Chapter 502: Your Good Intentions? They're Mine Now!

The setting sun sank behind the mountains behind the ancient city, the edge of Jinghai gradually grew cold, and fireworks were set off again in the city and the ancient city opposite.

"Whoosh... Boom!"

The fireworks were brilliant, vanishing in an instant.

"So that's how it is..."

Two figures sat by the lake; Chen Shu had already put away the kite, and an old man stood beside them, looking into the distance, murmuring to himself.

At this moment, Chen Shu spoke: "I heard you have been to the universe and planet that Shengzu and I came from?"

"Yes."

The New Saint withdrew his gaze and met his eyes.

"How long did you stay there?"

"Between universes, time is not easy to describe," the New Saint shook his head with a smile. "That universe is currently too close to our universe, and the intersection point of the two universes is that planet and our planet, so I dared not stay there for too long; I only stayed on that planet for about a few months. But I subsequently traveled for decades among other planets and different civilizations in that universe. I specifically chose planets where the flow of time was faster than that planet, and with the help of the Wooden Bead, I performed instantaneous space travel, so when I returned to that planet, only a few years had passed on it."

"What year is it there now?"

"When I left, it was 2027."

"2027..."

"Do you want to go back?"

"I don't want to go back; I belong here," Chen Shu paused, his tone sincere. "But I want to go back once before the war begins, to take a look, and also to bring back Shengzu's ashes and his final wish."

"Are you afraid that we will still fail?" The New Saint looked at him with a smile.

"Better safe than sorry, right?" Chen Shu was quite frank, having nothing to hide. "Fulfilling a wish makes one's heart more at ease."

"It is good to go back and see."

Although they had only met for a short two or three hours, this was already enough for the New Saint to develop trust in them.

Chen Shu and Ning Qing of the Zhu Ti Wei Mian did not choose to use the Wooden Bead and Crystal to leave this universe at the final moment, but instead risked returning to the Shadow Plane; naturally, Chen Shu and Ning Qing of the Shadow Plane could not possibly go and never return.

Correspondingly, Chen Shu and Ning Qing of the Zhu Ti Wei Mian had spent many years with the New Saint and had planned the scheme to save the Rear Plane together, and Ning Qing also trusted him.

Consequently, Chen Shu also trusted this old man very much.

This was a truly remarkable great man.

"This time, I have been to seven universes. Among them are Great Plane Hive Universes like ours, and there are also Small Plane Hive Universes; each of their planes contains only one star system. I have also been to layered-plane universes, where planes are layered one upon another. I have also been to Great Universes, where the entire universe is a single entity. The third universe I visited was the one you and Shengzu came from; that is also a Great Universe, and it is very close to us."

"That sounds wonderful."

"Yes, the endless universe is infinitely wonderful, possessing infinite mysteries and joys. Every universe, every plane, and every civilization is different, and there are different underlying rules and mechanisms between universes; some mechanisms would seem very wonderful and incredible to us." The New Saint narrowed his eyes, momentarily feeling the sentiment of sighing at the infinity of heaven and earth and mourning the brevity of our lives. "It is a pity that humans are too insignificant; even if we were given another million years, in our entire lives, we could never view all the joys of the vast universe."

Chen Shu fell silent, as if infected by him, and for a moment even forgot to continue asking about things he was interested in.

"Do you know?"

It was the New Saint who spoke first, looking at him calmly. "Most universes possess a Space-Time Node, prepared specifically for those who travel between universes. Some Space-Time Nodes are dormant, some are awakened, and some Space-Time Nodes even possess a manager, or a gatekeeper, owner, or something of the sort, whatever you choose to call them. They are often there by chance; by coincidence, they merged with the Space-Time Node, and suddenly, from ordinary creatures, they became existences far surpassing what we call 'gods' in this plane."

"A manager..."

"They possess a lifespan equal to that of the universe and possess unimaginable great power, and this stems only from a coincidence," the New Saint said. "I do not know if this should be considered a fortunate or unfortunate thing. The fortunate part is that while possessing infinite power and living and dying with the universe, they remain themselves. The unfortunate part is that they were completely unprepared and were forced to face this endless loneliness."

"So..." Chen Shu's eyes flickered. "The universe that Shengzu and I came from also has such an existence, right?"

