Chapter 520: To: Hope (End)

Blue Star, Chapter 572: To: Hope (End) Blue Star, Chapter 572: To: Hope (End)

Historical timeline corrected.

At the moment the Star God was born, all realms' hopes converged upon Itself; the echoes of fate lingered long without settling.

If one is willing

Perhaps one could use this fate as a key, like the ritual of becoming the Old Ones, to absorb other fates and expand one's philosophical scope.

Just as the residual concept of "Order" had automatically coalesced from "Hipe" moments ago, but this was not Su Lin's doing.

"Disclaimer: It came to me on its own."

Su Lin met Hipe's gaze, his expression shifting slightly: "I don't like merging with strangers. Stay away from me. Don't come closer—or I'll act."

Su Lin declined Hipe's invitation and remarked that Star Gods' thinking patterns were indeed odd.

The philosophical concept of "Order" Ta Yi was acceptable—after all, this deceased Star God's fate, including Its very existence, lay within Su Lin's ontological embrace.

This was also precisely what Su Lin had deliberately avoided after prior contemplation, when he chose the Three Pure Ones technique for his vacation.

Correct—the secondary reason was to let his avatars handle work; the key reason was to prevent automatic, unwanted contracts.

Even if he had not become "Hope," the complete him, bearing the ontologies of God and the Primordial Light, plus the primordial creative energy of the Eternal Furnace Heart, would almost certainly trigger automatic inheritance of a deceased Star God's philosophical concept.

"Order" Ta Yi

The residual musical notes within Hipe's body, unable to fully "harmonize," ultimately peeled away, as per the "Extraordinary Trait Aggregation" law, returning to "Primordial."

An eyeball floated amid fragments of starlight, then was seized by a hand radiating boundless light, vanishing into the cosmos.

Tap… tap.

The crisp sound of footsteps splashing through puddles echoed, unlike the bustling spectacle of the universe.

This place was utterly silent, save for a dark black hole that continuously devoured stars—all light converged into a photon ring and surged into its depths, while It stood motionless, silent and speechless.

This was the interior of "Void IX."

It believed the essence of the multiverse was void, thus existence held no value, so…

Nothing mattered. Might as well just give up.

Tired, done, sleepy—whatever, let it all be. Cars, houses, dicks—all of it was void.

"This place is nice," Su Lin praised. "You really know how to pick a spot. Only because Black Boss doesn't feel like dealing with you—otherwise, I'd have already knocked your mask crooked."

A seductive, terrifying beauty—but Su Lin felt as at ease returning here as if coming home.

"Otto, my old friend," Aha stepped forward, reaching out to embrace Su Lin.

"You have no respect for me. You don't treat me as a friend," Su Lin rubbed his right hand, smiling. "You won't even call me 'Bishop.'"

"Maybe I should just register my residence here. Sleeping here is far more comfortable than in a tree hollow. Boss, what do you say?"

Su Lin called out to the black hole, but Void had no intention of responding.

Just as the light of Hope shines equally upon all, Its shadow equally blankets all things.

Everything lost meaning—including color. Here, only Su Lin and Aha possessed full chromatic integrity.

"I'll take your silence as consent," Su Lin crossed his arms and spoke bluntly to the Star God holding the mask: "It agreed. So this is my home now. Get the hell out, you sack."

Finally, he turned back to Mi Laobiao, the famous female actress, and others on 【Thousand Realms as One】, adding:

"I'm throwing a birthday party later. Anyone wanna come? Theme: 'My Birth.'"

"Primordial God! This is truly unexpected." Aha fell silent for a long while, then burst into a heartfelt, exultant laugh—Its laughter echoed across the cosmos, tinged with madness:

"You're this kind of… hahaha… being, existence hahaha—the ultimate evolved form of Primordial God, Ta Yi."

"Quickly, punish me, retaliate—don't spare me out of our deep friendship. Take everything from Aha, even its life."

"Honestly, the only regret is not firing celebratory cannons at your birth—but now, even death feels worthwhile."

It stood within Void, roaring with laughter, its vision filled with intensely concentrated philosophical light, interwoven with multiple laws, even encompassing the entire Chaos Sea.

This guy had zero fear.

Aha even kindly handed Su Lin a pistol and loaded it with a bullet capable of killing a Star God: "Baby, I know this whole story is written on your face—tell me the secret you've been hiding."

