Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
The livestream room has plunged into unprecedented chaos due to the sudden emergence of abnormal circumstances. This has propelled Shu Xun’s already soaring popularity to the top. Countless players flooded into the livestream room as soon as they learned the news. What they witnessed next were various actions that challenged their worldview. Without mentioning anything else, a person is standing on a sword, confidently flying in mid-air, challenging the principles of science. In the distance, the brightly lit and incredibly familiar urban area left people astonished, even horrified.
In mid-air, Shu Xun realized at the first moment that the scene of that bustling city was too familiar. Removing the lights, the outline drawn was almost identical to Micro City. Utilizing exceptional night vision, Shu Xun seemed to spot someone moving through the city.
Big Bliss fluttered around Shu Xun for a while, occasionally checking the direction where he sensed Little Bliss and then glancing at the brightly lit city. The antennae on its forehead curled up into a bundle, clearly showing a deep internal struggle. Eventually, Big Bliss nestled on Shu Xun’s head, relinquishing the decision-making power to him. “To the left is an urban area, to the right is the location where Little Bliss’s signal was detected.”
Shu Xun nodded; he naturally understood Big Bliss’s dilemma. Today, they had experienced too much. Besides the desolate gray continent, a modern city had suddenly appeared. If they headed towards the city, it could potentially unveil some secrets of the two decades they had spent in this time and space. However, the risk lay in possibly missing Little Bliss’s signal and consequently losing the chance to leave this world. This opportunity might even be the only one they had.
Two different choices meant two entirely different outcomes. In the end, Shu Xun decided to head towards the right, where he sensed Little Bliss’s location. However, he chose an angle that didn’t lead him directly toward the right but stopped at two-thirds of the distance between the city and Little Bliss’s signal point.
Shu Xun’s speed was rapid, and in the state of high-speed flight, he was already very close to the destination in just over twenty minutes. Meanwhile, the cityscape on the left gradually became clearer. The audience in the livestream room was boiling with excitement, completely unaware of what they were about to witness.
Under the cover of night, the city lights were as bright as day. Even from a considerable distance, viewers with exceptional eyesight noticed figures moving in the familiar city streets. However, the specifics of those figures couldn’t be discerned due to the great distance.
Shu Xun, floating in mid-air, furrowed his brow, gazing in the direction of the city. Simultaneously, Big Bliss’s voice echoed in his ears. “Little Bliss’s signal is weakening, as if some force is interfering, trying to sever the connection between the two timelines. I can’t hold on for too long.”
Shu Xun’s gentle voice resonated in the night sky. “How long can you hold on?”
Without hesitation, Big Bliss responded, “At most forty seconds!”
Shu Xun remained silent, glancing at the location where Little Bliss’s signal was detected. Then, he swiftly approached the city. In just ten seconds, he had covered a distance of several kilometers. Although this distance wouldn’t take him to the city, it allowed Shu Xun to gain a broader perspective.
Familiar streets, familiar buildings, familiar layout—this was Micro City! It was the Micro City before it became frozen! At this moment, on the slightly chilly streets, pedestrians strolled in groups of twos and threes, and even vehicles passed by. Suddenly, Shu Xun’s pupils contracted, a visible astonishment flashing in his eyes. On the street, there was a familiar figure joyfully bouncing around—it was a little girl. Alongside her were a boy and a girl, seemingly on their way home after a night out, chatting and laughing, radiating happiness.
“Qing Meng.” Shu Xun whispered softly, then swiftly turned around and headed in the opposite direction. Big Bliss landed steadily on Shu Xun’s head, eyes fixed in one direction, mentally counting down the time until Little Bliss’s signal could hold.
In the live stream room, due to the distance being too great and lacking Shu Xun’s ability to spot key figures in the vast city with a single glance, viewers could only see people moving along the streets. However, Shu Xun’s uncontrollable whisper sparked another uproar in the livestream room.
“What does Shu Xun mean? Isn’t Qing Meng the little girl who disappeared in ‘Winter’s End’?”
“What did Little Dumpling see? Did Little Dumpling see Qing Meng? Don’t scare me! What exactly is happening?”
“Did StarPlay Entertainment set up a massive trap? Is there some connection between ‘Deep Blue Sea’ and ‘Winter’s End,’ and Little Dumpling just happened to fall into the loopholes of both games? But Micro City in ‘Winter’s End’ should be frozen by now, right?”
“I don’t care! I don’t care! Little Dumpling is about to reach the node! Is he going back?”
Amidst the lively discussions, in the last few seconds before Little Bliss’s signal was about to disappear, Shu Xun arrived at the temporal node and successfully traversed it with the assistance of Big Bliss. The livestream signal temporarily went into a disconnected state.
Shu Xun now found himself in that familiar feeling of weightlessness. He had experienced this sensation only during game teleportation and the first time he triggered his talent to traverse through spacetime.
After a brief chaos, Shu Xun finally shook off the sticky feeling of weightlessness in an instant, descending back into the clear moonlight. The powerful gravity quickly pulled his body down. A silver stream of light flickered, and the spirit sword unsheathed itself. The ethereal figure in white descended in a graceful arc through the night sky, landing back on the floating spirit sword.
