Nobita's Time Heist

"It's not about sympathy."

"Huh?" Da Xiong paused for a moment, turned to look at her, and found that Jing Lu's eyes were extremely serious.

"No girl would propose to you out of pity. She must have seen excellent qualities in you. She must believe that you are someone she can entrust her life to."

"I think she must have been very scared in that snowstorm. Unable to contact anyone outside, disoriented, and in the biting cold... Any normal person would be afraid."

"Perhaps it was your appearance that cheered her up. In the process of taking care of you, she also felt warmth."

She stared into Da Xiong's eyes and said, word by word, "At least let her know that there are still people in this world who haven't given up on her."

Chapter 415: It didn't work five hundred years ago, and it won't work now.

They were getting further and further away from Andrew City, as if they had gone in a big circle on the map and arrived at a sparsely populated grassland.

Galloping on horseback across the grasslands, all you can see is a green ocean.

If it weren't for the heavy weight weighing on her heart, Jinglu would have loved to stay like this forever. The sky was a hazy yellow, a reflection of the world ever since the Scarlet God took control of everything. The honey-colored sky contrasted sharply with the sea of ​​grass that stretched across the ground, creating a beautiful scene.

But the chilling wind carried a sense of oppression, as if reminding the two that time was running out and they had to act quickly.

"Where are we going?" Jinglu asked curiously. "As far as I know, there shouldn't be any strategic resources in this area; it's just an ordinary grassland. In recent decades, the Kingdom of Lumilia has rarely ventured here, and it has become an undeveloped wasteland."

"That's not how it is," Nobita sighed. "Do you remember my legendary story?"

This might sound a bit like self-praise, but for Nobita, these are all true stories.

“Five hundred years ago, my companions and I came here once.” His gaze shifted to Linxun Mountain in the distance. The terrain here was strange; the rocks looked as if they had been sculpted by the wind into bizarre shapes, possessing a rugged and untamed beauty. “Back then, in order to defeat the Demon Emperor Odorom, I had to come here and kill the Azure Dragon that resided here. Its flames could turn people to stone; it was incredibly powerful, but in the end…”

"Oh, I see!" Jinglu suddenly realized, patting Daxiong on the back. "You should have said so earlier! This is where you killed the Azure Dragon, right? You bathed in the dragon's blood, became an immortal warrior, and then set off to fight the Demon Emperor."

Like a devoted fangirl, she chattered on and on about the myths, leaving Nobita completely confused.

"What?" He looked suspicious and exclaimed in shock, "No, no, I didn't kill him!"

"No?" Jinglu also found it strange. "But in mythology, you cleanly and decisively cut off his head and brought him back to life with dragon blood to defeat the Demon Emperor, right?"

"This dragon existed before we arrived! It lived here peacefully, without any conflict. It was the humans who intruded and wanted its dragon blood for immortality. Forced to fight back, it turned the humans into stone, and these stones are still intact and have not died."

"On the other hand, what right do humans have to kill him?"

Nobita's speech gradually quickened, and when it came to matters of the origin of his worldview, he never hesitated to debate.

"In short, I didn't kill him, and he didn't turn me to stone. We had a plan. He used dragon sweat as a catalyst. Although it didn't grant immortality, it at least gave me one chance to come back to life. After obtaining this power, I went out and defeated the Demon Emperor. It turns out that immortality wasn't necessary at all; one chance was enough."

Da Xiong said angrily, "I don't know why it's been spread like this."

“Maybe…” Jinglu hesitated for a moment, but still said, “Maybe it was someone later who changed the myth.”

"Changed?" Nobita exclaimed in surprise. "What do you mean, 'change'? Why are you blaming me for something that didn't even happen?"

"Perhaps they think this kind of publicity is more effective. Perhaps they believe that a decisive silver swordsman is more popular." Jinglu sighed helplessly. "In the story of the hero fighting the dragon, there is no need for a kind hero, nor a reasonable dragon."

"Is that right?"

After realizing what had happened, a hint of disappointment flashed in Da Xiong's eyes. He knew he had been deified.

