120: Chapter 120 Su Qingyue's Doubts, the Frank Part

The moment he sat up from the gaming pod, Lin Ye was dazed for a moment.

The small rented room in the real world, the city's bustle outside the window, the 387 kg figure on the punch force tester, and that faint but definitely existing warm current within his body... these memories surged like a tide, crashing against his consciousness that had just returned from the virtual world.

He raised his hand, looking at his pale but powerful palm in reality.

Three days.

Only three days had passed in reality, but earth-shattering changes had already occurred in the game—successfully Undergoing Tribulation, breaking through to the Four Extremities, unlocking divine abilities, coming into contact with the secrets of the Heavenly Dao, the victory banquet, the pursuit order, and... that conversation with Li Ruoyu that changed everything.

And in reality, he had also discovered signs of Ability Manifestation.

1%.

1% of the power of the first layer of the Four Extremities in the game was already a superhuman existence in the real world.

But this was only the beginning.

According to Li Ruoyu, the Fusion process was accelerating. The proportion of Ability Manifestation would continue to increase until the two worlds completely overlapped and game abilities fully mapped onto reality.

By then, the Ranks, skills, and equipment in the game would all become real-world strength.

And the factions, resources, and grudges in the game would also play out in reality.

“I must pick up the pace.”

Lin Ye muttered in a low voice and stepped out of the gaming pod.

He washed up briefly, changed his clothes, then sat at the computer and began to organize his thoughts.

The plans in reality needed adjustment.

Originally, he just wanted to develop low-key and accumulate slowly. But now it seemed that time might not be enough.

He needed money, resources, a safe house, and... to establish the power belonging to the “Heavenly Court” in reality as well.

But this was difficult.

In the game, he could command hundreds with a single call, seize the initiative with his foresight, and unite people's hearts with his strength and charisma.

What about in reality?

He was just an ordinary college student whose parents were both dead, with no background and no resources. The only special things he had were the memories brought by Rebirth and the faint, newly manifesting power.

“Let's start with the simplest thing first.”

Lin Ye opened his browser and began searching for information related to Chinese medicinal herbs.

Alchemy—this was the most realistic way to make money he could think of.

Although Alchemy in the game used virtual Materials, the knowledge of principles, techniques, and heat control was interconnected. If he could use real-world herbs to refine medicine with similar effects, even if the effect was only one-thousandth or one-ten-thousandth of that in the game, it would be enough to cause a sensation in the real world.

Of course, this required experimentation, a large amount of herbs, and... money.

Lin Ye looked at his bank account balance: 376,852.37 yuan.

The inheritance left by his parents plus his own savings totaled less than 380,000.

In a place like Yanjing, this amount of money couldn't even rent a decent laboratory, let alone purchase expensive herbs.

“I have to find a way to get my first pot of gold.”

Lin Ye pondered.

Go to the black market for underground boxing? Too dangerous and easy to get exposed.

Use game knowledge to trade stocks? The uncertainty was too high, and he knew nothing about finance.

Or... directly “bring” things out from the game?

As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Ye shook his head.

Impossible.

At least impossible for now.

The manifestation of game items in reality was something that would only happen in the Late Stage of Fusion. Now was just the Elementary stage of Ability Manifestation; items could not yet cross the boundary between virtual and reality.

“It seems I can only take it one step at a time.”

Lin Ye sighed and turned off the computer.

He decided to go back to school first.

On one hand, he wanted to check on Chen Hao, his brother who fought alongside him in the game, to see if he had also changed in reality; on the other hand, the school library had a large number of ancient texts related to Chinese medicine that could be consulted for free, which would be helpful for researching Alchemy.

Changing into a simple T-shirt and jeans, Lin Ye headed out.

In Yanjing in March, the spring chill was still biting.

Walking through the familiar campus, Lin Ye felt as if a lifetime had passed.

After graduating from university in his previous life, he never returned to school. Although he was still a student after his Rebirth, most of his time was spent in the game, making the campus feel very foreign.

