All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

(Special note: The powerful beings from various realms appearing in this chapter and the next are not realm breakers, and none of them are extremely powerful.)

One of them was Xiaoyaozi, dressed in a pure white Taoist robe, with a calm and otherworldly temperament. He was surrounded by immortal energy, and his eyes were as deep as the vast starry sea, as if he had already seen through all the causes and effects of the world. He stood there quietly, with no energy leaking out of his body, but he had an invisible pressure that made the entire starry sky submit to him.

The other was a colossal black shadow suspended deep within the swarm of insects—the King of the Zerg.

His body was covered by a thick and ferocious black exoskeleton. His blood-red eyes no longer held their former coldness and violence, but instead displayed a complex and unreadable range of emotions: exhaustion, regret, determination, and a hidden hope. The cold aura around him had also become disordered, as if he was undergoing a tremendous psychological shock.

The countless Zerg creatures in the sky became unusually quiet, no longer roaring or agitating. They simply hovered silently around their Zerg King, like the most loyal guards, emanating a faint glow, as if responding to their King's emotions. Their piety and determination sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present.

Fen Lie frowned, a hint of surprise and wariness flashing in his eyes. He stared intently at the Zerg King, then glanced at Xiaoyaozi beside him, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.

He couldn't understand the scene before him, nor could he understand Xiaoyaozi's expression. He could sense that the aura emanating from the Zerg King had become extremely strange. That complex emotion was definitely not something a brutal and bloodthirsty Zerg King could possess.

Han Min stood beside Fen Lie, her face pale, her body trembling slightly, her eyes filled with fear and confusion. She looked at the silent insectoids filling the sky, and at the insectoid king with his unusual expression. Her unease grew stronger, as if some earth-shattering secret was about to be revealed, a secret that would completely overturn all her understanding.

Junyi and Nianshang stared intently at the two figures, their eyes filled with doubt. They could sense that there seemed to be some unknown agreement between Xiaoyaozi and the King of the Zerg, a past that spanned many years. That tacit understanding, that weight, could not have been formed overnight.

Su Lan and Yao Guang stood on the Cambridge Observatory, their fists clenched tightly, their eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.

A familiar tremor flashed in Yao Guang's eyes. He looked at the black giant shadow and felt a strange pang of sorrow and heartache rise in his heart. The feeling was unfamiliar yet intense, as if he and this brutal insect king had once fought side by side, experienced countless life-and-death situations together, and endured endless despair together.

"Why...why do I feel this way?" Yao Guang murmured to himself, his voice hoarse and broken. He stared intently at the Zerg King, countless fragmented images flashing through his mind, disappearing in an instant, too fast for him to grasp, leaving only a severe headache.

Su Lan sensed Yao Guang's unusual behavior, gently patted his shoulder, and said in a gentle but serious tone, "Yao Guang, don't worry. Whatever the secret is, the truth will soon come out."

Her gaze returned to the two figures in the starry sky, and her premonition grew stronger. She knew that the secret about to be revealed would shock the entire starry sea and completely change the fate of all of them.

At this moment, Ye Fan, the focus of countless gazes, was suspended in mid-air, still enveloped in golden inscriptions and dark red energy. His body was still twisting and struggling, and his mournful roars still echoed in the starry sky. However, his consciousness seemed to have cleared up a bit. His golden and red eyes were fixed on the direction of the Zerg King, and a strange tremor flashed in his eyes, as if he was calling for something, or as if he was resisting something.

He could sense that the giant black figure possessed an aura that shared the same origin as his own. That aura was familiar and warm, as if it were another version of himself, or as if it were a call from the future that had transcended countless years.

In the midst of this eerie and heavy silence, Xiaoyaozi slowly spoke.

His voice, gentle and steady, without the slightest ripple, yet carrying a power that penetrates the soul, slowly echoed throughout the entire starry sky, overpowering all the noise and clearly reaching everyone's ears. Each word was like a heavy hammer, striking hard into everyone's heart.

"Has anything changed from your past experiences this time?"

Xiaoyaozi's gaze was fixed on the King of the Zerg, his eyes deep, as if he could see through all his disguises, all his past, and all the regret and determination in his heart. After a pause, he slowly uttered two words, which were like thunderclaps, instantly igniting the entire starry sky!

"Ye Fan".

Ye Fan?!

These two words, like two thunderclaps, exploded in everyone's minds, instantly creating a huge wave. Everyone was dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief. They stared intently at the Zerg King, then looked at Ye Fan, who was struggling in mid-air. Their minds were blank, as if all their consciousness had been taken away.

The King of the Zerg... is Ye Fan?!

How is that possible?!

How could that brutal and bloodthirsty Zerg King, who commands billions of Zerg and wants to devour the entire starry sky, possibly be the same young Ye Fan who yearns to return home, wants to protect everyone around him, and is currently enduring endless pain?!

This is utterly absurd! This is simply impossible!

