Chapter 1 The Interlude

In the midst of the chaotic gap, the two towering figures were already fighting fiercely, the aftermath of their collisions sweeping through the original Feng Yi Ninety-seventh Territory! Fortunately, the spatial isolation between the territories prevented the spread of the aftershocks.

In an extremely short period of time, the two sides had exchanged blows hundreds of millions of times, even predicting many possible future exchanges.

"Alright, alright, I admit defeat." A slightly thinner, towering figure finally spoke.

"Destroying too many of my avatars across different timelines, finally scared?" The other fiery figure sneered.

"If I was determined to escape, how many of my avatars could you destroy?" The slender figure retorted.

The fiery figure didn't object.

Both were Third Realm existences, with avatars in many timelines. Even if the 'real body' was annihilated, an avatar could instantly cross over from another timeline. Only by annihilating all timeline possibilities could a Third Realm existence be completely killed.

And if one was determined to escape, being both Third Realm, it was impossible to kill the other.

"Since you admit defeat, in the last 'Space-Time Arena,' I'm third, and you're fourth," the fiery figure said.

"In the last Space-Time Arena, my team and your team drew! We agreed at the time… that we'd compete to determine the final ranking! Since I agreed, I'll naturally abide by it," the slender figure said. "Don't get too cocky, though. In the Space-Time Arena ten Abyss Epochs from now, we'll compete again."

"Could it be that you've invited a powerful half-step Third Realm existence?" the fiery figure retorted.

"That's none of your concern," the slender figure said, unwilling to accept the loss.

The Space-Time Arena was a game frequently participated in by 'Third Realm existences' from numerous timelines!

Third Realm existences were all proud, and couldn't kill each other! If their conflicts escalated, it would cause too much disaster to the endless territories.

Therefore, under the guidance of the Ultimate Existences, this Space-Time Arena game was created! Third Realm existences have conflicts? Let the teams under their command compete in the Space-Time Arena to determine the outcome!

Once lost, the Third Realm existence behind the team would have to pay a huge price.

At the same time, every ten Abyss Epochs, the participating Third Realm existences from the endless timelines and territories would send teams to participate in the grandest event to determine the rankings. The ranking determined the prizes.

The prizes included a portion contributed by the Third Realm existences themselves, as well as treasures placed by the four Ultimate Existences. This made the Space-Time Arena even more popular.

"You've lost to me for two consecutive terms. I bet you'll still lose in the next term, haha…" The fiery figure laughed and left.

The slender figure was somewhat unwilling: "The six members of my team are the most outstanding I selected from the 'invincible half-step Third Realm existences' of many timelines. But they've never been able to win the championship!"

"It seems I have to search more in the endless timelines, to find more excellent 'invincible half-step Third Realm existences'," the slender figure thought.

In the Space-Time Arena, each team under a Third Realm existence was composed of 'invincible half-step Third Realm existences'! This made each team's strength very close, and the competition in each grand competition naturally became very intense.

"Whew!" The slender figure also disappeared, leaving only their battlefield a chaotic and broken mess.

The Feng Yi Ninety-seventh Territory had completely become a chaotic gap.

For the two Third Realm existences, they had already restrained themselves greatly!

******

Xu Jingming, the dean, and the others were mentally prepared for the calamity in their home territory. Although they sighed with emotion, they could only accept it.

Unknowingly, another ten thousand years had passed, which was only the time for a closed-door research session for the dean and the others. But for Xu Jingming… his grandfather had reached the end of his life.

This meant that his many loved ones would soon reach their lifespan limits one by one.

"A hundred thousand years of lifespan." Xu Jingming came to a beautiful tourist planet, the place his grandfather had chosen. "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, Miao Miao, Li Xing… they're all reaching their limits one by one."

This was more painful to Xu Jingming than any battle.

The most important people in his life were leaving him one by one.

"Jingming." Li Miao Miao stood in the corridor, smiling at Xu Jingming. At this moment, she had short silver hair and wrinkles on her face.

Xu Jingming stepped forward and took his wife's hand.

"Mom and Dad are here, they're all inside with Grandpa," Li Miao Miao said.

"Mm." Xu Jingming nodded and saw his daughter Xu Li Xing and Meng Tian in the distance. They were also very old, their hair had turned white, and they had wrinkles on their faces.

"Dad." Xu Li Xing and Meng Tian both walked over.

Xu Jingming nodded slightly to his daughter and son-in-law. His daughter and son-in-law had a good relationship, and Xu Jingming was very satisfied with Meng Tian as his son-in-law, but unfortunately, Meng Tian had also failed to become a high-dimensional lifeform.

Xu Jingming then walked into the house with Li Miao Miao.

Inside the house.

The extremely aged Old Master Xu lay there, his breath weak and with the scent of decay. He had reached the last day of his life. Xu Jingming's father and mother were beside him.

"Jingming's here." Old Master Xu grinned, revealing a smile. "My dear grandson, hahaha…"

Xu Jingming walked over and sat by the bed, holding his grandfather's hand.

His grandfather's hand was thin and dry, like withered tree bark.

Such was life. Even a Tier 10 Origin lifeform could maintain its peak for a very long time, but would still be frail and about to face final annihilation in the last moments of its life.

"Don't be sad, what's there to be sad about?" Old Master Xu looked at Xu Jingming with a smile. "When I was young, in the customs of my hometown, living to be a hundred years old was considered an old senior. Dying at eighty or ninety was a joyful funeral. But your grandpa… lived to be a hundred thousand years old! Great joy, great joy!"

"Yes, great joy." Xu Jingming looked at his grandfather.

"I'm really happy."

Old Master Xu smiled and said, "This life has been truly wonderful. This life… is like an extremely huge game. When the game ends, it will give a game score. I believe my game score will be very, very high."

"Definitely, you're a professional player," Xu Jingming said.

"When playing a game, the game score is the most important thing, but the most important thing… is to have fun throughout the entire game." Old Master Xu looked at Xu Jingming. "I had a lot of fun in this game of life."

"In the future, all of us will leave one by one, and maybe only you will be left." Old Master Xu looked at Xu Jingming. "This game may have fewer companions, but even a single-player game is sometimes very interesting. The most important thing is that if you play the single-player game well, the rest of us can be resurrected. Isn't that a great thing? Hahaha…"

Xu Jingming listened.

"I know you definitely see things more clearly than I do." Old Master Xu waved his hand. "You all go out first and let me chat with your father."

"Okay, Grandpa." Xu Jingming, Li Miao Miao, Xu Li Xing, Meng Tian, and Xu Jingming's mother temporarily went out. They also saw Li Chen An and his wife who had arrived. Xu Fang Jin and Xu Bi Yun were also waiting outside.

Half an hour later.

"Grandpa." Xu Jingming, Li Miao Miao, and the others looked at the house, sensing the dissipation of Old Master Xu's aura.

Old Master Xu had passed away.

…

Time kept moving forward, unstoppable.

Even the supreme Ultimate Existences could not stop the continuous progression of the timeline.

After Old Master Xu passed away, Xu Jingming's father and mother, and Li Chen An and his wife, all reached the end of their lifespans one after another. The departure of loved ones felt like knives stabbing into Xu Jingming's heart.

After that, Li Miao Miao also reached the end of her lifespan.

"Miao Miao."

Xu Jingming and his wife Li Miao Miao sat in the courtyard of the old house on Blue Star, watching the sunset dye half the sky red.

"I'm leaving too." Li Miao Miao's wrinkled face had a bright smile as she looked at Xu Jingming. "I've been very happy in this life because there has always been someone who doted on me and cared for me. I'm very grateful for fate. I've had you by my side in this life."

"Miao Miao, we'll meet again," Xu Jingming said to his wife.

"Whether we meet again or not, I'm very satisfied. Jingming, look, the sunset is also very beautiful." His wife smiled and leaned on Xu Jingming's shoulder, watching the sunset in the distance. The sunset slowly, completely disappeared over the horizon.

Xu Jingming looked at the sky in the distance. The aura of his wife Li Miao Miao had dissipated.

******

A distant territory.

An old man watched from afar.

"That little girl Miao Miao has also passed away." The old man shook his head slightly. "My son and daughter-in-law, and my granddaughter-in-law, all have limited talent and can't rely on themselves to become high-dimensional lifeforms. It seems that my grandson has to become a Third Realm existence to revive them!"

Suddenly, a figure crossed through space, a petite woman with transparent wings and two curved horns on her forehead, emitting a black aura.

The petite woman saw the old man and bowed slightly: "Drunken Old Man, you've finally woken up."

"Dreams will eventually end." The old man said with a smile, "During my slumber, in the latest Space-Time Arena competition, my team took second place?"

"Yes, second place," the petite woman nodded.

"Without my training, they're still a bit lacking," the old man muttered unhappily.

"After all, your team has won the championship for eight consecutive terms. The Third Realm existences in the Space-Time Arena are about to lose their fighting spirit," the petite woman said. "Even the Ultimate Existences are preparing to adjust the rules of the Space-Time Arena."

The old man smiled: "That's why I fell asleep. It's also giving them a chance. This term I didn't win the championship, so the Ultimate Existences shouldn't adjust the rules, right?"

"Probably not," Fiya said with a smile.

"Fiya, has everything been normal during this time?" The old man's expression became a bit more serious. "Has anything unexpected happened?"

"I haven't slackened for a moment and have been monitoring everywhere," the petite woman said. "Drunken Old Man, rest assured, everything is normal. Now that Drunken Old Man has woken up, the right to enforce the law is returned to Drunken Old Man."

The old man nodded, looked again at Xu Jingming and the others in that territory from afar, and then left with Fiya.