Shu Yan wept as she recounted her origins, leaving Liu Hui, Hu Xian'er, and An Qi utterly dumbfounded. They had never imagined that this Shu Yan before them possessed such a complex background, being a person from the future.

Hearing Shu Yan’s confession, Liu Hui finally saw the light. No wonder Shu Yan had seemed so strange when she first appeared; she had literally fallen out of the void, which was why his initial discovery of her presence had been so baffling. Furthermore, because Shu Yan was from the future, no record of her existence could be found in the present time, rendering all the investigative work Desheng had conducted utterly useless.

When Liu Hui had previously used his Mind-Reading artifact on Shu Yan, the device had failed entirely because the residual temporal energy from the white jade disk she carried still permeated her being. Later, when that hypnotist attempted to put Shu Yan under, he too had mentioned a mysterious, potent energy protecting her—this must have been the temporal energy.

Hu Xian'er felt an immediate, profound closeness to Shu Yan upon first sight, also due to the temporal energy surrounding her. Since Hu Xian'er had already reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, she might possess some subtle sensitivity to temporal forces, thus explaining the intense sense of intimacy she felt toward Shu Yan back then.

Liu Hui now understood that this Shu Yan was the very woman who had knocked Wei Chao into the Yangtze River. In his desperate, flailing struggle, Wei Chao had managed to snatch the white jade disk from Shu Yan's hand, which was what sent him back to 2001. Without the aid of the white jade disk, Shu Yan was forced to drift helplessly through the temporal tunnel, eventually washing up in the "Star City" of 2017, appearing right before him.

The white jade disk that Liu Hui obtained from Wei Chao turned out to be the same one An Qi had brought back from the future—it had simply passed through Wei Chao’s hands before landing in his own. Relying on this disk, he had traveled to the past twice: once as a soul to investigate the bizarre changes following Shu Yan’s death, and the second time, through a twist of fate, resulting in him completely losing touch with Liang Jingyue and unexpectedly gaining a son named Xiao Bao.

Liu Hui’s mind was a chaotic mess, but as he connected all these disparate clues, the entire tapestry of events connected to him snapped into sharp focus.

Liu Hui had once loved Shu Yan in Chuzhou; Shu Yan had recorded their feelings of love, then tragically succumbed to a mysterious pathogen and died, eventually being buried by him on a platform in Shuzhou Province. This was immediately followed by a massive earthquake that shook her coffin free, causing Shu Yan to completely transform into An Qi. An Qi, clutching the metal box containing Shu Yan’s diary and video discs, wandered the valley, eventually dropping the box into the barrier lake.

That metal box remained in the valley. Due to shifts in topography and riverbeds, it was buried deep underground until it was excavated in 2040. It was then placed up for auction, where a twelve-year-old girl named Shu Yan, from that era, acquired it.

Little Shu Yan, upon obtaining the metal box detailing the beautiful, tragic love story of Liu Hui and Shu Yan, became entirely consumed by it. Being at the cusp of first love, she began to fantasize that she was the Shu Yan in the story and, inexplicably, fell in love with the Liu Hui of the past.

Shu Yan then learned that her father’s secret laboratory was researching temporal travel. She accessed the white jade disk from there and, by sheer chance, discovered how to use it. After careful preparation, she intended to use the disk to travel back to 2008 to find the Liu Hui of that time and rekindle their romance by impersonating Shu Yan.

However, the sudden appearance of Shu Yan’s father caused everything inside the prepared metal box to be lost, and she was thrust into the temporal tunnel. Perhaps due to panic, perhaps due to the shock of her father’s presence, or perhaps due to inherent flaws in the tunnel itself, Shu Yan experienced a slight deviation during her journey. She dropped into 2025 and collided with Wei Chao, who was preparing to return home at that moment, sending him into the Yangtze River.

While struggling for life, Wei Chao wrenched the white jade disk from Shu Yan’s grasp, and he used its power to return to 2001. Wei Chao then leveraged his foreknowledge to amass wealth starting in 2001. After succeeding, he returned to Bashi City, demolished the Sanqing Temple that would have shamed him in the future, and built luxury real estate on the original site.

It was while this real estate project was under construction that Liu Hui accidentally fell into a deep pit on the construction site one night. His flowing blood bonded with the dimension-hopping device buried deep underground, thus launching him onto the path of his grand undertaking.