He had been wary ever since he saw the statue, but he hadn't expected it to be so exaggerated. Five hundred years had passed, and people's stories no longer needed many details; the things he had done on this continent had been distorted into completely different forms.

Perhaps only at this moment did he realize that so much time had indeed passed.

"So, this dragon actually died in the end?"

"Probably, but I'm not sure." Jinglu recalled the anecdotes and rumors she had heard over the years. "Some people said that he was an extremely wicked person. They organized a lot of people to come and punish him. I don't know what the final result was, but it's true that no one has seen him for a long time."

Nobita's heart sank. To defeat Scarlet God, he needed more than just his own strength; he needed outside help.

Azure Dragon was the first ally he could think of, and also the only one he still knew on this continent. If Azure Dragon were dead, he would have to face Crimson God alone, increasing the difficulty by more than one level.

How ironic! The dragon, which he himself failed to kill, ultimately succumbed to the wrath of humans and their greed. He had done nothing wrong, yet he suffered this calamity simply because blood could grant humans immortality.

Even in myths from 500 years ago, it was only recorded that his blood could help humans achieve immortality. Therefore, killing the dragon and bleeding it out seemed to become a necessary option.

Nobody cares what he thinks, just like now, nobody cares if the world is going to end.

Driven by a sense of wishful thinking, he hoped that Qinglong was still alive.

Da Xiong found the familiar mountain entrance and walked in. The scalding underground spring was still there, gushing endlessly.

He told Jinglu to stay close to him and warned her, "The underground springs here are complex and very hot, and there are geysers that erupt. Be careful when you walk."

He pointed to the rock wall beside him and said in a deep voice, "Follow this path and go in. After about ten minutes, you will reach the cave. If nothing unexpected happens, we will see the Azure Dragon there... or the Azure Dragon's corpse."

"Remember, no matter what happens, never draw your sword without my order!"

Jinglu looked at him with some confusion.

"Judging from what you've said, my old friend hasn't had an easy time these past 500 years. Humans have been coming in to attack him all the time. Put yourself in his shoes, how would he react if two humans suddenly walked in?"

"Five hundred years have passed, and he might not even recognize me. He'll just think we're one of the humans who came to punish him, and he might overreact and attack us. At that moment, you must stay calm!"

"Are you planning to persuade him with words and make him sweat dragon sweat again?" Jinglu's tone was somewhat unpredictable. "The Scarlet God is much more difficult to deal with than the Demon Emperor Odorom."

It's perfectly reasonable for her to have such thoughts.

To Jinglu, the so-called Azure Dragon was nothing more than an insignificant character in mythology. She had never had any contact with him and knew nothing about him.

In this situation, all she could think about was the survival and future of humanity. She was willing to sacrifice even a dragon. Moreover, that dragon might have gone mad, might have become aggressive, which could very well be a reason for humanity to raise its sword against it.

Only an immortal swordsman who has been bathed in dragon's blood has a chance to slay a god.

However, Nobita firmly refused.

"My sword must not be stained with the blood of the innocent!"

"It wouldn't have worked 500 years ago, and it won't work now."

Chapter 416: We Will Reconcile Love and Hate

As he walked into the narrow cave, Da Xiong still harbored a tiny bit of wishful thinking.

What if he's still alive?

In my memory, Qinglong is a very agile and wise man. As long as the methods are appropriate, he should be able to deal with humans.

Da Xiong desperately hoped that Qinglong was still alive, even if it meant that a possible battle was about to take place, it would be much better than facing Feishen alone.

This feeling of holding his breath and being cautious reminded him of the last time he stepped into this cave.

He and Doraemon split up, and eventually, with the help of the geyser, they cut off the Azure Dragon's whiskers.

They had a chance to kill him with a single blow, but a moment's hesitation led Nobita to spare him. Ultimately, that one wrong decision gave them a chance to be resurrected. If that sword had actually struck, they would have gained dragon blood and immortality, but Gian and Suneo's petrified state would have been permanently permanently incurable.

Nobita believes that everything is preordained. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, no one can say for sure right now.

