Chapter 267

At this moment.

"If we sever this current era, wouldn't 'the others' also lose their future?"

Director Saito instinctively glanced at the screen—the Dark Emperor, who shared this same era—wouldn't severing it also affect them? He then said:

"But 'the others' clearly have confidence, believing they have a future—this doesn't make sense…"

Huh?!

The words "doesn't make sense" hadn't even finished.

The next instant.

"My god!!" Director Saito's eyes bulged, staring fixedly at Professor Beishan: "'The others' don't belong to now?! They belong to the future?!"

He realized he had fallen into a misconception.

Seeing 'the others' fighting the gods now, he had unconsciously assumed they were beings of this era—but what if they weren't?

If time truly can change, why couldn't 'the others' be beings from another time?

If they are beings from the future, severing this era wouldn't matter—they belong to the future, and thus still have a future.

Director Saito stared intently at Professor Beishan.

From Professor Beishan's earlier behavior, perhaps he had already held the same thought as Saito now did.

He must have noticed some crucial detail everyone else missed.

"Professor Beishan, have you discovered something? What's your hypothesis about 'the others' severing past and future?"

Those who held high positions in the Superhuman Response Division were no fools; they caught the implication in the exchange between Professor Beishan and Director Saito.

Instantly, all eyes turned to Professor Beishan.

"'The others' said, 'We are the future—how can you recreate us?' I suspect this isn't metaphor—it's stating a fact. They are the future."

Professor Beishan spoke, pointing at the Dark Emperor battling Master Konghai on the screen.

"If 'the others' come from the future, then this individual is unlikely a traitor from our time—he's a superhuman from the future. 'The others' are in fact the future's gods and superhumans."

As he said this, his voice trembled.

This hypothesis was not merely bold—it was terrifying.

Future gods and superhumans killing past gods and superhumans? Such an idea had been unimaginable before—and still was now. It was shocking beyond measure.

Even Professor Beishan was startled by his own guess, let alone everyone else present.

You could see Director Takahashi and the others frozen in place, their thoughts, wills, bodies, and spirits all solidified at once.

They could no longer remain calm.

They said nothing, but every particle, from the smallest to their souls, quivered endlessly.

This guess was too deadly…

Before they could think, before they could recover, Professor Beishan spoke again:

"I suspect something massive happened in the future, causing the future's gods and superhumans to sever the past and seek to annihilate us. If my hypothesis—that 'the others' come from the future—is correct, everything suddenly makes sense.

The Origin Battlefield didn't begin in the Ancient Era—it began in the future. Severing the future, cutting off the connection to this era, severs past from future—because for them, our current era is the past.

Severing past and future into two separate rivers.

Since the origin lies in the future, even powerful gods and superhumans capable of altering past and future cannot act to change it, because the future's powerful gods and superhumans won't allow it.

As for why I think such powerful gods and superhumans exist in the future capable of altering past and future—I believe everyone understands.

Only 'the others' could have severed past and future. If they can cut time itself, they can certainly alter past and future."

Silence.

Everyone remained frozen, stunned by Professor Beishan's hypothesis.

A hypothesis as earth-shattering as it was horrifying.

Yet it made perfect sense—even if it wasn't the truth, it must be infinitely close to it.

Director Takahashi opened his mouth, fell silent for a long while, then spoke—his throat felt clogged, as if something were stuck:

"So the Origin Battlefield didn't begin before the Ancient Era—it began when future gods and superhumans reversed time and began their annihilation from that ancient age."

Everyone's scalp prickled.

Severing time itself, willing to reverse time to erase past eras—what a monumental act.

"But… there's one thing I don't understand…" Suddenly, a senior official asked, frowning: "Sake Tsubaki once conducted experiments for 'the others.' If Professor Beishan's hypothesis is right—that 'the others' are future gods and superhumans—there'd be no need for such research."

He paused.

"After all, we're no different from them—we're both human, both gods and superhumans, sharing the same bloodline. Why conduct experiments to investigate?"

"This is merely my hypothesis. Whether it's true remains to be determined," Professor Beishan replied, shaking his head slightly and explaining:

"Though current clues are scarce, if I follow this hypothesis, your question isn't unanswerable. 'The others' are future gods and superhumans, just like us—strictly speaking, we are their ancestors.

But that doesn't mean we're identical. Who can say what the future holds? For instance, do you know exactly how old you'll be when you die? Will you still hold this position? You don't know.

Based on Sake Tsubaki's experiments, I suspect the future's gods and superhumans have become different from us—not just in cultivation, but likely in bloodline."

"Based on experiments with Shuten-dōji, I think it's possible that the future's gods, demons, and transcendent beings are no longer the same as us. This difference might lie in their cultivation, and even more likely in a change of bloodline."

"Regarding Sake Tsubaki's research into future gods and superhumans, I think it's possible they were corrupted or altered. After all, the demons of the Void Demon Realm, and even the man fighting Master Konghai—both wield powers tending toward evil and darkness. Perhaps future gods and superhumans were corrupted and fell."

"Actually, regarding Shuten-dōji's research into the future's gods, demons, and transcendent beings, I think it's possible that the future's gods, demons, and transcendent beings have been polluted, have been altered. After all, the Void Demons of the Void Demon Realm, and the one who fought Master Konghai, both wielded power leaning toward evil and darkness. Perhaps it's not certain that the future's gods, demons, and transcendent beings were polluted by something and thus fell."

Professor Zhongtian's corruption hypothesis was chilling.

"I don't think it's likely to be corruption or fall. What could corrupt gods and superhumans? Maybe ordinary ones—but 'the others' include powerful beings capable of altering past and future. Nothing could corrupt such entities."

"I don't think it's likely to be something like pollution and fall. What could pollute gods and demons? If they were ordinary gods and demons, perhaps it would be possible, but 'the ones over there' include powerful gods and demons capable of altering the past and the future — nothing could possibly pollute beings of that caliber."

"You have a point," Professor Zhongtian replied, clearly implying: "But before this, did any of you ever consider the possibility that gods and superhumans could reverse time or travel to the future? If time itself can be altered, why can't something corrupt even such beings?"

Perhaps that corruption isn't a person or object—but something entirely unknown.

Perhaps that kind of pollution isn't a person, and isn't a thing either, but something unknown to anyone.

"I think it's possible that Shuten's research into 'that side' wasn't research into gods, demons, or the supernatural, but rather he wanted to use it to research something else."

……