Chapter 597: The Sacrifice

The data on this report is flawed.

Removing his thick round-framed glasses, the young researcher toyed with his pocket watch, gazing at the void beyond with a complex expression:

"Since recently, these readings have diverged from my previous timeline, and the revival of First Heaven has come half a cycle earlier."

After shattering the false history carried and fabricated by the Reincarnator, two and a half cycles later, First Heaven finally awoke in the form that controlled all power within the Omniverse.

The Above-All-Things intervened and erased everything within the Omniverse.

The Abyss acquired the remnants, forming a complete fixed cycle.

"It seems an extratemporal anomaly has occurred, Deputy Dean," the boy said with a smile, turning to face the middle-aged man wearing the same thick, yellowed glasses:

"The past I experienced, and the future you have yet to live—seem to have diverged."

Zuo Kete glanced at the pocket watch in the boy's hand and said:

"Since you've escaped your identity in the future and present, please do not use my name or the Institute's to issue any commissions to the Young Lady."

"I merely wanted to watch you reach the end, in this role as an apprentice," the boy chuckled.

When a certain journey nears its end, returning to the past and entering a new branch—what Farah called boredom was his lifelong daily routine.

"Elevate the life of the universe to another dimension."

Zuo Kete walked to the observation device, gazing at the terrifying, ever-exploding-and-refreshing landscape, and murmured:

"If First Heaven succeeds in using this method to reclaim the fractured multiverse, it might have a chance to ascend to the level of the Above-All-Things."

The boy said: "Yet this plan is inherently unfeasible."

He gently pressed the power button on an antique television.

The screen flickered, electronic snow danced, and chaotic, profound images began to churn and boil under the dim glow.

The lens began to zoom infinitely outward, revealing a scene identical to the current Marvel Omniverse, including the cosmic conceptual embodiment fused from First Heaven and Eternity.

Unlike the one in the void, one exists in the normal dimension, the other within the Abyss—like an incomplete yet still growing clone.

Aside from the fragments scattered across the Omniverse after the God-Slayer's armor exploded, the fragments carried into the Omniverse by the Reincarnator.

The remaining self of First Heaven sleeps within the Abyss, awaiting its moment.

It waits for the Above-All-Things (TOAA) to erase the Omniverse, annihilating all.

The altered history, the universe's remnants, will be consumed by the Abyss and automatically transferred to First Heaven, the common origin.

"How do you intend to handle this extratemporal anomaly?" the boy asked.

Zuo Kete did not answer immediately, only staring at the vast array gradually forming within the multiple dimensions of the void.

"What did you promise her?"

"Just some theoretical knowledge."

The boy also sensed something amiss—instantly, countless layers of energy exploded in succession as charge, merging with shattered fragments of the fundamental laws into the ritual.

A magical force with will manifested in the void, slowly tearing open a scar-like rift, from which crimson light surged forth, filling every field of vision.

"The Other Shore of the Ultimate Law?"

A voice of astonishment rang out.

Instantly, within the rippling crimson, silhouettes of books and bookshelves appeared—there, the origin of truth, the end of all principles, the melody of the world echoed within.

History, laws, great deeds—the ultimate secrets of all heavens, countless dormant mythic epics—emerged from turning pages, as if hearing prayers, as if pouring knowledge.

—【Hundred Groups' Echo: The Other Shore of Truth】

All different laws, all different worlds—recreated in dazzling fragments of peak glory, transformed by the energy of the Big Bang!

Like a dense, boundless meteor shower, the ultimate truths of existence were bundled into a rainbow beam, and in the blink of an eye, from intersecting timelines,

they crashed down—Boom—!

The cosmic conceptual embodiment fused from First Heaven and Eternity, once asleep, had not even stirred from the earlier rift—but under this strike, it slowly raised its right hand, now entirely white.

Vast divine radiance filled every corner of the universe, as if opening time and space, creating all things; lotuses of Brahma Bloom blossomed from chaos, drifted toward nothingness, establishing layer upon layer of order.

【Contamination Alert! Contamination Warning! Contamination Peak Exceeded!】

Crack—crackle—!

【Initiating self-destruction protocol!】

【Contamination level reset to zero. Self-destruction protocol canceled!】

As if surrendering, the cosmic conceptual embodiment met the crimson meteor shower, enduring countless blows while asleep.

