Chapter Forty-Nine: The Final Evolution

Behind the towering stone pillar, a figure in a black cloak revealed his pale face.

“Hehe, my dear Seer, you have finally arrived!” The counterfeit prophet’s sinister face twisted into a chilling smile.

“It’s you!” Guan Qian glanced over with icy eyes, his tone colder than frost.

“Where is Jiang Qiang? What have you done to her?” Guan Qian paced forward, every muscle taut with vigilance. No one knew the danger of the counterfeit prophet better than he did; behind that all-too-familiar face hid nothing but malice and evil.

“Ah, are you talking about her? Or perhaps... her?” The counterfeit prophet narrowed his eyes, that eerie smile reappearing. With a dramatic sweep of his voluminous cloak, two figures emerged at his side.

“You! Damn you, let them go!” Guan Qian’s eyes widened in shock, his teeth clenched in rage. Before him, besides Jiang Qiang—who had been abducted by the prophet—there was also Tang Ruyan, for whom he had searched so long.

Had the vengeful spirit been killed by the counterfeit prophet?

No, that couldn’t be! There had been no trace of the vengeful spirit’s body or presence along the way. But then, why was Tang Ruyan in the prophet’s hands?

Guan Qian frowned, thoughts racing, unable to unravel the puzzle.

“Hehe, my dear Seer, why are you in such a hurry? I wanted to show you something else, but you are far too agitated.” The counterfeit prophet’s smile vanished. Rubbing his thumb over his forefinger, he snapped his fingers sharply.

Suddenly, two more figures appeared before him—it was Mo Han and Fang He from the underground passage!

Both were semi-conscious. Mo Han clutched a luminous bone in agony, while Fang He gripped a gold ingot in each hand, muttering, “My gold, my gold!”—the very picture of greed.

“You go too far!” Guan Qian’s white eyes fixed on the four familiar faces, his roar echoing in fury!

In the blink of an eye, everyone had been captured by the counterfeit prophet, and Guan Qian hadn’t detected a thing. He was both enraged and alarmed.

“My dear Seer, don’t get so worked up! You’ll harm yourself.”

“What is it you want?”

“What do you think?”

“Enough! Stop your games and let them go!”

“Hehe, my dear Seer, if I let them go just because you asked, wouldn’t that make me look weak?”

“Cut the nonsense! Will you free them or not?”

“And what if I won’t?”

“Then try me!” Guan Qian said, clenching his fists as his white eyes blazed like twin suns. Two dazzling beams shot toward the counterfeit prophet.

“Hehe, my dear Seer, do you remember our bargain?” The prophet seemed not to hear him, continuing on his own.

Guan Qian’s face was shadowed, indecisive. Ever since entering the mysterious gate, the journey had been fraught with peril. He had tried everything to track the gate key and protect his companions, but failed on both counts.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

“My dear Seer, have you never suspected anything?” the counterfeit prophet asked suddenly.

“What?” Guan Qian’s white eyes flickered, the words prompting deeper thought.

The wasteland beyond the gate was bizarre and perilous. All the while, as he searched for the key, Guan Qian sensed it moving, never too close nor too far—an uncanny distance.

He had thought it was merely an illusion brought on by his heightened senses. But now, on reflection, there were too many inconsistencies.

Could it all have been a trap? Had the counterfeit prophet been deceiving him, luring him into this vast snare to kill him?

Was every movement of their group on this wasteland under the prophet’s surveillance? Or had the prophet been secretly following them all along?

Why bring him here? Why capture everyone? And what happened to the vengeful spirit?

Guan Qian couldn’t unravel the mystery, though he sensed a conspiracy of cosmic scale.

Sure enough, the prophet’s next words dispelled all doubt.

“My dear Seer, I regret to tell you—you have been fooled, hehe!” The prophet smirked, dusted his wrinkled cloak, and continued, “The gate key has been with me all along.”

Slowly, the prophet produced a crystal-clear, hexagonal stone radiating iridescence. Its brilliance was breathtaking, clearly the gate key!

“Such a pity. I was always by your side, and yet you never noticed it,” the counterfeit prophet mused, toying with the key and not sparing Guan Qian a glance.

Guan Qian said nothing, waiting in silence for the whole truth; he sensed an earth-shattering revelation was coming.

“If my master could leave that place, I wouldn’t have needed to go to all this trouble just to lure you here.”

“My dear Seer, the gate is real, and so is the key. But the key was always with me. Our agreement was half-truth, half-lie. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

“So, the game ends here! I have painstakingly drawn you to this place; soon you’ll understand. As for the vengeful spirit, that too was my master’s handiwork. These four will remain with me for now, so you don’t do anything rash, hehe!” The prophet’s face grew cold, his snake-like gaze fixed on Guan Qian, chilling to the bone.

A thunderous rumble shook the ancient hall of lost civilization; the ground split wide, and even Guan Qian struggled to keep his footing.

“My dear Seer, I almost forgot to tell you—the gate key has another name: the Space Key!”

As the prophet finished, the ruins began to detach from the wasteland, accelerating with such speed it defied belief. In an instant, they were adrift in the vast cosmos.

The dark, silent universe glittered with stars. To witness them at such proximity—those seemingly immortal planets and infinite cosmic dust—filled Guan Qian with awe.

“What do you want?” Guan Qian’s unease deepened as the drifting ruins sped toward an unknown destination.

The universe was boundless, with no beginning or end in sight. Yet Guan Qian could sense the ruins making incredible space jumps, faster than even his Seer’s third-stage abilities could fully comprehend.

“Hehe. Soon you’ll see.” The prophet manipulated the shimmering Space Key, giving a sinister laugh and then ignoring Guan Qian.

After a moment of silence, the drifting ruins came to an abrupt halt. The starry sky yawned black and silent as if dormant for eons.

