"Doraemon and Nobita traveled back in time in a time machine, wanting to change what had already happened, or to find out the reasons and truths behind what had happened. But the truth is, what had already happened was the result of their involvement after they went back in time. Even if they were just observers looking at the truth behind it, they had already participated in the past in terms of the future outcome," Ke Xun said, looking at Mu Yiran. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Mu Yiran nodded: "The outcome is the result of the cause being influenced."
"Right," Ke Xun said, "So, maybe the way we are now is the result of doing everything we could after traveling back to the Mountain and Sea World in the future. In other words, whether we travel back to the Mountain and Sea World or not, we cannot change the impending death we are facing… right?"
"Yes," Zhu Haowen said.
Ke Xun lowered his eyelids and sighed after a long while, "So, in the end, there's still no way."
"Moreover, even without scientific instruments and evidence, manufacturing a super weapon like the Nine Cauldrons would take a lot of time," Zhu Haowen said. "We have neither materials nor time now; it's too late for anything."
Ke Xun shook his head and waved his hand, "Alright, Mr. Haowen, you've completed your mission to demoralize me. You can call it a day. I want to spend this last bit
of time crying in Yi Ran's arms." "You only have a few minutes." Zhu Haowen lifted the tent flap. Outside, sand and stones were flying everywhere, and the entire space between heaven and earth was filled with violent winds. The tornadoes that appeared every night had completely merged into one tonight, forming a towering wall of wind.
Zhu Haowen went outside, leaving only Ke Xun and Mu Yi Ran in the small tent.
The two looked at each other, a thousand words stuck in their hearts, unsure of which to say first.
"My intuition is usually right," Ke Xun said with difficulty, his eyes slightly red, "but this time… I have a feeling… we… we really won't survive…"
"It's alright, Ke Xun, it's alright." Mu Yiran gazed deeply at him, her voice soft and gentle, "In this world, perhaps no other couple has gone through so many life-and-death experiences together like we have. This is enough to be unforgettable, enough to die without regrets."
Ke Xun couldn't speak for a moment, nodding with a choked voice, then opened his arms and hugged Mu Yiran tightly.
These were probably the fastest few minutes of his life.
It ended quickly in just one hug and a light kiss.
With their backpacks on, the two walked out of the tent hand in hand.
Their companions were also silently walking out of the other tents. Ke Xun didn't want to look at the expressions on their faces, turning his gaze to the eerie ghost altar standing amidst the overwhelming storm.
"Ready?" A voice, indistinguishable in the raging sandstorm, asked.
No one answered, but the answer no longer mattered.
"Let's go," another voice said.
The thirteen figures struggled forward, as if carrying the weight of ancient mountains, as if traversing a thousand years of emptiness, stiffly stepping into the storm that threatened to engulf the world.
They walked silently towards the altar, their dark figures imbued with endless death, despair, and sorrow.
The violent sandstorm threatened to tear the earth apart, yet seemed to be held back by some force, unable to move these thirteen figures even an inch.
It was as if two opposing forces were battling in the wind: one desperately trying to sweep them away from this terrifying valley of death, the other striving to hold them back, clearing a path for them, even pushing them from behind, until they reached the foot of the altar.
"Climb," someone said.
But no one was willing to make the first move.
"There's no time…" someone else said. "If we hesitate any longer, this world will probably be ruled by demons and ghosts after dawn."
Still, no one moved.
"Wait a minute," this time Ke Xun spoke up. "Wu You, use your bone structure analysis to examine this altar."
Wu You responded in a hoarse and weak voice.
After a long while, she said, "I can't see anything… just stones…"
"Then look in the wind?" Ke Xun pointed to the place in the distance where the storm was strongest, thickest, and most intense.
Wu You screamed in shock and fear, "So many—so many strange things—the wind is full of them—it's so scary! So scary—"
"What are they like?" someone asked.
"I can't describe it—it's indescribable—it's just—it's so scary that just looking at it makes me want to die on the spot—" Wu You covered her eyes, squatted down, hugged herself tightly, and then burst into tears.
"It's demons, they're here," Shao Ling said hoarsely. "Let's go up, there's no time."
"We—we don't have to die—" Li Xiaochun cried out, "Didn't demons and humans coexist in the Shan Hai era? Let them out! We're not ancient humans anymore, we have advanced technology! We can use infrasound to deal with them later!"
"Don't even think about it," Zhu Haowen said coldly. "Countries around the world have long been researching infrasound weapons to use in human warfare, and no country has yet succeeded. And before humans succeed, the demons will have already wiped out the human species!"
"No way!" Li Xiaochun roared. "Humans in the Shan Hai era didn't go extinct!"
"That's because humans in that era didn't know how to create infrasound!" Zhu Haowen looked at him coldly. "But after Gao Yangshi advised Yu the Great to create the Nine Tripods, do you think the demons would still tolerate the existence of humans?
Humans, used to being the masters of the world, would they allow demons to usurp their throne and become prey for them?"