The course of events shattered Its plans, exceeding Aha's imagination.

This did not sadden It—quite the opposite. It was even more delighted.

Precisely because the vacuum was cold and hateful, stars mechanically turned, and all meaning yielded to Void, It sought an opponent worthy of Its match, a game to waste time, an outcome indifferent to victory or defeat.

Only unpredictability, the shattering of norms, and dramatically twisted developments qualified as interesting.

Kill It?

It would probably be thrilled—and if Aha learned Su Lin was unamused by Its amusement, even Aha's corpse would laugh harder.

Su Lin infused the bullet with traces of "alive" Order and "dead" Chaos, mixed it with vast Imaginary Energy as propellant, then chambered it and aimed at Aha:

"Last question: why don't you go after those outsiders, and keep staring at me?"

"You've stepped onto the Path of Joy. Isn't it natural for me to watch you?"

Aha asked, puzzled: "Buddy, you helped me expand my Path—surely you noticed?"

Su Lin snorted. "Do I look like someone who enjoys chaos?"

"Yes."

Aha's laughter came from behind the mask, utterly ignoring Su Lin's hostile glare and the trigger about to be pulled.

"Final words, old friend—you must break your own rules."

As Aha spoke, It raised both hands and walked deeper into the Void: "You always give something first to others as exchange, seeking fair amusement from them—why? Breaking worldly morality saves you a fortune."

Bang—!

Su Lin pulled the trigger.

A crimson spiral plunged into darkness; then Su Lin raised the gun, infused it with the philosophy of 【Hope】, and fired another shot toward the outer cosmic void—a torrent of light erupted, even the black hole of Void unable to draw it in.

In that same instant, arcs of light burst forth from every sentient being in the universe—some bright, some dim, some thick, some thin—all sinking into the void, following faith, following fate, until reaching…

Beside every being at the summit.

"I grant you the hope of annihilating the ashes of the cosmic heavens, resolving the over-civilization problem of the multiverse."

A star god with silver-white hair, dark skin, and brilliant golden eyes suddenly opened his gaze; destruction's gaze fell, extinguishing light only for it to be reborn, flowing slowly yet decisively into his unhealable wound.

"I grant you the hope of abundant cycles and miraculous creation, bestowing upon you the dew of life to witness perfect fulfillment."

A three-armed deity sat cross-legged on a circular ring behind him, one leg dangling naturally; he opened half-closed eyes, smiling as he gazed upon countless beams of hope climbing the path of fate in reverse, pouring into the red pearl within his cracked body.

All living beings in the universe heard Su Lin's voice; an inexplicable dread rose from within them.

What does He intend to do?!

Especially the Immortal Ship people, who now awakened from the astonishment of witnessing the birth of the star gods and the firm guidance of hope, revealed fear and anger.

But the next moment, they heard that cold voice deliver a new proclamation:

"I grant you the hope of ending fate's radiance, bestowing upon you the power to erase immortality, suppress the cycle, and expand the path of fate."

Countless beams of hope from the Immortal Ship people and the Sea Patrol heroes fell like ten thousand stars, surging into the mighty, princely body of the heroic one.

"He's a damn hope star god, you're adorable," one Sea Patrol hero began cursing, then fell silent: "You really know how to pull this off?"

"I grant unending gluttony."

One proclamation after another fell; the first and second concepts of hope were gradually drawn from Su Lin, diluted.

"I grant balance to all things."

Su Lin tossed the firegun behind him while stepping forward, raising his head as he brushed past Ahha, who stood silently in place.

"I grant you the hope of forging an unbroken path ahead, bestowing upon you the power to open pathways across countless heavens, worlds, and multiversal timelines."

Even for star gods who had already perished, even for those Su Lin barely favored, hope equally cast rays of possibility upon their paths; thus, save for Void and Joy, all star gods received hope.

This was not Su Lin freely bestowing the philosophical concept of hope, but hope falling equally upon every being—star gods included.

"What about me? What about me? What about me?!" Ahha frantically pointed at himself: "Old friend, what about me?"

As Su Lin sang, under Huang Quan's bewildered gaze, his remaining colors were swallowed by a black hole; he began to exist only in black and white: "You can only do it if I agree. If I disagree, you cannot scheme against me."

Su Lin turned around, smiling as he opened his arms and merged into the void.

