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--- Chapter 444 ---
In the space-time dimensional gap, Ye Ziyun let out a sigh of relief and clasped her hands gratefully, "It's over..."
"It's finally over."
The other Heavenly Snow Women also had similar reactions, praying in their heart for this moment.
"Wait, what's going to happen to the Glory City and Snow then? You have changed the past, uh, future, whatever! You knew what I meant," The Ice Empress asked Han Yuan in confusion. "There must be consequences of changing things, right?"
"After Young Lord's Avatar defeated Slaughter God and saved the Glory City from its destruction, the loop ended." The White-Eyed Phoenix Lord answered on Han Yuan's behalf.
"The timeline would still move and eventually reach our time, but..."
"Unfortunately, that means the paradoxical existence such as 'Future Ye Ziyun' will soon cease to exist."
"After that, all that remains would be the Snow Empress."
"B-But..." The Ice Empress was stunned. Even though she should be happy with the fact that the Snow Empress is going to be herself again, she somehow doesn't want 'Future Ye Ziyun' to disappear.
The main reason is that 'Future Ye Ziyun' is indistinguishable from Snow Empress, and might have accompanied her for thousands, if not tens of thousands of years, in the Extreme North.
After all, it's not hard to tell that Snow Empress's disposition sometimes changes and fluctuates. Sometimes, she was a wise and noble ruler, but also a somber and quiet figure.
To the Ice Empress, Snow Empress, and Future Ye Ziyun is one person, whom she held dear in her heart. She doesn't want either of them to disappear from this world.
Still, the natural order of space-time is not something she, a mere spirit beast under 400,000 years old, could change. Her little chill also can't achieve much. In the grand scheme of things, she was only a small, insignificant scorpion.
"Han Yuan! You must have a way to save Snow, right? Please tell me you have the way!" Ice Empress gazed at Han Yuan hopefully.
Before Han Yuan could even answer, Ye Ziyun couldn't help but sigh and remark, "Ice, there is no need to do a vain thing like this."
"Where is your dignity?"
"Begging will only make people look down upon you."
"Not to mention, I don't need to live any longer."
"I have lived long enough..."
"I have accepted my fate a long time ago."
Ye Ziyun looked at everyone and then smiled, "I actually lied when I said that I still have one more time jump."
"This..." The Ice Empress's body trembled.
Ye Ziyun closed her eyes as she added with a low voice, "That's the lie I told myself into believing because I don't want to give up here."
"No matter how exhausting it was, at least I believed there must be a way to save the Glory City."
"My obsession... Finally fulfilled."
"You're a ghost in time," The White-Eyed Phoenix Lord sighed. "Once you fulfil your obsession, that stubborn will to remain that exists beyond natural order is also thawed away."
"It's a good thing."
"Your spirit is going to rest in peace at last."
"But I am afraid you're not going to disappear as you intended."
Han Yuan finally opened his mouth, "Your contract isn't over yet."
"Even though your physical body no longer exists, and your soul is about to perish from countless time-jumping, you overlooked the fact that you basically made a pact with the Ice God's Heart, no, Ice God."
"So, this soul-binding contract prevented you and other Heavenly Snow Women from truly dying, even if you no longer exist, and all that remains are Snow Empress and her fellow priestesses."
"However, this also brought up an interesting issue."
"Are the Future Ye Ziyun and Past Ye Ziyun still the same people once my avatar (Beta) saved the city?"
"Does that mean the Snow Empress we know will become a completely different individual?"
"What we changed is not Future Ye Ziyun's past, but her future, meaning the tragedy that befalls the Glory City in her past still happens."
"Ultimately, it led to one thing..."
"From now on, Future Ye Ziyun is effectively the Snow Empress, who she would become naturally."
"As for the Past Ye Ziyun, I can only say that she and the Glory City would continue to exist... Somewhere other than the Douluo Plane."
"That timeline had branched out of Douluo Plane's natural order, evolving into becoming a part of Another Plane's river of time."
"Uugh, this is so confusing, Xiao Wu's head is hurting!" Xiao Wu clutched her forehead in pain.
"Same Xiao Wu, same..." Bi Ji added, rubbing her forehead helplessly.
Then, Bi Ji added, "But that doesn't mean we don't change anything at all?"
"Wait..." Jade Phoenix Lord nodded in realization.
"Now that I thought about it."
"If what Young Lord said is true, we don't change anything but create a new fixed timeline where it is still somehow connected to our future but exists on its own."
"However, if that really happens..."
"Just how cruel it would be for you." She gave Future Ye Ziyun a look of heartache. "You poor soul."
Ye Ziyun shook her head gently, "It's worth it."
"To be able to witness Glory City survive is already the biggest present I could have as a lingering ghost in the future."
"I've come to realize that I have been too chained by the past, ignoring my own wish."
"To simply watch those people's lives well."
"I no longer have regrets about the past."
"Perhaps, it really is the time to say goodbye to my past and embrace my new identity as the Snow Empress."
"For others, me, and the future."
"Snow..." Ice Empress teared up. She couldn't help but feel emotional for Ye Ziyun's behalf because she couldn't imagine the heartache of saying goodbye to your past.
The past that she had to fight for countless times, bleeding again and again to see a light of hope.
"We, too, have to say goodbye to our past," said the other Heavenly Snow Women as they glanced at each other and smiled carefreely.
"While our obsession to save Glory City wasn't as strong as Ziyun's, we really should end this and start anew."
Han Yuan nodded and then commented, "It's good that you're optimistic about your future."
"Because it's not just Glory City that has a bright future now."
"All of you have a similar chance."
"My proposal, do you guys still remember?"
"Becoming a Divine Spirit, is it?" Ye Ziyun mumbled slowly.
"Still, I don't think I can do it because of the contract I made with the Ice God's Heart."
"Who said you need to break the contract to become a Divine Spirit?" Han Yuan commented back casually. "I never said so."
"Eh??" Everyone stared at Han Yuan in disbelief.
Han Yuan chuckled, "What I've said to let the Snow Empress become a Divine Spirit by pooling the luck of Extreme North, making her provincial master of it."
"In short, Snow Empress became a guardian-like manager under the Lord of Plane."
"So, she can hold both positions at the same time."
"And this applies to other Heavenly Snow Women."
"..." Everyone.
"Why didn't you tell me so earlier!" The Ice Empress was ready to choke the life out of Han Yuan. "Arrrgh!"
"I am crying for nothing!"
Han Yuan caught Ice Empress's small, cold hands and replied, "Well, you guys are so emotional, and talk over each other that I couldn't speak directly."
"YOUUUU!!!" The Ice Empress's body trembled in annoyance.
"Haha! Hahaha! Bing'er, you're being too dramatic!" Ye Ziyun, no, Snow Empress laughed joyfully at this sight, tears of happiness streaming out of her ice-blue eyes.
At this moment, Snow Empress seems to be able to see a mirror image of herself within her soul. The image faintly smiled before walking away into the light, becoming truly one with her.
"Goodbye, my past..."
"And welcome back, me."