[Top of the Pyramid, Altar Plaza]
The moment Tendo's vector light blade hacked into the ancient tree trunk, it felt like a sharp blade slicing through silk. There was no thunderous roar as expected, only a soft, sharp "shrip" sound.
In the next second, golden vector energy surged frantically along the grain of the trunk, tearing this "Tree of Law"—which supported the Libra Domain—apart from the inside.
Rumble!
The ancient tree snapped in the middle. The upper half, draped in petals of golden chrysanthemums and roses, collapsed with a crash, smashing into the stone walls of the Altar Plaza and kicking up a curtain of dust.
With the heavy damage to the tree, the entire pyramid began to vibrate violently. Web-like cracks appeared on the stone walls, and dark green sap seeped from the fissures, looking as if this ancient edifice were weeping.
Libra let out a shrill scream. The Law Core in his chest shattered completely, and pale purple energy erupted from the wound.
The vine wings on his back lost their support, dissolving into countless motes of light. His tuxedo was soaked through with blood, and he slumped to the ground, his once majestic gaze becoming vacant.
He could feel his connection with Longevity Island severing rapidly.
Yet, unexpectedly, regarding the impending "death," Libra felt neither anger nor resentment; there was only an boundless calm. After all, similar situations had occurred countless times since the moment he gained consciousness.
As a manifestation of "Law Incarnate," Libra-Exchange was destined to be "immortal."
However, just like the things he valued most—firstly, vitality, and secondly, memory—it was a double-edged sword. While the newborn "Libra" would possess the same abilities as him, they would not inherit the memories of this current life.
And without "memory," even if life bloomed anew, it was no different from death to him.
Libra's voice was airy, and his vision began to blur. "I'm curious... how did you learn my 'Exchange' in such a short time? You're clearly just a Third-Grade Star Envoy..."
In the fleeting domain Tendo had manifested just moments ago, Libra had seen a familiar "trace"—it was his own Law of Exchange.
Faced with Libra's inquiry, Tendo did not rush to answer. Instead, he adjusted the surging blood and qi within his body. That last strike had nearly drained all of his Star Energy. His Eclipse Eyes were stinging from overuse, and faint black halos appeared at the edges of his vision.
He raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his silver-gray hair clinging to his forehead with sweat. Looking at the curious Libra, Tendo smiled and gave his explanation.
"Because every 'existence' leaves a trace, and that naturally includes the special energy flow of a 'Domain'."
"And my 'Vector Control'... just happens to be able to master all flows."
As he spoke, the ground beneath Tendo's feet suddenly collapsed, revealing the internal structure of the pyramid. It was a massive energy core glowing with a faint golden light, with countless vines connected to it like blood vessels, linking the core to the monsters outside.
Tendo hovered in mid-air, gazing down at the massive "heart" below, and said:
"This is the truth of Longevity Island, isn't it? You placed your true body here, using the vitality of the island's creatures as fuel to maintain the time loop."
"Yes."
At this point, Libra had nothing left to hide and spoke directly of the secrets of the "Longevity Path."
"The lifespans of most creatures are short. From the moment my memories began, I have personally witnessed the birth and death of countless 'beings'."
"At first, I felt nothing regarding this. Until..."
"Until you discovered that the versions of 'them' in your memories do not disappear along with their deaths, right?"
"Indeed." Libra nodded, his expression complex. "I don't know when it started, but I found myself resisting death—or rather, resisting the parting from familiar things."
"So I began attempting to trade with other beings, exchanging for precious lifespans and giving them to the beings I 'valued'."
"Except..."
"Except 'people' always change." Tendo picked up the thread. Through Libra's words, he seemed to see those beings who had once been granted "longevity" eventually becoming unrecognizable.
Libra nodded in agreement.
"Yes, they all changed. They became strangers, they became... twisted. The long years changed their mindsets. The more they gained, the more they wanted."
"However, every trade must be fair. The moment their demands exceeded the chips they could pay, they were no longer the people I knew."
Speaking to this point, Libra's tone grew weary. He didn't specify what those people had actually done.
But Tendo didn't need to think twice to know. When people want something but cannot pay the corresponding price, there is only one possibility: they find a way to forcibly "seize" it from Libra's hands.
And from the moment they harbored that thought, their relationship with Libra was no longer that of friends, but "enemies." Therefore, throughout Libra's long existence, he must have experienced countless such "betrayals."
Just thinking about it made Tendo shake his head inwardly. Being backstabbed by those you once trusted most was not a good feeling.
"Then when did you create this Longevity Island?"
"I can see that the creatures on this island are actually parts of your own body. You essentially dispersed your power; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for me to defeat you."
To Tendo's question, Libra replied calmly, "When did I create this island? I have no clear impression left."
"But one thing I remember very clearly: Wilfred was the very first resident of this island."
"Then why didn't you choose to grant him longevity?"
From Libra's tone, Tendo could tell his relationship with Wilfred seemed to be one of "friends." Even though the "Wilfred" before him behaved exactly like the one recorded in the Star Envoy Association's documents, Tendo knew he wasn't Wilfred, but Libra.
To Tendo's question, Libra's answer was unexpected. Tendo had assumed Libra had simply stopped granting life after so much time, but that wasn't the case.
"It was Wilfred himself who refused."
"He refused?"
"Yes." Libra looked up at the sky, his tone carrying a rare hint of confusion. "When his life was nearing its end, I told him I could grant him a longer life. But when Wilfred heard this, he said that death is also a part of life. A long life isn't necessarily a blessing; sometimes, it can be a curse."