Amidst the hazy moonlight, under the vast sky and land, the man in white robes appeared ethereal. His long, satin-like hair drifted slightly, reaching down to his waist. His skin resembled white jade, his eyes sparkled like stars, and a touch of vermilion adorned his forehead like a peach blossom. The whole person seemed to blend perfectly with the moonlight, exuding an extraordinary temperament—a perfect embodiment of a modest gentleman, gentle as jade.
The night breeze brushed by, lifting the white robes. The man gently curved his lips, creating a sensation akin to a spring breeze, and the first lotus of summer blossoming.
The livestream rooms of Ye Qian and Meng Muyu fell into a momentary silence, followed by a barrage of comments flooding the screen.
“What kind of race is this? Is it human? It looks like it, but the temperament is even more transcendent than the Spirit Clan. It feels so unique!”
“Don’t tell me this is the legendary Little Dumpling! I’ve never seen Little Dumpling this huge before! Is the one flying beside him the supposed Big Bliss?”
“Little Dumpling has finally returned! Crying! It’s been too difficult! Look at Ye Qian’s expression! Stunned! Hahaha!”
“What is Ye Qian doing? Hahaha! This posture is a bit funny, and a bit poignant!”
“My Little Dumpling has grown up and is unbelievably beautiful! Little Dumpling scared the mighty Ye Qian!”
In the livestream room, those who hadn’t paid attention to Shu Xun were instantly captivated, while the viewers who had followed Shu Xun felt an unexplained sense of pride. Through the barrage of comments, everyone gained some understanding of this seemingly unscientific human floating in mid-air.
The spacetime node Shu Xun traversed wasn’t too high above the ground. Coupled with the earlier descent, he was only a few meters above the ground. Below him, a tall and familiar figure had opened his palm as if preparing to catch something. However, the result left him visibly stunned, standing like a statue, gazing upward at the ethereal figure as if still processing what had just happened.
In Ye Qian’s pitch-black pupils, only the vast starlight and the figure floating under the night sky remained. For the first time in over twenty years, Ye Qian, who had a poker face, forgot to control his expression. It was also the first time he understood what it meant to be amazed. Some people, at a certain moment, inadvertently stunned time, plucking at heartstrings, making your heart beat violently in an instant as if reminding you of something. Some people could be as beautiful as a painting, seeming unreal, close at hand yet out of reach, making you hesitate to reach out, afraid of shattering the beautiful illusion before you.
A few meters above the ground wasn’t considered high for Shu Xun now. He sheathed the spirit sword and gracefully descended as if riding the wind, gently touching down and standing in front of Ye Qian, who still maintained the posture of open arms. Big Bliss was also flying beside him.
Little Bliss, perched on Ye Qian’s shoulder, maintained a perfect petrified state. Even its wings, spread open, forgot to flutter. It too had become a statue, evidently in a state of confusion, finding it hard to believe that Shu Xun and Big Bliss, unseen for a short time, had transformed into this appearance.
Meng Muyu’s gaze wandered back and forth several times before he cleared his throat and approached Shu Xun. Standing beside him, he extended a small finger towards the fluttering Big Bliss. “Mr. Shu Xun, I am Meng Muyu, the person in charge of StarPlay Entertainment. For the accidents that occurred in the game, StarPlay Entertainment will take full responsibility. If you have any requests, you can also raise them with us after the game ends…”
Shu Xun remained silent, watching the man who was talking animatedly to Big Bliss. Big Bliss also maintained a calm posture, hands crossed over its chest, and lifted its eyes slightly to glance at the man, whose tone was as smooth as if he had recited it countless times. The expression was equally indifferent. At this moment, the audience finally believes that Big Bliss is indeed a part separated from Shu Xun’s mental power. At least, at this moment, the expressions of the two, big and small, were surprisingly similar.
Meng Muyu spoke for a full five minutes, finally expressing everything he wanted to say, his eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at the wing-fluttering Big Bliss.
Big Bliss’s expression remained indifferent. “Are you done?”
Meng Muyu immediately nodded.
“You’ve mistaken the person.” With that, Big Bliss flapped its wings and returned to Shu Xun’s head, quietly lying down.
Meng Muyu paused for a moment, then awkwardly turned his gaze toward the white-robed man who had been standing silently. In a tone filled with surprise and uncertainty, he tentatively spoke, “Shu Xun?”
Shu Xun gave a refined and gentlemanly smile, then extended his hand proactively. “Exactly, it’s me. What’s the matter?”
The livestream room erupted with comments.
“Hahaha! Laughing so hard! This way of speaking is truly unparalleled!”
“Is it just my illusion? Why do I feel a sense of beautiful instant disillusionment? Yes, this way of speaking is undoubtedly Little Dumpling’s!”
“I remember Shu Xun seems to speak like this only when he’s emotionally excited or nervous. Looking at Shu Xun’s calm expression, I almost believe he is genuinely calm…”
“After all this time, how could he not be excited? But the expressions of Meng Muyu and Ye Qian turning to stone are really funny. Screenshots, screenshots!”
When Shu Xun spoke, he instantly shattered the dreamlike feeling of inaccessibility. Little Bliss also seemed to confirm Shu Xun’s identity. It excitedly flapped its wings and rushed forward, only to be slapped away by Big Bliss. Big Bliss sat on Shu Xun’s head with its small legs crossed, maintaining a calm and indifferent expression.
