Su Shiye was the divine sense of the Ether Lord. This meant he was an indispensable part of Him. She could not ask him to separate Su Shiye as a standalone entity.
“I don’t believe you.” She shook her head firmly again. “Have you ever loved someone as much as Su Shiye did?”
“What?” Su Shiye frowned.
“Have you?”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Even though the memory is brief, we truly loved each other. How could it be forgotten just because your lifespan is long? So, when you say it had no impact, you must be lying!”
Fanli spoke with such certainty that it actually amused Su Shiye. He lowered his head and laughed silently for a long while. “You really are too clever; there’s no way to even try to deceive you. You’re right, I haven’t forgotten our past.”
Fanli straightened her back, her eyes filling with anticipation.
“But not forgetting doesn’t mean I will continue to love.” Su Shiye looked up, his eyes full of regret and mockery. “Actually, if I truly loved you, I wouldn’t care whether you were a god or not. It’s just that men are simple—when they are completely bored of you, they find a way to get rid of you. I am bored now. Is that blunt enough?”
“I don’t believe it...” Fanli covered her mouth and nose with both hands, bordering on a breakdown. “I don’t believe it! I don’t!”
“I’m sorry. I have failed you.”
“But what about our children? We weren’t just dating; we have two children together...”
“What does love have to do with family?”
“How can you say something so irresponsible?!”
“Yes, it is very irresponsible.” Su Shiye sighed. “You can complain and grumble everywhere, let everyone know I’m a scumbag. I don’t mind. As long as you can let go, I’ll accept anything. Just stop pestering me.”
Having reached this point, he had left no room for argument; even if she wanted to refute him, she couldn't. Feeling as though her entire body had been crushed by wheels, Fanli could no longer control her emotions. Regardless of her image, she collapsed weakly to her knees, cupping her face in her hands, still repeating, “I don’t believe it.” But no matter how many times she said it, she could no longer convince herself.
“Let me see the two children, please?” Fanli said with the last of her strength.
“You are their mother; of course you have the freedom to see them. Contact them yourself.”
In the jungle, flowers bloomed in profusion, and the vegetation was lush. Mist hung on the leaves of the tropical rainforest like the deep blue cascading hair of the emerald mountains. The sound of the ocean waves surged from far to near, slapping the call of an impending storm against the beach. The recurring sea breeze whipped Fanli’s long hair, obscuring her vision, yet she didn't even have the strength to brush it away.
Su Shiye stayed with her for two minutes, then patted her head and turned back toward the palace.
This was the first time Fanli realized that being patted on the head by the person she loved could be so painful. Long after he left, the skin on the top of her head and across her entire body felt as if a layer had been peeled away, leaving her completely exposed to the freezing air.
Before leaving, Su Shiye had arranged for Huage to prepare some daily necessities for Fanli: bank cards, a communicator, vessel equipment, and so on. The communicator already had the contact information for the two children stored inside.
After returning to Shenyeji’na, she called them from home. Lili was especially happy:
“This is wonderful! Mom, you have no idea what great news this is for me!! I’ll bring my brother to Shenyeji’na to see you very soon!”
“Is... is this for real? You’re Mom? Mom is still alive?” Fanxing’s speech was garbled for a long time, as if he’d been struck by lightning. “Lord Deep Blue, does Dad know about this? He must have been so happy he cried, right? You don’t know, he never let us mention anything about our mother. I thought you had already... this feels so surreal. I always thought I didn't have a mother...”
After hanging up with the two children, Fanli found herself thinking of Su Shiye again, unable to help herself. Her brain told her not to do anything foolish, but her actions were beyond her control, and she dialed his number.
Miraculously, after all these years, Su Shiye had not changed his contact information.
“Hello.”
His voice was heartless yet beautiful, making her heart hang in suspense. She whispered, “Are you asleep?”
“Almost.”
She didn't know how to continue and fell silent, but just thinking that he was on the other end of the line made her tears flow uncontrollably.
After a moment, he said, “Is something the matter?”
“I miss you.”
On this side of the phone, Fanli desperately suppressed her sobs, but Su Shiye responded only with infinite silence, without even a single sigh. She opened her mouth, and after a long while, her voice said hoarsely, “About the two of us... I want to talk to you again.”
“About what?”
