Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Long Xiao plotted a new course, and the spaceship automatically navigated towards the Radiant Twins. They still had one day and eleven hours until they reached their destination. "Let's talk about what happened first."

"He's dead?!" Yaoguang snapped back to reality at this moment. "Impossible! In my records, he was only twenty-six!"

Long Xiao furrowed his brow, studying Yaoguang. "Your records?"

Yaoguang realized his slip of tongue, but he was still reeling from the shock of Long Jianlu's death. Tears welled up as he muttered to himself, "How could this be? How could he die?"

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death," Long Xiao said calmly, "are the natural order of things. That's the true setting created by the Creator. Every sentient being in the universe faces death, even the universe itself. It's hard to accept, isn't it?"

"It shouldn't be like this," Yaoguang's tears flowed uncontrollably. He lowered his head, wiping them away, and said, "I came here for him."

"I think you might need some help, otherwise, you wouldn't have sent a distress signal to the Academy City," Long Xiao continued. "You used 'very important' twice, and you have a name your uncle mentioned before his passing, even after six hundred years..."

"Wait," Yaoguang caught on to something vaguely. "What year is it?"

"The New Era, 10,279," Long Xiao replied, reclining on a hovering swivel chair, silently observing Yaoguang. "Or perhaps, do you need some rest?"

"I arrived in this world in the year 6279... Four thousand years ago?!" Yaoguang's voice trembled.

"What exactly happened to you?" Long Xiao's expression seemed to hint at impatience. "Your name was mentioned by Uncle more than once before he passed."

Yaoguang took a deep breath. He still couldn't fully accept Long Jianlu's death.

Did he just vanish into the cosmos like that?

"I went to the Academy City to meet him four thousand years ago," Yaoguang said. "While passing through the Stargate, I was attacked and pulled into Hyperspace, then... spat out."

"Hyperspace Stargates," Long Xiao remarked. "That technology is three thousand years old. Yes, they were quite unstable back then."

Suddenly, Yaoguang understood why the Dindar had used a spaceship's self-jump when taking him to Noah. In other words, after being sucked into Hyperspace, he had been thrown four thousand years into the future! The universe he had created had developed on its own during those four millennia, with technological advancements making it vastly different from what he had initially envisaged!

"So your meeting was delayed by four thousand years," Long Xiao replied. "I see. But unfortunately, Uncle didn't live long enough to meet you. He was persistent in searching for you all these years, never expecting you to be transported four thousand years into the future. It's regrettable that he lived for so many years but eventually gave up."

At this point, Yaoguang could no longer control his emotions and burst into tears.

"I loved him so much, and I want to apologize to him..." Yaoguang finally broke down. "In the previous world, I shouldn't have left him behind... Why did it turn out like this..."

Long Xiao was silent, slowly rising to stand before him.

"I can hold you in his place," Long Xiao said earnestly, pulling Yaoguang into an embrace.

After a good while of crying, Yaoguang gradually calmed down.

Long Xiao asked, "Are you hungry? Or would you like to rest for a bit? Although I'm curious, I think you need some time to compose yourself."

Yaoguang didn't respond. Long Xiao walked to another section of the spaceship, pressing a button that revealed a food preparation console. With a casual flick of his hand across the control panel and a glance at a few spots in the air, the console began to prepare a meal by itself.

"Although most people stick to pre-set meals," Long Xiao turned to Yaoguang, "I still prefer cooking myself. This spaceship is quite old, and most of its equipment is quite primitive. You might find it more familiar."

A small hovering platform popped out from the wall, carrying a cup of light blue drink toward Yaoguang.

"Give it a try," Long Xiao suggested. "Sanggrass juice mixed with Modiren's Tears will help soothe your emotions."

"Thank you," Yaoguang said wearily, taking a sip of the drink and feeling his body relax as his mental world emptied into a void.

"I think I need some sleep," Yaoguang said. "I'm just too tired."

"Take your time." Long Xiao didn't rush him.

After Yaoguang finished the entire drink, he reclined on the spacecraft's sofa and fell asleep.

The beeping sound roused him from his slumber. Yaoguang opened his eyes to find his body emitting an unusual electronic buzz all over.

Long Xiao remained in the same position as when Yaoguang had dozed off, seemingly watching him for a long time.

