178: The heartbreaking truth behind the orphans of Xinghai?

The surrounding kaleidoscope of light and shadow gradually receded, transforming into a deep, tranquil starry sky.

Lu Yuan felt his consciousness floating in the center of this starry sky.

Immediately after, a voice echoed softly from the depths of his sea of consciousness.

The voice was majestic, ethereal, and carried a hint of excitement and weariness.

Initially, it was an ancient language he had never heard before, with complex and awkward syllables. Lu Yuan couldn't understand a single word, yet he strangely perceived the sense of loneliness it contained.

After just a few breaths, the ancient language began to change.

The syllables became fluid, gradually transforming into the common language of the Card Continent that he was familiar with.

However, before Lu Yuan could recover from this miraculous language transformation,

Something even more terrifying happened!

The voice, which had already transformed into the common language of the Card Continent, did not stop changing!

It was still adjusting!

This time, it seemed to be targeting the most primitive and fundamental memories deep within Lu Yuan's soul!

After a few breaths,

An incredibly pure, perfectly articulated — Earth Chinese — clearly resonated within Lu Yuan's sea of consciousness!

"Hello."

The voice said calmly, with a feminine softness.

"Lu Yuan."

Lu Yuan was completely stunned, his consciousness sharply pulling away from the grand historical elegy.

He subconsciously blurted out, "Little Red? Is that you? You can talk now? And so fluently?"

The majestic female voice, after a brief silence, slowly responded:

"I am not the wisp of new soul you know."

"It was very fortunate; on the verge of dissipation, it received the protection and nourishment of the crown's Source Power, reshaping its spiritual body."

"Currently, it is sleeping within the core of the crown, accompanying me. Once it has fully integrated that power, it will awaken."

"For it, this is a tremendous opportunity."

"If it can completely integrate this wisp of primordial flame heart crown, its future achievements will be immeasurable."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan's heart first relaxed; it was good that Little Red was fine.

Then it tightened again. If it wasn't Little Red, then who was it?

"You are..."

"You can call me... 'Flame,'" the female voice slowly said. "I am this crown; over the long years, it has carried too many memories and powers of civilizations. By chance, a wisp of residual conscious imprint was born."

"the crown chose you as its new bearer and established a preliminary spiritual link with you. Therefore, I can read some of your superficial memories and communicate with you in the language you are most familiar with."

A storm raged in Lu Yuan's heart.

the crown's conscious imprint? And it could read his memories?

The origin of this flame heart crown was far more terrifying than he had imagined!

He composed himself and asked, "The 'Hello, Lu Yuan' you just said, was it... in Chinese?"

The female voice hummed, with a hint of approval: "Your perception is very keen. Yes, I captured this language from your superficial memories; it seems to hold special significance for you."

Lu Yuan fell silent.

More than special significance, it was his root!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and tentatively asked, "Since you can read my memories, you should know my origin?"

'Flame's voice carried a mysterious ethereal quality: "I can perceive some fragments. You come from a distant place, having experienced hardships and fortuitous encounters unimaginable to ordinary people. Your soul does not seem to belong entirely to this world."

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, "You seem... to know me very well?"

"Did we... know each other before? Or rather, do you recognize me?"

'Flame's voice pondered for a moment.

"Strictly speaking, no."

"My primary consciousness dissipated with the destruction of my home civilization. What I am now is more like an activated 'record,' carrying the crown's mission and memories."

"But..." the female voice changed tone, "from the depths of your soul, and from your fragmented memories, I sensed a very familiar aura."

"You, and my homeland, were once... very, very close."

"So close... it felt within reach."

"Yet so distant... separated by the distance of life and death, and countless cycles of reincarnation."

"Very, very close?" Lu Yuan chewed on these words, his heart rate involuntarily accelerating.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Could it be some secret realm in Canglan Province? Or some ruins near Jiangcheng Base City?

After all, after he transmigrated, his activity range was mainly in this vicinity.

"The homeland you mentioned, is it in Canglan Province? Or... Jiangcheng?" Lu Yuan pressed.

"No."

'Flame' decisively denied his guess.

"Closer than that, and also... more distant."

Lu Yuan frowned, closer yet more distant? What did that mean?

Was it some special concept of space?

What kind of riddle game was this!

"It is... on the other side of the starry sky," the female voice said softly, with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia.

Lu Yuan's heart sank sharply.

The other side of the starry sky... this phrase gave him a bad premonition.

He held his breath, waiting for the other party's next words.

The entire consciousness space fell silent, with only the endless light and shadow slowly flowing.

'Flame' also seemed to be organizing her words, or rather, confirming something.

After a long while, she spoke again, every word, clear as day, directly striking the deepest part of Lu Yuan's soul:

"It is on..."

"Earth."

"Boom—!!!"

Lu Yuan's brain felt as if it had been struck by billions of thunderbolts simultaneously!

Instantly, it went blank!

His body, no, his consciousness body, trembled violently at this moment!

He was a consciousness body; his reaction could not be hidden at all!

Earth!

She actually said Earth!

How was that possible?!

"You... which Earth are you talking about?!"

Flame was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating how to explain.

Finally—

"The planet you yearn for, that possesses blue oceans and vast lands, and nurtured your unique soul."

"Its coordinates in the cosmic star map might have slight discrepancies due to the passage of time and different observational angles."

"But in the most fundamental dimension, in records spanning countless civilizations and time-spaces..."

"It has only one name."

"Earth."

...