A Glimpse of the Future

The Primordial Blood Pact imparted by Zhenwo Changjing possessed a truly flawless structure. Although the blood pact utilized Primordial Pure Blood as its medium, what truly sustained it was the linking of destiny to destiny, life to life. It was not a relationship of mutual exploitation, but rather one of shared advancement and mutual benefit. As the master of the pact, Yu Xian was essentially the head of the household, maintaining balance among the powers of all his "family members." At the same time, he used his own strength to support them, and as they grew, he himself would become even stronger. In his state of epiphany, Yu Xian drew upon the secret technique of the Primordial Blood Pact, combined it with the spells he had learned in the past, and deduced dozens of intriguing minor secret arts. For example: soul swapping, body swapping, blood pact telepathy, hunger swapping, distant summoning, ability sharing... Yet as he derived more and more abilities from his epiphany, his intensely active train of thought gradually returned to its normal state. The sensation of countless ingenious ideas bursting forth continuously faded, and his inspiration dried up like water from an emptying pond. To be honest, he was somewhat reluctant to leave this state, but it was just like the ebb and flow of the tide—when the waters receded, no matter how reluctant one was, one could only watch helplessly as the sea ebbed away. The epiphany had actually lasted only a few minutes, yet to him it felt as though an entire century had passed—so long that even with his Super Brain, he had to take a moment to recall where he was and why he was there. He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air. After mentally summarizing his gains, he was about to thank Niman, only to discover that she was nowhere to be seen. "Auntie, where is Manager Niman?" Yu Xian turned to Zhenwo Changjing beside him and asked. Truth be told, when Zhenwo Changjing did not speak, her presence was almost imperceptible; there were times Yu Xian completely overlooked her. Yet she had remained by his side the entire time, never straying far. Zhenwo Changjing smiled and answered, "She left." "..." Yu Xian stared at Zhenwo Changjing speechlessly. He naturally knew Niman had left—which was why he was asking Zhenwo Changjing where she had gone. Still, he was in no hurry. The world Niman had created was not particularly large. If he wanted to leave, he could extricate himself with a single thought. Since Zhenwo Changjing did not disclose Niman's whereabouts, he simply sat on the grass, comfortably soaking in everything this world had to offer. Every world was truly distinct. No matter how similar two might appear, one could always sense their differences through countless subtle details. The sunlight in this world felt gentler than the rays of a true sun, the air held more moisture, and the terrestrial energy beneath the ground was moist and warm. If one closed their eyes, it felt as though... the entire world were kissing you. At the thought of a kiss, Yu Xian's face darkened. He had nearly forgotten that Niman had taken advantage of him. That was his first kiss! He had already planned everything out: he would wait until Nora graduated from college, then consider whether to pursue their relationship further based on how they both felt at that time. Until then, he was willing to wait for Nora to overcome the grief of losing her father and completely resolve the knot in her heart. Yet in a muddle of confusion, his first kiss was gone. Niman was undeniably gorgeous, but he still preferred getting close to someone his own age! ... ... On the other side, Nora was resting under a tree. A little mushroom spirit sat on a branch, its head steadily puffing out golden mist. Nora had chosen the Future Mushroom, so she was currently experiencing a prophetic dream, watching one of many possible futures from the perspective of an onlooker. In truth, she had her own worries. Her father's death had brought her immense sorrow and grief. Therefore, she chose to honor his wishes, diligently attending classes at school to fulfill his expectations. On the other hand, she wanted to be of help to Yu Xian, rather than just a decorative vase. The trouble was, no matter how hard she trained or how earnestly she studied what was taught at school, the gap between them never shrank—it only widened. This weighed heavily on her heart, yet she had no way to change it. Moreover, during her days at school, she often deeply missed the times they walked to and from class together. Yet she dared not reach out to Yu Xian, afraid of distracting him from more important matters. After Yu Xian defeated Edward, his standing had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. A great hero. Some even viewed Yu Xian as the guardian of Earth. She could not let her personal feelings interfere with his endeavors. Thus, she forced herself to endure her longing; only when it became unbearable would she look at the photos on her phone. For that very reason, when Yu Xian invited her for a vacation at Island Grotto-Heaven, she had agreed without the slightest hesitation. Yet once they actually met, the thousands of words she held in her heart dissolved into simply wanting to be by his side. So many of her emotions and thoughts could no longer find their way into speech. Still, she was afraid. She feared that Yu Xian would drift further and further away, until a day came when even his receding silhouette would be beyond her reach. Just as Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS swept past Earth only once every sixty thousand years, she feared that Yu Xian would depart like that comet, leaving her alone on Earth in solitary vigil, longing for his return sixty millennia later. She wanted to see the future. Even if it was only one of many possible futures. In her prophetic dream, things played out just as she feared. The distance between her and Yu Xian grew wider and wider. In the year she graduated from college, Yu Xian left and never returned. No one knew where he had gone, and no one knew whether he lived or died... Nora had inherited her mother's estate. Day after day, year after year she worked; her wealth grew ever greater, but her heart grew more desolate with each passing day. One never knows which parting will be the last. Only after a long, long time has passed does one suddenly look back and realize that that day, that afternoon, that very encounter was the final intersection of their lives. It turned out that not every story had a proper ending; more often, things simply drifted apart into nothingness, leaving behind nothing but an aching sense of loss that could never be consoled. After a long time. Nora awakened from her dream. She slowly sat up, leaning back against the large tree. Her surroundings were completely silent, broken only by the whisper of the wind, the rustle of leaves, and the rhythm of her own heartbeat and breathing. The clouds drifted sluggishly across the sky, as if time itself had frozen in this moment. Nora gazed up at the sky. Suddenly sensing something, she subconsciously brushed her cheek, only to realize her face was already covered in tears. Though she had merely been an onlooker in the prophetic dream, she could understand—and even deeply share—what that future Nora had felt. It was a silent despair, neither dramatic nor passionate, but woven into everyday life like air and sunlight—a quiet, mundane despair. She did not want this future. Nora's gaze gradually turned resolute. In the prophetic dream, more and more people had gathered at Yu Xian's side—Little Nora, Little Huangquan, and even the proprietor of this shop had appeared. She knew she had to take the initiative. Otherwise, she would end up just like her dream self, left with nothing in the end except endless money that could never be spent and boundless, bottomless emptiness.