Chapter 29: Illusions of the Boundary Sea: A Shameful Past Life
It was unknown how much time had passed before He Feng finally loosened his grip, his breath ragged.
Chu Ling’s cheeks were flushed with a captivating crimson, her lips slightly swollen and red. Her gaze was hazy, as if she were intoxicated, and she leaned limply against the medical chair, her chest heaving violently.
He Feng looked at the alluring sight before him. The agitation within him had not subsided, but the sharp pain and weakness in his body served as a reminder of his current helplessness. He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging desires, his voice still raspy with lingering passion:
"Help me... to the deck to take a look."
Chu Ling instantly sobered up. Suppressing the palpitations in her heart, she responded respectfully, "Yes, Master."
She carefully assisted He Feng, avoiding the wound on his chest and allowing him to lean most of his weight against her. Her movements were gentle yet firm, showing an intimate understanding of every injury on her master's body.
The passageway leading to the top observation deck was quiet and long. When the heavy alloy hatch slid open silently, the indescribable, phantasmagorical spectacle of the Boundary Sea rushed toward them!
There was no starlight, no darkness. There was only an endless, rolling, flowing stream of "color." These were not colors in any physical sense, but rather the embodiment of "information flows" and "distorted rules" that transcended human visual perception.
Huge, writhing "nebulae" that moved like living creatures radiated dizzying, iridescent light; twisted, shattered-mirror-like spatial folds refracted countless overlapping and contradictory reflections of the *Homecoming*; in the distance, a silent "veil of nothingness" that seemed capable of swallowing everything moved slowly, and wherever it passed, even those chaotic colors were annihilated.
This was the "beyond the wall" of the universe, the graveyard of known rules, a labyrinth of perception!
With Chu Ling’s support, He Feng stood at the very edge of the observation deck. The protective field isolated them from the chaotic turbulence outside—which was strong enough to tear ordinary life apart—but it could not block the impact of the bizarre sight on the mind.
He squinted, his pupils trying to find a pattern or a direction within this chaos. Suddenly, the scene before him shook, twisted, and reorganized violently like water ripples!
The rolling chaotic colors faded, and the twisted spatial folds straightened out. In their place appeared a scene that was incredibly clear, incredibly familiar, yet as distant as a past life—
In the next second, the expression on his face froze instantly, then became extremely strange; the corner of his mouth even twitched uncontrollably.
Rice noodle rolls.
What he saw was a rice noodle roll.
It was a rudimentary, smoke-filled street food stall. The greasy signboard bore the blurry words "Authentic Lingnan Rice Noodle Rolls." Steaming white vapor rose from layers of aluminum steamers, carrying the mixed aroma of rice milk and minced meat.
In front of a greasy cutting board, a boss wearing an apron, his face covered in oil and sweat, skillfully scooped up a spoonful of snow-white rice milk, spread it evenly on the cloth of the drawer steamer, and then nimbly cracked an egg, sprinkling on a handful of marinated minced meat and vibrant green scallions.
The image zoomed in.
Sitting at a greasy little square table was a young man wearing a cheap T-shirt and shorts. His hair was a bit messy, and his face showed the exhaustion of a late night, but his eyes were bright, fixed on the boss’s movements, full of anticipation.
It was He Feng... or rather, the ordinary young man who lived in Tianhe City, Lingnan Province, on the Blue Star, before he transmigrated into an angelic infant!
The boss nimbly scraped off the steamed rice noodle roll, rolled it into a cylinder, drizzled it with brownish-red soy sauce that exuded a rich fragrance, added a few drops of sesame oil, and finally sprinkled it with a bit of white sesame seeds.
"Handsome, your meat and egg rice noodle roll is ready!"
The boss spoke with a heavy accent, placing the steaming rice noodle roll in front of He Feng.
Meat and egg rice noodle rolls!
The "He Feng" in the image couldn't wait to pick up the disposable chopsticks, clamped a piece of translucent rice noodle roll wrapped with egg and minced meat, blew on it, and then stuffed it into his mouth with satisfaction.
His cheeks bulged instantly, his eyes squinted into slits of bliss, and he let out a satisfied, indistinct sigh:
"Mmm~ so good!"
He Feng: "..."
"Are you kidding me, man?"
His expression froze instantly. Even as a legendary God of War who had experienced ten thousand years of blood and fire with a heart like iron, he felt a wave of heat rush to his head, and his cheeks burned uncontrollably!
What... what the hell is this?!
Is this me?!
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!
It was too shameful! Too absurd!
He, the God of War of the Angelic Civilization, a leader who had endured ten thousand years of bloody battles, shouldered the survival of over three million souls, and escaped into the forbidden abyss of the universe...
In this mysterious and unpredictable chaotic illusion of the Boundary Sea, he was actually seeing... a six-dollar order of meat and egg rice noodle rolls from a street stall in his past life?!
The massive contrast caused He Feng’s composure to shatter instantly!
All the tragedy, all the bleakness, all the heavy thoughts about the future were torn to shreds by this damn bowl of rice noodle rolls in this moment! He felt his face burning, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the ground. This was even more uncomfortable than being stabbed by Liang Bing!
He Feng turned around abruptly, the speed of the movement tugging at his wounds and making him grunt, but the rare embarrassment and shame on his face could not be hidden. He truly had no face left to keep looking.
"Master?" Chu Ling was startled by He Feng’s sudden turn and quickly steadied him, her emerald eyes full of concern. "What’s wrong? Is your wound hurting? Or... did you see something bad?"
