# 2036
Chapter 2036: This Slash
After hearing An Qingyu's description, Lin Qiye was stunned for a long while before he couldn't help but exclaim:
"果然无论在哪个世界，你都是妖孽般的……咳咳咳咳咳……"
"好了，病号要少抽烟……精神病人也算病号。" An Qingyu plucked the cigarette from Lin Qiye's lips and pinched it out in mid-air. "Let's get to the important matter first. Baili Pangpang and Jialan are already suppressing Azathoth outside, but they won't be able to hold on much longer. We'll go help them soon.
The six of us who have ascended to higher dimensions should be able to suppress Azathoth for a period of time, but just with us, defeating Him is still impossible… In this world, the only one who can kill Azathoth is you, after you've assimilated His power."
"Mm." Lin Qiye nodded slightly. His figure slowly stood upright, and a trace of killing intent appeared in his eyes.
"Through hundreds of millions of cycles of reincarnation, I've already devoured too much of His power. When my consciousness breaks free from this dream universe, He will definitely not be a match for me… I need a chance, a chance for a single, decisive strike!"
An Qingyu exchanged glances with the others and smiled slightly. "Then the task of creating that opportunity will be left to us…"
"Mm." Lin Qiye raised his hand and slapped it against An Qingyu's.
"Victory shall ultimately belong to 【Night Watch】."
"That goes without saying." An Qingyu replied matter-of-factly. "Don't forget—we've never lost a battle when we work together."
It was like this when we first encountered the Nanda Serpent Demon, like this when we dealt with 【Bell Cranel】 in Gusu City, like this when we wiped out the Cthulhu Faction gods… Azathoth will be the last 'victim.'
An Qingyu opened the Gate of Truth once more, and together with Cao Yuan, Shen Qingzhu, and Jiang Er, quickly entered it, disappearing from this dream universe.
……
Higher-Dimensional Universe!
Boom—Boom—Boom—Boom!!
The same knocking sound echoed across the sky above the Asylum of the Gods, immediately attracting the attention of Jialan and Lingbao Tianzun, who were desperately suppressing Azathoth.
As the Gate of Truth opened凭空, An Qingyu and the other four flew out simultaneously. Four powerful forces descended from the heavens, suppressing and imprisoning the constantly struggling Azathoth in place!
Seeing this, Lingbao Tianzun's eyes lit up. "I knew you would come!"
"Long time no see, Pangpang."
An Qingyu stepped on the gray mist, and the energy wandering in the Higher-Dimensional World rapidly gathered toward this location, like countless chains wrapping around Azathoth's body.
But as Azathoth's expansion grew more rapid, these chains broke one after another shortly after forming. Even with all six of them working together, it was difficult to suppress Azathoth under the drive of primordial instinct.
"It's still not working… He really is too powerful." Lingbao Tianzun said grimly.
"Azathoth is the ruler of this Higher-Dimensional World. Even though we've completed 'ascension,' we won't be a match for Him… The only one who can defeat Him is Qishi."
While suppressing Azathoth with all her strength, An Qingyu turned to look toward the direction of the asylum.
"We've suppressed Azathoth to the best of our ability… Now, it's up to him."
……
Dream World.
As An Qingyu and the six others worked together, Lin Qiye could feel that the power Azathoth was using to lock down this dream universe had significantly weakened.
His gaze swept across the silent, empty city around him. After a moment of hesitation, he turned to look at Jinian and the others.
"Open all the shelters."
"Open them? Now?"
"Mm." Lin Qiye nodded slightly. "I need to draw upon the entire human race's karma to forge a blade… a blade capable of slaying Azathoth."
Jinian didn't ask further. She directly controlled the shelter portals across Great Xia, slowly opening them.
At that moment, the people inside the shelters saw a prompt appear on screens indicating they could leave. Then, the various portals opened one by one. The Night Watch and military forces stationed at each shelter received the news simultaneously and quickly maintained order, allowing everyone to exit in an orderly manner.
The people who had been living in the shelters for quite some time, seeing they could finally leave, burst into cheers of celebration. More and more people emerged from underground and returned to the cities. The lifeless surface of the earth came alive once more!