"What's that?" Yaoguang, still groggy, sat up.

"Your protective suit needs recharging," Long Xiao said. "It's a technology from four thousand years ago."

"How do I recharge it?" Yaoguang asked, perplexed.

Long Xiao approached and tapped the back of Yaoguang's neck with his finger. Instantly, Yaoguang's clothes vanished.

"Hey!" Yaoguang felt mortified and curled up, exclaiming, "I'm naked!"

Long Xiao remained unperturbed and replied, "How else would you recharge it without taking it off?"

Yaoguang: "Can't I still wear this if it runs out of power?"

Long Xiao: "Yes, but it'll keep beeping nonstop. It'll drive you crazy."

Yaoguang: "You can't at least give me something to wear?"

Long Xiao: "I don't have any extras. I only have one protective suit myself."

Yaoguang: "How long does it take to recharge?"

Long Xiao stood before the charging panel, observing it for a moment before saying, "Around seven hours. Do you dislike being seen without clothes?"

"Of course!" Yaoguang replied.

"This is a symptom of our inclination to congregate as humans," Long Xiao observed. "Now, you could walk naked through the space station, and it wouldn't be an issue."

Yaoguang: "..."

Speaking, Long Xiao removed his own protective suit as well, laying it beside Yaoguang's for charging. He passed by Yaoguang's nude form.

Yaoguang: "Why are you naked too? And... that part of yours..."

Long Xiao replied, "I'm accompanying you. I had my muscles genetically enhanced at the Carson Mountain Base. What do you think of my physique? But nothing was done down there..."

Yaoguang said, "Stop it!"

Long Xiao seemed helpless. He turned around, and Yaoguang couldn't help but find him quite attractive. However, it was utterly embarrassing for them to be in this situation on a spaceship, especially since Long Xiao was Long Jianlu's nephew!

Long Xiao threw a blanket over, and Yaoguang quickly wrapped it around his waist, feeling much better now.

"Want something to eat?"

With a naked man walking around him, Yaoguang said, "Could you... also cover up, please respect my habits, thank you."

Back in the dorm, his roommates would occasionally walk around naked, but they usually wore underwear at the very least. If there were more people around, Yaoguang could simply avert his eyes and remain calm.

But with only the two of them here, he found it impossible to keep his cool.

"Alright." Long Xiao then found a long black blanket to wrap around his waist as well.

The spaceship's interior was bathed in a creamy white light. Yaoguang, attired in a flowing white robe, seemed to blend seamlessly with the ambiance, while Long Xiao wore a black one that accentuated his bare, muscular upper body, showcasing his raw masculinity. His physique was near-perfect, with well-defined pectorals that were impressive but not overly developed. Going barefoot, he added an alluring touch to the cabin's atmosphere.

He busied himself at the control panel for a while, preparing a simple meal and setting down two glasses of drink.

"Are you doing this to comfort me?" Yaoguang asked, feeling uneasy.

Long Xiao didn't respond.

Yaoguang realized that perhaps Long Xiao was simply trying to divert his attention, to prevent him from being too distraught.

"How long have I been asleep?" Yaoguang asked after regaining some composure.

"Seven hours," Long Xiao replied. "We'll reach the Luminous Twins in about a day."

Yaoguang: "What are the Luminous Twins?"

Long Xiao: "They're the headquarters of the Galactic Navigation Association and the Explorers Guild."

Yaoguang: "Why are we going there?"

Long Xiao: "Before that, can I ask what happened?"

Only then did Yaoguang recall that he had yet to divulge his origins and purpose to Long Xiao. He sighed.

In silence, Long Xiao gazed at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm not actually from this world," Yaoguang said. "I come from another world... beyond your universe..."

Speaking to Long Xiao was like encountering Long Jianlu from many years ago. It was an odd sensation, as Long Xiao bore an almost identical appearance to Long Jianlu, save for his youthfulness. Yet Yaoguang knew the soul residing within this body was no longer the same. He shared his feelings as if confessing to the Long Jianlu of four thousand years ago. As he spoke, sadness crept over him again, as he recounted their first encounter as the "Prophet" with the knight, through the Demon King and the Emperor.