【Temporal data retroactive analysis: contamination level.】

All detection instruments within the Institute shattered simultaneously.

After a moment of silence, half the researchers in the Grave of All Things simultaneously pulled out pocket watches, then stared in surprise at those around them.

"All these young faces—I've almost forgotten those experiences," the boy mused.

"The Crimson Witch summoned the Other Shore of the Ultimate Law—proving the anomaly here is not easily resolved."

"Draft a comparative data discrepancy report for the current phase, and send someone to awaken the Abyss Heaven beyond the Grave of All Things," Zuo Kete said as he walked into the Institute:

"And—"

Zuo Kete suddenly stopped, turned back—and found the branch office suddenly empty, with only a few individuals bustling about.

"Timeleap. Entered another deviant timeline."

He was surprised, then smiled, his steps light as he turned and headed toward the exit of the Grave of All Things: "An extratemporal anomaly that reaches this far…"

Please try harder.

"Try harder, big brother going through a hellish scene!"

Lu Mingfei shouted from behind Su Lin.

Don't misunderstand—this isn't kicking someone when they're down, nor is it gloating.

It's just that, facing the crowd over there fighting like a Wu Lin grand assembly, all one can hope for is that Su Lin holds out—after all, he only wants to talk big and has no intention of getting involved.

"Listen to me for a damn second!"

In Yi Leina's hand, her wand surged with flame; due to the Tianhe Battle Robe Su Lin had lent her, she could still control elements within a tiny range.

Behind Fala, a shadow of identical silhouette descended and fully merged with her, ripples of magic rippling through the rainbow light.

"After I drag him back, I'll have time to listen to you, Miss."

"Drag your head!"

Rainbow light and flames flew wildly across the sky; the atmosphere grew tense beyond measure.

From a sudden flame tornado, Xing leapt out swinging her bat and struck Fala without mercy.

Clang—!

She swung empty air, while the opponent flashed behind her, raising a palm-strike to strike down.

Boom!

A rapid barrage of gunfire echoed as Huiye of Penglai Mountain stepped out from the ruins, holding a submachine gun.

Meng Qi asked: "Aren't you going to stop them?"

"Crunch. Crunch." Su Lin ate potato chips and asked: "Why should I?"

"But what if someone gets hurt?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"Relax," Su Lin gently stroked Lu Mingfei's hair and smiled: "How could I ever let you get hurt?"

As the words ended, Huiye, who had pulled the pin on a grenade, was blown to pieces; from the blood rain emerged Fala, gazing coldly this way.

"Don't gay me!" Lu Mingfei sensed more than one gaze and felt a chill down his spine: "I was just speaking up for justice!"

Crack!

Space shattered abruptly; crimson magic poured through cracks in the sandtable universe, and the magical shadow behind Fala grew denser and more solid.

Hum.

Fala instantly flashed before Su Lin, frowning: "Your soul particles are identical—yet you couldn't possibly have been possessed."

"Out of respect for our unfinished connection, I haven't laid a hand on you," Su Lin said, glancing at the trembling sky with a touch of sorrow:

"Now you understand, don't you? I am not the exact same person as the one you knew."

"Can you stop now?"

"We're all family—why can't we sit down and talk properly?!" Xiao Yan hugged the thigh of Teacher Yan Sen, who swayed like a dead fish, shouting.

"Bro Su, Brother Lin, you've got to calm down your wife!!!"

The surroundings peeled away layer by layer; above, below, front, back, left, right—all turned to void. Around Fala, the silhouette of a library woven from crimson magic gradually took shape.

No one knows if a person gets swallowed by it, but New York, Earth, even this universe—definitely won't survive.

Why?

【Tony (Loki): "Someone just told me the Omni-Universal Nuclear Missile Silo has entered premature launch countdown. Any idea why?"

By the way, the nuke inside is called the Heart of the Universe!!!"

Tony (Loki): "It'll swallow the whole universe! Guys, head to the Graveyard of All Things—I've left you a path!"】

"I like this American-style happy ending," Tony Stark laughed with relief: "At least the world ends over family drama, not something worse."

"Don't give up on treatment," Song Shuhang tried to explain: "Senior Fala, actually Senior Su Lin—"

Su Lin gripped the shard of the Skyward Light and interrupted: "Fala!"

Fala stared silently at Su Lin.

