Two months ago, Miao Zuo emerged from seclusion.
He spent over a month inscribing jade talismans.
During this time, he remained quiet.
Once the jade talismans were complete.
This fellow started showing off.
First, he provoked Wei Jin.
However, the latter refused to engage.
Feeling bored, he started provoking Xiao Hei.
What was Xiao Hei's temperament?
Naturally, he wouldn't tolerate Miao Zuo's antics.
The two fought countless times.
Miao Zuo, who was originally the weakest in cultivation, could now fight Xiao Hei to a standstill, turning the heavens and earth upside down.
Most importantly, his cultivation realm hadn't improved.
However, his talisman arts had reached an unimaginable level.
Attack and defense were integrated, with both long-range and close-combat attacks enhanced by his talisman arts.
Even Wei Jin, a peak Nirvana Realm expert on the verge of the War God Realm, watched in astonishment.
Finally, Dao Tian, who had disappeared for a period, suddenly reappeared and severely disciplined both of them.
He warned them that with the will of the small world absent, their fighting could potentially cause its collapse.
Anyone who caused trouble would have their head blown off.
For this reason, Miao Zuo had been quiet until now.
Today, he couldn't resist anymore, speaking sarcastically to Xiao Hei.
In truth, he didn't have any malicious intentions, just itchy hands and a desire to see how strong his talisman arts had become.
Therefore, he just wanted someone to spar with.
"You two... stop messing around, look at the sky!"
The two had been fighting for a full hour, neither able to overcome the other.
The main reason was that they dared not go all out.
They discovered that with their Nirvana Realm cultivation alone, they could easily break through the barriers of this small world.
At this moment, Wei Jin suddenly shouted for them to stop.
The two looked up in unison.
The fireball, which had shrunk to the size of a fist, suddenly contracted.
As the three watched, the rapidly shrinking fireball finally disappeared.
The next moment, a black hole appeared and began to expand rapidly.
Within seconds, it grew to the size of a basketball.
This was because they were observing from a distance.
If observed up close, this black hole would have instantly reached a diameter of billions of kilometers.
But after a few seconds, the black hole also contracted violently.
Immediately, a dazzling white light flashed.
Wei Jin and the others in the small world felt immediate pain in their eyes.
They quickly shielded their eyes.
This white light persisted for a long time.
When it finally disappeared, Wei Jin and the others opened their eyes and saw...
Dao Tian, whose appearance was identical to Chu Tian.
"They are coming back soon!" Dao Tian said faintly, floating in the air.
Wei Jin and the two exchanged glances, their faces filled with excitement.
After waiting for more than a year, they had finally returned.
...
Chu Tian stared with his mouth agape at everything before him.
Just moments ago, after over a year of energy absorption, Sui Xing had finally absorbed the core of the entire star into its body.
Chu Tian's Flame Demon Core had been replaced.
At that very instant, system notifications from Sui Xing sounded like thunder.
"What has been activated... What can now be used..."
Such prompts followed one after another.
Chu Tian didn't have time to fully grasp one before the next arrived.
The only one he clearly heard was:
[Beep beep beep... Energy system upgrade complete... Energy ratio 100%... Promoted to Infinite Energy!]
Immediately afterward, Chu Tian saw a massive energy shield emanating from Sui Xing's body.
Then, a soundless explosion occurred.
Sui Xing's body was violently shaken and tumbled.
The next moment, a tremendous gravitational pull appeared.
Chu Tian felt his head spin from the rotation and glimpsed the source of the gravity.
At that moment, he was terrified to his core.
That was... a black hole...
The most terrifying existence in the universe, according to legend.
Entering a black hole meant certain death.
"Damn it, we're being sucked into a black hole!" Chu Tian shouted.
"It's not a black hole..." hk3106's voice came through.
Before Chu Tian could ask what it was.
He saw the so-called black hole suddenly collapse.
Then, an immense thrust, accompanied by intense light, appeared.
Chu Tian felt a stinging sensation on his skin at that moment, and the next he lost consciousness.
After a long while, when he woke up.
He found Sui Xing already in flight mode.
"hk3106, have we returned?" Chu Tian asked.
[Main pilot hk3106 is deceased. The co-pilot has now obtained all permissions for Sui Xing...]
Chu Tian's question received no response from hk3106.
Instead, Sui Xing's electronic voice sounded.
"What?" Chu Tian, still groggy from waking up, became completely alert at that moment.
hk3106 died?
As soon as the thought appeared, Sui Xing replied, "Yes!"
Chu Tian was now officially linked with Sui Xing, and any thought could be directly communicated and controlled.
"How did he die?" Chu Tian pressed.
"The stellar quantum triggered a cosmic collapse. The collision of light and dark matter generated temperatures exceeding the star's core by a hundredfold.
The solution in the cockpit instantly evaporated, and the cooling system was also affected, failing to provide timely cooling. All these factors...
Led to hk3106's instantaneous death. He passed away without suffering. Please, co-pilot... Chu Tian... accept my condolences.
Please reset the system permissions now, Sui Xing will serve you." Sui Xing recounted everything emotionlessly.
Chu Tian found the sudden death of hk3106 hard to believe.
"Did you not calculate for such sudden dangers? Were there no solutions?" Chu Tian asked in confusion, almost shouting.
"Maintaining sufficient solution and a functional cooling system is the best solution," Sui Xing replied.
"Don't tell me there wasn't enough solution!" Chu Tian asked in a low voice.
"Due to the prolonged period without replenishment, the remaining solution at the time of the sudden event was calculated to be enough for only one cockpit," Sui Xing replied.
Sui Xing's answer stunned Chu Tian.
What did that mean?
Enough for only one cockpit...
As this sentence registered in Chu Tian's ears, his mind exploded.
"Then why didn't you give it to him?" Chu Tian calmly asked after composing himself.
"Because at departure, hk3106 issued a directive to prioritize the co-pilot's safety at all times, and set an automatic return program."
Hearing Sui Xing's answer, Chu Tian silently pressed the detach cockpit button in his consciousness.
In an instant, his consciousness seemed to travel through endless circuits, returning to his own body.
As he opened his eyes, the solution in the cockpit slowly receded.
The hatch gradually opened.
He stood up and looked at the virtual pod three meters away.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
One step... two steps... three steps...
Chu Tian walked towards the virtual pod that originally belonged to hk3106.
When he reached it.
Chu Tian found that inside the virtual pod, there was no corpse, no solution.
The hatch was sealed...
On the bottom of the virtual pod, there was a layer of gray dust.
Within it, he found a ring.
And... the high-tech watch that hk3106 always wore on his arm.
These two items were likely made of the same material as Sui Xing.
They remained undamaged despite the extreme temperatures.
They became hk3106's only remaining possessions!
Seeing this, the tears in Chu Tian's eyes could no longer be held back and slid down his cheeks.