But now, walking on the tree-lined path, watching the students coming and going, and hearing the sound of reading from the teaching buildings, he suddenly realized—this place, these ordinary students, and this mundane daily life would all cease to exist in a year (possibly shorter).

Once Fusion begins, the transcendent descends, order collapses, and places like schools will be among the first institutions to become paralyzed.

When that time comes, will they continue to attend school or struggle to survive?

The answer was self-evident.

“Lin Ye!”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Lin Ye turned around and saw Chen Hao running over from the direction of the cafeteria, carrying two packed breakfasts in his hands.

“You finally showed up, kid!” Chen Hao ran up and stuffed a breakfast into Lin Ye's hand. “Here, fresh buns and soy milk from the cafeteria. How many days has it been since you logged off? What have you been busy with in the game?”

“Handling some matters.” Lin Ye took the breakfast, and the two walked forward side by side. “What about you? Is the Chu Kingdom Sub-branch stable now?”

“Very stable!” Chen Hao took a bite of a bun and said indistinctly, “The Iron Blood Alliance and Qingyun Sect are being very polite to us now. We've opened four resource points, and the sub-branch members are nearly six hundred. It's just that the Mecha Production Line is still missing a few rare Materials; I'm having the brothers in the merchant guild help collect them.”

When talking about the game, Chen Hao's eyes were glowing.

This former game geek had found his life's value in covering the heavens era. Piloting mechas, expanding territory, managing a sub-branch... these things that were out of reach in reality, he had achieved them all in the game.

Lin Ye looked at Chen Hao, his heart stirring slightly.

He activated the Eye of Delusion—in reality, although this ability only had 1% of its in-game effect, seeing through an ordinary person was more than enough.

Under the vision of the Eye of Delusion, a faint, almost invisible golden halo emerged around Chen Hao's body.

That was... the aura of the Tyrant Body?

Although it was so weak it could be ignored, it definitely existed.

It seemed that the God King Body Chen Hao awakened in the game (which Shi Potian mistook for the Tyrant Body) had also begun to manifest in reality. It was just that the proportion was too low, so he might not even have noticed it himself.

“By the way,” Chen Hao suddenly lowered his voice, “Lin Ye, do you feel like... after playing the game for a long time, your body seems to have gotten better?”

“In what way?” Lin Ye asked nonchalantly.

“It's just... my strength is greater, my reactions are faster, and my spirit is better.” Chen Hao scratched his head. “Before, if I pulled an all-nighter gaming, I'd definitely be listless the next day. Now, after playing for several days straight, I'm still full of energy after logging off. Also, when I was moving dorms yesterday, I carried two large boxes up and down five floors by myself without even being out of breath.”

He paused, looking a bit confused: “Do you think the gaming pod has a massage effect? Or maybe they added some special ingredients to the nutrient solution?”

“Maybe.” Lin Ye was vague. “Technology is advancing, and the functions of gaming pods are becoming more and more powerful.”

He didn't want to tell Chen Hao the truth too early.

It wasn't a lack of trust, but... the time wasn't right yet.

Telling Chen Hao now that game abilities would manifest in reality and that the worlds would merge in a year would only cause him panic or make him think Lin Ye was crazy.

It wouldn't be too late to tell him when the time was ripe, when the changes were more obvious, and when he himself realized something was wrong.

“True.” Chen Hao was convinced and turned to excitedly talk about things in the game. “By the way, Lin Ye, when are you going to visit the Chu Kingdom Sub-branch? I'll give you a tour; it's very grand! Also, for chaos unit no. 1, I recently upgraded its weapon System; it can now fire the ‘Star Cannon,’ which has power comparable to a full-strength strike from the Peak of the Four Extremities...”

The two chatted all the way back to the dormitory.

The dormitory was for four people, but now only Chen Hao lived there—one of the other two roommates had gone for an internship, and the other had gone abroad for an exchange program.

