hsntnovel Chapter 69 The Grand Finale
Chapter 69 The Grand Finale
Emerging from the damp basin of the Western Queen Mother's Kingdom and breathing the dry, scorching air of the Gobi Desert again, Qin Yuan felt as if he had been transported to another world.
Although only about ten days have passed, I feel more tired than when I was in the Qinling Mountains and the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds combined. It's mainly mentally exhausting; I've become somewhat numb from killing snakes.
As expected, Xie Yuchen's pick-up team was waiting at the edge of the desert. They were a few shrewd and capable-looking guys who arrived in several high-performance off-road vehicles.
He looked at Qin Jiu, who was clinging to his trouser leg with bright eyes, squatted down, and ruffled his somewhat long hair.
"Jiujiu, you go back to Beijing with these uncles first, to Uncle Pangpang's place. Dad has some important things to take care of. I'll come back to find you after I'm done."
Qin Jiu pouted and agreed with a wronged expression. Qin Yuan's heart softened at the sight, and he hugged him again: "Daddy will be back soon."
He stood up and carefully gave a few instructions to the team leader sent by Xie Yuchen, mainly to ensure that Qin Jiu was safely delivered to Fatty Wang. The team leader had obviously received strict orders from Xie Yuchen, and his attitude was respectful, repeatedly making assurances.
Watching the car carrying Qin Jiu disappear into the distance, Qin Yuan turned his gaze to Zhang Qiling beside him, "I want to go to the Bronze Gate again."
Zhang Qiling nodded, without asking why or what they were going to do. He simply said, "Together."
Without delay, Xie Yuchen's partner left them a car, and they sped off towards Changbai Mountain.
A few days later, they stood at the foot of Changbai Mountain again. Without alerting any forces, the two of them easily found the hot spring crevice.
The cave remained warm and spring-like, filled with misty vapor. Passing through the crack, we once again entered the enormous belly of the mountain.
The massive bronze gate still stands there silently.
The area in front of the door was deserted. The few aliens that Qin Yuan had left here had long since passed their three-day lifespan limit and turned into dust, leaving no trace. Even the corpses of the Wang family members were gone, and it was unknown whether they had been eaten as snacks.
The human-faced birds that originally perched on the giant chains were almost all gone after the last calamity. Only a few remained, hiding in the shadows. When they sensed someone's arrival, they made uneasy flapping sounds, but dared not show their faces.
Zhang Qiling took out the Ghost Seal from somewhere and walked to the bronze door, pressing the Ghost Seal close to the crack in the door.
"Buzz—"
The massive bronze door slowly opened, releasing a pale glow and a chilling metallic aura once more.
This time, the two did not hesitate and walked in side by side.
The scene behind the door was exactly the same as when I left last time. The biocomputer, composed of metal, crystals and dark red fleshy tissue, was still in a state of forced hibernation, quietly sitting in the center of the space, with only extremely faint energy streams slowly moving around it.
Qin Yuan walked to the dormant heart and took out the core module of the Life Blueprint Database from his spatial storage.
As soon as the crystal appeared, it automatically detached from Qin Yuan's hand, slowly floated up, and flew towards a slot-like depression in his heart.
"Click".
The crystal was inserted into the empty space, and in an instant, all the dim patterns and lines lit up at the same time! Dark blue data streams and pale gold life map light and shadow flowed along those metal branches and crystal conduits, eventually converging into the central heart.
[Ding! Final shutdown procedure completed; startup conditions met.]
[Execution Command: Permanently Close Ultimate]
[Command confirmed! Energy loop reconfiguration... Database archiving... Core logic locked... Energy module disconnected...]
The enormous bio-computer began to flicker rhythmically, its internal swirling light and shadow gradually fading. The sprawling branches and tendrils, as if deprived of nourishment, also began to wither.
A few minutes later, the last glimmer of light went out deep within the enormous heart.
The entire space was plunged into complete darkness, with only the flashlights in Qin Yuan and Zhang Qiling's hands illuminating each other's faces.
[Main quest final stage complete: Successfully closed the 'Ultimate' system.]
[Reward Settlement: All abilities acquired by the host in this world will be permanently fixed.]
[Bonus Reward: 100,000 points.]
He finally had enough points to make a purchase in the store he had only opened once, but he wasn't in a hurry; he had something more important to ask the system.