"We're home, we're home!"
"Did Great Xia's Night Watch win? Did we win?!"
"Mommy, I want cotton candy…"
"Okay, okay, we'll buy you some when the little shops reopen."
"Oh no… I have to go back to work now. Help, suddenly I feel like staying in the shelter wasn't so bad after all."
"What's so good about staying? I haven't seen sunlight in so many days, I'm going crazy. This weekend I'm definitely going out to play! Camping! Barbecue! Swimming!"
"There's no sunlight today either though… the sky is still red… Hey? Is that a fire cloud?"
"Can we finally return to normal life… Why do I suddenly feel like we've survived a catastrophe?"
"It's all over. We can finally set a date for our wedding! Let's get married this month! Okay?"
"……"
As massive crowds returned to the cities, densely packed threads of karma floated up into the sky in Lin Qiye's eyes. These billions of karmic threads intertwined and connected with each other, forming a vast web that encompassed human destiny, blanketing the entire heavens.
This dream world was created by Lin Qiye… but every person within it was recorded by the former cosmic will. Every person here was part of Lin Qiye's memories and also real people who had once existed.
Lin Qiye took a step forward, his form appearing instantaneously in the high skies. He walked forward slowly, his steps not large, yet seeming to traverse every corner of Great Xia.
He raised his finger gently, and threads of karma flew into his palm, gradually condensing into the outline of a blade.
He was like a god governing fate, holding karma in his hands, looking down upon the mortal world.
As that blade of human destiny rapidly took shape in his hands, Lin Qiye suddenly seemed to sense something. His gaze followed a strand of karmic thread to a certain direction.
"That's……"
He narrowed his eyes, and his form vanished on the spot.
……
"Finally out… the bed in the shelter really isn't as comfortable as the one at home." A middle-aged woman walked out of the shelter, stretching relaxed.
Zhao Zhengbin walked by her side. Looking at the familiar Cangnan City before him, images of those figures cloaked in crimson couldn't help but resurface in his mind……
It was as if he had thought of something. Unable to contain himself any longer, he spoke up:
"Mom, you go on back first. I have something to take care of!"
"Hey? Xiaobin?!"
Before his mother could finish speaking, Zhao Zhengbin had already turned and bolted away, running swiftly along a street.
Zhao Zhengbin cut through the stream of people heading home, sprinting at full speed. In his mind, the outline of that mysterious office reappeared…… He knew it was the Night Watch base in Cangnan City, and also his only chance to join the Night Watch!
Thinking about how he might be able to get close to the Night Watch, or even become one himself, Zhao Zhengbin felt wind beneath his feet. Soon, he arrived at the door of that office.
Zhao Zhengbin took a deep breath at the entrance, then pushed open the glass door once more.
"Ding-dong—Welcome!"
At this moment, the office was completely empty. Cangnan City's Night Watch must still be maintaining order in the shelter.
Zhao Zhengbin hesitated for a moment, then decided to wait here for them to return. After all, no matter what, today he was determined to become a Night Watch!
He looked around the unmanned office, his gaze falling on one wall in particular—a wall covered with picture frames. Zhao Zhengbin saw faces of people like Hongying among them…… Indeed, this was a group photo of the Night Watch stationed in Cangnan City.
However, just as Zhao Zhengbin's gaze swept across one particular photograph, he froze completely.
He stared fixedly at a certain man in the photo, motionless as if carved from stone. Then he rubbed his eyes hard and stared even wider……
"This is……"
It was as if something had clicked in Zhao Zhengbin's mind. His body trembled slightly, and unprecedented shock appeared in his eyes!
【而且，你爸当年的部队好像就在沧南……】
【……当年他神神秘秘的，那些战友把他遗体送回来的时候也是，没怎么提过具体哪个部队……】
【……未央是一种人造Forbidden Ruins，通常是用来保护Night Watch家属的……】
Lines from his memories now echoed in Zhao Zhengbin's ears simultaneously. His fists clenched involuntarily, and his murmuring voice trembled:
"Night Watch… Mom… Dad was a Night Watch…… He was a Night Watch!!"