Looking at the familiar bunk, desk, and game posters pasted on the wall, Lin Ye felt a bit dazed.

In his previous life, it was in this dormitory that he spent the final days of his university life. Then he graduated, worked, and played games until three years after covering the heavens era launched, when reality and the game merged and the world fell into chaos...

“What are you dazing about?” Chen Hao patted Lin Ye's shoulder. “Hurry up and eat breakfast, then log on. Shi Potian said he's organizing a large team dungeon today and needs a commander; it'll be perfect if you go.”

Lin Ye snapped out of it and shook his head: “I'm not logging on today; I'm going to the library to look up some information.”

“The library?” Chen Hao's eyes widened. “You? Going to the library? Is the sun rising from the west?”

It was no wonder Chen Hao was surprised. In both his previous and current lives, Lin Ye was a standard game geek who basically stayed in the dorm playing games except for classes and meals; he wouldn't visit a place like the library twice in a year.

“I suddenly felt like reading some books,” Lin Ye said dismissively, “about Chinese medicine.”

“Chinese medicine?” Chen Hao was even more confused. “Why are you looking at that stuff? Are you planning to switch careers and study medicine?”

“Just taking a casual look.”

Lin Ye didn't explain much and left the dormitory after finishing breakfast.

The library of Yanjing University is one of the largest university libraries in the country, with a collection of over eight million volumes. Lin Ye spent the whole day in the Chinese medicine section, flipping through dozens of ancient texts and modern research works.

The harvest was greater than expected.

Although Alchemy in the game used virtual Materials, many principles are interconnected with reality. For example, the mutual generation and restriction of medicinal properties, the formulation principles of sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy, and the precision of heat control...

Even some “rare herbs” used in the game could be substituted with similar ones in reality—of course, the effects might be worlds apart.

“If I can simplify the ‘Qi Gathering Pill’ from the game and use real-world herbs to refine a weakened version...”

Lin Ye was conceiving a plan in his mind.

The Qi Gathering Pill was the most basic cultivation pill in the game, which could accelerate the absorption of Spiritual Qi and increase cultivation speed. In reality, although there was no such thing as “Spiritual Qi,” if there was a drug that could increase cell activity, accelerate metabolism, and enhance physical fitness... wouldn't that be a real-world version of a “cultivation auxiliary medicine”?

Although the effect would certainly be far inferior to the Qi Gathering Pill in the game, as long as it had an effect, it would be enough to cause a sensation in the market.

And with money, he could do more things: buy a safe house, stockpile supplies, purchase equipment, and even... quietly assemble a real-world “Heavenly Court.”

Thinking of this possibility, Lin Ye's heartbeat quickened slightly.

But he quickly calmed down.

This was just a hypothesis. From theory to practice, from the laboratory to the market, there were still countless difficulties in between. Moreover, drug research and development required time, funding, and professional talent; it wasn't something he could handle alone.

“One step at a time.”

Lin Ye closed the book and glanced out the window.

The sky had already darkened, and the lights in the library were on.

He packed his things, left the library, and returned to his rented room.

He didn't log on immediately but first made a decision—

To also begin to Cultivate in reality.

Although there was no “Chaos Scripture” or System guidance in reality, he could imitate the cultivation method from the game.

He sat cross-legged with Five Hearts Facing the Sky, trying to sense the “warm current” inside his body.

It was very difficult at first.

The physical body in reality wasn't as “transparent” as in the game; the Meridians were blocked, the Acupoints were closed, and the so-called “Dantian” was just a vague location in the concepts of Chinese medicine.

But Lin Ye had patience.

He tried again and again, using his heart to feel and guide.

After an hour, he finally captured that faint trace of warm current.

It was very thin and weak, wandering through his body like a strand of hair. But it definitely existed, and as he guided it with his will, it began to slowly move along a certain mysterious trajectory.

With every cycle, the warm current grew a bit stronger.

Although the growth was infinitesimal, at least... it was effective.

“Is this cultivation in reality?”

