this infinite world

At this moment, just as at that moment.

In the world of "Red Alert 2", Yang Yun once used his inner light to step into the inner side of the world and successfully stopped Yuri's plot to tamper with the past using a time machine.

As for the greatest gains from that team battle, the side quests and reward points were merely the most superficial aspects, and the gratitude of the world's will was only incidental. What was truly precious was his unique experience of personally stepping into the River of Time... This rare experience became invaluable nourishment for him to later understand the mysteries of time and create "Light and Wind" during the decisive battle against the non-face.

However, there was an even more crucial takeaway from that experience. That was that he witnessed firsthand the supreme means by which the "God" anchored the timeline.

It must be understood that the power of the "God's" methods is far beyond the comprehension of a mere fourth-tier cultivator. Even Yang Yun, in his current state, dares not claim to have fully grasped its mysteries. After all, the "God" is the ultimate creation, crafted by three Emperor-level Saints in conjunction with the cultivator and saint groups, representing the culmination of two civilization systems. It's like the Tower of Babel, created by the Three-Eyed Clan using the full power of their entire race…

Fortunately, Yang Yun eventually understood part of it.

Anchoring to the timeline is not only the cornerstone of maintaining world stability, but also an extremely profound art of warfare. After all, in battles between "Saints," attacks that transcend timelines are commonplace. Anchoring the opponent's timeline, ensuring they cannot escape from the past, and locking onto the cause and effect of their demise are all extremely effective means of achieving victory.

Just like in chess, one must not only consider the current situation but also anticipate all possible responses from the opponent and preemptively block every path to survival. However, in the game at the level of sages, this "chessboard" extends to the entire dimension of time.

Otherwise, how could the one who borrowed Morgoth's body have been so easily killed by Yang Yun? It was precisely because Yang Yun blocked all possible escape routes for the opponent in that battle, firmly fixing the cause and effect of defeat, that he forced the opponent to completely admit defeat...

The power of the "Chief God" establishes an unshakeable foundation in the structure of time, making it impossible for even those who merely manipulate "time" to rewind even a fraction of a step—before the pre-built temporal dam, even fish can only sigh in despair. Andil's method, however, is like scattering bait and building nests throughout the river of time, allowing him to simultaneously exist at every temporal node marked with the summoning mark, enabling him to bypass predetermined barriers at any time and roam among countless timelines—a kind of unparalleled immortality…

Admittedly, such behavior would be nothing more than a foolish and laughable act in the eyes of ordinary sages—sages are inherently immortal and indestructible. As long as the true spiritual imprint on the membrane of the multiverse remains, they can be reborn infinitely, which is much simpler and more thorough than constructing "pseudo-immortality" on the timeline.

Moreover, being weak is simply being weak. Unless absolutely necessary, who would willingly cower in the cracks of time, living in constant fear like a frightened mouse? Leaving aside the immense time and energy such an approach would consume, the further back one goes from the present, the easier it is to get lost in the temporal rift. Furthermore, recklessly manipulating cause and effect will inevitably invite the backlash of time reversal. Such a desperate measure is ultimately nothing more than self-deception by a withered skeleton in a tomb…

...However, Andy's actions just now gave Yang Yun a new idea.

—I am different; I come from beyond this world. My avatar descends upon this world where the first flame is about to be extinguished, while my true self exists independently of this world's timeline, unaffected by anything, and untouched by any cause and effect.

—If I occupied the corresponding timeline and imprinted my existence on the corresponding time point, what would I become?

—Why not...give it a try!
In that instant, Yang Yun's gaze suddenly became lofty and profound, as if piercing through layers of time and space. And in Andy's eyes… he exploded!
This explosion, like a dazzling display of lights and silver flowers, or like mercury spilling onto the ground, transformed into countless points of brilliant light that spread in all directions, like a cascading galaxy, or like spring rain nourishing all things, turning into a series of runes that were firmly engraved in this dark world, while also flowing along the veins of time...

Thus, Yang Yun "saw" it.

He saw the ancient bells ringing once more at the fire-lighting ceremony site. It was not the immortal heroes, but the dying embers that were awakened by the last flames.

He watched as the clergy of the Deep Cathedral degenerated into all-consuming undead; Farron Keep was corrupted by the Abyss and the Poison Swamp; Irithyll of the Irithyll Valley was forever frozen in a false peace under the illusion of Pope Sulyvahn; and Yhorm the Giant sat on his throne in the City of Sin, awaiting his old friend to bring him his destined end.

He saw the undead, who had lost their memories and humanity due to the curse and were seeking liberation, being guided by fate through the vortex of mist that symbolized oblivion and cycle, and arriving at the cursed kingdom of Dorangreg.

He saw King Vancrad of Dorranger, who, in order to escape the curse, ultimately gave up the throne and chose to imprison himself at the bottom of the throne, becoming a giant tree that refused to think; while Queen Naska was actually a fragment of darkness, her gentleness was nothing more than a trap to lure others into inheriting the curse.

He saw the legendary "Undead Chosen One" awaken in his cell at the Northern Undead Asylum; he saw the knight known as Oscar lying dying amidst the ruins. He saw the undead hero who had endured countless hardships, who had overcome countless trials and tribulations to finally slaughter all the strong in the world, bringing countless souls back to the forge of the First Flame. Although the First Flame that had maintained the order of the entire world was now as weak as a candle in the wind, he ultimately sacrificed himself as fuel to continue the world.

He saw Lordran, the land of the gods, now in decline; he saw the cradle of chaos throbbing uncontrollably beneath the ruins of Izaris, devouring everything; he saw Gwyn, the once majestic Lord of Cinder, now a living corpse in the furnace, only knowing how to fight; he saw the former God of War standing alone atop the ancient dragons, his only companion the Storm Dragonflight.

He witnessed the great battle between Manus, the Lord of the Abyss, and Artorias, the Abyss Walker; he witnessed the Old Witch's research spiraling out of control, turning her into a breeding ground for chaos; he witnessed King Gwyn's war against the ancient dragons; he witnessed Seath the White Dragon betraying his own kind...

original……

"World, time..."

"It should look like this."

Countless Yang Yuns, in different timelines, murmured to themselves. (End of Chapter)