"I grant joy to witness the proof that 'Void' and 'Existence' are equal; I return hope to all beings, granting you the vision of my full form, the vision of life's dignity, the vision of."

"The miracle of philosophy."

On the seventh second after Su Lin vanished.

A pure white light ignited at the center of the void, then countless solid holy lights slowly flowed forth, like water tracing along a wall.

The instant the first strand of holy light dripped into the eternal dark sea below, within the mirror of water, a sacred gate of heaven appeared.

Immediately after,

Endless spiral staircases emerged on the other side of the water mirror, while half the void-black hole sank beneath the sea, drawing countless gray hues into the half-light vortex.

Infinite space seemed eternal; light constructed towering towers symbolizing divine majesty and solemnity, and gardens and flowing waters symbolizing life's abundance and beauty arose.

All structures moved toward absolute symmetry, reflecting the harmony and balance of the universe.

"This is..."

Huang Quan crouched, placing his hand into the half-transparent ocean—but touched nothing, as if grasping a mirage.

As heaven fully took shape, Ahha raised his hands as if to cradle the half-black, half-white entity standing side by side; he had just begun to laugh when he heard—

"Get out of my house now."

This time, an irresistible force surged from within; the black-and-white realm spun and inverted endlessly.

When Ahha realized it, he was falling from the high heavens of white clouds and changing dogs, below him loomed Gluttony, jaws wide, devouring the Amber King's light-year barrier.

"My lord!" Ahha raised both hands in the standard church posture, laughing loudly: "Long live fate!"

Gulp.

"Burp—!" Gluttony belched, as if sated, and rolled over to sleep.

Su Lin shifted his gaze, sizing up Kleine.

Considering how quickly he reacted, knowing to go to another universe and fetch the God Key for him, saving a fortune—just five matchmaking appointments will do.

He was truly merciful; he'd even be willing to preside over the wedding ceremony the day after the matches ended.

Kleine maintained a faint smile; as the spiritual danger warning gradually faded, the subtle sense of losing control finally quieted.

Su Lin: "When I get out, I'll kill you! (Day 1 check-in)"

Su Lin: "When I get out, I'll kill you! (Day 2 check-in)"

Su Lin: "When I go back, I'll kill you! (Day 20 check-in)"

Su Lin: "When I return, I'll kill you! (Day 77,777 check-in)"

Kleine subtly shifted his gaze away from the chat log and nodded to Su Lin.

Damn, this guy was serious before.

But why did his killing intent vanish so quickly?

"Didn't K423 come with you?" Su Lin looked at the girls before him, weapons raised in vigilance, a hint of confusion in his eyes—then he realized from their reflected images:

"Why so scared? I'm just saying hello. Delicia, my sweet granddaughter, don't you miss your grandpa?"

Su Lin raised his arms, a playful smile curling his lips; he made no pretense, using deliberate mockery—wondering if they could spot the flaw.

Or perhaps, the shock had simply left these girls utterly frozen.

Especially the white-haired girl with golden earrings, whom Su Lin had called his granddaughter—Delicia Apocrypha, the current chief of the Heavenly Mandate Church in another world.

Beside her, to the right: Huang Quan, Bronya, Hui; to the left: Raiden Mei, Bronya, Hui, and others.

"Grandpa?"

Well, the kid was thoroughly fooled.

"You're disappointed—I'm not actually your grandpa."

Su Lin walked toward the crowd blocking his path, waved his hand gently, and an invisible force parted a passage: "But you should eat more other fruits and vegetables, don't keep eating bitter melon—by the way, this is just a paraphrase, not my own words."

"Grandpa."

Drescha's eyes were slightly moist.

"I am not your grandfather."

Su Lin repeated: "Alright, I'll compensate you with a magic spell that makes a meal ready after you fall asleep."

He snapped his fingers, purchased a spell summoning the 'Brownie sprite who appears after sleeping,' and transmitted it to the other.

Why not just bring the God-Key? Why bring the person too?

Kleine sent a message to explain:

"You know full well—we can't replicate your God-Keys. Even if we wanted to trick Huowang, we'd need to show sincerity. There was no time to explain, so we had to drag you along."

Who could blame me? I acquired authority by purchasing God-Keys, anchoring the boundary between reality and fabricated history, setting the goal of gathering the Dragon Balls—no, wait, the God-Keys—to open the sealed gate.

