The River of Time.
Shining, eternal.
Countless eons of history, trillions of living beings, everything traveled only their own short journey within this endlessly lengthy river, then ultimately disappeared.
Fusi held onto Gu Qing Shan as they travelled against the flow of this great river.
To return to that moment from countless years ago, the distance that needed to be travelled was so great that Gu Qing Shan had more time to ponder on this entire matter.
At a certain point.
“Lady Fusi, what would happen if the [Demon King Order] evolved to its final state?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
“Didn’t you already experience such a thing?”
While moving against the surging flow of time, she replied.
Gu Qing Shan doubtfully answered: “Yes, the [Demon King Order] wanted to use my Soul Points to summon the Demon King into the world—– what exactly is the entity called ‘Demon King’?”
Lady Fusi replied: “The [Demon King Order] would have used your Soul Points as a trigger and combine it with the Prayers it had accumulated over the countless years of its existence to create a unique entity”
“Create?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
“Indeed, it was a peerless creation technique that was created by the entire combined power of our [Order] faction”
Lady Fusi was full of emotions: “The entity created would attach itself to the summoner, capable of altering everything in reality while ignoring the restraints of Causality and every other Law in existence!”
Gu Qing Shan was shocked and couldn’t help but ask: “With such power, how would you not be able to get rid of the [Chaos] faction? Or even the Apocalypse itself?”
“This would certainly be the most powerful weapon that our [Order] faction had ever created, unfortunately…” Lady Fusi sighed in dejection: “It had a shortcoming that simply could not be remedied—– we had calculated at the time, if the [Demon King Order] was to stay constantly active for 10 trillion years, constantly accumulating the Prayers of all of its carriers, at most it would only allow the entity called ‘Demon King’ to exist for 10 seconds”
10 seconds!
No matter how powerful of a force this was, it would exist for too little time.
——-but the number of Apocalypse outside the Reality gate was ‘infinite’.
Using 10 seconds to fight against ‘infinite’, the only outcome would be a failure.
Gu Qing Shan pondered briefly and understood.
The [Chaos] faction also desired this power, so the enemy who was of similar strength to Lady Fusi had silently sabotaged the [Demon King Order].
——this would eventually lead to the Era of [Chaos] fully manifesting after 10 trillion years, while the [Order] faction would be rendered thoroughly powerless.
At this point, Lady Fusi suddenly wielded her scepter and lightly chanted the incantation:
“Time, you are my advocate, please raise your light and obscure all of our actions”
A small stream of time left the river, manifesting into a thin white line that circled the two of them.
“Be careful, we’re going to arrive soon” Lady Fusi told him.
Gu Qing Shan gladly replied: “I understand”
Wielding her scepter in one hand while holding onto him with the other, Lady Fusi headed towards a certain part of the River of Time.
She strongly thrust forward with her scepter.
The shining great river parted ways.
The blurred figures and images within the river slowly became clear in front of their eyes.
A secret room.
Within this secret room, numerous entities wearing black robes had gathered, continuously moving around a black flame several meters in height.
The faces of these entities had been obscured, completely concealing their figures, with only the numerous incantations they were uttering to be audible.
As they continued to chant, the black flame gradually became brighter and more blinding.
At a certain point, they stopped.
The chanting also ceased.
From a certain robed figure, a voice spoke: “I have bestowed it 1,963 kinds of combat abilities”
Another voice spoke: “I’ve added 99,000 kinds of equipment and combination forging methods”
“I’ve bestowed it the rules of advancement, as well as a module to select new power”
“Related to summoning techniques, I’ve given 7,491 kinds”
“The Prayers collecting Dreamscape Soul Artifact has been prepared”
“…”
Each of them stated their contributions.
Lady Fusi and Gu Qing Shan stood in a secluded corner as they silently watched this.
After a while, Gu Qing Shan suddenly realized.
Countless years ago, these unimaginable powerful entities were wracking their minds to think of a way to fight the Apocalypse.
These pioneers, it was them who created [Order]
—–and this was the process of how [Worlds Apocalypse Online: Demon King Order] was created.
How unimaginable that I’ve travelled so far back in time in order to witness the process of [Order]’s creation!
Gu Qing Shan felt an indescribable emotion rising from his heart.
“Can’t they see us?” Gu Qing Shan asked in a whisper.
Lady Fusi replied: “Naturally, there are some who recognize Space-Time magic and would be able to discover us, look——-”
An entity in a black robe slowly turned around and walked in front of them.
A familiar voice questioned:
“Arrivals from the future time, who exactly are you?”
Both sides were now close enough for Gu Qing Shan to see her appearance.
It was Lady Fusi.
This was her during her youth, despite a hint of immaturity that she carried, she still emanated peerless power and solemnity.
Gu Qing Shan observed the other party, then looked back at Lady Fusi who was holding onto him and felt shocked.
“No need to be surprised. The Law of Time would erase two of the same entities who exist at the same point in time because it would otherwise cause Space-Time to become chaotic and collapse”
“But since I am able to calm the chaos of Space-Time, I can naturally meet myself”
Saying so, Lady Fusi removed a hairpin from her head, chanted a short incantation, and handed it to her other-self.
The younger Fusi received and examined it for a bit before returning it.
“So it truly is myself from 10 trillion years later, is there anything you wish to tell me in the present?” she asked.
“I cannot say, but I need your power as reinforcement to probe for a certain thing” Lady Fusi shook her head and answered.
The younger Fusi nodded and said emotionally: “Then it seems the situation had gotten very serious”
She raised both hands and lightly chanted: “May great power of time flow like a waterfall, filling your body and spirit”
The thin white line around Fusi and Gu Qing Shan’s bodies suddenly grew bigger, manifesting as a milky white light that enveloped them both.
