Chapter 124: Ready for Departure

Finally having left that place of trouble, everything returned to normal.

Emerging from the venue of the animation festival, Wujue met up with Xun'er and the others. It seemed everyone was safe and sound. Tel, having returned to his usual state, floated in mid-air and remarked, "It looks like we can finally catch our breath."

"Indeed. I never expected that coming in here would stir up such a massive commotion," Wujue said, glancing back at Miaopu, who had been the last to emerge and was now scratching an itch as if nothing had happened.

Xun'er smiled and said, "With that, everyone is accounted for! We don't need to wait for Alice anymore, do we?" To be honest, her memories of the previous time loops were hazy, but Xun'er remained quite wary of Alice.

Twin, accompanied by his subordinates, ran out as well, exclaiming, "We finally escaped! What a total collapse; I never expected to run into such a monster." Looking up at Wujue and his group, who had not yet left, he couldn't help but strike a defensive posture. "Hey! You guys over there—are you looking for another fight?"

Wujue pressed his palms together and laughed, "Benefactor, if I may be blunt: as a defeated opponent, shouldn't you go off and train before coming back to challenge me again?"

Faced with Wujue’s mockery, Twin tilted his head, seemingly conversing with the brother hiding in his shadow. "What’s wrong with this guy? Did he have a complete personality transplant?"

Violet walked up behind him and gave him a nudge. "Forget about that. Our mission failed. We need to think about how to resolve the Alice problem."

"Right! We won't stop you if you want to leave. Considering you saved our lives, we’ll let you off the hook today. But..." Twin said with great seriousness, "we really need to discuss where Alice is going."

Violet’s sidekick, a young boy, nodded in agreement from behind. "Exactly! This isn't something we can just brush off!"

"Shouldn't you ask me about my whereabouts before deciding?" Alice suddenly appeared before them, moving as ghost-like and elusive as ever.

Twin, Violet, and even Xun'er were driven to distraction. "What is going on? Is this some kind of magic trick?"

Only Wujue noticed the telltale sign: behind Alice drifted the figures of Fuyuan and Flash. It seemed the three had reached some sort of agreement, and perhaps that was for the best.

"That's right. Alice has nothing to do with us anymore. Whether you can take her with you depends on yourselves," Wujue said, signaling the others to leave. They shook off the troublesome Twin and his group and got into their car.

Left behind, Twin and his companions stared at the ghostly Alice, feeling a headache coming on. "What are you trying to do? Become a spirit or ascend to heaven?"

"Neither. I’ve simply found where I belong," Alice replied with a calm smile.

After this cycle of reincarnation—and having died once—Alice had attained a unique sublimation amidst the catastrophe. She had now apprenticed under Fuyuan and, along with Flash, had begun to practice the path of Tao, leaving behind her numb life as an assassin.

"Go back and tell the organization that I, Alice, have been removed from the roster," Alice said, drifting upward, leaving behind her final words to the world. "Remember, you will never be able to catch me again."

Twin and Violet were clearly terrified. Even if they were foolish, they knew they were no longer living in the same world as her. It seemed this mission had ended in a blur of confusion.

In the car, Xun'er, preparing to depart, watched Alice slowly fade into the distance and waved. From their first meeting to this moment, a long, unspoken chapter of their lives had finally come to a close.

Wujue comforted her, "It’s alright. Everything will pass. Perhaps one day, we will meet again."

Yes, just as he had promised Fuyuan when everything concluded. Fuyuan had told him that, having escaped this catastrophe, he would forever remember Wujue's kindness. Someday, he would return to settle this karmic bond. As for Flash, he had finally untied the knots in his heart, abandoned his attachment to the past, and followed Fuyuan in peace.

In short, everyone was content. Wujue explained a few things to Xun'er and the others, and they were ready to hit the road. The four of them were still in two vehicles: Tel and Miaopu in one, and Wujue with Xun'er in the other.

Having left the scenic area, their next goal was to head west toward the next city. According to the map, traveling west would take them out of the Jiang-Zhe region and into An-Wan territory, an area where several inland provinces met—a land of flat plains.

There had been reports that when the crisis first broke out, this area had fallen completely, and it was likely now under the control of the Tianzhu clan. Wujue’s plan was to scout the situation, contact any survivors hiding underground, and unite them to find an opportunity to reach the First Emperor's Tomb, hoping to find a way to turn the tide.

They drove straight toward the border. They hadn't gone more than a few miles when Tel’s car suddenly stopped. He floated out into mid-air, the divine mirror on his chest flashing brilliantly. After about half a minute, he descended and said, "Oh no, Wujue! Something’s wrong!"

Seeing this, Wujue stopped his car and rushed out to ask, "What is it? Did you receive a distress signal?"

