Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 276: Chapter 277: Eternal Life of All Things

Yang Chen replayed in his mind the scene from last night where Moebius inexplicably dissipated into nothingness. He also remembered the faint feeling when the Holy Grail fell into his hands, a feeling of inexplicable unease.

"Lily, do you know that, in fact, all things in the world are eternal?" Yang Chen said.

Lily widened her eyes, seeming incredulous that such words could come so seriously from Yang Chen.

"How is that possible? Even though we vampires theoretically are immortal, we still age and eventually die extremely slowly. We cannot truly be called eternal. As for other creatures, how could they be eternal?" Lily murmured.

Yang Chen stood up from his seat, walked to the window, and looked out at the expansive view of the city roads crisscrossing outside the apartment building.

Countless vehicles, pedestrians, flowed incessantly through this city.

"Lily, do you know about Russian Roulette?" Yang Chen asked.

Lily nodded, "I know. It's a game played with a six-shot revolver, where after loading one bullet, two people take turns pointing the gun at themselves, gambling with fate."

"Yes, in this game, when it ends, someone inevitably gets shot," Yang Chen's lips curled into a strange smile, "but if you believe in quantum mechanics and the theory of parallel universes, then you might think that at the end of this game, no one dies."

Lily was over two hundred years old, and in her eyes, theories like quantum mechanics and parallel universes had developed right before her.

Because Lily was already the age of a great-grandmother when Einstein passed away.

However, even for a vampire who had experienced countless years, hearing Yang Chen's fantastical remarks left her looking bewildered.

Yang Chen also knew Lily might not fully grasp it, so he continued to explain, "The theory of parallel universes suggests that this world is folded from countless parallel spaces, which means every entity exists in each space. They are connected yet distinct from one another. In quantum mechanics, this world is composed of different microscopic particles. Whether it's living beings or things, the particles that constitute them are constantly in motion."

"In other words, this universe has countless versions of you, countless versions of me, countless identical worlds, but all these versions and spaces are folded together. And what constitutes all this is constantly changing particles, whose specific nature is also constantly changing," Yang Chen said.

Lily seemed to grasp some of it. "But how does this relate to Russian Roulette not killing anyone?"

Yang Chen chuckled. "Russian Roulette is just an example. In reality, at the moment a bullet hits a fatal spot like the temple, according to quantum mechanics and parallel space theory, however small the probability, there exists a space where the microscopic particles are precisely dispersed differently where the bullet passes through without damaging the person's body. So, in that space, the person survives."

Lily widened her eyes, finding it incredulous. If the person before her wasn't the Lord of the Underworld who subdued any rebellious thoughts in her, she might have thought this man was rambling about something terrifying and bizarre!

"My Lord, if what you say is true, why then do people still die in this world?" Lily asked.

Yang Chen smiled. "As you said, it's 'people' who die."

Lily suddenly realized. "Are you saying that gods truly do not die?"

Yang Chen's smile turned somewhat bitter. "I suppose you might have seen records of this in your family's historical documents, but you probably didn't believe it much either—the idea of gods being immortal. Actually, it's not as mystical as it sounds. Gods indeed can be immortal, not because of some divine power or reincarnation. They don't die because of the infinite existence of parallel spaces. No matter what injuries or illnesses they suffer, there will always be a space where they remain unharmed, a space where they are not afflicted."

"But unlike gods, all other creatures cannot transcend their original spaces. So, they die from fatal injuries and illnesses. Gods, however, can gain new life from parallel spaces."

Lily fell silent for a while, seemingly digesting Yang Chen's bizarre theories. Then, she asked with confusion, "But if what you say is true, wouldn't gods become incredibly old, unable to avoid decay despite constantly escaping death through parallel spaces?"

"You're right. But that delves into areas you don't need to know about. I can only tell you that gods have ways to rejuvenate," Yang Chen said. "You're more insightful than I imagined, understanding it all at once."

Lily gave Yang Chen a resentful glance. "I'm over two hundred years old; I haven't lived in vain." After a moment's thought, she added, "I finally understand why the gods established the 'Gods' Covenant' to limit conflicts among themselves. Since everyone is immortal, fighting becomes meaningless and only causes unnecessary destruction."

"That's right. However, gods are not absolutely immortal either; they can still fall. But it's complicated and not something you need to know. Anyway, disrupting parallel spaces might not affect gods, but it's a huge disaster for other races," Yang Chen's expression darkened slightly. "Moebius was a living sacrifice to that."

Lily widened her eyes. "Elder Moebius disappeared out of nowhere because of a rupture in space?!"