Six wings of white light-particles ignited behind Su Lin; as they unfolded, they drew in all the surrounding 'women.'

"You, Luo Xiaoying, Yao Tian, Taiqing Empress, and all of them are my wings."

"?"

Meng Qi and the others all turned to Su Lin, their throats working hard as a figure made of magic—identical in form to Fala—suddenly appeared before Su Lin.

In Earth, Jixia Academy, the first chancellor's office where he had staged the spiritual energy revival himself.

"Don't underestimate how the Emperor of the Cosmos uses his own and the universe's immortality," said the lazy man lying on the sofa with an eye patch, rolling over:

"Some of them were scholars before becoming Emperor of the Cosmos, but after ascending, even martial types like the Heavenly Demon Emperor had to sit down and talk."

"The Emperor of the Cosmos can return from any anchor point in time—so isn't self-destruction just basic technique? Even if you're bad at combat, you can still trigger a cosmic nuclear explosion."

"Though self-destruction is usually the crudest method, if you've got a powerful sacrifice technique, you can go the sacrifice route."

"Actually, I want to ask you—if Fala becomes Emperor of the Cosmos, how strong would she be?" asked Su Lin's external avatar, left on Earth and maintained by Heaven's Will.

"Fala…" Su Tuoni yawned, lazily climbing off the sofa:

"You care so much about her—are you thinking of starting a harem?"

"Just asking. Don't you want to see her at all?" Su Lin asked.

"Saying I don't miss her is fake…" Su Tuoni carefully rose, using the sofa as cover, peering out cautiously:

"But… no, never mind. You know—being a mature male lead, I have to consider the other heroine's feelings."

"You're so sweet," Su Lin covered his mouth, pretending to gag.

"You could too," Su Tuoni pulled off his eye patch, sat up normally: "It's not too late to turn back—what's so great about the 2D world?"

Can you loosen your fist and speak?

Su Lin stared coldly at the other.

"Fala's a super-rich heiress," Su Tuoni realized he'd lost emotional control, opened the fridge, grabbed a can of cola, and wore a nostalgic expression:

"She's like a princess or sacred maiden of some imperial dynasty or immortal sect—but it's complicated, because from a true standpoint, only she exists as a being on the Other Shore."

"If Luo Xiaoying hadn't existed, I'd have seriously considered living off Fala's wealth for life—hahaha~~~"

"And Fala's personality is great too—gentle, thoughtful, and understanding."

Su Tuoni raised his can, beaming with a smug, proud smile.

I thought girls you ran into would all be a bit weird.

As long as I don't have to use steel wool, their personalities are perfect.

In the terms of the system, as long as I have enough time, I could even eat off a woman's wealth all the way to transcendence—the only condition is going back to her hometown and staying there for life.

With conditions like that, how can't she throw a little tantrum?

I like it just this way.

Marrying in? Su Lin raised an eyebrow.

How can you call it marrying in? Su Tuoni shook his head. It's clearly because I'm too outstanding—I'm the one being recruited as a son-in-law.

Su Lin could tell every word out of this guy was sincere.

Intrigued? Su Tuoni's smile deepened.

Here's the deal: if Farah hasn't unified the timelines, or if there's another version of her existing at this point like Luo Xiaoying, I'll set up a blind date for you three youngsters.

Su Lin didn't answer. He stood up and pointed at a suddenly opened portal.

You're curious about my other social godhand for contacting friends, right? Today I'll share it with you—I have a Door to All Worlds.

Good brother!

In a flash, Su Tuoni dashed forward. We're family—I've gone to so much trouble.

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and burst out laughing.

You've got some unsolvable problem, and you thought I'd fall for this so easily?

Oh.

The universe's own repulsion concentrated beneath the feet of Su Lin's external incarnation, then—

Heaven's favor: +1000%

He kicked Su Tuoni right in the waist.

Extreme.

The moment he flew through the portal, a sense of danger made Su Tuoni have no time to mourn the few points he'd just begun to rebuild.

But the slender five fingers around his neck—the familiar pressure, the familiar touch—made his body, conditioned by reflex, abandon resistance.

Farah!?

The instant Su Tuoni cried out, he was yanked violently into the silhouette of a library woven from crimson magic.

Legend says: offering a sacrifice to the witch lets you live safely.

The ancients did not deceive me.