Long Xiao listened quietly, occasionally furrowing his brow in thought or raising it in encouragement for Yaoguang to continue.

"And so," Yaoguang replied, "after leaving him the last time, I grew weary of my reality. I wanted to create an entirely new universe where I could keep my promise and never be separated from him."

"You're selfish," Long Xiao stated bluntly.

"Yes," Yaoguang admitted. "I acknowledge it. I've wronged him. Apart from our initial meeting, I've continuously hurt him. Perhaps I only liked his body and sought intimacy with him. I didn't seriously consider spending a lifetime together."

Yaoguang finally bared his soul. "I've always trampled on his love for me. I don't understand what it means to truly love someone. I'm sick, torturing both myself and others..."

Long Xiao looked at him with sympathy.

"…Maybe it's because of my upbringing. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make excuses," Yaoguang explained. "That's just one reason. I've been hurt in the past while loving someone else. How could I bear to hurt him? I wanted to apologize to him, but it was already too late."

Long Xiao finally replied, "I believe your uncle has forgiven you."

"Why?" Yaoguang's eyes reddened again.

Long Xiao responded, "Because he never fell in love or got married in his life. I have a sense that he was always searching for you. It's just that he never imagined the separation would last so long."

Yaoguang fell silent.

"Well, that's all in the past now," Long Xiao said. "After all, it's history."

"What kind of person was he?" Yaoguang asked eagerly. "I mean… what kind of life did he lead? I want to know how he spent all those years…"

Long Xiao said, "You should know him better than anyone."

"I only… created a character profile for him," Yaoguang felt odd saying this, as it was strange to discuss the plot with an NPC he had created.

"He is the forty-second Great Scholar of the Academy," said Long Xiao. "An almost omniscient entity in this universe, akin to the status of a Pope, known as the 'Apostle of Knowledge,' who disseminates wisdom on behalf of the Creator. He's an upright person, but due to his constant immersion in knowledge, he appears indifferent to societal rise and fall, even the fate of the universe. He doesn't always stay in the Academy. To find you, he has traveled to many places..."

"Has he grown old?" asked Yaoguang.

"I was born in the year 9003 of the New Era. Do I seem old to you?" Long Xiao countered. "With genetic technology, one can alter their body's condition. With ample resources, Earthlings, like most intelligent beings, can live nearly indefinitely and regain their youthful vigor. He has aged before, and undergone genetic surgeries—repeating the cycle, wouldn't you say?"

Yaoguang smiled. "Sometimes, I imagine that even if he did grow old, he would still be handsome."

Raising an eyebrow, Long Xiao said, "My appearance is modeled after him. What do you think?"

"Certainly," Yaoguang replied earnestly, recalling Long Jianlu's unruly smile and his ever-present gentleness.

"Right now, we have two certainties. One: You are the Creator of this universe..."

"You believe me? You just accepted it like that?"

"Is it hard to accept?" Long Xiao asked. "The birth of a universe should logically involve a Creator. It's just a matter of specifics."

Yaoguang hadn't expected Long Xiao to accept everything he said without question. He could only nod blankly and ask, "You accept that I created everything, including you?"

"More accurately, you didn't create me," Long Xiao corrected his statement and explained, "You only provided the initial parameters when this universe came into existence. The world operates on its own under these composite parameters, giving birth to countless lives. And even if you designed my initial state, what you call a 'character design,' after all these years of living, I'm no longer that original 'character design.' I've been shaped by numerous factors."

"Seems so," Yaoguang said. "You understand things better than I thought." At the same time, he pondered about his own reality. Was there a creator who set up initial conditions for it to function? Or was that the truth about the world?

"Secondly," Long Xiao continued casually, "The 'key' or 'compass' you used to create this world was taken by Shan Rong."

"Yes!" Only now did Yaoguang notice the issue regarding Shan Rong. He said urgently, "I don't know why he appears in this book, or how he retains memories from before. And in the world of 'Heaven's Seal,' he already had designs on the key."

"I can share a secret with you," Long Xiao said. "Uncle explored the origins of the world before he passed away. Through extensive research and comparison, he once came close to uncovering the 'truth' in this matter."

"What?" Yaoguang asked, confused. "That's too vague..."