Fen Lie's face also turned extremely ugly. He stared intently at the Zerg King, his wariness and resentment instantly replaced by shock. He could feel that when Xiaoyaozi uttered the name "Ye Fan," the Zerg King's aura trembled violently. That emotional fluctuation was definitely not feigned.

"Could it be... that he really is Ye Fan?" Fen Lie murmured to himself, his shock beyond words. He never imagined that the King of the Zerg would be this young man Ye Fan, whom he had never taken seriously. This was the greatest mockery of him!

Junyi and Nian Shang froze simultaneously, their confusion instantly replaced by shock. They simply couldn't reconcile the image of that young man with that brutal insect king before them.

Su Lan's body trembled slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief. She looked at the black giant shadow, then at Ye Fan, who was struggling in pain in mid-air. The bitterness and heartache in her heart grew stronger. She couldn't believe that her comrade-in-arms, who had fought alongside her and supported each other, would become like this in the future, a monster who would lead billions of insectoids.

Yao Guang was now completely frozen in place, staring intently at the Zerg King. The shock in his eyes was beyond words. In his mind, those fragmented images surged up again, becoming clearer and clearer, more and more complete. The intense headache made it almost impossible for him to breathe, but he gritted his teeth and refused to give up, trying to grasp those fragmented memories and figure out what was going on.

He saw it, he saw a Ye Fan completely different from the one he knew now, a Ye Fan covered in wounds, his eyes filled with despair, he saw himself and that Ye Fan working day and night in the laboratory, researching some kind of strange potion, he saw a kind and lovable simpleton by their side, fighting and persevering together...

Those scenes, so real and cruel, filled Yao Guang's heart with bitterness and pain. He finally understood where the inexplicable throbbing and heartache in his heart came from: it was a bond that had spanned many years, a bond that had reached the future, and a bond that had formed with those who had fought side by side.

Just when everyone was still reeling from this incredible reversal, the Zerg King made his move.

His black exoskeleton trembled slightly, and a surge of intense emotions flashed in his blood-red eyes—pain, regret, relief, and a hidden hope. He slowly raised his enormous hand and bowed slightly toward Xiaoyaozi, his movements respectful and heavy, as if telling Xiaoyaozi of his endless regret and resolute determination.

The next second, a deep, hoarse voice, filled with endless weariness and regret, burst forth from his mouth, slowly echoing throughout the entire starry sky. That voice was seven parts similar to Ye Fan's mournful roar in mid-air, only with a touch more of the vicissitudes of long years, a touch more of the numbness of endless despair, and a touch more of the resolute determination of burning one's boats.

"Back then, you told me a name."

"You said you would help me if I said this name."

One sentence plunged the entire starry sky into deathly silence once again.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the Zerg King, their eyes filled with doubt and curiosity. They didn't know what that name was, what secrets it concealed, or what kind of agreement or long history existed between Xiaoyaozi and the Zerg King.

Xiaoyaozi looked at the Zerg King, a faint sigh flashing in his eyes. In that sigh, there was pity, admiration, helplessness, and a hint of understanding. He slowly nodded, his tone gentle yet heavy: "You don't need to say it. I knew it the moment you said it."

"That name is your deepest obsession, the faith you have refused to give up despite countless years, and the only light in your endless despair."

"Indeed, this is the beginning of your path to redemption."

As Xiaoyaozi finished speaking, the aura around the King of the Zerg trembled violently once again. Tears slowly slid down from his blood-red eyes. These tears were not cold insect fluid, but scalding hot tears, carrying endless regret and pain, endless hope and determination. They dripped into the starry sky, instantly turning into countless glimmers of light and dissipating into the void.

He slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Ye Fan, who was struggling in pain in mid-air. The regret and heartache in his eyes grew stronger, as if he were looking at his former self, at that boy who had not yet experienced all despair, still had hope, and was still able to protect everyone around him.

"So... everything was predetermined."

The Zerg King murmured to himself, his voice hoarse and broken, filled with endless vicissitudes and helplessness, "I thought I could change everything, I thought I could stop all the tragedies, but only in the end did I realize that some causes and effects, some destinies, were already predetermined in the dark."

"But I'm not reconciled... I'm really not reconciled..."

His voice grew increasingly agitated and shrill, filled with endless despair and resentment, echoing across the entire starry sky: "I watched with my own eyes as my world was destroyed by powerful beings from all realms; I watched with my own eyes as those around me left me one by one; I watched with my own eyes as all the creatures in the entire starry sky were infected and turned into a brutal and bloodthirsty insectoid race; I watched with my own eyes as all hope vanished into thin air..."

"I'm not reconciled! I'm truly not reconciled to admit defeat like this! I'm not reconciled to just watch all these tragedies repeat themselves time and time again!"

The roar of the Zerg King was mournful and resolute, filled with endless pain and resentment. It made everyone present feel a pang in their hearts, as if they could feel the despair and torment that had spanned countless years in his heart, as if they could see the horrific tragedies he had experienced.