"Mr. Walter, thank you for your help, but could you please move aside?"

Su Lin pointed to the space behind him, the tip of the Numeral Tree beyond the shattered void: "Sorry, everyone. I know you have many questions, but I'm occupied—I still have something unfinished."

Walter clenched his teeth, his face like cold iron, standing firm in place: "You—you became a Star God… what are your plans?"

"You must have misunderstood—I am not a Star God." Su Lin glanced at the sky and made the sign of the cross over his chest: "All is offered to the God of Light—including the position of Star God—so you may rest easy. I am at most—"

"Merely a Messenger."

"Would that make you feel better?"

Walter Yang pulled out a brownish medicine bottle, stepped aside, and moved away.

In full view of everyone, Su Lin carried a massive golden cross to the tip of that segment and tapped it lightly.

The golden tree instantly shattered, revealing its interior condition.

Inside the solid Numeral energy and time-flowing trunk, a girl with pink hair lay sprawled ungracefully beside another girl with gray-white braids; both were covered by a white sheet, fast asleep.

"Time to wake up." Su Lin clapped his hands, severing their connection to the Numeral energy and the Numeral Tree: "Return to the normal time point."

Yi Leina rubbed her eyes, still unaccustomed to the normal environment after emerging from the chaotic realm of time and space. After a moment, she looked up at Su Lin.

"Thank you for your help, Holy Maiden." Su Lin crossed his arms, his eye twitching: "Your deeds will be recorded in history—so wake up quickly, and wake up the neet beside you. Don't let your drool stain my sheet."

"Oh." Yi Leina slowly sat up, stretched, and nudged the girl beside her: "Wake up."

"Is this journey over?"

"It's over."

Su Lin shrank the cross he brought back and handed it to her: "Consider it a souvenir."

"Is that so…"

Yi Leina glanced outside the tree hollow—the sunlight was blinding.

Since entering the Numeral Tree, she had felt no passage of time. It was as if she'd had several dreams; the adventures of that spacetime journey felt like they had happened yesterday.

She had cultivated flowers in uninhabited world-pockets and studied Numeral energy use, but those memories felt fleeting, like reflections on water.

She thought for a moment, turned to Su Lin, pulled at the corners of her mouth, and offered a sweet smile: "Say it one last time: 'Good morning, my Holy Maiden'? My great inventor."

She extended her right hand, waiting for him to pull her up.

Su Lin, expressionless, reached out and pulled her to her feet: "Good morning, my Witch miss."

"Huh? Wait—"

As Yi Leina froze in surprise, Su Lin released her hand and turned to leave.

The Laws of other universes were still bewildered, utterly confused—Walter had suddenly arrived on a cosmic train, saying things like—

"No time to explain—get on board."

Then they were taken along, and several missing God-Keys were recovered.

But what exactly is going on here—

A World Pocket?!

No—this power… it truly is a genuine parallel universe, as he claimed.

"For the same reason? But he actually succeeded?"

They had witnessed the terrifying power of that 'Otto,' and then seen him pull 'Kallen' out from the tree.

"Should I call her Grandma?" Drescha asked, puzzled.

Everyone: "…"

They were about to step forward and investigate what was happening—

At that moment, a girl in a cherry-blossom-colored shrine maiden's outfit stepped out, staring blankly at them.

"Sakura? Why does her appearance and age seem odd… and Kallen too…" Raiden Mei's voice trailed off.

Suddenly, they saw the girl sprint over to 'Otto' and link arms with him?!

Before that sank in, the 'Kallen' beside her also linked arms with Otto's other arm.

Raiden Mei: "…"

Drescha: "…"

Walter, for some reason, seeing their expressions, suddenly relaxed: "In this universe, it seems the three of them are together."

Kleine's eye twitched as he looked at the others several meters behind him: "It's all fake. Don't take it seriously."

Xing glanced at them with a hint of envy, thinking she should raise Tianhuo and activate its 0th rated power—then felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

She pulled out her phone and glanced at the message notification.

Luoqi: "I found her! I caught up with her! Leslie is out of the Starquake range! We're safe—don't worry. (This message is broadcast to all.)"

Xing put away her phone and smiled faintly.

Never abandon hope—the Star God of Hope will naturally cast a glance downward.

(End of chapter)