As time passed little by little,
the Captain told Qiu Nian about his past… and his purpose.
The two of them eventually arrived at a hillside.
"My family, my homeland, my comrades and countrymen… all disappeared forever under the invasion of the Abyss."
"Though the people of Khaenri'ah committed a grave sin, many more were innocent."
"Most of us knew nothing about the Five Sinners' use of Abyssal power. I was among those who didn't know."
"To resist the Black Calamity, the people of Khaenri'ah—and my comrades in Natlan—all sacrificed their lives in that battle."
"They were heroes."
"And heroes… should not be left without a home."
The Captain's voice was heavy.
"I carry the souls of my fallen comrades within my own heart."
"I hoped that one day… they could finally rest."
"To find a place where they could rest, I visited the ley lines of six nations."
"But every single time… I failed."
He looked at Qiu Nian quietly.
"Hmm…"
Qiu Nian sighed softly.
He could see a person's past.
And he knew the Captain wasn't lying.
Everything he said had truly happened.
Which meant the Captain trusted him deeply.
Or perhaps—
this was simply the only solution the Captain could think of.
His body had long been rotting due to the curse of immortality.
And yet he carried countless tormented souls within a human body.
For an ordinary person, their mind would have shattered long ago.
Because of this, he hadn't slept for hundreds of years.
Even though his homeland was already gone, he still fulfilled the duty of a soldier.
That spirit alone was worthy of a god's respect.
Even after five hundred years, he still upheld his responsibility and justice.
His soul was heavy, but righteous.
Yet sadly…
time and curses had eroded everything else.
Only that noble, unyielding soul and will remained.
"Ancient God Gui Xu…"
"I once read about you in an ancient text from Khaenri'ah."
"It said you possessed the power to split the Abyss itself with a single strike."
"If someone like you holds such power…"
"Then surely you must have a way to let them rest."
The Captain placed a hand over his heart.
"I beg you…"
"Whatever the price may be, as long as their souls can find peace, I will pay it."
He lowered his head slightly.
"Price…?"
"I'm not like Ronova, who requires payment."
Qiu Nian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant scenery.
"But…"
"My strength now may not be as great as you imagine."
After saying that, he closed his eyes and fell silent.
"…"
The Captain naturally didn't believe him.
He assumed the ancient god was politely refusing.
Though he had expected this result before coming…
disappointment still crept in.
If this path truly failed—
then after completing certain duties,
he would return to Natlan, the place of old battles.
That had always been his original plan.
Because aside from his comrades' souls,
there were even greater matters waiting for him there.
"But…"
"Out of the respect I hold for you…"
"I've decided to help you."
Qiu Nian opened his eyes and smiled faintly.
"No payment required."
"I'm helping you simply because I want to."
The Captain froze.
"…Thank you."
His voice carried complicated emotions.
"Don't thank me yet."
"With the strength I have now, I can't fully solve your problem."
As Qiu Nian spoke—
white energy began to surge around him.
Within it flowed faint strands of crimson.
The suffocating power made even the Captain feel stunned.
Then Qiu Nian raised a hand toward the Captain's chest.
Suddenly—
countless translucent white lights appeared from the Captain's heart.
They were drawn out by Qiu Nian.
But the moment they emerged—
horrifying cries erupted.
Endless wails of pain overlapped together.
Qiu Nian gathered the lights into a glowing sphere of souls.
Looking at it, he sighed softly.
"There is still one soul in your heart that refuses to leave."
The Captain exhaled slowly.
"That must be Gusred…"
He murmured the name before shaking his head.
"Come with me."
Qiu Nian said.
The same white aura appeared around the Captain.
In the next instant—
both of them vanished.
When they reappeared, they stood inside a strange valley.
The ground below was made entirely of cloudlike mist.
Brilliant sunlight poured down from above, making it impossible to see the sky clearly.
Stone structures stood around them.
And in the distance, faint figures of souls could be seen speaking quietly with one another.
"This is the border between life and death at Wuwang Hill."
"Follow me."
Qiu Nian began walking deeper.
The nearby souls were too far away to notice them.
"Wuwang Hill…"
The Captain felt astonished.
What kind of power was this?
In a single instant they had crossed an unimaginable distance.
"The border of life and death…"
"I once searched this land many years ago."
"But I found nothing."
"And yet a place like this exists…"
He looked around in disbelief.
Back then, he had investigated Wuwang Hill for an entire month.
Apart from encountering a few wandering souls—
he had never found anything like this.
After walking for a long time, Qiu Nian stopped.
Holding the sphere of souls in one hand, he closed his eyes.
Then he extended his other hand.
A blinding light exploded from his palm.
The valley behind them rapidly receded.
Within seconds—
it vanished completely.
What remained before them was an endless expanse.
Clouds formed the ground in every direction.
The horizon stretched infinitely.
"In order to keep your comrades' souls from disturbing the souls here…"
"I created another space."
Qiu Nian waved the hand holding the sphere.
The countless souls scattered across the sky.
One by one, they formed simple human silhouettes, floating silently.
Unlike the souls of Wuwang Hill—who retained full human forms—
these spirits were fragile.
They couldn't even recreate their appearances from life.
All they could become were faint, simple shadows drifting in the mist.
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