Lin Ye opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.

Though slow and difficult, it was at least a viable path.

If he could also Cultivate the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body to a certain level in reality, when the Fusion fully began, his starting point would be much higher than others.

After cultivating for another hour, Lin Ye felt mentally refreshed and physically energetic, so he finally lay down in the gaming pod and chose to log on.

His consciousness sank, passed through the flood of data, and descended once again into covering the heavens era.

Opening his eyes, he was in the room on the third floor of the Chaos Valley main hall.

It was early morning outside, and sunlight spilled through the window lattices, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

Lin Ye stood up and stretched his body.

The body in the game was completely different from the one in reality—blood and Qi were abundant, Divine Power was surging, and his limbs were connected to heaven and earth; every movement could trigger fluctuations in the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

This was the state that the Four Extremities Realm should have.

But Lin Ye could feel that deep within his game body, there seemed to be a bit more... sense of reality.

It wasn't the virtual feeling composed of data, but a more essential illusion, as if this body had been “real” all along.

“Is it an influence brought by Ability Manifestation?”

Lin Ye was thoughtful.

He pushed open the door and walked down the stairs.

In the main hall, Su Qingyue was sitting in a chair by the window, holding a volume of an ancient text and reading quietly. The morning light fell on her profile, and her ice-blue long hair shimmered with a crystalline luster under the light; she looked like a piece of art carved from ice and snow, cold and perfect.

Hearing the footsteps, she looked up, her ice-blue eyes turning toward Lin Ye.

“You're awake.”

Her voice was cold, but it carried a hint of concern that was hard to detect.

“Yeah.” Lin Ye walked over and sat opposite her. “What are you reading?”

“An ancient text about the Dragon Burial Mountain Range.” Su Qingyue pushed the book over. “Qin Ruoxue sent it; it records some rumors about the Dragon Bone Abyss.”

Lin Ye took the ancient text and flipped through it quickly.

The book was a handwritten copy with archaic calligraphy and used ancient characters, but reading it was no obstacle for Lin Ye. It indeed recorded some information about the Dragon Burial Mountain Range and the Dragon Bone Abyss; although most were legends and conjectures, there were also some valuable contents.

For example, the description of the “Dragon Grudge Miasma”—a poisonous mist formed by the resentment of true dragons after death, which could erode flesh and corrupt the Soul. If a Four Extremities Realm Cultivator had no special protection, they wouldn't last an hour in it.

Another example was “Space Distortion”—the space inside the Dragon Bone Abyss was extremely unstable, and there might be multiple overlapping spatial layers; one could easily get lost if not careful.

There were also “Dragon-Blood Yao Beasts”—Yao Beasts that had mutated from dragon blood erosion; their strength far exceeded those of the same Rank, and they usually moved in packs, unafraid of death.

“It seems the Dragon Bone Abyss is more dangerous than imagined.” Lin Ye closed the book, his brow slightly furrowed.

"We need to plan this carefully," Su Qingyue said. "Qin Ruoxue is gathering more intelligence, Zhao Wuji is preparing supplies and equipment, and Shi Potian is selecting team members. The earliest we can set out is in half a month."

Lin Ye nodded.

Half a month was enough time for him to make many preparations.

"By the way," Su Qingyue suddenly set down her teacup, her icy blue eyes looking directly at Lin Ye, "there's something I want to ask you."

Her gaze was very serious, carrying a sense of scrutiny.

Lin Ye's heart stirred. "What is it?"

"About you."

Su Qingyue's voice was calm, but every word was clear and powerful:

"From the first clear of the Bronze Ancient Palace, to the establishment of Chaos Valley, to the exploration of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, to the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation... every step you take is as if you already knew what would happen."

"You knew about the hidden mechanisms in the Bronze Ancient Palace, you knew about the Time Secret Realm in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, you knew how to negotiate with the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon, and you knew the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation would have nine layers..."

"You even know which people are worth trusting, which people need to be guarded against, which places have treasures, and which places have danger."