Before Guan Qian could speak, the entire space trembled. A formless, shadowy presence emerged, exuding crushing pressure.

The prophet chuckled, and suddenly visions filled the dark sky, overwhelming Guan Qian; he nearly gasped for air.

All the ancient mysteries unfolded in those images—glories flashing by, generations rising and falling, the eternal laws of nature.

And the mastermind behind these cosmic laws was none other than the shadow before them.

“Immortal,” a word formed in Guan Qian’s mind, making his eyes widen in disbelief.

From the moment the “Immortal” was born, its power was so vast that the universe itself exiled it to an independent dimension, stripping it of all ability to move or regenerate. Thus, using its might, the “Immortal” created countless living beings scattered across the stars. Yet every time these beings reached their zenith, the “Immortal” destroyed them to reset the cosmic order.

For its own evolution, the “Immortal” cruelly farmed its creations, extracting insights from their progress to further its own growth and ultimately break free of the universe’s shackles to attain freedom.

Eons passed. The “Immortal” became unimaginably strong and created the four greatest lifeforms in history: Jue, Nie, Chu, and Human.

These four lineages possessed phenomenal powers of evolution. When they grew godlike, they discovered the “Immortal” and recognized its threat. Together, they established the Oracle civilization, founding an unprecedented era to resist the “Immortal” for thousands of years.

This lost civilization was that very legacy, ultimately destroyed by the “Immortal.”

The wasteland beyond the gate was not the homeland of the Maya, but a domain created by the four lineages, later granted to the Maya, who too were devastated by the “Immortal’s” purge.

Thus, the other two lineages, Jue and Nie, searched the universe for humanity, ultimately restoring the Seers in hopes of uniting to resist the “Immortal” once more.

But the “Immortal” acted first, killing the other three lineages before they could unite, ensuring they would never again join forces.

Now, sensing humanity’s threat—and especially the rise of the Seer—the “Immortal” resolved to perform a great cleansing.

Bound by the universe, it used the energy of the Space Key to bring Guan Qian here, intending to kill him and eliminate all possible threats.

The counterfeit prophet was but the “Immortal’s” creation, existing only for Guan Qian. If Guan Qian died, the prophet’s usefulness would end—hence the hatred in his eyes.

Guan Qian, now understanding everything, grew calm.

He was at a clear disadvantage—before the overwhelming “Immortal,” he felt as helpless as a chick before a slaughterer.

A dark mist unfurled from the “Immortal,” engulfing Guan Qian, suffocating him with pain and helplessness.

Not even divine strength could help Guan Qian defeat the “Immortal.” The scent of death pressed upon him.

At that moment, a stone the size of half a palm on Guan Qian’s chest suddenly opened an eye!

A warm, radiant gaze bathed Guan Qian, washing away his agony. Then, three hazy figures slowly materialized in midair.

They were the long-dead Jue, Nie, and Chu.

Their energy, now mere phantoms, had infused the stone with the essence of their lives, hoping that one day it would offer a chance to strike at the “Immortal.” Now, that hope was at hand.

With a cry, the three shadows merged into Guan Qian. With a sound like thunder splitting the sky, his body underwent a cataclysmic transformation, swelling to a hundred meters tall, towering like a giant over the heavens.

At once, the counterfeit prophet trembled uncontrollably; a single glance from Guan Qian wiped him away as if he’d never existed.

“Earth does not belong to humanity, but humanity belongs to Earth.”

“Even if it costs me every last ounce of strength, I will not allow you to destroy a single living being on Earth!”

“Today, you will pay for the countless lives you have taken!”

“Kill!”

Guan Qian lunged into the black mist. The world flickered between light and dark, space barriers collapsed, and waves of energy stained the edge of the universe a fierce, blood-red hue.

…

Five years later.

The bustling city of Z, sunshine bright as ever.

In a lively downtown café, Tang Ruyan, Jiang Qiang, Mo Han, and Fang He sat together, sipping warm coffee as they gazed absently at the busy intersection outside, a faint sadness lingering on their faces.

When Guan Qian had waged his earth-shattering battle against the “Immortal,” he used the combined might of the four lineages to tear space itself, sending the four back to Earth to keep them safe.

When they awoke, Tang Ruyan divined the omens, suspecting the truth, yet refusing to believe Guan Qian might have perished with the “Immortal.”

They mourned deeply.

Suddenly, the cheerful ring of a bicycle bell sounded on the street, drawing their dazed eyes toward the crosswalk. A figure was crossing from the opposite side—familiar brows, familiar eyes, familiar lips, and the same familiar silhouette.

The four stared, wide-eyed.

Tang Ruyan dashed from the café, Jiang Qiang close behind, clutching her own hand in disbelief as they locked eyes with the newcomer.

Moments later, smiles of joy blossomed on every face.

“He’s back!”

(The End)

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your support. The Seer is finished—though only a hundred thousand words, I have brought it to its end at last!

It has been a long, arduous road—sometimes interrupted, sometimes slow—but I have finally written the final word. To be honest, as I wrote that last mark, my feelings were complex and hard to describe: bitterness, sweetness, sorrow, and joy, all at once.

This book progressed slowly, and for personal reasons, my updates were not as fast as I’d wished, leading to many complaints. But today, it is complete.

No more words need be said. I have always tried my best. Though the text is limited, those who have read The Seer should know my writing style. If you enjoyed it, please continue to support me!

My next novel will debut on Qidian in July. I hope you will continue to support me. The new book will be updated regularly, with even stronger content—guaranteed to keep you enthralled!

To avoid the misfortunes that befell The Seer, I have cleared my schedule and made ample preparations for the new book.

It will be grand, regularly updated, substantial, and full of excitement.

Let us look forward to July together!

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