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--- Chapter 462 ---
Upon returning to Glory City, Han Yuan and Ye Ziyun found the stronghold of humanity bustling with activity. The remaining residents were prepared for the impending large-scale migration.
Under Xu Deming's direct command, they had even packed the complete legacies of his Spirit Guidance technology, ready to adapt to the Dou Qi Plane and rebuild a new Glory City at a moment's notice.
"You work remarkably hard for someone who was thawed out just a week ago," Han Yuan remarked, stepping into the City Lord's mansion to find Xu Deming tinkering with a complex array of spirit guidance devices. "I take it your condition has improved significantly."
Xu Deming paused his work, looking up with a crooked smile. "Ah, Brother Han, you're finally back. I began to think you were planning to spend your sweet time lounging inside that lazy dragon's cave."
Amused, Han Yuan let out a soft chuckle. "You're lucky Nuji is occupied with someone else right now. If she heard you calling her plane a mere 'dwelling cave,' she would have taken offense and beaten you up."
"Nuji... Hoho, it seems you're on a first-name basis with her now, Brother Han." Xu Deming raised an eyebrow, well aware of how very narcissistic Hanlong Nuji could be.
Even now, he couldn't fathom the true depth of the mysteries surrounding the Blue Dragon Lady.
Of course, that was primarily because Xu Deming's own cultivation level wasn't high enough, nor did he possess much knowledge of the vast worlds outside the Douluo Universe.
"Meh, we aren't that close. You can think of us as business partners to a certain degree," Han Yuan replied half-assedly, drawing an unbelieving laugh from Xu Deming.
"Hehehe, business partners, huh..." Xu Deming's gaze shifted over to Ye Ziyun, immediately spotting the majestic, icy-blue mark gleaming upon her fair forehead. "Is she considered a business partner as well, Brother Han?"
"Ziyun is my new follower," Han Yuan stated bluntly. "Though she has only just begun her journey, a person of her caliber will not disappoint me."
"Mhm. I will prove it," Ye Ziyun added, her eyes flashing with very strong determination. "I will prove to Lord Han that I am more than capable."
While it was certain that she was still holding onto the intimate emotions of her earlier confession, she knew that they hadn't known each other for very long in this context. Only time would reveal where their relationship would lead.
"Is that so?" The corners of Xu Deming's lips tugged into a playful, knowing smirk.
Noticing the teasing expression, Han Yuan snorted at him. "Alright, cut the chatter."
"Deming, what did you discover while we were gone? Once the timeline alignment strikes, how much of Glory City can actually be preserved?"
Xu Deming's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a calculating frown as he sat down cross-legged on the floor. "I know you plan to relocate the citizens to safety while preserving the empty shell of Glory City in the Far North to keep this current timeline connected to the future."
"However, leaving just the architecture behind isn't enough."
He looked up seriously. "We need anchors... Living, powerful anchors to keep this history from drifting."
"Ziyun and I will handle that," Han Yuan replied confidently. "You only need to worry about the stray spirit guidance legacies you might have carelessly left behind in this era."
"Oh, if that's the case, then everything is simple." Xu Deming clapped his hands, laughing with forced cheerfulness. "I've been extremely careful not to leave any traces of future knowledge here."
"Even that tin can manufactured by the Slaughter God wasn't enough to scratch my defenses, and you're already fully aware of the protocols I established for the future City Lords."
Han Yuan narrowed his silver eyes, his gaze piercing straight through the engineer. "Are you... certain about that?"
"..." Xu Deming froze immediately.
"You're sweating. You left something behind, didn't you?"
"Alright, fine, I admit it!" Xu Deming threw his hands up in a guilty gesture. "I might have left some advanced spirit guidance blueprints on the Sun and Moon Continent to give the empire a slight edge in the future."
"I was simply doing my ancestors a small favor, okay?"
Han Yuan rolled his eyes, utterly irritated. "Doing your ancestors a favor by handing them weapons of mass destruction?"
"Do you have any idea how disastrous the appearance of Battle Armor and Mechas would be to the people of this world ten thousand, or twenty thousand, years in the future?"
"If that level of technology suddenly drops into an era that isn't ready for it, the entire timeline will burst. By then, you could only say goodbye to the future."
His voice grew cold and commanding. "Trigger the kill switch and destroy every single one of them. Now. I know you put a self-destruct protocol in all your works."
"I can't afford another unpredictable variable in my timeline just because you wanted to play favorites with your ancestors."
"Fine..." Xu Deming's expression darkened with reluctance. Reaching into his spacious sleeve, he pulled out a glowing crystal orb and crushed it tightly between his fingers, shattering it into glittering dust right before Han Yuan's eyes.
Han Yuan activated his Eyes of Truth, staring at the fading remnants of the orb to confirm it truly was the master trigger for Xu Deming's kill switches.
Once the energy feedback dissipated, he nodded. "Good. Now we can finally start acting like real allies."
Xu Deming let out a rueful sigh, shaking his head. "The entry fee for this alliance of yours is a bit too steep, Brother Han..."
"But even though I've already wiped out my blueprints, I can't guarantee that some brilliant ancestors haven't already discovered my legacy and reverse-engineered their own crude versions."
"That matters little to me," Han Yuan replied calmly, his eyes reflecting an unreadable depth. "I will have someone handle that problem when the future arrives."
"..." Xu Deming stared at him, feeling utterly devastated. "Are you the time traveler here, or am I?"
"Talking to you is like riding a goddamn roller coaster."
"Alright, don't sweat it." Han Yuan remained indifferent, though it would be a lie to say he wasn't satisfied by Xu Deming's reactions. "Just make sure that the residents of Glory City are fully prepared."
"My world is not kind compared to the Douluo Plane... And it is perhaps far more dangerous than you think."
"And that only makes it more interesting," Xu Deming laughed in return.
"You say that as if you are planning to follow me there." Han Yuan gave the time traveler a knowing, piercing look. "Xu Deming... you haven't completely let go of your obsession with returning home, have you?"
"I... You're right. I really can't help it," Xu Deming admitted, letting out a bitter, self-deprecating chuckle.
Han Yuan patted Xu Deming's shoulder, his voice reassuring. "Don't worry. I will help you in this regard as well. Just give it a few days. For now, I will solve the anchoring problem first."
Leaving the time traveler to his thoughts, Han Yuan turned and walked out of the hall with Ye Ziyun. Behind them, Xu Deming let out a long, heavy sigh.
"I really hope you do, Brother Han." He murmured to the empty room.
As they walked through the snow-covered paths of the mansion, Ye Ziyun kept pace with Han Yuan, her mind stirring with curiosity. "Lord Han, how are you going to solve the anchoring problem?"
"Are you going to use high-level time laws and spatial manipulations?"
Han Yuan smiled faintly, casting a sideways glance at her. "No. I am going to use you."
"Me?" Ye Ziyun blinked in absolute disbelief, pointing a finger at herself as her heart skipped a beat.