Inside the research institute, the simulated ocean waves had been fluctuating between calm and violent for the past ten minutes.
“What’s going on? There’s no pattern to these fluctuations at all.” The observer’s voice was a bit urgent.
“If this keeps up, the container will break first. What do we do?”
This situation exceeded all expectations, catching everyone off guard and making them worry about Xue Ji’s condition on the other side.
Just the simulation container alone was made from the latest nano-alloy material. With rune enhancements, it shouldn’t be this fragile.
After all, they were simulating the pressure of the Mariana Trench. Just replicating the pressure there was already extremely difficult, let alone synchronizing with the area where Xue Ji was located.
If the simulation was struggling this much, Xue Ji’s situation could only be far more dangerous.
In the real dimension, Xue Ji poured all her control into rescuing Tethys, her body directly exposed to the pressure.
Their actions had been discovered by the Great Shadow that was corroding Tethys. Even the light-attribute Divine Era magic Xue Ji released couldn’t penetrate the pure darkness that kept closing in around them.
Pfft!!!
The magical shield around Xue Ji grew thinner and thinner. The immense pressure caused blood to flow from all her facial orifices.
Although Klotho wanted to help, she currently had to control the Threads of Fate.
If she gave up, even Xue Ji and the others would be dragged down.
Xue Ji knew this. Now she could only gamble—betting that Eva’s power could rescue Tethys before she reached her limit.
But what she didn’t notice was that golden patterns had begun spreading from her heart.
The pressure around her gradually eased.
“Honestly, the moment I’m not by your side, you go and do something this dangerous.” Ling Xiaoxiao’s phantom appeared behind Xue Ji.
Before the two had separated, the Fire Bird Soul Feather that Ling Xiaoxiao had given her proved useful.
Klotho was overjoyed. Just as she was about to say something, Ling Xiaoxiao gestured—don’t disturb her.
Xue Ji was so fully immersed that she didn’t notice Ling Xiaoxiao’s phantom.
And although Ling Xiaoxiao’s phantom couldn’t touch her, she still gently embraced her.
“I’ll protect you. Go ahead and do what you need to do.”
A sweet curve lifted the corner of Xue Ji’s lips. The next second, their bodies dissolved into foam and scattered.
……
The Far Shore of Souls—the crevice between the real world and the spirit world.
Step one of the plan: extract Tethys from the corrupted sea.
Step two of the plan: escape into the Far Shore of Souls.
Despite the close calls, the first two steps were completed smoothly.
But how do they return to the real world?
The scenery of the Far Shore of Souls was dreamlike and illusory, a beautiful utopian vision reflected in this place.
This was the final resting place for lost souls, but at this moment, it had dimmed and lost its light.
Above was a frozen expanse of black. Below, only lost souls wandered aimlessly.
Being lost was the main melody here. Even the authority of fate couldn’t reach this place.
Tethys had now been extracted from the alienated ocean, but even her soul had become extremely weak.
They had to hurry. If they delayed any longer, Tethys would dissipate.
Although the plan was feasible, there were too many uncontrollable risks.
“There’s no path.” Eva’s voice trembled. She didn’t like this place.
“Good child, don’t be afraid. We don’t belong here.” Tethys comforted her in a weak voice.
In this situation, Xue Ji seemed unusually calm.
“What should we do?”
“Please close your eyes, cough cough…” Tethys could barely speak.
“Let me do it instead.” Klotho stepped forward and helped wipe the blood from Xue Ji’s face.
“Sage, and little Eva, please close your eyes and follow what I say.”
“Please imagine—everyone connected to you, surrounding you, whether good or bad.”
Eva saw her father—that tall, thin figure who researched alchemy alone in a small world.
She also saw the knight grandfather clad in armor, and… her mother, long absent, whose fate was unknown.
They stood atop that castle, waving to her, their smiles brilliant.
【Tears become stars, longing guides the way home.】
What Xue Ji saw first were the people she had known as the Sage of Another World.
On the journey to defeat the Demon King—the companions she’d met, the enemies she’d crossed blades with, and all the various people she’d encountered along the way—all of them were watching her.
Leaning on companions, sharpening skills against enemies.
These people and events had supported her up to this day.
The people of the past slowly faded away, leaving only the companions of the Hero’s Party still gazing at her.
【The past becomes strength. The ending is also a prologue.】
Next, everyone from Blue Star appeared before her eyes.
Parents, friends, loved ones, comrades-in-arms…
Before she knew it, she had come to know so many people and so many things had happened.
But it wasn’t just these. Xue Ji’s vision expanded to even more distant places.
Walking through the world, most people merely brushed past her.
But everything she had done was connected to this world in some way.
Longing—the longings of more people were perceived by Xue Ji.
Longing for parents, longing for lovers, longing for children, longing for friends…
These emotions weren’t something only she possessed.
Xue Ji could feel the emotions of the entire world drawing her forward.
When she came to her senses, she had already taken a step forward.
The two gods smiled, watching Xue Ji. She was like the embodiment of life’s miracle, telling them through action—humans were never weak.
【The infinite distance, the boundless future—your footprints will remain there forever.】
This chant was a blessing for all humanity.
Under fate’s guidance, the stars began to flow through this place, becoming the direction for their departure.
Xue Ji walked ahead, heading toward the direction the stars guided.
At that very moment, everyone in the research institute who had been waiting looked toward that ocean created by humanity.
“Synchronization rate has reached one hundred percent!”
“Margin of error is zero!”
“This is… a miracle.”
A thread of light shone into the Far Shore of Souls.
In the distant past, life followed in the footsteps of the gods.
And now, life had walked ahead of the gods.
The Sage of Humanity led the gods out of the land of the lost.
【Life will find its own way out.】
Inside the research institute, the ocean slowly parted, and a brilliant light rose gradually.
An incredible miracle manifested at this moment.
But this time, what resounded was humanity’s hymn of praise.
The moment Xue Ji and her group appeared, the research institute erupted.
The Sage of Humanity had rescued the gods from the unknowable Great Shadow.
Something so fantastical had actually happened.
Ocean disasters around the world began to subside. The sea monsters that had come onto land gradually slowed their movements.
The dark cloud hanging over all humanity seemed to have dispersed.
At least people could get a period of peaceful sleep.
The ice wall still stood tall. Humanity’s Forbidden Zone remained difficult to approach.
For members of various supernatural response organizations, this was merely the calm before the storm.
Late at night, in the command room of the Canglong, Commander Ye sat alone, staring at the monitoring parameters of the Forbidden Zone, brows tightly furrowed.
The staff officer entered the command room and reported a special situation: “Commander, the female Pope of the Tribunal has come for a secret visit.”
“What is she here for? Looking for someone?”
“Yes. They say the Holy Maiden has descended within Huaxia’s borders.”
Commander Ye rubbed his brow and sighed.
“Let Xue Ji go. This matter should be related to her.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Intuition. Every time something inexplicable happens, it’s related to her.”
The staff officer thought about it—that was actually true!
