Chapter 61: The Approaching Danger

In 1926, in the ordinary town of Xinxian, the morning was unremarkable. No high-tech inventions had yet appeared; only coal-burning giant steamships could cross the oceans and bring guests from Europe.

Amidst the crowd queued to disembark, a man and a woman stood out distinctly from the rest. The man was somewhat less conspicuous, dressed in a white shirt and possessing a handsome appearance.

The woman's situation was less fortunate. She wore a suit several sizes too large, draped awkwardly over her shoulders, and underneath it, pajamas adorned with cute patterns.

Clutched in her arms was an egg-shaped pillow. Her trembling made it clear she had not yet decided how to face all this.

Soon, the line reached Xinxian Customs, where a seemingly ordinary customs officer stopped them.

The man showed his papers. The officer glanced at them, then looked back at the woman following him. “Mr. Booth, the young lady with you, Miss Yu, doesn’t seem to be in the best state.”

Indeed, these two were Booth, incarnation number one of Ou Xiaolu, and the girl he had saved, Yu.

At this moment, they had entered the world called “Broken Scepter.” To ensure Booth’s safety, Ou Xiaolu had also sent in some rarely used items. The egg-shaped pillow in Yu’s arms was a character projection from Ou Xiaolu: “Sun Coral Egg.”

Compared to miniature worlds, these larger worlds demanded greater responsibility. Large worlds already had humans living within, with fully formed societies, so the projections and incarnations entering would immediately be given new identities.

Booth and Yu’s names had not changed, but their identities had become those of wealthy heirs fleeing from Britain.

When the customs officer inquired, Booth replied helplessly, “You know about eloping? We escaped.”

The officer, hearing this, looked once more at Booth and Yu and nodded confidently. “Welcome to the beacon of freedom. Believe me, here you are safe.”

“Thank you.” Booth retrieved the documents, took Yu’s hand, and walked out of customs.

Once they reached a safe spot, Yu looked around nervously. “Is this the plan you mentioned?”

“Yes. Now, people from Future Technology can’t catch you. That door we used changed not only our location but also the time. We’re in Xinxian a hundred years ago—they won’t be able to follow us here.”

“No, they will follow us,” Yu said with certainty. “We can’t escape.”

“Why?” Booth asked, puzzled.

“That man has mastered the power of time. He sees everything in the future. Everyone in that building was found by him, one by one, without exception.

Whenever he found someone, he would always speak with them alone, assign them a rank according to their future, and even tell them what nickname they might earn.”

“Did you get one?” Booth couldn’t help but ask, seeing Yu’s anxiety.

“Yes, ‘Phoenix Girl.’ He told me that as long as I died once, I would erupt, like a phoenix reborn. But I don’t want to die. I really don’t want to die.”

As Yu spoke, tears began to fall, and Booth had to comfort her.

Only once Yu stopped crying did Booth ask, “Do you know if he has a list?”

Yu shook her head.

“Do you know that he divides people with futures into three groups?” Booth continued.

Yu paused, then said, “I think I’ve heard something like that. He mentioned it to the Four Heavenly Kings. He said people from the future are split into three types: one group are like them, comrades who can fight side by side; one group are enemies who must be eliminated before they grow strong.

And the third group—oh, yes, I remember now—are those who possess unique powers.”

“Unique powers?”

“Yes, he said he wouldn’t let such powers slip away. He must keep all power in his own hands.”

Booth’s eyes flashed; something seemed to dawn on him. But now was not the time for contemplation—he had to consider what to do next in this world. He couldn’t simply arrive and do nothing, wasting the opportunity to open a new world.

Meanwhile, in the car returning to Shixi Campus, Ou Xiaolu and Aro, who were half-dozing, had finished watching a short film through the world interface.

“Ou Xiaolu the Saint Hand and Xu Rulin the Demon Hand, hmm?” Ou Xiaolu snorted. “So that’s why he took my left hand. As for mastering the power of time? Impossible. He’s either reincarnated or came straight from the future.

That yellow list of his is the most important—it defines his growth limit.”

“You mean he took your hand to graft it onto himself?” Aro understood Ou Xiaolu’s meaning.

“Not the whole hand, probably just a bone,” Ou Xiaolu sighed. “Don’t ask how I know. These days, with the things you’ve been cultivating, I’ve sensed something—I have only one bone left in my left hand.”

“Well, it seems you’ll be facing a formidable enemy in your future,” Aro remarked.

“That only makes things more interesting, doesn’t it?” Ou Xiaolu’s gaze grew ever more resolute. “I was feeling smug about my recent progress, but now I see I’m nowhere near my enemy. I can’t afford to delay any longer. I must grow stronger. When we return, we’ll farm the altar—keep a hundred coins as backup, and go after that eight-hundred eighty-eight.

At the very least, I need to open a large world for you, and send some people to help Booth.”

“Go ahead and arrange help for Booth. I feel things will get less safe around you. No matter what happens, you must keep an incarnation close by.”

“What, even a tiger like you is learning to think like a human?”

“It’s not human thinking—it’s a cultivator’s intuition. In your terms, I’m standing at the threshold of martial mastery. If my heart senses something, something will happen. You’re becoming less safe these days.”

“And so what if it’s unsafe? I barely survived a car crash when I landed here—I’ve taken every step myself,” Ou Xiaolu said grimly.

“But your strength is still lacking. Even with the abilities of two incarnations, you’re not strong enough. You haven’t found your fundamental essence yet—or rather, you haven’t discovered the real reason you’ll be called ‘Saint Hand’ in the future. I doubt it’s because of your left arm—it must be something else.”

Listening to Aro, Ou Xiaolu looked at his left arm and fell silent.