The middle-aged woman sighed, "For young girls, naturally, this image is easier to gain their trust and closeness."
As he spoke, he turned into an old man again and stroked his gray hair: "Let's talk like this. I'm actually not used to being a woman either."
Ye Xiao simply didn't know what to say. He seemed to understand a little bit where that unreliable personality came from.
Thinking of Tan Tan, his heart ached again. "Just tell me, what can I do to save her?" He stared at him intently. "Since you're her teacher, and you've let me see this and tell me this, there must be a way."
The old man's expression gradually became serious. He waved his hand and the two of them appeared outside, in a place that looked like a small garden. It was sunny and the weather was beautiful.
The old man sat at the round table, silent for a moment before saying, "You've just read the book. Multi-element psychics are a tragedy. Five-element psychics shouldn't even exist. Do you know why?"
Ye Xiao sat across from him, frowning. "The book roughly explains that there are too many superpowers, and the body can't handle it."
"That explanation is certainly valid, but from a broader perspective, the more superpowers one has, the stronger they are, and the closer they are to their limits. This is especially true for those with five superpowers. When all five superpowers reach their maximum level, their bodies undergo a qualitative change, exceeding the standards of this world and thus breaking away from its rules. This is something that the rules of this world do not allow."
Ye Xiao was shocked: "World... rules?"
The old man continued, "Let me put it this way. The world before and after the apocalypse are two completely different things. The outbreak of the apocalypse is equivalent to the rapid transformation of this world. Transformation is inevitably accompanied by sacrifice and selection, so zombies appeared. Transformation also has its advantages. Various superpowers, superpowers, and mutant plants and animals were born from it.
"This transformation took approximately seven years, but ultimately it was unsuccessful. The world was in a very awkward state. Humanity and all living things had evolved, but not comprehensively, stagnating in the middle, with no one able to leap to a completely new level. As the rules of the world were reshaped, they gradually solidified into a set of rules that matched them. This invisible and intangible thing governed the development of the entire world and excluded any deviations.
"For example, after three hundred years, only five supernatural powers will remain: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. All other supernatural powers will disappear, and all energy in the world will be classified as the five elements. This is because other types of supernatural powers outside the five elements are more likely to become difficult to control and are more likely to deviate from the rules of the world, so the rules of the world will gradually erase them.
"It erases powers outside of the Five Elements, restricts the existence of those with multiple powers, and makes it extremely difficult to reach the maximum level of power. All of this is done to maintain current stability. Until, perhaps thousands of years from now, a huge external force will cause the rules to collapse, leading to transformation and reshaping."
Ye Xiao understood after hearing this, and he said, "Tan Tan is an anomaly."
"Yes, she was targeted for eradication by the world's rules from birth, but she was special. The world's rules couldn't wipe her out like they do with other multi-powered people, rendering her either dead or demented. She was always cute, intelligent, and caring, except for her congenitally deficient legs. However, by the time she was four or five, she was on the verge of death several times. If it weren't for her parents' insistence on treatment and the government's green channel and abundant precious medical resources, she would have collapsed long ago. That's when I discovered her."
"I wonder how far she can go if she keeps going."
"I came to her and started teaching her how to practice."
"She was truly smart, hardworking, and successful. She also possessed exceptional talent, reaching the pinnacle in just over a decade. However, just as her Wood Element was nearing maximum level, her abilities suddenly collapsed."
The old man sighed and said, "This is the effect of the rules of the world. It is completely inexplicable and irreversible. Human power is simply unable to fight against it."
Ye Xiao looked at him and said, "You can't do it either?"
The old man's eyes, filled with vicissitudes of life, looked into the distance: "I taught her to practice, which is already against the rules of the world. If I do too much, it will only let that thing wipe her out directly. The only thing I can do is to steal her soul after she dies, find a parallel world with suitable conditions, and put her there."
Ye Xiao said: "Is this the world I live in?"
The old man gave him a disapproving look. Ye Xiao found the disapproval a bit odd, but Xu Tianjin didn't explain. He turned his gaze away and said, "The conditions there are most suitable. There's also a member of the Lin family, with the same parents and a brother. They're even named Lin Tantan—when Tan was born, her parents named her Tan, the character for "ephemeral flower," but later changed it because they felt it was unlucky."
"Even this Lin Tantan and Tan Tan look alike."
