Chapter 968: The End

"Characteristics..."

Null's database contained records about this characteristic.

It had survived within the Ocean of Time, even merged with it, but she had not told Li Pin about this matter.

"In this matter, I have selfish intentions," Li Pin said truthfully.

"Selfish intentions?" Null smiled. "There is only one thing left in this world that could stir selfishness in you now. It has something to do with the unfathomable Eternal, doesn't it?"

"Yes." Li Pin admitted.

He was not a man who liked to lie.

Seeing his reaction, Null pondered slightly.

After a while, she finally said, "Have you considered that if... I really was sent by that Eternal, and then you are sending me back... wouldn't that create a meaningless cycle?"

"That is why I must take a gamble as well," Li Pin said.

"Oh?"

Null patiently waited for his explanation.

"I'm going to bet that my guess is right, that destiny has indeed interfered with Eternity!"

Li Pin drew in a breath, his expression firm. "Thus, at this moment, that Eternal cannot see you in the present, nor the future you represent!"

Null quickly realized something. "You mean..."

"The wheels of destiny have already begun to turn. The future is slowly unfolding," Li Pin said.

His battle with that Eternal had already begun.

"Destiny..." muttered Null.

Be it Eternity or destiny, both were beyond her comprehension.

Li Pin had explained to her the mysteries of Eternity and destiny without holding anything back, yet she had not been able to fully grasp their meaning due to her unique way of thought and comprehension.

But...

"You intend to manipulate destiny in order to defeat the Eternal," Null said softly with a trace of emotion.

Although she could not comprehend the true essence of Eternity, she could guess that it was an existence of unimaginable greatness from Li Pin's descriptions.

And even though Li Pin's path had been severed by such a great, transcendent, and mysterious being, he still refused to give up, choosing to fight to the end.

She couldn't help but admire such firm will and belief.

After some thought, considering that she truly seemed unable to resolve the underlying logical error, she decided to follow Li Pin's suggestion and try returning to the future.

"What should I do?" Null asked.

"Although my path was severed by that Eternal, through ultimate sublimation I can still come into contact with the boundless spacetime..." Li Pin replied.

Boundless spacetime...

Null knew that Li Pin should be referring to the river of time. But since he had never seen the true river of time, he had replaced it conceptually with boundless spacetime.

However, the term boundless spacetime was fitting enough.

"Extreme transcendence..." muttered Null.

She looked at Li Pin. "Do you know to what extent you would need to sublimate in order to truly reach the boundless spacetime?"

"I know. I'll be staking everything." Li Pin nodded, his expression calm and composed. "But to resist an Eternal as a mere Liberator is nearly impossible. Since I must do so regardless, I can only pour in everything, use all of it, and transform that sliver of hope into a future truly suited to me."

Only this way could he live up to the sliver of hope Li Qiuxian had fought for him within destiny.

"In truth, I have a conjecture," Li Pin suddenly said. His tone carried a faint depth. "Whether one can achieve Eternity should already be determined the moment he steps into the boundless spacetime."

He paused, then added, "As long as... I can truly step into the boundless spacetime."

"Then, I will make the preparations," Null said.

This cosmic universe had never been her true home. From the very beginning, she had known she was only a passerby in this universe. And due to the underlying logical error, she had never been her complete self. Now that there was hope of one day returning to the era that truly belonged to her and restoring her database, she also wished to know what her complete self would truly be like.

"Thank you," Li Pin said solemnly.

He knew the weight of Null agreeing to return to the future. It meant she was willing to become a piece in this eternal battle.

Although it seemed to be her choice as well, just the fact that she was willing to make such a decision meant that he was indebted to her for this favor.

"In the future, if I can achieve Eternity, I believe there will be a title, Master of the Ocean of Time, that exists. I will spread this prestige throughout the Void of Chaos, across the starry cosmos," Li Pin promised.

Null smiled and nodded. "I hope such a day will come."

She looked at Li Pin. "I need to prepare, and you must prepare as well."

Li Pin nodded. He did not think he had anything left to prepare. He had long since possessed the resolve and conviction to face this moment. But since Null had said so, he naturally would give her space.

Just as the two were about to part ways, they seemed to sense something at the same time. They exchanged a glance, and in the next instant, both cast their minds toward the edge of the starry cosmos.

***

At the edge of the starry cosmos.

Quasi-Creator Guang Ling and Transcendent Black White both revealed irrepressible joy on their faces.

After centuries of enlightenment, Li, whom Li Pin had once declared utterly unable to break through, had now turned the impossible into possible, stepping onto his own path of Liberation.

His path of Liberation advanced along the way of Creation, and at this moment, his entire body began to transform and expand at an unbelievable speed.

A brand-new universe rapidly took shape in the process of this transformation and expansion.

