Ning Li felt a sense of peace and joy she had never experienced before.
The malice, resentment, and reluctance that once plagued her seemed to meet a heavy rain, washed away for the most part.
Her Spirit Landscape had cleared for the first time in a long while.
Topics she once thought would be difficult to mention to Yin Que came out naturally.
“Yin Que, actually, I’m an experiment—”
“I know.”
“When did you find out?”
“Over two months ago.”
‘Wasn’t that before she and K left?’
Ning Li had never been so relaxed. Even when mentioning this topic she once regarded as taboo, she spoke of it lightly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you didn’t want me to know.”
‘Because she didn’t want him to know, he kept it hidden in his heart without even a mention?’
After observing Yin Que’s memories, Ning Li discovered that Yin Que had never changed.
Even during his youth, he was a gentleman—gentle and incapable of trampling on or ignoring the feelings of others.
Even his rejections were polite and “Yin Que-style.”
Not a single woman Guide who had been rejected by him would fall into a state of sadness.
It was as if being rejected by him was also a form of happiness.
For some, it was lucky enough just to be able to walk a short distance with him or be his classmate.
Yin Que, just by standing there, could make countless people feel at ease and happy.
It was hard to describe what kind of charismatic personality this was.
At least in the era Ning Li lived in, she had never met anyone like him.
His character was not in his skin or his bones, but in his soul.
He possessed the cleanest, yet most colorful soul.
Neither of them mentioned the topic of experiment subjects again.
After the Deep Link, many things no longer needed to be stated clearly, as thoughts were exchanged within milliseconds.
In these memory bubbles, Ning Li saw the scene from six years ago when Yin Que and the King of Deformed Species perished together.
That day, behind him were the people of the entire Fringe District, totaling hundreds of thousands.
He stood at the very front of them all.
The Rose of the Universe bloomed across the boundary line that stretched beyond sight.
One of those flowers held him up, allowing him to stand in mid-air.
She finally saw a certain form of Yin Que’s Rose of the Universe.
Although it shared the same origin as Lu Yijian’s Rose of the Universe, Kismet was simply more likable.
That magnificent color dyed the entire sky in shades of blue and purple—a color reminiscent of the cosmic galaxies.
Countless people looked up at his back, hands clasped in front of them in prayer.
The King of Deformed Species from six years ago was different from the one in Ning Li’s memory.
Every King of Deformed Species was the strongest among their kind.
After one died, a new one would take the throne, much like the Commanders of the Sentinels and Guides.
She truly experienced Yin Que’s state of mind at that time.
It was a boundless peace, like an infinite sea, calm and undisturbed.
Perhaps he had already prepared for the worst and could accept any outcome.
At that moment, his heart was free of cluttered thoughts, focused entirely on the battle.
Even in the second before his Spirit Landscape was about to be extinguished and enter eternal night, his heart was peaceful and calm.
He had done his best.
He protected everyone behind him.
Ning Li suddenly said, “I realized I was wrong before.”
“About what?”
“Once, I said the Void Octopus and the Primordial Dragon were cool.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “But now I think Kismet is the coolest.”
It wasn’t that any Rose of the Universe was the coolest, but that Yin Que’s Rose of the Universe was the coolest.
The next second, Ning Li was surrounded by low laughter.
Yin Que was very pleased.
“That is the highest praise I’ve received so far.”
As the 1336th and 1338th Commander, it seemed his position in Ning Li’s heart had surpassed that of the 1340th and 1347th Commanders.
‘How could this not be considered good news?’
When the Deep Link was disconnected, Yin Que’s injuries had completely recovered.
This was the unique charm of a Deep Link.
Neither of them mentioned Ning Li’s memory bubbles, but Ning Li knew that a part of her negative emotions had been purified.
She had originally thought this was only a legend, but now, the legend had truly descended upon her.
This Deep Link lasted for two hours.
Ning Li thought only twenty minutes had passed, and only after disconnecting did she realize it had been two hours.
During a Deep Link, their sensitivity to time decreased, and they lost their ability to judge it accurately.
Yin Que still had official duties to handle.
Once Ning Li was free, she took out the only God-given Artifact she currently possessed—the Reincarnation Orb.
After fiddling with it for a long time, she finally opened the Reincarnation Orb again.
The gender-neutral voice of the Reincarnation Orb echoed in her mind once more.
**[Wealth, status, beauty, strength…]**
**[What do you want?]**
The first two times, Ning Li had obtained sincerity and trust that would never be betrayed, as well as powerful strength.
This time, her request was simple.
“I want the location of the Ring of Reminiscence.”
The next moment, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness entirely.
***
When Ning Li woke up again, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
This time, she hadn’t lost her memory, and her Spiritual Companion was still there.
This time, she was just herself—and it was 200 years in the past.
If that were the case, then she could indeed find the Ring of Reminiscence easily.
Where she had found the Ring of Reminiscence last time was likely where she would find it again.
Ning Li’s guess was correct.
One month later, she dug up the Ring of Reminiscence she wanted in the outskirts of No. 191 District.
She hadn’t realized it when she first picked up the Ring of Reminiscence, but now it hit her—her fate with No. 191 District had begun so early.
The Ring of Reminiscence in her hand was still the God-given Artifact from before the time channel had been opened.