Long Xiao: "The pendant you wear is called the 'Primordial Crystal' by him. Its power not only allows you to travel between reality and the world you created but also holds the truth about the world you're in. I think even as a creator, you might not know the principles behind creation, right?"

"Exactly!" Yaoguang responded promptly. "Does he know more? Or did he leave any research materials behind? I truly know nothing about this 'Primordial Crystal.'"

"Perhaps," Long Xiao said. "In his final years, I served as his assistant and learned some inside information. I suspect that not only Shan Rong, but he also retained memories from previous worlds?"

"Yes..." Yaoguang muttered. "He constantly reminisces about his so-called 'past lives.' Are you a scholar too?"

"I spent some time in the Academy," Long Xiao replied nonchalantly, lost in thought. "But it was too dull there, so I chose to become an explorer. Do you know what happened after the Origin Crystal was taken?"

"What did Shan Rong do with it once he got his hands on it?" Yaoguang asked. "Did he vanish from this universe? Did he go to my reality?"

"No," Long Xiao said seriously. "He didn't. He's still in this universe."

Long Xiao's expression turned grave as he continued, "Using that crystal, he took control of almost all mechanical and electronic creations in the interstellar civilizations and launched a war against all sentient beings."

Yaoguang: "..............."

"But Uncle managed to stop him," Long Xiao said. "He led the Interstellar Allied Forces to victory in that war, forcing Shan Rong to retreat back to the Pillar of Creation."

"I have no idea what Shan Rong is up to now. Perhaps in these four thousand years, he's been searching for you. When you sent out your distress signal, he intercepted it and learned that you were at the Noah Space Station. That's why we were attacked."

Yaoguang: "!!!"

Long Xiao: "Right now, our top priority is to avoid the pursuit of the God of Emptiness and Shan Rong."

"God of Emptiness," Yaoguang repeated.

"Yes, the God of Emptiness," Long Xiao replied. "In his current role as a deity, he has presided over a civilization born from AI under his cult."

"They've gathered around the Pillar of Serpens Cauda, forming a vast empire in orbit around Shan Rong."

Yaoguang: "I feel like I need to..."

Yaoguang hesitated, and Long Xiao looked at him expectantly.

"What do you need?"

Yaoguang struggled to find the right words, then said after a moment, "I have to find a way to retrieve the Origin Crystal."

"That's impossible," Long Xiao said. "You're no match for Shan Rong, or is there some special ability you've been hiding from me?"

"No," Yaoguang muttered. "But I can't shirk the responsibility for losing the Origin Crystal. I'm sorry, Long Xiao. My carelessness triggered all this. It's strange; I never programmed Shan Rong to exist..."

"Thousands of years have passed; there's no point dwelling on that now," Long Xiao said casually. "To be honest, apart from being a creator, you seem like an ordinary person."

"Not just seem like it," Yaoguang replied. "I am an ordinary person, even a bit weaker than most."

Long Xiao: "Back when Uncle was still around, perhaps we could have contended with Shan Rong. Without him, I advise you not to indulge in such unrealistic fantasies."

"But I have to deal with it somehow!" Yaoguang said. "Otherwise, if Shan Rong gets his hands on the Primordial Crystal, I have no idea what might happen next."

Long Xiao gazed at Yaoguang, saying nothing for a moment. Eventually, he couldn't help but ask, "Is it only with this that you can return to your original world?"

"That's not important," Yaoguang pondered. In truth, ever since the ambush by Shan Rong, he had been contemplating this. "I remember in this universe, according to my settings, there must be someone willing to help me."

Long Xiao sized up Yaoguang.

Yaoguang: "Galactic Navigators Association, Space Pirates, the Papacy, Republics, Federations... I believe we can find allies among them."

Long Xiao turned around, facing the star map, and replied, "That remains to be seen. Anyway, I have no stake in this. Are you hoping to convince them to become your allies and help you reclaim the Origin Crystal?"

Yaoguang fell silent for a moment before answering, "Yes, it's something I must address. Can you give me a ride? I want to..."

Although he had almost forgotten his original setting, he was still the creator of this world.

"We're heading to the Radiant Twins to join the Galactic Navigators Association, with the purpose of securing an identity for you so that you can evade Shan Rong's pursuit," Long Xiao said. "As for the rest, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."