Chapter 149: The Initial Cause

Having traversed countless worlds, they discovered that many worlds had a planet named Earth—some with different histories, different cultures, only sharing similar geography and a few pieces of identical information.

Some even had nearly identical histories; the figures who had left their names in the various eras generally existed across this kind of "Earth."

These "Earths" had different supernatural systems, and some walked the path of technology to its very end.

"You're not going to say this is some kind of Origin Planet, are you?" A setting Su Lin had seen while surfing flashed through his mind.

"If that were the case, they actually wouldn't dare to come and offend us."

In the boundless void where concepts of distance and spatial scale had truly been lost, information from some worlds would transmit.

"You can think of these worlds as the motes of dust in sunlight." Future Su Lin pointed at the beams of light streaming through the gaps in the broken walls and ruins.

There was a kind of powerful world like chaotically drifting motes of dust; if the trajectories along which they drifted gave birth to a world, these newborn worlds would develop along the traces of the past.

"Our world's luck isn't that great…"

This universe was neither a world born along such a trajectory, nor a world that had undergone changes due to information influence within the boundless void.

"We are merely a shadow."

"A shadow with bad luck."

He raised his hand and grabbed, severing that beam of light along with the motes of dust within it, and held it in his palm.

With a gentle toss, beast shadows surfaced on his resplendent purple robes, primordial chaos evolved, gray-white erosion surrounded them, enveloping the two within. Su Lin felt his body grow light, floating in this space.

Pinpricks of light gradually brightened; viewed from afar they resembled little white insects, swarming together, writhing and tumbling.

Future Su Lin swept his arm, and the image instantly magnified. Su Lin narrowed his eyes—it wasn't insects at all, but clumps of darkness with fine sand glinting within; energy simply overflowed on their surface, which was why they had looked like white insects a moment ago.

"These are…" Su Lin hesitated.

"Worlds, what we call universes." Future Su Lin loosely cupped his hand. "Some of them themselves contain numerous smaller worlds, like this one…"

A universe appeared, and Su Lin's perception shifted—like the Droste effect formed by two mirrors facing each other, the reflected images forming endlessly looping pictures; this universe had a layered, superimposed quality.

"So these universes collided with each other and triggered a world war?"

"Actually, originally they wouldn't have." Future Su Lin adjusted his viewing angle.

This time Su Lin saw clearly: those universes had "gathered" into a clump within the boundless void—no… there were still gaps and intervals between them; they looked extremely close, but in reality had distances that defied measurement.

Su Lin observed these universes twisted into a clump. Looking left and right, he occasionally saw other universes wandering nearby, only to be drawn in, floating toward this heap of universes, and finally merging into this lively big family, becoming one of its members.

"You can understand it as passing meteorites being pulled over by a planet's gravity."

"This situation is actually quite common. Some worlds themselves possess repulsive force; although they can't resist the gravitational pull of a heap of worlds bunching together, some individuals can still manage to form force fields to repel other universes… Of course, it's not ruled out that some universes take advantage of such opportunities to make moves."

"In individual universes there exist some powerful beings; these beings can even actively protect their own universe, actively leading their universe away from this vortex."

"However, as you can see, everyone's partying, happily clustering together, reluctant to leave. It'll probably take an eternity—roughly until those Sovereign-level beings finish their exchanges."

Su Lin nodded, gaining some understanding: "So our world is a little white rabbit stumbling into a wolf's den?"

"No…" Future Su Lin's expression turned odd, and he said with some conflict: "In a certain sense, our world is the wolf…"

He pointed at a world slowly flying toward them from afar.

Su Lin watched that clump of darkness bearing endless stars, gathering toward this clump of things, and then…

The gaps between the many worlds began to close, and a certain degree of distortion appeared.

With this new member's arrival, those repulsive force fields were as if destroyed; the balance between the vortices was broken, and they were no longer distinctly separate particles.

This new member joining the party was like a black hole; all those worlds developed a "tail" flowing toward the new member, but this tail was repelled before it could make contact with the new member…

"……" It was exactly like a scumbag who only flirts but never gets serious with you.

