343 The story is short, the time is long

The light from the firewood flames was like a waterfall flowing backwards, crossing the dimension of the time rift, passing through the thick clouds above the coral island, and forming a beam of light that went straight to the universe. Such a dazzling light could be clearly seen even in Shenzhou, thousands of kilometers away from the coral island.

Under the temperature provided by the Fire Light Column, the snow and ice crystals covering the island gradually melted into a turbulent stream and flowed into the sea. The island, pulled by the gravity of the Herrscher, slowly sank back to the supporting structure at sea level and restored its previous stability.

As the afterglow of the firelight faded, the still space in the gray area formed by the time crystal began to flow again.

The nebula frost formed by the Ice Ruler was melted by the flames, and the cold blizzard was heated by the high temperature into vast steam, which condensed into warm raindrops and fell on this broken island.

Bathed in the rain, the biting chill in the survivors’ bodies gradually faded away, avoiding a possible serious illness.

“So, this is the real Stairway to the Galaxy.” Not until the light faded did people come back to their senses from this miraculous scene.

The huge project that the United Nations spent hundreds of billions of dollars and several years to prepare now only has a broken foundation left. In the face of absolute power, human struggles seem so insignificant.

The construction workers of the Galaxy Ladder trembled as they took out the cigarettes from their pockets and lit them. The exhausted mother hugged her child tightly in her arms. The hesitant staff took out their mobile phones to report safety to their families. The security guards patted their companions on the shoulders…

Only by truly experiencing the desperate situation of death can one feel the beauty of life. The dissipated light column turned into countless light points, illuminating people’s cheeks like the brilliance of stars, allowing them to see the purest joy on each other’s faces. The fear brought by surviving the disaster dissipated, and the hope of life was passed on in people’s hearts.

Regardless of whether they knew each other or not, people hugged the people around them and cried with joy.

……

More than 50,000 meters above the coral island, the continuous dark clouds were swept away, leaving only a clear and empty space.

Light blue and light brown starlight fell from the sky, interlacing with each other to form two gorgeous bands of light, which were getting closer and closer in a spiral posture.

The starlight finally converged and transformed into two Herrscher cores, which stayed neatly in the boy’s palm.

As the coral island incident came to an end, the bright sun faded into a curling red sun, casting its golden afterglow on the profiles of the young boy and girl.

In this vast expanse of nothingness, thousands of meters above the earth, only Su Jue and Qiyana were left in the world. There was no bustling prosperity, no noisy trivialities, only the trickling stream left after the long river of time had flown away.

“Is this the core of the Herrscher?” Kiana came close to Su Jue and looked at the Herrscher core in his hand curiously.

The dark clouds were broken into cotton candy-like strands by the fire, and then gathered into soft cotton balls again under the influence of the airflow. The two stood in the stratosphere, with layers of white clouds under their feet, looking like they were walking in the clouds.

“The Herrscher of Ice and the Herrscher of Stars.” Su Jue sighed. Although the endings of these two Herrschers were within his expectations, it was still sad to see them end in this way.

As a Valkyrie, Anna will at least be recorded in the destiny archives, but Chen Tianwu has no worries, and no one remembers his name from now on.

Fortunately, although the ending of these two people was not perfect, with the help of Su Jue, they at least resolved their knots at the last moment and did not die in pain and despair like in the original world line.

“Do you know their identities?”

“I guess so. If you want to listen, I can tell you slowly.”

“But don’t you have a lot of things to do? And the disaster on the coral island has not been resolved yet.”

“Don’t worry, Tianming’s troops have already arrived. Just leave the rest to them. We still have a lot of time left.”

“Yeah.” Kiana tucked her messy hair behind her ears and couldn’t help but smile at Su Jue in front of her.

“What’s wrong? Am I weird?”

“No, I just suddenly feel that this kind of peaceful time is really rare. After all, from the first day I met you, we were like children chasing the light in the dark. We can only keep running forward, always forward, otherwise we will fall into the darkness.”

The girl stretched out her hand towards the sunset, as if she wanted to catch the afterglow of the sunset in her hands and let time stop at this moment.

She couldn’t catch the setting sunlight, but she could catch Su Jue’s hand.

“You have a lot of secrets that I don’t know. I want to hear you tell me about them. Can I?”

Kiana raised her head and looked at the boy beside her. Her lake-blue eyes were tinged with golden light, reflecting Su Jue’s appearance. Her eyes revealed the expectation of a kitten, but also the anxiety of a deer.

“Of course, if you want to hear it.” As Kiana subconsciously approached, the distance between them was very close. Facing the gaze of the sapphire eyes, it was difficult for Su Jue to say no. “I said, we still have a long, long time left.”

After receiving a positive reply, Kiana stretched out her hands and directly constructed two sub-space spears from the imaginary space, using them as support. The two sat on the chairs formed by the sub-space spears, and the clouds beneath them floated like a swing swaying in the wind.

In the setting sun, Su Jue softly told the story of Anna and Chen Tianwu, while Qiyana sat quietly beside him, listening to this unknown past.