Yao Guang's body trembled incessantly, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. He stared intently at the Zerg King, the memories in his mind becoming clearer and clearer. Those fragmented scenes played out slowly in his mind like a movie, those painful, desperate, resolute, and warm moments appearing clearly before his eyes.

He finally understood, understood everything, understood the true identity of the Zerg King, understood the origin of those Zerg, and understood why they had done everything.

The King of the Zerg is none other than Ye Fan, who has experienced all despair, traversed countless years, and returned from the future to the present!

After countless years, after experiencing all the tragedies and despair, he actually returned to this time with the help of Xiaoyaozi, to the moment before all the tragedies had happened!

The insectoids surrounding him were not ordinary insectoids, nor were they brutal, bloodthirsty monsters that wanted to devour the entire starry sky. They were "Hope Insects" that Ye Fan had painstakingly cultivated in the future timeline, and they were his last bargaining chip to stop the tragedy and protect the world!

A past sealed away for countless years, a memory filled with despair and struggle, perseverance and redemption, slowly unveiled its mysterious veil and was presented to everyone amidst the roar of the Zerg King (Ye Fan in the future) and the shattered memories of the Yao Guang.

That was a dark and hopeless era.

In a future timeline, Ye Fan is no longer the boy with a strong desire to return home. He has grown into a powerful warrior, with Yao Guang by his side, Dai Dai protecting him, and countless comrades fighting side by side. Together, they protect the world they live in and everyone around them.

But the peaceful days did not last long.

Suddenly, powerful beings from all realms launched a massive invasion. Like ravenous wolves, they swept across the entire starry sky, leaving nothing but devastation and carnage wherever they went. Countless planets were destroyed, countless races were exterminated, and countless lives were devoured. Their brutality and bloodlust, their strength and dominance, plunged the entire starry sky into endless darkness and despair.

The world Ye Fan lived in was not spared either.

The army of powerful beings from all realms surged into their world like a tidal wave, frantically slaughtering their compatriots and destroying their homes. Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and Dai Dai led all the warriors, fighting with all their might to resist, but their strength seemed so small and insignificant in the face of the powerful beings from all realms.

One brutal battle after another, one desperate counterattack after another, countless comrades fell in pools of blood, countless homes were reduced to ruins. Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and Dai Dai's injuries worsened, and their despair grew stronger. They watched as those around them left one by one, watched as their world was destroyed bit by bit, but they were powerless to do anything but watch helplessly as all hope vanished into thin air.

"We can't give up! We absolutely cannot give up!"

Ye Fan, though covered in wounds, still had a resolute gaze. He gripped his weapon tightly, looking at the equally wounded Yao Guang and Dai Dai beside him, and said resolutely, "We still have hope, we still have a chance. We must develop a weapon that can contend with the strongest beings from all realms, we must protect our world, and we must avenge our compatriots!"

Looking into Ye Fan's resolute eyes, Yao Guang's despair was gradually replaced by determination. He nodded, his tone resolute: "Ye Fan, I'll be with you! No matter the cost, no matter how difficult, I will be with you to develop a weapon to contend with the powerful beings of all realms, and together we will protect our world!"

Daidai nodded vigorously, his honest face filled with determination. He patted his chest, his tone sincere and resolute: "Brother Ye Fan, Brother Yaoguang, I'll stand with you! Although I'm not strong enough, I will do everything in my power to help you, even if it means death, I will not back down!"

And so, Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and Dai Dai gave up all their rest time and hid in the deepest secret laboratory, working day and night, neglecting sleep and meals, to frantically develop a gene serum that could rival the powerhouses of all realms.

The laboratory was dark and damp, filled with all sorts of complicated instruments and strange reagents. The pungent smell permeated the entire laboratory, making it hard to breathe. But Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and Dai Dai didn't care at all. They had only one goal in mind: to develop a gene serum to fight against the powerful beings from all worlds and protect their own world.

They consulted countless ancient books, studied countless gene samples, tried countless formulas, and experienced countless failures. Each failure was accompanied by a violent explosion, each failure left them severely injured, and each failure deepened the despair in their hearts.

Several times, the laboratory experienced violent explosions, and Yao Guang and Dai Dai were seriously injured and on the verge of death. However, the first thing they did after waking up was to continue to devote themselves to the research and development of the drug without the slightest hesitation or complaint.

Looking at Yaoguang and Daidai, who had stayed by his side without ever abandoning him, Ye Fan was deeply moved. He became even more determined and vowed to develop a gene serum so that they could live a good life and protect their shared home.

Days passed, and the reagents in the laboratory were replaced batch after batch. One piece of equipment after another broke down. Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and Dai Dai's health deteriorated, their faces showed increasing fatigue, and their bodies bore more and more scars. But their eyes remained firm, and they never gave up.

They knew that time was running out. The army of powerful beings from all realms was closing in step by step, and their world was on the verge of destruction. They had to develop a gene serum as soon as possible, otherwise, what awaited them would be utter annihilation and the tragic death of all their compatriots.