Future Su Lin looked at his own dumbfounded expression, shrugged, and spread his hands: "This is a scene a Sovereign who later joined the party showed me. He came chasing another Sovereign to fight—counted among our few helpers."

"Surprising, right? I was quite surprised at first too. Our Earth is a victim, but our world is like a tyrant emperor, pulling all those 'young ladies' into its embrace."

Su Lin thought for a while and said: "What's special about Earthlings? What are Sovereigns? And what are shadows?"

"Let's talk about shadows first; this still can't be confirmed…" Future Su Lin gazed at the scene in the image and spoke slowly to Xu Xu.

After investigations spanning vast stretches of time, they discovered that a powerful world did not exist in this void—or rather, did not currently exist in this void.

But undoubtedly, at some point in time even eternal beings found hard to estimate, this powerful world had vanished.

Many worlds had related information, but it wasn't the main body of that world—merely materialized manifestations that had been interfered with and influenced.

After the world Su Lin inhabited appeared, those Sovereigns discovered a possibility.

"Like a sheet of white paper: we are currently on side A, that world is on side B, and our world belongs to the shadow cast on side A when white light shines on that object through the paper."

"Guess how long those Sovereigns have stayed in their current realm?" Future Su Lin smiled.

The appearance of that world meant the appearance of a path forward; in their eternally unchanging years they had found a direction to advance on the path of evolution. Through deduction, they confirmed that the road forward lay in that world—they only needed to find a way to get there.

"Do you know why they want to replace the existence of Earthlings?"

"Tickets!"

"Every Earthling is a ticket! At first they hadn't reacted, hadn't figured out the special nature of this world, so at that time, some beings truly wanted to casually protect this planet, while others were purely for slaughter and conquest."

Later, a Sovereign attempted to find the path to that world on the reflection, but ultimately found nothing, until…

"He used a wisp of consciousness to seize an Earthling and began his deductions."

After this world met its end, its existence would return to that world, and then become a new projection.

They were outsiders, not belonging to this universe; even if they met an end, they would not return along with the tide to the primordial Sea of Birth.

As a result, over 0-something years, gradually, the whole world was full of righteous companions; invading evil gods and alien races of Earth were all wiped out under group beatings.

"At some unknown point, even Chaos creatures would fish drowning Earthlings out of the sea, help you call a Sword Immortal or mage to send you home, and even give you an octopus as a souvenir."

"Given the scale of a Sovereign, the existence of merely a few Earthlings is far from enough, so they came up with a method."

"Karma!"

Existence as the sail, karma as the boat, the blood descendants of races deeply entangled with one's own world as the oars—cross the sea of suffering, reach the other shore.

And this universe, after they had made all preparations, would use destruction as a key to open the door for them.

"Ordinary lives are kindling, while those lives with the most top-tier aptitude and talent are their vessels and talismans—stripping their fate, flesh, blood, and soul, replacing them. Should their true body unfortunately perish in another realm, they will, at the next restart, become lives of Earth and return once more."

"Hah, so… I'm definitely going to be targeted." Su Lin sneered; he now understood what that strange entry in the diary meant.

"The most delicious destiny and talents are reserved for oneself and one's trusted allies. Those who didn't seize every human on Earth at once didn't do it because they couldn't—everything left behind was filtered, top-tier material." The future Su Lin smiled too, but a cruel twist appeared on his face. "After Luo Xiaoying told you the truth, you went through my diary, didn't you?"

"No… I went through it long ago." Su Lin thought for a moment, didn't interrupt him, and nodded in acknowledgment.

"People like us—even if we flee to any corner of the myriad realms—will be relentlessly pursued, because I'm the best of the best, the top-tier vessel in the container realm."

"Mi Rui Nian—he's an honest man, or rather, the Qing Sect is mostly upright cultivators—but his ancestor isn't, nor is the Immortal Emperor above them, who holds the rank of Zhouhuang…"

"Zhouhuang… hard to kill?" Su Lin recalled the description in his diary—he seemed to have killed the same Zhouhuang once.

