468: Chapter 468 The First Array Eye

The two sat on the ground beneath the crystal.

Hua Liuli collected her thoughts and began to recount: "Four thousand eight hundred and twenty years ago, I was just an ordinary girl in a small village on the southwest border of the Dragon Kingdom."

"At that time, the world had basically entered a period of stability, with Demonic Beasts and humans each occupying half the world, and my specialty was that—I could see the Souls of those Demonic Beasts and animals."

"The previous array eye, named Elke, was a traveling scholar who happened to pass through my village and discovered my ability."

"He didn't force me, but instead spent three months explaining the truth of this world to me."

"He told me that our world had an Innate defect, much like a piece of porcelain that develops subtle cracks during firing; as time passes, the cracks only grow larger."

"Space-Time Rifts are those cracks, and the Demonic Beasts are the Impurities spilling out from them."

"He spent his whole life researching but couldn't find a way to close the Space-Time Rifts—so, he went mad, feeling that he had lost the meaning of living."

Chen Yi listened intently and asked: "So he chose you as his successor?"

Hua Liuli nodded: "Yes! Originally, if he had just committed suicide, the power of the array eye would have dissipated, but he couldn't do it."

"Because if that happened, the power of the array eye would recombine and fall onto someone else, forming a new array eye, never to perish—"

"If the successor happened to be an evil person, then this world would definitely be doomed! So, I volunteered to become the array eye."

"The transformation process lasted for seven days and seven nights; they forcibly performed a Fusion of the array eye core with my Soul, and the pain—all the combat injuries I've experienced since then combined don't even amount to one ten-thousandth of those seven days."

"But I survived! When I woke up, Elke was kneeling by my bedside, weeping bitterly, saying he would rather the experiment had failed than see me suffer such torment, and the other scholars were all full of guilt—"

"After becoming the Host of the array eye, I gained a near-immortal lifespan, and also the power to create Demon Emperors—"

Speaking to this point, Hua Liuli's eyes were gradually moistening.

Clearly, this past was something even she was unwilling to mention.

Chen Yi wiped away her tears with his thumb: "Then what about now? What do you want now?"

Hua Liuli stared at him blankly.

After a long while, she whispered: "Now—I want a reason not to have to be strong anymore! I want a shoulder that will let me put down this three-hundred-year burden—"

This sentence seemed to exhaust all her strength.

Hua Liuli completely relaxed, and the shell of the queen she had maintained for thousands of years shattered completely.

Revealing the long-exhausted Soul inside.

One must know, the original Hua Liuli was just an ordinary little girl.

Chen Yi pulled her into his embrace.

Hua Liuli did not resist, burying her face in his shoulder, letting out cries that had been suppressed for thousands of years.

That was not the sobbing of a young girl, but the grievances accumulated over dozens of centuries.

Perhaps, she could really put down that so-called burden of being a queen!

[Ding! Hua Liuli's favorability +3 points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, Hua Liuli's favorability has reached 95 points!]

[Reward: Enhancement Points +1000!]

The System's notification sounded in Chen Yi's mind.

But all his attention at this moment was on the woman in his arms; there was not a trace of excitement on his face.

It is unknown how much time passed, but Hua Liuli's emotions gradually calmed down.

"Chen Yi, thank you!"

"It's nothing; as long as you want, I will always be your shoulder!"

Just then, the floating purple crystal suddenly shone brightly!

A translucent humanoid silhouette projected from the cracks.

It was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, with a refined appearance, wise eyes, and wearing a simple, ancient scholar's robe.

He looked down at Hua Liuli, his eyes full of tenderness and guilt.

"Teacher—"

Hua Liuli murmured.

"Liuli, you have finally brought that person here!"

The silhouette spoke, "The wait of thousands of years was worth it."

Chen Yi immediately understood that this was the residual consciousness of the first leader, Elke, left inside the crystal.

Elke's phantom turned to Chen Yi: "Young man, I set up three trials, originally to screen for a suitable successor! But looking at you two just now—perhaps the meaning of the trials has already changed."

"Try challenging them; perhaps it will be an incredible Opportunity for you!"

He waved his hand, and the scene of the sanctuary began to twist and change.

The next second.

Chen Yi found himself standing in a pure white space.

The phantoms of Lin Mengxue, Luo Shiyin, Su Taotao, and all the other girls appeared before him.

"The array eye Host must have absolute loyalty!"

"If you choose to form the deepest bond with Liuli, you must abandon all other contracts."

"This is a necessary sacrifice! Because the power of the array eye cannot be shared with any other power!"

Chen Yi was also stunned for a moment.

What is this nonsense?

However, he quickly reacted and said: "I cannot abandon them!"

Elke's voice came again: "Why?"

"Because true loyalty is not about abandonment, but inclusion!"

Chen Yi replied calmly, "Liuli is an important person to me, and so are they! If you force me to prove my loyalty to one group by hurting another, then such loyalty is hypocritical in itself."

"What Liuli needs is not a man who gives up the world for her, but a partner who can embrace the world with her."

The pure white space began to collapse, and the phantoms of the girls dissipated into spots of light.

For the first time, there was a smile in Elke's voice.

"Very good! First trial, passed!"

The next second.

The scene changed to a post-apocalyptic sight.

The sky tore apart, the earth collapsed, and countless people wailed in the disaster.

Chen Yi and Hua Liuli stood side by side on the ruins, with Elke's phantom before them.

"The final duty of the array eye Host is to initiate the self-destruct sequence when the world is beyond saving, using the power of the array eye to forcibly stabilize the world for twelve hours to leave a spark for civilization!"

"Liuli, you must make a choice now!"

"Initiate self-destruct to save millions, or survive and watch the world be destroyed."

Hua Liuli was stunned.

What is this nonsense?

How had she never heard of this?

Also, what kind of trial is this anyway?

Hearing this, Chen Yi suddenly stepped forward: "I choose the third path!"

Elke shook his head: "There is no third path!"

"Then I will create one!"

Chen Yi said with a serious face, "Give me twelve hours—no, give me six hours! Liuli and I will think of a way together to find a method to save the world without sacrificing anyone!"

"And if you fail?"

"Then we will initiate the self-destruct when we fail! But we must never give up hope from the beginning! True sacrifice should be the last resort when all other paths are exhausted, not the first option!"