"All of this is just too... precise."

Su Qingyue paused, the light of wisdom flickering in her icy blue eyes:

"It's as if you have a pair of eyes that can see through the future."

A brief silence fell over the main hall.

The sounds of players' morning exercises drifted in from outside—the clashing of weapons and the whistling of Spells—but at this moment, they seemed to be separated by a layer of glass, becoming distant and blurred.

Lin Ye looked at Su Qingyue, his heart churning with waves of emotion.

He had known this day would come.

Su Qingyue was too smart, too sharp, and her observation skills were too strong. His "precognitive" performance could fool others, but not her.

He just hadn't expected her to ask so directly.

"If I said that I indeed can see some fragments of the future, would you believe me?"

Lin Ye spoke slowly, his voice calm.

He wasn't lying; he just wasn't telling the whole truth.

Rebirth was too fantastic. Even if he said it, Su Qingyue might not believe it, and it might instead lead to more questions.

"Precognition?" Su Qingyue didn't show surprise, only raising an eyebrow slightly. "Something like the Heavenly Secret Technique? Or some kind of special Physique?"

"You could call it... a special talent," Lin Ye said, weighing his words. "It's not seeing the future in its entirety, just occasional flashes of images and fragments. Sometimes they're clear, sometimes blurry. Moreover, the future I see can be changed. Much of what I do is to change the futures I don't want."

A mix of truth and lies was always the easiest way to gain someone's trust.

Su Qingyue was silent for a moment, seemingly digesting this information.

Then, she asked a crucial question:

"In the future you see... am I there?"

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

He looked up, meeting Su Qingyue's icy blue, crystal-clear eyes.

In those eyes, there was no suspicion or interrogation, only a calm composure, as if she were already prepared to accept any answer.

"Yes."

Lin Ye's voice was soft but firm.

"I saw you standing in the center of a frozen Chaos Valley, activating a forbidden technique at the cost of your life to freeze all the enemies."

"I saw you facing enemies hundreds of times your number alone to protect your companions, eventually dissipating into a sky full of ice crystals."

"I saw you..."

He paused and did not continue.

Those memories of his past life, those tragic scenes, those endings he was striving with all his might to change... they surged in his mind now, causing his voice to carry a trace of imperceptible trembling.

Su Qingyue looked at him quietly.

After a long while, she asked softly:

"Those futures... have they changed?"

"They've changed." Lin Ye nodded, his voice regaining its firmness. "At least for now, you're still here, Chaos Valley is still here, and everyone is still here."

"Then what about the future me?" Su Qingyue followed up. "In those fragments you saw, what happened to me in the end?"

This question made Lin Ye fall silent for even longer.

In his past life, what was Su Qingyue's final end?

He searched through his memories.

But it was blurry.

In his past life, although he and Su Qingyue knew each other, they didn't have much interaction. He only knew she was the possessor of the Vast Cold Spirit Body and one of the top ice mages in the game. Later, she joined a major power, and then... did she fall in a large-scale dungeon?

Or did she die in the server-wide Dark Turmoil?

He couldn't remember clearly.

In his past life, he was just an ordinary player with a limited scope of focus. Most of his information about top experts came from snippets on the forums, and their authenticity couldn't be guaranteed.

"I don't know."

Ultimately, Lin Ye answered truthfully:

"My precognition is very fragmented; the images I see are just snippets. Regarding your future, I've only seen some battle scenes, but I haven't seen the end."

"But I can guarantee—"

He looked up at Su Qingyue, his eyes flashing with an unquestionable determination:

"In this life, as long as I am alive, I will not let you reach that kind of desperate situation."

"I will become strong, strong enough to protect everyone I want to protect. I will change the future and change those endings I don't want."

"And you, Su Qingyue, are one of the people I want to protect."

These words were very blunt, even somewhat... explicit.

But Lin Ye did not shy away.

Reborn into this life, he didn't want to leave any more regrets. Everything he lost in his past life, he would protect in this one. Everything he missed in his past life, he would seize in this one.