"Zhouhuang aren't just powerful in strength—they're defined by their indelible nature. Every second they've lived becomes an anchor point. Kill their present, and they'll return from any past moment."

"Can't you kill the original version directly along the timeline?"

"Useless. Every frame of them exists in independent, non-interfering anchor points."

"Hss—" Su Lin sucked in a sharp breath. This was tricky. How long would he have to wander the myriad realms before he could finally lie down?

Seeing his past self's shocked expression, the future Su Lin stood with arms behind his back, spine straight and proud, his face wearing four parts disdain, three parts pride, two parts honesty, and one part calmness, and said:

"In my peak, I single-handedly slew seven Zhouhuang, burned every anchor point, ended the chaos of the myriad realms, and secured peace for my world—Heaven and Earth, only I…"

"Then how'd you end up like this?" Su Lin cut off the incantation. What are you pretending for? Your soul fragment is incomplete, your true spirit unstable, and all that's left is a residual position—makes me think it's absurd. Anyone who didn't know would think I'll get beaten to death by Zhouhuang in the future.

"… " The future Su Lin's smile froze suddenly.

How the hell did he figure that out?!

【Tianhe Robe】: Past and present flow through it; Tianhe leaves ancient traces. Woven from the primal blessing essences of twelve Holy Beasts born in the Eternal Cosmos, threaded with Dao principles, this robe of record took one hundred and eight Yun Shi to weave. Effect: Records / Reenacts (One Yun Shi = 10,800 years; I spent one hundred and eight Yun Shi weaving this robe for Him. Withholding my pay? Wait till the Holy Beasts awaken and deal with you! — An Ruxiu)

"Even though my power is insufficient to activate the full strength of this robe—I can only reenact power equivalent to the peak of a Earth Immortal in the Daoist system—how did he see through my condition?"

"Did Luo Xiaoying tell you?" That little brat can't keep a secret? I spent three hours activating this robe's reenactment function just to appear before him like a returning sovereign.

If he were just an ordinary person, I wouldn't need to go through all this trouble—but my past self has already begun cultivation.

Su Lin scratched his ear, offered no explanation, and said coolly: "So, what's going on?"

"Not enough time…" The future Su Lin slumped slightly: "Excluding the points I've already used, I've accumulated hundreds of millions."

"What?!?!" Su Lin exclaimed in shock.

"Hundreds of millions."

"Holy shit, you lost even with that?!"

"I won! I crushed their heads, scattered their timelines!" The future Su Lin's eyes bulged as he corrected himself:

"If I'd had just another one or two thousand years to develop, not only would the Zhouhuang be nothing—I could've found the path above them!"

He flicked out a streak of light; a burst of information appeared in Su Lin's mind.

【Ultimate Transcendence: All repression, resentment, endurance, grueling cultivation, mediocrity… all for this moment of Ultimate Transcendence. Effect: Starts at 10,000 points; 10,000–100,000 points increase combat power proportionally; 100,000–1,000,000 points restore peak power even if only one drop of blood remains, greatly boosting combat power; 1,000,000–100,000,000 points grant absolute perfection for a fleeting moment; over 100,000,000 points: in that instant, sole sovereign of all realms, the gaze of ten thousand worlds upon you, burning the self, the ultimate radiance. Side effect: The greater the boost, the greater the cost (When in doubt, Ultimate Transcendence is the answer!).】

"Honestly, I don't understand why you still exist." The future Su Lin's eyes were filled with confusion. "Logically, my final all-in burned every past, future, and possibility clean away."

Su Lin's back prickled with cold sweat. You little bastard actually dared to burn it all.

"What are you planning to do now?" Su Lin asked.

According to his account, there were still twelve years left—possibly less—some universes were already beginning to make contact, waiting to gradually squeeze, wear down, and shrink the outer gaps.

"Train hard. Earth may be small, but it's enough for us to grind through. Starting now, I'll guide your cultivation. Do you know how to maximize your points?"

The future Su Lin thought, and the surrounding space faded; the two returned to the small temple.