"I'm still puzzled. Who exactly disrupted the parallel space last night and snatched the Holy Grail right under my nose?" Yang Chen sighed. "It must have been some deity, and I feel certain they weren't weaker than me, perhaps even stronger. Even though I unsealed myself and tried to track using parallel spaces, I couldn't catch up."

"He took the Holy Grail? But isn't the Holy Grail still in your hands?" Lily asked, puzzled.

Yang Chen shook his head. "That's no longer the Holy Grail. While I'm not sure if it had any magical powers before, I can confirm that the Grail that fell to the ground has been stripped of something crucial, taken by that robbing deity. What's left is just a metal antique cup, worthless."

Lily sighed in relief. "So, that deity wasn't targeting our vampire clan; they were after the Holy Grail."

Yang Chen nodded. "Exactly. I've told you all this to assure you that you can safely return to Europe. That guy isn't targeting your clan, and you don't need to worry about the rumors of eternal life either. If gaining immortality were as simple as drinking holy water, then gods would be worthless."

The female vampire smiled charmingly. "My Lord, you've shared so much important information with me. Are you interested in me?"

Yang Chen quickly waved his hands and forced a smile. "Although I like it, Miss Lily, your real age is older than my ancestors. I think it's best to leave it at that."

"Annoying!" Lily pouted coquettishly and stomped her foot in frustration. "Until we meet again!"

With that, the female vampire swiftly swept out of the meeting hall like a gust of wind, disappearing without a trace.

Yang Chen shrugged helplessly, as if he had touched a nerve with Lily. It seemed that regardless of whether they were human or vampire, females were sensitive about their age.

But Lily's departure left Yang Chen feeling somewhat heavy-hearted. The deity that appeared last night clearly possessed the power of a supreme god, yet none of the surviving major gods he knew exhibited such energy fluctuations. Who could it be? Could it be some ancient unnamed deity from the distant past? It seemed unlikely; since the dawn of creation, the most powerful deities were the Twelve Great Gods. Among the gods he knew, there were still a few whose whereabouts were unknown. Could it be one of them?

However, if it truly was a major god, why wouldn't they reveal themselves? Why seize the Holy Grail and openly violate the Gods' Covenant, using divine power after being unsealed?!

Yang Chen massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. It seemed he needed to discuss this with the others at the appropriate time, hoping it wouldn't lead to something disastrous.

Just then, Wang Ma sent a message asking if Yang Chen was about to come home. Yang Chen realized he had been away for quite some time and quickly replied that he would be there soon.

Twenty minutes later, Yang Chen returned to the villa. In the living room, a steaming meal was already laid out, and Lin Ruoxi and Wang Ma were seated and ready to eat. Lin Ruoxi had rested for a while and looked a bit better, though there was still a hint of melancholy in her demeanor. Seeing Yang Chen rush in looking disheveled again, she didn't rush to eat but softly said, "Go wash your hands before eating, for hygiene's sake."

It was the first time Yang Chen had heard Lin Ruoxi tell him to wash up. He chuckled and didn't pay much attention, heading straight to the bathroom to wash his hands.

When he came out, Wang Ma had already served the food. Yang Chen eagerly grabbed his chopsticks and started devouring the food.

"Slow down, no one's going to take it away from you," Lin Ruoxi frowned, complaining.

Yang Chen laughed awkwardly, slowed down his pace, feeling quite uncouth himself, especially with two ladies present.

But not long after, Lin Ruoxi seemed to sense something amiss again and said, "Why are you only eating meat dishes? Eat more vegetables; you need to replenish vitamins and hydration in winter."

This time, Yang Chen froze in place, feeling this meal was getting too peculiar. He looked up, staring at Lin Ruoxi as if trying to figure something out.

Lin Ruoxi felt a bit bewildered under Yang Chen's intense gaze and frowned, saying, "What's wrong? Just eat."

"Honey, you're acting strange today. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Yang Chen asked with concern.

"No, why do you ask?" Lin Ruoxi replied.

Wang Ma, observing the couple's mixed emotions, understood but remained silent, bowing her head.

Yang Chen shook his head, feeling a mix of emotions. "How come I feel like you've suddenly turned into this kind of meticulous housewife, fussing over everything? You've lost that usual coldness. I'm not used to it!"

Lin Ruoxi's face turned cold. "Are you saying I'm nagging you too much?"

"No, no!" Yang Chen quickly denied, smiling. "You're right to care; it's good."

With that, he quickly picked up a few pieces of cabbage and put them in his bowl, then resumed eating heartily.

Lin Ruoxi gave him a glare, suppressing a smile, cleared her throat, and began to eat slowly and gracefully.

Wang Ma watched with a gentle smile, shaking her head ever so slightly.