Shu Yan, having re-entered the temporal tunnel, was now unable to control her trajectory without the aid of the white jade disk. She began to drift through the chaotic temporal currents, finally breaking free in 2017 to appear on the "Star City."

Liu Hui now realized that in the unchanged historical timeline, there was no record of his success. In other words, the foundation of his current achievements stemmed from the butterfly effect brought about by Wei Chao, and Wei Chao’s ability to return to the present to alter his destiny was rooted in Shu Yan from 2046. It was this sudden appearance of Shu Yan that had thrown the entirety of history into disarray.

Yet, calculating strictly, the entity that truly disrupted the development of history was the poignant love story left behind by Shu Yan of Chuzhou. It was the very existence of this story that led to Shu Yan’s subsequent time travel, which led to Wei Chao’s return to the past, which led to Liu Hui obtaining the dimension-hopping device, and ultimately led to the emergence of the "Star City."

Once Liu Hui sorted out this chain of cause and effect, he found it utterly farcical. The person who changed his destiny wasn't Wei Chao, nor the future Shu Yan—it was himself. It was the metal box containing Shu Yan’s diary and discs, which he had meticulously sealed away, that had, in some unseen manner, altered his fate and elevated him to his current height.

Hu Xian'er and An Qi were equally stunned after hearing Shu Yan’s confession. After a pause, Hu Xian'er finally asked, "Shu Yan, so you are from 2046! You mentioned just now that Liu Hui married Liang Jingyue in the future—is that true?"

Shu Yan wept as she replied, "It’s true. They even had a daughter later; I collected photos of their wedding, too. It’s a pity that box was lost just as I was about to cross through time."

Hu Xian’er asked expectantly, "Then, in the future, did you ever hear anything about me?"

Shu Yan shook her head. "I never heard a single thing about you in the future."

Hu Xian’er frowned slightly. She was the inheritor of a supreme cultivator’s legacy, possessing great power that should eventually have shaken the world’s development—how could she have left no trace in history? Suddenly, she glanced at Liu Hui beside her and understood everything instantly.

It was Liu Hui who had saved her when Hu Xian’er lay unconscious in the Cloud Mist Valley. Liu Hui could only save her because he had experienced a fortuitous encounter, possessing the sheer physical stamina needed to descend into the valley and rescue her.

If Shu Yan's account was accurate, Liu Hui in her era was an obscure nobody, meaning he wouldn't have had that lucky break and thus couldn't have descended into the Cloud Mist Valley to save her. The future master who inherited the cultivator's mantle might have simply died there in obscurity.

This realization made Hu Xian’er gasp in disbelief. Her awakening of past life memories and her eventual union with Liu Hui were entirely due to the girl standing before her. No wonder she had felt such an affinity for her back then—had she perhaps sensed this massive karmic connection even then?

An Qi and Shu Yan had been arguing over who the true Shu Yan was. Now that the truth was revealed, An Qi had finally won. However, at this moment, An Qi suddenly recalled the words spoken to her by the mind-reading and prophetic master, Weijia. Weijia had spoken of an artifact that would unearth in a few decades, capable of changing destiny. Could Master Weijia have been referring to the white jade disk? Otherwise, how could Liu Hui's destiny have changed?

Thinking of this, An Qi asked, "Do things capable of time travel truly exist in this world? Shu Yan, what did your white jade disk look like? Can you describe it?"

Shu Yan described the appearance of the white jade disk in detail, but without the physical object in hand, An Qi remained perplexed as to how it enabled temporal travel based solely on the description. Hearing Shu Yan’s account, Liu Hui instantly reaffirmed that the white jade disk Shu Yan described was indeed the one he had once possessed and that had subsequently vanished completely.

An Qi paused briefly, then inquired, "Shu Yan, did you ever hear news of me in your time?"

Shu Yan replied, "I heard about your achievements when I was very young, because in the future, you become the most famous scientist. Your fame surpasses even pioneers like Einstein, making you the most brilliant scientist in human history. All your research is world-shattering."

An Qi glanced at Liu Hui and asked, "Am I married in the future?"

Shu Yan shook her head. "No, you remain single. You once said you would dedicate your entire life to the science you love, never dating or marrying. So, I never heard news of your marriage—not even rumors of a boyfriend."

