Chapter 1420

"Monogatari series." Means "Monogatari series." This is a title of a series. Should we treat as named entity? It's a series name. Probably include as named entity? It's a title of a work. The instruction: List every NAMED entity / coined term in these lines: characters (incl. the protagonist & minor ones), places, sects/clans/factions/peoples, official & sect ranks/titles, techniques, cultivation realms/pills/treasures, named beasts/items, fan-fiction names. "Monogatari series" is a series title, maybe considered a named entity? It's a proper noun (Monogatari Series). I'd include it as "Monogatari Series". But we need to use exact English from glossary if listed; not listed. So we translate meaning: "Monogatari series". However, we need to decide if we include it in glossary. It's a named entity (title). Probably yes.

If I remember correctly, I recall that when X was sent away, it was the year 3960 of the Light Calendar… which means… the brief moment X experienced outside of Ophyrus had already passed 971 years internally.

Things remain, but people are gone…

Although he had already braced himself mentally for the flow of time, when a thousand years' worth of light just blatantly passed before his eyes, Āliángliángmù Lì still couldn't help feeling a wave of dazedness.

Fast… it's really too fast.

It's like the feeling of just opening a game, then going to the bathroom midway, and finding the screen already rolling the ending credits.

"Mm… What did the Black Tower mean just now? Progress rolling back… to 97%? So this progress can actually be rolled back?" Xiaoren exclaimed in surprise.

"That would mean we could still buy the galaxy a bit more time, and the onset of disaster seems to have been delayed again… by more than fourteen system-hours, huh."

Xiaoren took a big bite of the honey-glazed doughnut, showing a satisfied and delighted expression: "Great! I can have more time to stockpile doughnuts to face the crisis! Before the Iron Tomb is wiped out, before I completely digest these doughnuts… nobody think of letting me step out of the house even half a step!"

Having said that, the blonde little girl raised her chin with righteous confidence.

Although that's the case, the bakeries on the street have almost all shut down.

"Huh? How could that be?!" Xiaoren rarely showed a look of panic.

After all, everyone's busy avoiding the Iron Tomb crisis; besides, the news says it's best to hide in underground shelters or air-raid caves, staying in a room is fine too, but if the 'Annihilation' equation controls the defense team's missiles…

Āliángliángmù Lì let out a long sigh; this is what he least wants to face.

——

Just as X was about to retrieve the cognition anchor, a familiar voice suddenly came from beside her.

"I had imagined many words for a reunion, but when they came to my lips, only this sentence remained…"

Hearing the voice, X whipped around, only to see Xilian standing behind her!

——She's still alive!

"Welcome back, X."

Xilian slowly opened her azure eyes, her smile just as before.

"It's been such a long, long time."

"Xilian! Great, you're still here…" X finally felt a hint of comfort in her heart.

"X, you must be troubled now? During your absence, Ophyrus has seen many things happen." Xilian seemed not to hear X speaking, and went on her own: "Don't worry, a savior can't afford to be confused, right? Now… please follow me, unfurl the scroll of 'Ages,' and see what everyone left for you."

"I will tell you the story of these thousand years. That way, they won't be just my memories alone."

Watching Xilian's retreating back as she left the room, X also felt a hint of doubt.

(Xilian… can't she hear me speaking?)

Leaving the room and entering the outer hall, Xilian stirred the ripples of Ages, once again bringing forth the images of Aglaea and Tibao.

"Time flies; it's already been two hundred years since the Savior met with misfortune…" Aglaea let out a long sigh.

"To stop Laigushi, we *had* to return the three fire seeds of 'Law,' 'Romance,' and 'Ocean.' Even so… the Barbaric Flute has fallen, the two geniuses have vanished without a trace, and Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output keludela has embraced her fate… if this continues…"

Aglaea slowly took up her words: "…The 'Recreation of the World' will surely come, casting Ophyrus into 'Destruction.'"

"…"

Tibao sucked in a breath of cold air: "It seems the key to rewriting the ending still lies in the fire seed of the 'Negative World.' Following the instructions left by the two geniuses, we must get it into X's hands no matter what."

"But how do we do it?" Aglaea's face grew grave: "Not only must we find a way to conceal the fire seed, we must also wrest enough time from Laigushi's hands…"

Tibao: "Regarding this, Xilian has some good news. Last night she had that dream again. In the dream, the Titan's voice was clearer than ever… she said, 'Pass the firelight to the future.'"

Aglaea's eyes flashed with surprise: "Is this a revelation from Oronis? This time she chose to side with humanity, hiding a compatriot's fire seed?"

"…It seems Ophyrus's fate is indeed not yet at its end."

——

Honkai 3.

"Phew… fortunately little Xilian is still alive; living a thousand years, could she have passed the trial of Ages and become a Demigod?"

Ailixiya let out a long breath; when she first saw Xilian being sent away by the Long Night Moon, she had been a bit nervous, but now it seems the Long Night Moon merely wanted to protect her from Laigushi.

"Mm-hmm, I said it before: although the Long Night Moon looks cold as ice, totally unlike Little March's demeanor, she's actually quite a gentle person~"

"Gentle?" Kevin shook his head expressionlessly, "I only see danger. Even if 'gentleness' truly exists, it's probably reserved for only a few."

"Only a few people?" Eden repeated Kevin's words, intrigued, "Why not narrow the scope a bit… does she only help those related to 'memory'?"

"Not necessarily; she seems not to get along well with the people of Liuguang Yiting."

That Long Night Moon seems to grasp many secrets; most importantly, Xilian actually calls her 'Oronis,' so is the Long Night Moon the Titan of Ages?

Kevin quickly dismissed that idea in his mind.

That's obviously impossible unless the previous generation's Ages demigod was the Long Night Moon, making it possible for her to become a Titan in this life. But the voice in Xilian's dream… there's no doubt it's the Long Night Moon.

Although this form of 'March 7th' seems to have undergone 'darkening,' Kevin doesn't find her particularly frightening; instead, he feels an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Have I seen her somewhere before…"

——

"Yes. History has changed; whether human or Titan, all are willing to give their all for the world's survival. In the unseen depths, a long relay spanning epochs may well be about to begin."

"Safyer suddenly approached: 'Too bad, life never goes smoothly. The Ladtun army is already at the city gates; their leader… that Lykuergos, is now right before the Aohema gate.'"

"…"

"In Light Calendar year 3960, Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output keludela, on the pretext of marching against Fachina, sacrificed the lives of five hundred Golden-Heirs to complete the 'Law' trial. This tragedy shook all of Ophyrus."

"That same year, 'Caesar' Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output keludela was assassinated, and 'Goldweave' Aglaea took over leadership. Humanity's second Fire Pursuit Journey began amid turmoil."