Volume One: The Game of the Controller Chapter Fifty-One: Return to the Mortal Realm

The scene before his eyes kept shifting, and the world around Qin Shuang was also changing. The pitch-black void reappeared, and countless stars gradually emerged all around him. The stability of this cosmic space told Qin Shuang that he was no longer in Shanhai Heaven, nor on the Infinite Continent, but rather… in the realm of mortals. Only the black figure behind him remained unchanged, standing motionless at his back. This figure was the final reward from Shanhai Heaven.

“Young man, congratulations. The last prize from Shanhai Heaven is a puppet. This puppet requires no blood to recognize its master. From the moment it appeared by your side, it will belong to you forever!”

The sonorous voice rang out again, but this time it seemed to recede into the distance, eventually fading away completely.

“A puppet?” Qin Shuang had already sensed the existence of this gift. As soon as the voice vanished, the information about the puppet suddenly flashed into his mind.

This puppet possessed two unique traits. First, it was indestructible.

The information in Qin Shuang’s mind was clear: no matter how powerful an attack, it could never destroy the puppet’s body. Its hardness surpassed even the finest primordial treasures.

The second trait: it could freely change its form, even transforming into smoke. In the divine realm, puppets were not uncommon, but those that could shift at will were exceedingly rare.

To become smoke was to lose all physical form; no matter how fierce the assault, it would be futile.

With an inherently indestructible nature, combined with the ability to become smoke, this puppet was like an invincible turtle shell—impossible to kill. Its defense was absolute, but its offensive power… relied solely on the strength of its physical form, which was one level higher than Qin Shuang himself: a lower-tier divine being.

However, every time Qin Shuang advanced a realm, the puppet would also advance. If one day Qin Shuang reached the upper celestial god level, the puppet would attain the power of a divine king.

Whether it could surpass that, reaching the strength of a celestial sovereign, was not revealed in the information provided.

“Heh, it truly is an extraordinary treasure.” Qin Shuang forced a bitter smile as he gazed at the puppet’s emotionless face. “But… if only my brother could return, I’d gladly give up this puppet…”

*************************

Primordial Water: every drop is a space, yet it can only imprison, not kill. To slay, one must rely on time, shrinking the space until it vanishes.

“Boom!” Another sphere exploded violently. The figure inside barely had time to react before being trapped in yet another droplet.

“Without the golden spear, things are much trickier,” Qin Si shook his head, displeased with the upper-tier divine weapon in his hand, which was hardly to his liking.

“Well, it’s better than nothing. At least it’s better than fighting barehanded.”

Ten years had passed since Qin Si fell into the Primordial Water. In that decade, he had no idea how many spaces he had shattered. The Primordial Water, just as that mysterious voice had said, seemed endless—no matter how many he broke, there were always more.

Primordial Space.

Both Primordial and Linmeng, along with Qin Yu, looked grave. The Primordial Golden List floated silently before them. Ever since Qin Si had violently broken through the Primordial Water at the Sea of a Thousand Tribulations, the three had been watching this Golden List.

The Primordial Golden List recorded the lives of all beings in the three universes. Even those whose fates were unknown had their names inscribed, though their life trajectories were not detailed.

But after Qin Si shattered the first droplet of Primordial Water at the Sea of a Thousand Tribulations, his name vanished. A living person in the Linmeng universe—his name simply disappeared.

Primordial had existed for over a thousand epochs, and never before had such a thing occurred.

Qin Si’s name vanishing from the Primordial Golden List was utterly beyond Primordial’s comprehension.

The Golden List was the foundation of Primordial Space. Even the names of the three controllers were on it. Though they held the position of controllers, their names remained. Now, a living man had inexplicably vanished.

“Second brother, third brother, I wish to enter seclusion for a while.” Primordial took a deep breath and suddenly addressed Linmeng and Qin Yu.

“Big brother, what do you mean?” Linmeng asked in surprise. Primordial had existed for over a thousand epochs; though Linmeng and Qin Yu were also controllers, Primordial’s strength and experience surpassed theirs. He resided in Primordial Space, so the concept of seclusion was almost meaningless. For him to formally announce his intent to retreat was no simple matter.