"Humanity will inevitably research superweapons with the goal of exterminating demons and monsters, and demons and monsters will inevitably kill humans in a frenzy with the goal of exterminating humanity to eliminate future troubles. So, do you think demons and monsters will kill faster, or will humanity research infrasound weapons faster?
Look at the storm in front of you. This is the power of demons and monsters. How long do you think it will take for a storm of this magnitude to sweep across the earth? How many humans can survive such a storm?" Li
Xiaochun knew Zhu Haowen was absolutely right. His resentment and anger drove him to a heart-wrenching roar. He grabbed his submachine gun and began firing wildly into the storm-ravaged distance.
The gunfire echoed through the swirling winds and the surrounding mountains. Ke Xun, fearing he might accidentally injure his companions, rushed forward and forcefully pulled him down, failing to notice Mu Yiran suddenly turning to look in the direction they had come from when they entered the valley.
There seemed to be a faint glimmer of light there, but when he looked again, it vanished.
"Calm down," Ke Xun gripped Li Xiaochun's arm until cold sweat beaded on his forehead from the pain. "What you're doing won't help anything. Calm down and think it over. Didn't you decide to go up to the altar? If you regret it, that's fine. We won't force you. You can leave. No one has the right to force you. Calm down, Xiaochun, do you hear me?"
Li Xiaochun softened, sobbing intermittently.
No one offered him any advice or comfort. At this moment, words were powerless, and no one could make any decisions for him. Life or death rested entirely on his own decision.
After a long while, Li Xiaochun wiped away his tears, his voice hoarse and heavy with emotion, and said, "I'll go."
Li Xiaochun's struggle and hesitation were everyone's struggle and hesitation. Perhaps everyone hoped he would say, "I want to leave here," as if that would represent everyone, as if that would immediately solidify their resolve to leave, regardless of the world's fate.
Li Xiaochun's decision, however, also seemed to represent everyone's decision. The hesitant and conflicted thoughts were firmly slammed to one side of the scale when the words "I'll go" landed, with no possibility of turning back.
Strangely, everyone felt a sense of relief.
However, this breath was the last breath everyone had desperately held onto.
Now, it was gone.
"Let's get ready to go," Ke Xun said calmly to everyone, his tone as if he were leading his teammates into a competition they knew they couldn't win. "Yi Ran and I will climb up first. When we're almost at the top, we'll throw the rope to the other side of the altar, and a few of you can go over and hold the rope… Just follow the steps we agreed on before."
Without waiting for anyone's response, he climbed onto the roof of the car first.
Mu Yi Ran followed, and the two of them propped the ladder against the altar wall. Once they reached the top of the ladder, they began to climb upwards by hand.
During the climb, Ke Xun still had the mind to say a few words to Mu Yiran: "When those ancient ancestors came here, did they also climb up here by hand like this? Their equipment must have been inferior to ours, right?"
Mu Yiran climbed ahead of him, waited a moment, and replied, "Perhaps they each had their own methods. Don't underestimate the ancients. Those who could pass through the illusion in the painting and finally find this place based on the clues were definitely not ordinary or careless."
"That's true." Ke Xun didn't say anything more and climbed to the edge of the altar with Mu Yiran.
The rope was thrown to the other side of the altar, caught by someone, and tied to a car. A series of rope loops were tied to the rope, forming a rope ladder, which the people below could use to climb up.
Yue Cen was tied to Li Xiaochun's back and brought up. She abandoned her wheelchair and brought a cane. Although she might not be able to use it for long, she said that she didn't want to sit slumped on the altar before she died.
The thirteen people, with a thousand unwillingnesses and ten thousand reluctances, finally reached the edge of the altar together.
Luo Yi and Wu You were crying so hard they were almost fainting.
They hung by the edge of the altar, looking at each other. It seemed that if just one of them said, "Let's go, don't die," everyone would immediately respond, rushing back to the ground, getting into a car, and fleeing without looking back.
But no one could say those words.
No one was willing to be the first to utter the death knell, "Let's go!"
The thirteen people stared at each other, silent, breathing heavily, crying helplessly.
Time ticked by, each selfishly and greedily clinging to their dwindling lives.
Until, in the raging storm around them, strange and terrifying shapes, like bubbles rising from boiling water, began to surge outwards, barely encased in a membrane of wind, on the verge of bursting forth.
Ke Xun gritted his teeth and shouted, "Guys, do you have anything to say last? This is your last chance!"
"—God! In my next life, please let me be born a rich young master!" Li Xiaochun cried out in anguish.
"Dad! Mom! In my next life, I still want to be your daughter!" Wu You cried out.
"In my next life, give me a home," Fang Fei said, each word distinct.
"Mom and Dad—Dongzi is unfilial, I kowtow to you here to say goodbye forever—" Wei Dong cried, banging his head against the altar wall.
"I hope in my next life I can live a peaceful life..."
"I don't want to die—"
"Mom and Dad, I love you..."
"May this matter end here completely."
"Although it's regrettable, but... let it be..."
"Goodbye, friends."
"Goodbye, human world."
"Yiran, I love you."
"I love you."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
...
"Let's go," Ke Xun said.
The thirteen men stretched their arms and legs, and together they climbed onto the altar.