I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts

The unexpected bullet disrupted the rhythm once again.

The struggle on the old man’s face became increasingly evident at this moment.

The ”Wandering Shadow” just now, he recognized it!

His throat, like an old, rusty lock cylinder, struggled to make a ”huh huh huh” sound.

A few awkward syllables finally squeezed out from his throat, forming words that could be understood:

”Chen... Du... Bei!”

After these words were spoken, the rusty sensation in his throat disappeared, and his speech accelerated:

”I know him.”

”His name is Chen Dubei.”

”Pure Beauty Star, Lucky Gambler, Chen Dubei!”

Upon saying this, the cloudiness in the old man’s eyes faded completely.

Conversely, the appearance of ”Han Zhan” across from him suddenly started to become unclear.

...

”What is an anchor point, Han Zhan, have you ever pondered this question?”

Memories freeze on the riverside by the mouth of the Pot World, where Han Zhan, playing the scavenger, and Dawn Number Two alongside Big Golden Fur, walk and talk.

What is an anchor point.

This is a question worth contemplating.

”You once said that the anchor point is every event, the more witnesses of an event there are, the greater its impact, the wider its reach, the deeper its impression; the bigger the anchor point event.”

This is the answer Dawn Number Two once gave.

Big Golden Fur nodded slightly, not denying this answer.

”Have you ever thought about another thing?”

”For every event, who is the beneficiary, or rather, who profits from the anchor point event?”

”Is it Dawn?”

Originally, Han Zhan thought so.

But when Big Golden Fur initiated this inquiry, the answer seemed to become elusive.

Is it not Dawn?

Dawn carefully designed the anchor point event, gained the anchor point, and then through the anchor point obtained more advantages from the River of Eternal Darkness, such as Antique Artifact, or even summoned the Wandering Shadow.

If Dawn is not considered the biggest beneficiary, then who is?

”I didn’t discuss this with you before because, based on your perception of Dawn at that time, even if I told you, you probably wouldn’t believe it.”

Han Zhan nodded, indeed this was true.

”In fact, the biggest beneficiary of anchor point events is the protagonist of destiny, itself!”

”We design anchor point events, earn anchor points, that’s not false. But have you ever thought about what the protagonist of destiny has paid, and what has it gained?”

The protagonists of destiny are carefully selected by Dawn, and they often defy fate and achieve heights unattainable by ordinary people.

If one must say, apart from being manipulated by fate, they are indeed beneficiaries.

Unexpectedly, Big Golden Fur seemed to have guessed Han Zhan’s thoughts, he shook his head.

”It’s not as you think.”

”Our eyes should not only focus on the surface but should also see deeper things, especially after you have come here, to Pot World.”

”Haven’t you considered where the real anchor point is?”

”The real anchor point?”

”Yes, the real anchor point.” Big Golden Fur said this, turning his head, his gaze fell on Han Zhan, ”With every occurrence of an anchor point event, as the trigger, witness, and experiencer of the anchor point event, where is the real anchor point.”

”It’s inside your heart.”

The real anchor point is inside your heart.

This answer seems correct, correct, yet it seems meaningless.

What if the anchor point is in the heart, it cannot be realized, nor create value, it can only become a memory etched in the heart, with both bitter and sweet memories.

This seems somewhat like chicken ribs.

At that time, by the riverside, after finishing these talks, Big Golden Fur didn’t speak again about anchor points.

Han Zhan didn’t take it to heart either.

The scene returns to the present, inside the River of Eternal Darkness.

From somewhere, the old man found strength to struggle and escaped the hand choking his neck.

He took a step back, opening a gap with the vague figure across.

”The real anchor point.”

”Turns out, this is the meaning of the anchor point!”

His voice echoed on the boat, and across the surface of the River of Eternal Darkness.

”I remember, Water Planet, Sword Slash Jörmungandr.”

”I remember, Pure Beauty Star, life and death reverse, crumble Divine Body.”

”I remember, Yongsha Star, infinite firepower wins the sandbox game.”

”I remember, Fruit World...”

”I remember, Blue Star...”

”I remember...”

As he uttered each anchor point event, those unforgettable memory scenes, those people and things that could not be forgotten,

his speaking became faster, the sound clearer and brighter.

His voice shifted from low and hoarse to warm and steady.

His face, wrinkles disappeared, began to revert from an elderly to a truly original appearance.

”I remember, I am Han Zhan!”

When he spoke this final sentence, he was completely awakened from the state of ”causal robbery!”

Opposite, ”Han Zhan” had already become unclear, no longer resembling the old man seen initially.

That seemed to be an entity.

An entity of vague, distorted, and non-specific consciousness.

After manifesting, it suddenly leaped backward into the dark and deep River of Eternal Darkness, disappearing.

The crisis was resolved.

...

The sky of the River of Eternal Darkness,

The surging golden river began to flow backward, returning to before crashing into the River of Eternal Darkness, back to the beginning, the scene where Nuannuan opened her arms.

Nuannuan awoke from astonishment; she touched her face in surprise, discovering she was indeed alive.

”What happened?”

”Are you okay, Xiao Xue? How is Ah Zhan?”

”Did you successfully enter the River of Eternal Darkness?”

Around her, Contracted Spirit Girls eagerly gathered, asking.

”I... succeeded...” Nuannuan clearly remembered the scene in her memories, controlling the River of Time crashing into the River of Eternal Darkness.

She was supposed to disappear along with the collapse of the River of Time, but she had returned to the original position.

This made her recall a very familiar Talent Ability.

”Flowing Light and Shadow.”

”Xiao Xue, what did you say?”

”I said, I think I just saw... Queen Mother of the West...”

Along with the River of Time returning to its original position, the tear above the River of Eternal Darkness caused by the crash reverted.

At the unnoticed tear, just before its restoration, a chaotic blurred light escaped, completely liberating itself from the engulfing silence of the River of Eternal Darkness.

The blurred light swiftly flew to the bottom of the Pot World.

There, Dawn Number One seemed prepared, he extended his hand, allowing the blurred light to merge into his palm, then disappeared.

Dawn Number One removed the Black Hood he hadn’t taken off for a long time, revealing his true face.

It was an elderly face.

If Han Zhan were here, he could surely recognize, this face as that of the old man seen on the little wooden boat of the River of Eternal Darkness.

Facing the still-surging River of Eternal Darkness, he murmured to himself:

”Cosmic Will, welcome back.”