For some inexplicable reason, hearing that An Qi was perpetually single in the unchanged future, without even a boyfriend, caused Liu Hui to breathe a long sigh of relief. An Qi, upon hearing Shu Yan’s words, looked meaningfully at Liu Hui, perhaps pondering something deep within her own mind.

Liu Hui suddenly recalled a question. "Yanyan, when you were in the future, did you ever hear about 'Professor'?"

Shu Yan pondered for a moment and replied, "You mean that chimpanzee from earlier? I never heard any news about it in the future. Besides, in the future, humanity rules the Earth; that gorilla didn't even make a ripple."

Liu Hui merely blinked for a second before understanding dawned. Because of his sudden rise, the current timeline had drastically diverged from the future. Under his influence, the Professor had extracted gene technology from AIDS medication, causing his career to accelerate exponentially. Moreover, in his efforts to combat Liu Hui, the Professor had evolved into a god-level master, becoming extraordinarily powerful and establishing himself as a major force.

But in the un-altered history, without Liu Hui’s intervention, the Zerg’s gene technology would never have appeared on Earth, meaning the Professor would not have achieved such success—perhaps he would have died of illness soon after or met some other accident, fading into the river of history. This explained why the Professor remained obscure in the original timeline.

After Shu Yan confessed her feelings to Liu Hui, she added, "Huihui, even though I am not the real Shu Yan, my love for you is the same as the real Shu Yan's."

Shu Yan grew even more distraught. She could neither return to the future to see her father nor travel back to 2008 to meet the Liu Hui of that time. On top of that, she had deceived the current Liu Hui, who surely must now despise her.

Liu Hui, being a man, didn't quite grasp the intricacies of a woman’s heart and didn't know how to comfort Shu Yan. It was Hu Xian’er who understood something of the situation and said to Liu Hui, "Water Buffalo, you should go back first. We’ll stay here with Shu Yan and talk things through."

Liu Hui could only leave for now, feeling resigned but trusting that with encouragement from Hu Xian’er and An Qi, Shu Yan would recover. Now that Shu Yan had revealed her true identity, the emotional burden she carried was lifted from Liu Hui's heart, leaving him feeling significantly lighter.

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The following day, Liu Hui learned of the catastrophic damage inflicted upon the world by the massive earthquake that struck near Fiji.

The magnitude ten earthquake near Fiji evolved into a super-tsunami that swept across the entire Pacific Rim. Nearly every nation in that region was struck by this colossal wave. Countries like China, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, and Chile all suffered devastating losses.

Although "Star City" had provided advance warning, allowing these Pacific Rim nations to receive news of the impending tsunami and implement some emergency measures, the human and material damage remained immense.

In the nation of China, thanks to their unified, state-directed system, their response was the swiftest. Upon receiving the warning from "Star City," they broadcast continuous evacuation notices via television and radio, mobilizing coastal troops and civil servants overnight to penetrate low-lying coastal areas and organize the evacuation of residents to nearby highlands. Due to proper measures and timely mobilization, while they couldn't halt the destruction of the super-tsunami and suffered heavy economic losses, they managed to avert large-scale casualties.

Other Pacific Rim nations, however, suffered from bureaucratic inertia, causing sluggish government reactions. Combined with the dark, stormy conditions that prevented total mobilization and power outages in some coastal zones, the speed at which coastal residents were notified to evacuate was slow. When the tsunami struck, countless coastal dwellers had no time to reach higher ground, resulting not only in massive property loss but also tragically heavy loss of life.

Ships caught near the tsunami zone fared even worse; none could escape the wave’s fury, and virtually no crew members survived.

The Fiji Islands, closest to the magnitude ten earthquake, saw at least 20% of their landmass disappear beneath the sea, along with numerous smaller Pacific islands, facing true annihilation.

The destructive power of this tsunami surpassed that of the tsunami following the Indian Ocean nuclear detonations, leading to even higher mortality rates in these nations. Preliminary statistics compiled that morning indicated that over five million people across the Pacific Rim perished in the tsunami, with direct economic losses already exceeding one trillion US dollars. Countless others awaited rescue, meaning the casualty figures were certain to rise sharply.

Judging by the death toll alone, this super-tsunami was poised to approach the human cost of the Second World War, becoming the greatest natural catastrophe in human history.

On the second day, while global media outlets were reeling from the worldwide devastation caused by the massive earthquake and tsunami, broadcasting extensive reports, they received no information regarding the extent of the damage to "Star City." Their calculations suggested that despite the immense size of "Star City," it must have sustained huge losses when confronted by such a colossal tsunami. The delay in reporting losses, they assumed, was simply due to the time needed for tallying the figures.