Another cluster of blinding light appeared from the younger Fusi’s hand and flew into Lady Fusi’s hand.
“This is my strongest clairvoyance technique” the younger Fusi said.
“I naturally know that” Lady Fusi replied.
Gu Qing Shan was already completely shocked.
She is literally helping herself?
Lady Fusi glanced at him, saw that he was staring at her younger self, and told him – apparently misunderstanding something: “The more power of Time I accumulate, the younger I would appear; verse-wise, I would appear older”
While she explained, her younger self had already returned to the other Awaitings.
She was telling the others something.
——several Awaitings were listening to her and turned their gazes towards this corner, then turned back after she finished explaining.
“They are those who are currently protecting your secret on the scroll, so they can be trusted” Lady Fusi explained.
Gu Qing Shan continued: “And since you are currently at the venue of the [Order]’s creation, your evenly-matched opponent would not appear just yet”
“Indeed, we will need to wait for a bit” Lady Fusi replied.
The two of them silently stood in the corner, listening to the others’ conversations.
After a while.
An earth-shaking voice declared from outside:
“You bastards of the [Order] faction, come out and receive your deaths!”
Gu Qing Shan turned to Lady Fusi.
“Ah, I remember now, when the [Demon King Order] was completed, the [Chaos] faction arrived and declared a battle against us”
Lady Fusi appeared nostalgic and continued: “At the time, we assumed that they were jealous of the Demon King power we had created—– although it would only exist for 10 seconds, it had already surpassed their imagination”
While she told him, the Awaitings from the [Order] faction had already left the secret room in groups.
Since the [Chaos] faction had come to fight, they couldn’t help but receive it.
The younger Fusi moved with her companions towards the secluded corner of the secret room and looked at the two of them.
“Do you need me to do anything?” the younger Fusi asked.
“No need, go on, do not mess with the timeline and history of 10 trillion years” Lady Fusi replied.
The younger Fusi nodded and was about to leave with her companions.
“Tsk”
A cold snort resounded.
Among her companions, another entity who was also wearing a black robe approached them.
He walked up to Gu Qing Shan.
「 Youngster, the few dragons that you killed 10 trillion years later are all garbage that deserves to be killed, so I’ll disregard them 」
「 However——- how could you use the power of the dragon race that way, that isn’t how you use it at all! 」
「 It’s very shameful to run your mouth like that, do you understand? 」
He was scolding Gu Qing Shan without giving him time to speak, obviously quite furious.
Gu Qing Shan looked at this Awaiting.
He had a pair of golden vertical irises.
His face itself was covered in scales that naturally formed complicated mystical runes.
His presence was completely different from the others.
—-he was considerably more powerful.
“Your grace, please do not be angry. In the lull of survival, I could only use whatever power available to myself” Gu Qing Shan had to explain himself.
The other party coldly glared at Gu Qing Shan, then suddenly reached out a finger clad in a milky white glow and tapped Gu Qing Shan’s forehead.
「 Remember, this is the true power of the dragon race 」
Saying so, he immediately left.
The younger Fusi watched as he left, then turned back to Gu Qing Shan.
“It’s ok, he’s the Thousand Dragon Ancestor. He was definitely providing you some sort of aid, don’t worry” she lightly told him.
Lady Fusi urged them: “Alright, don’t linger for too long, you should quickly leave before the history of 10 trillion years is altered, it could cause unimaginable consequences”
The younger Fusi exchanged glances with her companions, nodded, then left.
Eventually, all the Awaitings left, leaving the black flame silently hovering by itself.
The secret room quickly became peaceful again.
Only Fusi and Gu Qing Shan silently stood in the corner.
“If your guess was correct, that event should occur very soon” Lady Fusi said.
“I’m not really sure. But since this was the only place they could have sabotaged, and they had even used so many people to draw everyone in the secret room away, I think that event will surely occur very soon” Gu Qing Shan replied.
After saying so, his gaze turned to the void of space.
Lines of glowing text appeared on the War God UI:
[You’ve received the teachings of the Thousand Dragon Ancestor]
[Your Azure Dragon Shadow Hex – Binding is evolving]
[The Azure Dragon Origin Hex is being conceived]
[You will soon obtain the true power of the dragon race]
Gu Qing Shan didn’t have time to observe any further.
——-he suddenly felt Lady Fusi’s hand tightening on his shoulder.
“I am the Unextinguishing Sands of Time, hereby calling upon the most profound power of Time”
“All time, you are my closest friends, please break through the false concealment of past entities, as well as the illusions that did not exist, show me the truth and secret hidden within the deepest recesses of Time”
Lady Fusi quickly chanted and crushed the cluster of light in her hand.
Gu Qing Shan suddenly looked up.
The world was fading away from their visions.
Emptiness.
After emptiness, the entire world abruptly manifested itself again.
Nothing had changed, and no abnormalities occurred.
“Let us observe the outcome” Lady Fusi said.
The two of them silently stood still.
Gu Qing Shan didn’t have the mind to read the notifications regarding the dragon race’s power either.
Because this was the most important moment!
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
…
The time they waited gradually accumulated.
Nothing occurred at all.
Eventually, even Gu Qing Shan’s own confidence was wavering.
Lady Fusi sighed, about to say something.
All of a sudden, a faint figure descended from above, silently landing within the secret room.
The figure circled around the black flames a few times and muttered:
“So this is the [Demon King Order]? How truly unexpected for them to create such an [Order]”
Gu Qing Shan and Lady Fusi exchanged glances.
—–the enemy truly did arrive.
10 trillion years ago, that entity from the [Chaos] faction truly did sabotage the [Demon King Order] at this exact moment.
Gu Qing Shan’s conjecture wasn’t wrong!