She could tell that Su Shiye’s politeness was born of upbringing, not heartfelt tenderness. She had a terrible premonition, but she gritted her teeth and summoned her courage. “I’ve reflected seriously. As a wife, I was inadequate in many ways. Many times, I put my own ambitions first and didn't consider your feelings. For a woman, that is indeed a difficult point to balance. I promise you, from now on, I will shift the focus of my life to the family and won't ignore your feelings anymore. What do you think?”
Su Shiye said nothing.
“Brother...” Fanli’s voice grew much smaller.
“Hmm?”
“Can a thousand years really change that much? I don’t believe you are such a heartless person. Let’s meet again and sit down to talk like adults, okay?”
“There is nothing left to talk about,” Su Shiye said indifferently.
“Deep Blue has already split into the God-kin; she isn't coming back. Now the Light Sea is your territory, and the God-kin are all under your jurisdiction. Even if some are disobedient, they are the minority, right? The God-kin belong to you, and I belong to you—doesn't that mean Deep Blue has returned? Why must you be so obsessed with the original entity?”
“Lili, I don’t love you anymore. I’m not lying.” Su Shiye gave a weary sigh. “Is there anything else?”
“Do you really not love me anymore?”
“Yes.”
Fanli knew that continuing would be meaningless, but she was still unwilling to give up. She couldn't stop herself from saying with a sob, “Let’s try a little harder, okay? I’ll be good.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t give you what you want.”
“Just a try, it’s no loss to you... can’t we even try?”
“I really don’t love you anymore.”
Fanli wiped away her tears. “But I still love you, what should I do...”
“Don’t live in such agony.” Su Shiye’s voice was deep and devoid of inflection. “Don’t love me, and don’t hate me. Just forget me. Marry a good man and forget this past.”
“...You can accept me marrying someone else?”
“I can.”
“I’ll sleep with another man, have children, and you’ll accept that? They will do everything to me that you once did—you can accept that?”
To make him jealous, she had used very provocative words. But his answer remained concise: “I can.”
He answered so quickly that her last shred of hope vanished. She smiled bitterly. “Su Shiye, you are truly cruel.”
“Remember, do not mention anything about our past to your future husband. If he insists on asking, just say I was a scumbag, fickle and unfaithful, and you couldn't stand me. Usually, when a man hears you say such things, he will cherish you properly.”
“Thank you for teaching me this. Thank you for thinking of my future. But I only love you; I can’t love anyone else.”
He believed that after separating from him, she could marry again, love again. She didn't know if he was underestimating her or underestimating himself. She just found it laughable. But even more laughable was his subsequent reply:
“You think you are being very devoted, and you’ve moved yourself with your own drama. But a woman who can’t pick things up or put them down holds absolutely no charm for me.”
“I have no charm anyway, so say whatever you want.”
She spoke as if she didn't care, but after hanging up, Fanli fell into extreme agony once more.
She didn't understand. Clearly, before she left, everything had been fine. Why was it that once Su Shiye regained the complete memories of the Ether Lord, he could become so resolute?
After that, she didn't sleep. Although she had waited for Su Shiye for seven hours and her back was aching and her body exhausted, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Her temples throbbed incessantly. Finally, she gave up trying to convince herself to sleep and sat up, staring out the window in a daze until dawn. Then, she contacted her old friends and former colleagues.
They were all very surprised by her return, and no one knew exactly what had happened or why she was back. But hearing her voice, every one of them was thrilled, feeling as if they were in a dream.
After the defeat of the Abyss Empire, Xitian still held most of the actual power over the Glazed Legion, but his grandfather’s health was failing, so he had been staying in the Storm Sea these years to fulfill his filial duties. Exaggeratedly, although he wasn't married, he now had 89 children and nearly 60 mothers (he remembered the exact number of children but not the number of mothers). As for how many of those children were biologically his and whether he was helping other men raise their sons, he probably didn't know himself. But he had plenty of resources and didn't care much about such things; his nature as a "breeding maniac" simply couldn't be stopped—he wanted to reach a hundred.
From Xitian, Fanli learned that Yejia had gone to the other extreme. He still stuck to his principles, had no desire to marry, hadn't fathered a single child, and had no steady girlfriend. Since Fanli "died," he had continued to live a muddled life, spending every day in the red-light districts, involved in several life-and-death romance scandals with famous courtesans that could be written into the *Unofficial History of the Clans of the Radiant Era*. In terms of work, Yejia was also formidable; in a thousand years, what he did was no different from a thousand years ago.