The mournful blue heart-shaped pendant was buried in the soil of the coral island, while the pair of star bracelets on Kiana’s hands sparkled brightly in the sun.

……

During the burst of light from the coral island, countless people obviously noticed the strange phenomenon of collapse, and those who really knew the inside story could clearly recognize the familiar breath of the Herrscher mixed in the light of the firewood flame.

“Kiana…?” A huge black shadow passed by on the sea surface farther away, and the air current swept through, causing the sea water to be stirred up into waves several meters high.

Despite such a huge aircraft, the radar buoy base stations responsible for observation in the surrounding area did not detect any information. Instead, a fishing boat sailing on the sea inadvertently observed this unknown scene.

“Captain, just now, it seemed like a dragon flew over?”

“Dragon? I think you want a one-stop service.”

The crew member who was mercilessly mocked blushed and tried desperately to explain: “No, I mean literally, a giant dragon with wings.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I think this voyage is too long and you guys are almost hallucinating. Remember to go for psychological treatment after you get off the ship. I can reimburse you for the treatment fee.”

“But it really looks like…”

Faced with the crew’s explanation, the captain had lost his patience and raised his hand to make a gesture to shut up.

“Idiot, even if it looks like it, it could be a new type of aircraft that the top brass is secretly testing. Even if you accidentally saw it, is it something you can say? You don’t have a keen eye. I don’t want you to get arrested.”

“I’m sorry, Captain.” The crew member finally realized and covered his mouth, too scared to say another word.

As for whether it was some secret aircraft, it naturally had nothing to do with these people. Mei Raiden, who was sitting on Kurigara, withdrew her gaze from the sky. Just at that moment, she indeed felt Kiana’s breath from the beam of light.

Even at such a long distance, the beam of light still posed a strong threat to her. If it was really caused by Kiana, it at least showed that the other party’s current strength was far beyond hers.

This is actually good news for Mei Raiden. After all, she chose to leave and join Kindred in order to help Kiana in her own way.

Of course, now that she truly understands Kindred, has come into contact with more people, and has learned about more unknown sides of this world, Mei’s life has a clearer goal.

Now she is not just fighting for Kiana, but she truly wants to change the world through her own power, at least to prevent the tragedies of Qianjie and Paduo from happening again, and let Kiana return to her original freedom.

The girl walked out of the shadow of Changkong City, left Kiana’s protection, saw the more distant sky, and found her own meaning in life.

“World Serpent, I hope we can find the answer from this organization.”

Mei Raiden sighed softly, and the whistling sea breeze brushed through her hair, rolling up a dark purple cloud.

The speeding Kuligara increased again, leaving a white line on the sea surface and rushed towards the coral island.

344 Rita and Raven

“Lady Rita, all members of the Immortal Blade team are ready and can start rescue at any time.” Alvette’s voice rang out on the deck. Behind her were the fully armed Immortal Blade Valkyries. They lined up neatly on the battle bridge, waiting for combat instructions.

Although they arrived early, they could only watch the Herrscher wreaking havoc on the island. This was obviously contrary to the education concepts that the Valkyries had always received, and it was a test for everyone’s heart.

Therefore, after the turmoil subsided, they were ready for battle without even needing instructions.

Of course, this kind of anxious mentality arises, partly because Su Jue uses Alvette’s deliberate guidance.

Normally, as a special forces unit, the Immortal Blade would definitely put obeying orders as the first rule, but after all, they are just young girls, and they will definitely waver when their ideas conflict with orders.

If this situation continues, Su Jue will not even need any extra means to disintegrate this elite force from within – provided that Yulandel is not there.

Obviously Rita knew that she couldn’t drag it on any longer, so when Otto still hadn’t given any orders, she still gave orders based on the situation on the scene.

She is loyal to her destiny, but she is not Otto’s tool. She also has her own judgment.

“The Undying Blade soldiers will be divided into three groups, heading to Coral Island’s E6 area, S12 area, and the central area to eliminate the remaining Honkai beasts and ensure the safety of the civilians. Alvette, you will be responsible for the overall coordination of the rescue work. If you encounter a Honkai that you cannot handle, call me immediately.”

嘀

Rita was about to give more orders when she suddenly stopped and answered the call on the headset. The person communicating on the encrypted channel was naturally Otto, but the order he conveyed surprised Rita.

Until she hung up the call, Rita couldn’t help but look up at the sky above the coral island with a strange look on her face.

“Lady Rita, is this an order from headquarters?”

“Well, the logistics personnel of Tianming will arrive in an hour. During this time, they will try their best to quell the residual effects of the collapse and ensure the safety of the rescuers and survivors.”

“In addition, during the outbreak of the Coral Island collapse, the members of the Snow Lotus Squad stationed here evacuated most of the residents, greatly reducing casualties. You only need to try your best to ensure the safety of the evacuation point.”

Although her strength is not top-notch, Rita’s perception as an S-level is naturally not bad. The beam of light that calmed the turmoil on the Coral Island in one fell swoop is obviously something that only a Herrscher can do.

And Rita would probably find it hard to forget the aura of the Herrscher of the Sky.