"This is a kind of destiny. Two families from different eras are actually two possibilities born from countless parallel worlds." The old man sighed with emotion. "One of the Forty-Nine Tianyan has escaped, and Lin Tantan is Tantan's only hope. The best part is, this Lin Tantan will die on the first day of the apocalypse. That day is the moment when the old rules are shattered and new rules are born. I will inject Tantan into Lin Tantan at that moment, completely unnoticed. That will be her brand new life."
"But Tan Tan made a fatal mistake."
Ye Xiao frowned: "What is it?"
"After she was reborn, she made a promise to Lin Tantan, saying that she would fulfill one of her wishes."
The old man shook his head. "You can't say it's a mistake. Perhaps it's fate. In this world, everyone's soul exists for a short period after death before completely dissipating. At that time, Lin Tantan hadn't completely dissipated yet. Upon hearing these words, a contract was formed between him and Tan Tan, allowing him to survive."
"As the new rules are improved, their contracts will gradually be sensed, especially after Tan Tan's obsession is fulfilled... cough cough!" He suddenly coughed twice and stopped talking.
Ye Xiao asked: "What obsession?"
The old man glared at him again, his eyes filled with the rage and displeasure of an old father looking at the brat who had kidnapped his daughter. He said, "Is that the point? The point is that Lin Tantan awakened and continued to weaken Tantan's power. Even though the contract was completed, the rules of the new world didn't fully acknowledge Tantan's existence. Plus, she was too weak. That's why that half-baked Jin Liangyu was able to easily force Tantan out of her body."
Ye Xiao was inexplicably glared at, but he didn't care at all. He clenched his fists on the table and asked, "Forced out? Are you saying Tan Tan is still there, just not in that body anymore?"
The old man snorted, "What else? If she's gone, why would I waste so much time talking to you?"
Ye Xiao stood up suddenly: "Where is she?"
"sit down."
Ye Xiao was silent for a moment, then sat back down silently: "So what should we do? Should we find her and let her return to Lin Tantan's body..."
"Are you a fish-brained person?" the old man cursed rudely. "The fact that she was pulled out of her body by that rubbish Jin Liangyu shows that the laws of the world are not on her side and don't recognize her as the owner of that body. She can't go back."
Ye Xiao remained silent. After a while, he stood up, bowed sincerely, and said, "Please teach me, teacher."
"Who is your teacher?"
"You are Tan Tan's teacher, and you are my teacher."
The old man was amused. This kid was quite shameless.
He didn't argue with the other party. After a moment's silence, he said, "I've figured it out. There's only one way. It's better to keep the original body. Only by letting her return to her own body can she live long-term."
Ye Xiao's eyes lit up, then he frowned again: "But..." He stared at Xu Tianjin.
"That's right, her body is already dead. Don't expect me to turn back time. The past cannot be changed. The best I can do is snatch the body back from those government officials." The old man tapped the table, and Ye Xiao's eyes fell on his finger. Xu Tianjin continued, "But if I could make such a big fuss, I wouldn't have to steal her away quietly. Besides, as an outsider, I can't interfere."
He looked at Ye Xiao, moved closer, and lowered his voice: "But you can."
Ye Xiao frowned: "I don't understand, I don't have such ability."
"Just because there's nothing now doesn't mean there won't be in the future. As long as you dare to dream, nothing is impossible. You have to know that you live in the best of times." The old man smiled meaningfully and stood up. "That's all I can say, young man. Think carefully about what I said. You can find the answer."
As these words fell, the old man gradually disappeared from the table. Ye Xiao sat down silently, lost in thought, when he suddenly shuddered: "You haven't told me where Tan Tan is!"
The next moment, his eyes blurred, and he found himself back at the base. The sky was clear, the sun shining brightly. Not far away was a large field of farmland, and beside him was a pile of wood debris. In front of him stood Xu Tianjin, but this Xu Tianjin was no longer the Xu Tianjin from the old man's core. He looked at Ye Xiao with a bewildered expression: "Chief, what are you doing? Wait, who are you? Where am I?"
Ye Xiao frowned and looked at him: "Xu Tianjin?"
"Yes, I am, but who are you? Isn't this the end of the world? Where is this place? Why are there no zombies?"
Ye Xiao looked at him suspiciously: "Do you remember what time it is now?"
"I know, isn't it February 2019? The apocalypse broke out a month ago!"
Ye Xiao narrowed his eyes, a clear understanding forming within him. Tan Tan had previously mentioned that Xu Tianjin had been reborn in the body of Xu Tianjin from this world last February. Now it seemed that the reincarnated Xu Tianjin wasn't the real Xu Tianjin, but someone impersonating him. He turned and looked around; everything was calm, nothing strange or unusual. That person had already left.
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