Chapter 1299: Captain

Gao Yang walked to the streetlight by the river, stopping by Qing Ling’s side. “It’s windy outside, Qing Ling. You should return to the mansion.”

“How about you?” she asked in a cold voice.

“I’m tired. I’m going home to sleep.”

“Have you cleared the game?”

He shook his head.

She stared at him, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

“It’s really difficult,” he said.

Her eyes softened. “I know it’s hard. If you don’t wanna play it, take a break.”

“Okay.”

“But you can’t give up.”

Gao Yang walked forward without a word. Qing Ling caught up with him.

The night wind rustled their hair as they walked in matching strides. Qing Ling stopped all of a sudden, while Gao Yang continued to walk.

“Gao Yang.”

He turned to ask, “What is it?”

“You’re going the wrong way.”

He regarded her quietly.

“Come back,” she said.

Gao Yang didn’t respond.

“Come back!”

Again, no answer from him.

Qing Ling wanted to approach him, but she couldn’t move her legs. She felt a fear she had never experienced before that shook her violently. “Gao Yang! Come back now! Do you hear me?!”

“Clear the game! You promised me!”

“You haven’t done it! Why are you leaving already?! Don’t you leave...”

“Qing Ling,” Gao Yang said, “Do you remember your initial goal?”

She blinked at him.

“You said you wanted to keep getting stronger until you are the most powerful person in the world.”

Qing Ling shook her head, unable to form a response.

“Qing Ling, you’re already unrivaled.”

That was when the whistle sounded.

She started, regaining all the memories she had lost. When she realized it, her face was already covered in tears. She was crying. She couldn’t form any concrete words.

Gao Yang came up to wipe her tears, looking at her gently.

“Don’t cry.”

He gave her a soft smile and pressed his forehead to hers.

“No matter what happens, we’ll never lose each other.”

The words seemed to have come from him, or it could be a voice in Qing Ling’s mind.

Then he was gone. She was all alone.

“Gao Yang!”

“Brother Yang!”

“Captain!”

Their other companions caught up. The whistle made them remember: Gao Yang had reached level 8 with Lucky. Gathering their power, he led the resistance against the Ultimate, yet they were denied and erased before they could touch it.

As Nana had said, the Ultimate was the most supreme truth and intention as well as the origin and destination of all. It would never stop.

“Qing Ling!” Wang Zikai shouted. “Where is Gao Yang?!”

Qing Ling kept her gaze forward.

“Gao Yang...” Vermilion Bird’s eyes reddened. She rephrased, “We lost... didn’t we?”

“Yeah.”

Another voice startled everyone. The dorm keeper had appeared. She said with a soft sigh, “You lost, but humanity hasn’t.”

That stunned everyone.

Zhang Wei hurriedly asked, “Did we lose or not? And where is Brother Yang?!”

“Look there.” The dorm keeper raised her hand.

They turned around. Where Gao Yang had vanished, a Rune Circuit flicking with grey blue light appeared—the Time-Space Rune Circuit.

“Holy, did he...” Liao Liao’s eyes widened with dawning realization.

The dorm keeper nodded. “The moment the Ultimate killed you, his Time-Space Spirit reached level 8, granting him its ultimate skill—Time-Space Captain.”

The revelation struck like lightning. They never expected the key of fate Wenzi talked about to be right within their reach.

“Hope arrives right after the greatest despair,” Gregor lamented.

“So this is how we turn things around.” Adept Horse had figured it out, too.

“Wait, I think I understand, but not fully...” Zhang Wei felt helpless. This was the one time he didn’t want to miss anything.

“Stupid!” Dr. Jia caught up with them. The parrot hovering above him repeated eagerly, “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

He panted and struggled out, “Clearly... Gao Yang’s Time-Space Captain... can take us through time and space, with no time limit.”

“We know that the world beyond the Gates isn’t the Mist World. It’s not constrained by our hundred-year round. In theory, Gao Yang would be able to take us back to the starting point of the war, namely the first round. Then we can help the first Divine Scion beat the Gluttonous Snake.”

Dr. Jia turned to the dorm keeper. “Things aren’t happening in chronological order, but all at once. Right?”

The dorm keeper nodded.

“Whoa!” Zhang Wei finally understood. He couldn’t contain the feelings bursting from his chest. “This is fucking... madness!”

“But...” Hong Xiaoxiao spoke up. “Aren’t we killed by the Ultimate?”

“Oh, right! We’re dead!” Dr. Jia’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe he would miss something this important.

“Don’t worry,” the dorm keeper explained. “The Ultimate only destroyed your bodies. Your souls and fates remained. Time-Space Captain could reverse the destruction of your physical beings. In fact, you’re already on the boat.”

She glanced at the Time-Space Rune Circuit. Catching her meaning, Vermilion Bird went up and took a deep breath before seizing the Rune Circuit.

Whoosh

. The world was suddenly gone. All around them were flowing beads of grey-blue energy that resembled an orderless rain. Amid the downpour, a river flowed toward the edges of the universe. It looked like a combination of numerous colorful, infinitely long worms. The river of worms branched out, connected to multi-colored vortexes of different sizes. Were the river the trunk, the vortexes would be the branches and leaves.

This was the river of time and space.

Upon the river flowed a large boat—it looked more like a giant hourglass than a boat, actually. The sail was raised, but the boat remained unmoving in the river like it had gotten stuck on a hidden reef.

The fifteen people stood on its deck and took in the grand spectacle, feeling shocked and insignificant, followed by excitement and hope.

For Wang Zikai, at least.

“Haha!” He laughed proudly. “I knew Gao Yang would have a way. Where is he? Why hasn’t he come out? Where did you hide him?”

They turned to the dorm keeper.

After a moment, she looked to the side into the distance. “Haven’t you noticed? The boat of time and space isn’t moving.”

Realization struck.

“Gao Yang wanted to bring you ten thousand years ago. The Ultimate rejected it. The direction the Ultimate was turning was for the Gluttonous Snake to beat the Heavenly Way. It is the Ultimate’s will.”

“So we’re excited for nothing.” Dr. Jia was looking forward to traveling through time.

The dorm keeper shook her head. “The Ultimate cannot be resisted, but one can cheat under its scrutiny. There is no true zero probability. I succeeded ten thousand years ago. Gao Yang is going to try it, too.”

Vermilion Bird steeled herself and asked, “What... is he trying to do?”

The dorm keeper answered calmly, “To stop the Ultimate for even a split second.”

They blanched.

The first Divine Scion had sacrificed her soul to send her fate and energy to the last round of the Mist World. Now, Gao Yang was going to pay the same price to send all of them to the first round.

“So...” Liao Liao choked out. “That wasn’t Captain, but only his fate?”

The dorm keeper nodded as she slowly grew translucent. “Just like me, that was merely a period that would soon complete its purpose.”

“No! I’m going to save him! He’s not dying! He’s not!” Wang Zikai shouted. “Where’s Gao Yang? Where is he?!”

Before she vanished, the dorm keeper smiled.

“He’s fighting.”