Tel landed and said, "I received two distress signals. One is from Elder Mirror Knight, saying that Mirror Knights across the universe are gathering for a massive battle against the Tianzhu clan's forces outside the Milky Way. It's a critical moment, and they are short-handed; they need me to go back and help."

"The second signal is from Xiao Yang and the others. A few days ago, City C was attacked again. Although most people hid in underground air-raid shelters, the city was occupied by the Tianzhu clan's zombies. They received word that a new zombie legion is marching toward the An-Wan border, seemingly to hunt you down and avenge the destruction of Gumu."

"Xiao Yang wants me to warn you that the person leading them is likely your old flame, Desay. He has returned from the brink of hell and wants a proper fight with you this time. Princess Anyi and Little Han have already rushed over to help, and they hope to arrive in time."

Wujue felt a wave of concern. Although he was not the same person he once was, Desay’s power could not be underestimated. His greatest rival had returned from the dead, and there was no telling what he might do. It was necessary to prepare for the threat Desay posed.

But with Tel leaving and Xiao Yang likely stretched thin, who else could help? Perhaps it was time to summon those old friends. Wujue asked Tel to help notify Xiao Yang, calling out to all the allies they had met along the way to gather as many people as possible.

The message spread across the entire Jiang-Zhe province, utilizing Xiao Yang's special channels to call upon everyone they had assisted in the past.

***

In a quiet suburb of Jiangzhou, a roar echoed. A man who had wandered into the mountains was tripped by a sudden, feral beast. He hadn't expected to find any surviving beasts in the supposedly cleared city. Terrified, the man scrambled to flee.

Unfortunately, the jungle was filled with obstacles. He was quickly pinned down by the beast, its sharp claws pressing against his chest, ready to deliver a fatal bite.

Suddenly, a flying arrow whistled through the air, piercing the beast's skull. Blood sprayed, staining the man's face. In his panic, he realized he had been saved. A robust figure appeared before him—a man once known to everyone in Jiangzhou, now resurrected.

Gao Lin, brought back from the dead!

"You... you are the Flying General!"

Listening to the rescued man’s disbelieving question, Gao Lin pulled back his cloak and looked toward the southwest. The communicator in his hand was transmitting Xiao Yang’s plea: "Friends, we need your help. The Tianzhu clan has gathered a massive army heading for the An-Wan border. War is about to break out. Please come to our aid, stop the Tianzhu clan’s conspiracy, and turn the tide!"

Gao Lin said nothing, silently pulling his cloak back up and vanishing into the jungle like a shadow.

On the waters of Taihu Lake, Ao Hai was saying goodbye to Ling'er.

"This time, I must go," he said, holding her hand firmly. "Even if I have to hide it from my father, I must help my friends. Remember, after I leave, take care of my father and take care of these waters."

Ling'er nodded solemnly. "Go with confidence. If I can, I will follow you to help as well."

In a dilapidated city, ruins lay everywhere. Baker’s massive body was buried deep beneath earth and stone, a tragic sight. The figure of Death floated in mid-air, gazing into the distance toward the An-Wan border, muttering to himself, "Perhaps it is time I went out to see the world beyond."

In a movie theater in a nameless town, Huron stared at the images repeating over and over on the screen. He finally rose from his seat, looked at the grave he had personally dug beneath the giant screen, and spoke quietly, "I am leaving, my dear! They are calling for me." He turned and drifted away.

In a mysterious, unknown base in China, the key members of "Ming" were gathered. They reviewed the intelligence gathered over the past few days and reached a conclusion.

"I didn't expect the mission regarding Alice to end in failure. It's a pity we couldn't dig up more data within the Magical Tribe." An elderly leader tossed a file to the man opposite him. "Angel, Twin acted on his own—was this part of your plan?"

Angel took the file and smiled faintly. "Regardless of how it happened, wasn't the result quite good? At least Twin learned a lesson; they will grow. And Violet has been promoted to third in the rankings. It can be considered a win-win for everyone."

The other leaders wore mixed expressions, clearly representing the factions behind Twin and Violet.

"So, what is our final decision?" Angel stood up to face the leaders. "Desay has returned, and he intends to fight Wujue to the death. How should we choose?"

"Hold our positions!" Almost all the leaders gave the same answer.

A wry smile touched Angel’s lips. He looked up at the sky, as if gauging something.

At the same time, outside the gates of the Divine Relic Treasure, the Guardian was listening to everything that had transpired. Facing Angel’s meaningful smile, he let out a sigh and said to Liang'er, "It seems we will be disappointed once again."

"However, isn't a life like this all the more interesting? Wujue, you must fend for yourself!"

He rose quietly and vanished, and with him, the gates of the treasure behind him dissolved into thin air.