“Is it about Xiao Si…?” Qin Yu asked, uncertainty in his voice.

“Don’t jump to conclusions. I’ve wasted too much time in the past, and there are things I need to consider carefully.” Primordial replied with a smile.

Primordial had changed, both Qin Yu and Linmeng realized. Linmeng felt it vaguely, while Qin Yu could not pinpoint it—after all, his time as a controller had been far too short.

“By the way, during my seclusion, the game we set must not be suspended. Perhaps this, too, is an opportunity for us.” Primordial began to walk deeper into the space, then turned back to Linmeng and Qin Yu, uttered these final words, and disappeared.

“Second brother, do you have any idea?” Qin Yu asked Linmeng. Primordial’s departure was rather abrupt, and since all this was caused by Qin Si, Qin Yu couldn’t help but worry.

“I know no more than you do,” Linmeng replied with a wry smile. Seeing Qin Yu’s furrowed brow, he suddenly laughed. “But don't fret, your two sons are both remarkable—one surpassing the next. Xiao Si’s name even vanished from the Primordial Golden List; who knows what his future holds? Honestly, when it comes to sons, I really envy you.”

Indeed, both of Qin Yu’s sons were a source of pride. Qin Shuang, though less talented and slower to cultivate, had an unknown fate that might yet allow him to become the fourth controller of Primordial.

The trials of Shanhai Heaven were each unique, and to complete all the challenges and win the final prize was no small feat. Moreover, except for the final lotus, Qin Shuang had faced every ordeal alone, with no one aiding him. The difficulties he endured were exactly the same as those faced by other cultivators and by Qin Si himself. To have persevered to the end was already remarkable.

As for Qin Si, his achievements were even more astonishing. Originally destined to become a celestial sovereign, he broke through the impossible: the Primordial Water. Primordial Water and Primordial Energy were among the first things to exist, predating even Primordial himself. The Water contained the most basic laws of space—simple to comprehend, but impossible to break by force. Aside from controllers, not even a celestial sovereign could do it.

Yet Qin Si did it, and in doing so altered the Golden List so that his name vanished—a change significant enough to drive Primordial into seclusion.

Controllers could foresee the futures of all lives in their universes, but regarding their own fate, they were as blind as anyone else.

Qin Si remained trapped in the Primordial Water, but as time passed, he broke through more and more of it by force. Shanhai Heaven had vanished, and the pool of Primordial Water had been moved elsewhere. What was once a whole pool had now shrunk by at least twenty percent—all destroyed by Qin Si’s sheer power.

Fifty years on, Qin Si had become adept at breaking through the Water, growing ever faster. Once, he could only break a single droplet at a time; now, he could shatter a hundred, even a thousand, in one go. This accelerated the Water’s depletion, and now less than half remained.

Eighty more years passed.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom erupted in the mortal universe. A pocket of space burst apart, shards scattering everywhere, and a hearty laugh rang out.

“Ha! Damn Primordial Water—finally, I’m free!”

A vast divine sense instantly swept across the entire mortal realm. Indeed, Qin Si had made a breakthrough: his divine sense could now cross parallel space barriers. In a place like the mortal world, if he chose, he could envelop the entire realm in an instant, ignoring all spatial obstacles.

“Heh, you fool—it’s been a hundred and forty years and you still haven’t undergone the divine tribulation. What an idiot.”

For the last hundred and forty years, Qin Shuang had tried to force himself into seclusion, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not erase the image of Qin Si’s expression when he fell into the Primordial Water.

From the moment Qin Si pulled him away at the lotus pool, every subsequent event played again and again in Qin Shuang’s mind, leaving him unable to calm himself to cultivate.

He was lost in thought when, out of nowhere, a voice startled him.

“B–big brother?” Qin Shuang stared in disbelief at the figure before him.

Thunk! Qin Si knocked him hard on the head. “You brat, didn’t I tell you to hurry up and cross the tribulation and return to the divine realm?”

“Big brother… it’s really you!” Qin Shuang paid no heed to his words, utterly overcome with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Don’t… don’t cry. I’ve made it out.” Qin Si said softly. “Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. Little Shuang, I’ve been through a great ordeal, but I’ve come out stronger than ever.”

(To be continued)