Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Darkness crept in.

Then, he saw a light.

"Very good, you arrived faster than I expected."

At the end of the light, the bronze gate of the Myriad Realms Palace opened, revealing the magnificent palaces inside.

A golden snake shadow appeared, hovering on the stone steps, its entire body shrouded in a faint starlight.

It looked calmly at Li Yuan, who was covered in wounds and barely breathing: "Congratulations, you have triggered the entrance to the third level."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yuan stood in the center of the hall, looked down at himself, and saw that the terrible wounds on his body were no longer there.

He paused for a moment, then looked up: "The third level?"

"Yes," Li said slowly. "Once you get through this, you'll be qualified to ask me three questions."

"Any problems?"

Li Yuan's breath hitched. He hadn't expected the reward for the third level to be this. Was he finally about to uncover the secrets of the Myriad Realms Palace?

"Yes, I will tell you the truth as long as I know the answer."

Li's expression remained as calm and undisturbed as ever.

Li Yuan's eyes lit up; the truth he had longed for was right before his eyes.

After a brief silence, he said in a deep voice, "Come on."

As he spoke, in an instant, the light and shadow in the hall suddenly spun, turning into a dazzling vortex that swallowed his consciousness.

"?"

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a clean and tidy officer's dormitory.

Outside the window was the familiar barracks, soldiers ran past shouting slogans on the parade ground, and a familiar melody was playing on the loudspeaker in the distance.

Inside the room was a single bed with a neatly folded quilt, a dark green backpack, and a group photo hanging on the wall.

A group of young people, dressed in camouflage combat uniforms and with mud-covered faces, laughed freely and unrestrainedly.

He stood by the bed, dressed in camouflage, and looked down at his hands. His palms were rough and covered with calluses.

The familiar elemental energy had vanished; there was no nameless sword, and no trace of cultivation whatsoever.

In an instant, he realized that he was in the 21st century.

It was the place he had lived in for thirty-two years and knew best.

He's back.

Li Yuan felt his eyes stinging. He reached out and gently picked up the group photo. In the photo, he looked so young, spirited, and full of youthful vigor.

This photo was taken before the last mission. At that time, no one knew that some people would never come back.

He put down the photo frame, opened the dormitory door, and walked out along the corridor.

At the entrance of the camp, a black SUV was waiting for him.

The driver was a taciturn young man. When he saw him approaching, he immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Captain, the leaders have all arrived and are just waiting for you."

He nodded and got into the car.

The car drove through the city and headed towards the suburbs.

Looking at the street scene flashing past the window, everything that was once commonplace now seemed incredibly precious, and he gazed at it greedily for a long time.

The car stopped in front of a military family compound. He got out, showed his identification, and walked into the compound.

He stopped in front of an old building that was shaded by flower beds, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door on the first floor.

The room was brightly lit, and the dining table was laden with home-cooked dishes. An elderly man with gray hair and upright posture sat in the main seat, reading an evening newspaper.

On the other side, a middle-aged woman wearing a plain sweater was carrying soup out of the kitchen. She smiled as soon as she saw him.

"Son, you're back! Go wash your hands and eat, your dad has been waiting for you for a while."

He didn't speak, but turned his gaze to the old man who was still reading the newspaper.

The old man put down his newspaper, looked up, and revealed his stern face, resolute eyes, and tightly pursed lips, just like any old soldier accustomed to giving orders.

"You're back." The old man's voice was natural and calm.

"Um."

He responded and sat down at the table.

This scene is familiar; it's him saying goodbye to his parents before a mission.

His mother kept telling him to eat more meat, and then moved the soup to his side.

His father would occasionally chime in with questions about the military, and he would respond to each one, but he seemed somewhat dazed.

Everything is exactly as I remember it, without the slightest difference.

He put down his chopsticks: "I'm going on a long trip tomorrow."

The mother paused for a moment, then asked, "Where are you going?"

He was silent.

"This is a military secret. Why are you asking so many questions?"

The father scolded him unhappily.

"It's okay, you can tell me this time."

Li Yuan knew this was just a memory projection, not real. "There are a group of hostages trapped in the park in Southeast Asia, and we need to rescue them."

The mother's expression changed, and her chopsticks froze in mid-air: "Is it dangerous?"

He smiled and said casually, "With the local government's cooperation, everything will be fine. I'll be back soon."

"I'm leaving."

After finishing his meal, he didn't linger. As he got up to leave, he paused at the door for a moment and looked back.

At the dinner table, the father stood with his back to the table, his back ramrod straight, while the mother stood at the door watching him go, her eyes filled with worry.

He smiled, turned and walked into the night.

He was content to see them again, even if it was just in a dream.

three days later.

"Bang bang bang!"

Gunfire erupted deep in the tropical jungle.

The sweltering air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and his comrades kept falling around him. He emptied his last magazine, leaned against a dilapidated concrete wall, and his chest heaved violently.

The local warlords turned against them, attacking from both sides and trapping them.

Behind them, hostages were being evacuated from the block; if they could just delay for a few more minutes, they would be safe.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and a group of armed enemies were closing in, their dark gun barrels already pointed at him.

The next moment, he felt something being ripped from his body, the world stood still, a speck of dust hovered in mid-air, and the flames spewing from the gun barrel solidified.

His consciousness floated in the air, watching himself trapped in a desperate situation, and heard an old voice in his ears.

"Li Yuan, if you were given another chance, would you still choose to sacrifice yourself?"

The voice was incredibly seductive: "If you choose to turn and leave, I can send you back to continue your life."

Li Yuan trembled. He had been drifting alone in another world for so many years, and he dreamed of going back to the past.

He opened his eyes, looked at the smoke-filled battlefield, at his fallen comrades, and at those who, like him, were still fighting hard. A sharp pain swept through his chest.

There are some choices he will never change, because his conscience forbids it.

As a soldier, protecting others is his innate responsibility, and his sense of honor as a soldier would never allow him to be afraid of death or abandon the trusting eyes behind him.

Without hesitation or even a pause, he gave his answer directly.

"meeting."

Even if you never see your parents again?

Li Yuan smiled and said, "They will be proud of me."

The sound dissipated.

Time, which had been frozen, began to flow again. He returned to the battlefield. Gunshots rang out, but he did not flinch, remaining calm and composed.

The moment the bullet hit, everything froze, then crumbled.

That time, he was seriously injured and fell into a coma.

He found himself suspended in a gray and white world, like a transparent shadow. Then he slowly descended and landed in front of a familiar military compound.

He pushed open the slightly ajar door and went inside.

The lights were off inside, but daylight streamed in through the window, illuminating the old sofa in the living room and the figure sitting in the darkness.

His father.

His father was facing away from him, his shoulders trembling silently. He saw that his father was holding a black box with a photograph on it.