Feng Jin was like Yejia in that she hadn't changed jobs in a thousand years, content to be a delicate canary, very laid-back. But in terms of romance and marriage, she was an expert. She had married over three hundred years ago. Her husband was named Jante Yuyou, 720 years older than her, the designated heir of the Jante Clan Head and Yujin’s older brother. He was a PhD from Amaterasu Chanyou University, a man of few words and a man of action. He was originally the Director of the Arcane Committee at the Rift Sea Navigation Arcane Group, but while on a business trip to Shenyeji’na, he was quickly captivated by Feng Jin. They dated for nine years and held weddings in the Winter Sea, the Rift Sea, and Shenyeji’na, which became sensational news at the time. Later, for Feng Jin’s sake, Yuyou transferred to work in Shenyeji’na as the Director of Government Relations for the Light Sea Arcane Committee. His promotions were rapid, and he was highly regarded by the Empire. Yuyou looked like a mature, cold version of Yujin, with a personality somewhat like Xitian’s, and a bit of male chauvinism. But Yuyou had no hobbies and didn't like socializing; his only hobby was going home to be with his wife.
“Yes, I really feel like I married the right person!” Feng Jin said sweetly over the phone. “Suiyi, you and His Majesty Su Shiye should return to your happiest state soon too. Have another child, and maybe our children can have an arranged marriage in the future?”
“That... might be a bit difficult to achieve.” Hearing her so happy, Fanli couldn't bear to ruin the mood.
“But Fanxing is already a thousand years old now, and we plan to wait a few hundred more years before having kids. Won't Fanxing be too much older than my child? Besides, Fanxing is way too handsome; when he smiles, his eyes curve just like yours. Girls are practically electrocuted by him. His romantic prospects are really a bit too numerous—how many female stars have thrown themselves at him like moths to a flame? I’m afraid my daughter won't be able to handle him... wait, no, any more kids you have will be very handsome, I’m so worried.”
“Wait, wait, wait, isn't that a bit too much detail for a fantasy?” Fanli laughed out loud. “How do you know you’ll have a daughter?”
“Because I want a daughter! Don’t you think being a girl is very happy? Society’s demands on men are too high, whereas a daughter doesn't have to have much work pressure and has a husband to dote on her.”
“That’s your daughter. A daughter like yours will definitely have a husband to dote on her. Not every girl is as lucky as you.”
“Nonsense, aren't you just like that, Suiyi? Although it’s been a bit of a struggle, the ending is great.”
Fanli didn't want to talk about Su Shiye anymore and shifted the topic to the Jante Clan. Then she learned that Yujin’s career was also very successful, though he was in charge of military affairs and was currently working in the Imperial Legion. Four or five hundred years ago, he had a girlfriend, but they broke up after a few years, and he had been single ever since.
“Xiao Yu seems to miss you very much,” Feng Jin sighed. “Once, after getting dead drunk with some brothers, he suddenly started crying. They all thought he missed his ex-girlfriend, but he kept calling out ‘Sister Fanli’... Contact him as soon as possible. If he knows you’re back, he’ll be incredibly happy.”
Additionally, Qiong and Xiami had also married and had four children. They had been doing scientific research in Bamanboya, living a happy and peaceful life.
Hei Qiao had a child who was now an adult and a member of the board of directors at the Moore Group, though he worked at the grassroots level of the company. Hei Qiao wanted him to temper his own strength, and the father and son had a good relationship. However, the end of the marriage alliance between Hei Qiao and Fanli had a significant impact on the company. Coupled with the massive changes in social structure, the Moore Group failed to keep up with the top tier. Their performance had declined significantly, and they had become a second-rate company.
Fanli rested for a day, preparing to adjust her state and re-adapt to life a thousand years later. But soon, Yejia came to visit her.
Scraps of seagrass and algae were like red and green snow, drifting with the seawater and lingering around the Sea Mist Trees. Under a Sea Mist Tree, Yejia seemed to have just come from school. He was holding two books, wearing round-framed glasses with an anti-slip chain resting on his collarbone. His flowing, snow-white hair hung to his waist, seeming to merge with the quiet waves, murmuring a silent tenderness. Seeing Fanli, a trace of eerie light flashed in his purple eyes. “Suiyi, long time no see.”
But seeing Yejia, Fanli remembered his madman-like behavior and felt a surge of anger. “Seeing that you are still alive and well, haven't been eaten by the jellyfish in the furnace, can still chat with me face-to-face, and can continue to be my friend—I feel very happy!”