He Feng took a few deep breaths, suppressing the embarrassment and surging thoughts in his heart, and tried his best to restore his usual icy expression.
He waved his hand, his voice somewhat dry: "It’s nothing. Just an illusion of the Boundary Sea; it’s all fake, completely meaningless."
He paused, and with a trace of imperceptible curiosity and an intention to change the subject, he looked at Chu Ling. "What about you? What... did you see?"
Chu Ling was slightly stunned, then her clear emerald eyes looked out at the chaotic, ever-changing scene beyond the deck. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the distorted light and shadows, landing on some distant and beautiful future.
The corners of her mouth slowly curled into a smile that was gentle to the extreme, as if it carried the light of all the stars. In that smile, there was a girl’s longing and a kind of near-sacred devotion.
"I saw..." Her voice was as soft as a dream, each word seeming to carry the weight of happiness, "Master, you leading all of us, safely crossing this chaotic Boundary Sea."
"On the other side... is a vast, fertile, and vibrant universe. There is no war, no oppression, no hatred there..."
Her eyes became incredibly bright, as if she had truly seen that painting.
"You established a powerful, brand-new civilization there. It is more glorious, more inclusive, and more full of hope than the former Angelic Civilization."
"That place... is the true home of the Angelic race, the eternal paradise you have opened up for us."
Chu Ling turned her head, looking up at He Feng’s sharp-angled profile, the tenderness in her eyes almost overflowing.
"Master... what Ling'er saw is hope, the future, the most beautiful world you have created for us."
Her voice was filled with unquestionable firmness and deep faith.
However, deep within her heart, in a corner she herself had not fully realized, the moment the Boundary Sea’s illusion descended, the scene she saw was completely different—
———————————————
What she saw was a wedding.
Not an ordinary wedding, but the grandest and most sacred celebration in the entire Angelic Civilization!
The location was not the Melo Heavenly Court, but the Heavenly City, which had been soaked in blood after the Unification War but was briefly bathed in the dawn of peace!
There was no war, no smoke; the sky was a pure, clear blue, dotted with white feathered cloud patterns symbolizing peace.
The magnificent "Holy Angel Cathedral" was surrounded by flowers and holy light. Under the towering dome, countless angels stood solemnly, their faces overflowing with heartfelt blessings.
Male angels and female angels stood side-by-side, the former hostility replaced by the joy of peace.
Hua Ye? Su Mali? Those names seemed to have long been forgotten in the dust of history. Only peace remained—eternal peace.
And she, Angel Chu Ling, dressed in a pure white wedding gown woven from starlight and adorned with "Tears of Eternity" gemstones, wearing a golden olive branch crown symbolizing supreme glory, stood before the altar covered in white feathers and star petals.
Her groom was none other than He Feng.
He had shed his cold Heavenly King armor and donned a gorgeous formal suit, also woven from starlight and embroidered with a golden eagle.
The aura of the God of War was replaced by the tenderness of a groom. He was no longer the formidable commander on the battlefield, but the only lover in her eyes, wearing a doting smile.
His black hair was combed meticulously, and his deep eyes reflected her figure, filled with a tenderness capable of melting ten thousand years of ice. He reached out to her, his fingertips bearing familiar calluses, but his movements were incredibly precious.
Standing above the altar was an elderly and kind Archangel, smiling and holding the Holy Scripture. His aged yet resonant voice echoed through the cathedral:
"In the name of the Angel Goddess, witnessed by the Light of Peace, General He Feng, are you willing to take Angel Chu Ling as your wife? Whether war reignites or peace remains eternal, whether glory is bestowed or you return to the ordinary, will you protect her, cherish her, until the end of your life?"
He Feng turned his head, gazing at her with focused and affectionate eyes, his lips lifting into a gentle arc she had never seen on the battlefield, one capable of making the stars lose their brilliance. He answered clearly and firmly:
"I do."
That voice, like the mellowest wine, instantly intoxicated Chu Ling’s soul.
"Angel Chu Ling, are you willing to marry General He Feng, whether he is a God of War or a mortal? Whether you are at the pinnacle of glory or hidden in the ordinary, will you respect him, love him, accompany him, until the end of your life?"
Chu Ling’s heart beat like a drum; the immense happiness and dizziness made her almost unable to stand.
She looked up at He Feng’s face, tears streaming out uncontrollably—it was joy, it was fulfillment, it was a dream she had waited thousands of years for finally coming true. She opened her mouth and used all her strength to say those three words—
"I do!"
———————————————
He Feng looked at the gentle and hopeful smile on Chu Ling’s face and listened to the beautiful blueprint she described. The embarrassment surging in his chest and the lingering belligerence from the battlefield were strangely smoothed out quite a bit.
He remained silent for a moment, making no judgment on what Chu Ling "saw," only reaching out to stroke her soft, emerald-green hair once more.
"Let's go back." He Feng’s voice returned to its usual steady tone, carrying a trace of imperceptible exhaustion. "The Boundary Sea is a maze, and the path ahead is unknown. Once I recover from my injuries, everyone surviving together... is what matters most right now."
Chu Ling nodded submissively, carefully supporting He Feng as they turned to leave the observation deck that reflected their deepest inner dreams.
The heavy hatch closed slowly, sealing away the unpredictable, chaotic light and shadow of the Boundary Sea, as well as the secret desires hidden deep within their hearts.
Under the soft lights inside the ship, only the silhouettes of the two leaning on each other and walking away remained.
The exiled fleet, carrying a heavy past and a dim future, continued its lonely journey toward the unknown shore.