Yun Ruoxi looked down at her palm, where there was a light blue mark that was slowly fading.
She felt something extra inside her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Jamel Xiao stared at the radar screen: "Something is approaching...very fast!"
On the distant skyline, three black dots were flying towards them at an alarming speed.
“Everyone fasten your seatbelts!”
The helicopter tilted suddenly, Yun Ruoxi grabbed the armrest of the seat, and felt her stomach churning.
She looked at her palm again. The blue mark had completely disappeared, but a slight burning sensation still remained on her palm.
"What on earth is that thing?" Xiao Jingxuan adjusted the radar parameters, his voice tense, "It's faster than any known aircraft... They changed direction! Now they're chasing us!"
Yun Ruoxi looked through the porthole and saw that the three black dots had turned into the blurred outline of an aircraft, reflecting a metallic luster in the sunlight.
They formed a triangular formation, silently tearing through the clouds.
"Hold on tight!" Xiao Jingrui yelled, and the helicopter dived rapidly.
Yun Ruoxi felt dizzy, and a strange picture flashed before her eyes - she saw herself standing next to the villa where she currently lived, and the sky was an unnatural purple-red.
The scene was fleeting, but so real that it made her heart beat faster.
“They’re slowing down!” Xiao Jingxuan suddenly shouted, “They stopped about two kilometers away from us… Wait, are they retreating?”
Sure enough, the three UFOs began to retreat and eventually disappeared on the skyline.
The cabin was silent except for the roar of the engine.
"Let's go back to Taohua Village first," Mu Ruxue finally broke the silence.
Two hours later, the helicopter landed on an open space outside Taohua Village.
Yun Ruoxi stepped out of the cabin and looked at the familiar environment, feeling a little more at ease.
Jamel Xiao walked over and whispered, "Ruoxi, your hand."
She looked down and saw the blue mark reappear, this time more clearly - a complex symbol, like some kind of ancient writing.
"What is this?" Xiao Jingxuan asked vigilantly.
"It seems to be a time and space imprint, a key that can travel through time."
Yun Ruoxi's palm suddenly became hot, and the blue light became stronger.
"Ah!" she cried out in pain, feeling that the light was swallowing her.
Jamel Xiao reached out to hold her, but was bounced away the moment he touched her.
Yun Ruoxi felt dizzy, and countless scenes flashed before her eyes: she saw herself standing in Taohua Village in different eras, saw villages in the midst of war, saw prosperous markets, and even saw towering metal buildings in the future... Finally, she saw three people in silver uniforms standing in front of a glowing device, one of them raised his arm with a red mark on it, which was the opposite of hers.
"Time Scar..." she murmured unconsciously.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet.
Yun Ruoxi found herself still standing there, but the expressions of Xiao Jingxuan, Mu Ruxue, and Xiao Jingrui were frozen, as if time had been paused.
No, not a pause—she saw a flying insect flying past her at an extremely slow speed.
“The first crossing is always the most difficult.”
Suddenly a strange sound appeared and Yun Ruoxi was startled.
"Who are you?" She took a step back, the blue mark still glowing.
"My name is not important. You only need to know that I am the last Guardian of Time and Space."
The old man sighed and said, "I thought the mark had disappeared with the death of the previous holder. I didn't expect it to choose you."
"What on earth is going on?" Yun Ruoxi's voice trembled. "What are those black spots?"
The old man walked over to the central symbol. "The Time and Space Mark allows you to travel through different timelines, but each use will leave... traces in reality."
"What about the three aircraft?"
"Time Markers," Lin Mo's expression became serious, "Time Police from the future. They believe that time travelers have polluted the pure timeline and will eliminate all mark holders at all costs."
Yun Ruoxi felt dizzy, and time suddenly returned to normal flow.
Jamel Xiao held her up: "Ruoxi! Are you okay? You just... glowed."
She looked at the old man, who shook his head imperceptibly.
"I'm fine," she said with a forced smile, "just a little dizzy."
“You should rest,” the old village chief said with concern. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
It was only then that she realized that a lot of villagers had gathered around her without her noticing.
At night, Yun Ruoxi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She quietly got up and went to the third-floor terrace.
Unexpectedly, the old man seemed to have expected her arrival and was waiting for her there.
Only she can see this old man, no one else can see him.
"I know you have more questions," he said, lighting an oil lamp. "Ask."
"Why me?" Yun Ruoxi asked directly, "Why did the mark choose me?"
The old man pondered for a moment. "The mark is not a choice, but an awakening. You have always had the genes of a time traveler in you, but you just need an opportunity to awaken. That blue beam of light in the northern mountains is that opportunity—it is an ancient time beacon."
"So... can I control this ability?"
“Theoretically, yes,” Lin Mo nodded, “but it requires training. And…” He hesitated, “Every time you cross, it will consume your vitality. Overuse can be fatal.”
Yun Ruoxi recalled those flashbacks: "I saw Taohua Village in the future... It has become a high-tech city. There are also three Time Scars..."
"That's one of the possible futures," Lin Mo said seriously. "The Time Scars come from a future where time and space technology is abused. They try to maintain a so-called 'pure' timeline by eliminating all time travelers. But they don't understand that time is inherently fluid and changeable."
“What do I need to do?”
"Learn to control the imprint," Lin Mo said.
Yun Ruoxi looked at her palm. The blue mark appeared again, clearer than before. "Where should I start?"
"First," Lin Mo pointed to the void, where a door had appeared that hadn't been there before, "we need to test the limits of your abilities. Are you ready for your first active journey?"
Yes, all the previous time travels were passive, but this time it was active.
But from the beginning, she and Mu Ruxue had been acting together. This time, she was alone and felt a little nervous.
She also thought about telling Xiao Jingrui about this, but Xiao Jingrui was not a cultivator after all. If he went to a strange world and encountered life-threatening danger, she would not be able to save him.
Yun Ruoxi took a deep breath and nodded.
When her hand touched the door, blue light burst out again, enveloping her completely.
At the last moment, she heard Lin Mo's voice coming from far away:
"Remember, whatever you see, don't change a thing. Observe, then come back..."
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