Yejia’s thin shoulders shook as he laughed uproariously. “I was wrong, okay?”
“Not a shred of remorse. What you committed back then was called a crime against the sea race. Logically, you should have been executed. You’re basically a fugitive now, so keep a low profile and stop acting crazy.”
“I won't, I really won't.”
Yejia still laughed irreverently. However, his eyes were bright, his gaze following Fanli’s every expression at every moment, like a seabird that had taken all his thoughts with it when it left the nest.
Then, they wandered under the Sea Mist Trees for a while, chatting about friends, life, war, and academic research, finally dining together at a nearby restaurant. Fanli picked up a copy of the *Shenyeji’na Daily* and saw the headline: *“Dream Agate,” the Winter Sea’s Largest Rare Gem Artwork, Nears Completion.*
The accompanying photo showed a completely transparent egg-shaped gem standing atop a towering iceberg in the Winter Sea. Unlike the iceberg, the gem’s shape was very regular. The cold winter sunlight pierced through it; if one didn't look closely, it was almost invisible. In the dynamic photo, it also shimmered with a dreamlike light as the sunlight shifted, making one mistakenly think it was a giant soap bubble that would pop at a touch, splashing water droplets.
This artwork was too beautiful, perfect and alluring, comparable to the diamond Su Shiye gave Fanli when he proposed. Fanli was a bit dazed. “This is the ‘Dream Agate’?”
“Yeah, pretty, isn't it?” Yejia propped up his chin and glanced at the picture in the newspaper. “The real thing is even prettier.”
“For Su Shiye to personally supervise the construction, it must have extraordinary significance.”
“Let me ask you, do you know what the highest known temperature in the universe is?” Yejia asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“5.5 trillion degrees?”
To create such a temperature, one would need to accelerate lead ions to near the speed of light at the Shenyeji’na Neutrino Center and then use a collider to smash them together. This could melt both protons and neutrons, creating a new form of matter called quark-gluon plasma. Because the cost was enormous and the temperature was severely excessive, even in the most brutal wars, few people used this extreme temperature.
“Correct. That is the highest temperature the ‘Hellish Shinigami’ collision system can reach. Currently, only thirteen types of military weapons, including the Monroe anti-submarine destroyer, the Bamanboya QX-71 heavy bomber, and the T-97 Abyss grenade launcher, utilize the Hellish Shinigami system.”
“There are thirteen types already? I remember there were only three a thousand years ago.”
“The former Abyss Empire hid many military secrets...” Yejia blew a bubble, looking into the distance absentmindedly. “Have you ever thought about what would happen if there were a giant weapon over 15 kilometers long and over two hundred meters high, all used to erupt the temperature of the ‘Hellish Shinigami,’ and then burned the energy of 12.28 billion UMM-89 fel-energy biochemical uranium bombs? Roughly speaking, what do you think would happen?”
Fanli calculated for a few seconds. “Why do I feel like you’re describing a supernova explosion?”
“It is a simulated supernova.”
A supernova refers to a star that suddenly explodes without warning. The explosion takes only a few dozen days. During these few dozen days, the star’s brightness suddenly increases by hundreds of millions to billions of times, and the energy released exceeds the total energy produced by an ordinary star over billions of years. Then it fades completely, reaching the end of its life.
“...So?” Fanli looked at him with confusion and anticipation, waiting for the rest.
“You know there’s a stretch of permafrost icebergs in the Winter Sea?”
Fanli froze for a moment. Thinking of the 15-kilometer length he mentioned, which happened to be the length of those icebergs, her heart sank halfway. “What about those icebergs?”
“Su Shiye’s precious ‘Dream Agate’ is inside them.”
Now Fanli’s scalp went completely numb. She shook her head and looked down at the newspaper again, her voice unsteady. “Are you playing with me? ‘Dream Agate’ isn't an artwork—it’s a weapon?!”
“It’s true. It doesn't look that big, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The permafrost iceberg has been hollowed out; the rest of the ‘Dream Agate’ is all inside. Its true volume is about the same size as the iceberg.”
“...”
“Impressive, isn't it? Your husband and Archbishop Yan have created the most terrifying weapon in the entire universe.” Yejia smiled, as if he were praising his own husband. “He’s been working on this plan for several hundred years. I’m really curious—he’s already unified the ocean, so who is he planning to use such a powerful weapon against?”
***
Glossary Table:
