Chapter 100 - 100 - Redemption and Miracle

Xin Yu silently saved people. When he was saving the first person, his body felt somewhat dazed, his spirit a little scattered. By the time he reached the second, third, and now the tenth person, his face had become deathly pale. Several stark white thorns had even sprouted on his head, wrapping around his forehead and seeping traces of blood. The Cloud Knights wanted to persuade Xin Yu to stop, but he insisted it was fine, that he hadn't suffered much damage and could continue saving more. Indeed, the damage wasn't severe—after all, it was merely some physical and mental injury and pain, not a loss of his fundamental lifespan. He could still afford it. It would be soon enough to stop and rest when his lifespan started to dwindle. Xin Yu once again placed his hand on a person's forehead. This time, he saw even more pain and struggle. He saw that this person had initially been a cheerful youth, full of wisdom and hope for life. No matter how much hardship and torment life threw at him, he could still stride forward with determination. But later, this youth experienced a tremendous parting. His relatives, his friends, everyone he knew, perished in a war. He began to strive to become stronger, to fight against the Abundance. He dared not slack off even for a moment. He was terrified, terrified that, just like before, he could only watch helplessly as those people died before his eyes, utterly powerless to do anything—not even to resist, not even to throw his life away. Yet, when he fought valiantly in a battle, he found himself unable to overcome the tide-like Abominations of Abundance. Just as he sank into despair, he saw the arrow of the Aeon of the Hunt streak across the sky, effortlessly obliterating all the monsters on an entire planet before his very eyes. And on that planet, there were new friends he had made along his journey, comrades who had fought bravely alongside him. He had striven for half his life, only for it to be overshadowed by a casual arrow from an Aeon. And his comrades, they were still fighting on the front lines, still bravely resisting at the forefront, only to be met by the Aeon's arrow falling from behind, to die alongside those abominations, without even a trace left behind. He was lost. He didn't know if he should continue to strive. No matter how hard he tried, he was ultimately just an ordinary Xianzhou native. No matter how hard he tried, wouldn't he still be like this, only able to watch, unable to change anything? I've bid farewell to my neighbors, I've bid farewell to my relatives, I've bid farewell to my friends, I've bid farewell to my comrades. Only I alone continue to live on, by virtue of longevity. Oh, Arbiter of the Divine Bow! Please tell me, what should I do? What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to live on? What am I living for! Xin Yu gazed at the conscious entity within this mindscape, kneeling on a patch of barren land, clad in tattered armor. He looked at this nearly despondent conscious entity, which no longer showed any reaction, and sighed softly. Then, Xin Yu's figure gradually faded, and in his place appeared a middle-aged man with somewhat graying hair, wrinkles on his face, clad in armor, and holding a longsword. "Jinyu." When this name was uttered, the originally unresponsive conscious entity trembled. He lifted his head to look at the familiar figure, and tears immediately streamed down. In an extremely choked voice, he softly called out. "Dad..." "So many years have passed. You've grown up, and it looks like you've suffered a lot." Another person walked out from behind the middle-aged man—a woman in ornate clothes, looking somewhat aged but still retaining the beauty of her youth. "Mom..." The conscious entity's emotions fluctuated violently. "You brat, long time no see." "Brother..." "Yo! Jinyu! Didn't you say back then that you wanted to become a painter and capture all the beauty of the galaxy on canvas? How did you end up a Cloud Knight? The hand that once held a brush is now wielding a weapon?" "Ah Chen..." "Long time no see. Is the Xianzhou well these days?" "Captain..." More and more familiar figures appeared before the conscious entity, more and more familiar voices echoed in his ears. On this barren land, figures that had previously existed only in memory emerged one after another. Finally, the last figure appeared directly in front of Jinyu—a young girl wearing a long skirt, with a hairpin in her hair. "Ah Yu, you've worked hard all these years." "...Ah... Ahhh!!!" The young girl gently embraced Jinyu. The latter first let out a hoarse shout, then burst into tears. He saw his deceased parents, his deceased older brother, his deceased friends, his deceased comrades, and finally, even the childhood sweetheart hidden deep in his heart, to whom he had never confessed his love, appeared before him. He let go of all the confusion and pain in his heart, let go of the responsibilities and unwillingness he had shouldered. Under the gaze of these most important people in his life, he cried like a child, hysterically venting all the grievances he had suffered over the past thousand years. In a broken voice, he spoke of how he had missed everyone over the years, of his recent confusion and unwillingness, of his apprehension about the future. His parents comforted him, consoled him, telling him not to give up hope for the future. His older brother laughingly scolded him for being too sentimental, saying that partings by life and death were ultimately an unchangeable law of the universe. How could he still not face it after so many years? He taught him that he should stand up. His friends teased him, saying how wretched and unsightly he looked crying now. But they also told him not to feel pained by the events of the past, not to regret his powerlessness. What he should do now was to carry the expectations of the deceased and continue to live. His comrades didn't say much, only bringing up their oath from long ago. "Xianzhou Soars, Cloud Knights Ever Victorious!" Finally, the person he once loved whispered softly in his ear. "I love you." Xin Yu walked out from the crowd. Wherever he passed, the crowd automatically made way. Everyone, no, every soul form, gazed at this young man who had pulled their souls from the brink of death in the past into this conscious space. "You have lived in torment and guilt for so long. Every day of your life has been urgent, has been oppressive. Now is your chance. Let go of the past and embrace the future. With the blessings given by your past friends, past comrades, past love, past parents, and past brother, truly live for yourself." The young girl released her embrace and quietly stepped aside. Jinyu wanted to try and grab her, but he saw her gently shake her head at him. He finally withdrew his hand, then looked at Xin Yu standing before him, at his gentle smile, at him extending a hand. "Even if reality remains cruel, please strive to live. The future will surely be full of hope. Keep going." He grasped the hand the god extended to him, grasped the hope and miracle bestowed upon him, and struggled free from madness and chaos. In reality, the man opened his eyes. He slowly climbed up from the ground. The surrounding Cloud Knights tried to restrain him, but were stopped by Xin Yu, who had also awakened. He looked at Xin Yu before him. The other person looked much more wretched than the one he had seen in the conscious space. He was covered in blood, pale thorns were wrapped around his head, and similar thorns were entwined around his arms. Some thorns had even taken root in his arms, making him look so battered. But in his eyes, all of this was somehow so sacred. He knelt on the ground, facing the hope and miracle before him, and lowered his head. This was the only way he could express his gratitude at this moment. Then, his body went limp again, and he fell into a coma.