East Asia, Chancheng.
This was one of the most famous "hometowns of martial arts" in all of Shenzhou.
In the past, martial arts schools had stood everywhere in Chancheng. Young adults could often be seen following their masters, practicing martial arts and boxing.
The thud of stance drills and sharp training cries had once filled the streets without end.
But now, with the changing times and the advance of technology, studying martial arts had long since stopped being a bright road toward a promising future.
Worse, certain frauds with bad intentions had learned poorly themselves, yet still used martial arts as a front to cheat and swindle others, ruining the atmosphere around it.
As time passed, more and more people came to see martial arts as fake and stopped trusting it.
Mockery and teasing became far more common than praise and appreciation.
The legacy handed down by the ancestors had declined just like that, and quickly.
Of course, where some people left, others stayed.
Today…
"Let's begin today's practice. Start with a one-kilometer jog."
Chancheng, North District, on a certain street.
In the early morning, a young gray-haired girl left home by herself and began her usual morning run.
As she moved…
"Morning, Little Hua. Going to your new school today, so you finally changed into new clothes? Not wearing the martial arts school outfit anymore?"
By the roadside, an old man who had also gotten up early for a walk smiled and greeted the gray-haired girl.
He had moved here from northern Shenzhou many years ago, and his speech still carried a bit of his old hometown accent.
The two sides were neighbors. They saw each other often, so they were clearly familiar.
"Good morning, Uncle Ji."
The gray-haired girl called "Little Hua" replied somewhat stiffly. "After practice today, I have to go to the hospital. Then I still have to catch a plane, so there won't be enough time. I won't have time to change."
Hearing that…
"Aiyo, that rushed? Then go, go. Don't delay yourself."
"I understand, Uncle Ji."
After that short conversation, the gray-haired girl continued jogging forward.
Along the way, she ran into quite a few neighbors who took the initiative to talk to her.
There were young people a little older than her, a woman who ran a breakfast shop, and Brother Sa, a man with a strong sense of loyalty.
Brother Sa told A-Hua that while she was away at school for the next half year, he would help look after her father.
Many years ago, when he had fallen on hard times, A-Hua's father had shown him some kindness.
Now he counted this as paying that kindness back.
In short…
"You just study with peace of mind. With me here, there's no way I'll let Uncle go hungry."
"Thank you, Brother Sa."
The gray-haired girl answered politely.
After that, she went to the park she often visited and practiced boxing for a while.
Although time was tight, she still did not go through the motions.
At the end…
"Haah. My execution still isn't perfect enough."
After drawing back her stance, the gray-haired girl sighed like this.
But she did not stay discouraged for long.
"It's time to go to the hospital and visit Dad."
At the same time, elsewhere…
Inside an alley the gray-haired girl had passed not long ago.
"Buzz."
White light flashed.
A lithe figure came tumbling out of empty air.
"!"
In midair, she realized her landing posture would be terrible. There was a very high chance she would hit the ground headfirst.
So…
"Bang!"
She hurriedly struck the ground hard with one palm and used the impact to rebound upward.
This time, she used the chance to adjust her posture and landed steadily on one knee.
"This place is…"
"Clap. Clap. Clap."
Behind her, loud applause sounded.
It was obvious the clapping was deliberately meant to draw her attention.
The gray-haired girl (?)…
Fu Hua, dressed in the Valkyrie battlesuit Shadow Knight, turned sharply and looked toward the source of the sound with extreme vigilance.
She had already taken the starting stance of the Cunxin Fist. At any moment, she could launch a swift and continuous assault.
She was confident that she could instantly subdue the vast majority of enemies.
However, when she saw the face of the person who had come…
"You!"
Shock appeared on Fu Hua's face.
It was a black-haired young man in casual clothes.
"Chiyuan Immortal, long time no see."
He, Ling Ke, wore a leisurely smile and spoke as if entirely at his own pace. "Of course, by your subjective sense of time, we were probably still locked in battle not long ago."
"Unfortunately, I won that 'war.'"
He spread his hands.
"This is the result."
"…"
Fu Hua frowned tightly.
Indeed, just as Ling Ke had said, from her perspective, not long ago she had still been in the Sahara Desert of North Africa, trying to break into World Serpent's headquarters and stop Ling Ke from destroying the world, the Current Era.
But also as he had said, she…
They had already failed.
Now, time had already been reversed to more than fifty thousand years ago.
The Previous Era that had originally perished, the era she had lived in, had gained a "second chance."
In other words:
"That's right."
Ling Ke seemed to see through what Fu Hua was thinking and continued with a smile. "There is no real grudge between you and me."
"Strictly speaking, you were also one of Otto's deniable agents, but… since there is no direct hatred between us, I don't mind giving you a chance."
He gestured with his right hand, indicating for Fu Hua to pay attention to their surroundings.
"Do you remember what place this is?"
"Hm?"
Fu Hua's brows remained tightly furrowed.
At first, she could not react immediately.
But just then…
"Wait, wait, wait, wait… Old Timer, Old Timer!"
Inside her mind, another voice that was both familiar and not quite familiar rang out.
"This is my… uh, this is your hometown!"
"Chancheng! North District! Martial Arts Street!"
That voice…
The Herrscher of Sentience sounded extremely excited.
But very soon, she calmed down again.
"Hold on. Don't tell me you burned away even this part of your memory?"
"Fine, fine. Good thing I collected them all back at Mount Taixuan."
"Lend me the remaining 'feathers' for a bit. Damn it, my power and authority are all gone."
The other party chattered on and on, making it rather difficult for Fu Hua to focus.
Fortunately, Ling Ke, who stood not far away, showed no intention of fighting her.
Just like that, after only a short while…
"…"
The expression on Fu Hua's face became somewhat strange.
But it also softened a little.
Perhaps, right now, she was a tiny bit happy.
"So it was this place."
As part of the distant memories in her mind became clear like clouds parting before the sun, she sighed inwardly.
The corner of her mouth seemed to lift by the slightest amount.
But…
"What is your purpose?"
When Fu Hua looked at Ling Ke again, she was still extremely guarded.
Ling Ke did not mind.
Or rather, he had expected this from the beginning.
Her reaction fit the "script" he had arranged perfectly.
So…
"My purpose has already been achieved. From here on, this is your free time."
The corner of Ling Ke's mouth curved slightly.
"Will you act as 'Fu Hua' and fight for the Current Era, destroying your own era with your own hands?"
"Or will you lay it all aside and live again as 'Hua'? For example, by going to visit your biological father?"
"You're still a person of Shenzhou, aren't you?"
"Surely you aren't another dutiful daughter like Raiden Mei?"
"…"
Fu Hua did not answer.
Seeing her like this…
"In any case, I look forward to your choice."
Ling Ke said with a smile, "Faced with this kind of situation, I hope you can give me a sufficiently different, sufficiently interesting 'answer.'"