The Grand Divine Palace.
Gu Qing Shan sat on the high throne on top of the stairs, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
He was still unable to get used to not having the War God UI in front of his retina.
A thought occasionally surfaced in his mind:
—–would the System really appear again after I return to the Strife Zones?
This was a problem that he couldn’t help but consider seriously.
Gu Qing Shan tried to analyze the situation bit by bit.
First of all——-
I’m currently within a phantom image, from over several ten thousand years ago.
A phantom image is a fragment of history from a parallel world——- and I have to think of a way to arrive at a true moment in history from here and take the Heaven sword.
From a timeline perspective, this period of time was a lot more ancient than the point in time that I was at in my previous life.
And so, there should be a total of 3 crucial nodes in the timeline.
The first is the Age of Old;
The second is the cultivation world’s 681st year of the Peaceful Dynasty.
And the third, which is the moment I left the present—— within the seal on the Drifting Sand World in the Strife Zones.
On the first time node, I’ve just lost the War God System so I wouldn’t be able to obtain it again.
The second time node is the 681st year of the Peaceful Dynasty, which is when I had just obtained the War God System.
The first and second time node forms a perfect closed loop, but as time continues forward, the timeline would naturally develop until it reaches the third time node.
Since the War God System exists from the second time node onwards, as the timeline naturally develops, it would remain even after the third time node.
Purely from a temporal logic perspective, that means as long as I return to the third time node, the System would naturally return.[1] ()[2]
“It should be flawless…” Gu Qing Shan muttered to himself.
He was finally assured.
“What are you saying?” Luo Bing Li asked.
She threw a jade disk to Gu Qing Shan.
Gu Qing Shan received the jade disk and habitually glanced at the void of space in front of his eyes.
But no glowing text appeared there at all.
Gu Qing Shan bitterly smiled, glanced down at the jade disk in his hand, and asked: “So you’ve already completed it?”
“Indeed, with this jade disk, we can travel along the back-up path at any moment” Luo Bing Li replied.
“That’s perfect, now all we have to do is to wait for the figure of light to return” Gu Qing Shan said.
Luo Bing Li asked doubtfully: “Didn’t you tell it that you were going to find Gu Qing Shan? Are you going to just sit here and wait?”
“Of course not, come with me”
Gu Qing Shan flew down next to her and took out a warp talisman.
As he infused it with spirit energy, the talisman glowed.
It brought both Gu Qing Shan and Luo Bing Li away from the Grand Divine Palace.
A ruin of rubble and debris.
A light flashed.
The two of them appeared.
Luo Bing Li looked around: “This was the original location of the Drifting Moon Immortal Sect”
“Indeed, we’re going to find Gu Qing Shan here”
Gu Qing Shan replied.
He gestured to someone behind himself.
Shannu appeared from the void of space and swiftly landed in front of Gu Qing Shan.
“Gongzi, I understand, you want me to act as the Divine King” Shannu said.
“Hm, leave carrying the [Order] to me, you can act as the Divine King, but make sure to match your act to mine” Gu Qing Shan told her.
“Yes” Shannu replied.
Shannu’s power came from the Grand Tie Wei Mountain so she could use it any time she liked, unlike Gu Qing Shan who had to constantly challenge opponents more powerful than himself and accumulate every bit of Soul Points he could.
She used [Mystery of All Beings Equal] and quickly transformed into a Divinity with a blue flame in between his eyebrows.
Cold air drifted about this Divinity to form floating ice crystals, the 5-colored brilliant glow around himself made him actually appear a bit divine.
——this was the God of Frost and Chill.
“Good, now it’s my time to dispel the [Mystery]” Gu Qing Shan said, still a bit unwilling.
He slowly returned into his original form.
Luo Bing Li looked at him with interest and couldn’t help but ask: “You spent so much time planning this out and spent so much effort, even willing to carry the [Demon King Order], what exactly is your goal?”
Gu Qing Shan replied: “To obtain the Heaven sword, of course”
After saying so, he began to consider his next course of action.
——-after the figure of light returns, I will have to carry the [Order].
I’m already very used to the [Demon King Order] in both this life and the last, so carrying it will be like walking down a road I’m familiar with.
With the [Demon King Order]’s help, my strength will quickly increase again.
The main problem is whether or not I want to become the Demon King.
If I overstep the final boundary of the figure of light and become the Demon King, that would ruin the entire plan.
——-but by doing that, I would be able to awaken other [Orders]
With that in mind, Gu Qing Shan couldn’t help but put his hand on his Inventory Bag.
The large-scale War System: Water God, is currently lying dormant inside my Inventory Bag.
If Water God were to awaken…
Gu Qing Shan considered for a very long time before sighing.
I can’t.
My goal is to save the Earth sword.
Only after the Earth sword is saved will I consider the situation and attempt to do other things.
Gu Qing Shan silently decided.
At this point, Luo Bing Li tried asking again: “After you obtain the Heaven sword, will you help the Divine race or humanity?”
Gu Qing Shan looked straight at her.
Luo Bing Li smiled bitterly: “You acted as the Divine King so well that even I think you would make a good Divinity”
Gu Qing Shan chuckled and shook his head, he didn’t expect a ruse he came up with to deceive the Divine race would actually convince his own allies as well.
That’s not a good thing.
Gu Qing Shan patiently explained: “You don’t have to worry about that. I would stand on the side of humanity without a doubt, I’m a human cultivator after all”
Luo Bing Li asked: “So after you obtain the Heaven sword, are you going to let yourself loose and eliminate every creature that isn’t human?”
Gu Qing Shan replied: “I’m not interested at all in killing people—– or killing anything, I just want to save the Earth sword”
Luo Bing Li thought briefly before asking: “The Earth sword? Wait a minute, you mean it’s already in your possession? How is it now?”