"The system has been shut down. Will Qin Jiu be affected?" The little guy's birth and evolution are ultimately inseparable from these alien energies.
[Host, ultimate shutdown only means that the system program stops running and energy radiation ceases. It will not cause existing energy derivatives to disappear. Their basis for existence has been transformed into part of the natural energy cycle of this world.]
Analysis reveals that Qin Jiu's true nature is that of an enlightened zombie. Influenced by the Prayer Pearl cultivated by the Wang family using the resentment of the Forbidden Woman and trace amounts of meteorite copper, his energy composition has undergone multiple transformations, fundamentally different from the direct radiation energy of the 'Ultimate' level, and thus unaffected by this shutdown.
Qin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief; that was good.
[System Prompt: This system is an interstellar civilization mission platform. The system has detected high adaptability and growth potential in the host. Would you like to sign a long-term cooperation agreement to travel to different mission worlds and complete the commissions issued by various interstellar civilizations? You will receive massive amounts of points, rare resources, and technology.]
Go to other worlds? Do missions? Qin Yuan barely considered it before mentally rejecting the idea: "No, thank you. I've been struggling in this world long enough. I want to rest for a while. Maybe I'll consider it later if I get bored."
All he wants now is to catch his breath, go back to see Qin Jiu, have a drink with Fatty Wuxie and the others, and live a few peaceful days.
The system didn't seem to insist, simply responding calmly: [The agreement invitation is valid indefinitely; the host can contact you at any time through the system interface.]
Qin Yuan turned off the notification and looked at Zhang Qiling. The young man was silently staring at the completely silent giant machine, his eyes filled with complex emotions—a mixture of relief and helplessness. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, yet he also felt a sense of uncertainty about where to go.
A thousand years of waiting, the Zhang family's mission, vanished in an instant with the closing of the "ultimate" gate.
Qin Yuan thought for a moment, and while Zhang Qiling was adjusting her mood, he opened the system shop and quickly browsed through it. After searching for a while, he spent 8000 points to buy four bottles of something called "Universal Bio-Repair Fluid." The effect description was: repairs non-genetic collapse damage, optimizes bodily functions, enhances vitality, and extends healthy lifespan.
He planned to treat Hei Xiazi's eyes, though he didn't know the specific problem, but this thing should be able to fix it. Then he'd treat Zhang Qiling's numerous hidden injuries and his frequent anemia. As for the amnesia, without the influence of the ultimate energy, it shouldn't return.
Wu Xie and Fatty each received one. While it couldn't guarantee their immortality, it would at least ensure they lived to a ripe old age in good health and without illness or disaster.
As for Xie Yuchen... our friendship hasn't reached that level yet, and judging from the way Xie Dangjia looks, he doesn't seem like someone who often needs to risk his life going down into tombs. Let's talk about it later.
After purchasing the items, store them in the system space.
"Let's go," Qin Yuan said to Zhang Qiling, and took the lead towards the door.
Stepping out through the crack in the door, I stood once again on the open ground inside the mountain. The bronze door behind me was slowly closing.
Just as the two doors were about to close completely, Qin Yuan suddenly raised his hand, snatched the Ghost Seal from Zhang Qiling's hand, and threw it inside.
Clang clang...
The Ghost Seal landed on the metal floor inside the door with a crisp sound, rolled a few times, and disappeared into the darkness.
Immediately afterwards, with a loud bang, the bronze door slammed shut completely, leaving not a single crack.
From now on, this door will never need to be opened again.
The mystery of immortality in the world was severed at its source with the ultimate closure and the collapse of the meteorite.
The supercomputer upon which the Wang family relies for survival and prophecy will soon be completely paralyzed, reduced to scrap metal, having lost the radiation support of ultimate energy. Without their greatest asset, their ambitions and schemes will ultimately fail to create much of a stir.
And Zhang Qiling, and the mission of guarding the Bronze Gate that his Zhang family had carried for generations, came to a complete end at this moment.
The mountain was silent. Qin Yuan patted Zhang Qiling on the shoulder and said, "Let's go, little brother. I'll treat you to poached chicken when we get back."
Zhang Qiling remained silent for a moment, took one last look at the tightly closed bronze gate, turned around, and followed Qin Yuan back the way they had come.
His back remained straight, yet it seemed as if he had shed some invisible shackles.
The sunlight is on the other side of the crack.
The full text is over!