At the fork in the road, he gestured for Jinglu to split up with him. Crouching low along the pile of stones, he cautiously advanced, almost begging to see the emerald wings. The path narrowed, and he heard breathing—very heavy breathing.

Her heart finally settled; at least it proved that a wild beast still inhabited this place. Jinglu looked somewhat nervous; this was her first time facing a legendary creature, a raging dragon. Despite having a skilled swordsman like the Silver Swordsman beside her, her hand instinctively rested on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at any moment. Daxiong, on the other hand, moved with practiced ease, tiptoeing to avoid touching the small stones and making no sound as he cautiously made his way forward.

Finally, we reached a position where we could see the other person clearly.

Even before their eyes met, the two had a premonition that only a dragon could exert such powerful pressure.

Sure enough, a colossal dragon lay there, half-reclining, surrounded by thatch and stones piled up beside it by people turned into stone statues. They had been brute forcefully smashed to pieces, beyond repair. This sight sent a chill down Da Xiong's spine, because in his mind, the Azure Dragon wouldn't harm humans; it merely turned them into stone statues for its own protection.

It seems that these 500 years of experience have eroded his friendliness towards humanity. Thinking about it this way, persuading him becomes even more difficult.

He swallowed hard and began to mentally prepare his words.

"No, something's not right..."

Its color was different from what I remembered; its wings, scales, and tail were all a blood-red pinkish-brown. When did dragons begin to change their color like chameleons?

Just as he was feeling suspicious, Da Xiong looked up again and clearly saw that there was a person sitting on the dragon's back! That man had appeared in his dreams many times before, and now he was sitting there vividly, leisurely crossing his legs, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

When their eyes met, Nobita's heart sank again.

“...Jakkun Helma?”

"Roar----!!"

The next moment, the crimson dragon unleashed a terrifying roar. In the enclosed space of the cave, the echo was immense, surging in from all directions and nearly swallowing Da Xiong whole. The crimson dragon flapped its wings and slammed the ground. Its takeoff looked incredibly eerie, like a ferocious, twisted, slender worm. Fortunately, the cave was spacious enough that it gracefully circled in the air before landing with its claws, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

Despite the lack of light in the surroundings, the blood-red dragon scales still gleamed with a hideous madness.

Jia Kun looked at him and sneered, "Long time no see, Da Xiong... or should I call you 'Silver Swordsman'?"

"You've also accomplished some pretty impressive feats in this world, just like a puppy that likes to pee to mark its territory wherever it goes."

Nobita was not surprised by his appearance, as if he had expected it all along. He and this man were bound to settle their score somewhere eventually.

"There used to be a dragon here," Da Xiong asked calmly. "Did you kill it?"

"Hahaha, do I look like such an inhuman person?" Jia Kun asked with a laugh. "Your old partner has no interest. He was already dead when I arrived. A sword was stuck in his skull, and his body was full of cracks. He must have been killed by a thousand arrows. The most fatal sword pierced his most vulnerable spot."

“I’ve heard that his blood can grant immortality, and like anything that can grant immortality, it’s been fought over. That’s human nature, isn’t it?” His eyelids lowered, revealing a compassionate light, like a Buddha who couldn’t bear to kill, his hands clasped together. “Humans are always like this, liking to place themselves above all things, whether in reality or in dreams. The nature of plunderers can never be changed.”

“You are human too,” Nobita said coldly. “You are no different from them.”

“Yes.” Surprisingly, Jaqen generously admitted, “I am just like them, my hands are stained with blood and sin, but at least I am willing to work hard to cleanse them, unlike humans who indulge in it and enjoy the pleasure of taking everything away.”

His voice echoed through the vast cavern as he spread his arms, like reciting a poem, filled with a strange sense of conviction: "Physical immortality is utterly powerless for me. I have told you many times that what I yearn for is the surge of the spiritual tide. The unity of all wills, the convergence of all spirits, to create eternal bliss!"

"Excuse me, I just came back from a place where I witnessed what the so-called 'unity' is all about."