But to the surprise of the entire world, "Star City" suddenly announced they had suffered zero casualties in the disaster. Just as doubts arose about the veracity of "Star City's" report, they abruptly broadcasted a stunning piece of footage that shocked everyone on Earth.

In the clear television transmission, the colossal "Star City" was seen hovering in the sky, resembling a massive floating continent. "Star City" appeared entirely intact, exhibiting no signs of damage whatsoever. Its citizens moved and worked freely across its surface, completely unaffected. Beneath the floating structure was the sea that had only recently been roiling violently.

"Star City" had finally unveiled its powerful technological capability to the world. Upon witnessing the floating metropolis, the entire globe collectively gasped. "Star City" clearly possessed the most cutting-edge levitation technology and had applied it to the entire platform, allowing it to escape the catastrophic destruction of the super-tsunami.

The American side finally understood: since "Star City" had mastered the levitation plan long ago, they must have integrated this technology into weapon manufacturing at an early stage.

Now they knew what "Star City's" mysterious weapons truly were: weapon platforms built using this very suspension technology. These platforms could hover in the air, carrying massive amounts of ordnance, enabling them to intercept any incoming attack at will while effortlessly projecting firepower onto the territory of hostile nations.

If a massive marine platform calculated in the hundreds of millions of tons, like "Star City," could be levitated, then the weapon platforms weighing merely a few million tons that "Star City" manufactured would be trivial. This realization brought the Americans a wave of despondency. With these large-scale, heavy-duty weapon platforms in their arsenal, America's once-proud supercarriers and advanced aircraft would be reduced to scrap metal, incapable of threatening "Star City" in the slightest. From this perspective, the technological gap between the United States and "Star City" had been infinitely widened, unless the US could also develop this advanced levitation technology.

The United States, having been severely battered by the tsunami, redirected all its focus toward domestic disaster relief, leaving it incapable of confronting "Star City." Coupled with the permanent loss of their god-level strike team and "Star City's" possession of large-scale levitation technology, the US temporarily shelved all plans targeting "Star City."

Thus, when "Star City" revealed its ultimate configuration to the world, all nations were awestruck by its technological might. Those countries and organizations that still harbored thoughts of challenging "Star City" immediately ceased their scheming. They understood that seeking conflict while lagging so far behind technologically would only invite greater trouble upon themselves.

No longer would the world’s nations and factions dare to underestimate "Star City" or initiate any provocation against it. "Star City" had finally entered its own golden age of development.

"Starfall City," despite the devastating super-tsunami, emerged completely unscathed, yet the nations bordering the Pacific Rim suffered catastrophic losses. Consequently, "Starfall City" dispatched its rescue teams, as always, to aid these countries in disaster relief.

Every instance where "Starfall City's" aid was required was a prime opportunity for Liu Hui’s father to shine, as he held the esteemed position of President of the Starfall Charity Foundation, overseeing every philanthropic endeavor undertaken by the City.

With Liu Hui’s enthusiastic backing, "Starfall City" swiftly amassed a substantial cache of relief supplies and medicines. Liu Hui’s father immediately headed for the disaster zones with the rescue personnel and provisions, delivering the goodwill of "Starfall City" to the afflicted populace.

Truthfully, as Liu Hui’s father prepared to depart "Starfall City," a profound inner conflict gripped him. The disaster areas were exceedingly perilous, meaning his wife, Liu Hui’s mother, absolutely could not accompany him. Yet, this situation presented a significant problem: during his absence, Liu Hui’s mother would be alone with Chen Shaokang. Should their relationship progress during this time, it would be a development Liu Hui’s father desperately wished to avoid.

However, if he chose to bring Chen Shaokang along on the relief mission, Chen Shaokang stood a strong chance of distinguishing himself through exemplary conduct. Given Chen Shaokang’s inherent capabilities, if he managed to win over Liu Hui’s mother with such commendable actions, what then would be his course of action?

After much deliberation, Liu Hui’s father ultimately decided to bring Chen Shaokang along for the charitable endeavor. At the very least, having Chen Shaokang within his immediate sight offered a greater sense of security than leaving him unsupervised near his wife.

Thanks to reader eiui for the 200 Qidian coin tip! RO