"Yes, so you can return to your hometown very easily, without needing to worry about anything else," the New Saint finally reached the point he was interested in. "Because that universe possesses an awakened Space-Time Node, no matter what method you use, as long as you head to that universe, you will definitely enter the Space-Time Node first, rather than being randomly thrown to the edge of a universe like in our universe. And since the manager of the Space-Time Node is located on your original planet, you will definitely return to your original planet."

"Is that so..."

Chen Shu fell into thought: "Then the crossing of Shengzu and me... is it also related to that... person?"

"No need to be overly respectful; he is a newly born Space-Time Master, nowhere near that powerful. Perhaps by the time you go, he won't even be as strong as you. Moreover, from what I see, he is also a very gentle person."

"So..."

"I do not rule out that possibility, but even if it is related to him, it does not necessarily mean it was intentional," the New Saint said lightly. "The birth of a Space-Time Item itself is related to the Space-Time Node and its manager; where there is a Space-Time Node and a manager, more Space-Time Items are destined to be born. And their appearance will bring more universe travelers, which will in turn spawn or activate more Space-Time Nodes in other universes."

"It's a cycle."

"Things in the natural world are often like this."

"How truly magical."

"If you are interested, you can also go and see, go and see those magnificent worlds, and witness higher-level civilizations and creatures," the New Saint reminded him again. "But first, you need to ensure that you are strong enough."

"We'll see..."

Chen Shu did not echo the sentiment.

There is no one who does not yearn for the vast, boundless starry sky, let alone the endless universe. But he also has his own constraints; compared to those, the life before him is more worth cherishing, and his good friends and familiar life make him reluctant to leave.

As for higher-level civilizations...

The endless universe naturally has people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens; Chen Shu would not think that this tiny patch of land before him is the end of the path of civilization. There must be civilizations far higher than this one, and there must be creatures countless times stronger than them; perhaps they are hundreds of millions of years ahead of this plane, with an unbridgeable gap, and perhaps there are civilizations that can truly be omnipotent, creating and destroying worlds in the snap of a finger.

The endless universe naturally has endless possibilities.

But Chen Shu is not Cao Ci; his life is not about blindly pursuing strength, and it is not that he must go and surpass anyone he discovers who is more powerful. This is absolutely impossible in the endless universe; it is a matter of the height of civilization surpassing the height of life, and it is also something he is not interested in.

Cultivation is a path, not a goal.

Chen Shu had already seen his goal; what he had to do was walk there, and then settle down and begin to enjoy his own life.

"When do you plan to set off?"

"After the Ninth Stage, this spring or summer."

"I have noted it," the New Saint said. "Let's stop our chat here for today; I must go. If there is anywhere you need me, just contact me; you can contact me just as you contact other gods. I can hear you from within the plane."

"Where are you going?"

"I am also going back to my hometown to take a look," the New Saint smiled slightly. "After I finish looking, I will come to find you again. Perhaps I can provide some help on how you can use the Space-Time Item, and at the same time, I will seize the time to organize some things, hoping to have them ready before you return. Subsequently, I would like to ask you to help me bring these things to the Space-Time Node manager of that universe; I and our plane have received his help, and these might be useful to him."

"What things?"

"Methods regarding extending one's lifespan."

"Lifespan?"

"For someone who has merged with a Space-Time Node, their lifespan is so long that it is impossible to see the end, but the sad thing is that their friends and family may not be so. Even with cultivation, the vast majority of universes have a strange mechanism that prevents the lifespans of intelligent bugs from being too long, to prevent them from causing harm to the universe itself. It is just that the lifespans of the vast majority of intelligent creatures have nowhere near reached this limit, so they mistakenly believe that as long as technology keeps improving, they can achieve eternal life."

"Is this not possible?"

"All things have a beginning, and also an end."

"You solved this problem?"

"Not me, it is our universe," the New Saint said. "The Plane Origin is a unique product of our universe, and fusing with the Plane Origin to become what we call a deity is also a technology unique to our universe. This happens to bypass the universe's lifespan restrictions on intelligent beings; it may not necessarily mean eternal life, but at least it has already exceeded the limits of the universe's self-protection mechanism."

"Understood."

Chen Shu was silent for a moment, then added:

"Many thanks."

"It is I who should thank you."

"It is I who should thank you."

