The Strongest Mythical Emperor
Chapter 1624 Always

Chapter 1624: Chapter 1624 Always

"All you know is how to play cards! Your salary isn’t even enough to feed us!"

"No, I only played casually. I won’t play next time."

"Hmph, can I even trust you? Our son wants to eat barbecue; when will you take him?"

"How about the weekend?"

Voices of a young couple’s playful banter came from ahead. Qin Jun immediately waved his hand, making the three of them invisible to mortals.

Following the direction of the voices, he saw a young couple walking hand in hand.

The man looked strikingly similar to Qin Guokun—it was Qin Guokun during his youth. The woman resembled Qin Jun faintly—it was his mother.

The couple walked into the apartment building while bickering playfully.

Qin Guokun sighed, "Even though life was tough back then, it was beautiful."

Qin Jun remained silent, his gaze fixed on the apartment building ahead, lost in thought.

"Back then, housing policies weren’t in place like in your generation. We didn’t have RV-style living spaces to worry about. In those days, we rented apartments, and a month’s salary was barely enough to feed a family of three. We worked away from home for years and couldn’t be surrounded by family like nowadays."

Qin Guokun began reminiscing, recounting stories of his generation’s struggles to Yu’er.

Yu’er had always felt detached from these tales, unable to understand how housing could have been humanity’s biggest stressor. After all, in her era, every person was gifted a home by the government at birth. Humanity had already extended its reach beyond Earth, and most people weren’t content to remain planetbound.

Qin Jun felt nostalgic as he listened. He was the supreme Heavenly Emperor now, untouched by these mortal concerns.

In the past, life demanded counting each day. In the present, days pass without concern for time itself, chasing intangible dreams.

"Your great-grandmother and I lived through hardship, but we cherished it. Even when I wasn’t ambitious, she never gave up on me. In life, it’s rare to find the right person. I don’t know if she was the right one, but she never left me, not even until the end."

"To share joy and sorrow together is the secret to enduring love. I hope in the next life, I won’t endure another ounce of hardship."

Qin Guokun laughed, nearly 116 years old now. The bitterness of the past could be told humorously, even though his eyes glistened with tears.

Yu’er didn’t fully understand. Her heart was preoccupied with her studies. Though she harbored fantasies of love, she hadn’t experienced it, unable to grasp the profound weight behind Grandpa Zeng’s casual words.

Qin Jun listened quietly, and his mind wandered toward reflections of his own life.

His thread of reincarnation seemed complex, yet his memory always ran in a single trajectory—from Earth to the Xuandang Great World, then to Chaos, Primordial, and finally returning here. He had already witnessed countless trials, separations, and reunions. To him, life and death had lost their intensity.

Gradually, the skies darkened into night.

Qin Guokun ceased reminiscing and turned to Qin Jun saying, "Let’s head back."

Under the night’s veil, the apartment’s windows lit up one after another, their glow ordinary yet comforting.

Qin Jun nodded, glancing one last time at that old home of his, before waving his hand.

The three of them were suddenly back in the park, as though they had only been gone for a second.

"Take back my youth."

Qin Guokun slowly seated himself in the wheelchair. Despite his regained vigor, his body trembled lightly.

"Do you really want this? Isn’t starting anew impossible?" Qin Jun frowned and asked.

"The past can never return. Can you truly start over?" Qin Guokun retorted with a smile.

Yu’er didn’t understand, but her heart felt heavy.

She couldn’t fathom why Qin Guokun would seek death so earnestly. For someone young like her, death was terrifying.

Can you truly start over?

Faced with this question, Qin Jun’s spirit quaked; his soul felt as though it had been struck by a hammer.

In that instant, enlightenment dawned.

Though he had seemingly ascended to the realm of the Heavenly Emperor, his heart remained chained to the past.

"Xiao Jun, your path lies ahead. Parents cannot and should not be your everything. After all, even I had parents once."

Qin Guokun gazed at Qin Jun with a gentle smile, though his eyes betrayed a trace of reluctance.

In this life, apart from Qin Jun’s mother, Qin Jun was his most cherished person. Decades of guilt had weighed on him heavily. Seeing Qin Jun safe and sound now, immortal even, brought him great relief—but also clarity that it was time to let go.

"It’s just a pity that in the next life, I won’t be your father. Don’t give me another chance; live well."

Qin Guokun’s smile etched itself deeply into Qin Jun’s heart. Yu’er, however, couldn’t help crying, her hands covering her mouth to stifle sobs.

With a wave of his right hand, Qin Jun conjured the forms of Qin Lingming, Qin Xue’er, Qin Tianwu, and Qin Ruoxin to appear before him, as though projected out of thin air.

"Hello, Grandpa, my name is Qin Lingming."

"Hello, Grandpa, my name is Qin Ruoxin."

"Hello, Grandpa, my name is Qin Xue’er."

"Hello, Grandpa, my name is Qin Tianwu."

The four children addressed Qin Guokun with bright laughter, reminiscent of Lunar New Year greetings.

Qin Guokun froze briefly, then burst into joyous laughter. "Good kids! Wonderful kids!"

In this moment, the sorrow in his eyes dissipated completely.

He had finally let go. Qin Jun already had children of his own, and Qin Guokun believed fervently that Qin Jun would now go on to live well for their sake.

Qin Jun could sense his father’s emotions and sighed softly. With a wave of his right hand, the four children’s projections vanished, and Qin Guokun rapidly aged. In mere moments, he was back to his original frail form, slumped in the wheelchair, barely able to move. Even his muddied eyes seemed perpetually on the brink of sleep.

"Your mother..."

Qin Guokun murmured weakly, his voice faint yet audible to Qin Jun.

Boom!

The Ziwei Emperor Star Dao Fruit and Wheel of Fate in Qin Jun’s body churned wildly. At this moment, he finally understood everything.

From his hand, he produced a storage ring and tossed it to Yu’er. "If you ever encounter an unstoppable danger, drip blood onto this ring."

"Remember, you mustn’t tell anyone about this ring. It must remain a secret. If others find out, the consequences could be dire."

After speaking, Qin Jun turned and prepared to leave.

After five steps, he turned back, just in time to see Qin Guokun straining to keep his eyes open, gazing at him with a look of gratitude.

Qin Jun turned away again, a faint smile breaking across his face—a sign that he had made peace within.

"In the next life, I’ll make sure you live free from want, bathed in brilliance."

Qin Jun murmured softly. As the Heavenly Emperor, he possessed the ability to manipulate reincarnation. If he couldn’t change Qin Guokun’s current wishes, then he would guarantee a future filled with unparalleled bliss.

With that, he vanished on the spot.

Later that night, Qin Guokun passed away peacefully. Other than Yu’er, the rest of the family took it in stride. After enduring to such an age, his departure had been free of suffering.

Ten years later, Earth’s Cosmic Bureau suddenly received a mysterious transmission. After technical restoration, they uncovered a segment of video footage.

Within the footage, six figures abruptly appeared amidst the starry cosmos. One figure radiated golden light, while the other five were enveloped in eerie black energy, resembling gods battling sinister forces. The golden figure transformed into a thousand split bodies, surrounding the five blackened beings before the footage cut off abruptly.

The video sent shockwaves across Earth’s Cosmic Union, heralding the advent of a new era.