Su Qingyue was the earliest partner he had met after his Rebirth, the person who had trusted and followed him since he was insignificant. In his heart, she had long since become more than just a teammate in a game or an Elder in an organization.

She was... an important person.

Su Qingyue did not respond immediately.

She lowered her head, her long icy blue hair falling and obscuring her profile, making it impossible to see her expression.

The main hall was very quiet, with only the faint sound of morning exercises coming from outside the window.

After a long while, she looked up again.

In those icy blue eyes, there was something different.

It wasn't touched emotion or shyness, but a kind of... deeper resolve, as if she had made some important decision.

"I believe you."

Su Qingyue's voice was soft but very clear:

"Since the Bronze Ancient Palace, I've believed in you. Although I didn't know the reason, my intuition told me that following you was right."

"Now I know the reason—you have eyes that can see through the future, and you're trying to change those bad endings."

She stood up, walked to the window, and turned her back to Lin Ye, looking out at Chaos Valley in the morning light.

"Lin Ye, I don't need your protection."

Su Qingyue's voice came from the window, cold yet carrying an unquestionable strength:

"The Vast Cold Spirit Body is not a flower in a greenhouse, nor is it porcelain that needs to be pampered. I have my own Dao, my own path, and things I want to protect."

"But—"

She turned around, her icy blue eyes looking straight at Lin Ye:

"I can fight side-by-side with you."

"In those futures you saw, where I faced enemies alone and used a forbidden technique at the cost of my life... that was because I had no companions I could trust or comrades I could entrust my back to."

"But in this life, it's different."

"With you here, and with Shi Potian, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ruoxue, Chen Hao, and the entire Heavenly Court here..."

"I don't need to face everything alone."

Su Qingyue walked back to the table and sat down again. She reached out her hand, palm upward, and a speck of icy blue light condensed in her palm, transforming into a crystal-clear ice lotus.

The ice lotus rotated slowly, emitting a piercing chill, but that chill was not harmful; instead, it had a pure, cold, and noble beauty.

"This is my Dao."

Su Qingyue looked at the ice lotus in her palm, her voice calm and firm:

"Extreme cold, but not heartless. Icy, but not indifferent."

"I can freeze all things, and I can also protect everything I want to protect."

She put away the ice lotus and looked at Lin Ye, her icy blue eyes shining with a sincere light:

"Lin Ye, from today on, my sword, my Spells, and my Dao... will advance and retreat with you."

"No matter what kind of future you want to change, no matter what kind of enemies you have to face, no matter how dangerous the road ahead is..."

"I will stand by your side."

The moment her words fell, Lin Ye heard a System prompt:

[Su Qingyue's Favorability toward you has increased: Intimate → Trust]

[Current Favorability: Trust (85/100)]

[Special Relationship Unlocked: Dao Companion Candidate (When Favorability reaches 100 and related tasks are completed, you can officially become Dao Companions)]

[Due to Su Qingyue's complete trust in you, the Vast Cold Spirit Body and the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body have produced a faint resonance. When both parties Cultivate or fight together, Cultivation speed +10% and skill effects +5%.]

Trust.

Dao Companion Candidate.

Resonance bonus.

The string of System prompts left Lin Ye somewhat surprised, but more than that, he felt a sense of... warmth.

In his past life, he was alone; in this life, he finally had a companion he could trust completely.

"Thank you."

Lin Ye's voice was a bit low, but full of sincerity.

Su Qingyue shook her head. "No need for thanks. This was my own choice."

She paused, suddenly remembering something, her brow furrowing slightly:

"Right, there's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Lately... my body in reality seems to have undergone some changes."

Su Qingyue's voice carried a hint of confusion:

"I always feel very cold, not the kind of cold from the weather, but a chill emanating from inside my body. Moreover, sometimes when I'm emotional, the surrounding temperature suddenly drops, water in my cup freezes, and frost forms on the windows..."