"He had already witnessed the deaths of his old friends one by one, watched everything familiar become strange, and he didn't want—and didn't dare—to experience such things again. So... he refused my 'trade'."
Hearing this, Tendo fell into a total silence. He understood Wilfred's choice. This elder born of the old era had already experienced the pain brought by "longevity" time and again. At the same time, he had no "attachments" left to the world, which was why he decisively chose to embrace death.
But clearly, Libra had done something later; otherwise, he wouldn't be appearing before Tendo in Wilfred's identity.
Perhaps thinking of something, or perhaps starting to understand Wilfred's choice from back then, Libra spoke again.
"As you can see, after Wilfred died, I inherited everything that belonged to him. It's funny, actually—I asked him back then if my doing so would offend him. His answer surprised me. He said he'd be dead anyway, so I could do whatever I wanted; I could even scatter his ashes in a flower field to nourish the flowers."
"I have indeed experienced the deaths of countless beings, but someone who knew they could live yet refused and faced death calmly... in the memories of this life, there has truly never been anyone else like him."
"And to figure this out, I built this Longevity Paradise and continuously traded for valuable memories from others, hoping to find the answer to the question within those memories."
"And did you find it?"
Faced with Tendo's question, Libra remained silent for a moment before saying, "Originally no, but now I have."
As he spoke, Libra looked at his collapsing "Paradise," and a slight sense of relief appeared on his face.
"Death is indeed terrifying, but sometimes death is also a release. Like you said before, the 'memories' in my mind do not slowly 'vanish' with the death of familiar people; instead, they grow heavier in the river of time, eventually making me resist change and fear the arrival of tomorrow."
"After all, I don't want to go through that feeling again—where the people I care about can only live in my memories. It's not pleasant. Wilfred was right. Longevity, in a sense... is indeed a curse."
"Everyone thinks the 'future' is destined to be 'beautiful,' but in reality, the longer a person lives, the more they cling to the past."
At this, Libra turned to look at Tendo and said solemnly, "You can see it, can't you? Compared to the future, I actually want to live in the past—in that 'past' I am familiar with."
Tendo nodded. The time on Longevity Island was frozen in a certain period of the old era, looping infinitely. Was it because Libra couldn't make time move forward on the island? Obviously not. He simply preferred this "period."
As for the island's rejection of outsiders, Tendo guessed that was also because Libra refused to change, subconsciously driving away the "strangers" who came to the island.
Having grasped the essence of Longevity Island, Tendo asked other questions. Questions about the Doctor, and about General Chairman Enit.
After all, he remembered clearly that the Doctor and the General Chairman had arrived here long before he did. With their abilities, conquering Longevity Island wouldn't have been difficult. If Tendo wanted to master the core of Longevity Island and turn the "Miracle Stone: Exchange" into the core of his future Domain, he had to understand exactly what the Doctor and the others had done here.
With that thought, Tendo spoke again.
However, this time, his conversation with Libra was hidden by the "Stars Group Production Team" with great mischievousness, deliberately leaving the audience in suspense as the scene shifted to others.
[Perimeter of the Pyramid]
"The toxins in Liu Ma's body have stopped spreading! The time fluctuations of Longevity Island are returning to normal!" Isabelle shouted in surprise. She saw the black toxins under Liu Ma's skin receding rapidly, and his vital signs were stabilizing.
The handheld game console in Mi Yao's hand returned to normal. The energy warning vanished, replaced by a message from the Star Envoy Association.
'Longevity Island Trial concluded. Risk level downgraded to... High-Risk Zone.'
Looking at the information on the console, Mi Yao looked up at the others. "You all received the message from the Association, right?"
Everyone nodded, their expressions full of relief. This meant not only that they were freed from the isolated island but also that the Association's power could now influence this place. In other words, they were completely safe.
At that thought, everyone looked toward the top of the pyramid. In the sky above the summit, a pale golden stone emitted a soft glow that enveloped the entire island.
A familiar figure stood beneath the light. Though the distance was great, they could clearly feel the presence of that figure. That person was none other than Tendo.
Seeing this, Chen Kong was the first to speak. "Let's go see what Brother Tendo actually did."
Chen Kong walked toward the top of the pyramid, the Void Weaver emitting a slight hum in his hand, as if celebrating victory. Isabelle and Mi Yao followed closely behind, while Vivian supported the newly conscious Liu Ma, slowly following in the rear.
When they reached the top of the pyramid, Tendo was sitting on the remains of the ancient tree, holding that Miracle Stone in his hand. Though his face was still somewhat pale, his eyes were exceptionally bright.
Caroline stood beside him, quietly organizing data as she always did. On the other side, Ye Shenlin was talking to Chen Xing about something.
Noticing the arrival of Chen Kong and the others, Chen Xing stopped her conversation and turned to look at them.
That single glance immediately triggered a reflexive tension in Chen Kong; he was clearly terrified.
"Sis..." Chen Kong lowered his head instinctively as Chen Xing walked up to him.
"Are you hurt?"
"Huh?!" Chen Kong was stunned for a moment before replying, "No, nothing, just a bit exhausted."
"That's good."
Chen Xing nodded, then walked over to Tendo and looked at the golden "stone" in his hand, her eyes filled with curiosity. "This is the Miracle Stone: Exchange? Its law fluctuations are so gentle, not predatory at all like before."
"Because it has returned to its original form." Tendo smiled, holding the Miracle Stone up as a mysterious glint flashed in his eyes.
With this thing, many things he couldn't do before could now be initiated.
The future was right before his eyes.