Nobita drew his silver sword, pointed the tip at the ground, and said coldly, "I went to great lengths to prevent the same thing from happening in another world. Now, do you think I'll allow you to run wild?"

"Whatever you've seen in other worlds, it's different from here. Let me explain to you what a spiritual surge is." He continued, introducing this secret that should have been revealed long ago, "Have you ever had a 'flash of inspiration'?"

This was a very abrupt question, but it was clear that he didn't intend for Nobita to answer it.

"This is a very broad concept."

“It’s not as broad as you think,” Jia Kun chuckled, then began to give examples. “For instance, you finally understand something, or you finally figure out how to solve a math problem? You finally understand how to end a relationship. You understand the responsibilities you will have to take on next, and so on and so forth…”

"When a flash of inspiration occurs, the whole body is transparent. You grasp that moment of light and achieve enlightenment, which is actually behind that moment. Only those who have an epiphany can truly understand their own place in the universe."

"Ultimately, they will understand that the physical body is unnecessary because it is subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. Reality is also unnecessary; only the transcendental world is everything."

"There, humanity is no longer the master of everything, but a part of everything."

"We will reconcile with love and hate."

Chapter 417: Your Original Life

Nobita sighed, feeling utterly helpless. He couldn't understand why these villains all seemed to be suffering from psychological trauma, desperately pursuing such metaphysical concepts. Jaqen, standing before him, thought his idea was some kind of groundbreaking masterpiece, but in reality, Nobita couldn't see any fundamental difference between it and the Human Instrumentality Project.

"and then?"

Jia Kun paused for a few seconds, not understanding the meaning of the question. "There is no 'then,' it's over. The surge of spirituality is the ultimate end of all things."

"From this point on, humanity will embark on a higher stage of evolution. Every moment they exist in the universe, they will be able to realize their own meaning. There will be no more war, no more invasion, no more oppression, and no more negativity."

"Until the entire universe dies of heat, until the stars collapse and the spectrum blueshifts."

"I don't want to explain anymore how unreliable this plan is..." Da Xiong's tone was very weak, because he knew very well that at this point, there was no point in negotiating anymore. The other party would not give up this idea that was rooted in their heart just because of his few words.

"Before I take action, I'd like to ask you something. Have you suffered any trauma before? Has anyone hurt you?"

"If that's the case, you're just projecting your hatred for a specific person onto humanity as a whole; it's not as noble as you claim."

Jia Kun was unusually silent for a moment. He looked at Da Xiong with a slightly complicated expression in his eyes.

"I should have told you before, I think we're very similar."

"I have reservations about that." Da Xiong nodded at him, his left hand already reaching into his pocket, ready to pull out a prop.

Jia Kun smiled; his face resembled a human skin mask, and all his emotions were carefully crafted.

"Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if your future friend had never appeared in it, Nobita?"

"My life..." Memories flashed by. On the first day Doraemon and Seito came to his house, they jumped out of a drawer and showed him a shocking collection of photos. That was his original life, absurd and tragic, so tragic that he had lost all hope for the future.

Failing college entrance exams, having his company burned down, accumulating a mountain of debt, and marrying someone he didn't love—all of these combined were a devastating blow to a nine-year-old child.

“But don’t worry,” he remembered Doraemon patting him on the shoulder and assuring him with a reassuring tone, “I’m here to change your future. As long as we work together, the future can definitely be changed!”

In fact, the future has indeed changed, becoming better and more vibrant. Jia Kun's question at this moment left Da Xiong with a subtle sense of bewilderment. For a moment, he truly felt as if he were talking to himself.

That unsuccessful, disappointed, and wounded version of myself.

"Let me tell you, you and I are indeed very similar. However, I don't have that friend from the future; all I have is reality, a reality that is heavier than yours."

"Look, Nobita, what I hate is not humans, but their arrogance."

"This is the last time I'll talk to you about this." He changed the subject, and the dragon beneath him seemed to awaken, letting out a deep roar. Its wings spread, and its slender body twisted and turned, ready to charge at any moment.

"If you want to join me, this is your last chance. We can make this world a better place than it is now. This is my promise to you!"