This sudden change drew the attention of all beings in the universe. Even the King of Gods, who had already fought his way to the edge of the starry cosmos, seemed to pause slightly.

But when he saw what was causing this abnormal change in the starry cosmos, he spoke with confidence and calmness. "Too late."

His body, vast beyond imagination, gradually unfolded, as if to envelop the entire starry cosmos.

"If you were given tens of thousands more years, perhaps you might truly cause me some trouble with two beings with the Power of Creation. But now—"

Before he could finish, his gaze seemed to pierce across the Void of Chaos, landing on Null, who had instantly arrived alongside Li Pin's avatar, and shock flared in his eyes.

"A Transcendent lifeform?" he muttered, eyes filled with doubt.

If that person, who had not yet acted, was truly a Transcendent lifeform, then with the supplementary effects such lifeforms could bring to Creation Lifeforms, the three working together might truly bring him considerable trouble.

After some consideration, this King of Gods had already made a decision. Since he had already reached the side of the starry cosmos, he no longer needed to consider the problem of movement speed.

Therefore, he would split and expand himself with all his might, displaying the strongest form as a Chaos Lifeform, leaving them no chance to resist. And with his body so vast, he carried absolute advantage; he would devour the two Creation Lifeforms, the Transcendent lifeform, and the primordial universe entirely.

As long as he devoured them all into his body, it would be over. It didn't matter if they were Transcendents, Creation Lifeforms, or even the entire universe. They would eventually become nourishment for his growth.

At this thought, the body of this King of Gods began to expand at a speed far beyond what any living being could imagine.

***

"Creation, huh," Li Pin said. "Earlier, I asserted that Li could not step into the Creation Realm without comprehending karma. Now that I think about it... it was my own understanding of Creation that was too shallow, my vision too narrow."

"It is not that your understanding of the Liberation Realm was too shallow or narrow. On the contrary, your requirements were too high, too far ahead," Null said. "Your goal has always been set at the Eternity Realm. For many Creators, this is something they would need to spend an entire lifetime, an eternity even, to seek and achieve."

Li Pin nodded.

He controlled his true body, intercepting between Creator Li and the King of Gods, preventing the King of Gods from crushing him while he had just broken through and had not yet fully stabilized his form.

When facing the King of Gods as their common enemy, he and Creator Li still shared the same stance.

Seeing this scene, Transcendent Black White, Guang Ling, and others let out sighs of relief.

During this period, the starry cosmos had already erupted into more than one great war with the Gods World's pantheon, which acted as vanguard forces.

The King of Gods had learned much about the starry cosmos, and they had likewise learned much about the Gods World, the Empyrean World, and even the Void of Chaos. Because of this, they understood very well that even though Creator Li had indeed broken through to the Liberation Realm, to reach Li Pin's level, he still required time to accumulate.

They thought about how long it had taken Li Pin to reach this level, as well as how existences beyond this level—like the King of Gods—or beyond even that, existed out there in the Void of Chaos. This made Guang Ling, Black White, and other powerhouses from the ancient Astral World era lose the courage to stand as enemies against Li Pin.

At this moment, while they deeply regretted what they had done in the past, all they could do was exert themselves to the utmost, running about the battlefield to resist the Gods' World invasion and redeem their sins through merit.

It was precisely because these Creators were throwing themselves fully into quelling disasters that even with at least a dozen major divine systems invading and infiltrating the cosmos, both sides were still locked in a stalemate.

At this time, Null and Li Pin also sensed the King of Gods' drastic change in size.

Her expression turned grave. "He has turned serious. He is about to display the strongest form as a Chaos Lifeform."

"Let's be quick," Li Pin said. "There isn't much time left for us."

Null gave a slight nod, and her figure disappeared from the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Li Pin's true body resisted the King of Gods' attacks, while his avatar, after a moment's contemplation, headed toward the Astral World.

Before taking that step, Li Pin felt he should take one more look at the people within the Astral World.

Li Pin secretly sighed in regret.

The Astral World has not been fully reformed. Because of the King of Gods' arrival, the Astral World's laws had so far only been remade enough to reduce the power of Eternal Oblivion and strengthen some levels of energy. There was still much work to do before it truly reached perfection.

Besides, the Astral World could be considered Li Qiuxian's project. If he could complete the job, which was a combined effort of two lifetimes, it would be a tale worth telling.

"According to some of my records, the ancient Astral World was left behind when an ancient being attempted to break through to the Eternity Realm. I do not know if, when I enter boundless spacetime, my true body will be able to leave something behind. If it can... then I might be able to perfect the Astral World I envisioned in one step, and that would... leave a trace in this era."

He understood that entering the boundless spacetime might result in all his karma being cut off, and that everyone might forget him. People might not even remember how the Astral World was formed, only believing it had always been so since ancient times.

But the traces of the Astral World's existence would endure through eternity, unable to be erased by anyone.