"You might as well just give me a pile of cultivation techniques and let me figure them out myself," Su Lin half-closed his eyes; he'd memorized enough useful information.

But Su Lin's brow unconsciously furrowed—he'd thought he could live a laid-back life. Now he'd actually have to hustle.

Whatever. Be content. Better than the past—mindlessly drifting, trapped in an ordinary life.

"My life's been interesting," the future Su Lin walked over. "My only regret is being powerless to protect my friends and family."

Su Lin nodded. If his family were safe, and he'd reached this outcome unknowingly, he'd surely feel regret—but he could accept it.

From babbling infancy to forming the concept of "I"

From starting school, absorbing the world, learning others' constructed values, to developing personal preferences and tastes

Life is too short, bound by too many constraints: lifespan limits, resource limits, capability limits, even other people limit you. As an ordinary person, there are too many things unattainable, and too many things you must do.

Ultimately, it's just about staying alive—and then—

Living better.

On the last day before Su Lin's transmigration, his family pressured him into attending a blind date. No clichéd plot—she was just an ordinary girl, with an ordinary job and ordinary family, like him, pressured by parents to find a partner.

For a thirty-year-old office drone who'd never dated, this was probably just a stage of life—no love or not-love, just two people settling together to face the future: childbirth, finances, offspring, aging, and—death.

But Su Lin felt uneasy—a discomfort dominated by fear and resentment, mixed with various negative emotions.

The human body is miraculous—it self-regulates. As he sank into this emotional vortex, fatigue gradually crept in. Su Lin knew: in the end, all these emotions would simply dissolve into a sigh deep in his heart.

So, after that blind date, he fell asleep early at home.

When he woke up the next day and learned of his transmigration, he still remembered that feeling—

As if reborn!

Su Lin believed that even if this version of himself struggled to gain points at first, forced to perform for attention, he'd still be happy.

Because at least he had something to look forward to.

Those Zhouhuang wanted him to be unhappy? Let them wait and see.

"Wait." Su Lin suddenly thought, "According to your story, those Zhouhuang were all already killed by you, right?"

"Maybe there are temporal echoes?" The future Su Lin raised an eyebrow. "If I hadn't returned to this time point, I'd be safe in the future. But now that I've come here, what happens to this branching timeline? Who knows?"

"I don't even understand your current situation anymore."

Su Lin didn't disagree.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

"Of course, to train you."

"Forget it, no need." Su Lin waved his hand, ready to head back, only to find his feet as if cement had been poured over them. He glanced at his own feet, then at the fellow beside him.

"You're nothing but a mere Jin Dan—how can you waste your time like this?" Future Su Lin wore a look of great disappointment, yet the corner of his mouth curved into a smile. "Humbly accept the guidance of your senior."

This was a fine chance to amuse himself; running away didn't exist. Of course, making the other fellow stronger was the main purpose. Really.

"I'll take you before the sages of men, and let the world feel what true power is."

"..." Su Lin didn't want to talk. Maybe he should just see what kind of trouble this guy was trying to stir up?

Overall, the two got along fairly pleasantly. There was no Emiya-style suicidal plot, nor a Lu Mingfei-style "you give it to me, so I don't want it" twisted plot. Worthy of celebration, worthy of celebration.

Anyway, we're all family here.

"Wait a moment." Su Lin suddenly turned his head to look into the distance—the direction he had come from.

He was silent for a moment, his expression twisting from the initial puzzlement, his features almost crumpling into a single mass.

"What's wrong?" Future Su Lin was puzzled.

Su Lin's hands, which had been resting naturally at his sides, instantly stiffened. Then his five fingers spread into claws, trembling as they bent, gradually clenching into a fist.

He tilted his head back, his expression shifting from calm and normal to wide-eyed, his lips twitching slightly.

Su Lin pressed his lips together, took a deep breath, and looked with a bewildered gaze at this guest from the future beside him.

"Why?"

That... I have an exam tomorrow so... if not, I'll make it up together next week. Updates return to normal next week.

End of chapter