My Beast Is the 12-Winged Angel Chapter 445 - 446: Return!

The mortal realm, specifically the Northern Territory of the Human Race.

Long Qingyan and Feng Ni, the two most formidable entities in the alternate dimension, stood across from one another. A heavy silence hung between them, the atmosphere thick with a sense of ancient desolation and the weight of passing eras.

A slender thread of golden-red light danced at Feng Ni’s fingertips, shimmering with the essence of Long Qingyan’s lost memories. Without a word of protest, Long Qingyan allowed the wisp of light to sink into her forehead.

Suddenly, a torrent of memories flooded her consciousness. She saw their initial meeting, their journey into the Demon Abyss, and the vivid image of Gu Xing standing his ground to cover their retreat as they escaped that dark place...

As these visions surged through her mind, another hidden memory began to surface from the depths of her past...

She recalled being a child on Dragon Island. There, she had encountered a mysterious figure who possessed neither dragon horns nor a tail. Despite his strange aura, his presence had brought her an inexplicable sense of peace.

Long Qingyan’s eyes flew open, her golden pupils narrowing into sharp slits! Everything finally made sense.

It was no wonder that she had felt such an undeniable bond of familiarity and closeness with that human when she first met Gu Xing! It hadn't been a trick of her imagination.

Ten thousand years ago, during an era she had personally forgotten, their paths had already crossed.

"So, do you still believe Gu Xing is dead?" Feng Ni asked, noticing Long Qingyan's stunned expression. She then turned her gaze toward Liu Li, who had been standing nearby, overhearing these profound secrets.

Liu Li’s mind was reeling in shock. Her master... had actually traveled ten millennia into the past? How was such a feat possible?!

She knew Sally had mastered the laws of time magic, but Sally usually struggled just to reverse time within a small localized area. Transporting a living person back through ten thousand years of history was on an entirely different level.

She looked at Feng Ni with wide, skeptical eyes. However, she knew an Emperor Beast of such status would never go to such lengths just to lie to them. The disparity in their power was simply too vast for such games.

"What? You find my words hard to believe?" Feng Ni questioned.

Liu Li quickly shook her head to dismiss the notion. "Lady Feng Ni is gracious enough to share these truths with me. I am deeply grateful; why would I doubt your word? I only wish to know when my master will be able to return from that distant era."

Feng Ni was just about to admit her own uncertainty when something changed. A familiar aura suddenly pierced through their senses!

Ever since Gu Xing had vanished from the world, Feng Ni had suspected he might have slipped into the past. Because of this, she had kept her perception focused on the region where Dragon Island once stood. And right now... Gu Xing’s signature had reappeared!

Feng Ni’s head snapped up as she stared toward the horizon in the direction of Dragon Island. "Your master... has come back!"

The words hit Liu Li like a thunderclap! She stood rooted to the spot, a tidal wave of pure joy washing over her. When Long Qingyan felt that aura, her slender frame trembled uncontrollably as well.

She and Feng Ni shared a silent look of understanding. In an instant, they transformed into two radiant streaks of light—a dragon and a phoenix—streaking across the sky and vanishing toward the horizon.

Back on the ground, Liu Li snapped out of her daze. This information had to be spread immediately! She needed to inform the other Guardian Beasts and Long Zhenguo at once.

***

At that same moment, Vera was jolted out of her deep meditation! Her scarlet eyes burned with a blood-red light, and the energy swirling around her nearly spiraled out of control due to her surging emotions.

"The contract... it's reconnected! Master... is back!" She pressed her hand against her chest; the moment the bond was restored, she felt as if her heart had finally regained its warmth.

Simultaneously, Liu Li burst into the command center. "Old Dragon... the master has returned!"

"What?!" Upon hearing the news, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence. Every person there stood frozen, as if a Freezing Spell had been cast upon the room.

Seated at the head of the table, Long Zhenguo’s massive frame shook violently. The intelligence report regarding the Demon Race slipped from his fingers and fluttered to the floor. He slowly raised his head, his pupils trembling.

The silence stretched for several long seconds. Then, hot tears began to flow uncontrollably from the eyes of the battle-hardened Elder, carving paths down his weathered, wrinkled face. He opened his mouth, and after a few moments of struggling for breath, he whispered in a voice thick with emotion: "He's back..."

"It’s good that he's back... It’s so good he’s back!!!" Those few words seemed to sap every bit of his remaining strength.

Within the command room, the heavy silence was suddenly shattered by a volcanic eruption of cheers and celebration! "Lord Gu Xing has returned! The heavens have blessed the Human Race! Truly, the heavens are with us!"

"I always knew it! There was no way Lord Gu Xing would fall so easily!" "Hurry! Dispatch a team to welcome him immediately!"

The command center was in an absolute frenzy! The dark cloud that had hung over them for so long was swept away by this sudden joy, leaving every face glowing with renewed hope and excitement.

Long Zhenguo took several sharp breaths to steady his racing heart. He wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and straightened his back. Though his eyes remained wet, they regained their characteristic steadiness, shining brighter than ever before.

"Quiet!" he barked, his voice hoarse but commanding. The room fell silent instantly, every eye fixed on him. "Wei Yuan! Lei Zhan!"

"Here!" the two responded, stepping forward with excited salutes.

"From this moment on, you must maintain the highest state of alert. Watch every move the Demon Race makes. Nothing is permitted to go wrong before Gu Xing’s return."

"Understood, Commander Long!" The two accepted their orders and marched out with renewed vigor.

"Tushan Yueli, Liu Li," Long Zhenguo turned to the final two. "You... will accompany me to welcome him!"

"Yes!" The commands were executed with lightning speed, putting the entire mobilization of the Human Race into high gear. The news of Gu Xing’s arrival spread through the territories like wildfire.

***

While the Human Race was swept up in the fever of mobilization, the skies above the ruins of Dragon Island—now just a collection of floating debris—began to ripple like the surface of a disturbed pond.

Waves of spatial distortion expanded outward, as if a great force was trying to break through from the other side. Long Qingyan and Feng Ni, having arrived at the scene, hovered in mid-air, their eyes locked onto the epicenter of the disturbance.

Long Qingyan clenched her fists so tightly that her nails drew blood from her palms; she couldn't hide her nervousness. Feng Ni appeared more composed, though her heart was filled with a deep sense of gratitude at the prospect of seeing her savior again.

Finally, as they watched, the center of the spatial ripples shattered like glass! A spectral river, shimmering with the fragmented shards of time, surged into the air. It was a projection of the River of Time!

Though the image flickered unsteadily, its ancient and vast aura caused both Long Qingyan and Feng Ni’s hearts to skip a beat. As the shadow of the river began to fade, two figures tumbled out, drifting slowly through the sky.