, accepted this infinite power, and carried out the end that belonged to the sage.

He created all of this with his own hands.

But he is just a ray of this infinite change, a part of the huge system that constitutes everything, a tiny part of the cutting edge of change.

He is a component, a part, an execution end.

This stream of fierce light that penetrates the sky and the earth is just His outward manifestation. The rusty sword that can completely destroy everything with just a hint of its edge is just a key.

From the resonance of the mechanical deity, he could feel the majestic rhythm hidden behind it.

It is like a melting pot manifested through the medium of the real world.

What is rotating from the void is the flame ignited by the infinite fuel of souls and the enthusiasm of infinite innovation!
Every creation made by the craftsman is a sacrifice to Him, and every flame in the furnace of the Chosen One of Ashes is dedicated to Him.

This is the ember fire.

The moment he realized this essence, his consciousness was engulfed by infinite flames, as if it had merged into an ocean formed by infinite changes.

It's like it's beyond reality.

When the reincarnation cycle that lasted for four hundred years collapsed and everything on the earth was wiped out, the last thing that was ignited was the creation theory left by the sages, the firewood called "First Cause".

A soft song sounded from the empty world.

The endless recursion begins.

Or, in other words, returning to the ashes... In his brief last moments, the former sage Mercury returns everything he has to the world of today!
The world before my eyes turned into an endless stream of light blowing towards me - above the broken sky, countless stars jumped, shining brightly, drawing long and slender tracks that intertwined with each other and turned into a complex and solemn totem.

And in the middle of the night, a vast flame gathered and outlined a door like the sun. The Gate of Eternity looked down from among the stars, illuminating everything.

Thus, Ji Jue saw the endless changes on the earth, the magnificent ups and downs of mountains and rivers, and the strolling and walking of storms and rain.

In those broken times, he saw heavy rains falling in the endless desert, and a touch of new green blooming from the yellow sand.

A giant creature so huge that it obscured the sky wailed from the clouds, sprinkled scarlet rain, and fell to the earth, decaying and changing into mountains.

The nomadic settlements chased after the water and grass and disappeared never to be seen again.

There is a vast expanse of yellow sand above the ruins.

He is watching.

Small villages migrated here, developed trade relying on the river, and gradually turned into towering fortresses. After experiencing war, peace and turmoil, they gradually fell into decay, weathered by wind and rain, leaving only broken walls covered with moss.

It was as if some archaeologists were trekking through the wilderness, digging downwards, searching for ancient artifacts, and walking past Ji Jue with cheers. He was watching.

Until the earth-shaking collapse, the town turned into ruins, and the Tianyuan Tower broke from the sky amid the sound of bells. The world was in turmoil, everything turned to ashes, the saints who had nowhere to go lost everything, and there was no sound of silent wailing and singing.

Ji Jue was still watching, witnessing the beginning of all tragedy and pain, and was involuntarily carried to the fragmented past by the torrent of time.

Until the familiar cry sounded again.

The girl woke up from the drizzle and looked around the empty place, but could no longer find her mother. She cried and called out to the figure walking away on the street outside the window.

But she didn't look back.

Just like that, step by step, we walked into the darkness with no end in sight.

From then on, he wandered among ruins and reincarnation, unable to return.

Until, in the distant broken time, a desperate cry was heard.

At that moment, someone was overconfident and wanted to reach out and pull her clothes, but four hundred years later, the pull that could only be sustained by the edge of change could only create a negligible wind at best.

The departing figure simply waved his hand and disappeared without a trace.

Snapped!
The ripples that were so fine that they were hardly noticeable dissipated, and the same mark of non-attack flashed, and the invisible and visible hands seemed to have touched for a moment.

It was like a retention and call that spanned four hundred years.

“Look back!!!”

She finally saw the young man who was like an afterimage behind the ripples, the soul that was about to be ignited, and the matrix in his hand that was exactly the same as hers!

"Look back at her again!" Ji Jue, who was in the torrent, held onto Bian Ji tightly, raised his head, threw away the things in his hand, and shouted towards that distant time, "Even if it's just one look..."

In an instant, it disappeared. Only the sound of falling was heard, landing on the ground in front of her.