It glowed with a purple Microglow, soft and warm.
“Ring of Reminiscence.”
“I know you’re listening.”
In that instant, Ning Li thought of many things.
It was said that reincarnation could allow one to get everything they wanted.
She had wanted the location of the Ring of Reminiscence, but it had guided her to find the version that hadn’t yet lost its glow.
Did this mean that the Ring of Reminiscence, once used, truly lost its effectiveness and was no longer a God-given Artifact, unable to communicate with her anymore?
Because once a God-given Artifact’s light was extinguished, it was equivalent to falling silent.
Even if she found it, it might be to no avail.
“Why did you bring me back 200 years?”
This time, the Ring of Reminiscence spoke.
**[Is it not good to return to 1357?]**
It was the same gender-neutral voice—ethereal and airy.
Ning Li was expressionless.
“You didn’t bring me back just to take a tour, did you?”
**[No. 197325, you are very powerful. But uncontrolled power is not a blessing to this world.]**
**[In May 1357, you found Yin Que in the Burial Ground of No. 191 District and revived him. The gears of fate began to turn.]**
“So, you sent me back to 1357 just so I could revive him?”
**[After countless calculations, entwinning your fate with his is the only way for this world to have the highest survival rate.]**
**[Throughout the three-thousand-year history of Sentinels and Guides, he is the only one capable of changing you.]**
**[Your negative emotions were purified, were they not?]**
If there was such a thing as compatibility between Sentinels and Guides, then her compatibility with Yin Que must be very high.
Otherwise, a miracle like purification would not have happened to them.
“You want me and him to save the world?”
The Ring of Reminiscence laughed.
**[No.]**
**[Ning Li, the legend you heard before is true. By gathering five God-given Artifacts, one can end the chaotic era. However, I have already been removed from the ranks of God-given Artifacts. Even if you want to save it, I’m afraid you can no longer do so.]**
The only activation of the Ring of Reminiscence symbolized the arrival of death.
Therefore, there were no longer five God-given Artifacts.
**[The chaotic era cannot be ended for the time being. Only when new God-given Artifacts appear will the possibility of ending the chaos arise again.]**
**[Until then, what this world must do is survive as long as possible.]**
Only by living was there hope.
But in the world 200 years later, vitality was nearly non-existent.
Ning Li nodded.
“So, I can’t go back, right?”
**[Yes. But you don’t want to go back anyway, do you?]**
The world 200 years later did not have Yin Que.
The world was barren, a place of dead silence.
“Do I have a mission?”
The Ring of Reminiscence laughed again.
**[There is no mission. Letting everything take its natural course is the best arrangement.]**
For example, her first meeting with Yin Que in the Burial Ground.
For example, her journey to find the God-given Artifacts with “Ran Fu.”
For example, her second escape with “Silent Maple.”
Each time was a deepening of their bond.
“One more question.”
**[What?]**
“Why did you plant that specific memory in me?”
This time, the Ring of Reminiscence was silent for a while.
**[I thought about planting a happy and warm memory in you. But the moment you regained your true memories, the sense of loss would have been intense. I was afraid you would take extreme actions then.]**
So that was it.
The Ring of Reminiscence had even considered those aspects.
200 years later, her reputation was very poor, so it was quite natural for it to have such concerns.
She was surprised by the sincerity of the Ring of Reminiscence.
**[Everything that needs to be said has been said. Now, it is time to say goodbye. There may not be another chance to meet again, so I wish you all the best in your future, Ning Li.]**
***
When Ning Li reappeared in the room, exactly three hours had passed.
Yin Que had already finished his official duties and returned home.
“Ning Li!”
As soon as Yin Que saw her appear, he came over and took her hand.
“The patrolling Sentinels said you hadn’t left the room, so I knew you must have used the Reincarnation Orb.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Because there were some things I urgently wanted to know.”
Yin Que reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, cupping her face with one hand.
“Do you know now?”
Ning Li paused for a moment and then said, “I know. When we have our next Deep Link, you can see this memory.”
“Alright.”
From the conversation with the Ring of Reminiscence, it wasn’t hard to find that the greatest crisis of the Sentinel and Guide world might have already passed.
Imagine if Qi Sigui had remained the Commander; would the world of Sentinels and Guides have kept retreating before the Deformed Species?
Just like when the front lines of No. 191 District moved back, even the Guide Academy of the Borderlands had almost been forced to relocate.
Qi Sigui’s Spiritual Companion had a major defect, yet he stayed in that position for five years.
During that time, the number of innocent people who died at the hands of Deformed Species was beyond counting.
But now, Yin Que was back in power.
History had changed.
“Yin Que.”
“Hmm?”
“Work hard to become the longest-serving Commander.”
The maximum term for a Commander was twenty years.
As long as they didn’t die or make major mistakes during their tenure, they could stay for the full twenty years.
However, the average term of previous Commanders was six years.
To date, no Commander had stayed for twenty years.
Most Commanders were short-lived, like the 1340th and 1347th Commanders she once admired the most.
They were not even twenty-six years old when they died.
The higher one stood, the greater the responsibility.
Yin Que clearly understood what she was worried about.
In the next second, his kiss pressed down heavily.
“I will.”