Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

"So the way you are now..." Kailin couldn't help but whispered, "It's also because..."

"That's it."

Pelville did not deny it. Her gaze fell back on the ice monument, and a hint of sadness seemed to flash across her cross-shaped pupils.

"Twenty years have passed since the trial began, and its cruelty is far beyond imagination. The unpredictable polar cold, the elusive giant ice beasts, and... the treacherous competitors. Many have failed to reach the end, either dying from the cold or the monsters, or succumbing to their own fears or the schemes of others."

"At that time, Clevi and I worked together and overcame one difficulty after another under difficult circumstances. We finally reached the finish line, but the fierce tiger Sugniel stood in our way."

"It's surprising that two of you passed the trial at the same time. However, I'm sorry, only one of you can pass the trial."

“He said so at the time.”

Peruvili's voice remained calm, but Mo Yan and Kailin could imagine the scene: after enduring countless hardships to reach the finish line, only to be told by the final gatekeeper that only one person could pass. The cruelty of that hope being shattered in an instant was enough to break anyone.

"And then?" Kailin couldn't help but ask, her heart in her throat. "Since you're all Paladins now, that means you won, right?"

"No, we didn't 'win.'" She shook her head.

"Sugnir's power far surpasses that of an ordinary human. Even if Clevi and I joined forces, we wouldn't be able to shake him in the slightest. It's a... despairing gap."

Her gaze became distant, as if she had penetrated time and returned to the end point that determined her fate.

"Just when we were about to give up, it was Hyotei-sama who showed up and prevented this tragedy. He caught Sugnir's sword and told us that we had all passed the trial. However, after we left the trial grounds, we couldn't find Teacher Phoenix. It wasn't until he officially bestowed the title of Paladin on us that we learned..."

"Teacher, in order to repair the space-time rift torn open by the Sangyang people in 'Frost Sky' and prevent them from invading the glacier, she sacrificed herself..."

Peruvian's voice stopped abruptly here. She did not continue, but the unfinished words and the deep sorrow in her eyes said it all.

Phoenix, the former one of the Three Saints of Ice and Snow Phoenix, eventually burned himself out in order to protect this land.

The cemetery was dead silent; even the wind seemed to have stopped sobbing, as if it was mourning for the deceased hero.

Kailin opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a single word. She could only stare blankly at the ice monument, her heart filled with an indescribable heaviness.

Mo Yan was also silent. Although he had heard Rednos talk about the abyss before, he had never imagined it would be so heavy. No, it was just a partial account, and it probably didn't fully describe the tragedy and sacrifice involved. It was still the same now.

But if she knew that Funina was the reincarnation of Phoenix... Mo Yan's thoughts raced, but he ultimately suppressed the information.

He looked at Peruvili's silhouette, lost in sorrow, and the sense of alienation he had felt towards her faded considerably, replaced by a complex respect. This respect was not only for her, but also for the Snow Phoenix, whom he had never met but who had dedicated her life to protecting him.

"I'm sorry for bringing up your sad memories." Mo Yan said softly, his tone sincere.

Pelvilli shook her head slowly, raised her hand and gently brushed away the thin layer of snow that had just fallen on the ice monument.

"It's okay. The teacher sacrificed herself so that more people could live. Remembering her is a kind of comfort in itself." Her voice returned to its previous coldness, and then she looked up at the sky. "But if possible, I really want to see her again..."

Her voice was very soft, like snowflakes falling to the ground, with an almost imperceptible tremor and deep longing, dissipating in the cold air.

The unfinished words were the word "teacher".

Mo Yan and Kailin both understood. This longing that spanned such a long time was so heavy that it made people's hearts ache.

At this moment, a light came out of Mo Yan's pocket.

The light was not dazzling, but it seemed particularly abrupt in this silent and sad cemetery.

Mo Yan was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously reached into his pocket and touched the Time Stone that Diablo had given him before leaving. At that moment, the stone was slightly warm and emitting a bright halo.

"Did Diablo give me the Time Stone? How could this be..."

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Karin's attention was attracted by the stone in his hand, and she came over curiously.

Pelville also glanced sideways slightly, and a hint of barely perceptible surprise flashed across her cross-shaped pupils. It was obvious that she also felt the power contained in the gem.

"What is this?" she asked softly.

Before Mo Yan could explain, the light of the Time Stone suddenly intensified, enveloping everyone in an instant. When everyone opened their eyes again, they saw a different scenery.

The tombstone disappeared, and what came into view was an ordinary snowy scene.

Pelville looked around, a little confused by the disappearance of the ice monument.

"What's going on? What did you do?" She suddenly looked at Mo Yan and Kailin with a fierce look.

"No! It's none of our business!" Karen waved her hands quickly.

She subconsciously looked at Mo Yan, but the gem in his hand had disappeared.

"I don't know either..." Mo Yan frowned and spread out his empty palms. "Diablo gave us that stone. It suddenly glowed just now, and then we came here."

"Diablo?" Hearing this name, Pervelly's brows suddenly furrowed. "Are you talking about the Time Demon, one of the Six Evil Saints?"

Kailin nodded quickly. "That's right. He forced this stone on us. He said it was the Time Stone, and that it would allow us to travel through time. But we don't know why it appeared on its own."

The fierceness in Peruvian's eyes faded a little, and she looked towards the distant mountains. "Traveling through time... So this is the past?"

The wind was blowing coldly in the distance, but they still didn't feel the chill. They followed Pelville down the mountain and stepped into the bustling human city for the first time.

The market before me was identical to the one I'd seen before. If anything, the architecture seemed a bit more rustic, and the pedestrians' clothing had a more bygone era feel. The air was filled with the same bustle and atmosphere of life, yet subtly permeated with the rhythm of a different era.

Pelville walked in the middle of the road, looking around in a trance. For a moment, her eyes were filled with nostalgia and emotion for this place.

The familiar cries of vendors and the sounds of children playing perfectly resonated with a distant fragment in her memory. Her pace unconsciously slowed, and a hint of sadness gradually appeared in her eyes.

"I'm really... back?"