That familiar pendant had gone through many vicissitudes of life and had gone through the years. When she opened it, the faded photo gradually lost its outline in the blur of rain and fog and could no longer be seen clearly.

Quickly, it turned into nothingness, never to be seen again.

She froze in place.

From astonishment and confusion, he turned around and looked behind him.

The scattered rain curtains, the night sky covered by dark clouds, the quiet town, the shadow of the clock tower, the empty square, and the phantom on the steps that never existed here.

The girl who waits from broken time.

Her smile.

At that moment, the lost past and the broken future overlapped briefly. With the help of the ancient pendant, four hundred years of time seemed to finally stretch into a line. In the endless yearning and reincarnation, they met again.

Even though there is still an abyss between us, unreachable.

Mercury finally stopped and subconsciously wanted to reach out his hand.

But in the moment of confusion, it seemed as if I understood everything. When I looked into the girl's eyes and smile, I also smiled, so joyful and gentle.

Fine drops of mist and rain fell down her cheeks along with her tears.

Just like that, I stared at the girl in time. I couldn't help but look at her again, wanting to reach out and touch her cheek, even though we were so far apart.

Until the glimmer of the future completely disappears.

The world became dim again.

She stood still, stiff, for a long time, staring at everything in front of her, greedily wanting to remember it all, and finally, she looked away.

She turned and left, disappearing into the rain.

In the distance, in the dark night, the towering tower still stands tall.

Only a faint torchlight was fading away.

Like a lonely boat of fate.

As history has destined, nothing has changed.

In the four hundred years, there was only one more glance back.

But at that moment, Ji Jue saw... at the end of his sight, in the chaotic and dark abyss, a dazzling light suddenly emerged!

Like stars, they rise up against the torrent, emitting endless heat and light.

Completely illuminate all darkness!
When the rise has exhausted all its changes, the fall begins.

When he came to his senses, Ji Jue had already fallen from the sky towards the pale and empty earth.

There was only desolation left within the rift, but above the sky, before the phenomenon of the Furnace of Stars dissipated, a ray of light fell.

It fell into his soul.

Glorious changes emerged from the stream of light, surrounding the ex machina.

Receive the power to carry out change, break the old cycle, judge the sins of the wise man's evil changes, and erase everything caused by it.

The emblem of the Supreme Good Ashes appeared, bestowing his first blessing upon the Chosen One he favored.

But Ji Jue didn't have time to check and look through it.

When he landed on the broken center of the workshop, he saw the broken figure lying in the crack, a creature that had been dying from the burning of the light of change.

prophet.

At this moment, she still raised her head and looked at him persistently.

Even though he had already felt the collapse of the rift and the fall of the workshop, he still longed for a definite answer from Ji Jue.

"It's over, isn't it?"

"The dream and the cycle are over, Prophet."

Ji Jue squatted down and told her, "You are free."

"Yes, I am free..."

The prophet leaned against the broken wall, looked back, gazed at the cracks on the earth, sighed softly, and murmured: "But freedom is so terrible... I hate this world so much, but in the end, I actually felt that it was lovely.

"Do you regret it?" Ji Jue asked.

"Maybe, but there are already too many things I regret, so it doesn't matter anymore."

The prophet grinned, finally giving a self-deprecating laugh: "Thank you, Mr. Ji Jue. My mission as a tool has finally been accomplished."

"As a prophet?" Ji Jue asked, "Do you have any last wishes? If I can help, I will try my best."

"Ha, that's a bit too much..."

The prophet's lips moved, but he did not say anything. He just smiled and said goodbye: "Thank you for your mercy and compassion. As a creature, I have nothing to repay you. As a prophet, I can only offer useless gratitude.

If blessings really have meaning, I sincerely hope that you will also get what you wish for when your journey reaches its end."

Ji Jue suddenly laughed: "What kind of journey are you talking about? It seems like I'm still standing still and haven't even set out yet."

"It will happen, one day, it will happen..."

She smiled, so sure.

The remaining light in the pupils gradually dimmed, and the last of the spiritual essence dissipated and disappeared without a trace. There was no sound in that broken and empty body.

The tools that could not bear the burden fell into eternal rest.

(End of this chapter)