"Haha..."

The New Saint laughed a few times, finding it interesting: "I hope that in the future, we can also have more exchanges, like in the Zhu Ti Wei Mian, and become old friends."

These words left Chen Shu not knowing how to respond, but the New Saint did not seem to intend for him to respond; as soon as he finished speaking, he had already vanished.

Without a sound, without a trace.

Chen Shu turned his head to look at Qingqing.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Fireworks across Jinghai sounded one after another; although not as grand as last night, they were denser than just a moment ago.

These fireworks went boom, blooming in the night sky and reflecting on the lake surface, just like the people of this world—to the universe, it is but a fleeting moment, yet they should bloom with even more brilliant light in this very moment.

"Going home?"

"If you don't want to go back, spending the night here is fine," Ning Qing said indifferently. "Anyway, it makes no difference to me."

"That won't do, I have parents."

"?"

"I bought a little smart phone watch for Taozi." Chen Shu teased her, already feeling relaxed, and took out a box. "I see many children nowadays wearing them; you pass it on to her."

"It will hinder her studies."

"Taozi's self-discipline is still very strong. Look, even when she was just a cat, she could resist not pushing the cup off the edge of the table... and she still has the careful guidance of you, me, and Xiaoxiao," Chen Shu said. "Then again, if it hinders her a little, so be it. What of it?"

"You just spoil her."

"Remember to give it to her."

"..."

"Remember to say I bought it."

"?"

Ning Qing stared at this person with an expressionless face.

"Alright, alright, I trust you." Chen Shu hurriedly conceded; there should be more trust between partners, so he stood up and patted his bottom. "Let's go."

"..."

The two flew across Jinghai and returned to the city.

In the suburbs, the residential compound.

Taozi, the entire cat-girl, was sprawled on the sofa in a spread-eagle position, her head hanging off the sofa, staring blankly at the floor tiles. No one knew what she was thinking; only a fluffy tail behind her bottom was held high, swaying left and right.

She seemed extremely bored.

Just at this moment, the sound of the door opening rang out.

Even though the sound of fireworks outside went boom, she keenly caught this slight noise. Her tail immediately stopped moving, she propped up her upper body, and looked toward the doorway.

Those eyes were bright and sparkling, even more beautiful than the fireworks.

The master's figure walked in.

"Swish!"

The little cat-girl scrambled up, walked on the sofa toward her master, and opened her arms as if asking for a hug.

"Qingqing~"

Ning Qing was expressionless; she just tossed a box in front of her and walked past her on her own.

"Hmm?"

The little cat-girl instinctively caught the box and held it in her arms, her eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

She looked up, wanting to ask her master what this was and why she used it to hit her, but she only saw her master's back as she was already walking upstairs. She watched her master's back longingly, feeling in her heart that her master was just too cool—she loved it to death, loved it to death.

Until her master's back disappeared.

Taozi lowered her head again, looking at the box.

Sharp, hook-like nails emerged from her fingertips. With a light scratch, the plastic wrapping broke. Then, she fiddled with it for a long time before she finally opened the box.

The little cat-girl took out a smart watch, held it up, and looked at it left and right, but she did not know what it was.

"Hmm?"

The little cat-girl pressed it against her neck; it was too short.

She pressed it against her forehead; it was even shorter.

"Hmm..."

The little cat-girl simply held it in her hand and swung it in circles.

Until there was movement from the stairs again. The young girl walked down, saw the situation, walked to her side, took the phone watch, fixed it for her, and put it on her left wrist.

"Hmm?"

The little cat-girl was even more confused and began to shake her hand.

"This is a phone watch, look, we are both wearing one on our wrists." The little girl raised her left hand, showing off her smart bracelet, "Once you have this, you can call us and have video chats; even from very far away, you can talk to us."

"So strange~"

"We all have them."

"Oh!"

"Look—"

The little girl grabbed her thin arm, lifted it up, registered an account for her, taught her how to operate the watch, and even made a video call to herself.

Taozi tilted her head, looking at the image of Xiaoxiao on the watch screen, then looked at the Xiaoxiao in front of her, feeling great Surprise.

Immediately, a wave of emotion welled up in her heart—

Master is truly so good to her.

----------Author's Note----------

Five hundred chapters now, celebrate, scatter flowers.