Deep Blue City, Plaza Park.

A well-proportioned, handsome young man walked over to a bench near the park and sat down.

He wore black-framed glasses, held a newspaper in his hands, leaned slightly against the wooden backrest, and looked at ease.

Every now and then, a woman would pass by, subconsciously letting her gaze fall in his direction, and they often looked back.

He smiled slightly, a somewhat nonchalant smile, not taking it to heart.

As for the other men passing by, out of jealousy, their words were not so friendly.

"Tch, what’s he pretending to be here for? In this day and age, still reading vintage newspapers, isn’t it just to appear cultured and attract women?"

"Exactly, and not even considering where this is. This is the cemetery for honoring Elder Li and the heroes of Deep Blue. Dare to show off here, the Deep Blue Guard will surely arrest him!"

"I’ve already filed a complaint with the Heaven Net Center."

"No way, are you for real? What’s your complaint reason?"

"Overly beautifying the city’s visuals!"

"???

The sounds of the pedestrians’ conversations by the roadside clearly reached his ears, but the young man maintained his posture, unmoved.

Inside the cemetery.

The statue of Li Shutong stood there, surrounded, as always, by white flowers.

Every day, many people came to pay their respects.

There were locals from Deep Blue City, and there were people from all over who took the Star Iron Express specifically for this.

Especially since Can Shang Company was just defeated, Great Xia’s territory had expanded considerably, and the liberated cities increased, many returning to the embrace of Great Xia.

At that moment, a gentle breeze blew by.

A faint human figure outline, like chalk drawn out of thin air, gently sketched itself.

Other worshippers around him seemed totally unaware of this figure.

He stood alone, holding a bouquet of white flowers, quietly walked to the statue of Li Shutong, and bowed in respect.

"Teacher, it’s been a long time."

...

"Young man, what’s your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

By the fountain in the plaza park, Li Shutong, still in the form of a middle-aged man, seemed surprised to receive such an answer. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He was slightly startled, looking at the youthful but determined gaze of the young man before him.

Soon after, a smile reappeared on his face.

"Do you know, your spirit contract master talent is very powerful?" Li Shutong said patiently, "They don’t know, but I know."

The young man, initially vigilant, softened slightly upon hearing Li Shutong’s words.

"Really? You’re really not lying to me? My spirit contract master talent is really incredible?!"

But soon, his gaze darkened again, "Don’t lie to me, the teacher responsible for awakening said it’s a useless talent."

"Friends who were once close to me, after learning about my awakened talent, also started to distance themselves."

"They fear my talent, they think it’s inferior, despicable, not worthy of trust."

"And what about you? As an awakened spirit contract master, what is your dream?" Li Shutong asked in return.

The young man, having just turned eighteen, was at the age of passion.

He immediately raised his head and said without hesitation, "I want to become a combat spirit contract master! I want to fight for Great Xia, to wipe out those alien races invading Blue Star!"

Hearing his impassioned words, Li Shutong shook his head.

Seeing this gesture from Li Shutong, the formerly excited young man looked down dejectedly again.

"Just as expected, what you said earlier was to mock me, you don’t believe in me either, do you?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a slight pressure on his shoulder, held down by a pair of broad, strong hands.

The voice of the stranger who had struck up a conversation with him sounded in his ear:

"Does it matter so much to you whether others believe in you or not?"

"Your talent is destined not to gain others’ trust. If you give up your faith and pursuit because of others’ disbelief, is that something a combat spirit contract master would do?"

Li Shutong’s words made the young man freeze.

"Let me ask you, if everyone spurns you, doesn’t believe in you, despises you, will you give up your dream?"

"No!"

"Once more, if one day to fulfill that dream, you have to stand opposite everyone, will you hesitate?"

"No!"

"If I die, Great Xia is destroyed, and all your perseverance was meaningless, will you give up?"

"I won’t!"

The young man’s determined gaze met Li Shutong’s gentle, encouraging eyes mid-air.

"Very good. I have seven students, each responsible for seven different war zones, and now I want to take you as my eighth student, responsible for the Eighth War Zone."

"Are you willing?"

Hearing this, the young man’s eyes filled with excitement.

He instantly realized the true identity of this middle-aged man in front of him, "I’m willing!"

Li Shutong smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Now can you tell me your name?"

The young man wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, flowing from being too excited.

"My name is Yi Fan!" he said.

"Wrong. Your name is not Yi Fan." Li Shutong smiled and shook his head, "Your name is ’No,’ from today onward, you are the Legion Commander of the Eighth War Zone, ’No.’

No, meaning nonexistent.

Just like the primarily intelligence-gathering Eighth War Zone, which appears nonexistent to enemies.

"No," itself is part of the lie.

On this day, the fountain in the park scattered raindrops all over the sky, reflecting colorful lights under the sunlight.

On this day, the newspaper published the news of Great Xia Leader Li Shutong announcing the creation of the Eighth War Zone, taking on his most mysterious eighth student.

...

The man withdrew those long-buried thoughts, placed the white flower he was holding down, and once again walked to the statue, bowing deeply.

Afterward, he turned and walked toward the Plaza Park outside the cemetery.

At the same time, the leisurely man sitting on the bench also put down the newspaper he was holding and walked toward the cemetery.

They eventually met by the fountain at the center of the Plaza Park.

Without any excess words, maintaining a steady pace, they walked on with calm eyes.

Only at the moment when the two brushed past each other,

The figure belonging to the Legion Commander of the Eighth War Zone, "No," dimmed, as if erased by chalk, gradually disappearing.

The figure belonging to Yi Fan, at this moment, felt even more real.

"No," itself is part of the lie.

At this moment, Yi Fan’s realm completely stepped over the Tier Eight Peak, entering Tier Nine!

Whoosh!

The white doves in the Plaza Park were suddenly startled, raising their wings and flying into the sky.

Soon, the flock of pigeons disappeared into the horizon.

Along with them disappearing, were the two people who passed by each other by the fountain.

Only an old newspaper left on the park bench fluttered with the wind, rustling as it turned pages.

Just like those past events.