“It was greatly damaged, its weapon spirit was in a state where it could dissipate at any moment, but my Shifu used a secret technique to temporary seal its time and prolong its life”
“I heard that only the Heaven sword can save the Earth sword, so I want to find the Heaven sword”
Hearing him, Luo Bing Li couldn’t help but speak emotionally: “Now that we’ve found out the truth that both the Heaven and Earth swords were actually components of a certain Eternal Abyss weapon, we know that most likely, at the end of all this, you would have to face the one behind everything——– the Eternal True God: Soul Shrieker”
Gu Qing Shan replied: “I will have gathered the power of the three coins by then and use that to escape from it”
“What if you couldn’t escape?” Luo Bing Li questioned.
“Then I will fight to the death” Gu Qing Shan shrugged.
“Is it really worth it to give up your life just to obtain the twin swords Heaven and Earth?”
“That’s not it. It would be best if I could obtain the Heaven sword, but even if I couldn’t, I would be satisfied with achieving my goal”
“What is your goal?” Luo Bing Li questioned.
“To save the Earth sword——- it’s my sword” Gu Qing Shan replied.
Luo Bing Li was a bit shocked, lowered her head, and said nothing else.
Shannu suddenly told them: “It’s here”
A glorious light manifested in the sky.
The figure of light came down from above.
He glanced at Gu Qing Shan, then at the Divine King——- the God of Frost and Chill.
「 Your Divine Majesty, have you already reached an agreement with him? 」the figure of light asked.
Shannu—— no, the Divine King puffed out his chest and spoke solemnly: “This king will help Gu Qing Shan look for the Heaven sword, while Gu Qing Shan will become the carrier for the [Order] and help this king obtain the power of the [Demon King Order], that is the agreement between us”
“Very fair” Gu Qing Shan added.
The figure of light glanced at him, overflowing with killing intent.
Gu Qing Shan calmly told him: “I understand that you’re trying your best to control yourself and tell yourself not to kill me, but I really must mention it again. If the Divine race wishes to obtain the power of the [Order], please make sure to control yourself well”
The figure of light spoke in a low voice: 「 Do you believe that you could actually make the [Order] evolve to the Demon King ascension stage by yourself? 」
“That’s why I need the help of the Divine race—— helping me also means helping yourselves obtain the power of the [Order], I trust that you wouldn’t reject that offer” Gu Qing Shan replied.
The figure of light spoke: 「 Which means if you cannot make the [Order] evolve to the Demon King ascension stage——- 」
“I will die”
Gu Qing Shan coldly answered.
The figure of light was finally convinced.
He glanced at the Divine King.
The Divine King simply grinned and nodded without saying anything.
The figure of light couldn’t help but shook his head, still feeling some disbelief.
This really was an unprecedented moment in history.
The Divine race had always ruled above humanity.
And yet today, the Divine race was walking a path that they haven’t ever tread before and formed a mutual agreement with a human cultivator.
The Divine King was able to lower himself and made a deal with a human for the sake of their race’s future.
Perhaps this Divine King was the only one in our entire history to actually come up with such an idea.
——-perhaps he could really change our Divine race’s future!
Feeling a bit ecstatic, the figure of light asked: 「 Your Divine Majesty, when do we begin? 」
“Right now” the Divine King spoke decidedly.
「 Gu Qing Shan, are you ready? 」the figure of light questioned.
“Time is precious, do it” Gu Qing Shan was also decisive.
The figure of light went silent briefly.
It really is happening…
「 Put your hand on top of mine 」he told Gu Qing Shan.
Gu Qing Shan followed.
A pair of shining pure white wings suddenly appeared behind the figure of light.
Below the sky, above the ruins.
The figure of light raised its voice and loudly chanted the divine incantation:
「 Worlds Apocalypse! 」
「 The evil [Order] 」
「 The Kindling of life, the Origin of all things, the Revolution of living beings—– 」
「 You are the crystallization of civilization, master of the demonic tides, the crucial factor in the descent of the Demon King 」
「 Come, I represent your lamb to call you upon this place 」
「 Descend, [Demon King Order]! 」
Hoh———
A gust of wind suddenly picked up as heaven and earth returned to silence.
Something seemed to have appeared from the depths of the world.
They didn’t have to wait for very long.
A blood-red UI manifested in the void of space in front of Gu Qing Shan’s eyes.
Lines of text appeared on the UI.
[Welcome, human cultivator, you have received the favor of this Order]
[This Order shall complete installation in 3 seconds]
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Worlds Apocalypse Online: Kindling, has been successfully installed]
[Congratulations! You shall rebuild the glory of mankind through the help of this Order]
Gu Qing Shan looked closely at the blood-red UI in front of his eyes.
This blood-red UI contained a lot of his time and memories.
Many things have happened since then.
He had grown to become an excellent sword cultivator
And now, everything will begin once more.
[1] The perfect closed loop: As I understand it, the logic here is that the origin of the War God System was hidden by the act of him giving it to his previous self at the same time that the War God System came into his possession – the system that he just lost doesn’t actually travel with his previous self back to the start of the novel, it is actually traveling into the future when he returns from the Age of Old with both the Heaven and Earth sword. Everything that happened in the previous chapter was done so that if anything or anyone tried to look into the System’s origin, they would find that it came from a temporal loop, while it actually wasn’t.
[2] Basically, if we call the current GQS A and the GQS of the previous life B: System A went from time node 1 straight to time node 3 while pretending to go to time node 2 with GQS A’s help. An actual System B would accompany GQS B from time node 2 following the novel’s timeline to time node 3, travel back in time to time node 1 which removes itself from existence and gets replaced by System A.