Zhao Zhengbin was like someone waking from a dream. He snapped back to reality, yanked the photograph from the wall, and ran out of the office like a madman!
He pushed open the office door, eager to rush home and show this photograph to his mother. He couldn't wait to share this news with the entire world!
The wind howled past Zhao Zhengbin's ears. He clutched that photograph tightly, tears he couldn't control drifting in the air. An indescribable feeling surged in his heart—pride, passion, and also the joy of relief after seeing through the clouds……
His legs carried him swiftly along the empty streets. Perhaps it was because he was too agitated, but he felt his foot catch on something and tumbled forward toward the ground!
Zhao Zhengbin let out a startled cry. Instinctively, he guarded the photograph in his chest and closed his eyes as he fell toward the ground!
At that moment, a hand gently grasped his shoulder.
Zhao Zhengbin felt as if a mountain had steadied him. His body automatically found its footing. He turned疑惑ly to look, only to see a figure cloaked in crimson standing quietly behind him.
看到那人的面孔，赵正斌突然一愣，只觉得十分眼熟……
"Lin Qiye Commander?!!" Zhao Zhengbin's eyes went wide, as if he'd seen a ghost. "You… you're Commander Lin?!"
Before this, Zhao Zhengbin had seen this face multiple times on live streams. There was absolutely no way he could be wrong!
Lin Qiye looked at the young man before him, also somewhat dazed.
So similar… Too similar.
恍惚间，他仿佛又看到那个男人回来，站在他的身前。
"What's your father's name?" Lin Qiye's voice was hoarse.
"My father?" Zhao Zhengbin was startled, then immediately lifted the photograph in his hand. "Commander Lin, this is my father! Zhao Kongcheng! He was a Night Watch too! How… do you know him?"
Lin Qiye's expression was complicated. His gaze fell on the karmic thread floating out from Zhao Zhengbin's body, and understanding appeared in his eyes.
"So that's it… This is the final thread of karma."
"因果？" Zhao Zhengbin didn't hear Lin Qiye's words clearly, but he saw the Straight Blade in Lin Qiye's arms—seemingly composed of countless threads—and asked疑惑ly, "Commander Lin, didn't we already win? Could it be that… we still have an enemy?"
"…Yes, one last one."
"Who? Are they powerful?"
In Zhao Zhengbin's好奇的目光中，Lin Qiye raised his hand and pointed toward that crimson sky.
"Once upon a time, He was very powerful… now, perhaps not so much."
Sky?
Zhao Zhengbin seemed somewhat confused… Their last enemy was the sky?
Zhao Zhengbin was about to ask something more when that crimson sky shook once more. An apocalyptic aura gathered into a ferocious face, drawing closer!
Feeling that suffocating, terrifying power, Zhao Zhengbin's face paled. At that moment, a hand gently patted his shoulder.
"This time… it's my turn to protect your entire world."
那道深红的身影，单手握住腰间刀柄，走到赵正斌的身前，肩膀宛若一座足以抵挡一切的大山……一缕因果从赵正斌的身上飘出，与Lin Qiye的因果缔结成一道圆环，轻轻落在那柄Straight Blade之上！
Clang—!!
A resonant blade cry resounded through both the lower and higher dimensions. The fate of humanity trembled with this blade!
Lin Qiye's aura rose step by step. A pressure more terrifying than that apocalyptic face suddenly erupted from within him…… He slowly raised his hand and grasped the sword hilt at his waist.
"Young man." Lin Qiye suddenly spoke.
Zhao Zhengbin was startled and下意识地回答：
"Hm?"
"Watch this slash carefully."
"…Why?"
Lin Qiye's嘴角微微上扬，他仰望着那片红色的天穹，搭在腰间刀柄上的手掌，缓缓用力……
"This slash… is going to be awesome!"
Slah—!!
Humanity's fate erupted with unprecedented killing intent as the Straight Blade left its sheath!
The next moment, a blade light that pierced through the entire universe illuminated the sky!