She looked at Lin Ye, her icy blue eyes flickering with an inquiring light:

"Does this have anything to do with the 'precognition' you mentioned? Or is it... some kind of side effect from playing the game for too long?"

Lin Ye's heart jolted.

It was happening.

Su Qingyue was also showing signs of her abilities manifesting!

And based on the description, it was the reflection of the Vast Cold Spirit Body in reality—lowered body temperature, emotions affecting the ambient temperature, and even being able to freeze water!

Although it was still in the Elementary stages, it was already very obvious.

"This might... not be a side effect."

Lin Ye weighed his options and decided to reveal part of the truth:

"My precognition tells me that in a year, the game and reality will undergo a kind of... intersection. Abilities in the game will gradually manifest in reality."

"The chill you're feeling now is very likely the manifestation of the Vast Cold Spirit Body in reality."

He didn't use the word 'Fusion' or 'world upheaval,' instead using the relatively milder term 'intersection.'

But Su Qingyue understood.

Her expression became serious:

"You mean... the supernatural powers from the game will appear in reality?"

"Yes." Lin Ye nodded. "Not right now, but it will start at some point in the future. Right now, these are just faint precursors."

Su Qingyue fell silent.

The impact of this news was even greater than the 'precognition.'

Game abilities manifesting in reality... what did that mean?

It meant the order of the real world would be overturned, the rules of power would be reshuffled, and everything in the game would be re-enacted in reality.

And she, as a top player in the game and the possessor of the Vast Cold Spirit Body, would also possess supernatural power in reality.

"Who else knows about this?" Su Qingyue asked.

"For now, only you," Lin Ye said. "I haven't told the others, including Shi Potian and Chen Hao. Because the timing isn't ripe yet; knowing too early might cause unnecessary panic."

"I understand." Su Qingyue nodded. "I'll keep it a secret."

She paused and asked again:

"Then what... preparations do we need to make?"

"Get stronger." Lin Ye's answer was simple. "The stronger you become in the game, the stronger the abilities that manifest in reality will be. This is the most fundamental preparation."

"Additionally, we need to start making arrangements in reality. Money, resources, safe places, trustworthy people... all of these need to be prepared in advance."

Su Qingyue nodded thoughtfully.

She was a smart person and understood immediately.

Game abilities manifesting in reality wasn't just a change in individual strength; it was a drastic change in the entire social structure. Whoever was better prepared would be able to seize the initiative in the upheaval.

"My family... has some resources," Su Qingyue said slowly. "Although I don't really want to use them, if it's to deal with future changes, perhaps I could..."

She didn't finish, but Lin Ye understood.

He had never been clear about Su Qingyue's identity in reality. But from her speech, temperament, and the insight and ability she showed in the game, she definitely didn't come from an ordinary family.

"Don't rush," Lin Ye said. "It's still in the Elementary stages, and the changes are very slow. We have time and can prepare slowly."

"Mm."

Su Qingyue responded, then looked at Lin Ye, a complex light flashing in her icy blue eyes:

"Lin Ye, the burden you carry... is even heavier than I imagined."

Foreseeing the future, changing destiny, dealing with the upheaval...

Any one of these was a burden beyond the imagination of ordinary people. And Lin Ye was carrying them all alone.

"It's alright." Lin Ye smiled. "With you all here, it doesn't feel so heavy anymore."

These were heartfelt words.

In his past life, he was alone and struggled at every step. In this life, there was Su Qingyue, Shi Potian, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ruoxue, Chen Hao, and the entire Heavenly Court...

He wasn't fighting alone.

"I will help you."

Su Qingyue's voice was soft but firm:

"No matter what you want to do, no matter how hard the road ahead is."

"We'll do it together."

The morning light shone through the window, spilling onto the two of them and casting long shadows that eventually merged together.

At this moment, a bond closer than allies, deeper than companions, and more intimate than comrades was quietly established.

And in Chaos Valley outside the window, a new day had just begun.