Central State First High School.
As the Twisted Time Domain ended, the students returned to the school plaza.
At this moment, everyone looked as if they had pulled several consecutive all-nighters, their faces haggard and worn.
This was indeed the truth. No one would waste the precious resource of unlimited time on rest. Almost everyone endured as long as they could. Only when they truly could not hold on anymore would they choose to nap for a short while.
Students like Jiang He, Du Lingwei, and Yunyang had not slept for nearly a month.
So long without sleep, combined with relentless cultivation, even with a Transcendent physique, they were already close to their limit.
After returning to school, Jiang He did not stay for even a moment. Like a lightning bolt, he sprinted all the way home, then with a swoosh flung himself onto his bed.
He even forgot to give himself a sleep BUFF and directly collapsed into slumber.
When he woke again, the sky was already completely dark.
Jiang He reached into his bag for his phone, reconnected to the network, and glanced at the time.
May 31st, Thursday, 22:18.
He had slept for around twelve hours…
Actually, that was still reasonable.
His stomach rumbling, Jiang He did not want to eat the leftover food in his bag, so he pulled out his phone and ordered a fried chicken delivery.
After ordering, he put down the phone, lay flat on his back, and stared at the pitch-black ceiling, briefly dazed—
What should he do next?
Cultivation?
He had already cultivated for nearly a month within the Twisted Time Domain.
Even an iron man would feel a trace of weariness after grinding so relentlessly for so long.
Let alone a high schooler like Jiang He.
Right now, he felt as though he had just come out of the gaokao sprinting state, not wanting to touch any studies at all, only wanting to sprawl on the bed and enjoy a vacation.
But if he just lay around, a strange sense of guilt would rise, as if his body urged him to at least do something.
Yet Jiang He had no idea what to do…
Just then, the phone rang.
The delivery had arrived.
Jiang He went to the door to pick it up. When he returned to the living room, he saw Old Jiang sitting in front of the TV playing video games.
He sat down beside Old Jiang, eating while watching him play, occasionally feeding him two pieces of fried chicken.
The agitation in his mood gradually eased.
When he finished eating, Jiang He wiped his mouth and said, "Old Jiang, you're going back tomorrow."
"Mm." Old Jiang nodded with a smile.
For him, having the chance to return to the past was a rare moment of relaxation and enjoyment.
Even if it was only for a brief week.
At that moment, Jiang He said, "You're the future me. It's not easy for you to come here once."
"Before White Crane returned, I gave him a day of free activity."
"For you, is there anywhere you want to go, anything you want to do?"
"I happen to be free, I can go with you."
"You can treat it as… you being 'Jiang He,' and me being the 'Heroic Spirit.'"
"You get to decide."
Role reversal, free activity?
Old Jiang looked at Jiang He in surprise, not expecting him to grant a "Heroic Spirit" such authority.
But then again…
This was indeed "himself."
"Alright then, I won't be polite." Old Jiang grinned, paused for a moment, then said, "Let's go traveling."
"Traveling?" Jiang He was a little surprised.
"Yes, just a day trip." Old Jiang smiled. "Since it's so rare for me to return to the past, I want to see this world."
"This flourishing, prosperous, peaceful world established and ruled by the Council."
"..."
So that was Old Jiang's wish?
What modern people considered an ordinary daily peace—
Was exactly the sight the Savior of a century later longed for?
Jiang He went slightly absentminded, then nodded. "Alright."
…
In the eyes of peak Transcendents, Blue Star was far too small.
They did not even need a full day to traverse every corner of the world.
And yet, it was precisely this small planet that Old Jiang treasured as his homeland.
In just one short day.
He and Jiang He walked through ancient cities, standing on weathered walls not yet trampled by exotic beasts, gazing at the heavy night and the still-bright lights within.
They visited ancient civilization museums, viewing bronzeware embodying the weight of human heritage.
They soared over blade-like gorges, watching countless tourists sit in boats, drifting through winding rivers, admiring grand mountains and rivers.
As it turned out, high-level Transcendents and genius Transcendents were, after all, only a minority.
In modern society, the majority of people were still low-level Transcendents—or even ordinary folk born before the new millennium, who had never awakened.
They had no contact with the "apocalypse," nor did they understand the "abyss."
In their eyes, even an "exotic beast riot" was simply an accident, not a harbinger of crumbling order and peace.
Peace was still the main theme everywhere, with scenes of song and dance in every direction.
This gave Jiang He, who always lived under the pressure of knowing about future calamities and the apocalypse, a strange sense of disconnection.
As if he and others were not even living in the same world…
Yet it was precisely this atmosphere that allowed Jiang He's taut spirit to relax a little, easing the weight on his shoulders.
Noticing the change in Jiang He—
Old Jiang's smile grew even warmer.
Jiang He pushed himself too hard.
He wanted nothing more than to become X-rank in the next week, to annihilate countless disasters, to save endless futures…
But he was, in truth, still just an eighteen-year-old boy.
Pressure could indeed make him grow faster, but it could also drive him to extremes.
Right now, he lacked no pressure.
What he lacked was relaxation.
"Take it slowly."
"The one thing you are not lacking… is time."
…
June 1st, Friday, 19:40.
Jiang He returned home, clearly more at ease.
With a smile resembling Old Jiang's, he excitedly said, "I didn't expect Yunyang and the others' Jiang City to be built on mountains, it's so different from our side!"
"And Da Ze City, the lake surface was as vast as an ocean…"
Jiang He was like…
No—he was exactly like a child going on his first trip with his parents, finding everything new and exciting.
Even now, his excitement had not subsided, and he still wanted to visit other continents with Old Jiang.
Unfortunately, Old Jiang was about to return.
He had no choice but to give up the thought and go back to Central State City with Old Jiang.
Seeing Jiang He reluctant to part—
Old Jiang smiled. "It's fine. When your talent cooldown ends, you can summon me again… then we'll go explore other places."
"It's a deal!"
Jiang He nodded eagerly.
He could even call White Crane along.
As a foodie, there was no way he would miss the chance to taste cuisines all over the world.
Old Jiang looked up at the time, still smiling.
"Alright, it's time."
"See you next time."
Before his voice faded, the stubbled middle-aged man wearing a red scarf shattered into countless motes of light.
In Jiang He's consciousness, the golden card representing Old Jiang dimmed at that moment.
Friday, 19:50.
Talent refreshed, Heroic Spirit returned.
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