Otto obviously knew the situation on Coral Island when he called, but the order he issued was for Rita to attribute all the credit for pacifying Coral Island to the Snow Lotus Squad. If they wanted to conceal Kiana’s existence, Rita would understand, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

She put the matter aside for the moment and continued, “If you find anyone from the World Serpent on the island, report to me immediately.”

“World Serpent?”

“Well, after analysis by the Destiny Intelligence Department, the destruction of Coral Island is most likely another action by the World Serpent.”

“Yes.”

After passing the blame to the World Serpent as requested and making a brief tactical arrangement, Rita ordered the Undying Blade to carry out the rescue work, but she herself did not participate in the rescue, but walked in the completely opposite direction with her sickle.

……

“Cough cough cough.”

In the ruins of the coral island, a violent cough was heard from the pile of debris. A few broken bricks covering the top were lifted up, and a woman with short gray hair struggled out of it in a panic.

Bright red blood flowed from his lips as he coughed, and using the Seven Thunders of Purification, the Key of God, as a crutch, Raven managed to get up from the collapsed ruins.

The damage caused by the Ice Herrscher was too great, and she was seriously injured in the battle with Kiana. She almost died on the island.

However, Raven gained extremely strong adaptability to Honkai energy after being bathed in Cecilia’s holy blood. After being trained and transformed by the World Snake, its vitality was quite tenacious, and it finally survived the disaster.

Looking at the sunset in the distance, Raven suddenly felt as if he was in another world.

What made her feel that life was even more precious was the news she heard from Kiana that Xiaokong and the others were still alive.

She couldn’t die here now.

“Hey? Why would Miss Raven of the World Serpent hide in a place like this? It’s really hard for me to find her.”

Just as Raven was about to contact the World Serpent for rescue, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her. Her expression changed drastically, and she immediately raised the Seven Thunders of Purification and aimed in the direction of the voice.

However, before she could pull the trigger, a force came from the muzzle, and the sharp metal blade swept across the sniper rifle’s body, attacking her with a sharp white light.

The Raven who was attacked immediately ducked down and rolled over in an awkward manner to avoid the attack. The moment he stood up, he put the gun above his head with both hands.

The next moment, Raven felt a numbness in her hand, and the Seven Sin Purifying Thunders almost slipped out of her hand. But she had no chance to breathe, so she could only use the force to fall backwards and use the gun to protect her vital parts.

Click.

The surrounding ruins were easily cut like tofu by the sharp blade, and Raven’s own arms and thighs were also covered with wounds under the tide-like attack.

“Oh, Miss Raven, why are you so embarrassed? You didn’t look like this when you were sure of victory.”

As the enemy’s sickle hooked at her, the Seven Thunders of Purification in Raven’s hand fell out of her hand completely. She quickly retreated, leaving a large cut on her arm, and she retreated to the half-collapsed wall, covered in blood.

“It seems that Miss Raven is in bad condition. Do you need me to wait for you to rest for a while?” Along with the rustling sound of the sickle rubbing against the ground, Rita’s figure gradually became clear.

There was a faint smile on her lips, and she looked at the raven with pity. However, the scythe in her hand, which reflected the cold light, did not look like a joke.

Back then, in the basement of Shencheng Medicine, Rita was plotted against by the World Serpent and nearly died at the hands of Raven. If it weren’t for Kiana’s rescue, I’m afraid it would be even more miserable.

At that time, Rita threatened that if she was given the chance to catch Raven, she would definitely make him feel real pain.

Therefore, when Rita received Otto’s secret letter, she was ready to fight the raven. However, she didn’t expect that the once high-spirited raven was now in such a state of disgrace.

“Oh, it’s you.” Raven’s eyes were cold, but now she couldn’t even breathe to speak, let alone fight.

“Hmm? You’re so quiet. Do you know you’re at a dead end?”

Raven spat out a mouthful of blood foam, “As expected of you, you are a lackey of destiny. You are really good at taking advantage of others’ misfortunes. But your miserable appearance at that time was not much better than mine.”

Rita was not angry. She had experienced too many accidents, but the one with Shencheng Pharmaceutical was the most thrilling. “Huh, you still remember what I said at the beginning.”

“Of course, I hope destiny won’t let me down.” Raven tried her best to find a way out, but Rita almost blocked all her escape routes.

Unless the World Serpent came to support them, but if it was the World Serpent, Kevin would probably be the only one who had the ability to bypass the army of Destiny. However, Raven did not think he had the strength to rescue Kevin personally.

The only choice was to stay in Tianming for a few days. After all, with the Lord of the World Serpent there, Tianming would never dare to kill her easily. As for what kind of interrogation she would suffer, it really depended on the other party’s methods.

“Have you given up resistance? Tsk, how boring.”

Looking at the raven with her eyes closed waiting to die, Rita slowly walked to her side.

However, just as she was about to control the other party, the Seven Thunders of Purification that fell to the ground suddenly burst out with a violent arc of electricity. In this lightning, the sniper rifle form that Raven was used to began to change and turned into a lavender sword.

Along with the changes of the seven thunders of purification, there was also a loud dragon roar.

345 Negotiation